The Pearl Ring

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 31st December 2019

Characters: Elana, Sellimere, Ambra
Description: Elana saves the day!
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 1, day 15 of Turn 10

Even though their company was often insufferable (and very much beneath her), Elana thought that it was worth joining the other seamstresses and laundry drudges in the Dining Hall that evening-- if only to see the look on Ambra's face when Sellimere joyfully returned her "missing" ring. Ambra slid it onto her finger with a polite 'thank you' that sounded like she was anything but.

"And I couldn't have done it without Elana!" Sellimere gushed. "She helped me look in my rooms again before dinner, and wouldn't you know it-- she found the ring under my bed! I must have knocked it off the table somehow and then missed it when I'd looked before. You ought to thank her, too!"

And so Elana was thanked, and she sat smug while accolades flowed her way from the other young ladies. It felt good to be admired. Ambra, however, was unusually quiet as she ate her meal, and she kept giving Elana suspicious glances from the other end of the table.

Elana made sure to leave before Ambra was done. She spent the next half candlemark loitering in the hall that led to Ambra's room before Ambra herself finally showed up. Her expression soured when she saw Elana. "Oh. It's you."

"You're not going to thank me?" Elana asked sweetly.

Ambra stopped in the middle of the hall and crossed her arms. "Why, ought I thank you?"

Elana bared her teeth in a smile. "I found your ring."

"Yes, you did. Under Sellimere's bed, wasn't it?"

Elana let the silence stretch, then she smiled again. "You know… I could have told the Headwoman where to find your ring if Sellimere had actually been accused of theft. That might have been quite embarrassing."

Ambra scowled at her. "What do you want?"

Elana shrugged. "Oh, nothing. For now."

Ambra made a face. "Oh, please. You're not half as clever as you think you are, Elana. So what if Sellimere didn't steal my ring. She'll be gone soon enough anyway."

"You really don't like that your cousin likes her," Elana said. She stuck her lower lip out in a mock pout. "What a shame for you! But for Sellimere turning your cousin's head, you could have had an in-law who was cousins with the Blood."

"Why do you care anyway?" Ambra shot back. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"Maybe I like Sellimere. She's so sweet."

That made Ambra laugh. "Oh please. You and I both know that's not true. You think you're better than everyone, and that certainly includes Sellimere."

Elana shrugged. "Either way, I still helped her and not you. Stealing your own ring and hiding it in your room was a stupid plan, you know. Were you seriously never going to wear that ring again?"

Ambra covered the ring with her other hand. "I already told you-- this is none of your business. Get out of my way or I'll make you wish you'd never come to Emerald Falls Hold!"

Threats! Elana laughed, delighted. Nothing as interesting as this would ever have happened back at stupid old Nadol Cothold! "I'm not here to stop you, Ambra! I'm just saying that if you wanted help…" She shrugged again as an idea came to her. "I can think of a dozen clever ways to keep your cousin and Sellimere apart. And I could help you… if you give me your ring."

"I'm not going to give you my ring." Ambra scowled at her. "And I don't need any help from a backwards farmer like you. I bet _you'll_ end up marrying an ovine herder-- and mark my words, he'll be more interested in the ovines than you!" Ambra shoved past her roughly and marched toward her room.

"Just think about it!" Elana trilled. "It's up to you!"

Ambra stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at Elana before slamming the door to her room behind her. Elana couldn't keep the smile from her face as she turned and strolled back toward her own little room. A pearl ring would look so nice on her long, pale fingers. The perfect adornment for the radiant young lady that she was. And if Ambra didn't want to give her the ring, she could do everything in her power to make sure that Redmin married Sellimere-- just to spite Ambra. Either way, she'd win!

Last updated on the January 4th 2020

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The Pearl Ring