A Bit of Ambition

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 11th March 2014

Characters: Mirdella, Inarys, Mirdelo
Description: Mirdella and Mirdelo discuss their thoughts on the future of their hold.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 5, day 4 of Turn 7

Their father had slipped away during the night. Mirdelo had spent a candlemark sitting by his bedside and held his hand, and quietly he'd whispered the words of a favorite story that his father used to tell when his siblings weren't there to hear. But then he'd stepped back to let others spend their time as well, and so he stayed awake in his office, waiting for the news.

Now he stood, knocking on the door of his sister's apartments to pass it on.

Mirdella was busy with the breakfast. "Mirrys, do not throw your brother with bread," she scolded. "Indella! Don't use your fingers. Take the jam with spoon." The worry over her father had been gnawing at the back her mind whole the time. But children had to be cared and fed. Hearing the knock, she turned to her husband. "Inarys, dear, could you answer the door?" she asked, busy wiping her daughter's fingers clean of jam.

"Of course, sweetheart," Inarys picked his klah mug and went to the door, opening it. "Morning, Mirdelo," he noted the expression on his face. "Bad news?"

"And some good," he said as he came in. "Mostly bad, I'm afraid."

Inarys nodded and followed his brother-in-law to the dining room. Mirdella froze when she saw him.
"Mirdelo," she said, fearing for the worst.

He nodded. "I'm sorry," he said softly, approaching his sister and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It was quiet and easy, and some of us were there."

Mirdella's head fell and tears welled in her eyes. She had genuinedly loved her father. She had been daddy's little girl...more so since her mother had died in child bed and she hated her step-mother. "I knew it," she whispered.

Seeing her vulnerable and distressed brought out the feelings he'd been trying to put aside while he handled the tasks Demir had set him. He pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he said again.

Mirdella wept against his chest, while Inarys pulled the children aside and tried to explain them that their grandfather had passed away. Especially little Indella had trouble understanding what it meant.

He rested his head against his sister and rubbed her back. "We'll get through this," he tried to reassure her. "It'll all be okay."

"Of course," Mirdella pulled herself back together. She could grieve later. "I'm sorry, I wet your shirt," she tried a joke and wiped her face, taking a step backwards. "What now?" she asked.

"I can just requisition another one," he said with a laugh. "Demir and Kobias are going to Amber Hills to talk to Lord Zathris. I'm temporarily in charge, and will be making the funeral arrangements."

"Oh, yes, the memorial. When it will be held?" Mirdella asked. She needed new dress for that, a black one, suitable for daughter in mourning.

"In a sevenday. It will take about that long for them to get back," he explained.

"What happens now? Father left some rather...interesting conditions for us," Mirdella said. Which actually made her position rather strong. She was married and had children, two of them boys. Inarys wasn't really interested in being a holder, but Mirdella was confident she could persuade him.

"Demir wants me to stay on as Steward." It was a good position for him, he thought - at least he knew he wouldn't be shut out of the halls of power. "And they are indeed intriguing. Why didn't he just make a choice, instead of set conditions? He must have known scheming would happen..."

"I have no idea what he was thinking of. You could do it," Mirdella said with exasperated sigh and then her eyes narrowed. "Just find some woman, marry her and get her pregnant before Demir does it."

"And Demir has a good chance because he's at Amber Hills right now...maybe I can get permission to go to another hold on a trade agreement when he's back, look for a wife myself."

"Or pick one of the local girls..." Mirdella pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Not much selection here, I admit. Inarys has little sister who's now sixteen, and she's still unclaimed." The hold wasn't that large and people tended to be related to each other.

"Perhaps I could share a meal with her at some point."

"I could invite her, my in-laws and you for a dinner some evening," Mirdella suggested.

"That would be lovely." His mind ticked through the possibilities.

"And we have to prevent Demir and Kobias doing the same," little gears where spinning in Mirdella's head with such speed she forget her father's death.

"You don't think Demir is the right man?" Kobias didn't want it and everyone knew it.

Mirdella shrugged at it. "How much experience he has? He has his craft. Even you have more experience about running a hold."

It was true. "At least if I stay on as Steward, I can use my power to help influence his decisions."

"That's true too. What's wrong with bit of an ambition, hmm?" Mirdella challenged him.

She had a point. "Nothing."

"Exactly. You should always aim to improve you social status," Mirdella said.

"I suppose we'll see." If he was the one reassuring the holders that the day to day would stay the same, perhaps they'd come to trust his word more.

"Interesting times ahead of us, no doupts of that," Mirdella murmured.

He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "We'll get through it. We always have."

Mirdella nodded. "As long as two of us stick together, we'll be fine."

"Indeed." He'd stand firmly by his sister and the hold.

Last updated on the April 13th 2014

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A Bit of Ambition