Hurt
Visionaries
FR-T
Vignette
Cryotek knew Galadria’s knock well enough. He opened the door of his chambers in New Valarek with some trepidation and a part of him wished that he had already headed back to Northalia.
“Galadria,” he said warily.
“Cryotek.” She had shed her armour and was dressed in a suit of white cotton and a soft, leather jerkin. It suited her well. “Cryotek,” she said again. “I’m a woman.”
Cryotek was lost. “Um… yes,” he agreed.
“A woman has needs, Cryotek,” Galadria went on. “Deep, basic, primitive needs that have to be fulfilled, otherwise she just… goes mad.”
“Right.” Cryotek took a step away from Galadria.
She seemed to take this as an invitation and followed him into his room. “Cryotek,” she said again. “I need something from you. I need… a dress.”
“My… address?”
“No, Cryotek,” Galadria chuckled. “I know your address, it’s the great big keep in the middle of Northalia. I need a dress; for Leoric’s party.”
“Oh. And you can’t sew.”
“I can suture,” she offered, “but no. I hoped you could…”
“Of course,” Cryotek said. “Although you know that there are seamstresses in New Valarek.”
Galadria sat down on the end of Cryotek’s bed. “I know, but it’s been hard for me to be accepted… as a warrior-woman, I mean.”
“What do you mean?” Cryotek demanded. “None of the Spectral Knights doubts your ability.”
“It’s not about my ability,” Galadria explained. “I don’t have a problem with warriors; it’s other women who seem to feel I’m letting the side down.”
“Why?” Cryotek asked.
She shook her head sadly. “All they care about is looking pretty, and they resent me because I don’t do the same. I used to get the same thing when I was an EMT,” she admitted.
“That’s ridiculous! You have a great heart, Galadria; how could anyone resent your goodness?”
Galadria smiled gratefully. “If I understood that, I wouldn’t have been an EMT in the first place. But if I go to one of those silly seamstresses for a dress, they’ll only laugh at me.”
“Aren’t there any sensible seamstresses?”
“Probably; but I was never any good at buying clothes anyway. Even the shop assistants we had before the Cataclysm made me feel stupid. I can only ask you because I trust you.”
“I’m flattered,” Cryotek said. “I’ll do what I can to make you look… more beautiful.”
Galadria blushed. “There was something else,” she said. “About the ball.”
“Yes?”
“Well, a girl doesn’t just need a dress for something like this. She’s expected to accessorise.”
“Oh!” Cryotek realised. “I’m sorry, Galadria. I can’t do hats.”
“Not just the hat,” she sighed. “You need gloves, a fan… a date.”
Cryotek was astonished. “You mean, you don’t have…? But I would have thought you’d have plenty of offers.”
“I’ve had a few,” she agreed, “but I haven’t accepted any of them. I’m still waiting for the right one.”
“Oh.”
“Is that all you want to say?” Galadria wondered. A look of nervous concern crossed her face. “Are you… going with anyone?”
Cryotek shook his head. “I wasn’t going at all. I really need to go back to Northalia,” he explained. “What we’re doing here is important, but my own people have enemies and they’ll make their move if I’m away too long.”
“But it’s Leoric’s betrothal ball,” Galadria protested.
“I k now, but my people…”
“If it’s bad, I could come with you,” Galadria offered. “Forget the ball and he dress…”
“No!” Cryotek protested. “I already know what I’m making; you wouldn’t want to miss that.”
“But you will.”
He shrugged. “You’ll need to try it on for me.”
“Cryotek, you know what I’m asking.”
Cryotek shook his head. “You know I can’t.”
“No,” she disagreed. “I know you won’t.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.
“Really?” she asked. “Because you are. Leoric is being formally betrothed, Cryotek. When the Spectral Knights first swore their oath of fellowship, I thought we’d be the first to do that. That hurts; to be disappointed that way.”
“But… before,” he protested. “I hurt you. There were bruises.”
Galadria shrugged. “I’m fair-skinned. I bruise easily.” She stood up and faced him. “But I wasn’t the only one who was bruised and I wasn’t badly hurt, but you staying away from me is breaking my heart.”
Cryotek looked stricken. “I thought…”
“That you were doing the right thing?” Galadria asked. “Did you think of asking what I wanted?”
The big man stared at his hands. “I hurt someone before. I didn’t mean to, but…”
“I’m tougher than that.”
Cryotek looked up and met her gaze. “Do you… really want to come to Northalia with me?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Well, not yet,” she replied. “What I want is for you to see me in that dress.”
“I’d like that,” he said.
“And then maybe out of it,” she added.
“But I might…”
“I trust you, Cryotek,” Galadria said again. “I want you, and I love you, but I don’t need your protection, least of all from yourself.”
Cryotek gazed at Galadria, drinking in the sight of her. At last, he smiled. He put a hand to her face. His touch was gentle, but she pushed her cheek fiercely against his palm.
“I would hate to miss it,” he admitted.
“Miss what?”
“The sight of all those silly seamstresses when they realise how beautiful you really are,” he whispered, and she kissed him so hard it bruised his lips.
Visionaries was created by Hasbro. I don't know what it is with me and assigning deep passions, characterisation and background to Saturday morning cartoon characters, but it just keeps coming up.