Ascension Of The Villain

Iyana was in her tent, slipping into the comfort of her bedroll, when the raucous sounds of drunken laughter and shouting reached her ears. The men outside were clearly enjoying their post-dinner festivities.

She sighed, pulling the blankets up to her chin, hoping the noise would soon die down so she could get some rest.

Just as she began to close her eyes, a familiar voice cut through the commotion outside her tent. "Iyana!" The slurred call was unmistakable, and she groaned inwardly, recognizing it immediately.

Rising from her bed, she pushed aside the tent flap and stepped into the cool night.

There, in the moonlight was Vyan—staggering, swaying, and looking every bit like a man who had lost his battle with the bottle.

"Vyan, what are you doing here?"

Vyan attempted to straighten up, but his legs seemed to have other plans as he wobbled. "I… I was looking for you!" he announced, his enthusiasm at odds with the fact that he could barely stay upright.

"Clearly," Iyana muttered, stepping forward just in time to catch him as he swayed dangerously. "You are completely hammered, Vyan. Why aren't you back in your tent?"

"Because... because I wanted to see you," he slurred, leaning into her like she was the only thing keeping him from floating away. "And... and the tent moved. Or maybe I did. But it's all good!

I am here now!" His sudden burst of laughter had no apparent cause, but it was contagious.

Unable to hold back, Iyana found herself chuckling softly. "Right. Let's get you to bed before you do something dumb, like break your nose."

"But Iyana," he whined, his voice pitiful all of a sudden, "I don't wanna go to bed yet. The stars are sooo pretty tonight. And so are you." He attempted a flirtatious smile, but it ended up as more of a lopsided grin.

She sighed, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Nice try, but sweet-talking me isn't going to keep you out here. If you don't go willingly, I will haul you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes."

He chortled at that. "That actually sounds fun. You are so strong!"

"I know, and I am about to show you just how strong—"

"But can't I just spend the night with you? I promise I will behave. Well, except for maybe admiring you... because you are soooo pretty."

As always, he was hard to resist. He had a knack for making her heart do silly flips; she kind of hated it—the way he made her act so differently. But…

"No. You need sleep."

"Pleeeease? Can't I stay?"

"No, Vyan, you cannot stay," she replied, trying to keep her voice firm even as he gave her that ridiculously endearing look.

"Okay, just let me in for two minutes," he bargained, holding up five fingers.

Iyana stared at his hand, then back at his grinning, utterly unrepentant face. She sighed dramatically. "Fine. Come in, but only because you are impossible to say no to when you are this annoying."

As she stepped aside to let him in, Vyan made a beeline for her bed, dramatically flopping down on his back like it was the most comfortable place on Earth.

"Hey! I thought you were only going to—"

"My head was spinning. I needed to lie down," he mumbled, eyes already half-closed like he was one breath away from a nap.

"I swear, you..." Iyana sighed, closing the tent door with a resigned shake of her head. She marched over to her nightstand and grabbed a glass of water. "Drink some water."

"Can't get... up," he murmured lazily.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed his hand and yanked him up to a sitting position. "Woah," he gasped as if the world had just done a loop-de-loop around him.

"Come on, drink this." She held the glass out for him, but he was struggling to figure out how hands worked, his coordination clearly on vacation. "Seriously, just how much did you drink?"

"A lot!" he declared with an odd mix of pride and enthusiasm as she guided his hand to the glass.

"And didn't you know you act like a complete idiot when you drink a lot?" she teased, helping him drink the water without spilling it all over himself.

He obediently downed the water and then flashed her a big grin. "I know! Benedict scolds me all the time for it. Says I should 'hold my liquor better' and 'act more sophisticated' and all that blah blah blah."

"Yet, you went ahead and drank away like a fish anyway?" she remarked, placing the glass back on the nightstand.

"I think I just got caught up in the moment. Everyone was so down, and I also started feeling so bad. I…" His grin wavered, turning a bit more somber as the atmosphere suddenly grew quieter.

"Why were you all...?" The memory of his face from two days ago flashed through her mind. "Oh. Was it because of… your knights?" she asked gently.

He nodded sadly, fumbling with his tie in a pathetic attempt to loosen it.

Ugh, not again. Not this feeling. Vyan's thoughts spiraled as he fumbled with his tie, the fabric suddenly constricting around his neck like a noose. I can't be vulnerable in front of her like this. His fingers desperately tugged at the tie, his frustration mounting. Stupid tie.

I hate wearing it.

"Can you help—" The words barely left his lips before the bed dipped beside him, and suddenly, her hands were at his collar.

His breath caught in his throat.

She was too close, her presence overwhelming. He could smell the fresh, clean scent of her hair, still slightly damp from her bath. The strands looked soft, inviting his touch—Stop it, stop thinking like that.

And how does she always leave her hair half-dried like this?

His gaze trailed down from the crown of her head to her forehead, then settled on her eyes. Those eyes were focused, intent on untangling his annoyingly complex tie. He found himself grateful for its intricate design, each brush of her cool fingers against his chest sending a shiver through him.

But when his gaze finally dropped to her parted lips, he realized just how dangerous his thoughts had become.

"Okay, done!" she chirped, a bright smile on her face as she finally freed him from the tie. "You—" Her sentence was abruptly cut off as Vyan, acting on pure impulse, pulled her against his chest.

For a moment, she froze. Her body stiffened as her mind raced and her heart started to pound erratically against her ribs.

"What—what are you doing?" she stammered, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and something else, something deeper. "Let go." She made a half-hearted attempt to push him away, but all it did was make him hold her tighter.

"I don't want to," he murmured, his voice low, rough against her ear.

"Why not?" she asked, her pulse quickening, a flicker of annoyance barely masking her growing anticipation. This might mean nothing to you, but here I am, feeling like my heart is about to burst… Please, Vyan, don't play with me like this.

"Because if I let go of you right now," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin, "I might do something I will definitely regret tomorrow morning."

Her breath hitched. "And what is that?" she asked, her voice softer, curiosity mingling with the thudding of her heart.

"I might kiss you."