Could it be?

[Cameron Centurion]

Exocron

Cameron walked casually up the large steps into the Temple he'd not visited in so long. The soft sounds of footfalls and tranquil conversations filled his ears as he concluded his ascent into the shining white edifice. For just over a month now, the Sith Lord and follower of Aatrox had been in engaged in a variety of duties abroad. The vast majority of these duties were directly related to Moross concerns and desires. The dark-skinned Sith was, however, not foolish enough to think the business matters had been the most useful.

Dressed in his typical flowing blue and gray robes over a simple pair of black slacks, the Priest of Aatrox made his way towards the warm beacon he'd not felt since his departure. Regardless of the mental thoughts swirling through his mind, the proximity of her presence had a curious calming effect on the Sith's nerves. It was only minutes before he caught sight of the Aesir's guards standing sentry in the corridor. Knowing she had a role to play, Cameron stopped outside and asked for permission to speak with the Aesir.

@[member="Amorella Mae"]

 

[Ereza]

The Aesir was within her private chambers located above her hall. Anymore this was where she stayed while away from her home on Aing-Tii. Though she had shared a flat with Soliael when she'd first arrived here as nothing more than a traveling girl, she'd since taken it upon herself to have a place to call her own. It seemed only fitting for a Goddess to live here, and not in the household of a commoner. Here she could relax, knowing her privacy would be held safely under the watch of the White Guard. Here she needn't be concerned with the eyes of her followers upon her every move.

Here she could be a simple woman at her leisure and remove the mask of Inari that had become tiresome to wear so often.

White robes cast aside on a mannequin bodice, Amorella lounged in the long lengths of a white gown fastened at her waist and shoulders with golden plaits. It was summer on Exocron and quite warm. The days were long, the sun was bright, and the air was heavy with summer heat. She let it all in, forgoing the climate controlled atmosphere afforded by the majority of the Temple and had pulled the windows and balcony doors of her chambers open. If there was one thing she'd learn to love from her time spent here, it was the possibility of open doors.

"Bright One," but there was one doorway that did not stay open, and that was the entrance to her quarters. At least two White Guard stood stationed at the door at all times. More could be found lining the hall and stairwell. At any given time, while the Aesir was within, one would have to past by at least two dozen of them to get here, something that Cameron Centurion had likely become accustomed to and never thought twice about. She'd always been so welcoming to him.

"Aesir Inari... your Grace," the voice came again, stronger this time but without urgency though it caused her to jump slightly, having been so involved in her journal entry.

"Yes, yes what is it?" Amore sat bolt upright, her eyes immediately falling upon the door and then crossing the room to her robes. So far away.

"You have a visitor," the Guard returned and she moved in the blink of an eye, crossing the chamber at an impossible speed and moved to pull her outer robe on.

"Who-" Amore blinked, looking around for her mask. Conflabbed, where was it? "Who is ... my visitor?"

"Lord Centurion, Bright One."

"Oh!" could it be? But where was her mask? It had been right here. "Send him in ... ah- please!"

The Guard obliged to the order, naturally, entered the code to unlock the door and stood aside for Cameron.

There! Amore reached towards her mask sitting on the windowsill on the far end and watched it zoom, glimmering through a ray of sunlight, into her fingers by will of the Force. She pressed it onto her face just as the dark man came striding in. The woman blinked as she looked at him, wondering if she mayhaps had dozed off. He'd not given word he was making a return, nor had she heard anything from the Kuati Queen. It was all so random. So sudden. Why was her heart beating so loudly?

"Lord Centurion," Amore addressed him in the strong yet gentle tone of Inari, realizing only moments later that she hadn't bothered to tie the sash at her waist, leaving her robes hanging open to expose the gown beneath. Her brows shot up and she quickly folded her arms at her middle, "your return is well received." Her eyes watched the door as it slowly hissed shut behind him, "I should like to hear your reports from....your...journey."

Sssssssst.

It was at that moment that she realized perhaps her heart was beating so fast because she'd been holding her breath. She released it and gave the man a crumpled sort of smile, but one that was warm with a certain fondness.

"Hello," she said finally, cheeks pink beneath her silver half-mask.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

The air around Cameron seemed to thicken as the Aesir granted him entrance into her private chamber. While the old warrior certainly could not see Amorella just yet, her presence washed over him like gentle, rolling waves over a sandy beach. Cameron could feel all the components that made her who she was. These things he had seen before, certainly. It seemed, however, that he continued to learn more about his own composition with each passing moment.

Once the door opened and Cameron's silver-green gaze fell upon the red-haired beauty, his mind was transported to another time, another place. A time he'd long since blocked but would never truly forget. Even the centuries between then and now had not been enough to fully stem the emotions that lingered. He'd been here now for some time though...why did it suddenly matter. Silencia's fault, to be sure. It was not common for Cameron to interact with one so well practiced in extracting the raw truth of any situation. The Sith Lord often enjoyed being amongst a small population in that regard.

Fortunately for Amorella, Cameron was a touch too lost in his own thoughts and rendering of the typical respects to notice her...state. He likely would have forced himself to write it off as merely surprise at his abrupt return anyways. "Thank you, Aesir Inari. I apologize for not sending word ahead about my impending return."

Then the door shut and Cameron visibly relaxed even if only slightly. Humans were flawed by nature, and he was no exception. However, he could not afford to appear as such publicly. With Amorella, he was less and less concerned everyday. A realization he'd made shortly prior to his departure. His eyes gave a brief, silent appraisal of the woman before him as they so often did to any. It was a habit of survival and battle...usually. Cameron had never raised considered or needed to raise arms against Amorella, however. It left only one reality.

Enough...

The Sith Lord felt almost as if his thoughts and emotions were so loud and strong that they were deafening and suffocating them both. A warm smile eventually manifested itself on Cameron's face as he found his composure. "Amorella..." Cameron spoke the woman's name slowly in his usual deep tamber as if he were tasting every syllable. "It is good to see you again." Slowly, Cameron made his way towards one of the open windows, averting his gaze to the views outside...not because they held more interest than those inside.

 

[Ereza]

Amore stood in a tense sort of silence as the man looked her over, ever curious of the thoughts in his mind. Normally she held no reservations towards simply asking, but how to put in words the curiosities she felt? It was difficult to comprehend her own internal turmoil regarding the man that so oft was her shadow.

Her fingers wrapped firmly around the hem of her robes, she hesitated for only a moment after his gaze broke away from her. His way of offering some semblance of decency perhaps? It wasn't as if he hadn't always been something of a respectable gentleman in her presence, but there was something strangely different about it this time. It couldn't be helped - she smiled and it was a smile that warmed her cheeks unlike the heat of any summer day.

A gentle breeze passed through the window through which Cameron looked before, rather suddenly but gently, he'd feel his middle enveloped by her arms. Amore wrapped them around his barrel chest and squeezed, feeling her face press into the fabric of his robes. Her smile persisted and she released a figurative breath that she was now aware she had been holding since the day he'd left. All this time the worry of him not returning had eaten at her, she just hadn't realized it. Now the weight had been lifted.

"Thank you," the woman uttered into his chest, "for coming back."

@[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

It was not often that Cameron found himself...surprised. In forcing himself to focus his attentions elsewhere, the Sith Lord had inadvertently let his guard down completely. For a moment, he could feel his irritation threaten to rise, but it was quickly squashed by the warm feeling of Amorella's embrace.

Cameron's dark eyelids closed over his silver-green orbs as the sun caressed his facial features. For several moments the Sith Lord was silent and merely allowed the smile on his lips to linger. Eventually he rotated in the young woman's grasp and gazed down at her with a curious expression. "You thought I'd abandon you?"

There was plenty more he wanted to say, but he withheld for the moment. The emotions that stirred in his stomach certainly were reminiscent of a...more emotionally intense time in his life.

 

[Ereza]

"No..." the reply lacked the full strength of conviction. Amorella hung on her embrace, awareness of his scent and warmth growing by the second. Abandoned? No. But so sure of his return? Also no. It occurred to the young woman that Cameron had a life before showing up on Exocron. Though she'd never really asked, she was certain he also had goals and plans. Often the thought of what it was that truly kept him here crossed her mind. He didn't really believe in all this, and why should he? He was an intelligent, informed, experienced man who knew their game of puppeteered truths and faiths.

It all linked closely into her curiosity of why he hadn't made an attempt on her life. It would be so easy for him to take her throne and instate the word of Aatrox.

Then, of course, there was that certain fear of his disappearance. Just like Jacen. She'd come to trust in the man that had played the role of Ithari. Despite his power, despite his thirst for blood and war, she'd come to trust him. Rely on him. Then ... he was gone.

Delicate fingers curled firmly around the cloth of his robes.

"I just ... missed you." Simple. Honest. Amore to a 't'.

@[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

While he'd been content to merely stand with his arms at his side as Amorella clung to him, Cameron allowed his left hand to curl around her upper back as his right hand softly caressed the back of her head. The Sith Lord took the young Princess at her word with regard to her thoughts of his return. We're he in her position, he most certainly would wonder.

As much as it had been in his character to make moves and pledges in order to benefit himself in the past, Amorella and the Crusade remained immune to such machinations. Did that mean others in the organization might by be used to sch an end? Certainly not.

Even as the unusually tender embrace swelled and deepened in comfort, Cameron remained largely motionless. The awkward reality of their interactions could not continue much longer with such a level of...tension. How did he even broach the subject? The Sith Lord refused to admit the reality to even himself simply because of what had happened in the -very- distant past.

The fragile exterior of Cameron's stubborn resolve all but cracked at Amorella's next comment. Almost.

"I missed you too, Amorella..." Cameron's voice trailed as if he had more to say, and he managed to find the words. "There is a key story about my past that I feel you should...know."

Without waiting, allowing anything to prop itself up as the perfect excuse to cease speaking, the Sith Lord told the Aesir everything about a woman named Alia Ravyns.

@[member="Amorella Mae"]

 

[Ereza]

Amore listened with rapt attention, and not because of the fact that she loved to listen to stories, but because of the fact that it was Cameron telling it. Naturally, over the course of his tale, the embrace loosened and the young Kuati found herself seated on a nearby couch. Truly, a story of such significance was best taken in without having to mind one's balance. When he'd finished Amore experience the shortest moment of doubt.

Was this some fictitious thing he told her to further his unknown plans? The tiniest part of her wanted to entertain that notion, but the rest of her refused. This was something secret, something sacred he'd given her. Why? She couldn't fathom the reason, mayhaps in some odd, distant way she reminded him of this woman he'd lost? What did he gain by telling her? It couldn't be sympathy, for certainly he wanted nothing of the sort. Trust? Respect? Things he already had from her.

She played with that red gemstone ring on her left hand, turning it slowly around her finger absently as she navigated this flood of thoughts. In the end Amorella resigned herself to stop questioning everything and to very simply take it at face value.

"I am sorry for your loss, Cameron," the woman said, unsmiling, "it is a terrible thing. I cannot even begin to imagine - " her blue eyes trailed off to some distant part of the room, all things within her vision so much less important than her guest. She wasn't sure how to continue, but an innocent question seemed a proper route, "how long has it been since you've spoken of her to anyone?"

@[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron could practically see the cogs in Amorella's mind turning as she considered all the various implications of what the Sith Lord had just told her. The truth of the matter was as uncomplicated as any concept of powerful emotion, but it was as complicated as any emotion itself. Inclining his head slightly to Amorella's sympathy, he made a stark realization. It was the first time since the incident that memory of the event had not brought a year to his eye. He'd not thought about it for several years prior to coming to Exocron.

"It's been...less than a month. Prior to that I never told a soul. I did everything in my power as a younger man to forget, cast aside any memory of her. That was until..." Casually Cameron made his way over to the sofa Amorella occupied and took a seat, exhaling heavily. "...I came to Exocron. In all my life I never again felt about someone the way I did Alia. It was the type of love that was pure, unadulterated. The kind you rarely ever want to speak for fear of it being obliterated by the inability of sentiments to adequately communicate such an emotion."

Turning his head to face Amorella, the Sith Lord gently reached up to remove the silver mask obscuring her facial features. Slowly, he set it in the cushion of the back of the sofa. Focusing his silver-green eyes on her astonishingly blue, Cameron smiled warmly. "Until you, Amorella. I can pinpoint the exact moment...watching the intensity of the Flame of Moross radiate against your features. Every single day since, you've broken down barriers I've had in place for centuries. You've reanimated a part of me I thought was lost forever. This...this is why I could never abandon you. Only one other woman in the world ever made me feel this way, and I refuse to lose you to stubbornness or selfish action as I did her."

It was the most genuine and powerful admission of love he'd ever uttered. Regardless of what happened from this moment forward, he chose to gain strength from never being afraid of his feelings for another. It had already nearly destroyed him once in the past.

@[member="Amorella Mae"]

 

[Ereza]

Did he just...?

Couldn't be.

Amore fiddled with her ring more, twisting her fingers, knotting them together and pulling them apart as though trying to undo the knots forming in her stomach. Those blue eyes watched him, nigh utterly transfixed, looking away only as he removed the mask. When she looked back the intensity of his gaze nearly startled her. Where had this all come from, she wondered. Had these feelings of his slowly sprouted beneath the shadow of his hood while he lurked in the corners?

Could it be?

All of a sudden she felt 16 years old again, blushing at the complements given unto her by the gentlemanly Gideon. Only this was different. This was very different. Of all the immeasurable tasks and challenges she'd faced to date, of all the overwhelming things she'd been expected to do and say per her duties to Kuat, Amore had been rendered utterly speechless by this man's confession.

She smiled. A reflexive sort of action that had become part of her person, but this smile did not contain any hint of awkwardness or worry that usually accompanied it in other settings. Her time spent here as Inari had given her the tools and the practice to feel more confidence in her words and actions, but nothing had quite prepared her for the moment when a Sith Lord of his age and caliber made known his feelings. Amore's brow knit upwards as she searched haplessly for her reply.

"I..." I swear you can hear the drumming of my heart - what an almighty sound.

A hand reached forth to rest upon his arm when she felt the words fail her. The din of her heart was so loud in her mind it felt like war drums playing in the city, surrounding her. It filled her head up so much that she had to shut her eyes against it, willing it quiet so that she could think. When finally it seemed to calm enough, Amore looked to him again, diminutive in his presence, "I will do my best not to be lost."

Her smile returned, wane and sedate.

@[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

All things told, Amorella was taking this much better than Cameron expected. Sure, there had been moments between them when anyone could feel the subtle pull of unexplained tension, but this was different. Cameron was not just describing some sexual tension between opposite sexes. It was much, much deeper and he was concerned, among other things, that it would be too much for the young woman sitting across from him.

As Amorella's hand rested on his arm, the Sith Lord exhaled but smiled in spite of himself. Where they went from here...he didn't even know. Cameron did not expect or desire any type of intense change. There was still plenty about Amorella he did not know. "You better."

Silent for a few moments, Cameron considered his next words carefully. "Your mother was very curious as to how you've been doing, by the way. Despite my efforts and abilities, she was able to see straight to the core of me. The truth of my affections unraveled in her mind before I'd even uttered a word."

Managing a brief, somewhat nervous laugh, Cameron made one final comment. "She was...oddly pleased." Maybe pensive and understanding was a better description...

@[member="Amorella Mae"]

 

[Ereza]

"Ah," said Amore, feeling her brows raise significantly at the mention of her mother. The Queen matriarch was sharp and intimidating at the best of times. Naturally the young Heiress could feel her stomach drop a degree, though it settled as Cameron continued on.

Oddly pleased? A curious reaction from the woman who some time ago had made a strong point of insisting that Amore keep her guard up around this man. Had something changed? Had something...happened? Truly, the more she thought on it the stranger it seemed where his affections had fallen. It was a testament either to the power of memories or the power of deception. She was leaning towards the former. It didn't do to live in a state of suspicion.

"Well...that is certainly better than the alternative," Amore's smile stiffened. Certainly things could have gone much worse for him. She sighed and offered a small chuckle, withdrawing her hand from his arm. For a moment she considered pressing the subject of the Queen and his visit with her, but she immediately felt in a certain pang of....something, that she didn't want to. Best to change the subject.

Another smile, this one small but genuine, "Are you hungry? I'm sure it's lunch time somewhere."

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron watched as Amorella's mind churned over the information he'd just given. The Sith Lord had been curious how she would react to this knowledge, but he was happy at least that she didn't seem upset. In a perfect world, Cameron would have told Amore everything before anyone else. However life was very much imperfect.

As a somewhat lengthy silence set in, Cameron leaned in towards Amore slightly. "It was not my preference that she should come to know before you. Rest assured I am very good at hiding my emotions when I so desire..." That was easy enough to tell. He'd been keeping it from Amore for some time now as he tried to convince himself it was not happening. He'd even tried to force the issue by focusing his attentions elsewhere...it never worked for more than a fleeting moment. "...but you know your mother."

When Amorella abruptly brought up food, Cameron laughed warmly. "Famished."

 

[Ereza]

Some time later, after shortly filling Cameron in on the current affairs of the Crusade that he'd missed during his leave, Amorella relocated to the modestly sized kitchen of her living quarters. Generally the aroma of cooking food flooded her flat on a regular basis. Her company of droids and aids was a constant sort of thing, and there was no shortage of those who wished to volunteer as Hand Maidens or Servants to please the Reviver and earn her favor. Today she had quietly dismissed them all in favor of taking care of herself. Amore was, of course, quite used to being waited on hand and foot from her own upbringing and had rarely ever want for anything, except for those times that she wished to be alone. Rare, in and of themselves.

Today she wasn't alone, however, today she was entertaining some very welcome company in the form of Sith Master Ashmedai, friend and confidante. What a curiosity he'd become. They'd become. But she was happy for it, and also happy to have someone else to cook for. Very few people were aware of her culinary skills, most of which she had learned from her niece, Desdemona.

She'd removed her outer robe shortly after handing Cameron a few datapads detailing the latest formation of alliance with the Fringe Confederation, their plans to build on Kinooine, and staging outline for the impending acquirement of the Silken Asteroids Rebel fortress. Now with the heavy scents of food on the air, she strode in to the table where he sat and served up a platter of seared meats over a bed of stirfry noodles. After pouring him a glass of fine imported red, she moved to pick up her own bottle of a dark, thicker consistency than wine and a rather pungent aroma. It was something he would have seen her mother drink on Kuat during meals, but it had never once been served to him, nor even offered.

"I didn't mean to overwhelm you with ...that," she said after noticing that the pile of datapads was quite a few more than she thought. In hindsight it struck her as slightly rude. Perhaps, she thought to herself, she should have waited till later?

@[member="Cameron Centurion"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Cameron was grateful for the opportunity to catch up on the affairs of Moross even if only because it meant they could both take a break from...other thoughts. While Amorella busied herself in the kitchen, Cameron poured over the information she'd made available. It was pleasing to see that progress had continued to march onward his absence. His own foray abroad had ascertained a fair amount of information regarding movements mostly within the Republic. He'd been prepared to report on the impending fall of the Sith Empire, but the organization had crumbled quicker than he'd expected. In fact...it'd been more abandoned than anything. A curious development that Cameron fully intended to investigate further.

The wafting scents from the kitchen filled Cameron's nostrils, but he noted the change when Amorella actually entered with what she'd been preparing. Quickly, he cleared his area of what had rapidly turned into a work space. There were questions Cameron had...things he wished to discuss. However, he was much more interested in merely spending time with Amorella. They seemed to have endless amounts of time for work, so he would not spoil this treasure of a moment out of sight.

Smiling as Amorella took her own seat, Cameron arched a curious brow. "This smells...amazing. Oh and don't worry about the work. A Godess may be all-knowing, but those that serve them have to put in the hours." The Sith Lord offered his companion a playful wink. He'd wondered after the substance Amorella was drinking when he'd seen her mother do it fairly often on Kuat. As he did with Silencia though, the Sith Lord did not pry. Truth be told, he knew enough about her family's genetics from Quietus to...come to something of a hypothesis.

While Cameron had manners, he did not often stand in ceremony when unnecessary. The large Sith shoveled a healthy portion of the food into his mouth and immediately began chewing. Coughing slightly as he swallowed the food that had damn near burned his mouth due to temperature, he tried not to laugh and...failed. "Yeah. That's hot." Reaching for his wine glass, he took a sip before placing the glass back on the table. "Delicious though."

@[member="Amorella Mae"]

 

[Ereza]

"Ahm-" a delicate hand lifted just before the man moved to fill his mouth with food, "careful it's-"

Yeah. That's hot.

Amore wilted slightly.

Way to go. Cooking Faux Pas number 8: never serve a dish too hot.

At least she'd served it to a Sith Master? Amore didn't like to assume things, but she was near positive it was safe to say he'd dealt with far worse than scalding noodles. The woman smiled impishly, shrugging into her own plate, fork held poised over her meal, "Thank you. Quietus taught me how to cook. Though mostly I just throw things in a pot and hope it comes out edible. So far my luck has been with me. At least I haven't killed anyone yet, Soliael and Vascious included. You're only the third to endure the experience ... I like to think they weren't lying about it being good, but if I manage to off a Sith Master with my cooking then clearly I'm doing something very wrong," blue eyes glanced with marked mischief at him, "or very right, according to some."

@[member="Cameron Centurion"]