Tehr did his very best to remain focused on her words, on her story, but her damning hem kept creeping up.  He knew that she could tell he was looking and he also figured that she was trying to taunt him, to tease him.  He tried to remain the polite noble, and crossed one ankle across the other knee, hiding the stiffening in his traveling clothes.  He was very interested in the talk of the chains, as it was no passing fancy he felt towards this halfling woman.<br/><br/>"I would tell you a little of my past, of house Wynt, but I confess I wish to know more of the chains."  He said as she showed the black between her thighs.  "But first," he said sliding aside one of the curtains and looking out the window, "We will be out of Londinium soon, and once so, the chance that the carriage is stopped should drop greatly.  With these curtains, I think it would be safe to make yourself comfortable for the long ride if you so choose.  I have never worn a high necked noble woman's dress, but I can't imagine it to be very comfortable.  I know that I prefer silk robes or nothing at all to the stuffy clothing I am often forced to wear when attending state functions."<br/><br/>He gestured at his own outfit, clean and finely made, but also somewhat 'common' in make.  Traveling clothes are meant to be rugged but comfortable, and many nobility would consider them to be the garb of the working man or the low class.  Tehr's choice in wearing it had been made on purpose, knowing that if he had guessed wrong about the halfling's taste in nobility, he could always change into a formal outfit before they arrived at the homelands.  Likewise, he'd unbutton a few of his buttons, mirroring her own teasing reveals.  If she did take him up on the offer to remove clothing, he would do likewise, stripping off only as much as she did.  He would mirror her, should she only loosen her clothing then so too would he.  If she stripped down to small clothes, then he would too.  If they did begin removing clothing, he would carefully remove the glass vial of olive oil that Christina had given him and set it on the seat next to him so it wouldn't spill... also so that Emily would see it.<br/><br/>"As to the copper chain," he would say, "I find the concept fascinating.  But I fear a cultural misunderstanding and wish to clarify my position towards you.  I find you a strong, beautiful, sexual, arousing woman.  But the fact remains that you are halfling, not human.  My own desires can only take me so far before I run into duty.  The death of my brother leaves me as the eldest and only son in our house.  As heir apparent I am duty bound to produce, at some point in my life, a human child to carry on the house name.  Certainly my sister could do likewise if I were to die or be unable to do so, but I can not use that as an excuse.  I am bound by tradition and honor and a line of family stretching back over a millenia, to do my duty.  As there is no record that I know of, of a halfling bearing the child of a human, you are ruled out as a serious candidate for a spouse."<br/><br/>Tehr paused, "Not that I'm suggesting that's even what you want, but I need to be clear on this.  While our houses could form an exceptionally strong alliance, and even some day in the future could see marriages or serious relations between our people, it can not be currently.  The house Wynt line, which stretches back to the days of King Arthwyr," Tehr paused and then clarified, "That is how it is pronounced correctly by the way, with a 'wuh' sound, not an 'uh' sound."  Then he continued, "The house Wynt line is dangerously close to being extinct.  My mother has begun the change and can no longer bear children, and that leaves only myself and Christina to carry on the line."<br/><br/>He sighed and looked at Emily's pretty form and said, "So, I want no misunderstanding between us.  Were I to give you a copper chain, it would be only that I was serious in my affection for you.  But that it could not likely progress further than that."<br/><br/>Tehr paused for a moment and considered telling her more then nodded, "There's another issue.  You know the magic I can use.  It's not a common magic but it is a magic of the fey folk, of nymphs and the wild fey.  Let me tell you a bit of my own history and work back to this point."<br/><br/>Tehr took a deep breath and closed his eyes before recounting the story.  "King Arthwyr ruled more than twelve hundred years ago, this is known.  The legends of his rise to power include such stories that every child knows and I won't recount here.  Often tales are told of his knights, but not many of how he came to gather those knights.  Some came to his side of their own violition, others he brought under his banner by more forceful means.  As he brought these minor kings and barons to him, he gained their lands, creating the kingdom we know today."<br/><br/>"One of his knights, a knight from the west, from Whales, was Sir Gwynt.  He was also known as Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwynn t'Ludd depending on the translation of the tale you read.  However I was taught that Gwynt, son of Nudd, grandson of Beli Mawr, brother to Edern, Owain, and Creiddylad,"  Tehr paused and smiled, "Creiddylad was his lover in addition to his sister by the way,"  Then Tehr continued, "I was taught that Gwynt was the correct pronounciation, even though most legends leave the t off his name."<br/><br/>Tehr shook his head, realizing he was getting too far from his point.  "Anyways, Gwynt was a minor king himself, owning much land and having soldiers and surfs.  However as Arthwyr was gaining power and prestige in the east, Gwynt was facing difficulty in his lands.  Creiddylad and he were lovers, but their father had promised her hand to another, Gwythyr ap Greidawl.  Gwynt stole her from him and hid her in his castle and his bed chamber.  In retaliation, Gwythyr raised up an army and led it against Gwynt.  However Gwynt had always been close to his land and to the fey folk that inhabited the woods.  He struck a deal with the fey to allow them to become a part of his kingdom, and with their help, he defeated Gwythyr.<br/><br/>Creiddylad grew thick with child following the battle, and the kingdom rejoiced that Gwynt and Creiddylad were to have a child to carry on the kingdom.  But it was born wrong somehow, and the shaman and the druids said that it was due to Gwynt and Creiddylad being blood sibs.  They laid a curse on the pair of them that they might never conceive a child together with the other again.  But still the pair wept for their child, which was sweet and innocent, but yet lame.  They pleased with the fey, knowing the magical folk had strange magical powers.  A second bargain was struck;  The fey would heal their son but he would bear the mark of the fey forever.  Since the couple knew this would be their only child, they agreed and their son was healed.  He was a perfectly normal and healthy boy, but his blood now bore the touch of the fey."<br/><br/>Tehr paused and smiled, "That is where my magic comes from, it's in my blood you see."  Then he continued.<br/><br/>"But though Gwythyr had been defeated, he grew angry and hateful.  His own son had been slain by Gwynt in the battle and he still lusted for Creiddylad.  So he rose up another army and marched east entreating new king Arthwyr for his help, labeling Gwynt as a demon, a witch, a liar, and all form of other vileness.  Arthwyr agreed to help Gwythyr and they marched to Gwynt's lands.  Gwynt had not the strength to fight such a host, and parlayed with Arthwyr.  He spoke true about how his love for his sister was pure, how they had a child who would be his heir, and how Creiddylad had been promised to Gwythyr before she was born, and did not wish to be bound to a hateful man."<br/><br/>"Arthwyr felt torn, because the woman had been promised to Gwythyr, and Gwynt had stolen her away from him.  But so too did he understand that such a promise would do no one good and would destroy the Gwynt family.  But while he debated on this, Gwythyr attacked Arthwyr's forces, enraged that the king was not attacking Gwynt.  Gwynt came to Arthwyr's aid and they beat Gwythyr soundly.  Gwynt swore allegiance to king Arthwyr then, and was knighted as one of his round table.  But in punishment for the broken oath that he and his wife had committed, he was forced to fight in single combat the traitor Gwythyr every May Day until Judgement Day.  Even in death, should Gwynt's spirit lose in combat on that day to Gwythyr's ghost, then Creiddylad becomes Gwythyr's to possess for a year."<br/><br/>Tehr grinned, "The stories I've been told say however, that he never once lost a combat to Gwythyr."<br/><br/>Tehr spread his hands as he finished his story, "So Gwynt was made a knight, and his name lives on in his off spring.  The members of house Wynt are directly descended from him and his fey touched son.  So to return to my point, my magic is from the fey blood in my veins.  It's why my house is so closely related to that of the Hlaford family, which claims to be a descendant of Creiddylad and an elven lover.  But to understand my magic, to understand the erotic nature of the fey, you must understand that I can never be tied to one woman alone.  My great grandfather had three wives and it is rumored he had several lovers who also lived with him.  My aunt moved to france and it is rumored that she became a consort after changing her name, having bedded a third of the royal court there.  My father however was scandalized in his youth by such things, and when he became the lord of the house, withdrew from Londinium to live a quiet life.  But even he could not resist the call of the fey.  He and my mother were very happy and very expressive lovers, and quite often weather permitting would roam the grounds skyclad."<br/><br/>"But my own goals are more than just re-establishing my house's former glory.  I wish some day to teach my magic to others.  If this is to happen, I likely will need to... well.. have a virtual harem of those I teach."<br/><br/>Tehr shrugged and suddenly found his throat dry from the very long story, "So you can see why I could never comitt to one person, despite how fond of them I am?"  The smile and kindness in his eyes hopefully would tell her that he was speaking of her.  He was quite fond of her after all.<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body">WHEW, sorry that's such a long one... once I got started it was hard to stop.  I hope you don't mind me tweaking arthurian legend a bit.   But you can look up Gwyn ap Nudd and see that some of what I wrote was actually legend.  :)   Feel free to move it onto sexy time if you'd like, or if they want to swap stories more, he could always tell a legend from his mother's homeland.   </div></div>