The duel raged on, with Raven determined to avenge her humiliation and Daeron clearly distracted by the charms her open vest revealed. However, as they fought, she found herself admiring his lean muscular form and handsome features; the type of roguish good looks that she could never resist. Finally, he caught her basket hilt with the tip of his blade and snapped the rapier from her hand, sending it clattering away across the polished marble floor, well beyond hope of recovery. She instinctively reached her dagger but stopped as he brought the tip of his blade to her throat, backing her up against a column. “Well,” she cooed seductively, disappointed that the duel was over and still aching to repay him for embarrassing her, but finding herself more and more eager for what might come next, “now that you have me… what are you going to do with me?” “What indeed?” he replied with a wicked smile as his free hand shot forward, catching her behind the neck. Pulling her against him, their lips locked, and this time there was no doubt that she returned his kiss. “I hope this means that all the racket is over!” She broke the kiss, looking passed his shoulder and was stunned at the sight before her; leaning casually against a banister at the foot of the stairs was a handsome sun elf… stark naked! “We’ll try to keep it to a low roar from now on,” Daeron replied over his shoulder, clearly amused by Raven’s reaction, “but I make no promises.” Noticing the elf’s eyes lingering on her bared breasts, she quickly pulled her vest closed to conceal them as her eyes shot from man to elf and back again in confusion and concern. Despite still wanting to return the dishonor he had done to her, she had found herself anticipating another kind of dance with him tonight, but the elf’s presence left her befuddled and a bit alarmed. “It’s a bit late for that,” Caerden snickered with a pang of disappointment. He knew Daeron was springing his trap for her tonight; but the clatter of their bout had disturbed his reverie, reaching his sensitive ears all the way up in his chamber at the top of the southern tower, and it lasted so long that he couldn’t help but be curious, and a little concerned. “The least they could do is invite me to join them,” he grumbled with mock hurt as he turned to climb the stairs, clearly unconcerned by his nudity as his taunt buttocks eclipsed her view of his other assets. “Another time perhaps,” Daeron sneered over his shoulder to the departing elf in what Raven hoped was a jest… at least she thought she hoped so. “At the lady’s discretion… of course,” he added as he caught a glimmer of what he thought was interest at the possibility as it flashed across her face. Her mind reeling from the rapid onslaught of events, Raven stood dumb-founded for an instant; first he’d lured her there for reasons she still didn’t quite understand, then engaged her in a duel in which he passed up one opportunity to defeat her after another only to finally leave her at his mercy for what she hoped was to be a night of passion, but now he seemed to be suggesting that the elf join them; something she’d never consider… or would she?