Arcaea/Dining Hall/The New Lady Harmony
Harmony liked the looks of the man when he entered her tavern. He was very tall, with dark hair peppered with grey, and warm, though worried brown eyes. He walked with a pronounced limp, but he was fit and had an air about him that said trained warrior. His clothes and his bearing said noble, so she went to see to him herself.
He looked at her for a long moment before ordering ale and stew. She could feel him watching her as she moved around the room—not the lustful gaze that she got from many a patron…this was…something different—and, every time she came to his table, he seemed about to speak, looking at her searchingly.
At last he paid his bill and she thought he might be leaving when he addressed her by name, “Harmony…it is Harmony, isn’t it?”
She nodded at him, waiting. Her name was easy enough to know.
“I’ve been looking for you…for some time…since your mother…I…you were difficult to track down until you settled…,” he trailed off, looking around her establishment a bit bemusedly, “…here.”
Harmony stood very still. A wave of…some…emotion rolled through her…but she didn’t speak…just looked at him and wondered.
“Your mother…she had a letter sent to me after…after she died…she told me…about you. I never knew. If I had known…I’m sorry that I didn’t…”
He paused once more and looked up at her…searching her face again, “You have her eyes…I remember her eyes…the rest of you, I think…looks more like me….My name is Dougal Kindon…I am your father.”
Harmony let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding…how does one respond…to that? And yet…from the moment that he had started talking…maybe even before that…she had known what he was going to say…and she still didn’t know how she felt about it all…
A father.
A noble father.
A rich, noble father.
There were worse things.
The next weeks flew by…getting to know Dougal…selling her tavern…arranging their travel to the Far East…learning to think of herself as Harmony Kindon instead of Sangster…
There was just so much.
They spent many hours…just talking—at first awkwardly—about her life, his life, her mother. When he told her that he needed to leave…to see about his niece, she had been a bit crestfallen until he…hesitantly…asked her if she’d like to come with him. What a question! Then things had moved quickly. Before she knew it, she was on a ship and the Far East was before them…with more of her new family to meet.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Edara had returned from a full day of patrolling the streets of Nocaneb…her own Nocaneb. She still couldn’t believe that she was now the Duchess…it had just happened so suddenly, and she had never expected it. Wouldn’t her family be amazed? Of course, getting the region back into shape would mean that she wouldn’t be able to go a’thievin’ for a while…that was disappointing.
Waiting for Jenred to come home from whatever business he was conducting, the Duchal manor seemed so big and lonely. She thought wistfully of her cozy little estate in Remton…and the rest of her own servants. The ones here were…sullen…and not yet adjusted to the change in leadership. Edara had already sent word to Idelle to pack up their household and join her here…she could just imagine how Idelle was preening and gossiping at the market, “Oh, I must get the best fruit, it’s for my lady, you know, the new Duchess of Nocaneb…betrothed of the Royal Ambassador? Yes, I imagine they’ll be splitting their time between the Palace and their manor.” Oh…Edara hadn’t considered…when she was in Remton…she would no longer have her own home…and this…place…didn’t feel homey yet, at all.
She sighed and went to her study to read the reports and correspondence of the day. She flipped through them…unruly peasants being arrested, improvements being made to the region, a stack of church correspondence, and…hmm…a new noble in the realm…
Harmony Kindon? And her…father…Dougal Kindon? Dougal? Her Uncle Dougal? But…who was Harmony? Uncle Dougal didn’t have any daughters named Harmony…she knew her own cousins for goodness sake…but…another…Dougal Kindon? No…she specifically said that he was coming to visit his niece Edara…She penned a quick note and called for her messenger…
“Take this note to Sir Dougal Kindon…I have no idea where they might be staying…somewhere in Nocaneb, though.”
Uncle Dougal here in Arcaea was too exciting for words…but what by all that breathed was with this Harmony person?
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Of all the times to be taken ill...First, piled down with endless paperwork regarding integrating Nocaneb into Arcaea's economic system, and then a blasted cold to top it off. He'd passed out on his paperwork, and hadn't even made it to see Edara...Wait, what? Edara was appointed to Nocaneb? Oh, by the Aenil...And he wasn't there to congratulate her...Damn and blast.
...Harmony? Dougal? Wait, Uncle Dougal? Ah, he did read that letter...So many things to catch up with...
First: Find Edara. Second...Um...Well, just Find Edara will do for now.
Jenred tromped off, thanking the Aenil that his head was better now.
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Royal Ambassador of Arcaea
Once again Goffrey found himself wondering the streets of Nocaneb, albeit with the noticeable absence of the Sartanian army this time around. Not that you could tell, given the looks some of the peasant folk were giving him. He shrugged it off however, a year or so under Sartanian control could do that to people.
As it stood he was leading his Captain Eugen on a tour of the city, pointing various points of reference, and places where he had killed large amounts of Sartanians. "....and here is where Xever and I made our last stand, by the Aneil there must have been a wall of corpses around us before they finally managed to drag us down."
"Sounds like this Xever was a fine Captain Ma'Lord," said Eugen, some what dryly.
"Aye, that he was," said Goffrey, with a hint of Nostalgia in his voice, before continuing jokingly "much better then you at any rate."
At this they both shared a hearty laugh before walking further down the block.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Edara waited impatiently for a reply to her note or the appearance of her Uncle Dougal or for Jenred to come home…anything. She dispatched a letter to Jenred’s brother…he hadn’t mentioned that his brother was coming…how nice it was to have another bureaucrat in the realm. Now if they could only get another shadow-walker…or at least some word from the one they had; that would be lovely.
She shivered. Gods bless this castle was drafty! She needed to write and have Idelle order some tapestries and rugs in Remton; hard telling when such things would be available in Nocneb. The previous occupants had cleaned out the place when they left…not that Edara blamed them…she would have done the same.
Where was Jenred? He would be so excited to learn that Uncle Dougal was here...and to meet him.
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Jenred finally made his way into the castle. Quite impressive, in a warlike way...A warrior's home. Jenred wondered how Arlian would fare here...
After stumbling about, trying to find one of the few servants who might know where Edara was, he finally found her. She was paused, looking out a window and shivering a bit at the cold. He snuck up and wrapped his arms around her, covering her with his cloak.
"It's not quite a pair of wings, but it's the best I can do, little hawk. Or, should I say, Duchess? Congratulations, love..."
Jenred smiled and kissed her as she turned. Gods, he loved this woman...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Royal Ambassador of Arcaea
Harmony strolled down the streets of Nocaneb, inspecting her new home. Many of the houses and shops were shuttered and the streets seemed empty. Well, to be expected in war, really…and nothing as bad as the things that she had seen on Beluaterra. Still, all in all, she felt rather fine. Dougal had fitted her out with a proper lady’s wardrobe…very elegant…and she looked grand. No one would suspect that a few weeks ago she was running a tavern.
She laughed to herself as she caught sight of her comfortable boots poking out past her skirts with each step. Honestly, though, who could mince about in those silly little lady slippers. Even when she had trod the boards, she had tried to avoid them whenever possible…long skirts were handy that way. Plus, without boots, where did one keep their spare knives?
Her attention to her feet caused her to lose track of her surroundings for a moment—very unlike her—and she actually bumped into someone. Well…bumped might be a bit mild…careened was perhaps a better term…whatever one might call slamming into someone hard enough to knock them both off balance and resulting in her ending up laying on top of…a rather handsome looking fellow.
“Greetings, sir,” she smiled winningly at him from her position on top of him, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Goffrey, once again, found himself at the end of one of more cruel Aneil's sick jokes. Only this time was much worse, when last he ran into a beautiful woman he had the advantage of being able to pick himself up at his convenience, now he found himself in a very compromising position with no means of escape, and looking at the women's face certainly was not helping manners. By the Aneil that such a thing was allowed to exists surely showed that Gods knew not jealousy.
Stuck in an endless cycle of trying to apologize to the women and then looking away with embrassment, turning just a bit redder each time, Goffrey was sure he had died suddenly and this was the hell he had been sent too.
"Come now Ma'Lord at least by the Lady dinner first," said Eugen, coming to his obviously tanking lord's rescue. If Goffrey appreciated this the only sign he gave was a look towards his captain that would have killed a man frail of heart.
The words, however crude, allowed Goffrey to gather what little wits he could.
"Greetings My Lady," he said at last, a little weakly, "would you mind if we continued said introductions at an upright position, I mean people are around after all."
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
Edara sank into his kiss for a few blissful minutes. Gods, she loved this man.
After the kiss, they stood looking at each other, Jenred leaning his forehead against hers.
“Are you proud of me then? I’m pretty proud of me…I never thought I’d be a Duchess. I mean, not unless I married a Duke…or I was an older lady like Marle. But…I still can’t believe it…and this…place…it’s so big…a castle…I live in a castle…we live in a castle…” she shook herself.
“OH…and Jenred…Uncle Dougal is here. Well, I’m pretty sure it’s Uncle Dougal…I’m very confused though…apparently he has a daughter named Harmony, and I don’t know any Harmony, and how could Uncle Dougal have a daughter I don’t know?” Edara sighed.
“Anyway, I sent him a note and invited him round, so we can see if he’s really my Uncle Dougal or someone else’s Uncle Dougal, and then you can meet him and he can meet you and see how lovely you are,” she paused for breath and then laughed at herself, “Oh, I do go on, don’t I?”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Jenred grinned down at his dimpling bride-to-be...Oh, so close now that Nocaneb was taken...
"Well, love, I wonder what that makes me...Royal Ambassador and Ducal Consort? We'll have to figure it out. And as for Uncle Dougal...I'm pretty sure it must be yours. And...As to how he could have a daughter that you don't know about...Well, she's probably like me. Born to someone other than Lady Kindon."
Jenred kissed the top of Edara's nose.
"And yes, you do go on for a bit, but I like it. You're very cute when you're excited to tell me something. OH! Speaking of..."
Jenred stepped back, twirling his cloak behind him, and struck a pose, showing off his new clothing.
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Royal Ambassador of Arcaea
Harmony rose gracefully to her feet and waited for him to climb to his. “Assuredly, my good sir, I’m certain that by the proper rules of society, we should be formally introduced by a mutual acquaintance; however, seeing as I have just been…resting…upon you, that seems somewhat moot. Thus, I shall introduce myself, however poor manners that may be: I am Lady Harmony Sangster Kindon, lately of Beluaterra, and daughter of Sir Dougal Kindon of Aureus on the East Continent. You may perhaps know of my cousin, Lady Edara Kindon, Duchess of Nocaneb?” and she dropped a very correct and formal curtsey.
Harmony looked up at him and laughed then, “Was that impressive sounding enough?” She stood and held out her hand to him, “It’s Harmony, and you are…?”
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Pulling himself to his feet, Goffrey witnessed what was possibly the most bizarre introduction he had ever seen. He was briefly unable to respond one again lost in her face, more so to keep himself distracted from the rest of her.
'Come on Goffrey remember what your father taught you, always show women the upmost respect and dignity DO NOT LOOK LOWER!!!' he thought as he fought with his baser urges.
A swift jab into his rib cage, from Eugen once again looking out for his Lord, broke his reprieve and he reached forward with his hand, not sure if to shake the hand given to him or to have it sculpted and preserved for the rest of time, he settled on taking it in his own, and shaking it somewhat awkwardly.
"Goffrey," he said, the weakness in his voice once again returning.
Goffrey Massey Baron of Sasat
