Post by Ashley on Dec 1, 2011 23:36:14 GMT -5
A week had past since he and Sebastian had left with Sebastian's Uncle to lend their strength to Bardac's Holdfast and the Lady Asilith's Ashenmore. The other knightly orders had stayed encamped around the city that lay at the heart of the kingdom and the seat of their king's power. Eddrick had returned late the previous night under the cover of night an urgent report in hand for the king. Only he and a small handful of knights had been sent back with the missive, where the others had gone was anyone's guess but those close to the King.
The day's court had gone on without so much as a mention of what the letter had contained, the king seemed content to keep his own counsel despite the fact that the five returning Knights of the Thorn look agitated as they watched the proceedings. Eddrick had noted that the king had chosen not to inform Clare, who was curiously absent, she usually attended all the court sessions, taking the seat at her father's right hand. When the court was concluded Eddrick didn't linger, instead he headed into a quiet solar off the Grand Hall, trusting that Clare would follow him in.
He had assume appropriately as she made her way directly there without so much as stopping to greet the lords who would try to win her favor or strike some bargain. A royal guard followed in the wake of her skirts stopping at the heavy wooden door lined with Iron. When she crossed the threshold she paused to turn and close the door with a heavy thunk and creak of ancient wood.
Eddrick turned from the window carved into the thick stone wall, white gauzy drapery hung from the fastenings above the window and they stirred listlessly in the push of the breeze. Light shone through the curtains transparent material, illuminating the gray and drab walls with a bath of golden light from the dying rays of their afternoon sun.
"We caught sight of sails off the coast of Ashenmore, Clare" He said, dropping formality, they didn't need it behind the closed doors of the solar. yet she didn't come to him just then, her duty came before her lover, as he knew it always would. The news he had was grave, bu the couldn't help but offer a wan smile, she was still a sight to behold in his older-than-his-years eyes. "But they weren't making for land fall, they were heading North. They aren't going to land anywhere near where we suspected they would." Eddrick explained and then cursed, turning back to the window hiding his anger and frustration from her.
"My lord Duke believes they'll land in the highlands, try to win over the clansmen to their cause, waste of time. The clans can't even decide who should be king even if they could have one. They'd sooner destroy one another than unite under one banner, but... Even so... It's a threat the Duke seems to think we should take seriously."
Eddrick leaned against the sill, his brown eyes regarding her.
"Your father did not inform you" Eddrick more stated than asked, "Why?"
Since Sebastian and Eddrick left to head towards Lady Aisilith’s Ashenmore, she had been quiet. Something had shifted after the Duke’s departure and Clare wasn’t quite sure what it was. Her father had been quiet, more reserved around her than he usually was. He’d kept to himself, not including her in on strategy meetings. She’d confronted him, the night before Eddrick returned with the other knights, news of Cauldwyn’s army with them. She’d made sure they were alone when she asked. She’d never been one to stay silent, especially when she knew something was wrong.
“What are you doing, Father?”
He’d looked up from a missive he was reading, the barest look of confusion on his features before he fully registered her displeasure. He’d sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.
“I want you as far away from Cauldwyn,” he’d admitted. She knew he was going to hedge, to make something up, but she’d only crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at him. He’d sighed and told her the truth. She would have gotten it out of him eventually and he’d been too tired and too preoccupied to draw out the argument.
The answer had stunned her into silence and she only stared at him for a minute. She opened her mouth to argue, but he’d raised a hand, silencing her. “I don’t trust him, Clare. Not with you on that field. And I will not lose you to his hands.” She’d wanted to argue, but just as he had known she would be stubborn, she knew he would not continue the argument – or if he did, she would not get him to budge. She’d turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
Even when the news came of the returning knights, she’d stayed away. She’d locked herself in her room, resolving to stay there even if Eddrick came. But he hadn’t, and she’d known that. The news they brought must have been important. She’d hardly slept the night before.
When the Council met, she was agitated, but didn’t make a scene. There was no use for it, really. What could she say? They would draw their own implications, but she never minded the rumors before. Only, this time she was waiting for Eddrick when he came from the room. She knew he would tell her. Even if her father now wouldn’t.
When he entered the solar, she turned towards the guard. She gave him the briefest of nods before shutting the door. There was no lock, but she knew he would not let anyone enter without permission from within.
As hard as it was, Clare stayed on the opposite side of the room as she watched him. When he turned, she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, glad to see him back safely, even if it was for only a short time.
She bit down on her bottom lip as he told her the news. It was not what she expected. She was sure it’s not what any of them expected. What was Cauldwyn planning?
When he asked why she wasn’t in the meeting, she drew her gaze back to him. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, resigned to the truth. For the time being.
“He doesn’t want me to be on the field when we meet Cauldwyn.” She said it plainly, though a fresh anger rose up inside her. She was furious all over at her father for this. If anyone could try to reason with Cauldwyn, it would be her. But her father was being stubborn.
“Where do you think he’s heading?”
"Your guess is as good as mine. Duke Thorn seems to think he'll land in the Highlands, he could sail all the way around and try to take Port Vycus... But we know he has friends in the highlands, some of them powerful in their own right. I don't know, Clare" He admitted with a heavy sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's not the only thing"
his brow furrowed as he searched for the words, most of what he had heard was mdere rumor, but the frequency and consistency of it was what startled him. Rumors were common, and every story he had heard varied, but one point they all agreed upon: the dead rose from their graves at night and talked the burial grounds. Dire magic, black magic, old and powerful, evil to most.
"Out on patrol, we heard some rumors, disturbing ones. The smallfolk whisper of the dead rising in the north, Tel'Rios, Duke Crowley's duchy." Eddrick was far from being a superstitious man and he'd never been much for religion, it was unlike him to repeat the ramblings of the common people. "But Lord Crowley is here in the capital and he has said nothing of this to the king. But they are dark tidings, and the way some of the men spoke of them..." Eddrick shook his head.
"Far too vivid descriptions for even the tales of a bard. I want to believe them simple superstitions, Duke Thorn took them as much and considered it unworthy of adding to the letter to your father. With the kingdom the way it is, with these new dark tidings, I think it would be safest to look for ourselves."
But King's did not ask nor act upon the advice of second born sons of minor nobility. Perhaps if he rose beyond the rank of knight, earned his own lands and titles, but those were pipe dreams and a long career awaited at his feet. Eddrick, however, was not an ambitious man, he was one of the few who did believe in king, honour, and duty, a man similar in many ways to her former man-at-arms and tutor in warfare, Cauldwyn. He lacked the same stolid hardness as the General, when he smiled, there was still an aspect of the boy he had once been.. Cauldwyn... Cauldwyn was a man of few smiles and shared them with even fewer. Where he was grave, Eddrick was amiable and easy to laugh, he didn't carry the burden of the long life and loss that the other had known. With luck, he never would.
"I think you should bring it up with the king, my lady. perhaps it best if you keep Crowley out of the picture for now. If there is trouble in Tel'Rios the Duke should already know.. And if he's keeping it quiet... There must be a reason."
There was something about Lord Crowley that Clare had always found unsettling. She could never quite place her finger on it, but it was there, lingering like a bad taste in the back of her mouth. He’d always been a fixture in her Father’s company since she was a little girl. But there was always something slightly off about him. Clare could never quite word it correctly, so she always kept her mouth quiet on the matters dealing with Crowley. But now, her brow furrowed and she turned, moving towards the open window, close to where Eddrick stood. She placed her hands flat against the pane and stared out into the dying light of day. Her brow was furrowed as she thought. She’d heard stories, dark tales that her nurses would spin to keep her in line, about dark, evil deeds. She’d never given them much credence before. But if even Eddrick was telling her now? She shook her head slowly.
“I should be out there,” she murmured. She felt it in her bones. Her hands turned into fists and she knocked against the stone a few times before she shook her head again, frustrated.
“This isn’t right, Eddrick. There’s something missing. ” She turned to him, her mind spinning with trying to tie the strings together and straighten them out. She was not one to disobey her father – at least, openly. She knew that he would be upset with her if he found out about her relationship with Eddrick. But this wasn’t just about him. This was about Elendrael. She stared at him for a long moment.
“I’ll talk to him. I don’t know if he’ll listen to me. He seems convinced that it’s best if I stay far away from this mess as possible.” She turned her gaze from him, not saying what she was thinking. That if it went too far, there was going to be no staying out of it. No matter where she was.
"You should be" He agreed, his hand taking her forearm in a comforting gesture, his features softened some as her frustration grew. He knew it was hard for her, having ruled for so many years while her father lay comatose in magical suspension. And now being expected to take a back seat to her father's harder rule? Eddrick knew the people missed the tender touch of their 'queen', but the throne was still rightfully her father's.
"The people need to see you out there, you are a symbol to them. Right now it looks as though the nobility are ignoring their pleas. As much as we think them simple they know... They know is war is coming, as easily as they can smell a storm on the horizon. When word reaches of Cauldwyn's landing the city will be overflowing with people seeking refuge. The kingdom can't afford Crowley exercising his own ambitions while we try to fight Cauldwyn. We outnumber him now... But he is not without his sympathizers, there's even talk of it here in the capital. We need to go North we need to see what's going on in Tel'Rios and send troops into the Highlands, ensure their loyalty until we can put down this rebellion." Eddrick's hand slid down to grasp hers, it was a small gesture, and he wanted to make one larger, but circumstance just didn't permit it.
"you must convince him to let you ride to Tel'Rios, as far as Garanore, with a small force... No more than a hundred or so." Eddrick quickly leaned in to steal a brief kiss that did nothing to curb his need. He looked at her with a mixture of longing and sadness, but spoke all the same: "I will ride with you from here and back again, my sword as much yours as is my heart and loyalty."
"But you must speak with him soon, I have a bad feeling about this. The sooner we ride the better."
When he touched her, her entire body responded. It had always been that way. But now she needed it. He calmed her when she was frustrated, and even though his touch didn’t take away all of that frustration, it certainly helped calm it. She looked to him. Her lips pressed together before she nodded. She was quiet while he spoke, the urgency of the situation apparent in his voice. It reminded her of one of the many reasons that she had found herself so drawn to him. He understood. More than perhaps anyone else in the Kingdom did. And she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and just breathe him in. But she knew it wouldn’t matter. They didn’t have time. So when his hand slid to hers, she curled her fingers against it and squeezed, just once, but she wasn’t quick to let his hand release.
She looked away from him for a moment, staring through the window, without really seeing anything. When she looked back, he was watching her. She opened her mouth to say something, but his lips were on hers and she was speechless. It was too quick. She wanted to pull him closer to her, to press her lips against his, but the plans were already forming. She knew they would have to leave within the next few hours, especially with the cover of night around them.
“Even if he denies it, I will go.” She knew she had no choice. Not if they were to defeat Cauldwyn. And slowly, the realization was becoming more and more apparent that she would have to face him. And it would not be pleasant. She had once thought negotiation, reason, would work. With all the news coming down, she knew it was not going to be that simple.
“Find Samson. If my Father is going to turn a blind eye to this, he’ll be able to find enough men to go with us. We need to leave tonight.” Her veins hummed with adrenaline. It was the same feeling she got when she knew something was about to happen. It made her push forward. She would convince her Father. Or disobey him. But she would not let him ignore this.
“Eddrick,” she grasped his arm before he turned to go. When he looked at her, she put both of her hands on his face and pressed her lips against his. The kiss lingered. It wasn’t long enough, but it was enough for the moment. “Thank you.” She murmured the last words against his lips and he simply nodded. Then, he was opening the door and pulling it open, disappearing to get things ready. She took a moment, breathed, and went to find her Father.
The day's court had gone on without so much as a mention of what the letter had contained, the king seemed content to keep his own counsel despite the fact that the five returning Knights of the Thorn look agitated as they watched the proceedings. Eddrick had noted that the king had chosen not to inform Clare, who was curiously absent, she usually attended all the court sessions, taking the seat at her father's right hand. When the court was concluded Eddrick didn't linger, instead he headed into a quiet solar off the Grand Hall, trusting that Clare would follow him in.
He had assume appropriately as she made her way directly there without so much as stopping to greet the lords who would try to win her favor or strike some bargain. A royal guard followed in the wake of her skirts stopping at the heavy wooden door lined with Iron. When she crossed the threshold she paused to turn and close the door with a heavy thunk and creak of ancient wood.
Eddrick turned from the window carved into the thick stone wall, white gauzy drapery hung from the fastenings above the window and they stirred listlessly in the push of the breeze. Light shone through the curtains transparent material, illuminating the gray and drab walls with a bath of golden light from the dying rays of their afternoon sun.
"We caught sight of sails off the coast of Ashenmore, Clare" He said, dropping formality, they didn't need it behind the closed doors of the solar. yet she didn't come to him just then, her duty came before her lover, as he knew it always would. The news he had was grave, bu the couldn't help but offer a wan smile, she was still a sight to behold in his older-than-his-years eyes. "But they weren't making for land fall, they were heading North. They aren't going to land anywhere near where we suspected they would." Eddrick explained and then cursed, turning back to the window hiding his anger and frustration from her.
"My lord Duke believes they'll land in the highlands, try to win over the clansmen to their cause, waste of time. The clans can't even decide who should be king even if they could have one. They'd sooner destroy one another than unite under one banner, but... Even so... It's a threat the Duke seems to think we should take seriously."
Eddrick leaned against the sill, his brown eyes regarding her.
"Your father did not inform you" Eddrick more stated than asked, "Why?"
Since Sebastian and Eddrick left to head towards Lady Aisilith’s Ashenmore, she had been quiet. Something had shifted after the Duke’s departure and Clare wasn’t quite sure what it was. Her father had been quiet, more reserved around her than he usually was. He’d kept to himself, not including her in on strategy meetings. She’d confronted him, the night before Eddrick returned with the other knights, news of Cauldwyn’s army with them. She’d made sure they were alone when she asked. She’d never been one to stay silent, especially when she knew something was wrong.
“What are you doing, Father?”
He’d looked up from a missive he was reading, the barest look of confusion on his features before he fully registered her displeasure. He’d sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.
“I want you as far away from Cauldwyn,” he’d admitted. She knew he was going to hedge, to make something up, but she’d only crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at him. He’d sighed and told her the truth. She would have gotten it out of him eventually and he’d been too tired and too preoccupied to draw out the argument.
The answer had stunned her into silence and she only stared at him for a minute. She opened her mouth to argue, but he’d raised a hand, silencing her. “I don’t trust him, Clare. Not with you on that field. And I will not lose you to his hands.” She’d wanted to argue, but just as he had known she would be stubborn, she knew he would not continue the argument – or if he did, she would not get him to budge. She’d turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
Even when the news came of the returning knights, she’d stayed away. She’d locked herself in her room, resolving to stay there even if Eddrick came. But he hadn’t, and she’d known that. The news they brought must have been important. She’d hardly slept the night before.
When the Council met, she was agitated, but didn’t make a scene. There was no use for it, really. What could she say? They would draw their own implications, but she never minded the rumors before. Only, this time she was waiting for Eddrick when he came from the room. She knew he would tell her. Even if her father now wouldn’t.
When he entered the solar, she turned towards the guard. She gave him the briefest of nods before shutting the door. There was no lock, but she knew he would not let anyone enter without permission from within.
As hard as it was, Clare stayed on the opposite side of the room as she watched him. When he turned, she wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, glad to see him back safely, even if it was for only a short time.
She bit down on her bottom lip as he told her the news. It was not what she expected. She was sure it’s not what any of them expected. What was Cauldwyn planning?
When he asked why she wasn’t in the meeting, she drew her gaze back to him. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, resigned to the truth. For the time being.
“He doesn’t want me to be on the field when we meet Cauldwyn.” She said it plainly, though a fresh anger rose up inside her. She was furious all over at her father for this. If anyone could try to reason with Cauldwyn, it would be her. But her father was being stubborn.
“Where do you think he’s heading?”
"Your guess is as good as mine. Duke Thorn seems to think he'll land in the Highlands, he could sail all the way around and try to take Port Vycus... But we know he has friends in the highlands, some of them powerful in their own right. I don't know, Clare" He admitted with a heavy sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's not the only thing"
his brow furrowed as he searched for the words, most of what he had heard was mdere rumor, but the frequency and consistency of it was what startled him. Rumors were common, and every story he had heard varied, but one point they all agreed upon: the dead rose from their graves at night and talked the burial grounds. Dire magic, black magic, old and powerful, evil to most.
"Out on patrol, we heard some rumors, disturbing ones. The smallfolk whisper of the dead rising in the north, Tel'Rios, Duke Crowley's duchy." Eddrick was far from being a superstitious man and he'd never been much for religion, it was unlike him to repeat the ramblings of the common people. "But Lord Crowley is here in the capital and he has said nothing of this to the king. But they are dark tidings, and the way some of the men spoke of them..." Eddrick shook his head.
"Far too vivid descriptions for even the tales of a bard. I want to believe them simple superstitions, Duke Thorn took them as much and considered it unworthy of adding to the letter to your father. With the kingdom the way it is, with these new dark tidings, I think it would be safest to look for ourselves."
But King's did not ask nor act upon the advice of second born sons of minor nobility. Perhaps if he rose beyond the rank of knight, earned his own lands and titles, but those were pipe dreams and a long career awaited at his feet. Eddrick, however, was not an ambitious man, he was one of the few who did believe in king, honour, and duty, a man similar in many ways to her former man-at-arms and tutor in warfare, Cauldwyn. He lacked the same stolid hardness as the General, when he smiled, there was still an aspect of the boy he had once been.. Cauldwyn... Cauldwyn was a man of few smiles and shared them with even fewer. Where he was grave, Eddrick was amiable and easy to laugh, he didn't carry the burden of the long life and loss that the other had known. With luck, he never would.
"I think you should bring it up with the king, my lady. perhaps it best if you keep Crowley out of the picture for now. If there is trouble in Tel'Rios the Duke should already know.. And if he's keeping it quiet... There must be a reason."
There was something about Lord Crowley that Clare had always found unsettling. She could never quite place her finger on it, but it was there, lingering like a bad taste in the back of her mouth. He’d always been a fixture in her Father’s company since she was a little girl. But there was always something slightly off about him. Clare could never quite word it correctly, so she always kept her mouth quiet on the matters dealing with Crowley. But now, her brow furrowed and she turned, moving towards the open window, close to where Eddrick stood. She placed her hands flat against the pane and stared out into the dying light of day. Her brow was furrowed as she thought. She’d heard stories, dark tales that her nurses would spin to keep her in line, about dark, evil deeds. She’d never given them much credence before. But if even Eddrick was telling her now? She shook her head slowly.
“I should be out there,” she murmured. She felt it in her bones. Her hands turned into fists and she knocked against the stone a few times before she shook her head again, frustrated.
“This isn’t right, Eddrick. There’s something missing. ” She turned to him, her mind spinning with trying to tie the strings together and straighten them out. She was not one to disobey her father – at least, openly. She knew that he would be upset with her if he found out about her relationship with Eddrick. But this wasn’t just about him. This was about Elendrael. She stared at him for a long moment.
“I’ll talk to him. I don’t know if he’ll listen to me. He seems convinced that it’s best if I stay far away from this mess as possible.” She turned her gaze from him, not saying what she was thinking. That if it went too far, there was going to be no staying out of it. No matter where she was.
"You should be" He agreed, his hand taking her forearm in a comforting gesture, his features softened some as her frustration grew. He knew it was hard for her, having ruled for so many years while her father lay comatose in magical suspension. And now being expected to take a back seat to her father's harder rule? Eddrick knew the people missed the tender touch of their 'queen', but the throne was still rightfully her father's.
"The people need to see you out there, you are a symbol to them. Right now it looks as though the nobility are ignoring their pleas. As much as we think them simple they know... They know is war is coming, as easily as they can smell a storm on the horizon. When word reaches of Cauldwyn's landing the city will be overflowing with people seeking refuge. The kingdom can't afford Crowley exercising his own ambitions while we try to fight Cauldwyn. We outnumber him now... But he is not without his sympathizers, there's even talk of it here in the capital. We need to go North we need to see what's going on in Tel'Rios and send troops into the Highlands, ensure their loyalty until we can put down this rebellion." Eddrick's hand slid down to grasp hers, it was a small gesture, and he wanted to make one larger, but circumstance just didn't permit it.
"you must convince him to let you ride to Tel'Rios, as far as Garanore, with a small force... No more than a hundred or so." Eddrick quickly leaned in to steal a brief kiss that did nothing to curb his need. He looked at her with a mixture of longing and sadness, but spoke all the same: "I will ride with you from here and back again, my sword as much yours as is my heart and loyalty."
"But you must speak with him soon, I have a bad feeling about this. The sooner we ride the better."
When he touched her, her entire body responded. It had always been that way. But now she needed it. He calmed her when she was frustrated, and even though his touch didn’t take away all of that frustration, it certainly helped calm it. She looked to him. Her lips pressed together before she nodded. She was quiet while he spoke, the urgency of the situation apparent in his voice. It reminded her of one of the many reasons that she had found herself so drawn to him. He understood. More than perhaps anyone else in the Kingdom did. And she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and just breathe him in. But she knew it wouldn’t matter. They didn’t have time. So when his hand slid to hers, she curled her fingers against it and squeezed, just once, but she wasn’t quick to let his hand release.
She looked away from him for a moment, staring through the window, without really seeing anything. When she looked back, he was watching her. She opened her mouth to say something, but his lips were on hers and she was speechless. It was too quick. She wanted to pull him closer to her, to press her lips against his, but the plans were already forming. She knew they would have to leave within the next few hours, especially with the cover of night around them.
“Even if he denies it, I will go.” She knew she had no choice. Not if they were to defeat Cauldwyn. And slowly, the realization was becoming more and more apparent that she would have to face him. And it would not be pleasant. She had once thought negotiation, reason, would work. With all the news coming down, she knew it was not going to be that simple.
“Find Samson. If my Father is going to turn a blind eye to this, he’ll be able to find enough men to go with us. We need to leave tonight.” Her veins hummed with adrenaline. It was the same feeling she got when she knew something was about to happen. It made her push forward. She would convince her Father. Or disobey him. But she would not let him ignore this.
“Eddrick,” she grasped his arm before he turned to go. When he looked at her, she put both of her hands on his face and pressed her lips against his. The kiss lingered. It wasn’t long enough, but it was enough for the moment. “Thank you.” She murmured the last words against his lips and he simply nodded. Then, he was opening the door and pulling it open, disappearing to get things ready. She took a moment, breathed, and went to find her Father.