Bones

@ FallenHope95

By the time noon had come around the next day, Flynn had barely had a moment where his thoughts were not on Kira. There was so much that occurred after she had left his arm at the ball yesterday. Immediately after, there were many men and woman that asked what happened with the woman. Flynn had to keep telling them that she had injured herself on the walk through the gardens, fell into the fountain and he had assisted her with the injury and the palace maids did the rest. These people were so nosy but Flynn supposed that it helped with her reputation.

Then after the ball had finally ended, Flynn had to go over what to do with her. He really was half tempted to just allow her to fend to herself. The situation would solve itself as she would die soon enough. There was no way she would be able to survive another attack but... that was the wrong thing to do. And one never knew what a woman would do if she felt cornered. Maybe she would end up blowing everything up and that was much worse.

In the morning, Flynn had decided to take a visit to his father to get his opinion on the matter. Flynn was whacked on the head for even considering not to help this lady. He was charged to help every citizen in this nation and that included woman that would probably cause more trouble for him. He left his father with a frown on his face. Though by the time he made it back to the palace, Flynn felt sure in his decision.

When it was time to meet with the lady, Flynn ensured that he was presentable and that the palace set up a nice quiet place to be.

@ BearGirl
Little butterflies fluttered around in Kira's belly as she rode in the carriage towards the Palace once more. Only this time, she was alone. No annoying older sister, gushing about the boys that she hoped to swoon. Or her father and older brother's watchful gazes. Just little Kira, going somewhere where she hoped to not embarrass the hell out of herself.

Last night was exhausting once she had left Mr.Churchill's company. Her sister wanted every little detail. What they talked about, what was it like holding onto Mr.Churchill's arms. Did he still smell like whatever she described when she first met him they rendezvoused somewhere? Which was a secret that only the two girls knew about? Caroline even butted in and asked if she was still able to go after the man if Kira wasn't interested. To which, Maria got angry and started to argue that she saw him first and so on and so forth. By the time the party ended, Kira had been complimented on the dress she had borrowed and questioned how she got Mr.Churchill to walk with her. All of the questions had made her head spin like a piece of bread falling into a pond.

By the time Kira got home last night, she was exhausted. Yet, her mind wouldn't relax. Especially since it was so quiet in the house. She kept tossing and turning, expecting to have one of those demons jump out of the shadows once more and scare the crap out of her. It was probably near three am before she finally fell asleep from exhaustion. Clenching her blankets so tightly that they were numb once she woke up.

A small sigh escaped from Kira as she stepped out of the carriage. "Thank you." She said to the driver who helped her out and then looked up towards the Palace. Smoothing out her dress, Kira made sure her dress was straightened before heading towards the palace to meet with Mr.Churchill. A servant was following her and holding a box that held the dress. All folded nicely and ready to be hung back up.

Being led into another little garden, Kira looked around in amazement. The palace gardens look quite a bit different in the daytime than at night. Looking ahead, Kira noticed the beautiful white of the gazebo. The light brown wood steps and flooring and the matching table and chairs. It was quite lovely looking, no dought a nice place to have tea on a clear day.

@ FallenHope95

When Kira walked up to the gazebo, Flynn stood up and walked over to her. "Good afternoon," He told her warmly before offering his arm to her. If she accepted or did not, Flynn walked her up the stairs and brought her over to the chair, pulling it out for the lady before pushing it in for her. The man then headed over to his own seat and sat down. "I hope you have had a decent morning." The man said softly, though he was sure that was not the case. It had probably been a rather difficult day for her but he knew better than to say anything weird when there were servants around.

One of the palace servants came up to the two and poured them both some tea and revealed the lunch items that were made for the both of them. Flynn thanked her before motioning for her to head on inside. He then glanced to Kira's own servant and then to the young lady, expecting her to do the same if she really wished to speak about demons or what had occurred last night.

Flynn momentarily turned his attention on the food in front of him. He picked up the items that he wanted to eat and took a drink of his tea. The palace certainly did know what they were doing when it came to food and drink. Though there were times that he missed the meals at his own family manor. It wasn't as high class but still incredibly delicious and there were a few things that they did different there, as they were more worried about taste than looks.

"Tell me, miss, what has been on your mind." Flynn asked her. He already knew what he was going to do with her, especially after visiting his father but he wanted to know what was going through her mind. Flynn wondered if she had any plans or thoughts on how to get away from all of these demons. Was she a runner or did she want to fight? Or perhaps the girl was just hopeless lost in it all. It was hard to say until she told him.

@ BearGirl
As soon as Kira laid her eyes on Flynn, she did her best to present him with a lovely smile. One that she usually practiced before parties. "Afternoon, Mr.Churchill." She said softly, taking his offered arm as any respectable young woman would do. Especially if a Duke was to do so. Kira followed Flynn up the steps of the beautiful gazebo and looked around in amazement at how beautifully the thing was decorated for them. The Palace staff definitely didn't slack off for anything.

Turning her gaze back towards Flynn after he pushed her chair in for her. "More, or less," Kira told him and then glanced over her shoulder. She asked her servant to leave them be for a while and then turned back towards Flynn, her lips slowly turning into a slight frown. Then a small sigh escaped from her lips once the two servants were both out of earshot.

Reaching out, Kira placed once of the beautifully iced rose water scones onto her plate. Then, grabbed her cup of tea and brought it to her lips. The warm flavor hitting her taste buds just right. Causing the frown that she was trying to hold onto lift slightly. The palace servants really knew how to brew a good cup of tea. Then, Kira nibbled slightly on the scone. Enjoying the sweet icing that decorated the top and using her napkin to make sure that she didn't make a fool of herself in front of Flynn.

Raising her gaze, Kira met Flynn's gaze as she thought about what to say. Then she lowered it slightly, not wanting to challenge the head knight on anything. "I'm pretty sure you can tell what's been on my mind, Mr.Churchill," Kira spoke quietly. She reached out for her cup of tea once more and took a small sip. Then, when she set it down, Kira started to speak again, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear as she does so. "At first I was wondering if I ran away, things would turn out alright. My family would be safe, and the demons wouldn't be able to catch me." Her gaze lowered. "But, that's no way to live life, running is expensive and even though my father has it, I don't want to be a burden to him. So, I want to try and do something about it." Kira raised her gaze towards Flynn's. "I want to try and protect myself and my family, Mr.Churchill."

It was a silly notion. A woman wanting to protect. Wanting to learn to fight and defend herself. In this day and age, that was a man's job and only a man's. A woman's role was to sit still and look pretty, but that's not Kira. She's always been the type to go out and get dirty. She was the type to follow her brother around and get into trouble with him. She wasn't a girly girl, she didn't fit in with her role in society. "Mr.Churchill, please, help me become stronger. I don't want to live a life of fear, always looking over my shoulder." Kira begged, hoping, praying that the good knight would hear her prayer and answer it.

@ FallenHope95

As Kira spoke about what was on her mind, Flynn ensured to keep his face flat. He did not want to give away what he was thinking as he wanted Kira to be honest about it all. To show her, to react might change what she said but in that moment, Flynn needed the truth. He needed to hear what she actually thought and not for her to change what she was saying based off of his reaction. A 'yes man' was not going to worry in this scenario.

Though as she spoke about running, Flynn could not help but be a bit disappointed. That was an option for the young lady but not a very good one, in truth. It was something that he could assist with though if that was what she really wanted. If she ran, it should protect her family and it reduced the likelihood of her trying to blurt out the truth to everyone. The girl would probably also live longer than if she was just a sitting duck but Flynn did not know how much longer it would actually be.

But when Kira said that she wanted to protect herself and her family, Flynn had to hold in the smile that was ready to come out. Now that was what he wanted to hear. It was not typical to train a girl, and there was no way that she would be allowed to join his own group of warriors but in this scenario, Kira could protect herself and her family. And she didn't even have to be great at fighting if she got the right tools down. In most cases, Kira would just be fighting one demon and that was much more manageable.

Once it seemed that Kira had told him everything, Flynn took a moment to allow it to all settle in him. He reached down and took his tea, drinking it slowly for a moment before setting it back down on the saucer. Another second went by before Flynn looked up, a large smile now on his face. "That is something that I can assist you with. I also happen to think that it is your best option in this scenario... Though the truth is, I am unsure of how to go about it. Learning this material will take actual training and is not something you could do after a quick class or two. Also, you would need a reason to see me on a consistent basis without ruining either of our chances at a suitor.

@ BearGirl
The silence that followed after her question caused Kira to feel a little antsy. She really didn't want to have to resort to running. It honestly wasn't in her nature. Last night she ran, sure, but that was because she didn't know what the thing was. It came out of nowhere. Now, now she knew what it was and she wanted to defend herself from it. If most men couldn't see it, then she would have to learn to do this herself.

Watching Mr.Churchill, the way he seemed too relaxed made Kira nervous. She watched as he just simply took a sip of his tea after she confessed something to him. Like he didn't have a care in the world. Although, that smile he was now offering her said otherwise. Like he thought she was crazy for wanting to defend herself. Like it was amusing for him to hear that a young lady wanted to be the protector in a household.

Although, when Fynn said he agreed, Kira felt taken back. She honestly wasn't expecting it. Most men would have just laughed at the idea and told Kira to go back to her knitting or have some tea to settle her mind. Mr.Flynn Churchill though, he was enjoying the idea. Which in turn made Kira wonder if he was the one with the few screws loose, and not her. "Well." Kira started, leaning back in her chair. A crinkle of amusement flashing through her eyes as she tried to hide her smile with her hand. "I don't think you've got much to worry about." She said, referring to all of the gossips about Flynn sleeping around with different women and how he was constantly chased last night by multiple women.

A small hum escaped from Kira as she lowered her hand and rested it in her lap. Her gaze looking out at the garden as she wondered what sort of lie they could tell so that she could be trained by the head knight. Then, she slowly looked towards the young male. "What if we told people you wanted me to be your assistant or something?" She asked him. "You needed help organizing your duties, so you offered me, a noblewoman with knowledge of the upper class. A job." Kira wasn't sure if that was a good idea or not, but she brought it up anyways.

@ FallenHope95

Flynn let out a small chuckle when Kira mentioned that he didn't have to worry about rumors coming up from them spending time together. She was not wrong. He was aware that there were plenty of rumors flying around about him. Most of them were not truth... some of them were. Though the truth was, rumors would not ruin his reputation much. He was a duke and the commander of the King's army. There were also secrets that bonded his family and the royals. Besides, Flynn was a highly wanted suitor. Most women would jump at the chance at married despite what flew around him.

"Perhaps I do not need to worry, but you still would, dear." He told her with a smirk on his face. Though when Kira brought up her idea of what to tell others, the man fell silent. It was an unusual idea, giving a woman a job. Allowing something like that would bring up many questions. But he could not think of anything else that would be fitting for a lady like himself. So, Flynn looked back at Kira and gave her a small nod. "Very well. Ensure to tell your father that it would all be befitting of a lady of your standard. Also, that I had promised to assist you in finding a suitor that will put you and your family in a better position. I am sure that he will appreciate hearing something like that. Besides, it would not be untrue as accepting this training means you'll be around my men as well."

Although he did not plan on telling Kira this, he was hoping to set her up with someone who was also fully aware of the demon situation. Kira was going to be able to protect herself once he was done but having a partner that also knew the truth would be beneficial to them both. But it was more than that. How would she be able to protect herself at all when she became married and pregnant? Flynn didn't want this to end in a massacre of a family. Additionally, having her married off to one of his men would push her to continue to keep her mouth shut on the issue.

"In that case, you will send me a letter tomorrow stating whether or not your father is allowing you to accept this position. After that, we can move onto actually training you. If that does not work then we will have to think of another plan." Flynn stopped and took a few bites of his food, allowing the silence to fill in between them. He was getting lost in his thoughts, wondering if he should start her training today or wait for it to become official.

@ BearGirl
It was a far stretch, Kira knew it. A woman working was a rare occurrence, especially in noble houses. Most women who worked were either governess or were nursemaids. Both things that favored the less fortunate. Houses that need money to survive and had everyone participate in raising the family's funds. So, when Flynn agreed to her offer, it came as a shock and Kira couldn't help but hide that face as her eyes widened.

Relaxing back in her chair slightly, Kira slowly nodded her head. Listening to how he planned for everything to go down. "Yes, Sir." Was all Kira managed to say, agreeing on the terms that he would be offering her? Thinking about it, Kira was almost certain that her father would be more than ecstatic that Flynn Churchill would be offering to help her find a suitor that was of high nobility as well. Hell, her father would have had her licking dog shit off of Flynn's shoes if he offered her a chance with a viscount's son.

"I'll send you the letter first thing tomorrow." Kira murmured, reached out and grabbed onto her teacup. "I'm not going to back down Mr.Churchill. I've set my mind on being trained, so you won't be able to get rid of me that easily." Kira told the Duke as she took a couple of small sips of her tea as a dainty lady would. "Although, I would have to find a way to keep it secret that I'd be wearing men's clothing while training, as I don't think my current attire would allow me to reach my full potential." Kira looked down and set her teacup down. As soon as the words left her lips, it suddenly became real.

Miss Kira De Mallowe, a count's daughter, was going to be trained to fight demons. In an age where women were expected to learn to sew, knit, cook and care for children. She will be adding fighting and dressing like a man to her invisible resume. Oh, how her mother must be rolling around in her grave right now.

@ FallenHope95

Flynn was quiet as she mentioned wearing men's clothes while being trained. That wasn't really part of his plan. And allowing something like that would actually get him into trouble as well if he were caught as it broke certain rules that royals thought he had no reason to be touching. They wouldn't argue with training her considering the circumstances but allowing her to wear men's clothes would be indecent of him.... It would look like he was taking advantage of an already difficult situation.

"You need to learn how to fight wearing your normal clothes. It is unlikely that you will encounter a demon wearing men's clothing." Flynn told her before he took another drink of his tea. If she really pushed it, Flynn would resign himself to allow such a thing. Though he was going to have to be careful about it. The men that fought with him knew how to keep a secret. And he trusted them enough to keep this one as well if he really needed to. But damn, what a horrid favor to ask for. Why couldn't it be something better?

Setting down his cup, Flynn continued on. "I should make a few things clear to you if this is what you really want to do then. Training under me is not going to be easy. And I am not going to go easy on you either. You may be a woman but if you really want to survive than it is necessary. I don't want to hear any crying or whining if you get hurt either. You might have to sacrifice those delicate hands of yours and that flawless face. If you get hit, which you will while training, that's because you weren't defending yourself. So don't be expecting any special treatment from myself or my men. I am not your friend. I am your commander and you will treat me as such during training."

Flynn leaned closer. "The most important thing is that you must be willing to lie. You need to lie to your family, your friends and whoever you end up marrying. What we do, who is apart of it, and what we are fighting must be kept from everyone. If you break for even a moment and let it slip, I will personally come after you and there will be life ending repercussions. Do you understand? I am not trying to make your life difficult but this is the reality of the situation and you need to understand what you are diving into."