In Which Isidro Finds Less than Genuine Sincerity

March 2, 1185

At any given daytime hour, it was a reasonable bet that at least one of Isidro's peer group could be found Seoth's inn. Ashe and Sparron were not among the most commonly-spotted barflies individually, never mind at the same time. But the two of them were more likely to understand than outgoing, over-the-top attention-lovers like Jadin or Garrett, so Isidro wasn't about to marvel about the math. Much. "You two are a long way from home."

Ashe shrugged and glanced over to one of the empty seats at their table; Isidro took the hint and approached. "I thought I'd better check up on Lonriad. He seems all right today; he had some plans with his children."

"And Jadin wanted a second opinion on something." To that, Sparron had no physical reaction more positive than a shudder. "I don't think I can talk about it without throwing up, but long story short, I needed a drink."

"You've had three drinks."

"If he asks you to be the third opinion, you'll know why. Unless he already asked Isidro, which would explain why he's here." The shoulder twitch not quite under control, Sparron turned to Isidro with a strained grin. Isidro made a point to avoid Jadin for at least the next week. "What's bothering you, Is?"

"Riona got me a part in the masque. I knew she would, but I figured it would just be some small background role." Like Lucien's, maybe. Lucien was playing the prison warden--in theory an important part of the background workings, but with a number of lines countable on one hand. Or better yet, he could have had a part like Lettie's. Lettie just got to sit around, watch the trial, and react to everyone else's dialogue. Isidro doubted he could do even that half-convincingly, but at least nobody watched the nameless extras. "Instead, I'm playing the prosecutor."

"In a play about a trial?"

Good that they'd caught on. "That's what I said."

He watched as the two of them shared a pitying glance. It might have been a stretch, expecting some genuine sincerity. "That's rough."

"I'm well aware." And somehow, he didn't get the sense that either of these two were. "Ashe, who are you playing? I know Riona told Rona she'd try to get you both parts."

"She did. I'm the crown prince."

That didn't sound quite right. "That sounds like an important part."

"You'd think, but not really." Said with a smile. Ashe wasn't the gloating type, but this was likely as close as he ever came. "I just nod along while the king appoints jurors. Hell, Morgan even wrote that in just so my character would be more than a face in the gallery."

"Lucky bastard." Isidro shifted his eyes over to Sparron. At least his misfortune had eased his friend's twitching, it seemed. "What about you? Are you in the masque?"

"Yes. I'm the love interest of Lady Morgause's daughter, plus the son of the judge and the brother of Lady Morgause's daughter-in-law. Oh, and prior to the events of the play, Lady Morgause had her way with me, and the tryst resulted in a son."

That... made even less sense. "All right, that's got to be a major part."

"Again--you'd think. I actually do less than he does."

Of course he did. That was how the world worked.

Isidro swallowed back a sigh and edged his seat backward. Perhaps he wasn't so averse to being Jadin's third opinion after all. "You can both go to hell."

NEXT CHAPTER:

In Which Roddie Displays His Good Sense

February 18, 1181

To the great delight of Roddie's brother Cuthron, Seoth had at long last admitted that his pretty eldest daughter was of an age to be courted--but not without rules, which was why Roddie had been forced along as a reluctant chaperone when Cuthron had been deemed to fit the stringent requirements. It was to both their great fortune that on the day Cuthron chose to call, Seoth and his son had ridden out to his choice vineyard to replenish his supply of wines. It was a monastery-run stretch, within a day's journey but beyond the eastern border into that stretch of unclaimed land between Naroni and Dovia, so the chances of the innkeeper returning before Eleara had been escorted safely home were slim. As a result, Cuthron could be so bold as to lay a kiss on her hand; had Seoth been there, Roddie would have likely spent the afternoon sandwiched between the pair at all times, not a touch of lips or fingers or even breath permitted.

Eleara beamed with a warm smile as Cuthron lowered her hand. It seemed that Roddie's brother wasn't the only one pleased with Seoth's surrender. "I've been looking forward to this."

"You and me both."

Roddie tried not to fidget. At least they were honest with each other, he guessed, even if it was in that awkward, nervous fashion that seemed the standard for new sweethearts between fourteen and twenty. He didn't understand it, really. If anything about you would be a deal-breaker, wouldn't it be better to show that card and get it done with before either party could get hurt?

"Uh, so... would you like to go for a walk?"

Eleara nodded. "A walk would be nice."

Ever prepared, Eleara's mother stepped out from behind the counter and handed her a coat. "Just try to be home in time for supper, all right? Boys, you're both welcome to eat with us if you like."

"We may take you up on that." Roddie guessed that Cuthron's smile was meant for the mother, but his gaze could not be pried from her daughter. "Thank you, Mistress Altharaine."

"Oh, please. Call me Laureina." She surveyed Roddie's brother with an open-minded but nonetheless scrutinous eye as Eleara put on the coat. Roddie took that as a good sign for Cuthron. She was cautious, as any parent of a fifteen-year-old girl would be, but not unwilling to acknowledge that her daughter was now more or less a woman, and was therefore entitled to at least some degree of independence. "Now, you two have fun. Roddie, would you care for a snack or a drink while we wait?"

"Eh?" Of course he never thought to pass up free food. But... "I thought I was supposed to go with them?"

"If Eleara's father asks, you did," she promised with a wink her daughter's way. Roddie took that as full license to perch his ass on one of the bar stools. "But since he's not here, I think we can give them a bit of privacy. Cuthron, I know you won't try anything objectionable."

Cuthron's face was as red as any wine Seoth might have been purchasing that moment. "Laureina--"

"Take an endorsement for what it is, dear. Eleara's been helping out here long enough to know how to deal with unwanted attention, and I've seen enough of you to know you're a gentleman besides." Huh. Roddie would have to pass that bit of information on to his mother. She'd be relieved to know that being stepbrother to Jadin hadn't ruined Cuthron's public behavior as she'd feared. "Now run along, before you get too used to the heat of this place and the thought of outside becomes unbearable. And Eleara, be a dear and pick up your father's boots and the cobbler's? I've already paid for them."

"Yes, Mother."

Eleara took Cuthron by the hand--something Roddie doubted she'd try in front of Seoth--and led him to the exit. Cuthron left with a quick wave to Roddie, as well as a hurried "Thank you, Mistress Altharaine" as the door shut behind him.

Laureina shook her head as she joined Roddie at the counter. "So much for him calling me by my first name. One of the things you should enjoy about being a child--you're a person, not a title."

"Maybe. It would be nice if my mother let me have wine whenever I want it, though." Laureina laughed. Roddie leaned back and peered toward the door. "You're sure you're all right with Eleara and Cuthron being alone?"

"Of course. Sure, your older brothers may be a handful, but I can vouch for their character. Your sisters are all lovely too. You probably hear more bile about the marriages than you ought to, but none of that matters; the fact is, your parents raised you kids right."

"Tell them that. They sometimes wonder." She laughed again. Roddie decided he liked her; she reminded him somewhat of his mother, at least when he got glimpses of his mother as someone other than his mother. He hoped that meant she and Cuthron would get along if his courtship of Eleara progressed. "I only know Eleara through Cuthron, and Artan because Maddie is my cousin, but going by them, I think you and Master Altharaine raised your kids right too."

"Always good to hear. Perhaps I ought to introduce you to my second daughter, if you're interested."

"For courting?" Roddie shuddered. "No thanks, I'm not really ready for that. But I'm sure she's very nice."

"Not ready, hmm?" He nodded. A laugh in her eyes, Laureina gave him an understanding shrug. "Well, everyone can always use friends."

"That's true. Plus I think that when I am ready for courting, I'd rather court a girl I was friends with first."

"Oh?" She seemed a little surprised, a little curious--not quite unpleasantly so, but enough to inquire. "Wouldn't you be worried about ruining the friendship if it didn't work out?"

"Not really. I mean, it would probably be difficult at first, but I'd like to think a good friendship could survive that."

Laureina didn't look quite convinced, but she smiled all the same. "Well, I hope that works out favorably for you, then. But what if you decide you like a girl you're friends with, but she doesn't feel the same way about you?"

"Move on, I guess." She raised an eyebrow and he wondered why he had to explain this to her. She was a smart, worldly adult lady and this was only good sense. Then again, not many grown-ups seemed to have good sense, and maybe those who did were so used to the others that they just assumed the natural human state to be crazy. "I mean, no one says love has to go both ways, right? And it's pretty nasty to put that kind of pressure on someone. I guess I'd maybe tell her I needed time to get over her, but after that I'd hope I could still be her friend."

"And that's very mature of you." Her head nudged in approval, though some trace of doubt still lurked in her posture. "Though I should warn you that many people aren't content to be nothing more than friends with members of the opposite sex."

"Then those people are idiots." There was no other explanation. Sure, from what little he knew about love, it probably hurt, possibly a lot. But he did know quite a bit about friends--and while avoiding love didn't seem like the dumbest thing a person could do, they'd have to be pretty damn stupid to pass up a chance for a good friend. "If the prettiest, smartest girl in the world wanted me to be her friend, I'd be happy to be just that. She probably has hundreds of admirers anyway, but everyone could use a friend."

"Very true. I hope you never change your mind there--though just between you and me, I wouldn't doubt that you'd make the prettiest, smartest girl in the world very happy if she wanted you as more." Laureina stood and made her away around the counter, ruffling his hair as she passed, just like his mother and sisters did. "Now, I hope you like cinnamon biscuits. I made three batches this morning, and I could use a smart kid like you to figure out which recipe tastes the best."

NEXT CHAPTER:

In Which Setran Corrects and Is Corrected

February 11, 1170

"I told you we should have stayed in Tetran!" Setran hissed as he ushered his stepsister into the inn. It was getting chilly, and he figured it would only be common sense to warm up for a couple of minutes before embarking on the long ride home; of course, the weather was the least of their problems.

Evera rolled her eyes, what remained of their teal hue only intensified in the segmented state. "There are boys back home too, you know."

"None so forward! I knew we should have just gone to the village by the keep and waited for Father, by you wanted to go off to Veldora, where Fenrick and Jadin and Searle and their little group of followers might ogle you!"

"I didn't come here to be ogled!" she snarled back, an unpleasant scowl on her usually docile face. "I just wanted a change of pace for once--and who cares if the boys were looking at me? Boys do look at girls, in case you haven't noticed! They didn't mean any harm!"

Setran shook his head. It was true that she spent most of her time at home helping her mother with the children, but he hadn't expected her knowledge of the world to be this lacking. "Evera, they're boys! All they think about is sex!"

"Oh, so that's what you were thinking about when you were checking out Riala and Aerina in Laveria's shop, then?"

Damn. He'd hoped that that had gone unnoticed--he did have some defense, though. "That's different."

Evera sniffed--a very un-Evera-like thing to do. "Oh? How so? Just because it's you and not Fenrick or Jadin or Searle?"

"No!" Why did he have to explain this to her? "They were waving and calling me and batting their lashes! You were just minding your own business!"

"Then if I wasn't doing anything wrong, why are you yelling at me?" She drove her foot into the floorboards as she aimed her glare toward the ceiling.

"You did nothing wrong? You're the one who insisted we come here!" Setran crossed his arms and bit his lip so firmly that he could taste blood. "If you hadn't dragged me down here, then there would have been no ogling and you wouldn't have torn your cloak on that gate and we'd probably be home by now, perfectly happy--and I am not yelling at you!"

"You tell yourself that, kid." Startled, he glanced toward the bar to see the male speaker emerge from the door to the kitchens, a woman at his heels.

The man--presumably the innkeeper--closed his eyes and sighed. "I hate afternoons; the only customers we ever get at this hour are screaming kids."

The woman shrugged, stepping past him and toward Setran and Evera. She wasn't jaw-droppingly beautiful, but there was a certain spark to her that Setran had not failed to notice. "We still generate profit in the afternoons, darling."

"Yes, but is it worth it?" Her husband rubbed his neck, then followed her. "I am a businessman--I didn't come to Naroni to be the daytime nanny for a whole shire. Now, what do you kids want?"

Setran glowered at him; if he took notice, he didn't show it. His wife, however, was observant enough to catch the tear in Evera's cloak even in the dim light. "The new gate, I take it?" Evera nodded; smiling slightly, the woman shook her head. "You're certainly not the first. I can stitch that up for you, if you like."

"Oh, I don't want to be any trouble," Evera insisted. After that fight, it was nice to hear her speaking to someone else--someone she wasn't furious with.

"Nonsense! It'll only take a minute." The woman turned on her heel and headed back toward the kitchen, gesturing for Evera to follow. "Come along--my sewing basket is in the back."

Resigned, Evera shot Setran one last look of poison, then hurried off after the woman. "Thank you; that's very kind of you."

Setran watched as the pair made their way into the back, the door swinging shut behind Evera. She would probably be angry with him for the rest of the day. He wanted to apologize, but why should he? And for what? He'd been right, after all.

"Look, if you aren't going to order anything, you might as well wait for your little sweetheart outside."

Annoyed, Setran took to surveying the innkeeper. Was this the infamous Seoth? If so, he was beginning to see why his father disliked him. "She's not my sweetheart," he corrected him bitterly. "She's just my stepsister."

The innkeeper wiped his brow, then stared down his nose at Setran; he was by no means a tall man, but he still had the advantage of being full-grown. "Son, I've been around for a while now, so believe me when I say this--no boy alive gets so worked up about a girl who's 'just his stepsister'. Now, either buy a drink or get the hell out of my inn."

NEXT CHAPTER:

In Which Florian Proves a Slight Intoxication

March 23, 1167

"...so the troupe leader stares and blinks rapidly for a minute, then says 'All right then, what do you call yourselves?', and then the father says 'The Aristocrats!'" Florian wrapped up the joke, prompting an annoyed glare from Seoth the innkeeper--of course, that wasn't a bad thing.

Nora snickered, as did Seoth's wife. Meanwhile, Falidor turned back to his ale. "I don't get it."

Well, that figured. Florian rolled his eyes. "Never mind, then; you know it's not funny if you have to explain it."

"What is there to explain, though?" Laureina mused from behind the counter. "It's anti-humor; it's funny because it's unexpected."

"Sweetheart, what did I just say about explaining jokes?"

Visibly frustrated, Seoth ran his fingers through his hair. How did he do it? The man just invited agitation, and Florian had never been one to refuse such an obvious request. "Florian, have you ever considered frequenting some other inn? You know... anyone else's inn? Maybe one that's actually within a reasonable distance of your house?"

"Why would I go anywhere else? Of all the innkeepers in the kingdom, you're the only one with a pretty wife," Florian told him, sending a wink Laureina's way. Beside her, Seoth scowled; satisfied, Florian cast a sidelong glance at his friend's sister. "Besides, it's fun coming here and watching little Miss Leonora here flirting with all the eligible bachelors."

"What eligible bachelors?" Nora laughed rather forcefully, scanning the room before her gaze settled on Florian. "All I see are my brothers, two women, and a bunch of grouchy old married crows like yourself."

Over her shoulder, Florian watched as a young man he recognized as Lord Severin's squire turned his head. "I'm not married!"

"But you will be soon!" Florian gleefully reminded him.

Searle's pouty mouth curved into an almost comical snarl. "Shut up!"

Florian dismissed the kid with a wave, then turned back to Nora. "Anyway, how many drinks have you had? Four? You can't tell the difference between bachelors and brothers and women and crows with all the alcohol you've had."

"Oh, I don't know, Florian," sighed Falidor as he pushed his own pint aside. "You'd be surprised just how much liquor her little body can take."

It was true--all those drinks and Nora barely even seemed tipsy. Florian was impressed; his Thetis, bless her soul, had never made it through more than one drink without any obvious sign of intoxication. Of course, he'd've been lying if he said he didn't like it. "Well, then we'll just have to get her some more. Seoth! The lady wants wine!"

He looked over to the innkeeper to make sure he was pouring a glass, then placed his hand on Nora's arm; he wasn't often serious, but he figured there was no better time than three drinks in to tell the woman what he thought. "But really, darling, you're going to have to start looking a little harder; those kids of yours aren't going to father themselves, you know."

Nora snorted. "Florian, I don't know what sort of cock-and-bull story your mother fed you, but I can assure you that my children have already been... fathered, as you say."

Smiling, Florian tossed his head and looked back at Seoth; to his great delight, the man was as tense and irritated as ever. "Oh, are we talking about sex now? I thought we were talking about you trying to land a man."

"Don't the two go hand-in-hand?" she sneered. Nora was usually good for handling Florian's antics, but all of a sudden, she seemed as much of a killjoy as Seoth.

Florian shrugged. "You said it, not me. Now, who is there? You know, I think the baker's still free..."

Nora cut him off with a curt yawn. Florian flinched; no one had ever yawned at him before! "Look, Florian, I appreciate the gesture, and when I want to start looking for a man, then I'll let you know, all right?"

Well, that was certainly blunt. "No need to be rude, Nora; damn, you can't blame a man for trying to help out a damsel in distress, can you?"

"I'm not in distress," she insisted, a cringing emphasis on the last word. "Believe me, I'll manage on my own, and I don't expect to just fall in love with the next man someone tries to set me up with. Do you honestly think no one's tried by this point? I just don't connect to people easily, and if anyone could understand that, I would've thought it would be you, Florian. I mean, Lord knows I've only ever had even remotely serious feelings for two men in my entire life--"

Florian raised an eyebrow. "Two?"

Shaking her head, Nora brushed past him on her way to the door. "Maybe I am a little drunk."

"Who's two?" demanded Falidor as Nora stepped outside.

Florian nodded. "Yes, Jothein and who?"

She cast each of them a parting glare before closing the door behind her. "Idiots!"

Women! Thank God his Thetis was an open book--Jothein must have been an exceptionally clever man if he could decipher a language as cryptic as Nora. But alas, it seemed that even Nora could not go so many years without one little slip. "Who do you think this other man could be?"

Falidor's head cocked to one side as though he were trying to crack his neck. "Don't look at me; I didn't know anything about this until just now."

Florian bit his lip, wracking his brain for any man he knew whom Nora might have been ashamed to admit her feelings for. "Do you think he's too old or too young or married or something?"

Falidor didn't even seem to be listening, but Florian figured it was his loss. "Or maybe he's a criminal, or a madman or--"

"Look, if you're going to make light of a lady's personal affairs," uttered Seoth, who had somehow appeared right in front of him, a bizarre power that seemed to occur in only the gravest and most severe of men, "then it seems to me that it's only common courtesy to cover the tab she happened to leave."

...Women!

NEXT CHAPTER:

In Which Halford Brings Good Joy of Great News, or Something to That Effect

January 6, 1159

"Lau--rei--na!" bellowed Halford to the landlady as he and Adonis stumbled into the inn. "Sumthin' to drink for me an' Master Ind'ruon here, tha's a good missy!"

Laureina's husband sent him a disapproving glare. "You're already drunk as it is--and it's barely midday. Why should we serve you anything?"

Halford chuckled heartily. "'Cos we bring you, people o' Veld'rashire, good joy of great news!"

"Or... sumthin' to that effect," added Adonis under his breath.

Seoth continued to stare stonily, but Laureina laughed. "Oh, good joy of great news, you say? And what, pray tell, might that be, Halford?"

"Well, come o'er here and I tell you," he offered her, slapping his knee as an invitation for her to come and sit on his lap--then he remembered that he was standing.

Laureina didn't move; Seoth, however, made his way around the counter. "I'll handle this, love," he told her, turning to face Halford sternly. His grave and cold manner might have been unnerving had Halford been sober; it was a fortunate thing that the landlord was a fairly small man, and that Halford himself was quite large.

His wife took the opportunity to push a second pint toward the hooded patron in the corner, a figure whom Halford might have ordinarily found suspicious, but of whom he took little notice in his current state. "You do that, champ."

"So..." Seoth began, obliging Halford to look downward in order to meet his eye. "Why is it that you've come to the inn when you've clearly already had your fill of wine, if not something stronger?"

"The news!" he exclaimed, rather exasperated. "The joy! E'eryone oughtta know!"

Seoth's eyes narrowed. "Know what?"

He turned to Adonis, who promptly shook his head. "You better tell him, 'Alford... I think I migh be sick," he slurred.

Chancing a quick glance at his now paled-faced friend, Halford snorted. "You gen'lemen can't 'old your liquor. Anyway, Seoth... we were o'er at the castle, right?"

"The castle here?" demanded Seoth. "Lord Severin's castle?"

Excitedly, Halford nodded. "Aye, tha's the one!"

"Continue," Laureina obliged him as she made her way to her husband's side.

"Right. So... we got there, and Lord Se'erin an' Lady Alina were pretty happy about sumthin'."

Impatiently, Seoth made some gestures that seemed to be telling him to get on with it. "And...?"

"There's gonna be a wedding in June!" blurted out Adonis, clearly no longer able to contain himself.

"And not just any ol' weddin'," Halford added, noting the disappointment in Seoth and Laureina's faces. "The king's! King Ro'erick is gettin' married in June! To Lady Alina's sister, Lar'lita!"

Seoth raised an eyebrow. "The former Countess of Bandera?"

"One an' the same! An' you know what a royal weddin' means," he whispered, pausing dramatically for effect. "Tha's right--holiday!"

Giddily, Laureina clapped her hands together, her features alight with the radiance of her smile. "Well, isn't that wonderful? We'll all have a day off! The farmers will certainly be happy."

"Maybe go tell your patrons," Adonis advised her.

Cracking the first hint of a grin Halford had ever seen from him, Seoth nodded. "Indeed, we shall."

"I'll beat you to it!" his wife teased him as they made their way to the tables. "Gentlemen! I have an announcement to make..."

Halford chanced a quick glance at Adonis. "Still want ano'er pint?"

"No thanks," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm drunk enough a'ready. I'll just head 'ome now--now that I know everyone'll be happy. Abs'lutely everyone."

NEXT CHAPTER: