That's What Matters

Writers: Aaron, Devin
Date Posted: 21st May 2024

Characters: B'lyse, Saedyna
Description: Saedyna goes to clear the air with Blue and inadvertently plays matchmaker.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 11 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Ç'pier

Saedyna took her tray and headed toward the tables, intending to join
some of the older female Candidates like she usually did. But at the
far end of one table she spotted Blue and Corland, who seemed to be
Blue's shadow lately -- or maybe it was the other way around.

Following an impulse -- a thing she enjoyed doing more and more -- she
turned that way instead. Setting her tray down across from them, she
told Blue, "I don't blame you, you know."

Blue squinted at her, and then he looked to Corland. He had not quite
picked up everything she said, and it seemed as though perhaps she was
saying she blamed him. He did not have to imagine what for.

"That's mighty nice of you to say," said Corland. He had begun to
speak more slowly of late for Blue's benefit. Based on this, it seemed
Saedyna had said something nice, which probably meant she had said the
opposite of what Blue originally gleaned.

"I'm glad," he said in his strange island accent. "I didn't know."

"Oh, well," Saedyna said. "I mean as long as _you_ didn't know C'pier
attacked me until he told everyone. He said you didn't." C'pier could
well be lying about that too, but she was willing to believe Blue
wasn't involved.

"Aye, that's what he said," said Corland. "He didn't know about what
Ç'pier did to you." He nodded to Blue.

"Yes," Blue confirmed.

Blue was a bit of a dimglow, maybe that's why C'pier had been so
protective of him. And why he'd needed to bribe a Searchrider. "Well,
I guess . . . I just wanted you to know," Saedyna said. "That I'm not
mad at you, or anything."

The way people spoke slowly to him when they thought Blue was an idiot
was a blessing and a curse. It was just about the only way he could
get everything they were saying to him, but also it meant they thought
he was an idiot.

"Aye," he said. "I took your meaning when you said you didn't blame
me." He wanted to tell her he was not mad at her, either, just for the
fun of it, but she would not understand. "I'm glad you're alright
now."

Saedyna had physically recovered aside from a few new scars. But she
was always nervous in storerooms, especially if she couldn't stay near
the door. "Do you still talk to him?" She hadn't noticed them
together, but that might just be because C'pier was busy with weyrling
duties. It was _so_ unfair that the man who'd tried to _kill_ her had
a dragon and she didn't.

"I don't have anything else to say to him." Blue scowled. He had owed
so much to Ç'pier. But now he just felt... hurt. Betrayed. Deceived.

"I wish I could punch him in the face. Or push him down the stairs."
Or break his finger. Saedyna didn't know if she was actually capable
of something like that, or if it would make her feel any better.

Blue glanced at Corland, who shook his head.

"The riders wouldn't have it," said Corland. "I don't know what kind
of dragon would Impress to a tunnelsnake, but there's seemingly at
least one in the world, and Ç'pier's lucky he found it."

"Oh I know he's untouchable now." Saedyna picked up her fork just so
she could stab at her roast wherry.

"He really thought Blue would just... be thankful. Like he didn't
bring this on his head to begin with!" Corland lowered his voice and
leaned in closer to Saedyna. "Did you know he was in debt to some
shady people who kept him from going holdless when he ran away from
home? Don't know what business they'd have with you, but whether you
believe him or not, Ç'pier said he didn't even ask. Didn't even ask!
Just up and did what they wanted without so much as a thought to
telling the Weyrlingmasters."

He got even quieter.

"So. What business _did_ they have with you?"

Saedyna could tell Corland it wasn't his business, but that would just
make her seem suspicious. Besides, he wasn't the first person to ask,
and she knew what to say. She dropped her gaze and stabbed her roast
some more, but her voice was quiet. "My husband . . . someone helped
me get away from him. I thought I'd be safe at the Weyr, but this . .
. person still wanted me to pay what I agreed to. And when I didn't .
. ." She shrugged. "But now his little thug is a dragonrider and
doesn't work for him anymore."

Corland tensed up.

"If anyone ever comes to try and hurt you again, you let us know, and
we'll take care of them before they have a chance to steal another
dragon."

It made her feel weak that people thought she needed protecting -- but
why wouldn't they, after what had happened to her? And yet at the same
time, it felt good to _finally_ have people willing to defend her.
Saedyna smiled. "Half the girls in the barracks were ready to form a
circle around me wherever I went, like I was a Lady Holder with a
bunch of female guards." And she'd noticed that when she was paired up
for chores, it was always with other girls or only the youngest and
smallest boys. She was sure that had been arranged by the Headwoman's
staff, or the Weyrlingmasters, or both.

"Good." Corland nodded and relaxed a bit. "I..." Nobody needed his
life story, but he had good reason to feel protective in this
particular situation. "There's a special place in the forge for men
who hurt women who trusted them." It was, of course, in the fire.

It took her a moment to realize what he must mean. "I never trusted
him," she muttered as she stared at her plate.

"I'm sorry," said Corland. It made him wonder just how much his mother
had ever really trusted his father.

She finally started cutting her wherry, realizing it was going to get
cold if she didn't eat it soon. "I'm here now, and that's what
matters."

"That's what matters," Blue agreed.

"I'm glad you found a friend," she told Blue, with a little nod toward Corland.

Blue turned to look at Corland and smiled brightly with stars in his
eyes. He was... so lucky to have found him. A real friend. Someone he
could really trust, who did not keep things from him.

"He is my friend."

Corland's mouth twitched. Friend, was he? Just a friend? He reached
out and took Blue's hand, and the boy's smile widened.

Saedyna paused in the middle of chewing a bite. She'd seen . . .
_things_ at the Weyr. Maybe she was misinterpreting, but it would
explain why Blue and Corland were spending so much time together. She
finished swallowing before she said, "Oh, are you, err . . .
together?"

Both of their eyes widened, and they looked at each other, surprised.
Both looked as though they wanted to say something, but for a few
moments, neither seemed to find any words.

Finally, Blue said,

"A-are we?"

"Do you want us to be...?"

"I... don't want us _not_ to be..."

Corland chuckled.

"Not exactly a resounding yes."

"It's just... I never really thought I..."

"Yeah, me, neither. Maybe you're just special."

Blue smiled.

"You are."

"Would you be my... uh... boyfriend?"

"Yes."

At last, that having been resolved, Corland looked back to Saedyna.

"It seems that we are together. Hope that's not going to be a problem."

She stared for a moment, stunned that all that had happened _right in
front of her_. She'd been at the Weyr long enough that men liking each
other wasn't surprising, but what did confuse her was the spark of
jealousy. She didn't _want_ to be trapped in a relationship with
someone else, her stomach churned when the boys here tried to flirt
with her. But to have someone love her, to be sweet and kind and
actually care . . . maybe she did want that. "Congratulations," she
managed.

"Oh, uh. Thanks. Everything here has been a little new to me, but..."
Corland looked into Blue's eyes. "And forgive me for how sappy this is
going to sound, but I don't think I could bear to... If he had said he
wanted to be with me, and I had tried to pretend it away... You're
from the holds, you know what I mean. It's safe for me not to have to
hurt him here. To not have to hurt myself. I never really get to just
say all these things. I hope I'm not making things weird. Too weird,
anyway."

"It's fine," she said automatically. But there were so many thoughts
spinning in her head she couldn't sort them out. "I didn't . . ." She
frowned, trying to focus on what he'd said. "I heard a few things, but
I'm from a cothold and we didn't really hear much about . . . this
kind of thing. Mostly just comments about what things people got up to
at the Weyrs. I didn't really understand until I got here." It had
been strange to see men holding hands and kissing, and sometimes doing
more than that. But not much stranger than the general open sexuality
of the Weyr. Not any stranger than women being able to choose their
relationships and not be controlled by men.

"It was a bit of a surprise to me, too," said Corland. He was
blushing, and he never blushed. (Blue thought it was cute.) "All of
this was. I just... I'm not going to let this pass me by, because I
don't have to."

It was so sweet and earnest it made Saedyna smile even as it made her
heart ache. Her only relationship had been filled with control, abuse,
and misery. But it wasn't like that for everyone. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." Corland smiled back and relaxed a bit.

Last updated on the May 24th 2024

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That's What Matters