What Do Men Know?

Writers: Avery, Miriah
Date Posted: 30th October 2015

Characters: Vreena, Zelah
Description: Xeladrie gets to know one of her ladies a little better
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 2, day 4 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Bryvin, Yriadha, Taril, Humari

Zelah

The weather outside was nice and Xeladrie wanted to enjoy it while she
could. Once she had the child, would she be bedridden for long? Kept
inside to tend the bratling? She didn't know, and that's why she spent
as much time outside as she could bear. Besides, she could speak a
little more freely here, there were only the ladies she brought
outside with her.

"They say it'll storm tomorrow. I hope not," she said to her companion.

Vreena watched Xeladrie as she walked beside her, studying her before
looking up at the sky. "Oh, I don't know, Lady. There's something
comforting about rain." She kept her voice soft, demure. "When I hear
the patter on the roof, I feel like burrowing under a comfortable
blanket with a cup of hot mulled cider. " She then gave a slight
little smile. "And thunder and lightning can be very exciting."

Xeladrie considered her words. "It would be nice with a good electric
light to read by, as well as the drink. I still miss those."

Vreena nodded. "So do I. My husband's home had many. But I found
myself missing the warmth of glows sometimes."

"You grew up here before you married him, right?"

Vreena nodded. "Yes. I'm glad to be back."

"What was the nicest thing about being there? Or the thing you missed
most about here?" What somebody longed for said something about them,
she thought. "I'm lucky that both my home Hold and here had the water,
so I can't really miss it."

After a long pause, thinking about how to best answer, Vreena gave a
soft reply. "I missed my friend."

"It's so unfair that they send us to new Holds with men we don't know
or like and expect us to be happy about leaving all we knew and cared
for behind," Xeladrie said, an unexpected heat behind her tone.

Aware she'd said too much, she paused. "You had a best friend here?"

Vreena caught every word, every bite of anger and heat; she set them
aside for later consideration. "It _is_ unfair." She let a little bit
of heat enter her own words. "I was wed to a man old enough to be my
father's father." Her lips tightened at the memory; she was _glad_ the
man was dead. Her expression turned sad. "Yes. I had someone I...I
cared very much about here."

At least Lord Bryvin wasn't that much older than her. It was possible
he had a byblow her age, but not possible that any hypothetical of his
had had their own child so old. It was unfair, and Xeladrie's face
showed sympathy before she could control it.

"Is that person also gone, or still here?"

"Still here" Vreena's voice held bitterness. "We..." She cleared her
throat and gave a side glance at Xeladrie, unsure whether or not to
tell her the specifics. "It was not possible to be together."

"Your family disapproved of a friendship?"

Vreena looked down. "It was more of a friendship, Lady. But
no...neither of our families approved."

Xeladrie hesitated again before she spoke. She didn't want to presume
too much. But there were a few reasons why family might disapprove.
"And so they sent you away to be married to an ancient, because they
thought you felt incorrect?"

Now came the difficulty. Vreena's expression showed her wariness, but
also the desire to talk to someone, anyone, about her past pain. "Yes.
They thought that I was..." She cleared her throat. "They thought
marriage would 'fix' me, Lady."

Xeladrie was silent for a moment as she considered the implications of
that statement. So Vreena hadn't wanted to be married for reasons that
didn't have to do with having her own agency, or with wanting to find
a spouse she could love - she wouldn't have liked marriage at all...

"They wanted to break your spirit with it, you mean?"

If she told the Lady everything, could she be removed from her place?
Vreena felt worry gnaw at her. Had she already given too much away?
She studied Lady Xeladrie's face, then looked back down before she
nodded. "Not precisely, but it was meant for that as well, I suppose.
They wanted me to appear to be a proper woman with...proper desires."
She held very still, unsure about what Xeladrie would say next.

Ah, so there it was. Vreena had meant what she thought. "Did it work?"
Her tone was neutral, no judgement.

Vreena then looked up to meet Xeladrie's eyes. She slowly shook her
head in response. "I don't know how it worked with _her_. She says it
did, but I don't think that it really did. Especially to look at him"
She looked back down and rubbed her arms.

Xeladrie held her lady's gaze. She was policing her words so as not to
show her hand right now, but she wanted to throw out another cue. Her
hand drifted down to her abdomen. "They think once we're married and
pregnant it must change us. I know that's not true."

Vreena's eyes immediately swung to Xeladrie, going a little wide for a
moment. Was it true? If it was then...her mind went immediately to
what Yriadha would say. Well, she didn't know for certain and even
then, the Lady was married and in a better position than Yriadha. Her
gaze searched Xeladrie's face, looking for meaning. Her voice lowered.
"Marriage doesn't do anything but shackle women to men that don't
understand us. And what our needs are."

"Exactly," Xeladrie said in the same low tone. "As far as I'm concerned
there's nothing good about it, or them."

"How would a man know what a woman needs, anyway?" Vreena softly
pointed out. "They don't. They never do. Only a woman knows what a
woman needs."

"I would agree." Xeladrie gave Vreena a small smile. "I'm glad someone
else sees what's wrong with it all."

"I do." Vreena agreed, then made a tentative offer, hesitant and not
knowing how it would be received. "I know I'm just your maid, Xeladrie
but...if you were to ever need to talk or anything, I'd be more than
happy to help you."

The lady's smile broadened. "I'd like that."

"Anytime you'd like." Vreena reached out and lightly touched Xeladrie's hand.

Last updated on the November 15th 2015

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