Drowning Sorrows

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

Gill had walked straight from the castle dungeons into the city, unaware of where she wanted to go and just wandering aimlessly about the place until she had calmed down. Although she was no longer angry, the thought of Henry still irritated her and was something she'd rather push to the back of her mind. Despite the fact she wasn't a big drinker, Gill found herself facing the door to the Ram: the large tavern in the city centre. She had arrived late into the night and from the noise echoing down the surrounding streets she could tell it was already busy.

She stepped inside, throwing the door open more violently than intended, but barely anyone turned to look at her. Approaching the bar, she pulled her coin-purse from her pocket -even that reminded her of Henry- and slammed it on the bar.

"Anything that's strong please." she asked the bartender, then sat up on a spare stool, sliding a few bronze coins across the bar as she was served. She swallowed a large amount of her drink, immediately wincing as it set the back of her throat aflame. It was some kind of whiskey, similar to what her father used to drink in their richer days. She swilled the drink round in the glass looking downright miserable and feeling lonely. Gill had wanted to sit and mope by herself, but now she was here, she decided she'd rather have some company.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante watched silently as the obviously angry girl stormed into the tavern. He sipped his drink quietly from under his hood as she took the stool next to him. She was not a regular here by the look on her face as she drank the dark liqueur from the glass that was handed to her.

Dante, by all means, should not have been at the Ram. The posters bearing his face were now just scraps of litter on the streets but the guards would still recognize his face. But he had to get out of the slums and get a decent drink that wasn't watered down. He made sure to keep his hood up to avoid detection and wanted to make himself as invisible as possible.

That was until he said "Make the girls drink on me. And get me another." The barkeeper handed him his drink and the girl her money back. He gave her a nod in acknowledgment and finished his first drink. He was surprised at his own action and he wondered what had possessed him to do it. He didn't plan on having company tonight, and part of him didn't want it. If he went back to prison he would be hanged, and that he really didn't want.

But, he knew, that he couldn't change what had already been done and he lifted his new glass and said "Cheers." Before taking a swig.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

Gill was slightly shocked as a stranger offered to pay for her drink, but smiled appreciatively and tilted her glass towards him, before draining it completely in answer to his "Cheers.". Although she had been prepared this time, the liquid seared down the back of her throat and she gave a violent cough that shook the stool she was sitting on. She clearly wasn't cut out for this whole drowning-your-sorrows malarky.

"Thank you. And it's Gill." she introduced herself to the hooded stranger, her voice taking on a funny edge due the alcohol. She pulled a face, then slammed the empty glass down on the table, sliding her refunded coins back across the bar and asking for wine instead. The stranger didn't exactly look like he wanted a conversation, but Gill couldn't think of any other reason that he'd have bought her a drink...

"And you are...?" she held out a hand with a feeble half-smile.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante gently took her hand and said "Dante." The kissed her hand as one would to a noble before letting it go.

I must be drunk. He thought to himself as he took a gulp of his other drink. He always got more flirty when inebriated. He hoped that he wouldn't get so intoxicated that he let his guard down. His vigilance was the only thing keeping him from the gallows. He didn't dwell on it though and instead decided a conversation would do him some good. He had only talked to a few people since he had escaped and the social isolation was beginning to take its toll.

"So, what brings a girl like you into a bar at this hour?" He asked in a charming voice. He didn't tend to slur when drunk so he could hide it well. The girl he was speaking to was quite pretty and he wondered what she did, if she had a husband and who her friends were. He figured he would find all of this out in due time.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

Gill was surprised when the man sitting opposite her took her hand and kissed it in the delicate way the nobility do. He certainly didn't look like a noble under that hood, and Gill doubted he took her for one. Not sitting in a bar at this late hour- disheveled, grass-stained and dusty from her long day at work, the orchard, then her brief visit to the dungeons.

"That depends entirely on what type of girl you think I am." she replied with a hint of a smile, gratefully picking up her large glass of wine with both hands and sipping from it. The alcohol trickled down her throat without burning this time. She set her glass down, deciding to properly answer Dante's question without being elusive.

"Actually, I came here to forget about the awful day I've had. Well it wasn't all awful, it just didn't end well..." she sipped again, and keeping her lips close to the glass added, "Definitely not an ideal first day at work..."

[Dante Grixis]

Dante's smile wavered slightly. He finished his glass and waved off the offer for yet another one. He had already had seven... or eight, he couldn't remember. All he knew was that he wasn't going to be in a particularly good mood in the morning. He would spend half the day sick and the other half aching. It was the price to pay for an evening out staring into the glass of amber liquid.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" He asked. He was interested yes, but the question was really more to fuel the conversation. He wiped a bit of sweat off his face under his hood using the back of his hand. While doing so he inspected it briefly. They were covered with leather gauntlets and below them were uncountable scars from battle and work. He wore a small silver band on his left middle finger. His palms were rough and calloused from holding blades for the past several years of his life.

His mind wandered to thinking about the scars that riddled the rest of his body. The one on the side of his face that went from forehead to chin, the one on his left arm that went from elbow to wrist, the numerous ones on his chest from blade and arrow. He was just one big walking scar tissue.

He snapped back to the conversation when he heard Gill begin to speak.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"

Gill sighed, and leant back against the bar, answering Dante but looking out into the tavern.

"I work as a maid in the Castle. I'm pretty new to Camelot and in my first few days here a boy saved my life in one of the slum's taverns. I found him stealing in the kitchens but covered for him, you know, because I owed him one..." she trailed off, although talking to this stranger was actually quite a relief, she had come here to take her mind off of the day's events.
"Well, to cut a long story short, I ended my night humiliated, confronted by the prince himself, and feeling worthless in the palace dungeons." she laughed lightly when she realised how melodramatic she sounded. From the scars on his face, Dante looked like he was pretty worldly, and Gill didn't want to embarrass herself by coming across as a stereotypical helpless little maid.

She swung round to face him, changing the subject: "So what do you do? Something dangerous by the looks of things..." her eyes glancing over the scar on his face curiously.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante listened intently to her story. He felt bad for her and wondered who the thief was. Could it be Henry? He made a mental note to ask his friend later. He leaned his head back and cursed as his hood fell off but shrugged when no guards came rushing to arrest him. He supposed that the average bar going citizen didn't care enough to remember a face on a wanted poster. The girl looked at his face with curiosity.

As always his scar led to a turn in the conversation. He wasn't ashamed of it, to him it was a reminder that he still had to get better. But he did wish it wasn't such a notable mark. People could recognize this kind of thing easily and it made his true identity harder to hide.

He replied with his usual story, it had become routine to the point where it flowed flawlessly. "I work in the trade business. I sell spices to an international supplier. I guess you could call me the middleman between the fields and the distributer." He replied simply. He smiled a bit. "But you didn't want to know that, you wanted to know about this." He said and indicated his scar.

"I was a guard, well more of a mercenary, for trade caravans across the sea in my younger days. We got raided one night by thieves and I was caught by surprise and received this as a reminder to stay vigilant." He said and chuckled.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

"Some reminder!" Gill smiled sympathetically in return, the alcohol buzzing pleasantly inside her now. She felt more inclined to talk, and was glad that this stranger had struck up a conversation with her. It was a shame she thought, now she could see his face properly, that Dante had been scarred so badly. If he had been pristine and clean shaven he would have been just as handsome as any of the nobles from the castle.

"I didn't realise that trade could be so dangerous!" she continued genuinely surprised. Until coming to Camelot, Gill hadn't realised just how sheltered she had been at home with her father and brothers. "You say you traded abroad, did you live there for a long while? I can't place your accent..."
Just as she finished speaking she gazed up and seeing a boy whom she mistook for Henry, her stomach tightened and she spontaneously jumped up from the stool, knocking it over behind her. Realising it wasn't him, she blushed a deep red, glad for her long dark locks falling to cover her face as she righted the stool.

"Sorry, I've just been a bit highly strung." she explained to Dante, "I...I thought I saw the thief I spoke about earlier, it's impossible he's in the palace dungeons! Although they've had quite a few break-outs recently, did you hear?" she turned from Dante, and ordered more wine.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante laughed. "I was born in the Ottoman Empire and when I was young we moved to Spain. I've only come to Camelot recently. My accent is a little bit of the Italian I spoke at home, and the Spanish I grew up with." He replied.

He gave her a concerned look after she had her little panic attack but his look eased after she sat back down. She had a stressful day and he figured she was just a bit edgy. "Yes, I've heard about the breakout. Some assassin escaped. I suppose he's more dangerous than they had thought." He said as though he wasn't truly interested. "What do you think about that whole mess?" He asked. He wondered if his escape made the people feel as though the Pendragons weren't as strong as they used to be. If that was the case it made escaping all the more sweet.

He ordered another beer without really thinking about it. When it appeared on the bar in front of him he shrugged and took a gulp from it. He looked around the bar and a few people were leaving. He had been in here for hours and he was glad he finally found someone to talk to.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

"He was an assassin?" Gill was surprised, she had no idea that the escaped criminal was anything that dangerous. Rumor at the castle was that he had been a petty thief, or fraudulent merchant. "Well they kept that quiet at the Castle!" whilst she couldn't quite hide the initial shock in her voice, thinking about it, she had got past the guard relatively easily earlier that night. The Pendragons were going to have to up the security about the dungeons if they could let someone so dangerous escape.

"What do I think?" she repeated, pausing to take another sip, "I'm shocked, I mean, this assassin could be anywhere! Although he's probably far from Camelot by now. It doesn't seem fair that he should get away with something like that when..." she cut herself off there, she was about to mention Henry again. Why did her mind insist on lingering on those thoughts!
"What I mean is, they can hang onto petty thieves and trespassers- but the serious villains they let go!" she sighed, staring at her hands.

"I don't do this often y'know." she said, picking up the wine with a smile. "I don't want you thinking I'm the kind of girl that spends all her nights alone in taverns!"

[Dante Grixis]

Dante nodded grimly playing his part perfectly. He knew that if this word got out to the general population that the trust in the Pendragons would be put into serous question.

"I know, it's horrible that he got out. Apparently he almost killed Arthur, cut him real bad, but he was apprehended by another knight before he could deal the killing blow. He must've been well trained to kill six knights and almost the Prince. And then escape from a dungeon that same night." He said in a hushed tone so that no one around could hear.

After her comment about drinking he said "Well of course not, a girl as pretty as you should never be drinking alone." He laughed a little and took a gulp of his drink.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

Gill listened to Dante wide-eyed; she couldn't believe that the Pendragons, her employers, could have made such a big mistake. And this assassin had actually managed to wound the Crown Prince! The first time she had met Arthur had been today, and he had looked pretty handy with the sword he was holding. She decided to ask the other maids what they had heard at the castle tomorrow, that was if she actually managed to make some friends at the castle...

"Well of course not, a girl as pretty as you should never be drinking alone."

Gill couldn't help but smile at Dante's comment. Her ego had been bruised when Henry pushed her away in the orchard, although her feelings were confused, she had liked him. She blushed, but the alcohol spurred her on and she flicked her hair behind her shoulder, leaning in a little bit closer.

"Tell me Dante, if I kissed you in the Orchard, would you push me away?"
At this point the wine had taken control of her tongue. The stool she sat on wobbled precariously as she leant forward, and she held onto the bar to keep herself upright.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante laughed at her question. He thought for a moment. "I highly doubt it." He replied with a smile.

Through his drunken haze he hoped that Gill wouldn't want to test that theory. She was a nice girl, and she shouldn't get involved with someone like Dante. They came from different worlds, and when those worlds collided it was likely that one would end. Then again she did at least kind of like a thief... He quickly pushed that thought from his mind. His flirtations had ruined more than one good relationship in his life and he wanted to see where his love with Evie would go before he tried someone else.

He ran a hand through his hair absently thinking of something to say. He couldn't come up with much so he just smiled charmingly and took a sip of his drink. Whatever happened after his point was beyond his control, he was in the tight grip of alcohol and he couldn't help but flirt. It was part of his nature.

[Lady Gillianne Auvray]

Despite herself, Gillianne laughed at Dante's answer, she realised just how ridiculous she was being. Pushing away her unfinished glass, she stood quickly, wavering slightly on the spot as her head rushed.

"That's not what he said." she replied sighing, mirroring Dante as he ran a hand through his hair. She didn't know anything about this man's personal life- he was probably married with a wife and children to provide for. Gill swallowed loudly, preparing an apology:

"I'm sorry about... how I've acted tonight, it's just, I've been in an odd mood and then drinking this much probably made things worse!" she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "But thank you for your company Dante, I hope we meet again when I'm in better spirits!"
Just mention of the word 'spirits' made Gill feel a little nauseous and she quickly slid her drawstring purse back into her skirt pocket, then scooped up her cloak from the stool, looping it over her bare arms that were clasped infront of her. As she passed Dante, she touched him lightly on the shoulder and gave him a quick peck on the check- she was very glad she hadn't been sitting alone in a bar for hours.
She walked toward the door, a little wobbly on her feet and glad that the inn she was staying at was only a few streets away.