46 Love Is like a Battle

Ivan smiled at Macha and reached down. He picked up a white napkin and put it on the table next to her. "You dropped this," he whispered in her ear. Ivan enjoyed the startled expression that flashed across Macha's face.

The closeness of the stranger startled Macha. "Thank you." The man had platinum blonde hair and sky-blue eyes. He gave her a warm, engaging smile that put Macha at ease.

Ivan gently took Macha's hand in his and introduced himself, "I'm Ivan. I couldn't help but notice you from my seat. I think you're quite beautiful and would love to dance with you." He looked into her eyes and raised an eyebrow. Ivan knew that people let their guard down when they felt they could trust him. He ensured to smile warmly and compliment the woman.

Everyone at the table recognized Ivan. He was known for his sadistic ways and had killed more than one slave in public. Tyr and Luna knew Ivan liked to keep children as slaves, so when he asked Macha to dance, Luna interjected, "Macha, I want to use the restroom. Can you come with me?" Luna understood slavery was acceptable, but the coincidence between Ivan's preferences and Macha's small stature made her worry. She also did not want Ivan to draw a wedge between Macha and Tyr.

Macha needed to use the bathroom as well, so she nodded. "I'm Macha. Sorry, could you wait? I would like to use the restroom first." This marked the second time a man showed an interest in her since her arrival in this world and she did not mind his advances. He did not appear as handsome as Freyr, but she did not see a reason to deny Ivan a dance.

Tyr watched the two leave. When Luna and Macha walked out of earshot, Tyr turned back to Ivan. He stood up so he was eye to eye with Ivan. "Ivan, keep away from Macha," he warned. Tyr would have warned Ivan off even if he was not interested in Macha. Ivan had trysts with some women in the upper-class society, and there were a few rumors of their treatment.

Ivan blinked his cold blue eyes and stared at Tyr. "Why?" He did not know how this had anything to do with the captain of the Obsidian Dragons.

Tyr grew annoyed because he was unable to say Macha was his girlfriend. He had no real reason to tell another man to back off from her. Tyr decided to use Ivan's slave treatment as the basis of his argument. He clenched his fist and his knuckles became white. "She's my secretary and I'm aware of your reputation. What you do to your slaves is inhumane."

Ivan smiled a wicked smile. "Slaves? They are beasts. Nothing more than worthless filth. Why are you concerned about them?" He was becoming annoyed that Tyr wanted to guard Macha. Ivan wanted to speed up the night so he could convince Macha to go back with him.

Aila stood up and said, "Look, Ivan, Macha isn't available and even if she was, we wouldn't let her be tricked into a relationship with you. You've killed at least five slaves before." Aila was a freed slave, so this issue struck a chord with her. She used most of her paycheck to buy slaves and set them free. Aila understood how a slave's life could be a daily nightmare. Luckily her master had been nice, but she saw how people like Ivan treated their slaves before.

Ivan turned to Aila. He took a step back and touched his chest. "Excuse me, I've killed over five," he said the word 'five' with distaste. "I've killed at least a hundred, but I have a hard time keeping them straight. They start to blur together." It offended Ivan that Aila assumed he only killed five slaves. Slaves were expensive, so his ability to kill so many reflected his wealth.

Aila's eyes widened. She had never met such a disgusting man in her life. Aila knew Ivan did not kill out of need or self-defense. She remembered seeing him kill a slave on the street once because the girl dropped a bag. He plucked the girl's eyes out and ate a piece of her cheek as if it were a natural thing to do. The girl wailed out in pain before he sliced her throat and walked off. The scene was horrific, but it occurred in the slave sector and the girl belonged to him, so nothing could be done.

Upon hearing Ivan correct Aila, Tyr grabbed Ivan's collar and dragged him to the door. He threw Ivan out and yelled, "Stay the fuck away from her. Like hell, I'd let you touch her." People like Ivan disgusted Tyr. Tyr fought in the war for Marseille's independence, he had a problem with slavery because he felt everyone deserved the freedom he fought for.

Freyr's family could not abolish slavery because too many upper-class families used slaves. A hundred years ago, there was a huge backlash when Freyr created a law that allowed slaves to buy their freedom for the same price that was paid for them. Ultimately, the law was able to stay in place because the middle-class and lower-class supported the idea.

After a while, Luna and Macha returned from the restroom, there had been a line and Luna took her time freshening up. When they returned, the table seemed tense and Ivan was gone. Macha sat down next to Tyr and asked, "What happened to Ivan?"

Tyr still tried to get his anger under control, so Krystof said, "Oh, he decided to leave. Here let's have another round!"

****

On the way back to the apartment, as they rode through the streets, Tyr tried to think of a way for Macha to view him in a different light. He glanced over and saw the moon shining down on her. Her body swayed as her cheetah walked and he focused on her legs. Macha's tabard rose high up her thigh when she was mounted. The swaying of the chetah caused the tabard to creep higher and lower, teasing Tyr's imagination.

Tyr rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. He had always been the one women chased after, so he never had to try. Now, he wanted to do the chasing but did not know how to begin. Tyr remembered that Boreas's Day was approaching, which was a day for lovers. He wanted to warm up under a blanket with Macha like most lovers do on that holiday.

Thinking of the approaching holiday, made Tyr remember the day he first found out about the legend behind it. He remembered Luna came in when they were teenagers; she just read a book about love symbols and myths. Luna told him that lovers celebrate Boreas's Day because a great mage named Boreas took pity on a bashful man who wanted to be closer to the woman he loved. Boreas created a cold winter wind so the man could offer to share a blanket with the woman.

Tyr noticed Macha shiver a bit and took his cloak off. He draped it around her small frame and gave her a tender pat on her head. "Cold?" he longed to have her attention again. Macha had been busy petting her mount and looking at the stars.

"Mmm... but you should keep your cloak. I don't want you to catch a cold." She began to take the cloak off.

Tyr reached over and covered her hand with his. He gave her a devilish grin, "It's fine. We're almost home." He had an idea on how to spend a couple more hours with her and suggested, "Why don't you make me some hot chocolate tonight when we get back? Since I'm letting you use my cloak, you have to make sure I don't catch a cold."

Macha felt the heat of his hands on her and blushed. Her heart raced and thought of how Tyr looked like an Adonis in the moonlight. Her pupils dilated, and she said throatily, "All right. I don't want you to get sick." She was secretly happy to spend a little more time with him.

****

When they got into the apartment, they both took off their armors. Tyr heard Macha taking a shower and it filled his mind with the thought of her naked body. He imagined the soap and water running along her soft skin. Realizing his thoughts, he jumped into his own shower and did not bother turning the heat on. The cold water helped pull him out of his fantasy.

Macha finished her shower and started to make the hot chocolate. When Tyr came out he was wearing a thick black silk robe. He walked into the kitchen and stood beside her. Macha stirred the milk with a whisk and she used a spoon to sip the chocolate from time to time.

Tyr wanted to get closer to Macha, so he moved behind her and wrapped his hand around the whisk she used to stir the milk. He softly murmured in her ear, "I can help."

Macha's cheeks turned red from Tyr's actions. Her heart felt like it would pound out of her chest and she stiffly turned her head. Tyr's face was so close to her that she could smell the mint soap he had used and felt the warmth of his skin. "Uh... I... I can do it."

Tyr noticed her body stiffened and her cheeks blushed. A grin crept across his face. This was the first time she reacted so much to his touch. Tyr hesitated for a moment, unsure what he should do next. He questioned whether he should press his advance or back off.

Tyr moved his mouth closer to Macha's ear. His full lips whispered, "You look beautiful tonight." He used his nose to caress the pointed end of her ear.

Macha breathed heavily. Tyr's caress felt good and her head tilted into it. She tried to think of how she misunderstood his actions, but she could not. Her thoughts were muddled and she stood frozen, looking at Tyr with hooded-eyes. Macha did not know what to say or do.

Tyr's hands shook. He saw Macha's lips part and decided he would take a risk. If he was fighting he would go in for the kill. He reasoned that love seemed like a battle in its own right.

Tyr wrapped his other hand around Macha's waist and pressed her into him. He slowly leaned his head forward so he could reach Macha's lips. Tyr's lips covered hers and he gently coaxed her mouth open. He let go of the whisk and pulled her hand up around his neck.

Macha's body tingled all over. Tyr's kiss was like a wave rushing around her and pulling her in. She was lost in it and her head spun. She gave a small moan of pleasure. Macha was embarrassed by her sound, but Tyr drew her nearer when he heard it. She turned her body so she faced him and Tyr deepened the kiss.

Tyr tasted the flavor of the sweet chocolate in her mouth and savored it. Macha's body was soft and supple in his arms. Her moan excited him and showed she enjoyed the kiss.

The pot hissed as the milk spilled over the sides. The noise broke their kiss and Tyr moved the pot off the burner. He leaned in to continue, but Macha squeaked, "I'm going to bed." She ran off and closed her door.