His worry turned to geniune amusement, and he stood. That will take the attention off of everyone else." He finished off his drink. "As long as it's not making deals with the Puck."

She shrugged. "So far as I know, he just wants to get back to the Upper Courts. Of course he could be jerkin' my chain as well, in which case we're all doomed, there's nothing we can do about it, we might as well find a room and fuck like minks until the evacuation starts."

"Suppose so." He replied, and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Do you have rooms here, or do we have to walk back to the castle?"

"Here," she said with a nod. "Oh, and that bloke behind me in the brown-and-blue tunic is a spy for the castle but he ain't picked up on us yet and we think he speaks Common but no Aquitanean so we're safe enough here."

Davide didn't bother to look at him. "Your daughter is spying on you?" He asked, still amused. "I didn't know she had it in her." He said as he started for the stairs.

She grinned back cheerfully and followed, though she had to take the stairs double-time to keep up with him. "Nope. She just puts out spies on principle. I think I may keep her after all."

He paused at the top of the stairs, waiting for her to choose a room. "Like mother, like daughter." He said cheerily, still in Aquitanean, as he bent to kiss the top of her head. "I missed you. I mean it."

She smiled and actually looked properly embarrassed at being kissed on the head. "Aye, well. I may have spared you more than one or two thoughts along the way. I knew you'd turn out fine." She pushed open a door.

Davide smiled and then followed her inside, and sat down on the bed. "And you. You're always fine." He hesitated, and then stretched out his back, looking sheepish. "You're sure he won't slip off?"

She chuckled, then sat down beside him and rubbed a hand across his stomach. "He might. Look, I trust the man as far as i can throw him, most days, but I promise you, he's not here to ruin his daughter's life. Or anyone else's that I know of. Whatever loyalty you have to the countess, you can turn loose of it for an hour."