Arcaea/Dining Hall/The House of Silk and Light
Jenred and Goffrey had found the House with no difficulties. Once there, the madame took one look at their personal insignias (and Jenred's heavy purse), and smiled very happily. Jenred had pulled her aside for a moment to explain what they wanted, and while she laughed a little (fortunately out of earshot from Goffrey), she agreed that her women could easily assist in this...education.
She called all her courtesans who weren't otherwise occupied, and Jenred had Goffrey pick his favourite of them. When Goffrey picked a stunning woman who had more than a slight resemblance to Harmony, Jenred wasn't terribly surprised...And it would work well for their purposes anyway. After all, this was supposed to be training to talk with Harmony...
The woman, who was called "Starlight", obviously an assumed name, lead the two men to an opulent room with comfortable seating. She had been informed by the madame of what Jenred and Goffrey wanted, and she poured some tea from an already laid-out set while she began talking with Goffrey. Goffrey handled himself well enough, although he was a little flushed. After a few minutes of conversation, he was talking almost as naturally as he did with Jenred, and Jenred nodded to the courtesan, who grinned a little, and proceeded to strip.
This sent Goffrey for a loop, and it took Jenred and Starlight a few minutes of light jokes and leading to get him talking again, and all three of them conversed for nearly ten minutes before Goffrey relaxed again.
Jenred was somewhat surprised that Goffrey was handling things this well, but signaled the courtesan again, and Starlight slowly walked over and sat on a once-again blushing and mumbling Goffrey's lap, reaching down to begin distracting him on a more...active...basis. Starlight and Jenred began the process of drawing him out of his embarrassment again, and Jenred had started to believe that this might turn out better than he had expected...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Edara swept into the establishment known as the House of Silk and Light in high dudgeon. She had had a bit of difficulty in getting Theo to give her directions at first…he was apparently fearful of what exactly she was planning on doing with the gleaming scythe. He could not pretend that he didn’t know the way, however…and he was compelled to share. For once…she didn’t take a single wrong turn…anger seemed to clear her mind of distractions.
The staff jumped to attention at her entrance…there was no mistaking their Duchess for anyone else…particularly not whilst carrying her weapon. Edara hissed at the Proprietress, “Jenred Bedwyr,” and the Madam visibly blanched.
“Milady, I don’t think that you understand…”
Edara made a sweeping motion with her scythe and slashed a chunk out of a nearby sofa, “Jenred…NOW…or I will shred this place finding him myself…and anyone who stands in my way.”
“Second floor, third door on the right,” the Madam bowed to the inevitable.
The door was not locked, which was almost a disappointment…chopping through it would have been enormously satisfying. Instead, Edara had to content herself with slamming it open. She took in the scene rapidly. A naked courtesan was on top of Goffrey, and Jenred was standing close to them. Goffrey? What was he doing here? What kind of twisted thing was going on? All three of the people in the room jerked in surprise at her entrance…the girl looking fearful; Goffrey looking embarrassed; and, Jenred looking…pleased?
“Oh! My love…I’m so glad that you’re here. I think that you could be quite helpful with this.”
Edara blinked at him, momentarily confused, before her rage welled up once more. She hefted the scythe in her hands and took a few wild swings…satisfactorily murdering a table near the door and sending the vase on it flying towards the threesome.
“Don’t you “my love” me, you rat! What the hell do you think you’re playing at?”
Jenred ducked the flying shards of vase and the smile slid from his face, “Edara…what…I don’t…?”
Enjoying the ducking—and not actually prepared to kill him…yet—Edara dropped her scythe and picked up another vase, throwing it straight at his head.
“Did you really think that you could get away with this in my stronghold? Or did you just not care if I knew? Did you think I would just roll over and accept it?”
Jenred barely avoided the vase, “I’m just trying to help Goffrey! Why are you so upset?” He tried to approach her, only to find pieces of the broken table being flung at him.
“Helping Goffrey! Is that what you call it?” Anger was causing additional tears to well in her eyes, but she fought them back, “I have some news for you, Jenred Bedwyr: You are mine and I. Do. Not. Share!” She punctuated each word with another hunk of table and then stood there…hands on her hips, chin in the air.
Realization was dawning over Jenred’s face, but before he could speak, a new voice claimed their attention.
“Nine bloody hells, ‘Dara, couldn’t you just have chopped on the cheating snake? Did you have to go smashing things? I own this establishment, you know,” and Harmony stepped through the doorway.
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Goffrey was.....well.....flabbergasted would probably put it best. One minute a partially naked whore is doing "something" with his pants, the next a very ticked off Edara is in the wrong raising all kinds of merry hell.
As Goffrey stood, the whore finding shelter in the corner, a carelessly thrown vase intercepted him and sent him spiraling to the floor. Shaking it off, and not bleeding, Goffrey pulled himself to a sitting position....just in time to see Harmony walk through the door.
A rush of awe inspiring terror swept through Goffrey as he stared directly at his doom, noticing now that the whore was nothing like the women before him. He sat there for a moment, several dozen half completed explanations rushing through his mind at a mile a minute. Finally he heaved a crest fallen sigh as his face fell, and pulled himself onto the couch, extremely shame faced, as he waited for the yelling to start.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Harmony had hurried.
She had stopped in at the castle to find a minor uproar. Edara had apparently stormed out, scythe in hands, heading for town.
“You surely didn’t let her go alone?” Harmony had demanded, thinking of the madman on the loose.
“No, Milady, her body guard was close behind her.”
Harmony had sighed in relief and then prodded to get the whole story. Theordas had not been shy about telling everyone what he had seen, so she was up to speed and heading for town in no time. She had no difficulties in finding the House...when her steward had listed such a curiously named business amongst her holdings, and then attempted to move on without explanation, she had naturally pressed. After some hemming and hawing he had explained the nature of the House of Silk and Light to her...since then, she had visited it on more than a few occasions. A brothel was a handy thing to own. Made her a lot of money, too.
She breezed through the lobby and main parlour, taking note of the damaged sofa on her way...following the sounds of destruction, Harmony made her way upstairs, not stopping to hear the happy greetings of the staff, but merely smiling and waving absently at the question asked her as she moved through the room.
She steeled herself as she approached the room...Harmony didn’t really think that her cousin would kill Jenred...but, she was a bit surprising. She was pleased to see him still standing as she entered the chamber and went for a light tone as she eyed the broken furniture and decorations. It took her a moment before she realized that Goffrey was there...and Sally...or rather “Starlight” as she was known in the house...was cowering—naked—in a corner.
Harmony stared in bewilderment...she hadn’t taken Jenred for the sort that would like to...share his women. She had been frankly shocked—rather gut wrenchingly so—to find that he was visiting the House at all...she had really believed that he and Edara had something special. Goffrey’s presence was a surprise of another sort...although...a brothel was probably a good place for him...
Harmony drew her brows together and eyed Jenred appraisingly, “What the blazes is going on here?”
He might have replied to her then if Jonty hadn’t taken just that moment to poke his head around the door frame, “Lady Harmony! I have everything ready for you in your usual room...are you coming?”
She looked over her shoulder at the very pretty young man, looked back at Goffrey and sighed heavily. Hellfire and damnation...he was not going to take this well at all.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Jenred was still recovering from the shock of it all, but cold realization stole down his spine as he saw, with sudden clarity, exactly how this looked from the outside. This was...Gods...How she must be feeling...His stomach began cramping in horrified sympathy. What had he done...
"Oh...Edara..."
His voice, normally so suave and practiced, cracked.
"Gods...Edara, no. This...I was trying to help Goffrey learn how to talk...He always puts his foot in his mouth when talking to Harmony, but I thought we could practice...Have him talk to pretty women under difficult circumstances...I...gods I'm a fool...Such a fool..."
His eyes held hers, haunted pain as he realized what she must have been feeling...All this time...He saw her, still heaving from the anger...And pain...Hoped she could see that he hadn't...Gods...
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Edara, I never...I...How could anyone...Just...No...I couldn't...What would be the point...?"
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Edara’s head was spinning, there were suddenly so many people in the room…she looked at Goffrey, and the naked, cowering girl, and at Harmony, and the strange young man…and then back at Jenred. She looked into his eyes, trying to burn him down with her anger…he was speaking…her name…she had always loved it when he said her name…what new lies was he telling her?
Wait…his eyes…his tone…she could swear that he spoke truth…but she had always thought that he told her the truth…she stood silently…trying to process what he had said…tears brimming up until she could no longer see his face then slipping down her cheeks.
She ducked her head, suddenly ashamed at having doubted him, “Jenred…I…you weren’t…oh gods…I’m sorry…oh gods…” she looked around her at the destruction that she had caused and wanted to crawl into a hole…but…still, she looked back at him, “You…you are an idiot,” she raised her chin, “But…I love you…and…I will never doubt again.”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Goffrey was still trying to process everything around, all the while wallowing in his own shame, when a man pocked his head out of the doorway next to Harmony.
At first he had trouble understanding what exactly he, meant, but realization wasn't far in coming. He sat there wide eyed, and stunned for a moment, completely unable to move. Then slowly he regained his senses as Edara forgave Jenred for being an idiot, and rose to his feet.
"Well I believe I've caused enough trouble here," he said, his eyes covered by his bangs.
"I don't want to be a fourth wheel, or maybe a fifth wheel in this case," he said directing a glare towards the man in the doorway as he made for the exit, not even glancing at Harmony as he strode into the hallway. He turned to head back the way he had come when, almost as an after thought, he turned to the man next to the door.
"You there," he said in a perfectly calm voice,"what is your name."
The man looked perplexed for a moment before addressing the lord, "Jonty, Ma'Lord."
Goffrey nodded his affirmative, shortly before his hand lanced out connecting with Jonty's face squarely, knocking the young man before he collided with the wall, and slide to the floor. Goffrey stayed long enough to throw a coin purse down on the floor, something to pay for the dent the man's body had left in the wall. That done he began striding down the hall, a tightening of his chest and a gleaming of the tears in his eyes the only signals that something was wrong.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Harmony gaped at Jenred; could any man really be that oblivious? Apparently so, because there was nothing to indicate that he was being anything other than honest in his apology. For a smart man, he had been awfully stupid.
She turned her distracted attentions back towards Goffrey as he approached, and then passed her...heading for the hallway with a bitter comment. She winced at his tone...was it her destiny to hurt this man in every way possible? She started after him, only to see him turn and knock Jonty out with one blow. Oh, for the love of...
“Goffrey! You bloody hypocrite!” Harmony called after him as she bent to see to Jonty, “Were you not just sat with a naked courtesan on your lap? I’m sure that was perfectly innocent! Oh, but I suppose that was okay because you are a man. Blast you and your love, anyway...and blast all idiot men!”
She stomped back into the chamber and flopped onto the sofa, suddenly weary.
“For pity’s sake, Sally, stop cowering! The fighting’s over...get your clothes on and get someone to see to Jonty...I’m pretty sure that he’s down for the evening.”
Harmony looked over to where Jenred and Edara were still gazing at each other, pain and joy...and abiding love...mingling on their faces, “And you two...kiss each other and get out of here, for the love of all that’s holy...or find a room if you can’t wait. It’s on me.”
And she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of the couch, wishing that she didn’t feel so much like crying.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Jenred released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding at Edara's words...His mind was still reeling, though, so he barely registered Goffrey...Or the thump...Or Harmony's words...Although when he realized he was being addressed he struggled to bring his attention back to the moment. Kiss...? Now? No...Not a kiss...But...
He strode forward and enveloped Edara in his arms, holding her tight as she clutched his chest, both of them sobbing a little at the release of emotions...And after a long, long moment...He looked down at her, and brushed a tear away with his fingers, before kissing her nose.
"Oh, ke'chara...Why would I? I have more than I ever dreamed of right here."
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Edara held on tightly and looked up at Jenred. How could she have ever believed? No matter how…things might have appeared, she should never have…she sighed and laid her head against his chest, slipping her arms around his waist to pull him even closer to her. She was completely unaware of anything besides him and the sound of his steadying heartbeat.
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Goffrey turned mid step in the hallway, wanting desperately to call back some kind of retort, something to express the emotions swelling in him. Resignation set in after a few moments of wasted effort, and he left the house of ill content and walked out into the night time air.
In the quite of the street, everything finally settled in on the young hero and he realized what Harmony had said to him.
He didn't feel anything at first, expect a rather abrupt feeling of emptiness. Then his stomache lurched as thought he had suddenly jumped from a great height. Then the pain started.
Now Goffrey was what one could call a connoisseur of pain, he had experienced just about every kind of pain a human could go through, and come out the other end smiling like a bastard. But this, this was something Goffrey had never experienced before, and as the pain grew sharper his hand griped his chest as he suddenly lost the ability to remain standing.
"Heh," he said, sounding vaguely surprised, "ow."
He knelt there for a moment trying to find the entry point of the wound. Failing that he waited for the pain to subside.
"Ow," he said somewhat louder, as the burning his chest had failed to subside.
An unknown amount of time passed as the burning grew steadily worse, forcing Goffrey to his stomache in unbearable agony.
"OW," he said, hot tears streaming down his face, as he pounded his fist into the dirt, again and again and again.
"OW," he said as he rolled over into the fetal position, still pounding his hand into the dirt, well after the sound of crunching bones signified his broken knuckles.
He lay there for awhile more unable to move because of the pain. Eventually he crawled into a nearby alleyway and collasped, completely floored by the inexplicable burning in his chest. The tears were still falling from his face as oblivion took him to weary rest.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
