You Must be Lord Ishek

Writers: Avery, Eimi, Yvonne
Date Posted: 22nd November 2005

Characters: Thalia, Penryn, Ishek
Description: Lord Regent Ishek arrives at Garnet Valley Hold
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 27 of Turn 3

"Dragons! There are dragons!"

Thalia looked up from her gitar at the drudge at the door. The girl was smiling like an idiot while the Lady's stomach twisted itself into knots. Today was the day that the Lord Warder was arriving.
After a moment Thalia found her voice again. "Thank you. Will you please go fetch Aslian from his nurse and bring him to me?" The girl nodded, and was gone.

His name was Ishek, he was unmarried, and he was travelling with his sister. That was all Thalia knew of him, and as she smoothed her hair in front of her mirror, she wished she knew more. **If only to feel better prepaired.** The room, too, made her feel off-balance. With the new Lord arriving she'd had to abandon the rooms that she and Aswic had shared for something in the Ladies' quarters. She'd comandeered the finest of them for herself as her last act as Lady Holder, and felt justified in the choice since Aslian was her son -
and Heir. **I might be set aside, but I won't let that happen to Aslian.**

As if the thought conjured him, the drudge returned and Thalia took him into her arms. He was half asleep. She gave him a quick kiss on his soft, chubby cheek before hurrying down the hall and joining the rest of the Hold in welcoming their new Lord. The grand front doors were opened letting in blast of icy air and a hint of rain, and she squinted against the glare as she stepped outside and looked up.

Ishek looked down, admiring Garnet Valley Hold as the dragon who was transporting burst from /between/. As soon as they landed he swung down, thanking the dragonrider and offering a grateful nod to the dragon. Shouldering his pack, he stepped away from the dragon and towards the Hold.

It looked wonderful both from the air and the ground, and for a moment Ishek believed that nothing was wrong with the place. As he drew closer to the people of the Hold amassed to greet him, though, he rethought. There was something in their faces, to varying degrees but present in every one, that spoke that something was amiss. His heart went out to the people- those he was now to protect. He still couldn't believe it, but there was no time for thoughts. He stopped in front of a woman holding a child, one he believed was the Lady Holder (or had been), and hoped he'd identified her correctly. "Lady Thalia?" he asked respectfully, allowing his steady tenor to carry confidently. He hoped to make a good impression, both on her and the people of the Hold as a whole.

Thalia swallowed nervously. "Y-yes. You must be Lord Ishek." He was taller than she'd expected, and his eyes were kind. She'd imagined the Conclave sending her a fat tyrant. "On behalf of my son and the Hold, welcome to Garnet Valley."

He nodded respectfully to her. "Indeed I am. Thank you for your kind welcome, on behalf of the Hold and of your son." He stepped closer to her, eying her son, the Heir to the Hold. "He is a lovely babe." he told Thalia with a sincere smile. He held no ill will toward the babe, or towards the previous Holder's wife- he knew he was only Regent and that this would not be his Hold for the rest of his life, and accepted that fact. Actually, he rather liked children of all ages, and the young heir was a prime example.

Penryn stood behind the former Lady of the Hold. He watched as she and the new Regent exchanged pleasantries. She may not have acted like the Lady Holder everyone had expected her to be when her husband was alive, but she sure looked the part today. A small smile played at the corner of his lips as he listened to their little exchange.
The Regent seemed a kind man, and he was confident that now Thalia's concerns for her future and that of her son would be put to rest.

"Thank you." Thalia inclined her head and found herself at a loss for words. "I- imagine your trip was cold. Will you come inside? The drudges will attend to your things."

"It was indeed- I have ridden adragonback only a few times before."
Ishek confessed. "I'm afraid I'm not yet used to /between/, and the warmth of inside will be greatly appreciated. I also look forward to seeing the Hold."

As she turned to lead him inside, she came face to face with Penryn, who she hadn't realized was standing there. "This is Penryn, who has been my Steward since- our misfortunes."

Ishek extended his hand. "Good day, Penryn." he said. "You seem to have been doing a fine job so far; the Hold appears well cared for. What experience did you have before taking on the role of acting Steward?
What do you think of your role as acting Steward? Do you wish to leave it or continue on in it? I could use someone familiar with the Hold's operations." He was very straightforward and did not worry that he was asking too many questions at once. He had a mind to keep Penryn on as Steward if he answered in a way Ishek found favorable-
he just wanted a sense of the man first. And if Penryn couldn't handle the rapid-fire questioning, he might not be suited after all.

Rapid-fire or no, the questions of a Lord, even a Lord Regent, should not go unanswered. "I was a foreman for the previous Steward for several turns. About three turns ago he promoted me to Assistant Steward. I think I have done well as acting Steward, considering the circumastances, though that is of course for you to decide. And yes, sir, I would like to continue on as your Steward, if you find my work satisfactory."

"I'm _sure_ that he will," Thalia said, before Ishek could reply. She could feel the gaze of the holders that had come out to greet their new Lord boring into her back and bringing a slight flush to her cheeks. "But this is neither the time nor the place to conduct business. Why don't we retire inside and settle somewhere more _private_?"

"That is a good idea indeed." Ishek said with a nod. Her advice was certainly sound. "If you will lead the way?" he asked to no one in particular- he didn't know the good places to settle.

Thalia nodded and swept ahead, leaving the two men to follow her into Aswic's old library. There was a fire in the grate and tea or klah could be brought to them, and it gave them privacy without it becoming too stifling. There would be time later to show Ishek his new apartments and office.

Once they had settled, he spoke to Penryn again. "You certainly have fine qualifications, and from what I have seen of the Hold so far you have certainly been managing it well. The position of Steward is yours for the taking."

Penryn blinked a few times, not quite sure he had heard the new Lord Regent correctly. He glanced between Lady Thalia and the Lord Regent. Surely, it wasn't that simple! "Ah... Well... If you would have me, my Lord, I am at your service."

"And I appreciate your service." Ishek said gravely. "Can you think of anything else that needs to be discussed or done right now?" he asked, being sure to include Thalia in his question. She might have something to say or ask as well.

"My Lord, we have waited a long time for you to come. I think we can wait a day for you to settle in," Penryn said with a reassuring smile. "You must be tired. We can begin when you have had a chance to rest."

"I'll have someone show you to your rooms." Thalia rose from her seat and pulled a cord to summon a drudge. "If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact either myself or Penryn, and if you need anything a drudge will be available. You needn't worry about a thing until you're settled, and we're planning a proper welcome for you on the eve of the next rest day."

"Thank you very much." Ishek said, standing as well. "It's been a pleasure to meet you both, and I look forward to working with you both in the future."

Last updated on the November 23rd 2005

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You Must be Lord Ishek