Alyssa hadn’t slept at all last night - just the idea of having to face the Baron again had kept her awake. It didn’t help that she had essentially ratted him out to her superiors about his plans regarding some bizarre artifact whose name she couldn’t even care to remember anymore, and his file servant Gregor either suspected her of her treason or had something else just as diabolical in mind. Regardless, horrible thoughts drifted through her mind every waking minute that night, and by morning she was a nervous wreck. She didn’t want to believe that she was about to die - or worse; with the Baron, there was always the possibility of there being something worse - but at some indistinguishable point last night she must’ve accepted her fate. The tears she had cried for seemingly hours had dried up, leaving her face scarred with a depressed expression of apathy. Clumps of her hair had been torn out in frightened frustration, leaving her locks uneven and tangled. Her voice couldn’t even muster anymore words, having been whimpered hoarse.<br/><br/>When the door to her chamber was opened, she didn’t even look up from her bed, content to simply stare at the ceiling. She didn’t need to look to know who it is - she could smell the stench of expensive yet foul liquor on Gregor’s breath almost immediately.<br/><br/>“Rise and shine,” the man cooed, walking up to the bed so Alyssa could get a good look at him from where she lay. His toothy grin stared down at her almost mockingly, that leering gaze in his eyes still as arrogant as ever. Seeing how his gaze so casually wandered across her body, still clad in yesterday’s clothes, almost made her find the energy to get up from her pained stupor.<br/><br/>“Had a long night, did we?” Gregor sneered. “And after I told you that the Baron wanted to see you this morning. You need to take better care of yourself, lass. You can’t go presenting yourself to the Baron like this, you’d better get dressed into something better looking.”<br/><br/>A lecherous sneer formed on his face. “Of course, if you’re so determined to stay in bed, maybe I could join you, show you a thing or two...” As he said these words, his hands reached out towards her bosom with a shocking amount of casualness.<br/><br/>A loud crack was heard as Alyssa’s hand soared outward and slapped Gregor’s hand away, hard enough that the man yelped in surprise. Alyssa almost believed she had broken one of his fingers or something, but she no longer cared if that would lead to a punishment or not. If she was going to die this day, she was going to die with dignity; she would not allow this scum of a man lay a hand on her, even to save her own life. With a renewed sense of determination, she sat up from where she lay, her narrowed eyes throwing a piercing stare towards Gregor, who was still stunned by how sharp her slap had been.<br/><br/>“You got a lot of nerve hitting me like that,” the man hissed. “And here I was, thinking I could convince the Baron to go lenient on you in exchange for a bit of slap and tickle...”<br/><br/>Alyssa interjected Gregor’s word’s with a hissed warning of her own. “I would sooner sleep with a leper than ever let you touch me.”<br/><br/>Gregor’s eyes widened at such a harsh rebuke, but he straightened his back as the pain dissipated from his hand, a smile returning to his face. “Strong words. Now let’s see how tough you really are. Get dressed - the Baron’s waiting for you in his study.”<br/><br/>Alyssa knew she was about to face the Baron’s wrath, but she was willing to accept her fate if it meant denying this piece of vile filth any satisfaction. Defiantly she climbed out of bed, intending on getting ready for her fateful meeting before realizing Gregor was still in the room. When a vicious glare didn’t get him to leave, she offered to finish the job by breaking one of his fingers. He left soon after that...<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Theolin never imagined he would be coming to the Dew Drop this frequently, but it wasn’t difficult to see why considering he now had quite the incentive to do so. That incentive, naturally, was the hardworking woman who currently whirled around the floor of the tavern, taking orders and carrying trays with food and drink to the establishment’s numerous customers, all while flashing that beautiful smile that had made him first notice her. Of course, she now saved her best smiles for him, and whenever she flashed that grinning face his way, he felt naturally compelled to return the smile.<br/><br/>It seemed so long ago that she had initially scorned him for being so direct in asking her out, but he chose to focus on just how wonderful it felt to know she was enjoying his company, about as much as he enjoyed hers. He hoped she could get a day off soon and the pair could have a more traditional date, but until then he was content to meet her at the inn for a meal whenever she had a sliver of free time. The whisper in his ear made it clear she appreciated his attentions, and she always made sure his glass was full. There wasn’t much Theolin could do to show his appreciation outside of a smile and a few words here and there, but he was enjoying her growing affections just the same and only hoped he could offer the same when the opportunity arose.<br/><br/>Amidst his few moments with Mercedes, he did notice the girl that his boss had his eye on - Hani, that was her name - standing in the balcony overseeing the tavern floor, and how she was keeping an eye on that Captain that Ethirdir apparently know. Theolin didn’t quite understand what his boss was thinking, whether he was going on another of his conquests or if he had some big plan in mind regarding the innkeeper’a daughter and the soldier, but it was too complicated for his tastes. He preferred to keep things simple, and Mercedes seemed to appreciate that approach. Speaking of, she looked incredibly lovely gliding around the inn so effortlessly, he thought, and he couldn’t help but smile as he watched her with the hopes of locking eyes with her whenever she had a spare moment...<br/><br/>“I see you’re enjoying the view,” said a voice suddenly that snapped Theolin out of his dreaming. He turned his head to see Ethirdir standing over him, a knowing smirk on his lips as he casually slid into a seat next to his subordinate.<br/><br/>“Boss,” Theolin stammered before he regained some of his composure. “I’m not staring at her like that, I was just...hoping to catch a glimpse of her eyes. I just...like it when she looks at me, and...they’re really pretty...”<br/><br/>“So I saw when I danced with her,” Ethirdir said before laughing softly and patting Theolin on the back. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m actually glad you and Mercedes are getting along well - that poor girl deserves someone as sweet as you after what she had to put up with the other day.”<br/><br/>Theolin tried to contain a blush as he hastily changed the subject. “So what are you doing here, boss? I thought you were preparing for your little dinner with your two friends...”<br/><br/>“I am, but I need to eat too. You seem to be coming here a lot more often. Anything you recommend that I might not have tried yet?”<br/><br/>Theolin was about to answer his boss’s question when the ruckus of the crowd was interrupted by the loud twang of lute strings. All eyes seemed to turn at once towards a table housing a bombastic-looking man with the expected instrument, and to Ethirdir’s amazement he immediately recognized Doryn sitting beside the man as well. What had prompted this unexpected outburst of song, he wondered. More important, did it have anything to do with his good friend the Captain? Curious, the elf sat back quietly to listen to the song, unable to contain an eager grin on his face.