What am I doing. Good question.

Cats , cars, and vets are expensive.

Been an interesting day or two between my cat William slicing a bit of his chest open on the metal fence and working on my E90 (3 series BMW) ... I did find time to write while as I waited to see if William would be ok and babysitting him once he got home.

He has a long deep slash under his left front paw that runs a good three inches down his tummy. Poor little guy must have slipped on the fence and cut himself. The fence now has rubber hose along the top to prevent this happening again. Anyway, the now gold-plated cat (vets cost way too much) is home wearing the cone of shame so he can't lick his stitches off.

As for the car, it is my project car, so I am used to working on it, essentially rebuilt much of it but for a time it felt as I fixed one thing another part would fail. Not the engine mind you that is all sound and reconditioned, it is the electronics and actuators in this BMW class that fail as they get older... I know that feeling anyway for the interested, posted on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/C1xVrPWSW3g/

On the writing side of things, it has been slow, not so much due to a block but because I am sorting the romance arcs, and I am not a natural when it comes to writing romance. Sci Fi Fantasy there needs to be some and well there is romance in the story woven throughout the narrative. Below is part of Isa (E-sa) and Lucrin's (Loo-crin) romance arc, I managed to hammer this out yesterday so needs quite the edit and refinement, but I think you are all used to me posting raw work by now.

So, context, the penultimate battle has finished, and our protagonists managed by a hair to win the day, yet the story is far from over. Political fallout, assassinations and all kinds of problems lay before them. In this case Isa is tending to her lover after the fight. The affair is or will be a scandal, but she no longer cares. Lucrin has reached the same point emotionally as well. There is of course a huge amount of preceding story that gives more context but suffice to say her husband is not the best man around and Lucrin is not really who he seems to be. Not a villain, just a man running from his former life. Two damaged people finding comfort in each other... life tends to be like that.



Isa pulled Lucrin into her pavilion as he passed. ‘Don’t frighten me like that again,’ she said, putting her arms around him. ‘You frightened me near to death, Lucrin.’ She went to take the ring from her finger, but he stopped her. ‘That is yours now Isa I would you keep it.’ He smiled, but Isa could see a deeply haunted look in his eyes. Gods, you look exhausted, she thought as she pulled away from his embrace and led him to a chair. ‘Sit,’ she said briskly. Lucrin looked uncertain. ‘I said sit Lucrin.’ Her sweet voice was so firm he could not help but smile and do as she bid. With a clap of her hands, two maids entered from a partition. ‘Bring me warm water and towels, then leave us.’ As the maids went about their task, Isa began to remove Lucrin’s leg amour. He watched her work at the straps, a look of concentration on her delicate face. He chuckled, noting how she bit her lower lip as she worked. Isa looked up at him and smiled. ‘You are back safe. That is all I care, and I no longer give a damn who knows.’ A defiant look clouded her face as she looked at him before she continued with her task. Lucrin just shook his head and sighed, ‘Honestly Isa I don’t give a damn either.’ She looked back up at him as she removed the last length and dropped it in the pile of amour a smile warming her face. Isa waved the maids to place the bowl of warm water beside her and took a cloth from the pile. ‘Leave us and do not return until I send for you, is that clear?’ The two curtsied and left the pavilion. Lucrin watched them go, an apprehensive look in his eyes. ‘You worry they will talk?’ Isa said as they left. Lucrin nodded as she pulled his belt off and set about untying his tabard. ‘So what if they do? I have information that will silence my husband and guardian.’ She gave him a warm smile. ‘And besides, Tobias is a fool. I can seek an annulment, for he never consummated the union.’ She gave him a flat stare, then smiled. ‘I will no longer yield to the will of others, my man. I would sooner throw my title away and marry a commoner than live this way much longer.’ Isa pulled his tabard over Lucrin’s head and set about helping him remove the coif and chain tunic. It was all too heavy for her. He could not help but smile at the small woman’s determination. Pulling her hands away, he shrugged it off and dropped it in a pile. ‘I never liked this heavy stuff, but I was glad to have it today.’ Isa’s face took on that worried, frightened look she had first given him upon pulling Lucrin into the pavilion and she hugged him tight. She laid her head against his gambeson-clad chest, then wrinkled her nose. ‘You need a bath,’ she said with a little laugh, setting about removing the sweat stained item. Now near naked and dressed only in his small clothes, Isa bathed him with warm water and sweet-smelling soap. ‘You will return to Oshelila.’ It took Lucrin a moment to realise it was not a question. Taking her hands and dropping the cloth from them, he pulled her into his arms. ‘I must go where my lord takes me Isa you know this.’ She sighed and nodded, “I will go where I will, Tobias cares not even if his mother Thea does, although she seems to have no care what it is I do.’ Lucrin gave her a puzzled look. Isa just smiled and slapped his chest with her hand. ‘That means I will follow you if I can. You are mine.’ Lucrin laughed and picked her up. ‘You are a fierce little thing Isa I do not doubt you will follow me but to answer your question yes I return to Oshelila, though I feel we should act with more discretion.’ She gave him a cheeky look as she put her arms around his neck. ‘Not tonight Lucrin. Tonight, I would sleep close to you.’