I blinked. Had I heard that right? Moments ago, I'd been ready for her to make an attempt on my life, now I was tasked with "satisfying her"? What did that even mean? What did that entail? Surely it didn't mean what I thought it did… right? Unfortunately, I couldn't consult Lyra on whether this kind of emotional whiplash was customary when facing off against Isobel. Perhaps when this was all over, I'd run the question by her.
"...Can you clarify what you mean by that?" I asked, after a long, uncomfortable moment of silence.
"I mean exactly what I said: satisfy me. Prove to me that your will is so strong that you'd go to any length to obtain this House."
"And I'll prove that by 'satisfying you'…?"
Isobel nodded. "Indeed, you will. You'll have proven that you're capable of withstanding this House and its insatiable hunger for more." She smiled mischievously, folding her hands behind her back and eyeing me with interest in a way that reminded me of her mother.
"And how exactly will I satisfy you?"
"I'll leave that to your imagination, Lloyd May. You're a well-traveled man, I presume. You've seen much in your day. I'm sure you can come up with a way to satisfy me."
"If you insist…"
There were a lot of things I could've tried, though the one thing my mind gravitated to seemed wrong to pursue. Sure, it was what she was suggesting, but… she'd just said that I lost the right to touch her! Was this some sort of trap where the moment I laid a finger on her, she'd call for my arrest? That wasn't something I wanted to have to deal with. Even if Lyra could theoretically and literally get me out of jail for free, I didn't need to leave her with that kind of ammunition. She already seemed a bit too eager to hold onto that whole "grandpa-zoned" thing.
Because of all that, I finally decided on the first way that I'd satisfy her. Something safe. Something that wouldn't get me arrested. Something that would satisfy anyone!
"Knock, knock."
Isobel tilted her head, her almost playful smile unflinching despite the hint of confusion in her eyes. "Who's there?"
"Crit."
"Crit who?"
"Crit happens. Roll with it!"
"A true adventurer always takes initiative!" Isobel giggled. "I will admit that did help me relax, but it didn't satisfy me. But hey, the next time you plan on betraying me, you could at least try to soften the blow with a few jokes? It might help."
I sighed, going back to the drawing board. Jokes didn't satisfy her, but they did lift her mood. Leaning in that direction, I decided to compliment her appearance. Isobel, feeling far less humble than she had been yesterday, wasn't one for compliments today.
"I already know I look good, Lloyd May," She'd said. "Besides, I felt your attraction to me while we kissed. Or did that 'friend' of yours already help you forget that little fact?"
"I'm telling you, Lyra and I don't have that kind of relationship! She's like my sister! Sleeping with her would be like… I don't know… incest!"
"So that's what you call it," Isobel mused. I tried to counter, but she cut me off before I could. "Your compliments are indeed flattering, but not satisfying. Perhaps they would've satisfied me had I received them from you under different circumstances, but alas."
I was starting to wonder whether this entire exercise was meant as a means for her to shame me for "betraying" her. If it was, it was working well. I'd already told her how I felt about the House, and my reason for buying it, yet I still felt bad for some reason. I was here for the greater good! Some part of her had to realize that, otherwise, she wouldn't have started this whole little game! She was just being petty, I knew.
Yet, I still felt bad! It was bullshit!
"Isobel," I started, taking a step closer. For some reason, the room seemed to get a bit heavier. Was it the weight of my guilt? Or was it some trick of Isobel's illusory magic? Even if I had an answer, I wasn't sure it would've made a difference. "I want to satisfy you."
"Do you?"
"I do; beyond this game of yours, and beyond today. I want to know more about you. I…" I took a deep breath, grabbing the tops of her shoulders and gently moving my hands to the sides of them. "I want you, Isobel. I truly do, but I'm afraid of my own desire. I'm afraid of falling in love, only to lose them to the dangers of Aspia. If we lived in a world where the Demon Lord wasn't a threat, I wouldn't be here attempting to buy House Greaves. I'd be helping you build it up, taking whatever role you needed me to. But we don't live in that world. We live in a world where he's a threat to us all, and the only ones capable of stopping him aren't enough on their own." My body seemed to move on its own now. My hands rose from her shoulders to her soft, warm cheeks. I pulled her into a soft, tender kiss before continuing to speak. "I need you, Isobel. I need you to trust me. I need you to trust that I care for you, and that I truly have you in my heart with everything I'm doing."
Isobel didn't speak for a long time as she considered my words. Just like she had yesterday, she wrapped her arms around my neck, resting them on my shoulders as my hands moved around her waist. For a long time, neither of us said a word. We just looked into each other's eyes, swaying slowly like lovers on an empty ballroom floor.
"Fate can be so cruel, can't it? It's as though we were destined to be at odds."
"Fate doesn't control us. It's trying its hardest to pull us apart, yet here we are."
Isobel smiled softly, resting her head on my shoulder. "I think I'm glad it's you. If someone else got the House, or if it ended up abandoned, I would've lost my mind. If it's you, I think I'll be comfortable." She looked up at me, her eyes almost pleading. "Tell me that I can trust you, Lloyd. Please."
I pulled her close by the waist, once again kissing before resting my eyes on hers. "You can trust me, Isobel Greaves. I swear to you, I won't run this House to ruin."
She smiled, a hint of playfulness returning to her. "Then prove it to me."
"How so?"
"Satisfy me."
I smiled. "I'm guessing you won't let me beat around the bush?"
She laughed softly. "No, Lloyd. I won't."