Perfect Ladies

Writers: Curious, Estelle
Date Posted: 4th February 2024

Characters: Islyn, Tarani
Description: Islyn meets Tarani at the marketplace, and they definitely don't gossip
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 3, day 10 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Brina, Asaile

It was a beautiful day. Rukbat beamed brightly down on the marketplace,
but it was late enough in the turn that the air held a refreshingly cool
breeze rather than the usual humidity of Sunstone. The Hold looked
almost as radiant as Islyn felt. In a light, airy, frosty blue dress and
with carefully plaited hair, she couldn't bring herself to deny the urge
to show off her look. This was what led her down to the marketplace,
which, in turn, caused her to spot a certain someone.

"Tarani!" Islyn cried, adjusting the delicate leather purse slung over
her shoulder as she strode over to the other girl. "What are you doing
out today?"

"Oh, good morning, Islyn!" Tarani turned from her idle perusal of a
woodcrafter's stall, stocked with decoratively carved boxes, toys and
trinkets, and smiled brightly as the girl approached. "Lady Asaile
doesn't need me this morning, so I thought I'd visit the market. I've
got a few errands, and there's always something interesting to see when
traders gather in a sea hold, isn't there?"

"Indeed there is," Islyn said, offering her a dazzling smile in return.
She came to a stop a few feet away from her and peered curiously at the
woodcrafter's offerings as she spoke. "Have you found anything worth
purchasing? Or are you just perusing today?"

"Perhaps. One of those little boxes might be a suitable gift for the
Lady Holder at Turn's End...I haven't decided yet." She'd also been
wondering if a few dozen, packed up and delivered to her uncle's Hold by
riverboat, might be sold for a good profit inland, but she kept that to
herself. Nodding politely to the woodcrafter, she turned and began to
stroll past the rest of the stalls. "Are you looking for anything in
particular?"

"Not by any means," Islyn said, moving in step with Tarani. "It's just
such a beautiful day, I couldn't resist the urge to go on a stroll
through the market. There is much to do indoors, but sometimes..." She
trailed off with a heavy sigh. "Sometimes you need to spread your wings
a bit, yes?"

A hint of self-consciousness overcame her the instant the words left her
lips. Did they come too close to sounding rebellious or improper? Oh,
she certainly hoped not. But if they did... If they did, she was sure
she could find a way to twist them in a way that would benefit her
reputation.

"I know exactly what you mean," Tarani agreed. They walked past a gap in
the stalls which gave onto a view down to the harbor, where warehouses
and taverns surrounded the docks, and where the young ladies had been
expressly forbidden to go without an escort. She knew it wasn't safe,
and yet it called to her, tempting her with all the allure of knowledge
and risk. "I can't think how many times I've nearly dozed off over my
needlework when it's warm outside. Or when Lady Brina is lecturing us on
how to arrange a seating plan for dinner, or how to make sure the maids
have polished the spoons..." She gave an exaggerated yawn.

Islyn frowned. "All of that stuff is important though," she said, voice
taking on a stern undertone. "How can you expect to become a truly
respectable lady without it? I know that it may get a tad... Tedious a
times, but it's important that you don't allow yourself to slack off or
get too distracted."

"I doubt whoever marries me will care much about my skills at
flower-arranging." Tarani gave in to the same irresistible temptation to
shock Islyn that she did around Lady Asaile. "As long as my uncle's Lord
Holder, most men wouldn't care if I stuck the flowers in my hair and
danced a jig on the dining table. Almost anyone with good birth can be
respectable." Almost, she thought, remembering the ill-fated Lady
Oufelle. "Do you know what those activities are for? Keeping us busy and
out of trouble."

It would seem that Tarani was to get her wish, if only for a moment. The
shock that fluttered across Islyn's face was shortly replaced by
contempt. She crossed her arms and sniffed, tilting her head up in a way
that tossed her hair. "Have you considered that some girls _need_ to be
kept busy and out of trouble?" she asked. "I mean, just look at Prinna.
If she worried more about flower arranging, she wouldn't have be able to
waste her life obsessing over overgrown fish."

Although she'd already decided that Islyn was stuck-up and a perfect
target for teasing, Tarani was momentarily distracted by the hint of
juicy gossip. "Prinna? _Fish_?"

Islyn allowed a sneer to weave itself across her lips. “Silly girl
thinks she’s going to become a dolphineer or something,” she said.
“She’s been spending all her time looking for the things at the docks
instead of doing anything that would actually let her better herself.”

"She was at the docks?" Tarani sounded almost impressed. "Lady Brina
will have a fit if she catches her. We're not supposed to go down there
without an escort." To her chagrin, she hadn't found a way to get around
that restriction yet. She was sure the Lord Holder's sister was keeping
a special eye on her. "People might think she's flirting with the sailors."

Islyn's eyes widened, just for a heartbeat. Then she tilted her head
back and let out a bright, trilling, mocking laugh. "Please! _Her_?" She
shook her head and offered Tarani a grin. "I wouldn't be surprised to
find out that Prinna's attracted to the fish. Something's more than a
little... Off... About her, if you know what I mean."

"Ugh, Islyn!" Even Tarani was startled. That put even her most
irreverent remarks into the shade. "That's revolting!" She'd never look
at Prinna the same way again. "And it's not ladylike to say such
things," she added, belatedly remembering her manners. "Imagine if
someone overheard you."

Alarm flickered across Islyn's face. She opened her mouth, then closed
it a second later. Wiping her expression blank, she turned her gaze
straight ahead as she said in a slow, low voice, "Perhaps. But
sometimes, one must say that which is... uncouth... in order to spread
the truth. It's better to be momentarily mortified than permanently
unaware of someone you should be careful of, right? Besides..." She
looked at Tarani with a bright smile. "_You_ aren't going to tell
anyone, are you?"

"Of course not." Tarani had never tattled on anyone in her life, even if
she was starting to think that Islyn would deserve it. "It isn't
ladylike to spread gossip, either." She thought for a moment. "Besides,
if I told, I'd have to explain how I know that Prinna spends time at the
docks, and I couldn't do that to a friend. You were there too, weren't
you?" Her lips twitched with a mischievous grin. "Were you after the
handsome sailors?"

The act of gossiping may have been unladylike under most circumstances,
but it was fine when it concerned someone who deserved it. Then it was a
_warning_. Islyn almost said as much, but caught herself at the last
second. It was unlikely that Tarani would see sense. Perhaps it was
better to just let this particular subject change.

So that was what she did. "_Please_," she said, shaking her head at the
thought of lusting over some common dock worker. "As if I would fall for
a sailor. I was only there to make sure Tarani didn't do anything she
would regret."

"Of course," Tarani replied, a conspiratorial note in her voice. "I
believe you. But some people love to create a scandal where none exists.
And aren't your family fisherfolk?" she added innocently, as if she'd
only just remembered. "A sailor wouldn't be so surprising a match. Not a
common seaman, but an officer perhaps..."

Islyn shot Tarani a look that came dangerously close to a scowl. She
caught it before it could fully blossom as such, twisting it around into
a wary, disapproving look. "Don't insult me," she said. "My father is a
_master_, I'm not going to marry a sailor of any sort. Just because we
may be fisherfolk _now_ doesn't mean that we have to stay that way. I'm
not..." She paused, pursing her lips as she considered how to phrase her
next words. "I'm not trying to be presumptuous," she eventually
continued, "But is it not our duty to our families to try to do better
than our parents? I believe so. As such, where the opportunity presents
itself, I shall strive to move up in the world."

"Some people would say that it's better to know your place," Tarani
replied, more out of temptation to tease Islyn than any real conviction
on that subject. "Otherwise you risk making yourself ridiculous by
aspiring above your station."

Indignation flared up within Islyn hot and fast enough that her next
words spilled out without a second thought. "Aspirations aren't bad when
you're able to back them up. If no one ever looked above their station,
it would only be a matter of time until the ranking bloodlines were an
inbred mess. Which is _not_ me accusing the leadership of being inbred.
It isn't, precisely because of men and women who aimed high, proved
themselves, and earned a higher station than they started out with."

"Oh? So who are you aiming for, Islyn?" There was a definite hint of
mockery in the other young lady's smile. "Too bad the Lord Holder's
already married. Unless you're planning to push Lady Asaile off the edge
of the docks..." She smiled. "That wasn't what you were down there
planning, was it?"

In an outstanding display of self-control, the mockery went
unacknowledged. For now. Islyn twirled a lock of hair around her pointer
finger as she said, "Not the Lord Holder, no, but perhaps a relative.
Lady Brina _is_ fond of me, you know. Or..." she paused, shooting Tarani
a wry smile. "Well, I wouldn't want to jinx it, now would I? I imagine
that's why Lady Kaede has been so quiet about her perspective matches."
Lady Kaede of Silver Peak, whose perspective matches Islyn knows about.
Because she knows things. More than Tarani, even.

"Perhaps so. Lady Brina does say that it's wise to be discreet about
these matters." Tarani did her best to hide her curiosity. Was there
some scandal there - or was Islyn planning to steal one of Kaede's
suitors? She wondered if she should warn the other lady, or if it would
be more fun to watch it play out. "Well, it has been absolutely charming
meeting you, Islyn, but I'd better be on my way back to the Hold. Lady
Asaile might need me. Are you coming, or are you...headed down to the
docks?" Her smile was innocent and wicked, all at once.

Islyn _didn't_ roll her eyes. It was tempting for all sorts of very
obvious reasons, but she resisted the urge. Faranth knew what sort of
gossip Taranai might spread if she was too unladylike around her. And
she _was_ ladylike, mind, she was the perfect lady to the core. But this
had already been a somewhat unfortunate encounter in many ways, so...
Better to play it safe. Instead of rolling her eyes, she smiled sweetly
and asked, "Whatever would make you think I might do that? I'm not
_Prinna_." A gentle giggle - _not_ a scoff - and then she held her arm
out to Tarani, the invitation clear.

"You certainly aren't." Tarani took Islyn's arm, just as though they
were the best of friends. She didn't think the other girl was nearly as
prim and ladylike as she wanted to appear, but that only made sparring
with her all the more fun. Besides, she wanted to hear if there was any
more gossip about Lady Kaede. "Let's go. We don't want to be late for
another delightful afternoon of needlework and lectures."

Last updated on the February 7th 2024

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