All or Nothing

Chapter 17

Half awake Tess rolled over in bed. She reached her arms out and felt around, she was alone. Feeling more awake she lifted her head and opened her eyes as she confirmed she really was alone. Looking to the doorway she could see the faint light coming from the kitchen, and noticed a delicious smell in the air. Deciding to investigate, she got out of bed and slid her feet into her slippers, and walked out of the room.

Quietly she crept down the hall, and saw Arthur standing by the stove as she heard something sizzling. She saw Regis lying on the floor and Sylvie in a corner refining her core. No one seemed to be paying her any attention as she closed in on Arthur.

"Good morning my sleeping beauty," Arthur greeted, not taking his eyes off of whatever he was cooking.

Tess pouted in frustration of being discovered.

"How did you know I was coming? I was trying really hard to sneak up on you," Tess replied as she continued to walk toward him.

"I learned how to perceive mana with aether, you can restrict your core as much as you want, but I can still see your core no matter what. And now that I have a mana core again, I can see the different types of mana too and even if that wasn't the fact you know that I can sense you better than anyone."

Tess arrived and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"So I guess I really never will be able to sneak up on you," she pouted.

"Probably not," Arthur chuckled. "Although I was actively trying to see mana. Being able to see the different types is a little new to me, so I'm practicing." Arthur shuddered. "Although part of me wishes I didn't."

"Why," she asked as she came around and gave him a good morning kiss.

"I was looking at everyone in this building, and saw that Mica spent the night in Bairon's room."

"Why is that...ohhh, I see. I never would have expected those two to have that kind of relationship. But how did you know she spent the night in Bairon's room?"

Arthur slid a pancake off the frying pan and onto a plate, then poured more batter into the pan.

"I was doing this training all night."

"All night? How much sleep did you get?"

"I got a good hour and a half," he stated proudly

"Arthur! You need to sleep too!" She scolded.

"Didn't I tell you? I only need about an hour of sleep every few days," he said, amusement clear in his tone.

Arthur flipped the pancake.

"Well there goes my vision," Tess said, sounding disappointed.

"Your vision?"

"Yes, I envisioned us sleeping in, waking up in each other's arms."

"I can still do that," Arthur replied as he slid the last pancake onto the plate, and turned off the heat. He then turned around and wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss. "I did that those last few days in the castle, I just had some work I wanted to get done."

"What kind of work?"

"I'll explain as we eat," he said as he handed her the plate.

Arthur laid out a blanket, then poured two cups of Java tea, making sure to mix Tess' with chocolate just how she liked it. He then pulled out a bottle of syrup and poured some on her pancakes. Once he thought she had enough he tried to pull it away, only to have Tess put her hand on the bottle and pour out some more onto her pancakes.