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Authors: Brandon Sanderson
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Elend's growing collection. She'd never cared much for Elend's taste in books. They were mostly political or historical works, things with topics as musty as their aged pages. Many of them had once been forbidden by the Steel Ministry, but somehow the old philosophers could make even salacious topics seem boring.
"Anyway," Dockson said, finally closing his ledgers. "I have some things to do before your speech tomorrow, Your Majesty. Did Ham say there's a city defense meeting that evening as well?"
Elend nodded. "Assuming I can get the Assembly to agree not to hand the city over to my father, we'll need to come up with a strategy to deal with this army. I'll send someone for you tomorrow night."
"Good," Dockson said. With that, he nodded to Elend, winked at Vin, then made his way from the cluttered room.
As Dockson shut the door, Elend sighed, then relaxed back in his oversized plush chair.
Vin walked forward. "He really is a good man, Elend."
"Oh, I realize he is. Being a good man doesn't always make one likable, however."
"He's nice, too," Vin said. "Sturdy, calm, stable. The crew relied on him." Even though Dockson wasn't an Allomancer, he had been Kelsier's right-hand man.
"He doesn't like me, Vin," Elend said. "It's. . .very hard to get along with someone who looks at me like that."
"You're not giving him a fair chance," Vin complained, stopping beside Elend's chair.
He looked up at her, smiling wanly, his vest unbuttoned, his hair an absolute mess. "Hum. . ." he said idly, taking her hand. "I really like that shirt. Red looks good on you."
Vin rolled her eyes, letting him gently pull her into the chair and kiss her. There was a passion to the kiss—a need, perhaps, for something stable. Vin responded, feeling herself relax as she pulled up against him. A few minutes later, she sighed, feeling much better snuggled into the chair beside him. He pulled her close, leaning the chair back into the window's sunlight.
He smiled and glanced at her. "That's a. . .new perfume you're wearing."
Vin snorted, putting her head against his chest. "It's not perfume, Elend. It's dog."
"Ah, good," Elend said. "I was worried that you'd departed from your senses. Now, is there any particular reason why you smell like dog?"
"I went to the market and bought one, then carried it back and fed it to OreSeur, so it can be his new body."
Elend paused. "Why, Vin. That's brilliant! Nobody will suspect a dog to be a spy. I wonder if anyone's ever thought of that before. . .."
"Someone must have," Vin said. "I mean, it makes such sense. I suspect those who thought of it, however, didn't share the knowledge."
"Good point," Elend said, relaxing back. Yet, from as close as they were, she could still feel a tension in him.
Tomorrow's speech , Vin thought. He's worried about it .
"I must say, however," Elend said idly, "that I find it a bit disappointing that you're not wearing dog-scented perfume. With your social station, I could see some of the local noblewomen trying to imitate you. That could be amusing indeed."
She leaned up, looking at his smirking face. "You know, Elend—sometimes it's bloody difficult to tell when you're teasing, and when you're just being dense."
"That makes me more mysterious, right?"
"Something like that," she said, snuggling up against him again.
"Now, see, you don't understand how clever that is of me," he said. "If people can't tell when I'm being an idiot and when I'm being a genius, perhaps they'll assume my blunders are brilliant political maneuverings."
"As long as they don't mistake your actual brilliant moves for blunders."
"That shouldn't be difficult," Elend said. "I fear I have few enough of those for people to mistake."
Vin looked up with concern at the edge in his voice. He, however, smiled, shifting the topic. "So, OreSeur the dog. Will he still be able to go out with you at nights?"
Vin shrugged. "I guess. I wasn't really planning on bringing him for a while."
"I'd like it if you did
"Anyway," Dockson said, finally closing his ledgers. "I have some things to do before your speech tomorrow, Your Majesty. Did Ham say there's a city defense meeting that evening as well?"
Elend nodded. "Assuming I can get the Assembly to agree not to hand the city over to my father, we'll need to come up with a strategy to deal with this army. I'll send someone for you tomorrow night."
"Good," Dockson said. With that, he nodded to Elend, winked at Vin, then made his way from the cluttered room.
As Dockson shut the door, Elend sighed, then relaxed back in his oversized plush chair.
Vin walked forward. "He really is a good man, Elend."
"Oh, I realize he is. Being a good man doesn't always make one likable, however."
"He's nice, too," Vin said. "Sturdy, calm, stable. The crew relied on him." Even though Dockson wasn't an Allomancer, he had been Kelsier's right-hand man.
"He doesn't like me, Vin," Elend said. "It's. . .very hard to get along with someone who looks at me like that."
"You're not giving him a fair chance," Vin complained, stopping beside Elend's chair.
He looked up at her, smiling wanly, his vest unbuttoned, his hair an absolute mess. "Hum. . ." he said idly, taking her hand. "I really like that shirt. Red looks good on you."
Vin rolled her eyes, letting him gently pull her into the chair and kiss her. There was a passion to the kiss—a need, perhaps, for something stable. Vin responded, feeling herself relax as she pulled up against him. A few minutes later, she sighed, feeling much better snuggled into the chair beside him. He pulled her close, leaning the chair back into the window's sunlight.
He smiled and glanced at her. "That's a. . .new perfume you're wearing."
Vin snorted, putting her head against his chest. "It's not perfume, Elend. It's dog."
"Ah, good," Elend said. "I was worried that you'd departed from your senses. Now, is there any particular reason why you smell like dog?"
"I went to the market and bought one, then carried it back and fed it to OreSeur, so it can be his new body."
Elend paused. "Why, Vin. That's brilliant! Nobody will suspect a dog to be a spy. I wonder if anyone's ever thought of that before. . .."
"Someone must have," Vin said. "I mean, it makes such sense. I suspect those who thought of it, however, didn't share the knowledge."
"Good point," Elend said, relaxing back. Yet, from as close as they were, she could still feel a tension in him.
Tomorrow's speech , Vin thought. He's worried about it .
"I must say, however," Elend said idly, "that I find it a bit disappointing that you're not wearing dog-scented perfume. With your social station, I could see some of the local noblewomen trying to imitate you. That could be amusing indeed."
She leaned up, looking at his smirking face. "You know, Elend—sometimes it's bloody difficult to tell when you're teasing, and when you're just being dense."
"That makes me more mysterious, right?"
"Something like that," she said, snuggling up against him again.
"Now, see, you don't understand how clever that is of me," he said. "If people can't tell when I'm being an idiot and when I'm being a genius, perhaps they'll assume my blunders are brilliant political maneuverings."
"As long as they don't mistake your actual brilliant moves for blunders."
"That shouldn't be difficult," Elend said. "I fear I have few enough of those for people to mistake."
Vin looked up with concern at the edge in his voice. He, however, smiled, shifting the topic. "So, OreSeur the dog. Will he still be able to go out with you at nights?"
Vin shrugged. "I guess. I wasn't really planning on bringing him for a while."
"I'd like it if you did
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