The Duchess

Before he could inquire further, Cha'Rolette floated by, a ray of sunlight causing her jewelry to sparkle as she hung in the air.

"Good afternoon," her voice sang sweetly in their minds, as she gave off a surprisingly radiant smile.

"Good afternoon," Gerald said back.

Ilrica only nodded. "Why are you being so polite?"

"Oh, don't be silly. I am always polite." Her eyes sparkled a little as she settled on the ground.

"Faolan, would you mind if I borrowed Dyson for a minute? I wish to speak to him."

Ilrica yawned and laced her fingers behind her head as she stood up. "Hey, you can have him. I've done my charity work for the day."

As Ilrica walked away, Gerald looked around apprehensively.

Cha'Rolette daintily dusted off her skirt and then knelt down next to him, her hands resting elegantly in her lap. She looked the very picture of nobility.

"Mr. Dyson, I feel that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot."

"You attempted to have me thrown out of school."

She smiled demurely and crinkled up her cute little nose. "Yes, but the way you stood up for yourself in class has given me cause to reconsider my opinion of you. I was hoping..."

"You called me a plebian."

"Yes... please let me finish, I am not used to being interrupted."

"'Kay."

She breathed in deeply, and her voice inside his mind took on a very open and sincere tone. "The truth is, I had become accustomed to being treated a certain way. But, you are not Issaguardian, and you have your own customs and traditions and I need to learn to be tolerant of them. That is, after all the point of this academy."

Gerald seemed to let down his guard a little bit. "You are right, of course. And I am completely ignorant of your ways."

Cha'Rolette brought a dainty hand up to her face and giggled coquettishly. "The truth is, all the men around here are so deferential to me. Sometimes they trip over each other just to talk to me."

"I have noticed that."

"But you're not like them. You're different."

She slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again, emphasizing her long beautiful eyelashes.

"The truth is... I find you very interesting, and I would like to get to know you better."

She linked her hands behind her back and leaned in towards him, tilting her head coyly. Gerald had watched other girls at the school use this flirt pose before, but having it used on him caught him quite unprepared.

Her ringlets began glowing faintly, and he felt a tickle inside his skull.

Her dazzling jade eyes, looking up at him through smoky, hooded lids were infinitely inviting. Her hair tucked back over one ear, revealed just a hint of the nape of her long elegant neck, just begging to be nuzzled and kissed.

The glow of her flawless skin, something about it just made his fingertips instinctively know that it would be deliciously satiny to the touch. Her striking jawline, her cheekbones high and lovely. Everything about this creature was beautiful. Something to be protected, something to be treasured.

Gerald could feel his heart beating in his chest. She was so close that he even got his first hint of her perfumed scent. She smelled different than a human woman, but in a good way. A very veeerrrry good way.

A kind of exotic spiciness that was hard to define, but instantly alluring. It was all he could do to stop himself from breathing it in right in front of her.

Gerald could feel his face flush, his breath quickening. Experiencing this flirting technique for the first time himself, he had to admit it was wickedly effective.

"No thanks," he said politely as he returned to studying his book.

She looked stunned, like she had been struck in the head. "W-what?"

"I'm not here to go on dates. I have work to do."

She shook her head, trying to regain her composure. "B-but this place has the greatest concentration of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the galaxy. Half the kids at this school are under strict order from their families to secure a quality engagement by the end of the school year."

"Well, I'm not one of them," he said without looking up.

Cha'Rolette looked around in astonishment as if she half expected people to jump out of the bushes with hidden cameras at any moment.

Gerald stood up. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a language to learn."

As he walked away, Kamanie and Tulda walked over from the statue they were hiding behind.

"Wow, I have never seen anyone shoot the Duchess down like that," Tulda mentioned.

"Told you he wasn't a man," Kamanie added.

Cha'Rolette's eyebrow twitched angrily.