In Which Nora Scales Mount Olympus

December 20, 1156

Falidor must have been sent out on a favor, seeing as no one had been there to see Nora in. It was just as well, though; he probably would have sent her home anyway. As far as he knew, she had no business being there.

Oh, but she did.

He'd be angry if he knew she was here, especially if he knew why, but Nora knew that Falidor didn't have the guts to ask Lord Severin himself. It had to be done, however; things couldn't continue like this. She knew he was miserable in that house, despite his efforts to put on a brave face, and quite frankly, she didn't want to risk a run-in with his father-in-law every time she visited.

She could only hope that Lord Severin was as good a man as everyone said he was.

Behind her, the study door swung open; Nora jumped slightly, turning her head to catch a glimpse of a man out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, wouldn't you know it?" he joked in a light, teasing manner. "When I was a lonely bachelor, I never had any unannounced visitors of the feminine persuasion whatsoever, but now that I'm a happily married man, I'm finding young, beautiful women everywhere. How's that for irony?"

"Are you Lord Severin?" Nora inquired of him. If he was, then he was exactly as she had imagined him; tall, clever, friendly, and very handsome.

He bent down and placed the little girl he'd been holding on the floor. "Perhaps. That all depends on why you're looking for him."

Nora nodded. "I need your help."

"In that case, then yes, I am he--and please, none of this 'my lord' nonsense. Might I ask your name, Miss...?"

"Leonora Wythleit," she introduced herself, "but you can call me Nora. I'm Falidor's sister."

Lord Severin smiled knowingly; he had lovely white teeth. "A pleasure to meet you, Nora. Your brother speaks of you often--although I must say, he failed to mention just how pretty you are."

"He didn't say anything about how handsome you are either," Nora laughed as he sat down beside her on the couch, "but he did say that your wife is very beautiful."

"Well, that fact cannot be argued against," he agreed. "Anyway, what can I help you with? Is this about your mother?"

Nora shook her head. "Mother is the same as always, thank you for asking. I'm here about Falidor."

"What about Falidor?" inquired Lord Severin, his brown eyes meeting her own blue ones. Oh, how a girl could lose herself in those eyes! Surely Lady Alina liked nothing better than to share longing gazes with her husband across the crowded castle dining halls--or across a durable mattress.

"Well, you know he got married recently, right?" she began.

He laughed. "I think everyone in Naroni has heard that story by now. Continue."

"All right. I want you to give him a house."

Lord Severin raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"For him and his wife, I mean," Nora continued. "They're living with her family now, and he's completely miserable there. Ailede is a piece of work herself, and every single one of her family members is either just as bad or even worse. They basically treat him like some sort of slave."

"That would certainly explain why he's been asking for longer hours recently," Lord Severin mused aloud. "Does Falidor know you're here?"

"Oh, of course not! But I knew he wouldn't ask you himself, so I came instead."

Her lord nodded in agreement. "I agree that I can't picture him doing so. He's old enough to have his own household, and in addition to that, he does have a wife now and it's only a matter of time before they have children, so your request is certainly not unreasonable. Thank you, Nora; now I finally know what to give your brother for a wedding present. I certainly admire your initiative."

"Thank you," she acknowledged him. "I daresay I'll need it; with Falidor out of the house, I'll have to find a job soon."

"You don't say..." he began to mutter under his breath, but he was interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful red-haired woman carrying a baby.

"Entertaining barely-legal girls while I nurse your heir?" Lady Alina teased her husband. "At least you had the sense to choose a pretty one, I suppose."

Chuckling slightly, Lord Severin pulled himself to his feet. "Princess, this is Nora--Falidor's sister. Nora, this is my wife, Alina."

"And don't forget our children!" she scolded him. "That's Raia on the floor there, and this is Jadin."

"Let me see him; you've been hogging him."

"Well, you hogged the last one," she laughed as she handed him the baby.

"Hello, Jadin," Lord Severin greeted his son before turning back to his wife. "Alina, you haven't thought of anyone to fill that position yet, have you?"

"You mean my new maid?" clarified Lady Alina. "No, I have not."

Lord Severin smiled, then looked down at Nora. "You said you needed a job?"

Nora's eyes widened; this was quite an extravagant job offer for a simple farm girl. "Really? Me, a lady's maid?"

Lady Alina laughed. "Why not? It's not a difficult job, and you're rewarded with a decent wage and pretty dresses."

She couldn't believe her luck. Falidor would have told her not to come, had she told him she was going to in the first place; he would have told her nothing good could possibly come of it.

Stupid boy.

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