Author's Note:

This is a short, drabbly thing to get my inspiration going. Little research was done, so excuse mistakes if my memory has failed me.

And everyone loves Crowley.

Set after the Wedding in Book 7, so beware of spoilers if you haven't read that far.

I don't own RA or the characters... blah blah blah.

This could become a short chaptered story if enough of you like the idea, I dunno.

Lessons

At the end of what could definitely be described as an eventful day, Crowley kept himself back in the shadows of the great room in which people now danced slowly as the night engulfed the castle.

He quietly observed the main attraction, Halt and Pauline, as they danced gracefully across the floor, eyes only for one another.

Despite the interruption with the Skandian, the evening had still gone to plan as if it had no interruption.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw Pauline laugh at something the grizzled Ranger had said to her. Halt also wore a smile, despite his usual expression, truly showing how much he was enjoying himself.

Crowley knew he could sit there all day and pretend to care, but there would always be something inside of him that ached when he saw Pauline with Halt, despite everything that had happened.

"Hello there Ranger, may I interest you in a hot beverage?"

The Commandant was shaken from his sombre thoughts, and jumped with surprise to find a woman holding a tray with a steaming coffee mug. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress, and he was surprised she hadn't spilt anything on it so far. Her face was bright and pretty, with dark eyes and brown hair that was starting to grey.

"Sorry?" He asked her.

"I asked if you would like a hot beverage, apparently Rangers are known to like coffee." She repeated, adding her statement with a lovely smile.

Crowley nodded acceptance and gently took a glass from the woman's tray. "Thank you madam," he told her, smiling as he did. Truth be told, he was still slightly startled by her sudden appearance. He must have been very deep in thought, not many could sneak up on Crowley without him noticing.

The woman smiled again. "My name is Taeler, I don't need any of that 'madam' business."

He nodded and voiced, "Well then my name is Crowley. And might I say you don't seem to be the least bit intimidated by a Ranger."

Taeler shrugged. "Most folk here at the castle aren't, Ranger Will and Ranger Halt are heroes. It's the commonfolk outside of the castle walls that fear them. People like me know you are more or less ordinary people."

Crowley found the woman's observation amusing and fascinating, but before he could ask her more, she interrupted him. "Lady Pauline is a beauty, is she not? To be her age and look as graceful as she, it would be a wondrous thing." She voiced wistfully, sighing as she did.

"Yes, Halt is a lucky man." Crowley found himself saying, without thinking.

Taeler turned her head to look at him, her sharp hazel eyes capturing him for a moment. "So what did you do to lose her? I can see you love her." She noted, quietly.

Taken aback, Crowley frowned and retreated slightly, letting his cowl shadow part of his face. He thought of evading the question, but few knew about his true feelings. And tonight was a night of enjoyment and celebration, and so he felt obligated to answer the woman with the truth. "I did love her, that is certain. But now she is my friend, and he is akin to my brother. Perhaps, if I had not been so passive I would have won her over." He gestured towards Halt, who was now talking with Gilan. "But that man there once saved my life and I owe him for that. And to see them together makes me happier than any grief I could feel."

Taeler sighed and held her tray close to her chest. "Well that's a noble thing for you to do. But let me also point out, that if Ranger Halt is as much a friend to you as you are to him, he wouldn't begrudge you for pursuing Lady Pauline. In the end, it would be up to the Lady herself to make the decision."

Crowley stared at her, eyebrows raised. "That's an awfully optimistic point of view." He commented dryly.

The kitchen maid mirrored his expression and shook her head. "Well at least it's not narrow."

"What if I had lost both my closest friends?" Crowley asked her, completely unaware of how much information he was letting her hear.

"And if you had? Life's about taking risks. Maybe the safe option isn't always the best. Who knows?"

The Ranger Commandant scoffed at her statement and simply crossed his arms before him. "Well, at any rate, I can't afford to take too many risks. I have to ensure the safety of my Kingdom, and I will only take risks if the rewards outweigh what's at stake."

Taeler turned to look at him with a thoughtful expression. "What Fief to you live at?" She asked curiously.

"Araluen." He answered briefly.

Her eyes widened slightly as if the information had ticked over in her mind. "You work with the King?"

"Only sometimes." Crowley lied. Turning the conversation away from himself, he directed his next question at her. "You seem to have a fairly sharp mind, why do you waste your talents in the kitchens?"

Taeler gaped and then, shocking him, hit him sternly across his arms with her tray. "What makes you think I don't enjoy what I do?" She asked him harshly.

Crowley inhaled sharply and mentally slapped himself. "I apologise. I shouldn't have assumed." He told her, bowing his head slightly.

Taeler eyed him darkly for a moment before sighing. "It seems to me, you have many lessons still to learn, Commandant Crowley."

"Like what?" He asked.

"Like your friends Lady Pauline and Ranger Halt. I think it was less that you weren't willing to take risks and more that you prefer to allocate all your time to your job and duty."

Crowley smirked and gestured for her to continue. "Well then, what do you recommend?"

Taeler smiled. "I advise you to be more flexible or to learn to multitask." She told him, emphasising her words as she did.

The Ranger thought she was being far too simple with her ideals, and rolled his eyes.

"Well then, I better get back." She announced, turning on her heels to leave.

Something clicked in Crowley's mind as she walked away, making him pause and then call out her name to stop.

She turned, with an amused smile on her face. "Yes?"

"You called me Commandant, I never told you that. How could a kitchen maid figure that out?" He asked curiously.

Taeler shrugged and tapped her tray with a smile. "I never said I was a kitchen maid." She replied carefully and winked at him, before walking away.

The Ranger was left standing alone, once again in shadows and letting his mind try to figure out what had happened.

He remembered her white dress and wondered if she had been a Courier, conversing with him for some entertainment. After all, he hadn't met all those in the Diplomatic Service. Crowley recalled the woman's sharp mind and amusing words and suddenly felt he needed to know more about her.

Burning with curiosity, he considered leaving the celebration to see if he could find her again.

What had she said to him? He still had lessons to learn?

He looked over to see Halt dancing with Alyss this time and made a decision to leave and follow the footsteps of that intriguing woman.

Of course if a grizzled old Ranger like Halt could learn to dance, then he, Commandant Crowley, could still learn a thing or two in his age.

A/N:

Did you like it? Reviews are love :)

- Mae.