124 Check!

When Tyr entered the apartment, Macha was taking a shower. He saw that she made some candy and picked one out of a jar to try. It was lemon flavored which caused him to spit it out. As a teenager, Freyr used to suck on lemon hard candies all the time. This habit led the Valois family to continually carry sweets similar to this in their house. He enjoyed it at first, but it quickly became a flavor he grew tired of.

Macha finished her shower and walked into the living room. She heard Tyr shuffling around and yearned to see him. When his lean healthy form entered her vision, she relaxed. His mission to locate Jarnvid worried her, and she wanted to make sure he came back unharmed. Testing his mood, she ventured, "Did you find him?"

They moved to the corner so Macha could help him take his armor off. He had been waiting for her to assist him since this had become a sort of ritual for them. The lemon candy still stuck between his fingers so he popped it between her lips. "Mmm... I did." He bent down to give her a light kiss before she started.

Although Tyr kissed her, he seemed distant. His attention felt like it was somewhere else. As Macha unlatched his armor and put it on the stand, she waited to see if he wanted to share his thoughts with her. He stood there in silence, not uttering a word.

While she assisted him, he wondered about Ullr. Ullr did not try to aggravate him tonight, which was unusual. He patiently waited for Macha to reveal what she did today. She knew he did not like the man and he warned her about becoming close to him. As she worked Tyr inspected her face. She had dark patches under her eyes as if she did not get enough sleep. To break the silence he commented, "You didn't take care of yourself while I was gone. Did you miss out on sleep?"

Macha touched the delicate skin beneath her eyes. "Yeah. I was too worried to rest." The click of the hard candy against her teeth sounded in the room.

She wanted to tell Tyr about her lunch with Ullr, but for some reason, she felt guilt-ridden. The guilt made her angry because she remembered that her father once told her if something makes you feel guilty, it was wrong. Macha put her hands in her front of her and squeezed them. She looked down at the ground and confessed, "Ullr took me out for lunch today. He said it was to see my progress, but he ended up choosing a more relaxed place."

Tyr sat down on the sofa and stretched out his long legs. Macha had taken off the last piece of armor and was putting it away. A cold mask hid his emotions, "Oh?" He wanted her to explain, but also dreaded hearing about their meal. He noticed her swallow out of nervousness.

"It was a beautiful restaurant where you can have a picnic on top of a building." After a pause, Macha added, "Tyr, I'm not sure if he should tutor me anymore. He's a really nice person and a great instructor, but I don't think it's a good idea." She hated to admit she was attracted to Ullr, and this realization made her positive that he should not tutor her any longer. His attention to her today left her feeling guilty, and she did not want to live a life where meeting someone drove her to experience that.

This request pleased Tyr on many levels. He trusted Macha, but still worried about a man leaving their home at two in the morning. He also appreciated that she asked for Ullr to be removed from her life.

All of his elation dampened when he remembered the problem of his mother. Hrod wanted that annoying man to teach Macha. If he fired Ullr, she declared she would retract her approval. This would hurt Macha's feelings and cause tension between them.

He pulled Macha down and leaned her against his chest. In a tender tone, he replied, "All right. I'll let him know we don't need his assistance anymore." Now, Tyr needed to figure out a way to appease his meddlesome mother.

They stayed holding each other for a few moments. When Macha yawned, he realized it was late, and he had been caught in his own thoughts. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Tyr declared, "Don't make them lemon flavored anymore. I dislike lemon hard candies."

Macha sucked on the candy. His comment made her a little melancholy, but she was pleased that he let her know. "Sorry, I didn't know. What flavor do you like?" Tomorrow she could take the candy and give it to Aierim to thank her for the recipe.

Tyr bundled her into his arms and made his way to the bedroom. Looking into the air he playfully smiled. "Hmm... I would say strawberry, but you know I like chocolates more." He gave a chuckle and let her down on the bed. "Let me wash up. If you're tired, go to bed. If not, I wouldn't mind staying up with you for a bit."

****

It was lunchtime and Tyr sat across from Ullr. Today they agreed to meet at Le Rayon De Miel which was located in the business area of the city. It was a small cheerful cottage-like setting, which contrasted starkly with Tyr's demeanor.

Today he wore a black short-sleeved collared shirt with his guild emblem embroidered on the back in a gold thread. He eyed Ullr and reflected on how to word the things he wanted to say. Part of him craved to tell his rival to shove off, but he understood that he should be more tactful than that.

The waitress came and served them the sandwiches they had ordered. Both men looked so handsome she wished she could stay but lacked a reason to talk to them after dropping off their food. One man had elegance and charm oozing from him, while the other had a cold and mysterious look to him. Another customer called her and she reluctantly left their table.

Ullr took a sip of his tea. He raised a fine eyebrow and commented, "I was surprised you asked me to dine with you today. I see you didn't bring Macha. Is she well?" He doubted this had been a social invitation since the two of them were not close. He also surmised that it would not be business related because she probably would have come if it were. The only reason he could imagine Tyr asking him out here without Macha was that their conversation would be about the woman.

Tyr cut his chicken sandwich in half. He lifted his gaze and captured Ullr's attention, "You don't need to tutor her anymore." He chose to cut straight to the point and not beat around the bush.

This statement had been unexpected. "Oh? Are you sure you want to cancel my contract? I know Elder Lady Valois threatens you." Ullr found Tyr's remark interesting considering how displeased his mother would be. Macha confided to him that she wished to have a good relationship with Hrod, which would be impossible if Tyr did not play by his mother's rules. He gave a smooth smile, "As a friend, I suggest you reconsider."

Those words were laughable. Ullr had never been Tyr's friend. Tyr's eyes narrowed, "Stay away from her. I'm warning you." Now his words were icy and lacked any warmth. It was none of Ullr's business what happened within his family.

The two of them sat, staring at each other in silence, neither one willing to look away. Eventually, Ullr shifted his eyes to his food. In a nonchalant manner, he declared, "Fine. I wouldn't want to anger a business partner. I meant no offense." Standing up, he gave a slight nod to Tyr. "I'll see you around. Give my apologies to Macha. I won't be able to be her pupil like we planned." He decided to leave. He would gain nothing more from staying for lunch.

As he walked out of the restaurant, he passed by a baby. The child sputtered and held on to its mother while she bounced it on her knee. The picturesque scene made his thoughts turn to his own family's nagging.

Ullr did not really care about Macha, but since she entered his life, his father had nagged incessantly about an heir. Although Ullr could not care less who he had a child with, he did have an issue finding someone compelling enough to spark his interest. It was a problem he faced throughout his life. He found it impossible to find a woman attractive enough to have sex with unless she was beautiful, smart, and could hold his attention. So far Macha had been the only one to be remotely close to those requirements.

Tyr watched Ullr stroll out of the restaurant. He took a bite of his food and tried to come up with a way to deal with his mother. The sandwich was dry compared to the ones Macha made him and he threw it down onto the plate.

He crossed his arms and mused about the situation. If this happened a few years ago, he would write a letter to spell out that he did not want to follow her plan. His mother would naturally become angry and they would not talk for years. Unfortunately, Macha wanted him to try to have a better relationship with his mother, which made the whole situation difficult.

After thinking of various solutions, he decided that the only way to handle this was to go visit Hrod. He needed her to let him find his own tutor. While he was visiting, he would leave Macha in Marseille in case things became heated. She need not know about his mother's conditions. The thought of meeting his mother made Tyr lose his appetite completely, and he shoved the plate away. "Check!"