Creche Duties Gone Wrong

Writers: Estelle, Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 8th January 2020

Characters: Bryvin, Brina, Yriadha, Oufelle, Yavin, Noriya
Description: Creche supervision goes badly with one of the fostered Ladies.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 1, day 14 of Turn 10

Bryvin

Brina

Yriadha

With the weather pleasantly warm, but not humid, the creche workers
had decided to allow the young children outside for the day. Despite
the rain the previous afternoon, and the ground being still moist, the
children ran and played eagerly in a small clearing. Mostly, they
ignored the new Ladies assigned to help watch them. All except one
dark haired boy who took particular interest.

Yavin, in his young three-turn-old mind, wondered why the ladies
stayed seated on the blanket and didn't take part in the games of
chase and tag. Didn't they know how to play? They wore dresses like
his Ti-ti, did their hair pretty too. She and the drudges played with
him. Why didn't they? Maybe they were shy.
With a grin, he decided he had the perfect idea.

Oufelle, fanned herself as the children played, her face set in
annoyance even as she tried to keep herself out of the direct
sunlight. She was proud of her fair skin and she certainly hadn't come
here to watch staff and drudges' children! She was a Lady. She gave a
little sniff as she took a drink of water. She ignored the little boy
that was approaching, wishing that she'd brought something to amuse
her.

"Look!" A grubby little hand clutching mud and grubs was thrust into
her face. Oufelle squealed in surprise and in surprise, Yavin dropped
the grubs and mud immediately; they fell directly into the Lady's
chest, soiling her gown and expanse of exposed bosom.

"I sor..." He began, but was interrupted by a shriek of outrage.

"You little beast! You ruined my dress!" Oufelle acted without
thinking, striking Yavin on his hand with the wooden spine of her fan
before scrambling up and desperately trying to wipe the mud off of the
bodice of the gown.

For a child who had only ever been gently corrected, coddled, and had
certainly never been struck before in his life, the lady's reaction
startled and scared him. The pain that jolted in his hand brought an
immediate cry of pain and tears as he scrambled away from Oufelle,
wailing. "Ti-ti!"

Noriya had been enjoying the sun, fresh air, and childrens laughter so she
was as startled as the child and bolted up out of her seat. "Oufelle," she
exclaimed. "He's just a baby and you hit him," she scrambled toward the
crying child. "Sweetie," she said trying to gather an comfort him getting
her own dress smeared in the process. But that didn't matter to her. She
turned a stern look on the other young woman. "How could you? He was just
trying to show you something."

Yavin's cries had attracted attention and one of the creche workers soon
hurried over from where she'd been showing some of the older children
how to make flower chains. "My lady? What's the matter?" She glanced,
worried, from the mud stains on the girls' dresses to the tears
streaking the boy's face. "Did he hurt himself?"

Noriya had experience with her own brothers and sisters and had known
the tyke was just trying to show Oufelle his treasure. She shook her
head. "He was just being friendly and she.." her eyes darted to
Oufelle".. took it wrong and smacked his hand. Poor babe", she said and
continued to try and comfort the little boy. "What's his name?"

"He's a little ill-bred drudge brat, that's what he is." Oufelle
declared furiously, staring down at the large strain on her bosom. Her
glare lifted to the creche worker. "You are completely responsible for
this. _You_ were supposed to be watching him!"

Yavin thrust his dirty hand towards his mouth, trying to soothe the
sting of the blow. The wooden piece had raised a fine welt over the
back of his hand and had drawn a scratch over one knuckle. In Noriya's
arms, he accepted the comfort, still sniffling. "I want Ti-ti..."
Dark eyes turned to Oufelle and in a sudden burst of temper, narrowed
his eyes and screamed at her. "You bad!"

Noriya absently grabbed the childs hand to keep it from his mouth
while she glared at Oufelle. "You do not know his parentage," she
wanted to spit her anger at the other girl but knew her ire would
communicate itself to the child in her arms. "You don't even know his
name," her eyes narrowed. She'd overheard some of the creche workers
telling others that the Lord's children attended this creche from time
to time and certainly he wouldn't allow just random drudges brats to
play with his own children. That man had class if she'd ever seen it.
So, instead she arched a brow and turned her back. "Yes she is love,"
she said gently to the little guy. "Let's get you cleaned up and then
we can play, how about that?"

The poor creche worker looked from one Lady to the other, knowing that
both of them had the rank and influence to make her life very difficult,
and silently wished ill fortune on whoever had the idea of inflicting
these girls on her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw one of the
hold girls who was helping them as part of her duties. "Inya, please go
and find the Headwoman. Ask her if she'd mind coming out here?"

The young woman hurried off and she knelt down beside Noriya and the
boy, meeting his eyes. "Yavin," she said gently, her voice soothing. "I
know you're hurt, and I'm sorry. Hush now, deep breaths." She took out a
handkerchief from her pocket. "Can I see your hand? We'll clean it up
and make it better, like the Lady says."

"Yes, bring the Headwoman and Lady Brina." Oufelle called out,
stomping her foot, but certain that the Lady would understand the need
to punish both the child and the irresponsible creche worker."I want
to make sure that that my gown is replaced!"

Yavin clung to Noriya, glowering at Oufelle with all the venom and
anger that the three-turn-old could muster. While rarely an angry
child, though often mischievous one, when Yavin's temper was aroused,
it was difficult for him to settle. He still sniffled and thrust his
hand at the creche worker, keeping his chin pressed against Noriya's
shoulder.

Noriya shook her head and gave the creche worker a sympathetic look.
She continued to cuddle him as she would have her own little brother.
She murmured comforting words into his ears but when Oufelle demanded
her gown be replaced she turned and snapped at her. "It's _mud_
Oufelle. It can be washed out. And if your maid doesn't know how, mine
surely does. You are impossible!"

Suddenly there was warm breath against her neck and she whipped back
around to see a big black canine and the finely encased legs of a very
tall man. "Lord Bryvin," she gasped and stood stepping back with the
boy still in her arms.

"What happened," he asked mildly. Then he smiled and reached out to
Yavin. "How are you doing buddy," he smiled.

"MyLo!" Yavin immediately reached for Lord Bryvin, stretching his arms
out to grasp at him. "She mean! I play with her and she hit." His
lower lip began to tremble once again as he thrust out his hurt hand,
but the glowering eyes refocused on Oufelle. "Mean!"

"Oh, shut up, Noriya! My gowns are finer than yours and..." The moment
the Lord Holder made his presence known, Oufelle dropped into a deep
curtsey, eyes lowered. "My Lord, that little beast..." she lifted her
eyes, saw the child reaching for Bryvin and her words failed her. The
interaction between the Lord Holder and the little boy gave her the
realization that she might have made a grievous error. It was clear
that the Lord Holder knew the boy well and it clicked that it was
likely that the child was not a drudge's child. Perhaps he was even a
highly ranked child, not as high as her, of course, but high enough
that she may have caused a great offence. Floundering, she attempted
to explain. "I uh..I mean...it was just a misunderstanding, my Lord."

Bryvin reached for Yavin and pulled him close with a smile. "let me
see," he said gently though his eyes darkened at the welt he saw
rising on the little hand. He turned to the creche worker. "What
happened," he asked.

Noriya knew the worker could get in trouble with Oufelle while she
herself didn't really care as the other Lady couldn't harm her.
"M'lord," she started. Then cringed a little inside when those eyes
turned on her. "Sorry sir," she said. "He came over to play and
accidentally mussed Lady Oufelle's dress. She... um. Slapped his
hand."

"Slapped his hand?" His eyes switched to the other young woman. "Why
is there a welt?" When he didn't get an immediate answer his eyes
narrowed. "Well?"

Yriadha strode beside Brina, her outwardly cool and stiff demeanor made
a lie by the briskness of her steps and the simmering anger that warmed
her gaze as they walked towards the open play area. "The worker had
better have been exaggerating."

So caught in the Lord Holder's gaze, Oufelle didn't see the two
approaching, nor did she notice that the creche workers backed away as
they approached. "He ruined my dress...so, I struck him with my fan...it
was just a tiny correction..."

"Lady Oufelle." Brina's voice was deceptively even. "Brother. Perhaps
we'd better discuss this in the Hold, don't you agree?" As indignant as
she was that anyone would strike so young a child, she knew that someone
had to remain calm. Oufelle was still a Lord Holder's daughter, and they
definitely didn't need to have this out in front of the staff.
"Headwoman, with your permission, I think the creche can do without the
ladies for the rest of the afternoon."

Yavin, now feeling more secure, clung to Bryvin and glowered with all
of his might at Oufelle. "You bad!" At the sight of Yriadha, however,
he immediately flung himself towards her, arms outstretched and
forcing Bryvin to attempt to catch him before he fell. "Ti! Ti! Want
Ti Ti!"

Bryvin caught the boy before he could fall and placed him gently in
Yriadha's arms with a speaking look. Then he nodded toward his sister.
"Probably for the best," he agreed in a mild tone. "Lady Oufelle," he
said tilting his head. "Walk with me," he started toward the hold
doors without looking to see if she was following but stopped and
turned. "Lady Noriya, thank you for your care of the child." Then he
turned back holding his arm out to his sister.

Yriadha opened her mouth to lash out at Oufelle, but was stopped by
Bryvin placing her son on her arms. As she soothed him, she watched
Oufelle slink after Bryvin and Brina, privately gnashing her teeth.
If this had been Brylex or his daughter, the young woman would have
been expelled from the hold. Her eyes cut to Oufelle coldly, one
eyelid twitching as she began to make her own plans to handle the
insult to her son.

Exhaling and gathering herself to some semblance of decorum, she
turned to the Lady Noriya. Her dark eyes studied three young woman and
she managed to finally offer a warmer smile. "Yes, thank you.
Perhaps you can dine with me this evening. I would very much like to
know more about you. I can have the cook make her best pastries. "

Noriya hadn't grown up as blood in a Major hold without being able to
pick up on the nuances of what was going on around her. The little guy
had been asking for Ti Ti who turned out to be the headwoman and had
gone easily reaching for "MiLo" for comfort. She wasn't certain what
that all meant but the boy was obviously related to he Headwoman and
knew Lord Bryvin. She let none of that show in her face of course, It
was very well schooled in spite if the fire spitting from Yriadha.
She smiled pleasantly first at Yriadha and then the boy. "I would be
honored," she said with a small curtsy. And reached out to Yavin. "You
feel better, alright?"

Last updated on the February 1st 2020

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Creche Duties Gone Wrong