Private Tales Light After Dark

[Audreyn]

“No,” Audreyn protested, indignant.

She wobbled, a splash of shock gracing her features.

“Alright, ‘maybe.” She leaned into him, not noticing as their fun melted into the somber music of teens sealing their fates with a dance. So wasn’t so far gone as that night with the rum. But she was well out of her wits, the environment doing just as much to unseat her as her drinks had.

She sighed blithely, letting him guide her to a more solid setting.

“This makes a good case for liken money,” she told him, sounding like a miny him for a moment— tone and all clipped and matter of fact behind the alcoholic slur.

 

[Gerrard]

"Yes immafraid it is very good," he admitted as he found them a pair of chairs. They were lost at sea, far from any island tables with their remaining bounty of sweet treats.

"Think of Pa. Fat, not too bright, rude. Spends his entire life whoring and hunting. Imaging what his life would be like as a peasant, eh?"

Gerrard looked for more wine but his gaze kept sliding off of anything more than a few metres away.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn made a face that suggested she had tried to envision it but didn’t get far.

She sighed blithely, melting into the chair and further sinking down onto the table. “Tanks for showin’m this. It’ll be good-... good to dream about when I’m back.”

Her energy seemed to woosh out of her frame, her head settled onto her arms as she watched the swirling festivities before them. Yeah, this was a dream. It had to be.

 

[Gerrard]

"You're welcome Audreyn," Gerrard said. He placed a hand on the outside of her elbow gently. She wouldn't see the affection in his gaze as he watched her rest her eyes.



Tal'zoain, agent of the order of coin and shapeshifter did. In his guise as the young noble he watched unseen from across the hall. He had been told that the self obsessed Devil of Murant would be easy to seperate from his charge. It wouldn't be. Not that it wasn't beyond his ability, it might just take longer and require more payment.


"We'll take the horses soon. When you might be able to sit in the saddle," Gerrard whispered. She wasn't the only one sleeping off some wine but she was perhaps the only one her age.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn mumbled an acknowledgement, letting her eyes slide away from the swirling colors for just a moment to rest...



The morning light pounded heavily into her skull. No, that wasn’t the light pounding... lights don’t pound... a door— the door.

Someone was knocking on the front door.


Audreyn peeled open her eyes, a confused moment passed before she recognized the faded drapery hanging overhead. “Ow,” she complained, pulling herself up to survey one of the bedrooms she now could guess were meant for wait staff. That was, if Gerrard had actually kept any.

The second floor must have been too far away last night. Come to think of it, the specifics of how she had gotten here were foggy too.

The pounding continued, muffled yet still reasonably close enough to draw her attention. Ah, the front door. She pulled herself out of bed and thought little of the lack of proper clothing she had on as she dragged herself to the door.

She opened it, hair fussed and eyes squinting. “...”

The delivery boy looked down at her in uncertainty. “...A package from Mr.Brent, for one... Miss Audreyn?”

She blinked at the large box in his hand.

 

[Gerrard]

Something incomprehensible was shouted down from upstairs. He might have had more sense the night before, but Audreyn had youth on her side. Gerrard was aware that his torture would continue until midday and that she would be bright and bouncy by the end if breakfast.

Gerrard rolled over to put the windows behind him. Pa Ostland had been kind enough to lend his carriage. The upside was not being found trying to throw Audreyn over the back of a horse. The downside was that it would be a topic of conversation next time he saw Pa.

Gerrard scrunched his eyes closed and cursed windows.

"Are you up girl? Was that the door? Can you make tea?" Each question came in quick succession.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn wobbled in, the box in hand. She looked no less pleased to be up currently. She unceromoniously dropped the box just past the threshold of his room. It landed with a muted, yet substantial ‘thud’.

“I think is for you.” She rubbed at her face. One look at his nearby armchair and she flopped herself into it.

Good luck getting tea out of this one.

 

[Gerrard]

Gerrard sat bolt upright. When you were a magician and had a delivery you did not typically toss it to the ground. Not unless you wanted to start a fire. Or a lightning storm or a thousand other catastrophes. It was a lesson he would repeat to Audreyn later.

He groaned in pain as he rose from the bed and crossed his floor.

"This says that it is for you," he called out as he read the label. That was interesting. As fashionable as it was for younger sons to cause a controversy he didn't expect any of the young men to go wooing the peasant assistant of a mage. A mage who didn't even have the backing of a house.

Perhaps the house mage they had met the night before was planning to steal his apprentice by using gifts.

 

[Audreyn]

“Mrhuh?” Audreyn murmured, pulling her face out of the pillow. She stared at the box for a moment, half debating if it was even worth the effort of getting up. In the end, she stood up. She had never gotten a gift before.

“Who woulda-“ she pulled the pretty party apart to find a note.

Dear Audreyn,
For you to wear the evening of the 12th. I expect you promptly at 5 for the ball, expect to remain all evening.
Baron Bent

“Oh.” She blinked, staring at the note. “He actually got me a dress. I thought he was joking.” She dropped the note with no further explanation, peeling back the wrapping to reveal another set of formal wear from the same seamstress as before.

 

[Gerrard]

Gerrard has almost managed to hide his interest as he stepped away from the box. Despite it not being his business, he kept an eye over one shoulder as he made a beeline back towards his bed.

He couldn't hide it when he saw what it was. Gerrard managed to cross the space between them with one long sidestep, ending up peering back down over her shoulder.

"Brent? Wait, which one was that?" There was a note of concern in his voice now.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn poked curiously at the lavish lace, unable to fully comprehend just what was in front of her. “Uuuuuh...” She drawled. “I dunno. They’re your friends.”

Upon receiving the card Gerrard would find that it was The Brent. The notorious one. The one who unashamedly poached all and any pretty little mages vying for a touch of wealth or a place in higher company.

And by the wording of his card, Audreyn was already his.

“This sure is expensive... I wonder if it already fits.” She hefted the heavy material across her lap, unfurling it further.

 

[Gerrard]

"Audreyn..." Gerrard warned. There was a fierceness in his eyes all of a sudden.

"I think it might be best if I returned this to the sender today."

He should have taken more time to explain exactly why to Audreyn. He was tired and felt a hot well of anger spilling over. If it had been a gift from a genuine suitor, perhaps that long lad that had followed her around for a time then she might have been give a gentle tease.

The sensible choice would have been to coach Audreyn to be polite over the matter, keep the dress and keep her distance.

A fall from grace hadn't blunted his stubborn nature.

 

[Audreyn]

“Wh-What?” You might as well had just killed a kitten in front of her. She unconsciously pulled the material towards her, clutching it tightly.

“ But it’s a gift! Everyone knows you can’t go to another ball wearing the same dress!”

 

[Gerrard]

"Well, yes, true. The problem is..." Gerrard paused in the face of her expression. He scratched at his greying - at least he told himself greying when no one else would - hair.

"Brent likes to think that he owns people. Especially young mages and other artesans. Dancers, poets, painters. Now it might be innocuous enough. It might be that at that balls he expects you to lavish attention upon him. To dance just with him."

His temper could have snapped, but in the end he decided to take the route of honesty. She would not come to understand otherwise.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn’s expression contorted. “Why would I dance with him? He’s old.” She petted the dress, doting on the bead of pearls over the bodice.

“And smelly. And short. And he doesn’t own me” She tried to lift the dress further up herself. A velvet box fell out of the folds.

“Ooo, jewelry!” She clawed for it. “You know I bet if you tell him you’re broke he’ll send you something too. Can’t wear the same thing twice~” Those were not her own words falling out of her.

 

[Gerrard]

"Audreyn...how do I put this..."

Gerrard winced. He hummed for a few moments and decided to just plough on.

"He wouldn't buy me jewellery because he wouldn't want to show me off to his friends and because he wouldn't think there might be a small chance of getting a hand up my skirt. Just be careful please?"

He offered a warm smile, hoping he had got the point across without upsetting her.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn gave a soft blink... then a subsequent hard one as his meaning became clear.

“I-...” She went red, sputtering indignantly. “Well I’d never!” She tossed the unopened box back into the pile. “What does he think I am? A back alley prostitute! Arg!”

The corner of the box caught on fire.

 

[Gerrard]

"Oh, he's an absolute fucking disgrace of a human, but so is a third of the nobility here."

Sometimes he missed Elbion. In that city they at least took some pride in trying to be a civilized society. Strength and power ruled here. Bloodlines closest to the royal family held so much that they were essentially above the law. Gerrard waved his hand and the flame went out.

"Its your choice. If you want I will take it back and explain that you're not free on that day. You could always invite that nice young lad who was talking with you at the table instead. I can get another dress."

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn frowned as Gerrard put the fire out.

She had meant to do that.

“Humph,” came the pout, the girl at a loss for words. “No,” she finally concluded, falling onto her pack in a huff.

“I thought I was gonna get a free dress cause I’m a mage. I don’t want to make you pay for one— I knew it seemed too good to be true.” That was a blatant lie. She had been too lit last night to see past her own nose. She could have been promised queenship and would have believed it on the spot.

She rubbed at her face, an ache reminding her of the drinks she had been plied with other the night. “What ever happened to that boy anyway?” She grumped, unable to recall. One moment he had been there, and the next- She hicced, images of Gerrard dancing coming to mind.

 

[Gerrard]

"I don't know," he admitted with a shrug. "I lost track of him, but I think I remember his family name."

He had lost track about the time the alchocol had overtaken his sense of responsibility for Audreyn. It had seemed she was enjoying herself after all.

"And it could just be that he's trying to collect another talented mage. I don't want you to think I'm trying to keep you."

Gerrard frowned suddenly, bushy grey brows covering the tops of his eyes.

"I should be perfectly clear. In everything I might do for you my only expectation is that you apply yourself to learning to control your magic and at least try and listen to me."

 

[Audreyn]

"I oh I know that," she quipped, cutting him off before he could even finish the sentence. "Honestly if I didn't think you would look out for me there I would have already given you a swift kick between the legs and been off." Her cheeks were red, her tone implying she didn't want anymore of this conversation.

She rubbed at her head, mulling for a moment before relaxing into a heavy sigh. "Well besides this," she kicked at the box. "-it really was a fun night. Like home. But bigger-- much bigger. And shinier." She stood up, rubbing more at her head.

"You can return it later. Imma get water. Want some water?"

 

[Gerrard]

"Yes please," Gerrard replied promptly. He offered a warm smile, as glad to leave the conversation behind as Audreyn was. She was young and naive and he wasn't the right man to guide her through the intracacies and dangers of Vel Anir society.

He smiled, despite the throbbing pain of his hangover. He wished that age didn't want to make him pay for any kind of enjoyment.

"It was a fun night," he called after Audreyn. He had wanted to give her some reprieve after everything she had been through.

 

[Audreyn]

“Mhm, it wa-“

Two knocks came from the front door, freezing her on the stairs. Images of more dresses being delivered came to mind, spreading dread through her innards that already shifted nauseously from a hang over.

“Who is it?” She asked unwillingly, swinging the door back open to reveal her underthings and messy hair, pins sticking out of weird places. A man blinked, holding a letter in his hand.

“Message for Mr.Duvont?”

Audreyn blinked, relaxing in a heart beat. “Oh. I’ll take that.” She plucked it out of his hand, much to his continued shock.

She flipped over the front, frowning at the foreign squiggles. The man’s presence remained, drawing her attention back up. “...Yes?”

“Oh!” He snapped out of his shock and fled down the path he came.

Audreyn furrowed her brows at his expedited retreat. Did she have something in her teeth? She rubbed a finger along the inside of her mouth, moving to close the door when yet another figure ascended up the the path. A long box was in arms.

“For god’s sake,” she declared, keeping it open from him. “Not another dress!”

“Ex-excuse me?” The boy squeaked.

“If that’s from Baron what’s his face you can just—“

”Wha- Nono, it’s from Insertcuteboynamehere. Flowers. For a Lady Audreyn?”

“I’m not a L-“Audreyn blinked, numbly accepting as they were rather hesitantly placed in her arms. “Oh-oh. I see.”

“...Well... goodday to you Miss.” He gave a short bow, scurrying out.

Audreyn numbly returned back up to his room, both parcels but no water in hand.

 

[Gerrard]

"The door seems rather busy today," Gerrard complained. "I do hope no one else is going to come knocking for the next few hours."

Two things stood out to him. First of all he realised that she had answered the door in her night clothes. He put that aside for the time being. Secondly she had not even brought up any water.

"I don't suppose you put the kettle on?" he asked, knowing that she had not. He cast his eyes over what Audreyn was carrying.

"Don't say he sent flowers too?" he asked incredulously, pulling apart the envelope addressed to him. One eyebrow slowly rose as he read the letter. Gerrard was barely even listening for her reply.

 

[Audreyn]

Audreyn gasped, fussing with the box ribbons to get it open. “Hesentmeflowers?”

She cooed over the arrangement as she sat at the edge of his chas arm chair. Her reaction shouldn’t add up to Gerrard, who had yet to learn of the second letter Audreyn was still clutching to her.

Speaking of which, she wanted to know what was in it. Pronto. She put down the box, shimming over to him almost bouncing as she waited for him to finish the letter in hand. The moment he appeared done, she shoved hers into his space.

“Read it!”