A Little of This, A Little of That

Writers: Eimi, Yvonne
Date Posted: 28th December 2005

Characters: Thalia, Penryn
Description: Thalia and Penryn discuss plans for the banquet, but drift onto other topics
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 9, day 1 of Turn 3

There was always so much to _do_ for a banquet. Thalia sighed and looked over her desk at the nearby cradle, where her son was sleeping peacefully. She'd started requesting that he sleep in the same room she was in since she didn't get to see him much during the day if she didn't. The nurse said that it would change once he was a little older, and that she could care for him more when he was a little more self-sufficient, but until then either she worked, or she babysat. So she worked, since there was no one else to do it. But she'd rather baby-sit. "What do you think, Aslian?" She rested her elbow on the desk and put her chin into her hand. "Do we need runners for the tablecloths?"

A little green flit popped into the room, chittering and bearing a note in a small message tube. She settled herself neatly onto the edge of the cradle and peered down at the little boy. The green chattered like an old Auntie gushing over the baby, dipping her head as if in approval.

"Shhh! Shh!" Thalia leapt to her feet but it was too late. Aslian opened his eyes, but instead of starting to cry like she expected, waved his chubby little hands at the flit in a vain attempt to grab it. The Lady breathed a sigh of relief before turning to the flit.
"You're Penryn's, aren't you? Do you have a message for me?" The little green was tolerant enough of the interruption of her study to give the formal Lady Holder a quick look and an acknowledging chirp before turning to observe the child which had suddenly become much more interesting now that he was moving.

It took a little coaxing, but Thalia was finally able to coax the message tube from the little flit's claws and unroll the message inside. It was written in Penryn's neat writing, and said, 'When it is convenient, may I speak with you about banquet plans?' Thalia glanced at the flit and the baby, then back at the message.
She stood and summoned the nurse, who came in bearing a cup of klah and a sleepy expression. "I won't be gone long," she told her, and bent to kiss her baby's fingers. The nurse nodded and settled herself where she could watch both the flit and the child as Thalia left the room to knock on Penryn's office door.

Penryn the office door and was surprised to find she had come to him, and so quickly. "I didn't mean to disturb your evening, Lady Thalia.
I would come speak to you tomorrow when you are free..." "Aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked, finding herself pleased that he was in. "Unless - I'm not the one who has disturbed _your_ evening, am I?"

"Oh, no no. I was just..." He stood back and offered her a seat. "I was working. But nothing so important."

"Thank you." Thalia sat and took a moment to arrange her skirts prettily around her knees, then glanced up at the Steward. "You work far too much, do you know that?"

He was sure her question was rhetorical, but it hit home a bit. "I enjoy my work, Lady." "All work and no play will make you a dull boy!" Thalia said lightly.
"But, what did you wish to discuss?"

"Nothing specific," he admitted a bit guiltily. "Nothing that requires immediate attention. I just wanted to ask where we were with it, and how I can help. If you have something else this evening..."

"Not a thing that can't wait a little longer!"

"You came rather quickly, you know. I had no time to prepare." He gave her a smile to let her know he did not mean it as a reproach in any way. In truth, he was happy for the company. He began riffling through the hides and scraps of paper on his desk. "I have to find my lists."

"Take your time." Thalia glanced around the office, and decided to find Penryn something bright for his walls. "Aslian likes your flit, by the way. What's her name?"

"Promise." He glanced up at Thalia between shifting stacks. "She likes children."

"I can tell. Aslian was absolutely entranced by her. Do you have any children?" Penryn hadn't mentioned any, but he _had_ been married, and maybe they were fostered with other parents, or maybe grandparents. "No," he said with a shake of his head. "Jaika and I talked about it a lot, but she was never healthy enough for that."

"What was the matter with her?"

He dug deeper into the pile of papers, keeping his tone as unconcerned as possible. In truth, this was the first time in a long time he talked about her so openly. "She had firehead when she was young. It was very bad, and though she survived it... Well, she never regained her full strength."

"I'm sorry to hear it. I'm sure that she was a lovely woman," Thalia said quietly.

"Thank you. She was." He pulled out a hide and laid it out carefully. "Anyway, here is the list of dignitary invitees. It's not complete yet. I wanted to ask you about a few names we could add to the list. Your family for example, is not yet on the list. Would you like to invite them?"

Thalia hesitated and wouldn't quite meet Penryn's eye. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if she _wanted_ to see them, not now... oh, her mother and her siblings she missed with an ache that was almost physical, but her father... Rethral loved her, and she loved him. But he was also a Lord who had married one of Topaz Sea Hold's ladies, and was very conscious of his position. He'd married his firstborn daughter to a Lord Holder, and now that he was dead, she'd lost her position. Her father made her feel guilty about it even though she'd played no part, and he'd done nothing to provoke the feeling. **The cost of high expectations and a filial bond,** she thought sourly.
And what was worse, now that she was widowed, she was in a position to make yet another advantageous marriage. And Lord Ishek was the closest Lord who was yet unwed. "If they were not invited, they would never forgive me the slight."

Her hesitation gave the steward pause. "Are you sure, Lady Thalia? You don't sound certain."

"They're my family." Thalia said simply. "They'll be here."

"Yes, ma'am, of course." Penryn had wanted to ask what was on her mind, but it would have been inappropriate. While it was fine that she could ask him about any aspect of his life she chose, he knew her being a Lady put a serious limit on the kind of question he could ask in return. "I will make the arrangements."

"Thank you. Who else is there to consider?"

Penryn frowned a bit. "Well, there is the Weyrleaders, but I think perhaps Lord Ishek should make that decision personally. I have heard... rumors."

"Rumors?"

"About disease at the Weyr. Something about animals, perhaps even people falling sick. Some had even said it could be a new plague."
The steward knew they were only rumors, but it was enough to give him pause. Garnet Valley had been one of the _last_ places to catch the plague last time because of their isolation, but it still left the Hold devastated. Penryn may not have been there, but the fear of it had been instilled in him from childhood. He could still hear his grandfather's warnings, 'Naughty children catch the plague...' Thalia blanched slightly. Plague?! "It _can't_ be plague. Not again, or we'd have heard of it officially." Unless they were all dead...
"Can it?"

"I'm sure not as bad as all that," Penryn reassured her quickly.
There was no reason to frighten her just because of gossip. "Perhaps Lord Ishek knows more. That's why I think he should make the decision whether or not to invite the Weyrleaders. But I'm sure we would have been warned if it really _were_ the plague." Then again, not much information had been given to them while they were Lordless.
It seemed beneath the other Lord Holders to pass along information to an _assistant_ steward or a _former_ Lady Holder. Perhaps now that there was a true and recognized Lord Regent news would be a bit more forthcoming.

"I hope that you're right," Thalia said quietly. She sometimes wondered if Garnet Valley had been forgotten... "But they are our Weyrleaders. To snub them would be beyond rude. Perhaps I'll bring up the subject with Lord Ishek myself."

Penryn nodded. Perhaps it would be best. "I would appreciate it.
Thank you, Lady."

"Of course. He and I are having dinner together, so I can bring it up then," she said, then glanced up at Penryn. "Is there anyone else?"

Dinner together? Perhaps that will bode well for the Hold. The single Lord Regent and the widowed mother of the Heir to the Hold...
**But surely its too soon after her husbands death...** Penryn had to remind himself that politics did not allow one the chance to grieve. In a way he was almost jealous. He had all the time in the world... "I don't believe so. But perhaps you can take this list and show Lord Ishek. There might be others he wishes to invite that are not yet on the list."

"Of course." She took the list from his hand and glanced at it before laying it face down on her lap. "Are you inviting anyone?"

"Me?" He asked, rather surprised at the question. "No. It's not my place." Besides who would he invite that wasn't already at the Hold?

Thalia waved her hand dismissively. "Of course it's your place!
You're Steward now, and can invite anyone you choose - pending Lord Ishek's approval, of course."

"My life had always been here, Lady Thalia. I know no one from far away, especially not anyone important enough to warrant an invitation." Just a few friends who had been fostered away and never returned to the Hold of their birth, and a couple journeyman who had spent a bit of their time at Garnet Valley before moving on.

Thalia looked surprised, then thoughtful. "I never really considered that you would have no reason to travel. I've been to a number of different Holds and I sort of assumed that you would have been, too.
I apologize."

"Only to a few minor holds in the area," he conceded. "It was hard for me to travel far from home since riding is difficult."
Not to mention he didn't want to leave Jaika alone so long.

"Of course. It was thoughtless of me. I'm sorry." Riding was such a pleasure for her - and to have that denied, how else would Penryn travel? Wagons were cumbersome and slow, and 'adragonback was a rare privilege. Thalia found herself feeling somewhat sorry for the Steward. How claustrophobic Garnet Valley might seem! "Not at all. Someday I suppose it would be interesting to travel. I have always wanted to see the sea." It had been a boyhood dream. It was funny. He hadn't thought about that in so long...

"The sea?" Thalia grinned. "The sea smells funny, and it's... it's larger than you could possibly imagine. Sometimes it seems larger than the sky because the horizon becomes blurred, so you can't tell where one starts and the other ends. I was fostered briefly at Topaz Sea Hold."

He smiled as he tried to picture it. "I guess I will just have to see it for myself one of these days."

Thalia looked thoughtful.

Last updated on the December 29th 2005

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A Little of This, A Little of That