GVH: Guess What

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 29th May 2010

Characters: Parale, Apeline, Alie
Description: Parale tells her mother and her friend her news.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 9, day 19 of Turn 5

She had had to wait until the next day to race to her mother's quarters.
She had asked Apeline to meet her there. Parale was fit to bursting with
her news and wanted to hear everyone's thoughts before she went any
further in her own mind.

Apeline, as a friend since they were in the youngest of the harper
classes, was considered one of the family, and was already setting the
table for tea when Parale arrived. "Well, there you are. Typical,
arriving after the work is done," her friend said with a friendly chide.

Obviously she had come in a hurry. Still, she took her seat and waited
till her mother and Apeline were as well before she started in. "I have
news."

Alie fiddled with pouring her tea and adding in sweetener. When Parale
hadn't said anything else, she snorted. "Out with it, daughter."

"I've received a proposal of marriage." She waited for that to sink in
before she gave up any more details, savoring the moment.

Her friend looked between her and her mother, eyes as wide as the saucer
her teacup sat in. "What? When? _Who_?!"

Alie was a bit more circumspect, though she did get excited. "You can't
leave us hanging."

Parale smiled at the both of them. "The smith...the one I watch the
girls for. He says he'll marry me so they'll have a mother."

"The one who charged in with some story of his child being lost? I have
to say, that did seem a little suspicious," Apeline grinned, feeling
like she was putting pieces of a mystery together. "Well, it seems you
showed a bit of thigh in the end, now, didn't you!"

"Apparently I didn't have to." She nodded, drinking her tea. "Here's the
rub. He plans on going back to his Hold still. Which means, if I
accept-and I may not get a chance like this again-I have sevendays to
get married."

"Oh, no, that's _impossible_!" her friend cried looking to Alie for
support. "He can't really expect you to drop your entire life and chase
after him in _sevendays_ time!"

Alie was a bit more thoughtful. She recognized the desperate look in her
daughter's eye. "Is this what you want? You will be separated from your
family and all you know."

"I wouldn't be chasing. I'd go with him," Parale spoke quietly, thinking
about the consequences of such a decision. "He'll take care of me. And
I will have a family."

Apeline still could not believe her good friend was considering such a
rash move. "But who is this man? He's certainly not unpleasant to look
at. He's no Osman, I'll grant you." She still was not letting Orlo
escape her displeasure on that disaster. "But that's not enough to
build a life around. What do you really know of him?"

"He's a father who loves both of his daughters. He was married before
but she passed away." She frowned. "He loves her very much and I get
the idea that he doesn't want to marry again, except for the girls, but
that's okay."

She thought about Ioven and wondered how to describe him. "He lives at
a seahold, he's a journeyman smith, and he is nice to look at. And he
took care of me when I was sick."

That caused a frown from Alie. The old woman was reading between the
lines. "What if it goes wrong? Then what will you do?"

Parale frowned. "I will be a woman and I will do what I can."

"You know if you ran into trouble, we would never leave you there,"
Apeline said vehemently, reaching out to grab her friend's hand. "You
know Orlo and I would get you somehow. I don't care if we have to send
a dragon for you, we'd never leave you to fend for yourself."

"You don't leave your husband, Apeline. Once you make those promises...
even if it's bad, you stay." She looked at her mother, who had taught
her the traditional values of a holder. The only reasons Parale would
leave would be if her husband committed violence or adultery.

Having finished her tea, Alie went for a refill. "My daughter, I think I
shall meet this man."

"Me too." Apeline was determined to find _something_ wrong with this
man. She didn't want her friend to go so far away for a man who
admittedly did not love her!

Parale knew not to argue. "Allright I'll set up a luncheon. But you have
to promise to be good." She stared at both of them.

Alie's brow rose. "Of course I shall be polite."

Her friend shrugged, gathering up the cups so as to have something to do
with her hands other than shake some sense into her friend. "If he's
not right for you, though, I will tell you so. But I can wait until
after he leaves if you wish."

She nodded, silently agreeing, wondering how this would go. Had she
gotten herself into more than she could handle?

Last updated on the June 12th 2010

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

GVH: Guess What