July 17, 1177
"Funny little fellow." Casimiro chuckled as Balin landed a lick on his chin. "Is he part wolf, you think?"
Riona shrugged. The crazy dog had only been an official part of the family for a month or so, but it had been long enough that it was pointless to speculate about Balin's origins. Probably. "No idea. He just showed up one day and refused to leave. But whatever; the girls seem to like him, and he's obsessed with Izzy."
Riona shrugged. The crazy dog had only been an official part of the family for a month or so, but it had been long enough that it was pointless to speculate about Balin's origins. Probably. "No idea. He just showed up one day and refused to leave. But whatever; the girls seem to like him, and he's obsessed with Izzy."
"We're not so sure about the girls yet, but the dog doesn't have much going for him in terms of taste." Isidro flashed one of Riona's least favorite smiles, an awkward grimace of self-deprecation. She tried to look away as an anxious queasiness welled within her, but gazing at the girls instead did little to steady it. She just couldn't understand how a man with so much love could find so little to spare for himself.
Casimiro laughed again as he turned away from the dog and drew toward them, though more halfheartedly this time, a quiver in his tone matching the ones in Riona's gut. He must have understood. He did know her Izzy as well as she did--better, possibly. "He might have better taste than you give him credit for, Is."
"I don't know; your taste was never so great either." Isidro reached behind his head and took to massaging the base of his neck while Riona fiddled with her wedding band. As much as she liked Casimiro and as much as he cared about his cousin, perhaps it would have been better if he stayed with Hilla and Bernardo instead. She doubted Isidro realized just how ill-equipped he was to cope with the remnants of his past life. "Anyway, why are you entering this tournament? You could easily get a knighthood back home, you know."
Casimiro laughed again as he turned away from the dog and drew toward them, though more halfheartedly this time, a quiver in his tone matching the ones in Riona's gut. He must have understood. He did know her Izzy as well as she did--better, possibly. "He might have better taste than you give him credit for, Is."
"I don't know; your taste was never so great either." Isidro reached behind his head and took to massaging the base of his neck while Riona fiddled with her wedding band. As much as she liked Casimiro and as much as he cared about his cousin, perhaps it would have been better if he stayed with Hilla and Bernardo instead. She doubted Isidro realized just how ill-equipped he was to cope with the remnants of his past life. "Anyway, why are you entering this tournament? You could easily get a knighthood back home, you know."
"I know--but I wanted to be closer to you and 'Nardo."
Isidro snorted in disbelief. "Your mother's been pestering you about getting married, more likely."
"Maybe a little." Smirking, he shot a wink toward Riona before collapsing on Isidro's other side. She wasn't sure whether or not she appreciated it. "But in all seriousness, I do like this place. Riona, you're friends with the duke's sister, right?"
"Rona?" Whatever was in her stomach shot straight up to her throat. If ever she felt some people didn't care for themselves quite enough, Isidro was far from the only one. "Yes..."
"Well... what's she like? Tell me honestly."
Isidro snorted in disbelief. "Your mother's been pestering you about getting married, more likely."
"Maybe a little." Smirking, he shot a wink toward Riona before collapsing on Isidro's other side. She wasn't sure whether or not she appreciated it. "But in all seriousness, I do like this place. Riona, you're friends with the duke's sister, right?"
"Rona?" Whatever was in her stomach shot straight up to her throat. If ever she felt some people didn't care for themselves quite enough, Isidro was far from the only one. "Yes..."
"Well... what's she like? Tell me honestly."
Honestly. Funny. If Casimiro wanted to marry Rona, then he didn't want to hear 'honestly'. Too bad she couldn't just tell him that without making her friend sound horrible. "She's a sweetheart. A little anxious at times, maybe, and a bit obsessive, but it grows on you. She's adorable, really."
"Adorable." Odd. He almost sounded disappointed. "Worthy of adoration. You don't want me to win, do you?"
"Adorable." Odd. He almost sounded disappointed. "Worthy of adoration. You don't want me to win, do you?"
"First place?" Casimiro nodded while Isidro frowned. Riona searched and searched for some way to explain herself but found no place to begin but a sigh. "Well... not really. Not that I think you'd mistreat her or anything, but she's a romantic. And she doesn't know how special she is. She needs someone who will show her."
"So you think I'd lead her on."
"No, just..." Just what?
"So you think I'd lead her on."
"No, just..." Just what?
Balin yipped. Grateful for the interruption, Riona paid him a glance, expecting to find him staring after Isidro as he always did but for once he was focused on someone else.
Her.
The dog made another small sound, then turned his snout toward Isidro. Riona smiled. Balin could sleep on the foot of the bed tonight if he pleased. "Rona's kind of like Izzy."
Isidro choked, a little red around the face as Riona turned back to the men. The silly man had no idea what she was talking about; Casimiro's grin, however, told her the comparison had not gone misunderstood entirely. "All locked up inside herself, you mean?"
Her husband opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped the words with a touch of her finger and shuffled nearer, her head resting on his shoulder as he draped his arm around her own. "All locked up inside herself."
"And I don't have the right set of keys."
Her.
The dog made another small sound, then turned his snout toward Isidro. Riona smiled. Balin could sleep on the foot of the bed tonight if he pleased. "Rona's kind of like Izzy."
Isidro choked, a little red around the face as Riona turned back to the men. The silly man had no idea what she was talking about; Casimiro's grin, however, told her the comparison had not gone misunderstood entirely. "All locked up inside herself, you mean?"
Her husband opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped the words with a touch of her finger and shuffled nearer, her head resting on his shoulder as he draped his arm around her own. "All locked up inside herself."
"And I don't have the right set of keys."
"Not at all." If she glanced out the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a smile on Isidro's face--a real smile. She hoped it wouldn't bite her in the ass later if she decided that her own keys were cut to perfection. "But don't let me discourage you. Odds are, I'd rather see her with you than with any of the other jerks in this tournament."
NEXT CHAPTER:
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6 comments:
Yes, I added a random pet to Izzy and Riona's lot (partly because his name is also the last name of a former classmate of mine and I found that hilarious) and turns out he's the pack leader. Hopefully this won't result in borkage--he was walking around with glowing eyes like he should be while I was shooting for the post before this, so I guess that's a good sign? :P
Aww, Izzy is so cute in this somehow 'fragile-ness' despite his tough exterior, at least his wife has the brains to see through it.
And I agree with Riona, I'd rather see Rona with Casimiro than any other egg-head.
But thankfully I don't think that's going to happen, as long as Aspen is focused on saving Rona from that kind of fate.
:)
Somebody named their kid Balin? O_o Do they not know the story?
Anyway, Riona and Izzy are adorable as always. They have a good point about Casimiro, too. If I didn't know that Rona han an Aspen in the background, I'd agree that he's not the one for her ... but we shall see, won't we?
EkhoGirl: Izzy's made some progress, but he's still a rather self-loathing individual when he's not busy looking out for everyone else. He's only twenty-one, though; he could grow out of it.
But yeah, better Casimiro than some brute who just wants to knock a few guys off their horses. But who knows? Maybe Rona has nothing to worry about.
Morgaine: I had to check Wikipedia for the story (sort of thought you mean the ill-fated dwarf cousin from Lord of the Rings) :P
Well, the tournament is drawing nearer. Rona could get stuck with a lot worse than Casimiro. He's a good guy, but I don't think Rona is the type who would be okay with being married to someone who can't be more than just a friend.
Oh I love Riona. I think she's getting to be more emotionally mature than the kid who hacked off her hair and ran away to join the Crusades. I also think that she's bang on about Rona.
Additionally, I get the impression that Casimiro is just floating through life, not really knowing what he wants. He goes to war because daddy says so. He goes to marry some chick he has never seen/met/etc because mommy says so and a woman that he has never seen/met/etc is just as good as any.
Wait... Does Isidro know that Casimiro prefers the male of the species?
She is growing up, although I don't think she'll ever be prone to childish relapses. She does seem to have become a better judge of character.
Interesting thought about Casimiro. It's very possible that he just doesn't know what he wants, or maybe he genuinely just doesn't want anything that badly and is content to go with the flow. He might find a direction in life some day, but he could just as easily not.
Isidro knows all about Casimiro's preferences (and Casimiro knows that Izzy knows). Casimiro was pretty much the only friend he had left after all his siblings died, so I guess at some point Izzy had to have figured out that it didn't matter.
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