“Did you get their names, daughter?” he said casually, glancing over at the Reach-Princess.
“Afraid not, Da. They never asked for mine, you see,” she said, shrugging. The King of the Reach rolled his eyes and turned back to her.
“You'll have to forgive my daughter, I'm still trying to educate Eola in the finer points of receiving visiting dignitaries,” he said, actually daring to smile. “Madanach, King of the Reach, at your service. I'm afraid I'll have to ask your names, Justiciar.”
Sabrinda was loath to give him any such thing, but she supposed she might as well tell him. In a society where blood ties took a second place to merit and family names didn't officially exist, first name terms were usually the only terms to be on.
“My name is Sabrinda. This is my husband Meryndor. We're looking for our elder daughter Liriel. They tell me she lives here.”
Not a flicker of surprise on Madanach's face and she guessed the odd court fool that had accompanied Princess Eola had warned him they were here.
“She does, but she's not in the city right now, I'm afraid. She's a celebrated national hero, she travels a lot. I'm sure she'll be back soon, in fact I've taken the liberty of asking my steward to arrange accommodation for you. You can make yourselves at home until she gets back.”
He was still staring at her, not showing a hint of anything other than simply being a king welcoming unexpected visitors. No mention of what he'd done with their daughter... and then his eyes slid over Ancalime, still clutching at her mother's hand and that did get a reaction. Surprise, a raised eyebrow, and then he actually stepped off the dais, dropping to his knees and only wincing slightly before smiling at the child.
“Hello there, cariad,” he said gently. “I didn't get your name.”
“Don't answer him, Ancalime,” Sabrinda snapped, forcing back the hate and fury and urge to tear him apart. He'd already charmed one daughter away from her people, he was not doing the same to her innocent little Aedra girl.
“Ancalime,” Madanach repeated, still smiling and ignoring Sabrinda completely. “Is that your name, hmm? You don't need to be afraid, no one's going to hurt you here. No one hurts anyone in my Keep unless I tell them to and I only do that to people who've been bad.”
Ancalime inched closer to her mother, hiding her face with her hair and barely peeping out at Madanach.
“'m not s'posed to talk to str'ngers,” she whispered, barely audible.
“I'm not a stranger, I'm a friend,” Madanach replied, still smiling. “I know your sister, you know. Liriel's here all the time.”
That did get Ancalime's attention, and she perked up, smiling a little.
“Really?” she whispered.
“Really,” Madanach said, and Sabrinda decided that was it, they were getting out of here, getting Ancalime away from all these humans. By the Eight, she should have left the girl in Alinor, Khajiit and Bosmer servants were still better than all these wretched humans.
“Ancalime, children should be seen and not heard,” Sabrinda snapped. “Now, these accommodations, where are they? I trust they're suitable for people of our standing.”
Madanach slowly stood up and when he raised his eyes to hers, Sabrinda felt a little prickle of fear at the expression in them.
“The house in question is owned by Liriel, she always seemed to find it acceptable,” he said coldly. “Uaile here will be residing there as your personal assistant while you are here, and I've arranged beds in the barracks for your guards. There's a children's room for Ancalime. I'll be sure to send Liriel to you as soon as she returns. She's on her way back.”
Sabrinda glanced at Uaile, a young Reachwoman with yellow eyes and silver hair, a combination not seen often on humans but quite common in Altmer. There was something of an aura of magic to her as well, muted and reined in but definitely there. While she was at least wearing standard servant dress rather than that awful fur get-up, Sabrinda had the feeling she wasn't normally any kind of domestic servant. There to keep watch, no doubt.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Thicker Than Blood 3.3
Date: 2014-01-31 12:04 pm (UTC)“Afraid not, Da. They never asked for mine, you see,” she said, shrugging. The King of the Reach rolled his eyes and turned back to her.
“You'll have to forgive my daughter, I'm still trying to educate Eola in the finer points of receiving visiting dignitaries,” he said, actually daring to smile. “Madanach, King of the Reach, at your service. I'm afraid I'll have to ask your names, Justiciar.”
Sabrinda was loath to give him any such thing, but she supposed she might as well tell him. In a society where blood ties took a second place to merit and family names didn't officially exist, first name terms were usually the only terms to be on.
“My name is Sabrinda. This is my husband Meryndor. We're looking for our elder daughter Liriel. They tell me she lives here.”
Not a flicker of surprise on Madanach's face and she guessed the odd court fool that had accompanied Princess Eola had warned him they were here.
“She does, but she's not in the city right now, I'm afraid. She's a celebrated national hero, she travels a lot. I'm sure she'll be back soon, in fact I've taken the liberty of asking my steward to arrange accommodation for you. You can make yourselves at home until she gets back.”
He was still staring at her, not showing a hint of anything other than simply being a king welcoming unexpected visitors. No mention of what he'd done with their daughter... and then his eyes slid over Ancalime, still clutching at her mother's hand and that did get a reaction. Surprise, a raised eyebrow, and then he actually stepped off the dais, dropping to his knees and only wincing slightly before smiling at the child.
“Hello there, cariad,” he said gently. “I didn't get your name.”
“Don't answer him, Ancalime,” Sabrinda snapped, forcing back the hate and fury and urge to tear him apart. He'd already charmed one daughter away from her people, he was not doing the same to her innocent little Aedra girl.
“Ancalime,” Madanach repeated, still smiling and ignoring Sabrinda completely. “Is that your name, hmm? You don't need to be afraid, no one's going to hurt you here. No one hurts anyone in my Keep unless I tell them to and I only do that to people who've been bad.”
Ancalime inched closer to her mother, hiding her face with her hair and barely peeping out at Madanach.
“'m not s'posed to talk to str'ngers,” she whispered, barely audible.
“I'm not a stranger, I'm a friend,” Madanach replied, still smiling. “I know your sister, you know. Liriel's here all the time.”
That did get Ancalime's attention, and she perked up, smiling a little.
“Really?” she whispered.
“Really,” Madanach said, and Sabrinda decided that was it, they were getting out of here, getting Ancalime away from all these humans. By the Eight, she should have left the girl in Alinor, Khajiit and Bosmer servants were still better than all these wretched humans.
“Ancalime, children should be seen and not heard,” Sabrinda snapped. “Now, these accommodations, where are they? I trust they're suitable for people of our standing.”
Madanach slowly stood up and when he raised his eyes to hers, Sabrinda felt a little prickle of fear at the expression in them.
“The house in question is owned by Liriel, she always seemed to find it acceptable,” he said coldly. “Uaile here will be residing there as your personal assistant while you are here, and I've arranged beds in the barracks for your guards. There's a children's room for Ancalime. I'll be sure to send Liriel to you as soon as she returns. She's on her way back.”
Sabrinda glanced at Uaile, a young Reachwoman with yellow eyes and silver hair, a combination not seen often on humans but quite common in Altmer. There was something of an aura of magic to her as well, muted and reined in but definitely there. While she was at least wearing standard servant dress rather than that awful fur get-up, Sabrinda had the feeling she wasn't normally any kind of domestic servant. There to keep watch, no doubt.