The Winter of Discontent. Shadow over Rhudaur V

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placeholder for the Yule night

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placeholder for the Yule night

[Callon]

Callon took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and finally managed a shaky smile. Now that the first shock of the news was over, he was starting to get control of himself and think clearly again. He gazed at Wilwaren a few moments more in silence and then stood up and faced her across the table.

"I thank you most sincerely, Miss, for your kind and able assistance, both tonight with me and, I'm sure, over the last few weeks with my ... sister," he said with a formal bow, although he allowed a twinkle in his eyes at that last word. Wilwarin allowed herself a brief smile back as she nodded her head in acknowledgement of his thanks.

He took another deep breath as he looked around the room, as if to regain his bearings, then turned back to face her.

"And I am most willing to apologize to the young lady for my precipitous actions, if you would be so kind as to give me the pleasure of your company and take me to her."

Wilwarin nodded and rose, favorably impressed by his manners, good sense, and ability to pause and think before speaking - quite unlike his sister! As Wilwarin was closer to the door and he had to go around the table, she reached the door before he did, but he still politely raised his arm to indicate his deference to her. She was surprised and pleased by this - her ancestry was written in her face and form, and she was not always accorded these gallantries by those purer in blood than she. To think she had come so close to whacking him on the head with a candle-stick! Funny how she had met both siblings under such eventful circumstances.

As they walked along the hallways, she stole several glances at her companion. She thought she had been able to judge Caelen's character pretty well by now, but just how much similarity was there between the siblings? Callon, like his sister, had a distinctly attractive face, although decidedly in the masculine cast. His hair would be called brown by most, but had auburn highlights that reminded her of his sister. And he was silent - again unlike his sister - but, she acknowledged, he had rather a lot to think about.

Malindel was found and apologies were gracefully made and shyly accepted, and she was once more left alone with Caelen's brother. She turned to look up at him and saw the fatigue in his eyes, and started to speak at the same time that he did. They both paused in the inevitable confusion that follows that contretemps, and she was again pleased when he bowed and extended his hand towards her, indicating that she was to speak first.

"I was merely going to observe the obvious - that you must be tired after your long trip. Have you decided what you would like to do?"

"Yes - I think that if possible, I would like to just stay here and not intrude on my sister and ... and Eryndil tonight, both for their sakes and mine, for I am indeed so tired that I can hardly speak coherently. I am sure that it would be better for everyone concerned if I visited them tomorrow."

Wilwarin nodded her head. "I think you are quite right. If you would like, I shall try to help you get things set up."

"I would greatly appreciate that!" said Callon thankfully, and the two of them left the room.

[Rian]

(rough ideas for next post, just to be writing a bit ...)

With something between a sigh and a groan, Callon lay back on his bed, and his tired muscles began to relax. Many began to complain, also - they had ridden hard and fast. But he was young, and a horseman by trade, and was better off than most of the group.

Caelen married to Eryndil ... Caelen married to Eryndil ... He shook his head and smiled. Unbelievable! And yet, he thought, completely on par for the last few months. Everything he and Caelen had known had been turned upside-down, and he could hardly be surprised by anything anymore.

He settled himself more comfortably on the bed in his borrowed clothing and continued to think over the events that had taken place during his absence. But long before he had thought everything through, he fell asleep.

(because I can't think of anything else to write right now!)

[Wilwarin]

Wilwarin did some cleaning up after she had seen to it that Callon had a bed to sleep in and some fresh clothes to wear. She cleared away the earthware mugs they had used in the common's room and replaced the candle-stick on the cupboard in the hall before anyone wondered why it wasn't there. No one needed to know how perilously close Wilwarin had come to braining another member of the castle's household during the Yule festival, especially not someone whose reputation was already somewhat tainted. At least no one would hear of Callon's angry scene from Mallie. The girl was perhaps simple and kind, but one could count discretion as one of her virtues. Mallie had never yet been the source of any of Sirien's castle gossip.

After finally dropping off her shawl in Sirien's room, Wilwarin retired to her own. She changed into her guard-outfit and lay down on her bed. The Princess probably would remain a few hours more at the ball, so she should have some time to herself. Maybe she could catch a bit of sleep before her watch-duty.

But her thoughts were still milling through her mind and sleep would not come easily. She reached under her bed and pulled out the latest letter from her family. She looked at it uneasily. Had she ignored her father's advise tonight? Politics were a dangerous game, Wilwarin knew that well enough without ever having had a part to play in them.

Yet Caelen was now married to Eryndil, one of the counselors to the King while everyone knew the Crown-prince was still an ardent admirer of her. It only remained to be seen if her marriage was enough deterrent for the prince to keep him from continuing his wooing. And her brother Callon had now returned, the very man who had once pretended to have been her husband and the father of her unborn child. He could not hope the castle gossipers had already forgotten that. Both he and Caelen, cultured though they were, had come from the country-side. Would they be able to defend themselves from the dangerous tongues and scheming minds that roamed the capital?

Just by befriending Caelen so obviously by attending her wedding and seeing that Callon was settled, Wilwarin might just have embroiled herself into politics far deeper than she would have liked to. And in uncertain times like these, one wrong alliance or friendship could be quite damning, even for the bodyguard of the Princess.

It was an unsettling thought.

"And just when I was bemoaning the loss of my social life..." Wilwarin thought ruefully.