Unfortunate Side-effects

[Kysis]

"No!!!  You can\'t tell him!  He would never approve of what I was at the farm doing and-- and--- he\'ll fire me!  And probably want to turn me in to the guards for it!  Just go in the morning!  Really!" Ryanna almost jumped off the bed in her adamant desire for her boss not to be told.  Anyone but him.  Lord Liari (from what Ryanna had seen) had the moral compass of a Grand Chaplain of Adora, and would not tolerate even the idea laid before him, much less going through with it.

As much as she wanted something to really happen about Maracatte, more for the sake of her poor servants than herself, she could not dare drag Lord Liari into her mis-deeds.  Ryanna knew her boss and Maracatte had a very thin business connection, and that would shatter completely if Kysis found out and then tried to go through with the operation she and Freddy were considering.  The guilt of knowing would show through like a candle behind a piece of thin paper!

Oh, none of this was going as planned at all.  Ryanna almost wished she had not mentioned it at all.  Things would be a lot easier that way.  Easier?  Who was she kidding?  She had complicated everything on her own.  Her fault entirely, even if Magnus was in on it and helped out considerably.

"Morning would be better." Ryanna nodded fervently. "I mean, you would have to tell him that there is an ongoing investigation into someone at the funeral, but, don\'t tell him about my injuries.  Please."

[Existentially Odd]

Freddy gave her a reprimanding look, but settled back down beside her, not wanting her to fuss enough that her wounds started bleeding again.  "Alright," he agreed reluctantly.  "I\'ll go to Lord Liari tomorrow and request his help in observing the funeral, telling him I\'m investigating some of the people I believe will be there, so that he can tell me who he saw, what he saw and ask him if there\'s anything further he can add to my information... alright?" he asked.

The longer he spoke to her, the more solid the plan became in his mind.  He was fairly confident he could go to the lord with a story like that, but he wasn\'t certain that Lam wouldn\'t question it and undo the tenuous threads Ryanna was having him string up to hide the truth... but he saw no other alternative at this stage, not if she believed he\'d stick out like a sore thumb at the temple and not if she was unwlling to simply tell him the name he desperately wanted.

"Rest," he told her with a sigh, smoothing a gentle hand over her hair as an encouragement for her to get comfortable on the bed once more.  "You need it."  He wasn\'t sure if he should stay in the bedroom with her or whether he should guard her in the outer rooms - or leave altogether.  He didn\'t think he would know unless he asked and so, in typical blunt form, he did.  "Do you want me to stay tonight?"

[Kysis]

"I \'aven\'t slept in a few days."

Since Maracatte had visited her, at least.  Ryanna had tried to sleep once, but kept being jarred awake by dreams of Maracatte having someone sneak in to kill her, or coming herself to torture Ryanna again.  The dreams had been horrible, and Ryanna had woken up right when the attacker touched her, bolting upright with enough force to tear at her back, slicked in sweat which stung the new re-openings.  And then, Ryanna could not fall asleep again, sitting out by the fire with a weapon or two, staring at the front door.

She needed rest, but for what?  Ryanna knew that if Lord Liari went to the funeral, she would have to go to work.  She also knew that during the funeral, it would be safest if she was not home.  Wouldn\'t a mother\'s funeral be a perfect alibi for a murder?  The thought sent a shiver up Ryanna\'s spine.  That blasted witch of a woman would think that way, wouldn\'t she?

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.  The first part was how Ryanna had always thought before.  She would always hope for the best.  The second part had rubbed off on her from her boss.  He always prepared for the worst, no matter how severely things were slanted in his favor.

"I don\'t want to keep ya up...."

That was the truth, but she also did not want Freddy to leave.  She felt safer with him there.  A big ox of a man could do that.  However, Ryanna was sure it was more because it was Freddy.  Reliable Freddy.  She could trust him.

[Existentially Odd]

The lieutenant rubbed a weary hand over his face, not particularly feeling like being kept up, either; especially if he was to go to see Lord Liari on the morrow.  Thing was, Ryanna needed the rest more than him and, if it was necessary, he would make the sacrifice for her.

"Well... I could maybe sleep beside you?  I\'m a light sleeper but I\'d get rest until something happened that required me being awake," he mused, looking at the bed thoughtfully.  It was difficult to meet her eye, making such a forward request as this.  Besides, Ryanna wasn\'t that big but she was terribly wounded.  He wouldn\'t be surprised if she balked at the thought of having him lie beside her, in case he happened to bump her.  Still, she knew that he was a steady sleeper, and not one to flail about restlessly.

He couldn\'t meet her eye as he waited breathlessly for her answer.

[Kysis]

Well, that wasn\'t an idea that had come to mind.  Ryanna blinked furiously, tilting her head to one side, nose wrinkled as she considered.  Yes, he was a still sleeper, so he wouldn\'t bump her wounds.  That was good.  Ryanna was not sure if he was a light sleeper or not, but weren\'t guards supposed to be trained like that?  Especially him of all people.  So...

"I guess that could work."

Ryanna looked at the large bed, which was huge with just her on it, but would not be cramped with Freddy there too.  She scooted over some, wiggling to get to one side of the bed.  A smile was forced, as weak as it was.

It did remind her some of that night, three ago.  It seemed like ages, but it was just three.  Ryanna nodded. "Ok."  What else was she supposed to say?  Ryanna had a feeling she would sleep just fine with Freddy there, so this was a middle-point, so neither of them lost sleep.  That would be good.  She nodded again at her own mental points, though it might have looked odd to an outsider.

"I think I\'d feel a bit safer that way."

[Existentially Odd]

"And we both sleep," he pointed out, his grin growing.  It was a difficult thing to hide how pleased and relieved he was, now that she\'d accepted his offer.  He was slightly disappointed that she hadn\'t made the suggestion herself or been... well, enthusiastic about him being with her, but he knew that feeling would fade once they\'d both safely seen the night out.

He hoped they saw the night safely out, anyway.

"I\'ll go and tidy everything up," he told her obediently, starting with taking everything he\'d brought into the bedroom out of it.  He stoked the fire out in the main room and put in some extra wood, figuring that his companion wouldn\'t be able to cover herself fully with blankets and would therefore need some heat in the air around her (even if it came from the other room).  Hopefully his excessive body heat would sustain her, too.

Once everything was set to rights in the main room, he returned to the bedroom, wearing only his ankle-length under pants (tied firmly at his waist so they wouldn\'t loosen suggestively).  "Let me help you with the covers," he said softly, fussing until they were no longer beneath Ryanna, but were pulled up to her waist - and then he got in under them, beside her.  He did his best to move slowly and shuffle about gingerly, not wanting to shake the frame of the bed and hurt her.  When he was settled, he turned his head on the pillow and looked at her shadow in the darkness.  "Alright?" he asked softly, meaning was she alright, as well as was his entrance into the bed alright.

[Kysis]

Ryanna did not have a chance to tell him that he did not have to tidy.  Really.  Ryanna did not even clean her own house very often (though she laundered her clothing and washed the dishes on a regular basis).  However, it was nice to just sit there for a while, to shiver a bit from her skin and the cold air being in contact.  She really wished she could just curl up in a cocoon of covers, but knew that would just murder her back.

Oh, nothing but Freddy was going her way now.  Had she sacrificed all her luck for one thing?

Probably.

Those thoughts were dashed when Freddy came back in the room and carefully arranged her.  He was so gentle, especially for the giant he was.  A real smile touched her lips.  She was thankful to have him there.  It was more comforting than she had imaged, even with his cheeky comments.

"Thank you soooooo much."  Ryanna snuggled in close to him as soon as he was situated, enjoying his warmth.  It was like her own personal fireplace, on the bed, without the risk of dying.  Ryanna rested her cheek on his shoulder (a little closer to his arm, but still near enough to the shoulder).  She felt tiny next to him, but the bed felt right sized, so all was good.

Well, almost all good.

"I\'m comfy.  Are you?  There is water and food and stuff if you need anything.  Really."

[Existentially Odd]

"Mmm," he murmured negligently, not really interested in getting up again now that they were settled and she was seeming a little more normal - enough to snuggle up to him, anyway, and be friendly rather than frantic.  He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head lightly and then settled back, closing his eyes and smiling a little.

"I\'m comfy, sleep well," he murmured, not able to say anything more that was dancing upon his tongue, as the exhaustion of finishing a shift and then becoming immersed in a stressful situation (as he worried about what Ryanna had got herself into) claimed him.  He was dragged down into the depths of slumber without any further ado, hoping his companion surrendered to the same.