The house, along with the estate itself, was larger than what Tempus had expected. He noted that it must be more than just a statement of wealth, but a form of function. "You must have quite a large family, mi'lady, and a great many servants to keep up the house and vineyard." Part of him wondered why, then, they didn't simply take a servant or slave from one of the other jobs. Surely one would not be missed? He could appreciate a household that didn't waste labor, however. If they kept the perfect number of workers, to the extent it didn't make sense to take one from another place instead of buy one, he respected the head of the household in that decision.<br/><br/>Wastefulness was such a… waste.<br/><br/>To share a room with the servants did not suit him. He liked his privacy; after all, Tempus had grown accustomed to having a solitary lifestyle when he so chose. To sacrifice that and live here as a slave was one thing, but to also share a communal room with so many? "I think I'll be content to share a room with you, Eryx." Master… he was looking forward to using that in his arsenal. He could picture it already, the biggest blush reddening Eryx's face. It'd be so rewarding, especially if he used it at the right moment. Oh, how flustered he wanted to make the other man.<br/><br/>Strangely enough, the feeling he got when Eryx touched him while they rode had yet to fade. He unconsciously reached his hand up to rub the very spot that had been squeezed, wondering why he felt so strangely. Surely, it couldn't be something unnatural about Eryx? He had such a powerful soul… was he really just feeling the residual energy from that?<br/><br/><i>Think what it might be like if you kissed him… if he loved you… it'd be so exhilarating…</i><br/><br/>Patience might not be his only tool after all. Tempus's eyes lingered fully on Eryx all the way up to the stables. Maybe he would do more than to just sit and wait. Maybe he would take the opportunity to feed on that energy. It was so sweet, and so tantalizing. Would it be hard to seduce Eryx? He certainly had the good spirit to attract Tempus himself, but the question was whether Eryx found him attractive enough? Maybe the workaholic would be too preoccupied to find any attraction to him. It certainly couldn't hurt to try to get his attention though, could it?<br/><br/>A blunt question popped from his mouth before he thought to stop it, "If I'm treated with such freedoms, does that mean I can enjoy sex freely?" His cheeks heated ever so slightly, but not because the forward question came out in front of Eryx. It was because it came out in a woman's presence as well, and one of such higher status than he or Eryx. Instantly he bowed his head, genuine regret dripping in his apology. "Pardon, miss. I suppose that's not exactly an appropriate question." He was just so at ease around Eryx, it made him more inclined to speak his mind without filter. That was a dangerous notion.<br/><br/>Although Airlea was not the one he wanted to impress, he needed to retain a good standing with her. He needed her to have a positive impression of him, or else the very vibes of her dislike toward him might put Eryx off of him. Their relationship was close enough that one's opinion might sway the other's. Once they were at their destination and ready to dismount, Tempus was quick to remove himself from the horse's back. With a hint of embarrassment lingering over his demeanor, he didn't like the thought of being too much higher than either of them. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure there was anything he could say in the given moment. It wasn’t like him to make such a mistake. Why wasn't he thinking?