Private Tales Raindrops on Roses

[Llewen Merrick]

He was unsure how she seemed to know when he would return, in time to make a stew, but then again the stew was perhaps already cooking. Happenstance, he supposed.

"I'd be delighted to see the rest of the castle later, Tabitha. Thank you again; it's wonderful."

He so desperately wanted to kiss her again. He cursed the wretched embarrassment of his youth for being unable to pursue it. So what if she was a noble? Her lips had been warm and he felt the kiss had definitely been returned. At least, so he thought. A young woman like Tabitha was still an utter mystery to him. He could only really act on how he felt, and hope that it was the right decision. And speaking of decisions...

"I would love to ride with you, Tabitha. Spirit is well-rested and I am still quite ready for activity today. It would be good practice, and I could always use more."

And, of course, he thought that it might be a good time to talk about what had just happened, and perhaps also her true origin...

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha beamed as he thanked her again, she was happy it had made him happy. "You're very welcome, I just wanted it to feel like home." There was a lot she wanted to day to him, things he should know. She was scared of how he'd react, she liked the way they were. Especially the closeness of his embrace and the taste of his lips on hers.

He spoke as she reached for the door, and she paused momentarily before grasping the handle. She was of course, elated he had chosen to spend time with her. Still, she measured out her words so she didn't seem am excitable mess. "I'd love to have your company, besides I think Rosemary missed you."

Tabitha hauled open the door and taking one look back at him, stepped back outside. She headed for the stables at an easy walk. Once inside, she told Michael to ready Spirit while she tended to Rosemary. She again opted for no saddle. She ruffled Thomas's hair and sent him inside for some stew, calling out to Michael for him to head in and eat when he was done as well.

She mounted the mare and brought her out to the courtyard to wait for Llewen and Spirit to join her. Looked at the sky, checking for any signs of weather change. She figured they had several hours before she had to make sure everyone was tucked away. It seemed like they were in for some rain later.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

It was turning out to be a much better day than he had imagined. He was home, and here was Tabitha, welcoming, beautiful, and pristine. Of all the stragglers to have made their way into his life, he was beginning to feel the luckiest about her. He couldn't help but be excited about getting to spend his first day back with her, and riding their horses no less.

He took notice of how she handled the peasant boys and how she was utilizing them. He only hoped she wasn't taking too much labor from the fields, since they needed crops more than they needed horses right now, but he could let that go for the moment. For now, it seemed like their paths were headed elsewhere. He found Spirit, still saddled up, and mounted, falling in step with Tabitha as she started to make her way out.

"So, where are we headed?" He asked. It felt very nice indeed to be riding alongside her; the two must have been quite the sight together atop their two horses.

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Llewen was only step behind her as they made their way through the courtyard and towards the gate. Tabitha was excited to have company, especially when that company was Llewen. She knew that they had only known each other for a short while, but that didn't stop her heart from soaring every time she looked at him.

The sun was shining and she was happier than she had been in weeks. She turned to Llewen as he spoke, a smile still on her lips. Despite Rosemary's unique gait, she rode smoothly, adapting to the way the mare moved. Fluid like water as they moved together.


"I found a wide trail that leads to a clearing. I love to bring her out there and she enjoys it too. It's an easy ride. I'm going to have to find a more difficult route for her to take soon." They struck out on the road, and she took him about a half a mile before turning into a slight ditch and onto a worn path. Their destination would be about three miles from the starting point. "It's a pretty straight shot to the clearning." She gave Llewen an impish grin. "Want to race me?"

 

[Llewen Merrick]

There was something remarkable about that impish grin she had; it was perhaps the most energetic he'd ever seen her, since the two had met. She must have recovered quite a bit if she was feeling so competitive. Then again, the whole situation was remarkable, with Llewen's House in disarray and with Tabitha having her own set of very real, debilitating struggles. Things must have improved quite a bit indeed for her to even suggest such a thing.

"A race?" he said, pausing. "Why... that sounds great, Tabitha, let's do it. Let us see who rides best--the knight, or the maid!"

He readied Spirit, getting into a better stance to prepare for the race. It would be good practice for him, sure, but mostly, this would be fun, and of course, he'd get more alone time with Tabitha...

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha beamed at him as he agreed to the race. She knew it would be fun, and didn't even care if she won or not. There was an intense joy in feeling a horses hooves thunder below her, and the wind whipping through her curls. She and Rosemary had developed quite a bond, and she knew the mare would give her everything she could. She gripped the mare with her thighs and leaned forward.

"It will be a race to remember, when the maid beats the knight." She made sure he was ready, and then smiled. "Alright, on three! One..Two..Three!" She urged Rosemary on, a laugh of pure excitement leaving her lips. Spirit had the advantage, and she knew it. Still, it felt good to ride with Llewen this way.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

It wasn't perhaps fair to race a courser like Spirit against a palfrey like Rosemary, but Llewen knew that the terrain might cause issues for a horse like Spirit. The roads and trails around Castle Merrick weren't suited for faster, less hardy horses, and he knew it. Still, he'd do what he could to try to win, even if it was Tabitha he was racing against, and he knew his heart would be the softer for doing so.

"Hyaah!" he cried out, spurring Spirit on as Rosemary started the race. Initially, on the straight trail, Llewen was able to pull ahead quite handily, but he knew the trail would soon wind, and he'd be at the disadvantage instead. He felt the wind blowing on his face and could feel Spirit bursting with energy, eager to challenge the wind and the dirt alike.

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha laughed as the wind tossed her curls, bent low over Rosemary's neck. She trusted the palfrey to know the way, only encouraging speed. She could see Llewen ahead, and she urged Rosemary onwards, her hooves digging into the grass as she tried to catch up to Spirit.

She knew there was little chance she'd win, that wasn't wasn't point. She wanted to make Llewen smile, make him happy. She could feel heat on her cheeks as she recalled their kiss. She wanted more of that, but the only way she could is if she spoke the truth. A resolve wormed its way into her belly as they took a curve. "I'm catching up Llewen!"

 

[Llewen Merrick]

He knew he was trying far too hard for this race. Tabitha wasn't one of the other Paladins-in-training he'd done similar trials with back in the capitol; she was his maid. He knew that. But he was racing for... well, he wasn't sure why. He felt something in him say that this race was important, that he had to win it--there was something he needed to prove, that somehow beating Tabitha would make things more right, that it would help somehow with his estate. Maybe it was just his young, and foolish, pride.

Yet he was cursing as they rounded the first bend and he had to seriously slow down Spirit. He knew Tabitha would pull ahead at this juncture as the courser struggled on the loose dirt and winding trail. He'd have to get ahead again at the straightaway, but even now as Tabitha pulled ahead, he felt strangely upset about it...

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha pulled ahead, just by a hair. The pounding of hooves on dirt echoed in her ears. She felt free, free from everything on this moment. Her thoughts only on the path ahead and on Llewen. She had misses him, she didn't even know if he realized how much. To be in this moment with him sent her heart soaring.

The rounded the bend and the oath straightened, this is where he would overtake her. She knew it and yet it did not upset her. She knew it would make him happy to gloat and tease her. She turned her head, hair whipping back as she gave him that impish grin again. She turned back the path, ushering words of praise to Rosemary. They would reach the end before long, and she wondered what would happen when they reached it.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

He was struggling just to keep pace with Tabitha in the twists and turns of the earthen trails before them, and he remarked how good of a rider she was naturally. Then again, that was likely just more evidence she wasn't a maid, something he'd almost forgotten while he was away, training. He steeled his resolve as he saw ahead that there was some clear ground, maybe even the clearing Tabitha had been talking about, and he prepared Spirit to gallop once they hit the straight ground again. As he did so, he felt the wind pick up around him and pulled up to Tabitha's right, shooting her a quick glance as he finally pulled ahead again, then managing to pull ahead two full horse lengths ahead of her until he looked to his right, and...

He stopped cold, Spirit rearing up from the sudden need to do so. Llewen's eyes widened as he looked and saw bodies of men in armor and horses strewn across the open ground, some still clutching their swords in their dead hands. The terrible sight of the scene was littered with blood and gore and all manner of unsavory signs of battle. These were simply men, that much was certain, but this had happened on his lands and his stomach churned with the horror of not knowing how or why this had happened, and while he knew he would have to investigate, he was petrified by the scene, unresponsive for many minutes before coming to his senses again, and forgetting that Tabitha was even there, for a moment...

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha was laughing as they raced, the exuberance of the race making her heart leap. She hoped he was enjoying himself too, otherwise it was for naught. The trail straightened, and she could hear him getting closer. He pulled up alongside her, his eyes meeting hers briefly. She smiled, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

It was a quick glance, but still it made her feel lighter than air. It lasted only a moment, and he was ahead. He had covered exceptional distance, when he stopped so suddenly it threw Spirit into a rear. She slowed Rosemary, worry on her face. She hadn't seen what he had yet. She stopped beside him and followed his gaze. Her face drained of color and she slipped off her mount. "Llewen, wha-" She could only stare for a moment, her stomach feeling sick. "Llewen, I have to see if any of them are alive."

She reached up to squeeze his arm, he was frozen. It was alarming that this had happened so close to home. She was on this trail all the time, she easily could have been one of the dead. She felt bile rise in her throat and she leaned over to spill her breakfast onto the ground. She straightened and wiped her mouth, slowly walking to where the slaughter had happened.

Tabitha began to sift through the bodies, checking for life. It became too apparent that it was a fruitless task. Tears stained her cheeks as she looked to Llewen, she was seeking some sort of comfort from him as a sob wracked her body.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

He wanted to do something, anything about the violence scene in front of him. He wanted to hop off his horse and run to Tabitha when he saw her begin to check bodies for life and began weeping from the grief of it all. Visions flashed through his head of what could have transpired, fixating his mind on terrible thoughts emerging from the slaughter before them. He must have seemed lost, his vacant expression unable to focus on anything in particular before them as he held onto the reins of his unusually patient horse. Spirit had seen battle before. Spirit was trained for it. So was Rosemary. But Llewen had never seen anything of such in his life time, at least not firsthand, and the horror of it all was overwhelming.

After many agonizing moments, he finally dismounted the white courser, his chainmail clinking slightly as his feet hit the ground. He slowly took steps to approach the carnage, noting Tabitha's location but walking straight forward for a moment, accustoming himself to it all at an agonizingly slow pace. Finally, he was at the edge of the area with the bodies, where he stopped and looked around, soaking in the sights once again.

"Who... what could have done this?" he said, still unable to examine the bodies themselves in any coherent fashion. He was just a young boy, having never tasted of combat before. It was far too much for him to bear. He didn't know what to do, either. He felt at once helpless and useless, the lord of the land unable to do anything for those who were traversing his realm.

Tabitha Pamona

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Llewen had not moved, his expression was void. Tabitha was looking to him for comfort or answers, but there was none. She turned back to the carnage, weeping as she stared at the faces of the dead. Crows had begun to circle and she shut her eyes tight, but the image before her was burned into her mind.

Finally, she heard him slide off of Spirit. His steps audible despite the calling of the crows. She opened her eyes as tears still rolled down her cheeks. She turned towards him as he stood at the edge of the massacre. She blinked slowly, and slowly made her way to stand beside him.

She wanted to reach for him, cling to him. She was looking to him for answers and he had none. She turned her head away, resting her forehead against his shoulder. She couldn't look anymore. "We can't leave them like this. This isn't right. We have to find out who did this." Fresh sobs left her lips, her hands red with blood from checking the men. She felt as if she could faint at any moment, but she tried to stay calm, even as her legs buckled.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

He wondered about the violence inherent to his station at this moment. All of the formal training, the days spent with Tabitha, everything else about his estate--it all ended with this. If Llewen couldn't do this, then the rest of this didn't matter. And he didn't have the men, nor the necessary skill to protect his people, or these strangers that had died in his lands. Which meant he also couldn't protect the woman who had just come up to lean on his shoulder and lean against him for support. She spoke, but he wasn't hearing her yet. He couldn't; he was too focused on the bodies that lay before them. They'd wondered for weeks if what was happening was proper; he knew now that what was happening now went far beyond that formality. He let her hang on to him, scanning the ground around him for some kind of sense in the madness.

His eyes wandered to a single banner in the center of it all, tattered and torn but its emblem still clear: a purple banner with the crest of a great white worm, another legendary creature similar to the griffin crest of House Merrick. He did not recognize this banner, nor these men. But they were clearly Mardanian, and that meant he needed to report not only to his own people, but to Princess Helia Glacies Kyxo as well as whoever this crest belonged to.

Still... this was too much. So much senseless death. And why? What could have done this? He looked at the wounds--they were great and terrible, but he couldn't tell if they were from monsters, or men...

But finally, he thought of the little woman clinging to him, and he knew he couldn't linger any more than he already had. He needed to collect himself, and take action.

"Tabitha," he said, looking at her. "Are you alright? I know... I know this is too much... Do you know what could have made those wounds, though? You know more of medicine than I, and... that may be a crucial detail."

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

She couldn't tear her eyes away, the blood and the ruin making her eyes wide with fear. It was so close to home, too close. She was clinging to Llewen for dear life, though it seemed he was a corpse himself. She received nothing from him, the shock too great for both of them to deal with.

Finally he stirred, and she looked up at him. Her eyes and face were red from crying, her hands and arms bloodstained. She took a deep breath and swallow hard as he spoke to her. She stepped away from him and tried to collect herself as best she could.

She walked to the edge of the massacre, her body still trembling with the shock of it all. "I can't say that I'm alright, I'll never get this image from my mind. It will be burned there forever." She studied the corpses, no, the men for a time. "Battles are not something I can pick apart. As best as I can tell, it would have been something much stronger than men. The only thing that comes to mind..." She paused, taking a shuddering breath. "Orcs, and too close to home for comfort."

She stepped back, the horror of it all making her panic. The castle could not withstand an attack on orcs, she didn't want to see the slaughter of her people, not again. "Llewen, we have to do something. I can't lose my home again. I can't lose my new family. I can't watch my castle fall again. I just can't." She didn't care that she was admitting more than she should, her mind was racing to much to think about her words as the panic set in.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

The horror of the scene was starting to affect him as well, perhaps even more deeply, though he wouldn't show it. Maybe it was just because Tabitha was here, or maybe some deep sense of self-preservation was emerging, but he felt... angry. Furious even, perhaps. He didn't know these men. And perhaps Tabitha was right, that they had been killed by orcs. But he was a paladin now, and that meant he would need to protect his lands, and the people inhabiting it.

And Tabitha.

"You're right," Llewen said, steeling himself. "These are my lands, and our home. I will not tolerate such an incursion. I am a Knight of Mardania, and Lord Merrick, and you and the rest of my estate are counting on me for protection from such evils. Lady Tabitha, I will ride back here with Landis, but for now let us get you somewhere safe."

His face was filled with purpose, and his resolve was clear. No, he wouldn't let someone he loved die to orcs again. He could not bear the shame.

"Let us return. Take Rosemary, and follow me closely; I will keep milady safe from all worldly dangers until we reach the safety of the castle."

Tabitha Pamona

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha wanted to cling to Llewen.She wanted to comfort him and be comforted in return. She wanted to flee here, to never look back. Still, she was rooted as Llewen spoke. She could feel the ice cold anger of his words like tiny needles on her skin. This was not how she had wanted this ride to go, they were supposed to be enjoying themselves and each other. Instead, fear invaded their thoughts and actions.

She nodded mutely and headed back to mount Rosemary. She hopped into the saddle easily, and turned her head back down the trail they had just come from. She stuck close to Llewen as he mounted Spirit, just as he said. " When you come back to the castle, after you bring Landis out here.." She paused and collected herself. "There are important things I need to discuss with you that I can't avoid any longer."

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

Despite his newfound resolve, he found the sudden revelation by Tabitha to be a new source of worry. It seemed his concerns were only growing by the hour, and he wondered if Landis would reveal their food stores were depleted when they arrived back at the castle. But he knew he couldn't let that sinking despair eat him alive like it had for so many years he'd spent more or less alone, so like any knight might, he charged headfirst into the problem.

"It will be many moments before we reach the castle, and this need is not so urgent that we cannot discuss it. Discuss you," he added, clicking his tongue to urge Spirit on. "Besides, I cannot help but wonder what issues a maid could bring to my estate that has not already been visited upon it."

As always, he felt relaxed, but at this current moment, also quite perplexed. What was she about to reveal?

Tabitha Pamona

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

The rode along quietly and she sighed as she looked over at Llewen. He had been kind to her, had taken her in and treated her better than most. She had lied, and she knew it might cost her his trust. She toyed with Rosemary's mane and walked her close to Spirit.

"I haven't been completely honest with you. I had wanted to be treated normally, without the weight of station, and I'm certain I am going to lose your trust in me with this revelation." She kept her gaze from Llewen as they continued down the path, it was too hard to look at him. She could feel the heat of tears behind her eyes, and she squeezed them shut to quell them.

"When you found me, I had been displaced from my home. I was a noble's daughter. We had been attacked by a rival and lost everything. My family, they are all dead. It's just me. I'm not some maid, I am of noble bloodline. I'm sorry I lied. I just, I was afraid and didn't want to be treated differently because of it. Not when I knew how your own estate was suffering."

She bowed her head and felt the first drops of tears on her cheeks. The slid down to her chin as she avoided looking at Llewen at all costs. She had no idea how he was going to react, and she was terrified. She bit back the taste of bile and resigned herself to the worst.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

It seemed that Llewen's initial suspicions had been confirmed, then, as Tabitha confessed to what might normally be considered quite the heinous crime: falsifying one's station. Yet it was peculiar, and the young master Merrick found that like most of his problems, they were unique and required agility of the mind to handle. He was already clouded with thoughts of the massacre they had just seen, however, and this complicated what might normally be a thought he could stomach. As always, he was just a boy thrust into the world of feudal politics, face first and into the mud.

He furrowed his brow as he spoke. "Your words as always are kind, Tabitha. Yet my heart is heavy with the burden of judgment. I suppose it might become someone of my station to have you banished, or executed. Yet I remember our first meeting in the snowy streets of Mardal, where you lay nearly bare in rags, supping heat from the blacksmith's forge. What spy would go to such lengths, for an estate as mine? Nay, you must be truthful."

Well, he'd worked that much out, at least. His features relaxed somewhat.

"When you took ill, you rambled in your sleep. At the time, my suspicions grew that you were no mere maid. Given my station, I concealed my worry, that it might shield me should I find your dagger at my back. And still, some strange part of me believed it even then: that you bore no ill will towards my estate and that my worries were fain."

He sighed.

"You must understand however that you have no proof of your birthright, and with your noble house being exterminated as they apparently were, there is no one who could corroborate your story. Without such proof, you may as well be a maid. I do not envy your position, but... Lady Tabitha, I cannot turn you away, especially now. It would seem now, more than ever, you do need House Merrick as your home. But I do not know what I can do for you, and the Princess Helia would be far less kind to a pretender such as yourself with no legitimate claim to your lands."

They passed by more trees, Castle Merrick in sight once again but still a good distance away.

"There is much to discuss indeed if you would reclaim your title. Until then, milady, you are naught but that which I have given you. Forgive me."

Feudal law was particularly unkind to the women who got caught in its midst. Llewen was witnessing this now, firsthand. And unless some small miracle happened, no amount of good intentions could help her. Llewen grit his teeth at the injustice of it, at how she had also been robbed of so much, and just like him, it seemed all she could do was lie in the ashes...

Tabitha Pamona

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha had finally spoken her truth, and yet it did not lift the weight from her chest. Instead, it seemed to increase the weight she carried, her chin sinking lower to her chest as she grieved her betrayal to Llewen. She had found deep in her heart that there were the seeds of love planted for him. He would never look at her the same, she would never feel the press of his lips against hers again. So, she grieved.

He spoke and she nodded in acknowledgment. It was his right to mete out punishment and she would accept anything he deemed appropriate. "I have never bore you any ill will, it was my wish to see you thrive. To see your estate thrive. I am not of evil design, I couldn't hurt you like that if I wanted to." Her eyes opened in shock as he relayed that she had indeed spoken things in her ill state, and yet he had not questioned her then. Why? If he had pushed, she would have crumbled ages ago.

"I would not ask for more than you had already given me. I am happy to continue serving you if that is your desire. Still, I do understand if you must be rid of me. I could not be upset, or fault you for it. If I even knew how to reclaim what is mine, I would have done so. I have nothing left, and I'm just a girl in a man's world. Telling you was enough, and needed to be said."

Tabitha sighed and urged Rosemary into a brisker pace, passing Llewen. She felt the urge to run, to bury her face and cry. She felt the last dredges of hope leave her. "I am deeply sorry for deceiving you , you didn't deserve it." She pushed Rosemary into her bouncing gallop, forgetting the danger they had just come from, her emotions getting the best of her as she made for the castle.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

As Tabitha finished her speech and spurred Rosemary on, Llewen clicked his tongue and stopped Spirit, simply watching her ride into the distance.

Damn. He pounded his fist on Spirit's neck.

He wasn't sure if he'd done something wrong or not, broken some sort of taboo of the nobility that he didn't know about, or if some part of what he'd said had broken her seemingly fragile heart. Yet it pained him to see her flee in such a way; the mere act of it made him remember all those years of loneliness surrounded only by the small farming families, so many nights spent alone in the castle. He knew he was right, though: there was nothing he could do for her now, except give her a place to stay and work. A righteous anger burned in his chest for justice against whoever committed the atrocities against her, like the one that had been growing for the orcs that had killed his own family.

Llewen shook his head, acquiescing that he couldn't simply sit here forever and think about things. For the moment, he supposed Tabitha would need time to handle things, and so, Llewen resolved to handle what he could currently deal with: the vicious attack on travelers through his lands, whose symbols he could not identify, nor could he tell who perpetrated such an attack. His confusion consumed his thoughts right up until he could see the castle gate, and a man on a horse there he did not recognize, who bore a small flag of his own: a green tatzelwurm set against a purple background.

Llewen's eyes narrowed as he approached the man, who on closer inspection was wearing chainmail of his own, and bore a scroll. What was this about?

Tabitha Pamona

 

[Tabitha Pamona]

Tabitha made haste to the castle, keeping her eyes forward. It was hard, she wanted to look back, wanted to see his face. Tears still fell freely as she reached the gates. Another rider was there, and she slowed Rosemary as she approached. Michael was already waiting at the gate, and she nodded to the other rider before sliding off and handing her off to the boy.

Tabitha slid past and into the courtyard, Michael still waiting on Llewen to assist. He had seen her face, and as Llewen approached he would give him a look of anger. It was true that while Llewen was away, Tabitha had won the hearts of many that resided in Llewen's domain.

Tabitha bolted for the castle and ran through the large doors and into the hall. She paused, concern for what the rider meant making her pause for a moment. Still, it wasn't her business. She made he way to the kitchens, wine was there and she hoped it would steady her.

Llewen Merrick

 

[Llewen Merrick]

The sound of Spirit's hoofbeats grew heavy in Llewen's ears, then were drowned out by the thumping of his own heart as he closed the distance between himself and this stranger. Before he could speak, the man spoke first, his nasally voice harsh on Llewen's ears as he seemed to make a proclamation of sorts.

"Hail fair chevalier. I am the emissary of House Galentor. You must be one of Lord Merrick's knights. I come bearing a message for Lord Merrick, if he would be so kind as to grace me with his presence."

Llewen responded in kind, slightly annoyed that this messenger hadn't identified him immediately as the lord of these lands. He really needed new armor. And a goddamn horse of his own.

"You speak with Lord Merrick now," Llewen said. "With what business does House Galentor treat House Merrick this day?"

The messenger cleared his throat, which only served to arouse Llewen's suspicions. "On behalf of Godric Galentor, I am instructed to bring to your attention that milord's men were traversing your lands to reach the capitol, only to have been slain by your men, and that this act of considerable cruelty and malice has not gone unnoticed by Lord Galentor."

Slain by... my men? Oh, gods...

"However, Lord Galentor is not one given to a short temper, and since the attack 3 days ago, he has devised a treaty most generous for your Lordship: a monthly tribute of 50 gold to House Galentor, until such time that House Galentor is satisfied with House Merrick's reparations. I come bearing an official document with the terms of the tribute, ready for your lordship to sign and return today, if it pleases you."

Llewen's eyes widened in disbelief. Such a thing was almost unthinkable, and even now he was stunned at the magnitude of the machinations that were unfolding before his very eyes. 50 gold per month was most of their profits, and while they could pay, it would almost certainly mean that they could not repay Princess Helia on time. His blood was beginning to boil beneath his skin, but Llewen tried to maintain a diplomatic demeanor towards the emissary.

"I had no idea that such a slaughter had taken place within my realm, nor that my men were behind it. I... will ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. I understand that this has doubtless caused Lord Galentor much distress and great expense at the loss of his men and equipment, and as such, I sympathize with his terms..." Llewen shook his head. "While I would be glad to receive House Galentor's generous offer, I must first conduct my own investigation into my men and the state of the attack so as to ascertain those truly responsible, that I might hold them accountable for these regrettable circumstances... Would House Galentor provision a week for this process, I can assure that the terms will be signed without incident."

Llewen's quickness on his feet would likely have made his mother very proud. The emissary stroked his bearded chin, seemingly seriously contemplating Llewen's request. After what seemed an eternity of waiting, the emissary responded.

"While House Galentor's terms have already been most generous, Lord Merrick's assurance of acceptance seems most reasonable to House Galentor, and I will patiently await your decision within the hospitable space of your guest quarters--"

"No," Llewen said sharply, cutting the man off. "While House Galentor indeed has claim to reparations, you will respect my sovereignty within my own realm, and while I was not necessarily opposed to housing House Galentor's emissary before, your assertion without my consultation to take refuge in my own Castle brings me great offense, and you would do well to remember that I am the Lord of this realm, tribute or not. I already agreed to your terms, and only asked for time, which given the circumstances is more than fair for such heavy reparations. Truthfully, I must also get my accounts in order to ensure that House Galentor receives their appropriate payment. But I will not house an impudent messenger. You will return with the terms by this day in a week, where we will then sign the deal. I am absolute in this."

The man visibly snarled at Llewen's retort and frankly decisive reversal of the situation, but he and Llewen both knew that assuming Lord Merrick's hospitality as such was a grave error of feudal conduct, and even given the circumstances he could not press further, as the man grew red in the face. After a few moments of huffing, he finally replied to the young Lord, who by now was wearing quite a fearsome and stern expression.

"Very well, Lord Merrick," the messenger said. "House Galentor will return in one week at the appointed time to seek a signature finalizing the terms of the contract. Should Lord Merrick not be present for such signing, or refuse at that appointment, I must warn him that the consequences will be most dire. Good day to you."

The man turned his horse and clicked his tongue, sealing the contract into a scroll case as he trotted off into the distance. Llewen watched and waited for him to be out of earshot before finally dismounting Spirit, at which point he walked over to a nearby bucket.

Dammit, he thought. Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT!

He kicked the bucket at least 10 yards away, punctuated by a loud clanging.

"DAMMIT!" He cried out, clutching his head as tears welled up in his eyes. He paced back and forth as he felt his heart might burst from the sudden stress, not caring who or what saw him in this state now.

What the hell am I going to do about this? Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Tabitha Pamona