Chapter 5

As Nathan and Ariel walked to Keith's house they again were taken by how large the Mansion was from a distance.

As they passed through the front gate Nathan again looked around and saw the various men of all ages who were taking care of the grounds. And as always he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with them.

It wasn't that they weren't doing a good job, but they seemed unfocused and not very skilled at what they were doing, like this wasn't something they normally did and they were just trying to put in 110% effort to make up for their lack of skill in doing their jobs.

But what they found was odd was that all the men were wearing some form of black robe with gold trim around the neck and sleeves.

As they walked further onto the grounds headed to the house, they were soon met by another man just outside of the front door, who then led them into a den where they were asked to wait for Keith.

Ariel and Nathan decided not to sit by silent agreement and decided to have a look around the room.

As they did they noticed all the rows and rows of books that are lined around the room.

Normally Keith met them at different Inns or Tavern's around the city to discuss business, but today he asked them to meet him at his home.

They knew he was rich by how well he dressed and his insistence on only buying the best, but it was more obvious by their surroundings now.

They came past the house so that they would know where Keith lived, but they had not ever been inside before.

As Nathan looked around, again getting the feeling that he was missing something important to do with Keith.

And as Nathan thought this, he was also remembering the only other time that Keith made him feel this way.

"So how long have you two been married?" asked Keith.

Ariel had gotten up to get a refill on their drinks. Both men noticed her form as she headed for the counter. They were meeting Keith for him to pay them for their latest hunt for him.

"It's hard to say sometimes. It feels like forever when I look in her eyes, and then time stops having any real meaning for me," said Nathan with a smile.

"So, do you two play around with anyone else?" asked Keith as he continued watching her form heading away from them.

It hadn't dawned on Keith that he didn't get an answer because he was moving the conversation in the direction he wanted it to go.

"Nope, I never had the desire to. Ask yourself this, if you had her willing at home why would you ever need to go looking for anything else?" asked Nathan as he turned to look at Keith.

"Can't say that I would disagree with that, but how do you keep her from stepping out on you? There has to be hundreds if not thousands of available men who are every bit as capable as you are. How do you know she's not sampling other men making sure you're still the right one for her?" asked Keith as he turned to face Nathan.

"I trust her and believe in her. Our marriage is based on that. If I have to follow her around, or tell her all the time what she can and can't do, we might as well not be married. She's not a possession of mine, I just trust in her to put me first and I do the same for her," said Nathan smiling.

"Are you sure? Does she tell you everything she does? Every man who acts interested in her?" asked Keith with wide eyes.

"No, and she doesn't have to. Mainly because I trust her, but also because I know she can handle it. She was handling that same attraction well before I met her," said Nathan smiling.

"So, hypothetically speaking, if I told you that a few days ago when she came into town I saw her going into another man's home by herself for a few hours that wouldn't bother you at all?" asked Keith looking at Nathan face for a reaction.

"My wife knows that I don't share, and I know she wouldn't let me take two paces before she killed me if she thought I was playing around on her, so if you tell me that, and if I believed you, then I already know that there was a good reason for where she was. And I know it was outside of sex that she was there," said Nathan with edge to his voice.

It was starting to bother him that Keith was insinuating that Ariel couldn't be trusted.

"Sorry, sorry don't shoot the messenger. Because I saw that I just wanted to know if you played with others and if I could get in on it if you did. But if that is not the case then I shouldn't have brought it up," said Keith with a look of innocence.

But as Nathan looked back the way Ariel had gone to get the drinks, he missed the look of glee on Keith's face.

Keith thought he had finally started to lay the ground work to split them up.

At the very least it might be a way for him to get his foot in the door for a few minutes of Ariel's time to start off. He was sure that he finally found a way to put a crack in the foundation of their marriage. And he was so confident in his skill that he knew that once she had him she wouldn't want back in her marriage.

As Ariel returned back to the table Nathan at first had a look of deep concentration on his face, but then he looked up at her smiling. Keith was secretly happy that he so easily planted seeds of doubt in Nathan's mind.

"Honey, yesterday when you came into town Keith mentioned that he saw you visiting someone's home, and he mentioned it because he was concerned about us," started Nathan smiling up at Ariel.

Keith jumped and looked startled.

Nathan wasn't supposed to say anything!

Keith figured that Nathan would get jealous, start following her around and with his size that he would crack a few heads, they would argue about his jealousy, and then they would start down the road of breaking up because of his lack of trust in her.

At the very least it should have made them take time away from each other to cool off.

But he wasn't supposed to immediately question her, what if she had a plausible reason? What if he bought it? He didn't plan that far ahead.

Ariel looked up at the ceiling and thought for a second.

Then she turned and smiled sweetly at Keith as she then said, "I went back to the weapons shop that we purchased our weapons from," as she then patted one of her swords.

"And I was trying to figure out why I can't consistently use them as I did on the first day we purchased them. And he was trying to figure out if it was a balance problem. But we decided that it wasn't. So I went home" finished Ariel as she kept looking at Keith.

"See like I told you, there wasn't anything I could have ever been worried about. But at least you're happier it seems to know everything is ok," smiled Nathan at Keith.

"You weren't trying to suggest that I would have ever cheated on my husband were you?" said Ariel softly and very dangerously. While Nathan was speaking she had been staring hard at Keith.

Keith suddenly felt a cold chill run up his back as she said that the way she did.

For some reason that he couldn't put his finger on, he felt extremely threatened by her question. Like if he didn't say no immediately, he might not live to see tomorrow.

"No, no. I would never say that. I was just curious who you knew in town since you two haven't been here that long," said Keith quickly and appearing to sweat suddenly.

"I would never cheat on my husband with anyone. I would not even touch another man for any reason in a sexual nature. My husband is the only man that I will ever have. He has tried to sacrifice his life for me more times than I care to count and I would never throw that that away for anyone," finished Ariel quietly as if Keith had not even spoken.

The face she made as she said this was a very cold one. And the way she said it again sent chills up his spine a second time. She wasn't kidding about her devotion to Nathan thought Keith.

And he again thought she looked like she wanted just a reason, any reason, to kill him for questioning her honor. And his second sense was telling him that she was more than capable of doing it.

Suddenly Ariel turned, grabbed Nathan and tried to find his tonsils with her tongue for a minute. Then she slid her chair closer and put her head on his shoulder.

Nathan just sat with a smile on his face as he looked over at Keith.