Visit at the Marketplace

On the next day, after she had done her ablutions, Megara took her way to the marketplace. She passed several booths and many people tried to get her attention and praised their goods, but she was searching for a very special booth... She slowly walked on and after some time she noticed the one she was looking for, talking to a blonde woman. She waited until she was gone and walked over to him. "What a wonderful day, don't you think?", she said to his back and leant forward, her hands on the wooden counter top.

Kian had been awake since early morning. He visited Rose with Malea and spent some time showing her the new things he brought with him. After hours he wanted to leave her and look for his stuff at the market. There was always something he had to keep an eye on. For some reason Rose wanted to come with him so they had a nice talk on the way to the market.

They even talked when they reached the booth for a while. When she left, Kian turned around and tried to keep an eye on his important things, but a voice interrupted him. He smiled and turned back around.

"Good Morning Miss Melos.", he bowed slightly. "It's indeed a wonderful day. How have you spent it so far?", he smiled at her gently.

She smiled at him, too. "Well, I was just ambling over the marketplace and watching everything the merchants are offering~" He looked very good today... a blue shirt was very becoming him. She washed this thought away and took a look at his goods. He had almost everything, from ancient jewelry to expensive-looking drapery. It seemed like ha was selling quite unique stuff. "And you? Just working over here?", she asked then.

Kia shook his head. "Not really. I just came back from the Lannisters. The oldest daughter is a dear friend of mine. She was curious what I brought for her, so I had to show her early in the morning.", Kian smiled. His glance drifted away for a moment, searching for Males. When he saw her playing around not too far away, he brought his attention back to the woman in front of him.

" So you kept your promise.", he smiled warm.

"The blonde woman who was here before?" Megara noticed his glance drifting to some point to her right and followed it. She saw a little girl sitting on the ground and playing with a wooden horse. Was this girl his daughter he had talked about? Seemed like it.

She had not really much time to look at her, because Kian talked to her again. She looked back at him. "Of course. I'm always keeping my promises.", she said and smiled back at him. He didn't know how far she would go to keep one...

"Yes, indeed.", he smiled. "Maybe you should try and get to know her. In some things it's easier to have her friendship rather than mine.", his eyes shimmered warm. "I'm no one compared to her, if her father would get mad at me for no reason, I'll be dead.", he shrugged.

"It's a nice side, to keep promises. Not everyone does."

She laughed. "So you better behave, Mr. Innis.", she said with a sexy glow in her eyes. Maybe it would really be a good connection.. mighty people are always good to be friends with..but they were also a little dangerous sometimes.....

"Yes. I think there are only very few people that never broke a promise in their life.", she looked at him, "What about you?"

"I would dare to bring a customer in danger. And I live for my daughter, I can't act like a stupid boy anymore.", Kian shrugged. "Those days are over. I had enough trouble.", he took Athena's hand and pulled her behind the booth. "You don't need to stay there like a customer. And actually I think you made those there waiting.", he nodded with his head towards some people that were staying around the booth, some of them with a quite unpleasant look.

"We rather go a bit at the side and talk more.", Kian smiled. "I try to keep all my promises. And I don't give them if I can't."

"You're really.. grown-up for your age..I mean..how old are you? In the middle of your twen- oh!", she exclaimed when he pulled her with him. She smiled a little nervous. His hand was very big and warm... She was now standing  very close to him looked up into his eyes. "Oh...", she took a look to those people and laughed briefly. She didn't care about them in any way and looked back to him. "It's really comfortable here in the back.", she said with a teasing smile. "That's a very good trait of you."

Kian laughed. "I'm at the beginning of the thirties, mylady. But thank you for the compliment.", he looked down at her, his eyes shimmering amused. He hold her hand a while longer, before he let go of it and stroke through his hair. "It's really stuffed in here.", he muttered and looked around.

"Oh, really?", she was a little distracted. When she looked in his eyes, she got totally lost in them. She came round when he let go of her hand. It felt a little cold without his warm hand around it.. She looked smiling on the ground and then back to him. She followed his glance and took a look all the things around there. "Oh, wow...so many things...!", she said and walked two steps to a small shelf with necklaces. She loved jewelry like those... not too much but still very elegant. She touched a blue diamond on one of the necklaces and then walked to the next frame. "You really have everything, don't you?"

Kian leaned against a chest and watched her looking around. He smiled. "Not everything, but a lot I guess. Enough to keep women busy for a long time. Sadly.", he smirked anguished. It had to be like this, or there was no money to live, he knew, just couldn't stand too many women at once.

His wife always laughed at him for this attitude. He was a merchant with looks like a womanizer but felt weird when women were around. On the other side she had mentioned, it made sure he belonged to her.

"Do you want to take something with you?", he asked gently.

She laughed. "You don't like women to check out what you can offer them?", she asked and gave him an ambiguous smile, before she went on lokking at his goods.

"What?", she turned around to him, surprised. "Uuh...no", she averted her gaze. "I don't have a place I could put any of these things. I don't need it.."

Kian snickered. "You don't need to take jewelery. You can choose whatever you want. Or you tell me, and I keep it till you need it or find a place."

He sighed. "That's not the problem. I think their voices are. Their loud and screamy voices. It feels good to see them go home with a smile, but they could be more quiet while looking. Or stop doing these overtures. I'm not interested."

"Thank you for your offer, Mr Innis, but I don't think I could use something you have here.." She stopped walking around and leant against a table full of drapery.

"Do I have a loud and screamy voice, too?", she asked with a smile and tilted her head.

"Soo.. you get a lot of offers, you say? I can really understand." She mumbled the last sentence and gave him a tempting glance.

Kian bowed his head slightly. "No, you haven't. I like your voice.", he smiled softly. "You want to offer yourself too?", he tilted his head and frowned. Did he misunderstood? It had been so nice to talk to her, but if she only wanted that, he would try to avoid seeing her again in future. That would be sad though.

"Well, then it is all good", she smirked.

"Oh, I don't think it's that easy to get me, Mr. Innis. I'm not one of those women who see a handsome man and just throwing theirselves into his arms." She smiled sneeringly. But she had to admit he really made her struggle. She really wanted to throw herself in his arms...or hold his hand again..

Kian tried to hide the relief, that came over him after her answer. He feared she might ave seen it though. It wasn't that he never wanted to marry again. With the right woman indeed he would like to have a family again, to give Malea a family. But just not yet.

"What do you like to do?"

"You invited me to come to visit you, so you're responsible for the action", she grinned. She really had no idea what to do without.. coming very close to him. She really needed to stop thinking about such things. It was the last she needed right now.

Kian thought a moment and then offered his arm. "Then I show you around the market. Maybe we can find something useful. And if it's a tool or just informations about something important, doesn't matter.", he gave a warm smile.

His servants would make sure everything got sold properly. They worked together for long enough to build up a great trust in each other. If something happened, they knew what would happen. Kian was sure they would keep an eye on Malea.

"As long as you're fine with it, of course."

"My pleasure, Mr. Innis", she said smiling and linked arms with him. "I'm very curious what you can show me." It was a very good idea. Hopefully she will get to know something...even a little.. She went outside with him and let him show her around. She really enjoyed walking so close to him.

Lian led her out of the booth along the small trails of the market place. It was loud and stuffed, but he knew most of the other merchants well. He stopped at some here and there and let her talk to the people there, looking after the merchandise. He himself had some nice talks, seeing friends again and dealt about merchandise and customers.

At the fountain he stopped and handled her a flagon with water. "Here. It's exhausting talking to so many people in such a short time."

When they reached the fountain she sighed. Noone knew anything. It was exasperating. She sat down on the verge of the fountain and looked up when he handled her the flagon. "Oh, thank you." She didn't know she was thirsty but when she thought about it she really was, so she drank a few mouthfuls. While she was drinking, one or two waterdrops seeped down her chin and dropped on her clavage. When she had finished, she washed it away. Woops.

"You're always welcome.", he answered and looked at her while she was drinking. Athena was a pretty woman and he had enjoyed their little walk, being together with her. When she finished, he leaned forward and took the flagon back, his fingers touching hers and he look deep into her eyes. Then a smile curled up on his lips and he took a few sips himself.

It was a warm day and the market was huge. They had still a few booths to go to. "Do you want to see more? Or go back to my booth and take a rest for today?", he asked politely.

She looked back at him with big eyes. He really was confusing her. Saying he was annoyed by women who wanted to be with him and then acting like this... She could almost touch the tension between them while he looked so deeply into her eyes. This feeling was different than everything before... But at a moment's notice he leant back and drank himself. She blinked confused and watched his Adam's apple moving.

"What? Uhm... maybe we rest a little and go on then?", she asked and put her hands on the right and left side of her hips.