by KatiKat
Ishtar watched Ludwig standing by the
window, his silhouette drawn by the silver hand of the moon. His face carried a
blank expression, his eyes empty and shadowed. It was hard read this man. She
cocked her head to one side. He talked about joining forces, establishing an
alliance of two equivalent forces. But could she trust him?
Narrowing her eyes, Ishtar decided against
it. She knew his type; arrogant, power hungry, determined, devious. When she
looked at him, she saw herself reflected in his heart. They were the perfect
match. Together they could rule the world. But she would feel much safer if
there was some weakness she could exploit, use as leverage against him... Just
in case, of course.
She slid off the soft bed and burying her
sock-clad feet into the thick rug, she let the shawl around her shoulders drop
and clasped her hands behind her back. Holding his impassive gaze with her
eyes, she sauntered towards him.
"You talk about pride and joining
forces, us having the same goals," she whispered, stopping directly in
front of Ludwig and looking up at his face. "You said I didn't have to use
my body to convince you... was it really your 'pride' talking or this?"
she asked pulling out the object she kept hidden behind her back and displaying
it in the light of the moon.
Ludwig looked down at her hand. She
watched him carefully as he took in the plain white linen shirt, so unlike the
dark silken and satin ones hanging in the wardrobe. Whomever the owner of this
garment was, it wasn't Lui. And there was only one explanation for her finding
it in his bed.
If she expected him to blush, sweat
nervously or startle in shock, she was disappointed. The impassive shutters in
his eyes didn't even buckle. He raised his eyes again and looked directly into
hers, his expression stone cold as if she presented him yesterday's bread.
She refused to give up though. "I
wonder what the principal's reaction would be if he found out that his star
pupil has an intimate relationship with one of his fellow students," she
wondered aloud, throwing the hook.
But Ludwig refused to bite though.
"Probably the same as if said student found a guest, the first female
allowed to enter the halls of this academy as a student, in his bed, half
dressed," he retorted calmly.
It was a threat, only thinly veiled. They
both made a move and their game reached a stalemate. For now.
She smiled and dropped the white shirt on
the floor. "I will take you up on your offer, Ludwig," she said in a
matter-of-fact voice, accepting her defeat and returned to the bed to pick up
her boots and shawl. Then she headed for the door. "But I don't trust you.
Not yet. It's too soon for that. I will watch you... and deem you worthy."
With a hand on the door knob she turned around and added with a smirk: "Or
not."
*-*-*-*-*-*
Ludwig watched Ishtar go without regret.
He admired women like her; strong, purposeful, level-headed. He respected them,
even liked them. Except in his own bed. His father always told him not to get
too close to potential allies - in case you had to get rid of them. It always
caused too many emotional complications. And he couldn't see Ishtar as anything
but an ally, a business partner... with her own goals, ready to stab him in the
back at the first opportunity.
His gaze moved to the white garment on the
floor. Slowly, he bent down to retrieve it and in a rare show of emotion he
pressed the shirt to his face, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath,
smelling the faint scent of Naoji's cologne and muskiness that was his lover's
unique fragrance.
But the display of affection, even though
shown in private, didn't last long. The breath didn't even leave his lungs before
he stepped closer to the bed, dropping the piece of cloth on the blanket,
covering the linens.
His lover would return home soon, then
Ludwig would have the time to reprimand him for his carelessness that almost
disturbed the fragile balance in a game that threatened the peace and order of
the Rosenstolz Academy. But now he had to prepare for the battle.
Ishtar opened the game and he countered.
The pieces were set and the stakes were high. It was time to make a move of his
own.
The End