Tales From The House Of Black And White

"Do you want a man to kill him, lovely girl?" Don't break. Don't break. Don't break. "You can't do that!" She hissed in response, as she gritted her jaw to prevent herself from collapsing in a fit of humour. "He's a prince!" She added as if that would matter to Jaqen. "Princes rise and fall. It happens every day..." Jaqen began to reply before he trailed off, and his mouth fell open. Something he hastily hid behind a faux cough. "Did the whelp just say that the female orgasm was a myth!? Well, now a man must kill him upon principle alone! He's making the rest of us look bad!" He added, his expression nothing short of murderous as he glared over at the braggart prince darkly. Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Do  not  laugh, Arya Stark! "Oh? Familiar with the female orgasm, are you?" She whispered back cheekily and in jest. And he gave her a wolfish look. "Very. A woman should visit a man's chamber tonight, and he will prove it. Purely for educational purposes and to relieve a woman of any doubts, of course." He teased back, and now she was biting her tongue to stop herself from crumpling. They were forced to house this snivelling, spoiled, arrogant brat of a Prince. It was a favour to the Iron Bank, who were providing a favour to a prominent King out in Qarth. The Prince had already had several attempts made on his life. Arya couldn't possibly begin to figure out why, she thought sarcastically. He'd been banging on about his prowess in the bedchamber and how many ladies fell to their knees for him. He was also lauding his skills as a swordsman and how he was unbeatable. "A woman will consider a man's proposal." She replied with a snigger that made Jaqen's eyes sparkle in amusement, and he smirked cheekily. "Gods! Is he talking about how virile he is, again? Me thinks the lad doth declare too much. Proper men don't need to brag about their nocturnal activities when they know they're good at their jobs." She added as the Prince's voice reached her again, talking about how he lasted for three hours one night. "Mmm. A man bets the lad gets two strokes in and then embarrasses himself most spectacularly." Jaqen quipped in return and shook his head with a wince. His arms sliding together across his chest, as he shifted his weight to one side, a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation. It was as though this physically pained him to hear. And there she went, biting her tongue again and making a strained sound, as she worked hard to suppress her laughter. She was fighting for her fucking life at the moment, and he was not helping. "Two strokes? That sounds generous?" She forced out, doing her level best to maintain an even and calm tone. One that Jaqen noted and quietly snorted at. "A man feels kind today." He replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulder. But his tone was long-suffering as he released a sigh. That was it. She was done. Within moments, she crumpled, having to make a hasty dive behind Jaqen and grip the back of his robes as she doubled over in belly-aching, silent laughter. She couldn't be seen to lose her composure like this, so for once she was thankful for Jaqen's height and his broadness. Because it was doing a phenomenal job of hiding her slight form as she silently cackled. With her head and chest pressed against his back, she could feel and hear Jaqen's faster breaths as he desperately tried to keep himself stone-faced and stoic. But it was difficult for him, because he could feel her shaking against him and her fingers clenching in his robes even tighter. So it was clear to her that he wanted to collapse in a heap on the floor with her. "Oh fuck this!" He muttered, and before she knew it, he was stepping backwards, pushing her with him, and hastily shuffling them out of the room. Both of them almost tripped over each other in their desperate escape attempt. But as soon as they stumbled from the mess hall and tripped down the corridor and around the corner, they both collapsed into fits of howling laughter. Gripping at one another, with their backs against the wall, they ended up in a comically slow slide to the floor. So wrapped up in trying to get control of their laughter, they missed as another two faceless came upon them. But as soon as they gave her and Jaqen a look as though they'd quite lost their mind, they were a lost cause all over again. "Mess hall. Go to the mess hall." Jaqen gasped through his laughter as he waved the other two men off. They looked at one another with raised brows and then back at her and Jaqen. "No. Listen to a man. If two others need some humour? They will definitely get it from there! A woman promises." She added in gasping breaths, supporting Jaqen in his shenanigans. "It is why a man and a woman are in such a state." She added, and the other two faceless looked at one another again, smirked and then nodded and promptly hurried down the path she and Jaqen had just taken. "No one will get any work done today. A man is sure of it." Jaqen choked out, and Arya punched his shoulder lightly, because she had managed to catch hold of herself. But he just triggered her again. "Shut up, Jaqen H'ghar! A woman cannot breathe!" She hissed, clutching at her belly, which was now aching more and more. "Ah." He replied in a rather laissez-faire manner. "A reaction a man, coincidentally, is also used to receiving from the fairer sex." He added, and now Arya was literally on her hands and knees, gasping for breath. Gods, she wanted to hit him again, but she couldn't move on account of her laughter. "Can he last for three hours? Because that's the gold standard, or didn't he know?" She managed to get out in a tone of faux disbelief. Jaqen's look was wickedly decadent at this, as his lips spread in that slow, inviting half-smirk that he favoured so much. "Gods, does a woman ever listen? A man has already said. Come to his chamber tonight, and he shall answer all questions and remove all doubts. But he warns he is more of a 'hands on' teacher." He purred seductively. It was at that moment then, while she used the wall to aid her back onto her feet. That Arya realised something that until this moment, she had been utterly blind to. Jaqen was...only half-joking with her. The other half was as serious as the grave. Did he actually want to... "A woman heard good and well. But she ponders why must she come to a man? Surely if he's that resolved to prove himself to her, he should be the one to come to her, no?" She asked, giving him a hooded look as she spoke. Her voice took on a breathy quality, adding a note of seduction to her own words. It was a test. Dipping a toe in the water to gauge the temperature, so to speak, to see if she was only imagining that Jaqen wasn't quite playing with her as she'd initially believed him to be. "He would, of course, normally come to her. But in this case, he must counter. His room is far and away from all prying eyes and ears. So he must insist, unless that is, a woman is shameless and does not mind being overheard?" He asked, his brow quirking upwards as he spoke, that same damnable half-smile on his face. "A woman is untried." She replied, a little nervously now. But it seemed she did not need nerves, for he was quite quick to waylay them. "A man does not baulk at a woman's lack of experience. All things can be taught with practice and the proper guidance. He was once her teacher; he has no issue taking up the title once more." He quipped, and she shuddered, and he noticed. His smile, becoming much more wolfish as his eyes began to heat in anticipation. He knew he'd won and for once? She wasn't even angry at him for it. "Then by all means..." She purred, stepping close and walking her fingers up his chest, before she slipped her hand around his neck to pull herself up. "...teach a woman. A man can teach her all damned night." She added, speaking into his ear and allowing her lips to brush over the lobe as she spoke. His reaction was one that made her want to preen and prance around in victory. She'd actually made Jaqen of all people, shudder in delight. For one so steadfast and stoic most times, this simple, innocuous reaction was damned delicious as a victory. But then he was grabbing her wrist and wrapping his free arm around her waist, drawing her into him sharply. Her heart began to race, as a delightful coil of warmth rushed through her, to set off a series of tingles far below her waist. Tingles that were shortly followed by her body beginning to prepare itself for his. "For one who claims to be untried and lacking experience in the ways of seduction, a woman appears to have quite the natural talent for it." He murmured into her ear darkly, as his fingers danced down her spine in a teasing caress. A caress that only stopped when he reached the swell of her backside, where he pushed her into him harder. She sucked in a breath as she felt his semi-readiness against her belly. "A woman is simply feeling bold and allowing instinct to guide her. So perhaps a man should, rather than waiting for tonight, strike while the iron is hot, no?" She queried, peering up at him with faux innocence that was a complete antithesis to the heat she knew was burning in her eyes. Something he noted as well, as his jaw tightened in restraint. "Sliding while the path is already slickened, more like." He quipped sarcastically in return and she chuckled at the unexpected humour. "Am I that easy to read?" "Terribly so. But never mind, I'll teach you to hide that better, too." He rumbled down at her, before he nudged her back from him gently. Then, taking her hand he made quick work of turning and beginning to lead them towards the direction of his chambers. -X-