Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/Edara's Experiences
Edara was so relieved. She reviewed the warehouse reports happily. Deathwyrm had brought that shipment of food in the nick of time, and Baron Euran another just a day later. Disaster had been averted, and she would not be caught out so again. It was a new experience to have to worry about importing food. Nocaneb had produced enough to feed itself and then some.
She had hired more militia and requested that her new knight, Kirstyn, recruit some archers in Remton to come to Talex. Hopefully that would discourage the Aenilians from trying anymore surprise raids against her walls. Walls that were looking in sad repair, mind…and fixing them would be costly.
Edara sighed…there was just so much to do. She despaired of ever getting to see her husband again…but what were the alternatives? Give up everything that was her own to follow him about? Have him retire from Kingship to sit around her duchy? Ha! As neither of those options was remotely palatable, they would just have to make do…and pray for a few moments of peace where they could be together.
She shuffled through the stacks of reports…food, militia, recruits, taxes, repairs, courts…Oh! Courts! Edara jumped up and ran from the room yelling, “Fin! Fin! I’m late for court…again...where are my dratted robes?” She dashed back into the office a moment later, rooted around the stacks on her desk and grabbed her coronet. “Fin!”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Edara read the battle report with interest. They had certainly spiked Greater Aenilia this time...captured some people, wounded some people...
Jenred.
She was out the door and running through the halls before the report she had been holding even hit the floor, screaming for Fin and Idelle...oddly enough, she did not get lost on her way through the manor for a change.
She was already in the stable before Idelle and Fin caught up to her, wrestling a saddle onto her horse. Fin took it smoothly from her when Idelle grabbed her shoulders.
"What is it, lamb? What's wrong?"
“Jenred…wounded…” Edara gasped, “Going to Arempos. I need Lambert.”
Idelle paled, but kept her head, “Lovey, you can’t ride to Arempos like that…come back inside and change…let me pack you some things.”
Edara looked down at the court gown she was wearing…gods blast it…
“I’m going now. Fin…take off your pants.”
Fin looked over from where he was finishing with the saddle, “What, milady?” Idelle stared at Edara’s face, gave Fin a hard look, spun, and ran from the stables.
“Take. Off. Your. Pants. Now!” While her confused manservant complied, Edara used her belt knife to slash the laces of her gown. She shimmied out of it, stepped out of the underskirt, and stood there in just her shift, hand out for Fin’s trousers. They were a foot too long and bagged everywhere, but they would do.
Edara mounted Baxt and proceeded out of the stables, issuing orders to the blushing Fin as she did.
“Tell Lambert to get the men moving double-time. They’ll never catch me, but if Jenred wakes up and finds me in Arempos without men…”
She was preparing to depart when Idelle came bursting into the stableyard, a kitchen maid on her heels. Idelle began thrusting the packages she was carrying into the empty saddle bags while the kitchen maid handed Edara the scythe that she very gingerly carried.
“Medicine for Jenred, food for you…your scythe, you silly girl,” Idelle grabbed her knee and looked up at her, “Watch yourself on the road…”
Edara nodded, kneed Baxt, and was gone.
Idelle hurried into the stables where Fin was rapidly saddling another horse.
“Good lad…here’s some pants and food…get after her. Keep her safe.”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Edara arrived in Arempos at dawn and made her way rapidly to the Royal Tent, Fin close on her heels. She had realized he was behind her not three miles into the journey when she had chanced to look back whilst cresting a hill. There was no mistaking his awkward seat. Reluctantly, she had slowed her gait enough for him to draw alongside her and had then pushed him hard the rest of the way. And, she categorically refused his repeated requests that they delay long enough for Lambert and her men to catch them. Even breaks to rest the horses chafed at her.
Before she had even drawn Baxt to a halt, Edara had thrown her leg over the saddle and flung herself from his back. She landed running.
“See that the horses are cared for, Fin…extra oats! Oh! Bring the medicine!”
The guards let her pass into the tent without comment, and there he was…
“Jenred!” Edara cried as she bounded into the tent, and threw herself onto her knees beside his cot.
He was awake and sitting up, but his head was bandaged and his skin was the colour of young cheese. Edara touched the bandages lightly…
“My beloved…what did they do to you?”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred looked up, smiling at Edara...Then laughed a little ruefully at her question.
"Well...Impenetrable my Armour may be, but that doesn't prevent anyone from smashing the side of my helm with a mace...Fortunately it only knocked me unconscious, and once the healers got ahold of me, they pronounced a mild concussion and nothing more."
He moved the letters to the side and pulled Edara down for a long, loving kiss. It had been too long since he'd done that...And they just held each other for a long moment after that, as she lay next to him on the cot.
"I have missed you, ashke...That letter a few days ago was beautiful, but...Aenil Above it's not enough..."
He closed his eyes and rested his still aching head against her.
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
All the tension that she had held in throughout the night eased out of her as she lay in Jenred’s arms. Gods she had missed him. Still…she held him tightly…what if his wounds had been greater? And, he was right…letters weren’t enough…maybe…maybe she should consider being a more wifely sort of wife...staying closer at hand…not always off somewhere raiding or managing her city.
Edara sighed and kissed his poor head. Oh!
“I brought some medicine…Fin has it, let me just…” she started to call for Fin, thought better of yelling, and extricated herself from his arms, “I’ll go find him and get it cooked up…you know that no one has better herbs than Idelle. Fix that ache right up.”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred smiled as she started bustling about the tent. Oh, he had missed her...
"Yes, she has the healer's touch alright...But I think my head was better just from touching you, ke'chara."
His eyes glowed warmly as they followed her, smiling, and he stroked his ruby-eyed hawk-ascendant pendant, feeling the cool metal of his hawkshead ring brush against it...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
She laughed at his words, but they struck her…she should be here to care for him. That was what wives were supposed to do. Edara had never much considered that…she had just been so proud and happy that he wanted her for his wife. Had he wanted…a proper wife?
Still lost in thought, Edara popped out of the tent long enough to get the medicine pack from Fin and send him to commandeer a clean cook pot and water. She found a packet of salix bark inside the bundle and put it into the pot.
“Call me when it’s boiled, Fin.”
She returned to Jenred, and told him lightly “There were tarvis leaves in there, but I didn’t think you’d want to be delirious for ten hours. Now…why don’t you let me stroke your head the way that you like…that should soothe some of the pain until the salix is ready.”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred's smile wavered as he saw her stop for a moment after he spoke. Had he...Said something wrong? And when she came back in, pretending to be fine...Well...She was no Harmony...And her act was fairly transparent...He reached up and pulled her hands down to rest on the pendant, stroking her ring and finger. He looked up, concerned...
"Edara? Did I say something wrong? You just looked...I don't know...Not happy..."
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
She fingered his pendant, watching the rubies glint as she moved it.
“I’m not unhappy…not now…not when I’m with you…” she smiled into his eyes for a moment before returning her gaze to the hawk around his neck.
“I just…it’s that…well…I’m not usually, am I? With you, I mean. I’m…off somewhere…doing…something…and not here…with you…being your wife.”
She sighed and curled herself into his lap, “I’m not really a very good wife.”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred blinked at the back of her head as Edara curled away from him...And when he spoke, his voice was acerbic.
"Edara Bedwyr Kindon, if you don't stop this nonsense immediately, I will have Idelle spank you. I'd do it myself, except that wouldn't be so much of a punishment."
He turned her to face him as she smiled and half-chuckled, and his eyes shone fiercely.
"Do you remember what I told you, when I asked you to marry me? I promised you that these wings weren't just for show. And that by all the Aenil, we would soar together. All in Arcaea know of the heights my wings have reached...But just as many know of yours. Everyone knows of the Duchess who turned Nocaneb from a brutalized wreck of a region into a mainstay of Arcaea. Everyone knows that it took you less than a week to get Talex as good as it could be...And kept it from revolting even after you were cut off from the rest of the realm, starved (through no fault of your own), and attacked by superior forces. And beyond that, you are honoured for your superb performance as a mainstay of our raiding forces, going deep into enemy territory after superior forces and winning more often than not, bringing food and gold to a beleaguered people, and not a few tales of slain foes. I did not marry you to mind the nest while I was gone."
He lifted her chin into a proud bearing.
"I married you to have a partner to soar with me."
And with that, he pulled her in for a fierce, almost harsh kiss, wrapping one arm around her shoulders while the other held her behind her ear, fingers tangled in her hair...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
When Jenred kissed her like that, there was nothing else in the world but him. There was no Talex…no Arcaea…no thrones or armies or agonies of separation…there was only Jenred and his arms and his hands and his lips. For a moment, she forgot that he was injured and that she was supposed to be caring for him, and she flung herself into the kiss…pulling him closer and sighing against his mouth.
For a moment…then some sound of his reminded her, and she pulled back.
“Jenred…” Edara smiled and leaned her forehead against his, “You made some very good points, then you kissed me and took my brain away…you might have to repeat them.”
She grinned at him, ‘Specially the parts about how wonderful I am, and how all of Arcaea knows of me and my great and mighty deeds!”
Edara kissed his nose, “Doesn’t mean I have to like being away from you…or wish that I could be great and mighty with you right next to me.”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred laughed and pulled her tight against him.
"My Edara. And yes, it would be better if we were always together...But...I would rather see you grow to what you can be than be stifled by my side. And once we have another outbreak of peace, we can have a great deal of time together."
His smile softened as he cradled her in his arms and kissed the tip of her nose.
"And until then...We'll just have to make do with what time we have..."
He leaned in to kiss her again, more sweetly this time, and knew not how long they were held in that moment...But it ended when an obviously embarrassed manservant approached with something that looked like one of Idelle's better concoctions. Jenred reluctantly let Edara up, although he refused to let go of her completely as she settled in next to him on the bed. He always held at least her hand as she and the servant began applying the herbs...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
After Idelle’s medicines had been applied to his head and her tonic had been drunk, Jenred lay with his head in Edara’s lap whilst she stroked his hair and brow gently. It was nice just too…be still with him for a bit…just to talk and cuddle and enjoy each other’s company. Besides, they had so very much to catch up on.
After discussing the Talex and her work there and the current state of the war, several more pressing matters occurred to Edara…her mother’s sudden marriage to Goffrey, and…
“Oh, Jenred…what about this boy of Euran’s? What’s being done about him? Are we going to keep him? Shouldn’t he have…some…proper parents? I mean…ones who aren’t…absent?”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred opened his eyes, and sighed, trailing his fingers along her legs as he thought.
"Yes...I just don't know who...Preferably someone who stays near one place for a long time...Arlian might be good, but I don't know if he'd do it...I could ask, I suppose...Just keep thinking there's something or someone I'm missing...Any ideas, ke'chara?"
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
Edara blinked at Jenred. Surely he hadn’t overlooked the most obvious person? Or perhaps he didn’t think that he was a good choice.
“Beloved,” she began a bit diffidently, “I rather think that we should ask Uncle Dougal…I think he’d do it, and he’d be marvelous…well…I think he would be. He never raised any boys, of course…but he raised all of us and we turned out pretty well…mostly. He just taught us all the things he would have taught a son, anyway.”
She considered for a moment, “I wonder if he’d make him learn the dancing, too?”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
Jenred blinked, and turned his head to look up at Edara.
"That would be the someone I'm forgetting. Next time we go back for a refit, why don't we take Kaetil over to meet him? I think they'd get on quite well together, actually...And every man should know how to dance..."
Jenred smiled, and kissed the inside of Edara's arm as he nestled back in.
"Now that we have that taken care of...Back to cuddling."
He smiled into her stomach as she made a happy noise and stroked his hair...Still bound in his warrior queue...
"Of course, on second thought...Maybe I could convince you to let me hair down and brush it out..."
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
Edara smiled down at her lovely husband.
“I think Uncle Dougal will be thrilled…he always wanted a son, you know. So disappointed to have nought but us girls. Not that he’d ever say as much…but we all knew it. We’ll do that then…should I write and tell him first?”
She continued stroking him, “As for your hair…,” Edara grinned and gave a low laugh, “I’ll do yours…if you do mine after…”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Talex
