Lilly looked at the wide expanse or sand and ocean before her. It was a beautiful day on the beaches of Athens, Greece, and this particular beach was deserted. The sun glimmered with early morning light, the sky a cerulean blue. The water matched the skies exactly, and it made a picturesque scene. Mr. Ambrose had brought her to the Mediterranean for a business dealing lasting an entire week. She hadn't complained once though. It had always been her dream to see the Acropolis and the . While Mr. Ambrose had met his business associate, Lilly hadn't been needed there all day. She also assumed that Mr. Ambrose didn't want her any more involved in his business. So she'd spent the majority of her days here in Athens visiting the ancient temples scattered about the city. Her favorite had been the Parthenon. 

Now though, on her last day here, when Mr. Ambrose had been relatively pleased with the state of his business, Lilly had managed to convince him to visit the beach with him. Karim hadn't been particularly pleased, but he'd come as well. Her thin, sleeveless white dress flowed comfortably around her ankles. To Lilly's delight upon arriving here, she'd found that women's clothing was much less restricting, and you only needed to wear a padded shirt instead of a corset. The heat on this peninsula probably meant that any woman wearing a tight corset would probably faint. Over this past week, her skin had darkened even more. 

Lilly smiled. She couldn't wait to actually swim! Also, the bathing suit she'd bought was also suited her quite well. She couldn't wait to see what Mr. Ambrose thought. Karim was lumbering a ways after them, glaring suspiciously at the couples holding hands and strolling about the pier. It happened to be Valentine's Day as well, Lilly's favorite holiday. It was such an example of male pig headedness that they thought they needed to buy gifts, flowers, and solid chocolate for women to win their heart. What a woman really needed was a man who understood them and supported their dreams! ... The chocolate wouldn't hurt though. 

Mr. Ambrose strode along beside her, as frozen and quiet as always. Even in this sunny heat, he still wore his black tailcoat and trousers. And he was at a beach! No matter, Lilly had planned for this... 

"We're here!" She exclaimed after walking a mile away from the public beach. It was still part of it, it was just much farther than most people walked to swim. She dropped the shoulder bag containing the towels, food, and extra clothing. 

"I find this completely unnecessary," Mr. Ambrose said coldly, surveying the lapping water. Lilly shot him a bright smile. 

"Relax Mr. Ambrose! Celebrate the success of your business proposal by taking this one day off to have fun!" 

"I refuse to participate in such frivolous activities." Lilly looked up pleadingly at her boss. He met her eyes unflinchingly, seemingly immune to her charms. She sighed. It had been a long shot anyway. She turned to Karim. 

"Come on, Karim? Join me for a swim?" Karim looked at the ifrit, at the sand, at his boss, and the beckoning waves. He seemed to have a silent conversation with Mr. Ambrose. Karim actually really loved swimming. Mr. Ambrose nodded imperceptibly, and Karim stripped down to his bathing suit, which had been beneath his clothing all this time. He still kept the turban wrapped around his head though. 

Without any warning, Lilly pulled her dress over her head. Karim yelped and hid his face. Mr. Ambrose, about to do the same, stopped. His eyes traveled over the tight red suit. It was quite modest, with a little skirt that still fell to her thighs, but it was the least clothing Lilly had ever worn in his presence. With her brown hair falling down around her shoulders... She looked honestly quite divine. 

Lilly ran eagerly into the surf, and Mr. Ambrose watched contentedly from the shore. She squealed as a wave broke around her thighs. Karim left his employer to join her. The ifrit immediately started pelting him with water. Her laughs was carried away by the sea breeze, blowing gently through his hair. He settled against a blanket and pulled out his notebook. The notes for tonight were written and coded within them, just in case Lilly decided to snoop through his things. Karim's playful roar could still be heard over the lapping of the water. He raised his eyes briefly from the notes concerning the restaurant and watched Lilly. 

Her hair was drenched to the roots with water, probably because Karim had just pushed her over. Her face was wrought in a scowl as she retaliated, flinging wet handfuls of sand at his beard, which enraged the Mohammedan. He cursed something about taking a long time to wash it out before he slapped a bunch of sand into her side. She started laughing, and Mr. Ambrose smiled to herself. 

The hour passed quickly, Mr. Ambrose's gaze remaining solely on the woman. She looked delighted to be relaxing and soaking in the sun. Karim had left to buy some lunch, and now that he was gone, he could return to his work. Without her playmate, the ifrit couldn't possibly get into more trouble. 

Wrong. 

10 minutes after his assumption, a woman's scream broke through the stupor of the day. Mr. Ambrose bolted to his feet, scanning the ocean. A flailing hand broke the surface, soon followed by Lilly's panicked face. During those minutes, the high tide had started, pulling her in. Panic coursed rapidly through his blood, pounding in his ears. He untied his bowtie, stripping off his socks and discarding his shoes and tailcoat. He ran into the surf, the water pulling at his trousers. 

Lilly had been set adrift so far away, several feet from the shore. Her wide eyes spotted Mr. Ambrose running through the waves toward her. She was just so short! She could just feel the soft wet sand brushing her toes. She trashed her arms, straining to keep herself afloat. How had Mr. Ambrose swam 13 miles to shore?! She disappeared again beneath a crystal clear wave, coming up spluttering. Her eyes screamed from the salty water of the sea, and she coughed up another ocean. 

Another wave crashed over her head, harder than before. How had the tide gotten so strong? One minute, it was lapping playfully at her waist, then it had pulled her in! 'Well,' she thought ruefully, 'I should have prayed to Poseidon.' She sunk beneath the water, her eyes closing. She didn't want her last view to be Mr. Ambrose's panic stricken face as she sunk beneath the waves. 

A hand closed around her waist, followed by an arm, and then she was being pulled up through the water. Her face broke the surface and she sucked in great mouthfuls of salty air. The sun was glaringly bright beneath her lids, and she could hear Karim in the background. The only thing that existed now however, was Mr. Ambrose's warm chest against hers, his rasping breath close to her face. He still clung to her, as though afraid the sea would take her and pull her under again. Lilly doubted that. She was sure she could freeze the world with a single glare. 

"Lilly," He growled, voice rough with water and something else. "Don't... Don't ever do that again."  He clutched her to him again, before letting her go. She blinked open her eyes. Mr. Ambrose's shirt and trousers were soaked and clung to him, his shirt almost translucent. She gulped. 

"I'm sorry sir, I'll be sure not to drown again." Her eyes stung with water, and still breathed heavily from the brush of death. He nodded and led her back to shore. His clothes were practically ruined, sand staining his white shirt. He looked at it in dismay, before picking up a towel and trying to wipe the sand off. It didn't work. Lilly, feeling like she owed him, offered to clean it when they got back to the hotel. 

"I'll do it myself. You should rest. We're meeting someone for dinner." Lilly nodded wearily and pulled her dress over her sopping clothes. Karim started to apologize profusely to Mr. Ambrose, who shook off his excuses. 

As they walked back to their hotel, many young women stared at Mr. Ambrose as he walked past. He gave no inclination he noticed, which heated Lilly's blood faster than anything could. She glared at them as she passed. As soon as they returned to their rooms, Lilly dropped tiredly into bed and passed out. 

Mr. Ambrose paused in the doorway, watching her. After tonight, everything would change. Everything. A cool breeze blew through the room, and the hair on her arms stood. Tenderly, Mr. Ambrose wrapped a blanket around her, and she nuzzled into it with a sigh. As she slept, Lilly felt phantom fingers stroking her cheek. 

Karim met Mr. Ambrose outside the door. His beard was full of sand, but he didn't try to clean it off. "I'm so sorry Sahib, I should've been there to watch her." 

"No matter. Attend to the plan. We meet again tonight." 

*** 

Lilly stared at herself in the mirror. Before Mr. Ambrose had left, he'd commanded her to wear a nice dress. Apparently, they were to meet an important acquaintance of his. The dress she was wearing now was very much in the Greek style, and flowed around her legs. The neckline was also in a deep V, but still concealed much of her chest. Her hair had been braided by the maids, who were there to aid her. Flowers wee also woven in. 

Lilly hated it. Yet, she couldn't dispute that she did indeed look quite alluring. She was wearing the classic Greek sandals, which were definitely more comfortable than the tight boots she usually wore. 

She went downstairs and headed for the coach waiting for her. Despite the many elaborate ones waiting on the street, she knew to take the most rickety, shabby looking one. The driver nodded politely and drove off. She was unsure of the reason why she and Mr. Ambrose had to arrive separately. Maybe he didn't want anyone seeing them together. A pang of pain shuddered through her. Whatever she and he had, it wasn't mean to be. 

Athens was beautiful at night. 

The torches cast a mystical light upon the ancient building outside the window, making her feel as though she had traveled back in time to the land of gods and goddesses. The bronze braziers were also alight, inside the temples, tourists clustered around them. Still, the driver did not stop. They drove past the Parthenon, the Agora of Athens, and even the Acropolis. She had half a mind to ask the driver where they were going before the chaise stopped. She peered outside. A small, but beautiful temple she'd never seen before waited outside. 

And there... Among the stones... 

She gaped. Mr. Ambrose waited for atop the marble white stairs. He wore not his black attire, but an elegant white tailcoat she hadn't seen before. His shirt was black, though, making him look the epitome of a charming gentleman. Karim opened the chaise door. Mr. Ambrose had managed to force him into a vest. He smiled at her, which was something Lilly never wanted to see again. Nevertheless, she gave him a grin when he offered him her hand. Usually, Lilly would smack any man who tried to help her out of carriages. Still, the fact that Karim had even deigned to offer her help, it was gratifying. 

She stepped out of the chaise, helped along by Karim. Of course, because Lilly was Lilly, she managed to get the dress stuck on the spokes of the wheel. Karim snorted out a laugh, and she slapped his bicep playfully. She unhooked it, and continued up to Mr. Ambrose. A strange, soft feature was on his face as he watched her walk up to him. There was... Tenderness? 

He offered his arm, and Lilly took it. Karim left them then. Mr. Ambrose offered no explanation for the location they were in or the attire they wore. Lilly didn't mind his silence for once. It enveloped them both, and they spoke through touch. His palm was constant in hers, softly stroking, always there. 

At the top of the small hill was the temple of Nike Apteros, or 'Wingless Nike.' Mr. Ambrose started speaking then, voice still hard and emotionless, yet his eyes spoke volumes. This temple was important to him. 

"Nike is the Greek goddess of Victory, in the old days, they built this temple. Usually, Nike is depicted with wings, but the word, Apteros, means Wingless. The people of Athens wanted Nike to stay in Athens, keeping Victory ever present." Lilly nodded along as they walked to the temple. 

The temple itself was quite small and made of old, yellowed stone. Ionic columns held up the triangular pediment, on which was written a name in Greek. The walls were crumbling in places, yet still it stood tall and proud, having survived through the ages. Maybe, some semi forgotten goddess was still lurking in the stone, a mere personification of what she'd once been. But still, the temple was standing, and Nike's memory lived within. The temple had probably gotten plenty of visitors, all praying for their success in triumph in the task they were about to do. But why was this important, to Mr. Ambrose, of all people?

"When I was younger, and poorer, I worked on a ship. The ship stopped here at Athens, and I explored for a day. I found this little hill, and overheard the story of Nike Apteros. I was lost, scared, and had no purpose. That day, I knelt on these steps and prayed. I prayed to a goddess already dead, and asked for the strength to one day rise up and be the Victor. The Winner. Then I left, and haven't been back since. Still, I remembered this little temple, and what it meant for me back then." Lilly was shocked. Those were the most words he'd ever said to her in one time. And the most intimate. He'd let her see into his past, which he hid so often. 

Lilly gripped his hand, with both of hers, facing him. "Thank you for telling me this. But... Why?" Mr. Ambrose took a deep breath. 

"Even now, I am praying one last time to Nike. I pray, that one more time, she ensures my victory." Without another word, Mr. Ambrose dropped to his knees, kneeling before her. 

"Will you be mine?" In his hand, a simple gold band lay. The ring from their faux marriage in Egypt! Tears started to cloud Lilly's eyes. She looked down at Mr. Ambrose's face. Still stone, showing no emotion. But they did say that the eyes were the window to the soul. In his blue irises, Lilly could see her future, full of danger, adventure, frustratingly infuriatingly good times. Love. What a woman needed was a man who understood her, and supported her dreams. While Mr. Ambrose certainly wasn't very verbal, he knew who she was, inside and out. 

Maybe gods didn't die. 

"I will be yours, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad. As long as you give me a day off every week, and even when you're behaving like a bloody arrogant idiot! This. Is. My. Solemn. Vow." Mr. Ambrose managed to slip the ring on her finger just before she pulled him up by his ears and attacked his lips. Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't so bad. 

Yes, yes, I know. They're very very very very OOC. But that's okay right? I wanted something sweet, and light, and fluffy, and even though Lilly did almost drown... Ah well. This feels really rushed to me, and I for sure did not bother editing! I'm sorry! But I will definitely write another chapter about Mr. Ambrose giving Lilly swimming lessons. I just didn't have enough time! I'm sorry about their out-of-characterness! 

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOUR DOG IS YOUR VALENTINE 🙋

RAISE YOUR HAND IF A FICTIONAL CHARACTER IS YOUR VALENTINE 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE AN ACTUAL VALENTINE 🙍

RAISE YOUR HAND IF THE ENTIRE BOOK COLLECTION IS YOUR VALENTINE 👋👋👋👋👋👋

Happy Valentines, ifrits! Thank you for 3k votes! 😻😻😻