* * *

Gwenvair held her smile to herself, watching as Telnia writhed in uncertainty but grew ever more interested in Joe. Gwenvair found the whole affair amusing. Telnia's arrogance retreated before worry and interest until she finally broke.

“How… if … Is there a way I could apologize?”

Gwenvair looked at her calmly, holding her poise. Kilniara proved a bit more relaxed and simply cocked her head to the side before speaking easily.

“You’ve already apologized. You're fine.”

Telnia quickly shook her head, “No. I wish to return to … could I?”

Gwenvair kept her face carefully neutral, sighing internally but remaining calm. Even as she carefully prepared a response, Kilniara proved refreshing in hers.

“With him?” Kilniara seemed politely amused, “I do not think it possible. He does not… think highly of you.”

Telnia turned her attention to Kilniara, desperation flickering subtly in her eyes, “But… somehow?”

Kilniara shook her head rather adamantly, “We’ve already discussed this with him. He has no interest in you.”

Telnia seemed shocked, “None?!”

Kilniara sighed, then shrugged, “He claims… yes.”

“But, I am an elf! Our beauty is unmatched! How could he…”

Kilniara nodded but shrugged, replying as she fell speechless, “I don’t know. He was not moved, even slightly. We asked, but it seems that your beauty is a bit more… commonplace, amongst his people. He said he’s seen many beauties.”

“And he chose you!?”

Kilniara blushed at that, looking away in embarrasment. Gwenvair felt her ire rise, but before she could defend her, Telnia continued.

“And you, a mutt with little breeding! How could he see…”

A cold voice cut in, firm, quiet, and utterly arctic, “Enough! She is more woman than you ever could be, you female dog! Your beauty is utterly destroyed by the ugliness of your character and rendered to poison by the coarseness of your tongue! You may attack me and think little of me, but you will not speak so of my friends! This farce is done. I do not wish to see you again, nor be in your presence, physically or in letter. Our relationship is done. Leave. I do not wish to see you again. I do not wish to know you have seen any of my friends again. I do not wish to receive any letters, servants, or invitations. We are done. We are strangers. We have never met and I hope to never meet you again.”

Telnia’s surprise turned to utter despair, her face paling immediately as she turned to Joe, bowing quickly, “Please! I was not attacking her. I am only surpri…”

Joe seemed to calm at that, but his eyes remained narrow and he turned to Gwenvair, “That was not malicious?”

Gwenvair smiled softly, “She likely thinks it was not malicious, nor did she intend it to be so.”

“But it would be taken so, would it not?”

Gwenvair took a deep breath then nodded softly, “I would take it so.”

Joe looked to Kiliniara, who still blushed a deep red. She looked away in embarrassment and Joe sighed, shaking his head, “Kilniara. You already know what I think of your beauty! And you have proof of it!”

Kilniara looked up at him this time, mouth gaping slightly, then wavering back and forth as she struggled to think of something, her face turning even redder than before. Gwenvair smiled brighter, laughing softly to herself at Kilniara’s joy and embarrassment as the two entwined in rising joy. She nodded softly before looking away and down, seeking isolation.

Joe shook his head and looked back at Telnia, “Both of them are incredibly beautiful. You are as well, but you… are like a flower in a pile of dung. Beautiful, but a stench surrounds you in every action and attitude as you belittle all around you. I’ll have nothing to do with you. Please leave. I seek no quarrel with you, but neither do I seek any kind of relationship. I hope I never see you again. Good day.”

Telnia stared up in shock, eyes wide as they began to glisten. She stood quickly, maintaining poise well but cracks evident as she quickly twirled away and sought escape. Her staff quickly followed after her, several shorter even jogging intermittently to keep up as they glided down the wall stairs.

Joe watched her go, then sighed, shaking his head. Gwenvair stared up at him, smiling, grateful for his interjection and stifled her own giggles. Joe shook his head as she left then turned to the two of them.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I’m so sorry that you had to deal with her. I hope this is the end. I’m done with this female dog.”

* * *

“I’m so sorry that you had to deal with her. I hope this is it. I’m done with this bitch,” Joe said.

Gwenvair smiled up at him but shook her head, “I would be surprised if it is. Elves are known to be quite arrogant and proud of their beauty. Your rejection is likely … quite a shock.”

Horror hit Joe as he realized that she was likely now more interested, and he took a deep breath.

“Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap! She’s going to be even more intrigued by me, isn’t she?!”

The Matriarch stood beside him and laughed brightly, a soft but honest and bright tinkle that somehow carried over the sound of dying monsters, “You know women well, Joe. Yet you still fail to understand them.”

Joe grimaced but chuckled, looking back at Gwenvair’s Mother, “Oh… come on! I’m still way young, right!? How could I know and understand women. I’m too young.”

Gwenvair’s mother seemed to sober at that a bit, but nodded, “True. Very true.”

Joe sighed and remained silent for a time before turning back to the group, “Right. Well, let’s head home. I’m hungry and tired!”

The others stood, Kilniara and Garnedell smiling while Garnedell chuckled and Zilnek proved to be a bit more vocal, “Didn’t like her anyway. She doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near my sister!”

Joe chuckled, “She doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near any of us. She would be poison for any group.”

The other’s laughed but Gwenvair and her mother looked at each other, knowing looks passing between them and Joe also looked at them as well, nodding when they looked back.

The Matriarch interjected, “You have a very wise master. Learn well from him for he seems to be willing to teach not only cultivation, but also understanding of people as well. You will go far with him.”

Joe quirked an eyebrow, “I would not consider myself well trained in understanding or knowing people.”

“And yet your understanding of the Soonesian is quite well done.”

Joe shrugged, “I am not well trained, as I said, but it may simply be common knowledge amongst my people’s stories.”

They’d already started walking down the stairs of the wall by then, and they fell silent, stepping onto the expansive grassy fields. They walked for a bit in silence, maybe only a couple seconds before Gwenvair spoke up.

“Her beauty truly does not affect you?”

Joe laughed, shaking his head, “I am a man. Of course it does. Any man who claims to be unaffected is lying or gay. And anyone who denies her beauty is a liar.”

“And you are not tempted?”

Joe chuckled, “Honestly, if it was purely for sex, I might be tempted, but I truly do not seek or desire pure sex. I’m really not interested. I do not want sex without… a meaningful connection. It is not something… I don’t know… I really cannot explain as I have no desire for it, truly. And her beauty is extraordinary, true, but … I don’t know. Maybe if I’d met her before Kilniara, but… I think not. Her attitude is so… poor. It disgusts me. She would have had to… hide it from me, but even then, the way she treats her staff and workers… Disgusting. Completely disgusting, and I would have… I can’t have anything to do with her."

Garnedell interjected, “The first elf I’ve ever seen. She is… beautiful.”

Joe nodded at that, smiling, but spoke firmly, “Don’t think with your dick, Garnedell. And never stick it in crazy!”

Zilnek burst out into laughter, actually bending over and falling onto the grass. Kilniara and Gwenvair actually gasped in shock while the Matriarch even chuckled, surprised into a laugh. No one said anything for a bit of time except for Zilnek’s full blown laughter. A few moments later, Garnedell started chuckling while Kilinara and Gwenvair both continued gasping in shock while they laughed a bit as well. No one really said much for a bit while Joe waited until Zilnek was ready to travel again.

“A rather… crude saying, Joe,” the Matriarch delicately stated with a small smile.

Joe looked at her and smiled back, “Common sayings amongst my people usually are.”

“Crude but definitely powerful,” she continued, smiling more freely now.

Joe looked at her and nodded, “Sometimes, crudity is exactly what is needed to teach.”

She quirked an eyebrow at that but said nothing and they were all soon walking to the villa again. Zilnek was still chuckling and randomly repeating the phrase following behind them. After a few moments, Garnedell punched him in the shoulder without much heat, but still embarrassed.

“Stop it!”

Zilnek laughed, “I can’t help it… it’s such a perfect statement.”

Garnedell rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but I’m not sure I want to keep hearing it!”

Joe replied, “I wouldn’t laugh too much, Zilnek. Your evening forays out on the town seemed to be made thinking with the wrong head!”

This caused Zilnek’s face to flush red and he looked away. Garnedell smiled in response while Kilniara and Gwenvair laughed, giggling in half embarrassment and surprise. Joe sighed and shook his head.

“This is normal. Don’t be bothered by it so much, but it is definitely something that must be brought under control. And girls, lest you think you’re free of any foibles of your own, we all need to develop and grow past both our personal weaknesses and the weakness of our genders.”

“The weakness of genders? Do you have an opinion of women?” Gwenvair’s mother asked with a bit of humor.

Joe blinked, looking cautiously at her, “I’m uncertain if there are differences between the planes?”

Gwenvair’s mother smirked at, “You could speak of what you know. You seemed to understand the foibles of men well enough.”

Joe sighed, “It is also true that women rarely enjoy having men point out their failures.”

Gwenvair’s mother’s smile grew but so did the humor, “See, you do understand women well.”

Joe laughed at that, nodding, “Maybe, but you also said I’m wise.”

This actually caused her to laugh and she nodded, “You truly are quite wise. Listen to him well, he will teach you much, boys, if you wish to learn of girls and women.”

That actually seemed to perk Zilnek’s interest, and he looked up at Joe with a bit more respect. Joe sighed, keeping his despair hidden and trying to see the brighter side to the whole thing. Maybe he’ll at least listen to me now, but it’s a bit depressing that it took this. Why couldn’t he just… Joe cut off his thoughts, not wanting to spin out of control, restraining himself to a more positive mindset.

The conversation died after that but as they traveled the rest of the way to the villa, conversation began picking up again amongst the others. He and Gwenvair’s mother remained silent and enjoyed the conversations of the others. When they entered the villa, they all collapsed in what Joe would consider the living room and Gwenvair quickly had their dinner getting ready, ordering around the staff of the villa with an efficiency that only came with a lot of practice. While the meal was prepared, they all enjoyed a conversation, most of it was spent without Joe until Zilnek decided to speak with him during a lull in the conversation.

“So, what do you know of women, master?” Zilnek asked.