Ophelia gave Natalia her scabbard. The sword was only to give a warrior's appearance, not to be used. But Natalia wanted to try it. So... the sword was not too heavy. It was basically out if Natalia's scope.

She could see that, the way her muscles strained and not flexed... beads of perspiration lined her forehead. Even Ryan looked worried. But then, Natalia was a Princess.

'I can do it,' she said, 'just takes a little time...' her hand shook, holding the sword with a single hand for the first time. Hmm, better than before. Ophelia walked upto her.

'Swing it.'

Natalia did, and it was surprisingly good. Ophelia bent out of the way just in time. 'Sorry!' Natalia cried, but Ryan laughed.

'Don't slice off Edgar's head, even if you really want to, Natalia.' He said, surprising Ophelia. She had thought he'd take another dig at her. The very sight of him irked her, why did he have to be attractive then? The gods were rather unfair with how they meted out characteristics. Shrewd, provoking, egoistic, but attractive. Why!?

Ophelia shook her head, thinking about it would only make it worse. 'Tell me something about the Venemina.' The other side of the stream was in view. This was urgent.

Natalia was busy doing something with the sword that looked suspiciously as if she was swatting flies.

'They are dangerous, cunning, venomous and seductive.' Ryan paused, 'And their very touch poisons you. You won't die instantly at a single touch, but it slowly takes a toll on everything. They are beautiful. Somebody would call them irresistible.'

Ophelia pointed to her face, she was sure it was weather-beaten, grimy. And her expression wasn't good either. 'Will this do?' For the beautiful part, obviously.

Ryan was slightly taken aback, but he composed himself quickly, and nodded, a little stiff.

Ophelia couldn't help a triumphant smile. If she could, if she had the slightest control, she wouldn't smile. But it happened, and thankfully, Ryan was too busy in finding a proper spot to halt at.

They still had to walk quite a bit to reach that solitary hut. A small cat mewed at the entrance, but the hut itself was completely silent. Ophelia helped Natalia up, and then looked at the hut... no, Edgar couldn't have seen them. That hut had no window.

She looked at Ryan, her eyes drawn to the beads of perspiration dotting his biceps. She wondered if he could defeat her in a duel, those biceps looked made up with working not dueling. But then probably, he very much could. He had overthrown an entire dynasty... what had she done?

'Don't stare now, Princess. Don't the Vedessan men have anything to excite you?' He asked, straightening up. Ophelia turned red, and for the first time, she couldn't reply. It had hit hard that truly, the Vedessan men hadn't excited her at all. Not the way Ryan did... wait, Ophelia couldn't think be thinking that.

She huffed, 'I was only wondering if you were malnourished.' She replied, after a long, awkward pause.

'You haven't seen me eat,' and he brushed past her. Actually brushed past her, their arms touching momentarily. Ophelia's skin fired up at the contact. She was almost outraged, but couldn't speak a word. The contact had felt painfully good, and she couldn't protest.

He put a brotherly arm around Natalia (at least Ophelia liked to think that it was brotherly) and steered her away. He didn't seem to mind Edgar seeing. 'Natalia,' he told her, rather warmly, 'Come to us when you hear me laugh, alright? Only then."

She nodded.

'I'll try to make sure you don't need to use that sword.' Ophelia added, 'If we ever even come to that part. This plan sounds stupid to me.'

'Could you kindly not be a pessimistic and come with me now, Princess Ophelia?' He said, not ungently, tying a square, black piece of cloth below his eyes.

Ophelia looked at him, a part of her realizing how the cloth complimented his black eyes. But basically, she just wanted to smack Ryan across the face, tie up his hands and legs and throw him into the river. But only because she could do neither of them, Ophelia grunted an affirmation.

* * *

She hoped she was not doing this wrong. Reaching the flimsy door of the hut, Ryan standing a little behind her, Ophelia stopped for a second. Then raised a hand to push the door flat open.

Something stopped her. Instead of opening the door, she said, 'Does the great ascetic, the knower of all, the unsurpassably wise Edgar live here?' She asked, in her sweetest voice. Ryan raised his eyebrows, making confused gestures, but she slapped his hand away.

'No.' Came a voice from within, and Ophelia was not surprised.

'Pray don't be so cross, Great One!' Then she stopped, appalled at how naturally her voice took that tone of flattery. These were not the ways of a warrior. 'Do let me in,' and she knocked politely, 'just a tiny little slither.' She added, in a hiss. Loud enough for Edgar to hear. This time, the voice came constricted. Low at first, then a shout.

'Just... leave this PLACE! I've seen you come up, I know your ways!' He grunted. Ophelia was slightly furious, but only slightly.

'Goodness, goodness, we aren't co-operating, are we?' She turned to Ryan. 'On another, leisurely day, I wouldn't care. But today...' she almost sang, 'today makes an exception.'

It was silent inside. They were silent too. Ophelia took a step back to push the door, break it open, but Ryan gestured at her to stop. He would do it. Ophelia tried to argue, but he was adamant. Seconds ticked by...

~SLAM~

The man inside, sitting cross legged and apparently trying to meditate, jumped up in fright. Broken shards of the flimsy wooden door had flown about... in fact, Ophelia realized, the shards embedded in Ryan's arm at the moment, could have been in hers.

Once again, Ophelia was appalled. She did NOT want a man to put himself in all the harm's way and protect her. On the contrary, Ophelia hated it. But she couldn't hate what Ryan had done. This man was dangerous. So dangerous that if Ophelia didn't distance herself quickly, he'd manage to melt her heart.

But for then, she had to make it all look real. So Ophelia put a hand on Ryan's chest and pushed him out the way. But she did it very gently, 'Thank you for that.' She told him, without looking at him. Her voice was completely different, it was... not hers. But the way Ryan looked at her, at the contact, had been priceless.

'Do you know how difficult it was for me to put up that door!?' Edgar demanded. Ophelia, however, saw right through it.

'DON'T.' She commanded, 'My dear man, don't try to be funny.' She walked up to him, tracing a finger along the compact mud wall with so much strength that it left a depression all the way. He eyed it, and then her flexed arm, and then her clothing. 'I hear that you are terribly afraid of Veniminas!'

He gulped. He actually gulped. Such a knowledgeable ascetic, a man who apparently knew everything. He gulped at the very name of the Venemina. But then he sat down, as if he was not afraid at all. 'Tell me then,' he said, with a tremor in his voice, 'what brings you here?'

'Ahha,' Ophelia nodded, raising her eyebrows, 'there's purpose indeed. Is there not?' She asked Ryan. He bowed, and nodded. 'So,' she snapped back to Edgar, 'we need knowledge. Information.'

Edgar smiled a painful smile. He shook his head slightly, 'I cannot.' He stated, 'I cannot give you information.'

'Oh,' Ophelia feigned surprise, 'we didn't know that! Now we do, apologies, apologies! We'll just takes ourselves out of your humble abode now.' She stared down at him, eyes hardening, 'Stop that nonsense, Ascetic!'

'You don't get it!' He maintained, Ophelia took a step towards him, 'Wait!' Ophelia didn't stop, 'Are you a Venemina?'

Ophelia almost died a little inside at saying it, but she said it well enough, 'May I kiss and tell you that, Great One?'

'My Lady,' Ryan interrupted, 'I don't think you would want to kiss scum like that.'

Ophelia smirked, 'Certainly not, when I have ones like you.' Her neck burned with embarrassment but she bore down at Edgar now, 'However, if need be, I must show them what I truly am.' She advanced, it was simple enough to scare him now. A part of Ophelia doubted him being "Great" at all. But it was also true that smart men were mostly not brave.

'Stop!' Edgar told her, 'Stop - I have done nothing!'

'If you keep doing nothing, Ascetic,' Ophelia hissed, 'you'll soon be nothing. Do I not know,' she advanced, 'you know where the Queen's anklet is. You are the only one who does. Tell me!'

'The - the Venemina have sworn - they've sworn to never touch an ascetic. You can't-!'

Ophelia was momentarily stumped at what he was spewing. Had they? Was that true?

'The Anklet decides the next Queen, Ascetic Edgar. If there's no anklet, there's no Queen. No Venemina. Oaths are made to be broken.' It was Ryan who spoke, jumping in before Ophelia did something wrong. That had been a near one, she could feel the sweat at her temples.

'A venemina oath cannot be broken!' He protested, 'You should not-' he probably had expected Venemina at his doorstep for a long time now. He was just resignedly terrified - like he should have done something before but hadn't. Probably shifted locations.

'I'm very much at the end of my patience.' Ophelia sighed, running a tongue over her lips. 'I give you a final chance,' she knelt down in front of him, locking eyes. His eyes were almost teary with fright.

Ryan laughed loudly, 'Only one woman can save you Edgar, and she's far, far off.'

Ophelia knew who he spoke of, and she joined in the laugh for a moment. 'Tell me where the anklet is,' she closed a hand below his shoulder and shook him, 'I've waited long enough for this!'

'YOU EVIL WOMAN!' Natalia's voice cut across, Ophelia was so, so glad her sick part was over. 'Get away from him!'

Ophelia drew a snarl as Ryan jumped off the entrance, looking terrified. 'Y-you!' He exclaimed, 'Impossible!'

Ophelia looked down at the confused Edgar, she nudged him with her toe and laughed, 'You might be saved today, but not for long.' Then she strutted upto Natalia, imitating Layla Lucas' sway of hips. 'Go away, human lass. I know I cannot match you but I'll not leave this Ascetic without a fight.'

Natalia smirked, she was pretty suddenly... courage suited her. 'If fight is what you want, you won't get it, Venemina.'

'My Lady,' Ryan protested, 'it will be best to leave right now. It's not wise to-'

'I don't run away from puny girls.' Ophelia interrupted him, facing Natalia now.

'Come on now, Venemina,' Natalia said, pushing her out the way. Ophelia pushed herself to the ground, and then gnashed her teeth as if furious. Ryan rushed to her, and the moment he was away from the door, Edgar dashed to it. He was stopped by Natalia.

He trembled, 'Are you a - a - another Veme - Venemina?' He stammered. Natalia smiled,

'Ascetic Edgar, did you not just hear them address me as a lowly human lass?' She questioned, 'It does not suit you to be afraid of such weak creatures.'

'Weak!' Ophelia lashed, 'Only you have been blessed with a resistance to us, lass! I would still crush this ascetic underfoot!'

'You can try.'

Ophelia got up, staring daggers at Natalia, 'Give me the man.'

Natalia laughed, 'You hardly know to respect a wise man. And what you call my resistance out of indignance is exactly what-' She stopped short as Ophelia lunged at her.

Ophelia couldn't believe how soft Natalia's pushes were. She had to put in such an effort to stop lunging and fall to her knees at the push, and make it appear real. Natalia pressed her hand to Ophelia's forehead, 'You forget I'm not resistant to Venemina, I can tame you.'

'You can never-' Ophelia began.

'I am doing it.' Natalia pressed harder. Okay, Ophelia was supposed to fall unconscious now, perhaps. She swayed on the spot, she was tired anyways. Very tired. She didn't want to talk or argue anymore. She feigned a fall to the ground, and realised that Edgar had jumped at her hitting the ground.

It was a little too hard, her head bumped against a solid part of the mud floor. She remembered her mother's talk of head injuries. Ophelia had a head injury now.

The silence left Ryan facing Natalia and the ascetic, who broke the silence. 'Is - she dead?'

Natalia laughed a pretty laugh. 'Oh no, respected man. Far from dead. But she won't return for a long time.'

She must have addressed Ryan then, 'Take your mistress away. How unfortunate that I cannot kill her...' Ophelia heard her tap the sheath, 'And because you're a human, young man, I'll advise you against falling in love with her. Venemina don't love, she'll bring your doom.'

She heard Ryan's footsteps, for a moment he stopped, then she felt a hand around snake below her knees and one across her back. He lifted her clean off the ground and Ophelia bit back the desire to wrap her arms around his neck. 'It remains none of your business.' He told her, rather harshly. 'And remember, your resistance to the Venemina will not remain lifelong.'

'You can fancy that.' Natalia replied, 'I hope to never see you again.'

* * *

For as long as he carried her, Ophelia dared not open her eyes. Even after they had left the hut and Natalia far behind to sort out the suspicions and confusions that Edgar might have. But then she did, when they had left the house quite far behind. And as soon as she did, they both burst into a quiet laugh.

Maybe she didn't hate him so much anymore. A tiny bit, but after having almost terrified the life out of an ascetic together, they couldn't exactly remain enemies.

He set her down, 'I was afraid you had passed out for real.'

'Or was I too heavy for you?' She asked.

'Just the right weight to help build my biceps.' Ryan replied, Ophelia watched his cheekbones move when he spoke. Every bit of him seemed so fresh, exotic.

'You're quite strong without the biceps.' Ophelia could hardly believe that she was complementing him.

Ryan smiled, waiting for her to step into the boat, 'If I had to return the compliment, I'd say that you're beautiful without being a Venemina.'

Ophelia didn't mind blushing because he was slightly red too. Her heart seemed to be fluttering, Adam Phillicks didn't exist, 'That's quite forward.' She smiled.

He picked up the rows, Ophelia knew it was futile to offer help. 'I don't grudge anybody a genuine compliment.'

She shook her head, Ryan was... not dangerous anymore. Just risky. And she was liking that risk. 'How's your arm?' She asked.

He seemed to have forgotten about it, but then gave her a full grin. He had wonderful teeth. 'You should be more worried about Edgar's door.'