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Renata of the Olive Tree was a beautiful woman. She knew this well and used her beauty as a tool. Scanty attire and a tantalizing smile offered an exciting but all-too-imaginary future with her. Such desires and distractions helped her both as the Renata the Great, illusionist and entertainer, and as the Rat of Vine Haven, illusionist and thorn in the side of criminals.

Perhaps that was part of why Sir Theodor intrigued her so. The knight never seemed to lust for her, nor take her for a fool. Normally those who showed her respect demanded intimate favors soon afterward, and she had expected no different from him. Yet the demand never came. He spoke only with her as an equal, jesting, questioning, never prying where he was unwelcome. He remembered seemingly insignificant details of previous conversations. He was always delighted to see her, and still he showed no jealousy when she wished to be alone or attend to someone else, even other men.

Their meetings routinely occurred near places where evil, both criminal and lawful alike, had occurred. Renata would foil the plot of pirates, and learn that nearby, a “miracle in gleaming armor” had put the fear of the gods in Aitian slavehunters. Then she would find Sir Theodor again at the local tavern.

“Some might say you are pursuing me,” she once said to him in jest.

“Some would say the same of you,” the knight had said with a smile. His blue eyes, as always, never dipped below her chin.

“I say you are smitten with him!” said Fabiana, Renata’s dear cousin, when Renata had returned to the subject of Sir Theodor three times in one conversation.

And now she stood in his chamber, past the hour of any decent pursuits. Perhaps Fabiana was right. She would be insufferable upon learning that.

“Allow me to take your cloak,” said Sir Theodor. Renata’s mostly bare skin tingled as his rough swordsman’s fingers brushed her collarbone. He removed her cloak and seemed not to notice the way her laced bodysuit’s backline fell to her hips. She shifted her weight, moving one coveted hip toward him. As always, he did not look.

“Ever the gentleman, sir knight,” she said, failing to hide her glimmer of disappointment.

“Of course. It is the Order of the Guiding Hand’s way.” He took a breath and spoke in a rote, forced manner. “’Treat all who live as they were the very progenitor of Irican himself.’” He hung her cloak next to his own.

“Noble,” said Renata.

Sir Theodor stood quiet, his brow furrowed and his gaze fixed on her hanging cloak. “If only they believed such things.”

“Is that why you left Aitia?”

He continued staring at the cloak.

“Forgive me,” Renata said. “I should not pry.”

“Perhaps.” He met her gaze again, his smile soft. “But your concern is appreciated, make no mistake.”

Renata cocked her head toward the plate harness in the corner. The armor was polished, well-maintained, and certainly used. Curiously, it bore no coat of arms, order’s mark, or devices of any sort.

“Whatever your past,” she said, “I am certain there are many who cherish the Miracle in Gleaming Armor.”

“As those who cherish the Mouse of Vine Haven.”

“I believe they call her the ‘Rat.’”

“But ‘Mouse’ sounds much kinder, does it not? Some are even kept as cherished pets in Aitia, and the animal is used in coats of arms. I gladly accept a mouse into my chamber.”

“Oh?” Renata smiled. “Even when it leaves its droppings in your wardrobe?”

Theodor nodded and chuckled. “I should reconsider my analogies, I suppose.”

They held one another’s gaze. Somehow, his knowing her secret did not bother her. In fact, she welcomed it.

Renata raised an eyebrow and sighed. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and ever so slightly pushed them upward. “You confuse me, Sir Theodor. You live the tenets of a Knight of the Guiding Hand, yet you do not wear their mark.”

“I bear the mark in my heart. Let the charlatans wear it outside, for that alone is where they keep it.”

“You violate your people’s traditions, yet you live like one of their most idolized warriors.”

“Right must always come before culture.”

“And in spite of all our meetings, all the charms you give me, and the flirtations I offer, not once have you looked upon my body in lust.”

Sir Theodor flushed, yet did not flinch.

“Perhaps,” he said slowly, “I have only done so when you were otherwise occupied.”

Renata smirked despite her heart thundering in her chest. She uncrossed her arms and let them hang at her side. “Your gaze is never unwelcome.”

The thrill of victory rang and a rush of desire burned as he finally gave in and looked her from head to toe and back again, his gaze resting on her bosom for a long moment.

“You might notice”—he cleared his throat and met her eyes once more—“that I have allowed you into my chamber without question, even at this late hour.”

Renata realized then how close they stood together. Had she moved toward him? He to her? Both?

She swallowed. “Do your oaths permit you to lie with women?”

“Only with the one who has claimed my heart.”

“And”—she took a shaky breath—“have I claimed your heart, Sir Theodor?”

His fingers curled around hers. He raised her hand as he bent at the waist, his other arm behind his back in the manner of courtiers. His eyes fixed on her own, he brushed his lips against her knuckles. Renata’s knees nearly buckled.

“You have stolen it, my fair Mouse,” he said. “You stole it from me the moment I first laid eye on you.”

They exchanged few further words before the sun rose again, and the other events of that night Renata kept as a guarded secret. Let it suffice, then, to know that after that moonlit eve, slavehunters and thieves found cause to fear both the Miracle in Gleaming Armor and the Rat of Vine Haven.

---
After Renata featured in

Mature Content

and , there were some calls to see Theo in Nathanomir 's world. I had a chat with him on how that would work, and this came to be. "Theodor" was originally a typo on my part, but I liked the way it looked and decided to keep it. My thanks to Nathanomir and RagingCyc0ne for their help with the story!

A related, somewhat intense image:

More Theo and Renata, mostly in their superhero universe, here: www.deviantart.com/janus3003/g…

Description

Renata of the Olive Tree was a beautiful woman. She knew this well and used her beauty as a tool. Scanty attire and a tantalizing smile offered an exciting but all-too-imaginary future with her. Such desires and distractions helped her both as the Renata the Great, illusionist and entertainer, and as the Rat of Vine Haven, illusionist and thorn in the side of criminals.

Perhaps that was part of why Sir Theodor intrigued her so. The knight never seemed to lust for her, nor take her for a fool. Normally those who showed her respect demanded intimate favors soon afterward, and she had expected no different from him. Yet the demand never came. He spoke only with her as an equal, jesting, questioning, never prying where he was unwelcome. He remembered seemingly insignificant details of previous conversations. He was always delighted to see her, and still he showed no jealousy when she wished to be alone or attend to someone else, even other men.

Their meetings routinely occurred near places where evil, both criminal and lawful alike, had occurred. Renata would foil the plot of pirates, and learn that nearby, a “miracle in gleaming armor” had put the fear of the gods in Aitian slavehunters. Then she would find Sir Theodor again at the local tavern.

“Some might say you are pursuing me,” she once said to him in jest.

“Some would say the same of you,” the knight had said with a smile. His blue eyes, as always, never dipped below her chin.

“I say you are smitten with him!” said Fabiana, Renata’s dear cousin, when Renata had returned to the subject of Sir Theodor three times in one conversation.

And now she stood in his chamber, past the hour of any decent pursuits. Perhaps Fabiana was right. She would be insufferable upon learning that.

“Allow me to take your cloak,” said Sir Theodor. Renata’s mostly bare skin tingled as his rough swordsman’s fingers brushed her collarbone. He removed her cloak and seemed not to notice the way her laced bodysuit’s backline fell to her hips. She shifted her weight, moving one coveted hip toward him. As always, he did not look.

“Ever the gentleman, sir knight,” she said, failing to hide her glimmer of disappointment.

“Of course. It is the Order of the Guiding Hand’s way.” He took a breath and spoke in a rote, forced manner. “’Treat all who live as they were the very progenitor of Irican himself.’” He hung her cloak next to his own.

“Noble,” said Renata.

Sir Theodor stood quiet, his brow furrowed and his gaze fixed on her hanging cloak. “If only they believed such things.”

“Is that why you left Aitia?”

He continued staring at the cloak.

“Forgive me,” Renata said. “I should not pry.”

“Perhaps.” He met her gaze again, his smile soft. “But your concern is appreciated, make no mistake.”

Renata cocked her head toward the plate harness in the corner. The armor was polished, well-maintained, and certainly used. Curiously, it bore no coat of arms, order’s mark, or devices of any sort.

“Whatever your past,” she said, “I am certain there are many who cherish the Miracle in Gleaming Armor.”

“As those who cherish the Mouse of Vine Haven.”

“I believe they call her the ‘Rat.’”

“But ‘Mouse’ sounds much kinder, does it not? Some are even kept as cherished pets in Aitia, and the animal is used in coats of arms. I gladly accept a mouse into my chamber.”

“Oh?” Renata smiled. “Even when it leaves its droppings in your wardrobe?”

Theodor nodded and chuckled. “I should reconsider my analogies, I suppose.”

They held one another’s gaze. Somehow, his knowing her secret did not bother her. In fact, she welcomed it.

Renata raised an eyebrow and sighed. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and ever so slightly pushed them upward. “You confuse me, Sir Theodor. You live the tenets of a Knight of the Guiding Hand, yet you do not wear their mark.”

“I bear the mark in my heart. Let the charlatans wear it outside, for that alone is where they keep it.”

“You violate your people’s traditions, yet you live like one of their most idolized warriors.”

“Right must always come before culture.”

“And in spite of all our meetings, all the charms you give me, and the flirtations I offer, not once have you looked upon my body in lust.”

Sir Theodor flushed, yet did not flinch.

“Perhaps,” he said slowly, “I have only done so when you were otherwise occupied.”

Renata smirked despite her heart thundering in her chest. She uncrossed her arms and let them hang at her side. “Your gaze is never unwelcome.”

The thrill of victory rang and a rush of desire burned as he finally gave in and looked her from head to toe and back again, his gaze resting on her bosom for a long moment.

“You might notice”—he cleared his throat and met her eyes once more—“that I have allowed you into my chamber without question, even at this late hour.”

Renata realized then how close they stood together. Had she moved toward him? He to her? Both?

She swallowed. “Do your oaths permit you to lie with women?”

“Only with the one who has claimed my heart.”

“And”—she took a shaky breath—“have I claimed your heart, Sir Theodor?”

His fingers curled around hers. He raised her hand as he bent at the waist, his other arm behind his back in the manner of courtiers. His eyes fixed on her own, he brushed his lips against her knuckles. Renata’s knees nearly buckled.

“You have stolen it, my fair Mouse,” he said. “You stole it from me the moment I first laid eye on you.”

They exchanged few further words before the sun rose again, and the other events of that night Renata kept as a guarded secret. Let it suffice, then, to know that after that moonlit eve, slavehunters and thieves found cause to fear both the Miracle in Gleaming Armor and the Rat of Vine Haven.

---
After Renata featured in

Mature Content

and , there were some calls to see Theo in Nathanomir 's world. I had a chat with him on how that would work, and this came to be. "Theodor" was originally a typo on my part, but I liked the way it looked and decided to keep it. My thanks to Nathanomir and RagingCyc0ne for their help with the story!

A related, somewhat intense image:

More Theo and Renata, mostly in their superhero universe, here: www.deviantart.com/janus3003/g…