Jitters

Writers: Yvonne, Eimi
Date Posted: 25th November 2005

Characters: Thalia, Penryn
Description: Penryn and Thalia can't sleep the night before the new Lord Holder arrives...
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 8, day 26 of Turn 3

Penryn was so tired his eyes were starting to cross. He shook his klah pot. Empty. Again. Maybe he should take a break and walk down to the kitchens to get a new one. He still had three minor hold's tithes to go through and add to the report. And the crop rotation schedule to recopy. And if he was still awake he could start sketching out a rough calendar of the planting season. Couldn't they ask the Lord Regent to give him one more sevenday before his arrival?
He sighed, picking up the empty pot and walked to the door. The poor man almost dropped it again when he flung open the door to the dim corridor to find someone standing outside it. "Shards and shells woman!"

Thalia pressed a hand against her rapidly beating heart and realized she was shaking from fright. She'd nearly screamed when Penryn had burst out of the door like that. "I'm sorry! I saw your light..."

"I'm sorry Lady Thalia," he apologized quickly when he realized just who it was outside his door. "I was just going to get more klah. I didn't think anyone would be awake. I would never have said that if I had known who..."

"It's fine. I guess I scared you as much as you scared me." She tried on a smile and found that it didn't wobble _too_ badly. Adrenaline had made her knees weak. "I didn't think anyone would be awake, either."

"Well, did you need something? Nothing has happened has it?" That would be just his luck - one more thing to add to his list of things that had to be done before the New Lord Regent arrived the next afternoon.

"No..." It was hard to sleep in a new room - Lord Ishek would inherit the one that she and Aswic had shared. At least in her old rooms she was reminded of her late husband, and she could wrap herself in his things to chase away the dark. "I just- why are you working so late?"

He rubbed at his tired eyes. "I'm getting everything ready for Lord Ishek's arrival. He will need to be apprized of everything when he arrives."

"The poor man will need a day or two to settle in before diving head-long into our troubles. Which means that instead of getting another pot of klah, what you _should_ be doing is getting some sleep." She frowned. "How will it seem if you go out to greet him looking like something the feline dragged in?"

"Lady, it is my duty to have the Hold _ready_ for the Lord Regent's arrival. What if he starts asking me questions I don't know the answer to?" The late hour made him a bit bold. "And forgive me for pointing it out, but you're not sleeping either."

"That's none of your concern. But the Hold is my concern, and you happen to be part of the Hold. And whatever it is that you are doing can wait another day," she shot back, slightly stung. "I don't think Lord Ishek will ask anything more difficult than 'where are my rooms?' on the first day."

"Lady Thalia, I appreciate your concern, but I am accustomed to working long hours. I'm sure a little bit longer won't kill me." Guilt filled his expression at the tactless reply. The former Lady Holder didn't need any more reminders of how they had come to this.

Thalia frowned and wrapped her sweater around herself a little tighter. "Fine. But make sure that you're presentable tomorrow morning." Her tone made it clear that she doubted that would be the case.

"Don't worry, Lady Thalia," he said gently, "I know my duty to the Hold." Penryn looked at her, noticing the dark circles around her eyes made all the deeper in the dim light. "Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?"

She lied. "No."

"Lady Thalia?" Penryn questioned as he lay a hand on her shoulder. It was obvious he was not being completely honest.

"Don't turn this around! We were talking about _you_," Thalia snapped. Her position was tenuious enough in the Hold without everyone knowing the details of her private life. "I _still_ think that you'd be better off finding a bed instead of klah."

Penryn removed his hand from her shoulder. Despite how well they had been getting along recently, it was obvious that they were not friends. **What could you expect from a Lady Holder after all...** "I understand your concerns, Lady Thalia, but I have more to finish."

"Fine." Thalia felt vaguely surprised at how much being brushed off -
again - hurt. **It isn't my concern anyway if he decides to work himself to an early grave!**

"If you will excuse me, Lady, I think I'd better see if there is a fresh pot of klah in the kitchens." She stepped aside to let him walk past, and watched him walk away from her down the hall until he turned a corner and disappeared from sight. She wrapped her sweater around herself and decided to follow her own advice and go back to bed. Lord Ishek would arrive in the morning, and hopefully everything would be better because of it.
Hopefully.

Last updated on the November 26th 2005

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Jitters