A Quiet Evening

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 13th January 2006

Characters: Ishek, Thalia
Description: Ishek and Thalia have dinner together, and get to know each other a little better
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 9, day 2 of Turn 3

Thalia quietly studied the man across the table from her as a drudge set empty plates before them. The table was loaded down with herdbeast, tubers, preserves, fingerroots, two types of bread, and there was the promise of a crumble for dessert. A veritable winter feast for the new Lord Warder and the displaced Lady Holder. She waited until the drudges had withdrawn before speaking. "Thank you or inviting me, Lord Ishek. I'm honored."

Ishek smiled at her. "There's no need to be formal if you don't wish to be, lady. This can be as casual as you wish it." He began to fill his plate, talking as he worked. "I just thought that... well, we're going to be working together, and I'd get to know you as a person, as well as someone to turn to ask about the womanly duties side of things."

"I'm flattered, my Lord." Thalia smiled and lowered her gaze demurely to the plate before her. "Although I must confess that until... recently, I did not much of a hand in the running of the Hold. Although not by choice."

"I see." Ishek said quietly, wondering the circumstances but choosing not to ask. "How long have you been here at Garnet Valley?"

"Almost a turn, now. Aswic and I married on day twenty-eight of this month," Thalia said slowly. For all that they had never been lovers, Aswic and she had been friends of a sort. And she missed him... had it only been two months since his death? It felt like a lifetime, so much had changed.
"I am widowed before my first anniversary."

He closed his eyes and winced. "Indeed more the tragedy, lady, that you were robbed of your husband so soon." Looking away in hopes to hide the slight wetness brought to his eyes- her words stirred memories of Shama-
he took a few more bites of the food. "What do you plan to do now?" he asked when he regained his composure. "Besides, of course, raising your fine son?"

"Do?" Thalia froze. What did he mean, 'do'? Was he implying that she was no longer welcome at the Hold? "I- I thought I would remain here,my Lord.
For my son. He should be well acquainted with the Hold that will be his."

"You would be very welcome here, Thalia." he said. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes you to stay. I could never turn away a woman from my Hold. But you, will you be needing any assistance? I will help you however I can..."

Assistance? For a moment Thalia didn't realize what he was talking about. All her life she'd been cared for and things provided for her; clothing for dresses, thread for embroidery, her gitar and its strings, the shoes on her feet... and she'd never earned a mark on her own. She didn't have a mark to her name, and suddenly someone who was not family was holding the purse strings. "I-I thank you. I will keep your generous offer in mind." She managed a small smile, suddenly realizing how dependant she was on Ishek's kindness. Thank the Egg that he seemed to be a kind man. "But speaking of assistance, there is one small matter that you could help me with. I've been working on the guest list for your banquet, and Penryn and I were discussing whether or not to invite the Weyrleaders. To not invite them would be a grievous oversight, but there are also rumors of a beast plague at the Weyr. We've not had recent news here from the Weyr, so we thought it best to ask you how to proceed."

"I think that, despite the rumors of plague, it would be best to invite them. They do protect us- without them, we would be nothing, and so it would be wrong to omit them. If things are serious at the Weyr, I imagine they'll explain to us when they receive the invitation." Ishek remarked after some careful thought.

"Then we'll invite them," Thalia said with a smile. She speared a bit of tuber on the end of her fork and dipped it in the garlic preserve to the side of her plate. "Have you ever met them? The Weyrwoman, really. The Weyrleader changes so often at River Bluff Weyr."

"I haven't, no." Ishek replied. "Are they good people?" He paused and reconsidered. "I know that the dragons would only choose the best of people. But they are not like us, living in their Weyr as they do." He shrugged. "I suppose I don't know what to expect from Weyrfolk. Have you met them?"

She shook her head. "The only Weyrwoman I've met is my aunt, Jaela. But I haven't seen her in turns."

"Ah, I see." Ishek said. "Well then, it will be interesting to meet them.
Is there anything else regarding the banquet that you might need me to answer, or any other questions you have for me at all?"

"No, thank you. But I'm sure to think of something as soon as I shut the door behind myself!" she said lightly. "But I do have one question for you, unrelated to the Hold. Mostly. How are you and your sister and nieces settling in?"

"The girls love it here." he said with a smile. "Their enthusiasm makes me wish I had a child. You're very lucky to have your son. As for Miralani, I imagine she feels right at home. I'm beginning to as well, although it's surprising still to wake up in a different place. It'll fade with time, I'm sure."

Thalia smiled back - Ishek had a nice smile, she decided. You could tell a lot about a man by the way that they smiled. "I know what you mean," she said, somewhat shyly. Aswic's rooms had been difficult for her to adjust to, and once she had, she'd been forced to move into a smaller suite to make room for Ishek. "It can be hard to sleep sometimes when the shadows are different, and you aren't used to the sounds that the Hold makes in the night."

Ishek nodded. "It's exactly that." he said. "I'm glad to be here, though. I just wish that I didn't come here under such circumstances." He bit his lip. "I imagine there was a lot of gossip flying around after I was named Lord Warder and before I came here, wasn't there? I hope I didn't disappoint you or anyone."

"No, you most certainly haven't." Thalia smiled and lifted her wineglass in a small toast. The candlelight caught the rim as she lifted it to her lips. **You haven't disappointed anyone... yet. And dare I hope- never?**

Last updated on the January 14th 2006

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A Quiet Evening