****
Tessriel stood in the doorway looking one last time over the room she had spent the last 11 years. Once filled with knick-knack’s and memoralbia, it was now nearly empty. A single bed lay against one wall with a nightstand topped with a silver lantern beside it. A pair of wooden chairs flanked a small table where she and William would play chess(?). Where once the room was filled with noise and laughter, it now seemed empty and quiet. Forlorn.
William walked up to stand beside her, carrying his youngest daughter. Hearing his footsteps, Tessriel turned to face him, reaching out to take the 3 month old baby.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes and at the same time, no.” she replied as she cradled the little girl, looking back at the room.
William placed a hand companionably on her shoulder. “You deserve this, you know. You spent over 10 years chasing me around, keeping me out of trouble. It’s time you did something for yourself.”
“I know.” Tessriel said as she buried her face in the newborns fuzzy hair. Her voice faltered and William could see the beginnings of tears glistening in her eyes.
“Hey, are you okay?” Concern filled William’s voice.
Tessriel took a deep breath. “It’s funny. It seems as if I’ve only spent a blink of an eye’s worth of time in your House but I’ve watched you grow up from a little boy to the young man that you are now.” She nuzzled the little girl again. “Married, and with a child of your own. I can’t help but wonder if I am doing the right thing?”
“Leaving?”
“Yes. My family has always served the Brevoy nobles. When House Rogarvia disappeared, my father sent me here while he sought out the Rogarvian’s. My role was to serve you and now that you are grown, or at least grown in the eyes of the nobility, shouldn’t I be here to serve Alistria?”
“Oh, Ria. Your sense of dedication is amazing. But Alistria won’t need you for a few years yet. You took charge of me when I was 12(?) and look how I turned out. I think we can manage to raise her for 2-3 years without you.”
“A part of me knows that but at the same time I am hesitant.”
“Hey,” he turned her to face him. “Do you remember the flood?”
She cracked a smile. “Of course, you were utterly terrified of being swept away.”
“And you kept me calm, while at the same time protecting us from the rabble who sought to take our lives in the confusion. You didn’t hesitate then; you knew exactly what the right thing to do was.”
William reached out to take the sleeping baby; with his other hand, he picked up the backpack that lay on the bed. Handing it to Tessriel, she shouldered it. He then reached over, picked up her cane and handed it to her.
Taking it, Tessriel looked at her reflection in the blue orb that topped the black cane. She smiled. “I guess we are both ready.”
William walked up to stand beside her, carrying his youngest daughter. Hearing his footsteps, Tessriel turned to face him, reaching out to take the 3 month old baby.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes and at the same time, no.” she replied as she cradled the little girl, looking back at the room.
William placed a hand companionably on her shoulder. “You deserve this, you know. You spent over 10 years chasing me around, keeping me out of trouble. It’s time you did something for yourself.”
“I know.” Tessriel said as she buried her face in the newborns fuzzy hair. Her voice faltered and William could see the beginnings of tears glistening in her eyes.
“Hey, are you okay?” Concern filled William’s voice.
Tessriel took a deep breath. “It’s funny. It seems as if I’ve only spent a blink of an eye’s worth of time in your House but I’ve watched you grow up from a little boy to the young man that you are now.” She nuzzled the little girl again. “Married, and with a child of your own. I can’t help but wonder if I am doing the right thing?”
“Leaving?”
“Yes. My family has always served the Brevoy nobles. When House Rogarvia disappeared, my father sent me here while he sought out the Rogarvian’s. My role was to serve you and now that you are grown, or at least grown in the eyes of the nobility, shouldn’t I be here to serve Alistria?”
“Oh, Ria. Your sense of dedication is amazing. But Alistria won’t need you for a few years yet. You took charge of me when I was 12(?) and look how I turned out. I think we can manage to raise her for 2-3 years without you.”
“A part of me knows that but at the same time I am hesitant.”
“Hey,” he turned her to face him. “Do you remember the flood?”
She cracked a smile. “Of course, you were utterly terrified of being swept away.”
“And you kept me calm, while at the same time protecting us from the rabble who sought to take our lives in the confusion. You didn’t hesitate then; you knew exactly what the right thing to do was.”
William reached out to take the sleeping baby; with his other hand, he picked up the backpack that lay on the bed. Handing it to Tessriel, she shouldered it. He then reached over, picked up her cane and handed it to her.
Taking it, Tessriel looked at her reflection in the blue orb that topped the black cane. She smiled. “I guess we are both ready.”
***
Thoughts?
In an uplifting note, while I missed Allen's Big Event on Saturday, I got to catch up with an old friend from HS who is also a published author on Friday. Cathy Wiley... check out her webpage here! We both were huge Trixie Belden Mystery fans back in HS and she's published her first mystery novel. Now I just have to figure out how she did it!
Right so back to work!
~T
Summer's going fast, nights growing colder
Children growing up -- old friends growing older
Experience slips away... ~Rush, Time Stands Still
Children growing up -- old friends growing older
Experience slips away... ~Rush, Time Stands Still
No comments:
Post a Comment