A medical emergency

[fadingworld]

A deep navy cloak hides his features and the more ornate tunic the courtesan usually wears to greet his clients. Mal hunches his shoulders and slides through the crowds hoping to avoid notice. He keeps his head down until he reaches the home of the doctor and wraps smartly on the door. "Open up," he calls in a voice that expects to be listened to.

How much time did he have? He could not have a client bleeding out. Not this one. Not one who had come to him for help, to be treated privately.

Comments

[mandragoraspiritus]

"There is no need to go on a search. I myself will take you on. I already know the situation and the limits of your current learning, after all." It makes sense to him and he rather likes Mal, is fond of his company.

"If during your studies you find someone you would prefer to study under, then we can make arrangements at such a time."

[fadingworld]

"You..." Mal trails off in honest surprise. "I....I couldn't imagine finding anyone better for me than you." It is with an effort that he does not upset his tea or get up to embrace Regis again.

It dawns on him that he has made a friend. A friend whose worth would be very hard to measure. "Thank you." His smile threaten to split his face in two. "If you find it does not work for you, I would look elsewhere but otherwise..." His eyes glow and he runs out of words.

[mandragoraspiritus]

"You may wish to suspend your overflowing gratitude until you find out the sort of taskmaster I will be. I will have expectations of you." It is said lightly, though, and Regis does think they will get along well as long as Mal puts honest effort in.

"This is not glamorous work. More often than not it is long days for not much coin, as many of the people in this part of the city doesn't have much to begin with."

[fadingworld]

Mal smile is a private little smile, in some ways it was not so different from what he is used to. The difference was he would be helping the people who needed it.

"I don't need glamour or jewels," he says easily. "And I am told I take instruction well. I will adjust."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis nods. He wonders what he's getting himself into by taking Mal on like this, but he thinks it will turn out well.

"Then over the next few days we should start working out the details of this arrangement, such as where you will live and your payment."

[fadingworld]

Mal nods, "If I could have enough to board in a room, feed and clothe myself with the basics I will be content." He knows that with his knowledge, he could really expect no more.

His heart is beating a little fast, excited and nervous to find his escape from his cage. "In fact, you should pay no more, you will be taking a risk and I will have some funds to keep me going for a little for things that aren't a necessity."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"No, I will not be paying more than that. For an apprentice, that much would actually be rather steep. Many masters will in fact charge coin from their apprentices rather than pay them." He holds up a calming hand to halt any protests.

"That si not what we will do, however, that I can promise you. A cheaper solution, however, would be if you can to live under my roof. I have a small room I currently use for storage that I can empty and put a bed in."

[fadingworld]

Mal lowers his eyes. "I would offer to share your bed as part of payment but somehow...somehow I think you would find that repulsive. I am sorry that I have nothing else to offer in exchange for the apprentiship. "

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis gets a more steely look in his black eyes, then. "I would not wish you to share my bed," he says very firmly, weight in every word. "Such a transaction is not one I would ever wish to make." Though now that it is brought to mind, he suspects that the rumor mill will surely say something like it. Oh, no matter.

"No, Mal, I expect you to repay me by working hard, by applying yourself to your studies."

[fadingworld]

Mal flexes his fingers around the cup. It is very strange to find someone who wants nothing in return. He glances up into those steely eyes and away again.

"I will work, I promise. You are an honourable man and I am lucky to have met you."

[mandragoraspiritus]

When Regis goes on to speak it is in the same calm but firm tone of voice. "I would like to make it a part of our agreement that you do not make such offers ever again. Not to me, not to anyone else." Not when the whole point of this is to get Mal away from such things. "Let it be that the next time you bed someone, that it is because you truly and honestly want to."

[fadingworld]

Mal's heart skips a beat. He nods wordlessly. "I will not, once I am away from the Rose Thorn."

He sets the cup down and curls his hands around his knees drawing them up. "I promise." It is harder to say than he would have thought, battling against years of conditioning and training.

[mandragoraspiritus]

A notice period, Mal had said, but he hadn't said how long that would be.

"Could you use me present when you express your wish to break the contract? Or would I do better to simply wait for such a time that you are able to leave?"

[fadingworld]

"I think I would like you there as a witness," Mal says slowly. "When we agree on a date, I don't want there to be any wiggle room to allow them to change it later or make things difficult. And if you know when to expect me, you'll know if something has gone wrong."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Then as soon as you are well, we should go pay a visit to your Madame." He would find, then, that Regis can very firm and very convincing when he wants to be.

"How many of the things in your rooms are your own possessions?" It is a practical thin to ask about. How many things would need to be moved, how much space here in Regis' home would it claim.?

[fadingworld]

"The books and a few jewels that I've hidden away," Mal says. It was not much. "I was planning to see the jewels when I got the chance to leave." He looks up with a wry smile. "Everything else, I have rented from the House."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Not Regis actually smiles again, a slight quirk of his lips that soften his expression. "Then I would say that one of the first things we will need to do is to find you a decent tailor."

[fadingworld]

Mal lets out a genuine laugh at that. "I suppose clothes will become a lot more useful." He nods to the shirt he is wearing, "I like simple things like this. I am sure my jewels should outfit me for quite awhile."

[mandragoraspiritus]

They aren't quite of a size, with Regis being both wider over the shoulders as well as somewhat taller, but the difference isn't so large that Mal wearing Regis' clothes looks so out of place. Worst case, Mal could simply borrow a few sets until new ones have been made for him.

"Then I shall cover your expenses until you have sold then, and you can pay me back once you have the coin."

[fadingworld]

"Or I could give you the jewels to sell, and you can take your money from it. I have to confess, I would probably not get their full worth if I did it, I wouldn't know the best person to get to."

He grimaces comically, "I am frankly ignorant when it comes to a lot of practical things."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Mal has lived very sheltered, hasn't he? Whereas Regis has centuries of experience to draw from. "Then yes, I can take those jewels to sell," he agrees, his smile widening in humor. "I promise I won't cheat you much." He won't at all, obviously but some humor never hurt.

"I have an acquaintance one of the banks here and I am sure I would be given a decent price." Not the full price, perhaps, that was a hard feat to accomplish when dealing with dwarf bankers sure enough, but at least it woudn't be far from it.

[fadingworld]

Mal grins, "If you tell me you go for a handful of coppers I won't believe you. Thank you. You might have to come in the back way to get the jewels out. I don't want the Madame to find that I have been concealing them."

His eyes dance, "I can't wait to see how you handle her. I do not think she will come out on top for once."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Unless she is readily willing to let you go then I assure you that she will not be coming out on top." For a moment there is something almost predatory about Regis' small smile, as if he will enjoy the confrontation.

[fadingworld]

That smile sends a thrill up Mal's back. There was power here in that smile, more than all of his clients put together.

"I will enjoy watching the show down," he admits. He shakes his head, "Honestly, I feel dazed...I didn't think any of this was possible."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Then once you are fully well I will have to remind you that wasn't a mere fever dream."


It did take the week that Regis had estimated for Mal to get back onto his feet again and another two days for all lingering feelings of weakness to fade. By then the quarantine of the Rose Thorn had been let up and it was time for the two of them to go have a word with Madame.