Post by opalgirl on Jun 6, 2010 14:34:55 GMT 10
Title: Old-Fashioned.
Rating: G.
Prompt: #19--Beginning.
Summary: After the war, Kel is obliged to attend a social gathering, and finds herself in the company of an old-fashioned man.
Notes: For Mandi.
It was during the party celebrating Princess Lianokami's naming ceremony (which Kel had discovered that she was apparently obliged to attend) when the Wildmage found her.
"Lady Kel," Daine said, smiling. Her eyes were tired with dark circles beneath them. "Would you join us?"
Kel smiled and looked about for her friends. Neal was in conversation with Yuki and his parents; Owen was nearby, holding his new wife's hand and smiling so broadly she thought that his face must hurt; Merric was near the edge of the ballroom, standing close to a woman whose red hair matched his own. Faleron was wrapped up in what looked to be a colorful argument with a woman who could only be his mother.
Kel nodded and bowed. "I'd be glad. Thank you." She followed the older woman across the uncomfortably warm and crowded room, half-listening to the rustle of fine fabrics and the clink of glasses. She accepted a cup of cider from a passing squire and turned to greet Daine's companions: her husband, a sleeping toddler who could only be their daughter, and Lindhall Reed.
"Master Numair," she said.
The lanky man, who was the most powerful mage in the realm, smiled at her. "Lady Kel, hello."
"Master Lindhall," she said, turning to the man who had taught her during her page term.
"Lady Knight," said the slender, fair-skinned man. his pale eyes lighting up in recognition. He looked older, tired, and his hair was almost entirely grey now. The work of the war, for even academics like Lindhall would have been involved, had aged him.
As Daine fussed over her daughter, Kel sat down. "I didn't attend parties often, when I was a squire," she said, "and when I was at one, I was expected to serve."
Lindhall smiled. "Given who your knight-master was, that doesn't surprise me. I would have been perfectly content to stay in my rooms, tonight," he added, his voice soft, "but I was asked to accompany these fine young people..." he trailed off, leaning over to brush some hair from the sleeping little girl's face.
"Lindhall." Numair looked exasperated. "'Fine young people' should not apply to me."
"You carry on as if you were ancient," the other man fired back, "and if you are, what does that make me?"
Daine grinned. "Let them be," she advised, scooping up her child. "They'll be fair likely to argue all night now that they've started, these two. Lindhall taught Numair, years ago."
Kel nodded and stood up once again. "Forgive me. I need to take a walk."
Daine shifted the weight of her sleeping daughter onto her shoulder with a grunt. "Dead weights when they're asleep, little ones," she said. "I had best put her to bed while these two argue, before they wake her."
"Should a lady walk unescorted?" asked a soft voice, startling Kel. She turned to face Lindhall, who stood on the garden path behind her.
"Or perhaps I am just old-fashioned," he mused, apparently to himself, reminding her of Neal. (Although Neal had been broken of that habit by Yuki recently).
Kel shrugged. "If you'd like to join me, sir, you may."
He made as if to offer his arm to her, like he would a more traditional lady, and withdrew it, laughing. "I'm sorry, Lady Knight. I didn't mean to offend."
She shook her head. "You didn't, sir. And it's Kel, please."
"Then I am Lindhall, Lady Kel."
Rating: G.
Prompt: #19--Beginning.
Summary: After the war, Kel is obliged to attend a social gathering, and finds herself in the company of an old-fashioned man.
Notes: For Mandi.
It was during the party celebrating Princess Lianokami's naming ceremony (which Kel had discovered that she was apparently obliged to attend) when the Wildmage found her.
"Lady Kel," Daine said, smiling. Her eyes were tired with dark circles beneath them. "Would you join us?"
Kel smiled and looked about for her friends. Neal was in conversation with Yuki and his parents; Owen was nearby, holding his new wife's hand and smiling so broadly she thought that his face must hurt; Merric was near the edge of the ballroom, standing close to a woman whose red hair matched his own. Faleron was wrapped up in what looked to be a colorful argument with a woman who could only be his mother.
Kel nodded and bowed. "I'd be glad. Thank you." She followed the older woman across the uncomfortably warm and crowded room, half-listening to the rustle of fine fabrics and the clink of glasses. She accepted a cup of cider from a passing squire and turned to greet Daine's companions: her husband, a sleeping toddler who could only be their daughter, and Lindhall Reed.
"Master Numair," she said.
The lanky man, who was the most powerful mage in the realm, smiled at her. "Lady Kel, hello."
"Master Lindhall," she said, turning to the man who had taught her during her page term.
"Lady Knight," said the slender, fair-skinned man. his pale eyes lighting up in recognition. He looked older, tired, and his hair was almost entirely grey now. The work of the war, for even academics like Lindhall would have been involved, had aged him.
As Daine fussed over her daughter, Kel sat down. "I didn't attend parties often, when I was a squire," she said, "and when I was at one, I was expected to serve."
Lindhall smiled. "Given who your knight-master was, that doesn't surprise me. I would have been perfectly content to stay in my rooms, tonight," he added, his voice soft, "but I was asked to accompany these fine young people..." he trailed off, leaning over to brush some hair from the sleeping little girl's face.
"Lindhall." Numair looked exasperated. "'Fine young people' should not apply to me."
"You carry on as if you were ancient," the other man fired back, "and if you are, what does that make me?"
Daine grinned. "Let them be," she advised, scooping up her child. "They'll be fair likely to argue all night now that they've started, these two. Lindhall taught Numair, years ago."
Kel nodded and stood up once again. "Forgive me. I need to take a walk."
Daine shifted the weight of her sleeping daughter onto her shoulder with a grunt. "Dead weights when they're asleep, little ones," she said. "I had best put her to bed while these two argue, before they wake her."
***
"Should a lady walk unescorted?" asked a soft voice, startling Kel. She turned to face Lindhall, who stood on the garden path behind her.
"Or perhaps I am just old-fashioned," he mused, apparently to himself, reminding her of Neal. (Although Neal had been broken of that habit by Yuki recently).
Kel shrugged. "If you'd like to join me, sir, you may."
He made as if to offer his arm to her, like he would a more traditional lady, and withdrew it, laughing. "I'm sorry, Lady Knight. I didn't mean to offend."
She shook her head. "You didn't, sir. And it's Kel, please."
"Then I am Lindhall, Lady Kel."
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!