February 1, 1175
"Finally got them to sleep?""Mmmm." Nora glanced back at the nursery door, half-expecting Falidor or CeeCee to start crying again. Her children with Severin had never been the easiest of sleepers, but Riona's disappearance had further offset their rhythms. So much for being too young to understand what was going on.
On the couch, Severin slumped forward. He caught himself with one raised hand and moaned. "Almost a month now and still no word. If they can sleep at all, I envy them."Nora sighed. They were past the initial panic but the reality was beginning to sink in and waiting for news from the scouts was agony. It wasn't too late to hope that Riona would come back. It wasn't too early to consider that she might not. She collapsed into the empty seat beside her husband and wrapped her fingers around his free hand. "She's tough like her father."
"Her father's not so tough." Severin pushed himself upright, only to slouch back against the frame. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him smiling. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd smiled. "She's so young and so reckless and we don't even know which route they were taking."
She wished there was something she could say to him, but after nearly a month she had yet to find much. His pretty, headstrong daughter was out there somewhere, all alone where he couldn't keep an eye on her and nothing Nora could do could change that. "Severin..."Severin shook his head, which was fine by her. She wasn't sure what she'd been about to tell him anyway. "Do you think she wouldn't have run off if I'd--"
"No." It wasn't the first time he'd asked it and she hadn't changed her answer. Severin was not a bad father. Riona was headstrong and had often pushed his buttons, but he'd never been cruel. He could have been much stricter with her, but Nora knew firsthand how difficult that could be. It was a sensitive thing, dealing with someone who held such a place in the heart. "You did nothing wrong."
He didn't believe her. He never did and she knew it, but at least he didn't protest. She wouldn't have known how to respond and he probably wasn't sure how to start in the first place. "I just want to keep her safe."
"I know." A tear welled in her eye as Nora edged nearer and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was all she could do and it didn't even make a difference. "I'll tell Falidor to send out a couple more scouts, all right? Maybe they were planning on boarding a ship in France."NEXT CHAPTER:
15 comments:
Sorry for lack of an update yesterday. Truth be told, I was a little preoccupied with this shiny new thing.
Yep, I caved XD Anyway, if anyone thinks of something to add or a way to embellish (or argue) anything already there (I do have a tendency to half-ass things), feel free to do so :)
Also, I feel bad talking about this here because I don't want to be completely unprofessional about my politics, but if any of you--especially any Canadian citizens out there--want to sign this petition, I'm sure many people will be grateful. Long story short, our government wants to put through some new internet laws that are, uh... somewhat bordering on the Orwellian.
I'm not so much worried for my own personal freedom and security as much as I am about what this may be symptomatic of, but one thing at a time. If anyone's interested in the situation, there's a detailed post on the subject here.
Now, in the interests of not letting such bullshit further pollute the blog, that'll be the last I say on the subject unless explicitly asked.
I can only imagine the thoughts going through Severin's head right now. Poor guy.
If Riona has been gone a month I am anxious to see how she has managed to keep her identity a "secret". That preview shot tells me we will know soon!
An entire month and she can't even write a letter? She had better be in dire straights and I mean DIRE. Otherwise, she might have just made Pen's Official Naroni Blacklist, right along with Octavius. Spoiled, selfish brat.
Also, I'm shocked that Isidro hasn't shipped her back yet.
I kind of wish so much time hadn't elapsed between now and the previous chapter though. I imagine that a lot happened both in Naroni and on the road that we didn't get to see?
Internet laws??? I'll have to check that out.
Ooh, shiny Naroni TV tropes!
And oh, poor Severin and Nora. :( This has to be hell for them. Absolute hell. At least nobody's told them about the forty-eight hour rule when it comes to missing children ...
Riona is going to have a lot of 'splainin' to do when she gets home. :(
Gayl: Severin is definitely in a dark place right now. Poor guy :(
As for how Riona had been concealing herself, it's probably just a combination of luck and caution. The experience might be good for her, actually--might teach her to think before she acts.
Pen: Err... who would deliver said letter? For the sake of convenience, I like to imagine little Medieval "post offices" where the general public can hire couriers for a fee depending on the distance (and I don't think that's entirely unrealistic? Except for that fact that literacy in Naroni seems to be exceptionally high for the times?), but it would be a bit suspicious if some nameless kid snuck away from the group just to send a letter to some nobleman s/he probably shouldn't know by most people's reckoning.
But I see your point ;)
As for Isidro, he has his reasons for keeping her around. We'll get his POV the chapter after next, so we'll get some insight then.
Sorry about that :S But nothing has happened in that time other than what can be expected. Severin's household has been all melancholy and Riona has been keeping up her charade in spite of Isidro acting suspicious.
Morgaine: You know what else should have a TV Tropes page? Albion ;)
(And every other Sims story, for that matter.)
That whole household is in quite the limbo right now :( But on the plus side, fourteen then is quite a stretch from fourteen now. Riona could have easily been married off by now. That and, for all the need to keep herself concealed, there were a lot less people in the world back then.
Oh, Riona will definitely have some explaining to do. But at this point, I imagine Severin's reaction will be "relief now, anger later".
Geez, courtiers? I was imagining an old guy in leather rags who happened to be headed in the general vicinity of Naroni. How far away is she currently? Is she really under the feet of her party all of the time? It seems like she would be more trouble than she was worth and they would prefer if she disappeared from time to time. She could have addressed a letter to Florian or some member of Nora's family. It wouldn't have to go to Severin directly. But yeah, if there's no one headed that way outside of Ye Olde Fed-Ex and she cannot get to said Ye Olde Fed-Ex, then she can be forgiven her lack of communication. However, she is still a selfish spoiled brat for running away and not caring how it affected her family (particularly Severin who has been through so much).
Ye Olde Fed-Ex XD
Not many people head through Naroni. But yeah, if she wanted to try, she'd probably be best off writing to Falidor or somebody like that.
But yeah, running off in the first place? Definitely a bratty move :S
*looks at clock* I have about 2 1/2 hours before going out to dinner. I've spent most of the day haunting TV Tropes and adding stuff to your page (made an account for that very purpose!). I don't feel like opening my game up.
Yesterday, I posted the 300th Albion.
... What the hell. ;)
I figured that was you :P
*waits for Morgaine to make an Albion page so I can return the favor*
Congratulations on 300 Albions! :D Hope you enjoy your dinner :)
Just discovered TV Tropes. Very Addictive.
*Also waits for Morgaine to make Albion page so I can read that*
My heart goes out for Severin and Nora. Hopefully one of the Spanish dudes will grow a conscience (and probably an extra pair of balls) and tell them what's happened.
Of course Riona has actually got to reveal who she is before this happens. (Although if I remember rightly, wasn't it Casimiro who guessed that it was Riona last post?)
And congrats on 300 posts Morgaine
It does tend to make a lot of hours disappear XD
Casimiro didn't really do much in the last post, but there seems to be some reader speculation that Isidro might have recognized her? The next post is just a conversation between Riona and Isidro, so I guess we'll get some more hints either way there (and if not, definitely in the one after).
A month? She's been gone a month? Severin has to be going out of his mind, and there's no way Nora is going to be able to convince him that something, some little thing, anything, didn't cause it.
Isidro seemed to know who she was. What on earth is he doing? Does he like her, understand her, indulge her?
My heart breaks for Severin.
Severin will be beating himself up for quite a while, no doubt :(
How Isidro feels about Riona remains to be seen. From the couple times we've seen them together, he seems to find her childish and annoying on the surface, but there may be something more to it than that. There would certainly have to be if he knows who she is and hasn't made any effort to send her packing.
Psst!
Sorry for the hijack, but some of you expressed interest. ;)
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