Embarrassment

Writers: Avery, Eimi
Date Posted: 12th October 2007

Characters: Penryn, Ishek
Description: Penryn comes to Ishek's aid when he's discovered in an embarrasing situation
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 6, day 11 of Turn 4

"Sir, I'm so sorry," the young woman whispered. "I just don't think its right to leave him there, what with everyone starting to wake up and all..."

"No no, please don't worry about it. I appreciate your letting me know," the Steward replied softly, finishing buttoning up his tunic.
"Where is he again?"

"In the kitchen, on the hearth in front of the fire. I'm just afraid more people will see him. We're going to start baking the morning bread soon."

That's all they needed was half the kitchen staff to parade through the kitchens. "I would appreciate your discretion..."

"Oh yes, of course," she quickly assured him as they turned the corner.
"I'm not one of those gossipy types, sir."

"I will remember that. I'm sure Lord Ishek will appreciate it." Penryn would at least make sure Ishek gave her some kind of thank-you gift.
When he was sobber that is.

The Lord Holder was right were the girl said he would be - passed out in front of the dying embers. Penryn shook his head, exasperated. This was starting to get out of hand. His drinking hadn't seemed to be letting up at all. If anything it was getting worse. "Lord Ishek?" he said softly, shaking him gently. "Lord Ishek!" he repeated a bit louder.
Nothing. Sighing, the Steward stood up and grabbed a bowl. Filling it with water, he splashed it onto the Warder's head. "Come on, Ishek, wake up!"

"Huh, wha?" The feeling of the water splashing across his face startled Ishek from his sleep. He groaned slightly, looking up and then putting his face back down. He had a headache. "Lemme sleep." he protested.

"Respectfully, no way, sir," the Penryn said sternly as he reached down to try to pull the man up to his feet. "Come on. You'll feel more comfortable in your own bed."

Bed. Bed was good. Wait, wasn't he in bed? Why was Penryn in his rooms anyways? That was odd. Ishek lifted his head and looked back up. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You're on the kitchen floor, m'Lord," his Steward replied, wrapping his arms around his middle. "Come on now. Up. On your feet."

Ishek managed to stand and stay on his feet with Penryn's aid. On the kitchen floor? He didn't really remember why he was there. He remembered sitting in front of a warm fire and then...oh, he didn't know. "Okay."

Penryn held onto him to make sure he didn't lose his balance. "Can you walk?"

Ishek took a few tentative steps. He was slow, but able to stay upright.
"Yes."

"All right," the Steward said skeptically, releasing him but standing right behind him just in case. "Let's go back to your rooms then."

Ishek nodded and started slowly heading back. His head hurt with every step of the way. As a result, it took more time than it usually would have to get to his apartments, and when he got there he immediately sat down. "I have a headache." he complained. The walking had made him more aware.

Penryn pressed a glass of water into the Lord Warder's hands. "Here.
Drink this."

"Thank you." Ishek took it and started drinking. Penryn sure was a reliable fellow, helping him out like this. He was glad for it. He shouldn't have been found like that. He shouldn't have drunk like that.

The Steward wiped at his face wearily as he took a seat next to him.
"So what happened?"

"Kiomo introduced me to a new drink and left me the bottle when he left.
And then I suppose I decided to finish it."

"Kiomo..." Penryn muttered under his breath. Shards, was the man completely blind? As close as he was to Ishek, was it really possible that he could miss just how much the Lord Holder had been relying on drink? The Steward had seen it, the Headwoman had seen it. And yet Kiomo seemed to not only fail to notice it, but to actually _encourage_
it!

Ishek sighed. "I should have come back to my room to drink, shouldn't I?" he said.

"Perhaps you should not have been drinking in the first place." It was a rather bold thing for Penryn to say to his boss, but for his own sake it had to be said. "Your drinking has not gone completely unnoticed."

"By just you?" Ishek asked.

"I've been trying to keep it quiet. But you were passed out in the _kitchen_, Ishek. Who knows who was walking through there looking at their Lord Holder rolling around in the ashes."

So it wasn't just today Penryn had noticed. Shards! "There could have been others." he agreed. The water and the cold reality of things was starting to sink in.

Penryn wiped his hair back from his face in frustration, wishing he had had time to tie it back. Now it was just being annoying, and he was frustrated enough already. "What is happening with you? You seem fine during the day, but at night you just fill your office with empty bottles. I really just don't understand what is going on in your head."

Ishek reacted as if he'd been slapped. His initial reaction was shock Penryn would be so blunt. but as Penryn's words sunk into his clouded mind and he thought about them, he realized with shame that his steward was right. "I can't sleep." he said. "I went to the healers and they told me to ride before bedtime, and it didn't help. If I drink enough, I can sleep."

"Yes, that seemed to be more than effective." The steward took a deep breath. He usually didn't let his anger show so easily. "Why can't you sleep? Is there something going on I should know about?"

He knew why, but didn't know how much to entrust to Penryn. There was the matter of the girl's disappearance still, and he was so lonely, and he'd gotten a few marriage letters and it depressed him, and he missed Miralani, and he still felt like he was playing at being a Lord. "I miss my sister, and I've been reminded of the past." he admitted to, leaving out his own fears about his position. "Things I don't wish to remember."
And when the work was gone...

"What kind of reminder?" Penryn asked, his tone a bit more understanding than before.

"We still have no leads on Royani's disappearance, and...it still reminds me of my wife's." he confessed. "Without Miralani around, either, it seems like there's nothing left of my old life." That was the core of it, wasn't it? Ishek was gone, he felt. The clothes and behaviors and trappings of a Lord were all that was left.

"I supposed to be that way," the steward sighed, knowing that pain full well. He had been going through a similar change in his life. But instead of turning to drink, he had turned to Thalia. He wondered which habit was more harmful in his case. "You are still alive. You can't be expected to hold on forever."

"I know." Ishek said. "It just hurts- couldn't I have kept something from before I was a Lord? Something from when I was just a man?" He worried, sometimes, about his power. Would it corrupt him? Would he be Ishek anymore, in a few turns?

"What is a Lord if not a man?" Penryn shrugged. "You act as though you have to lose your soul in order to be a good Lord. You have been a good Lord, Ishek, as the man you are. Stop trying to fit some imaginary image of what a Lord _should_ be. No matter what kind of man you are, a Lord is what you will be."

Ishek pondered that. He supposed Penryn was right, but he still felt like being a Lord was an imposition on him. "Will anyone think so after today?"

"Hopefully only the girl who came to get me saw you. I think she will be discrete." At least he hoped so. "And it was only the first time.
But if you don't start being more reserved in your drinking, I am afraid it could happen again."

"I will try." Ishek said, humbled. He wondered who the girl was and if she was ashamed of him or not. "Perhaps I'll decline drinking invitations for awhile."

"I think that would be wise." The steward suddenly felt very tired. As if he didn't have enough troubles of his own, this had to happen...
"Perhaps you can sleep now."

"I'll try." It would make him useless for the day, but his head still ached. "I appreciate this." he said honestly.

Penryn nodded his acknowledgement. "Just... please don't do it again.
I get little enough sleep as it is with a baby in my home." He gave Ishek a small smile to let him know he was teasing. Kind of.

Ishek laughed slightly. "I shall try not to trouble you- father."

The steward shook his head and rolled his eyes, but his smile was a bit more genuine. "Get some sleep. I will see you in the morning."

Last updated on the October 14th 2007

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Embarrassment