User blog:Redknight910/WWYD Cyclops ExdeathsBagel

I kneel next to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she just cries more.

"Was I really so poor a partner as to be worth nothing over a night?" I ask her softly, wrapping an arm around her. This catches her by surprise, and she turns her head to look at me.

"Wh-what do you mean? I'm the one who's useless." I squeeze her tightly, wrapping my other arm around her.

"Hardly, look around you," I gesture to all the equipment displayed around my house, "you did all of this. If I can't even make our time together pleasurable for you, then what could possibly have you coming back with more of this?" She shakes her head and pulls out of my arms.

"I can't have children!" She shouts, stomping. "You've given me so much time and so much care, but I can't even give you what matters most." She collapses against the wall again, crying. Again I wrap her in my arms.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, pulling her head up. "You've given me so much. All this equipment is just part of it. What you have given me has protected me, and helped me protect others. You've given me everything I could want, save for one thing." I lean in and kiss her. When I pull away she ducks her head again.

"I know. I'm so sorry I can't give you a child." With a chuckle I pull her head back up to look at me.

"No. The only thing I don't have is you. Every time you leave I find myself waiting for when you return, because you give me such joy everytime you arrive." Her eye tears up again, and I pull her into me, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Give me that, and I swear I'll leave a legacy for the both of us to be proud of." She rubs her face into my arm and nods. I stand up, bringing her with me, and pull her into a much deeper kiss. She wraps her arms around me and kisses back.

The two of us stand there, against the wall for several moments, before breaking apart for air. Her eye is still wet from the tears, but her sobbing's stopped. We make our way to the bedroom and do what we've done for the last year. Only this time when I wake, I can see her eye looking back at me. With a smile I pull her in tighter for a kiss. We lay there for some time, enjoying each other's presence, before pulling apart and getting dressed.

"I woke up so early, prepared to leave, but when I started moving I remembered what we'd said last night." She smiles at me as we enjoy our breakfast. "It was one of the best morning's of my life." We prepared to leave the house, me collecting her armour and the equipment she'd made for me all those months ago.

"You still use those?" She asks, looking at my choice of weapons.

"Of course. The first pieces you made for me will always be my first choice, of course, most of these have seen use." I pass a hand over a glaive, remembering the last time I'd fought with it.

"Besides, today's only training. You should come, see the man you've armed with your own eye." She smiles, but shakes her head.

"I can't, I have to tend to my forge. Perhaps... I could have a private demonstration tonight?" She asks shyly. I smile and nod, taking the helmet from her and making my way to the training yard. As I entered I got several whistles and calls from my fellow knights.

"Nice armour. Get that from your friend too?" One asked as he approached me. I nodded, smiling at him.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Bit more than friends now, I think." He slapped a hand on my shoulder.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Great, that mean we'll finally get to meet this mystery smith?" With a hearty laugh I nod.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Sooner or later I hope. Probably going to be seeing her around here at some point." The other knight nodded, giving a rich laugh.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Excellent!" He then tried to drive a fist into my gut, but the attempted punch bounced off, sending him stumbling. Once he regained his footing he laughed again. "Oh, you're going to be such a target today." I could see the plan forming in his mind before he'd even finished talking.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">That day my armour was put through it's paces more than was probably neccessary, since every man decided to test the cyclopian armour against their own steel. Just as she'd said, not a single blow even dented the armour, and it was amazingly maneauverable, the weight and joints making it easy to outpace many knights who's skill outweighed my own by some margain.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">At the end of the day I was congratulated more than once for my work, almost as much as I was rebuked by those jealous of my craftsman. As one such knight tried to give a strap a sly nick, I heard an all too familiar voice ring out, before a hammer sent the man tumbling.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"I won't have my hard work being undone for spite." My new partner said as she stepped up next to me. The hammer was probably larger than needed, with some intricate work along the haft. Several knights were laughing at the man who had to be helped up, before sullenly wandering away, muttering to himself.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"So, your Alec's smith, hmm?" One of several knights gathered around us asked, looking her up and down.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Your skill's exceptional, and I have to say your not exactly hard on the eyes either." Another said, putting a hand on my shoulder. The cyclops blushed.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Um... thank you." The man laughed, patting me on the back.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Alec. You've got to be the luckiest bastard in this army." One of the commanders came out of the office, looking to investigate the ruckus.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Ah, a cyclops." He huckled as he approached. "I assume your the one we have to thank for Sir. Night's exceptional equipment?" She nodded, and the commander held out a hand.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Commander Faris Steel. What is your name, milady?" Again the cyclops blushed as she took his hand, shaking it firmly.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Amanda Black. It is an honour to meet you Sir." The commander smiled.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Tell me, Miss Black. Would you consider a commission?" Amanda seemed taken aback by the request.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Um, well, I've done commission's in the past, so I suppose I might."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Excellent, though I think we should commit to details inside perhaps?" He led the two of us into his office, where he sat down and pulled a sheaf of paper from his desk.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"This is a contract I wrote up, hoping to present it to a talented smith such as yourself one day." He handed the paper to Amanda, who began to read through it.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"You see, all of our equipment is made 'in house' so to speak, and while our smiths are good at their work, we would be more than pleased to have someone like you to review both our smiths work and their facilities." I looked between him and her for several minutes as they discussed the terms. Eventually an agreement was reached, where she would give our smiths lessons and oversee the improvment of our smithies. And, if she could get them to her standard, she'd even become a part of our company, as the head smith. We walked back to my, now our, house after she'd signed off on the contract.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Ah, this is wonderful." She said as she leaned on my arm.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Agreed." Is my simple response. She looks at me for a few moments, before kissing me on the cheek.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Thank you. If you hadn't... if you weren't so kind to me, none of this would have happened. I only wish I could give you what you deserve." With a sigh I smile at her, holding her close to me.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"You have given me more than I ever dreamed I'd have. I don't care if we never have children, so long as I have you, I'll be content." She smiles back at me and nuzzles into my shoulder.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Thank you." She mutters as we enter the house.