forum A Thing You Won't Remember

Started September 18, 2022 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

" I very much appreciate you taking this on." She couldn't know what a load it would be off of him and Lear, but he was grateful.
Her angered reaction to his question caught him off guard. He sat back in his chair, just looking at her for a bit.
"What makes you think I have time to write letters to anyone?" he asked quietly. Over the last couple of months, he'd spent every spare minute either organizing troops, saving children, or trying to heal. That she would be mad he hadn't written to her, like some love-lorn teenager, bothered him.
That she would respond in anger to a genuine question told him everything he needed to know about the nature of their friendship. She'd tolerated him because he'd been nice, and had nearly slept with him out of pity, or sympathy, or trauma, or something like that. The months between now and then had given her a chance to clear her head, which was good, and Romulus couldn't blame her for coming to the conclusion everyone else had.
Who would really care for a beast like him?

Ebony watched him with calculated eyes. "You were my friend. We were friends. Friends write to each other, even if it's just a couple words written down to let them know you're okay." She said quietly.
She thought they had been friends. He had been kind to her, treated her well. She thought they had developed that relationship, or at least a relationship. They never had finalized what exactly they were. And she supposed it was all coming out now.
"You never even said goodbye. You didn't tell me goodbye. You had the opportunity and you didn't take it. Friends say goodbye to each other. They send letters, they visit when they can. Friends get to check in on each other. Strangers do not."

Romulus looked at her, thinking, his heart sinking in his chest.
He wanted to remind her that she hadn't written to him either, and if it was so easy and important to her, then she easily could have.
He wanted to remind her he had said goodbye, in his way, and that whatever 'chance' she thought he'd had, she was mistaken.
He wanted to say that he was literally visiting her right this instant, and did she think he had so much free time on his hands he could just go and do whatever he liked?
He wanted to say that if she really thought of him as a friend, and not just somebody who owed her something, then she'd be able to pick up where they'd left off, like he was trying to.

But clearly, none of that mattered, and she'd made up her mind. Her words consigned him to stranger status.
So he said none of it.

"…. You're right, and I suppose this was a mistake then." He stood, placed his helmet back on his head, and bowed low. Stiff and polite.
"My apologies for intruding, Countess Morganshire. Thank you for your hospitality."
He turned and headed out the study door.

Ebony's lip wavered, though she tried her best to conceal it. She stood as he made his way to the door. "Is that it then?" Her anger was getting the best of her. Maybe it was the amount of wine consumed, perhaps it was her sleep depravity. "Are you that much of a coward that you're just giving up? The prince that I met months ago would have never given up. He was strong and unbelievably pushy. He didn't give up until I had accepted him, accepted what he wanted for me, and given me this role. A new life, a new chance. You put up with me. You showed me everything I could have if only I was strong enough to take it. And here you are, walking out on me, because what? I'm angry you didn't write? You didn't say goodbye? Are you upset I didn't come back for a good fuck?"
Her words had begun to slur there at the end. Maybe it had been all the wine, but she clung to it because it was the only way she could keep her sanity, even if it did make her a bit angry. Without it, without an outlet, she would likely lose her mind. There was so much for her to do, so many people relying on her. Questions day in and day out. Grievances from the people that resided in her land. So much she had to do and so little time to do it all. She had no outlet for any of it. And it was the wine that helped shoulder the burden.

Romulus turned at the door to look at her, though his helmet hid his facial expression. He didn't say anything for a moment, but when he did, his voice was quiet.
"I pushed then because it was for your good. I'm leaving now for the same reason."
He wasn't the one upset. He wasn't angry at her, or taking revenge, or giving up on anything. He had checked the status of their friendship by asking if she would be honest with him, and she had rebuffed him and told him they were strangers. He wasn't really sure why she thought he was giving up, when really he was just respecting what she'd so clearly shown him just now. That she didn't want him there.

That she just didn't want him.

He turned and walked towards the front door of the Manor, nodding to Uriah as he went.

"If it's for my own good, you would have come a lot sooner," Ebony said softly, defeated.
She didn't bother trying to stop him this time. She knew there was no changing his mind once it had been made. She learned that a long time ago. It was the reason she was standing there, the Countess of Morganshire.
She slid back into her seat, her legs seemingly giving out on her. It was as if her body was finally catching up to her. The wine, the lack of sleep, the anxiety. I was all crashing down on her. "Uriah, make sure the cooks have prepped food to go and bring it to the prince before he leaves. And close the door." Her words were slurring, her voice barely above a whisper.
When the door was shut and she was left alone in her silence, she crossed her arms on the desk and placed her head down. She couldn't tell you where they came from or why, but once she started sobbing, she couldn't seem to stop. It was ugly and loud and her whole body shook. She was sure anyone that walked by could hear her but she hoped they understood that a closed door meant she didn't want to be interrupted.

Uriah watched the Prince walk out, a giant shadow built of black rock, and felt something in his chest sink. Lady Ebony's order that he close the door, and the sobs that followed, did not assuage his concerns.
He started to hurry towards the kitchens, to make sure the food was ready, before the yell from the gates and the powerful howl from Ruir alerted him that the Prince was on his way. Already gone.
The Knight went back to the study door, posting himself outside and warding off the few well-meaning servants who came to check if her Ladyship would be needing anything before bed. He sent them all to their quarters, to sleep.
He stayed posted there, even once the sobs from within softened, and eventually disappeared.
~~~~

Romulus rode hard for the Palace. He was frustrated, his face locked down behind the helmet.
He'd been at the Morganshire Manor for all of half an hour, from the time he entered the gates to the time he exited them. He'd come in, hoping the friendship he'd cultivated would have some longevity to it.
He'd left, understanding that Elitia was, once again where he was concerned, 'Venomous indeed.'

He caught up to the small group quite easily, and escorted them into the Palace gates. The children were able to rest in comfortable beds, while Lear and Romulus made provision for them to be taken to Morganshire the next morning. Once that was taken care of, the men prepared to ride for the Eastern border.
Romulus got no sleep that night, largely owing to the amount of work he had to do. On top of that, there were a million things on his mind.

Venians, about to be affected by a war they would neither understand nor take part in.
Haradrim, on the cusp of being embroiled in another conflict for land and status.
Peasants, ready to have their homes and livelihoods destroyed by marauders from either country.
Nobles, on the verge of having to support their monarchs with their money and their blood.
His father, the King, charging into the jaws of death for no good reason at all, for yet another land grab with no real provocation.
And Romulus, the jocular jackass son of a usurper King, riding into a war he neither believed in nor wanted anything to do with, hoping only to mitigate the effect of his father's brutality and thirst for blood.

Morning came too soon and not soon enough.

Dawn saw the hordes of Haradrim leaving the Palace, riding hard for two points on the border.
The King lead his army Northeast, towards the border with Rhun, planning on penetrating towards their capital and attacking their monarch.
The Prince lead his army straight East, towards a different point on the same border, with orders to burn and pillage and bring the people to their knees. He was planning on doing no such thing, but he also knew there would be military resistance, and that was his mission.

A half hour after the thundering of fiery hooves and Wulf paws disappeared from the palace, there was a quieter sound of departure, as a group of 6 children were gently loaded onto a cart and driven towards Morganshire. They would arrive around 9:30 that morning, the last act of Romulus's kindness before he left for war.

He could only hope they would not be his final kind act ever.

Ebony cried what felt like hours. She cried until her body had exhausted itself and she had nothing left to cry. There wasn't anything particular that had started it. It was just the pressure, the stress, and everything in between that had finally caught up to her and it needed to come out one way or another.
In moment life this, she wished she was back at the brothel. It was a simpler time, a simpler life. Men came for her body, she gave it to them, then she was free to do as she pleased until the next night. It was simple and easy and she was smart to have patrons in her pockets that sue could force the Madame's hand. But if she was still there, Calvin and Lily wouldn't have this chance. They wouldn't have this life she had provided for them. And she wouldn't have been able to provide sanctuary for the magoi, magic users. They were so hard to find and she rarely found them before they were taken to the stake, but each one meant one more person saved. One more of her people saved. And she would continue to do so until she was arrested herself and killed.
She gave them an option. Be employed within her housed, where they would be treated well and earn a good amount of coin. Or safe passage out of the country with enough coin to get then started in their life. This was something she hid even from Uriah. She wasn't sure what his loyalties to the prince were, and the less that knew about, the better. There were five people who knew, including her. And that was four more people than she wished knew. The more people involved, the more dangerous. Robin, her head of staff whose chikd had been burned at the stake for their magic, would always greet them when they arrived. He was her voice. He offered them safe passage or a job for them. Two of the guard, twins if you will. Erryk, who was a magoi himself, would ride out into town or the neighboring towns and seek out the whispers of other magoi. If it was confirmed, he would approach in incognito and give her proposition. The other twin, Aaron, provided the safe passage of they so chose too. Any time he claimed to visiting family or chasing after a girl. He was leading a Magoi out of the country. Once they crossed the boundaries, the Magoi where on their own from there. And lastly, Calvin. She swore him into secrecy to never tell another soul. Not Lily, or Lear, or Romulus. It must be kept between them. She wanted him to continue her legacy of saving magoi, her people, when he became Lord of Morganshire.
And just as there was five of them, they had saved five. No matter how many were lost, she would not stop until she had saved every last one of her people that wanted to be saved. She could be killed for it. She could tortured for it, but she would never stop.

The Lasy Ebony had long passed out, her head on her desk, the khol around her eyes streaking down her cheeks from crying. She had fallen asleep at her desk. After crying so much, she had found gerself to exhausted to get up and even move to the small couch in her office. She could only sit there and fall asleep on her desk.
When she woke, she didn't move for the longest time. Her head and body ached, her heart ached. Sleeping on the desk had caused such a crick in her neck and back, she wasn't sure if she could even sit up. That she necessarily wanted too. She wasn't ready to face the day quite yet. Trufully, she wanted to crawl into bed and hide under the covers and never come out.

(OOOOO)

Uriah knocked on the door around 8. He'd stood outside all night, and at some point Lady Ebony's crying had quieted to the point of sleep.
He'd gone and got her breakfast, though something told him she wouldn't be hungry.
He also grabbed a damp cloth, to clean all the makeup off, as well as a change of clothes. He wasn't sure she'd want to make the trek to her rooms looking like she probably did after the night she'd had.

(HEHEHEHE)

Ebony didn't even raise her head as she murmured a "come in" just loud enough to be heard. Her head was facing the opposite way, towards the wall and the large window. She liked to look outside while she was thinking. She hadn't moved a muscle since she had woken. Her head was pouring and she was exhausted in more ways than one. Her body was tired but so was her mind. She had been working so hard, so hard. Sometimes she felt like giving up. And she would have would it not had been for Calvin and Lily. She was not strong. She was not brave. She was only twenty-one and yet she felt decades older.

Uriah stepped in and closed the door. He padded over silently, an impressive feat for a man in full armor, and set down the bowl of hot soup the cooks had sent up for breakfast on the desk behind Lady Ebony. He went and laid out the change of clothes on the couch, and stepped up behind her chair with the cloth.
"Ebony… how can I help?" He spoke gently and without any of the formality their friendship sometimes held.

Ebony didn't once turn her head as she heard Uriah enter. She just kept looking out the window silently. She smelled the food, her stomach rumbling in response and yet she did not move. Despite her stomach, she did not find herself terribly hungry. The smell of it made her nauseous and she was sure it would come right back should she try to eat.
It took a long while before she answered Uriah. "You can't." She said just above a whisper. This was her burden to bear, and no one else's.
She sat up finally, wincing as her body pulled at her sore muscles. She turned to face him, took the wet cloth from his hand and cleaned her face the best she could.

Uriah just waited. This wasn't the first time the weight of her responsibilities had settled rather harshly on her shoulders. He had learned just to wait and she'd either vent, or square her shoulders and move on.
She'd never thrown out the Prince before, though, so maybe that was adding a new variable to the mix.
The servants had been absolutely up in arms about it. The Prince had been here less than half and hour and she'd tossed him out on his ear. The only thing that kept it from being a full scandal was that he'd walked out and not been escorted by guards.
Uriah knew better than to believe all that, and besides, he'd been right there. She hadn't been screaming, he hadn't been offensive, there'd been no blows thrown. It had been a quiet conversation that had been very short.

When Ebony was sure her face was clean, she got up and walked to the couch where a dress had been laid out. It wasn't something that she would pick for herself but it was beautiful all the same. Uriah had good tastes and she wondered if he had a sister or a mother that had asked for his advice when it came to clothing.
She walked to Uriah, giving him her back, signaling for him to help her with the laces and buttons. When it was undone, she let the dress drop to the floor, dressed in only her undergarments. She slipped into the new dress and quickly laced it up. It was much easier to lace than her previous dress. She decided to take her hair out and let it fall in waves down her back. She didn't bother trying to put it in another style, despite knowing that it was customary for women to wear it up. She didn't feel like following the rules.
Eyes red and cheeks flushed from crying, circle under her eyes, she turned to Uriah with a fake smile plastered on her lips and ask, "How do I look?"

Uriah undid the laces and buttons quickly, focusing carefully on each one so as not to let his eyes wander. Beautiful, but not his to look at like that, unless she gave permission, which, in her current state of mind, he wasn't sure if this was or not. When she stepped away to dress, he made a brief study of his shoes, before glancing up in time to see her let her hair down.
Her question caught him slightly flat-footed.
"Gorgeous as always, Milady." he said quietly, no hint of anything other than genuine admiration in his voice. "Though that smile is so fake as to be carved from wood."
He wanted to ask how to help her again, how to soothe her, and some of his more manly impulses were telling him just to go for it, that she needed it, but Uriah was nothing if not a gentleman, and no hint of any of that made its way to the surface.

Ebony quicker a smile, a real smile, at him. "I can always rely on you to be honest, at least."
She walked Iverson to her friend and wrapped her arms around his waist, seeking comfort for just a moment. Then all too soon, she pulled away and straightened herself. She glanced at the bowl of soup, her stomach turning and looked away. She wouldn't eat that morning. She likely wouldn't get a chance to eat until dinner.
"Have the maids prep some rooms for the children. I'm not sure how many will be coming but it's better to be safe than sorry. Have the cooks make nutrious meals and a few desserts on standby. When they arrive, send out maids to collect clothing for them. Have baths prepared as well should they want to wash."

Uriah nodded. "I do my best, My Lady."
He gently touched her arm, his armor oddly warm from the heat he was putting off underneath. He was glad she would look for that, even just a little.
He wished she'd eat, but he could push that later. He nodded as he took her orders, before looking her in the eyes one more time.
"Anything I can get you, Milady? Anything I can offer you?"

Ebony shook her head. "Peace and quiet would be nice buy I know I'm never going to get that. Maybe once everything settles down we'll go on a vacation but I don't see that happening in the near future."
Once she was sure she had her composure, she opened the door to her study and strode out. She started laying out orders on her staff, making sure her estate was ready for children that were to arrive. She wanted them feel comfortable. This is where they would stay until she found good homes for them. She would make sure they landed in homes with enough wealth to comfortably take care of them and give them a good life.

Uriah nodded slowly. "Yes, Lady Ebony. I'll handle what you've asked." He turned and headed out, scrambling to give the orders she'd given him to take care of.

The kids arrived around an hour later, in a horse drawn cart very similar to the one that had carried Elia, Lily and Calvin away from their old lives.
And sitting in the driver's seat, a very familiar figure indeed, was Carth. Bandaged and stiff, but a familiar face nonetheless as they came through the gates.

As soon as a maid informed Ebony, she was gathering Calvin and Lily and stood out in front of their front door. She had a hand placed on both of the children, a soft smile on her face. She hoped Calvin and Lily would be able to soothe any worries the children may have and give then a playmate. She allowed them to skip their studies and dismiss their tutors for the next few days so they could help the children settle in. She wanted them to be friends. Have friends. And hoped their friendship would last long past once she place them in other homes.

Uriah knew Carth from the Palace, and greeted him as a friend. They exchanged hellos, and Uriah checked the kids in the back.
The kids looked nervous. There were 5 Venian little ones, all under 10, looking healthy but underfed.
The 6th was a little Harad, around 12, and beaten black and blue, one of his eyes blacked terribly.
They all scurried out of the wagon and lined up, standing straight and tall like they were about to be inspected. Carth got down out of the wagon slowly, whispering something to them, and they all relaxed a bit. The little Harad had a limp, and was clearly in pain trying to stand, and Carth looped one of his arms under the shoulder of the little guy, supporting his weight.
"Lady Ebony." He called from the bottom of the stairs, bowing low. "I bring little ones seeking your help."

Ebony smiled wider when she saw Carth. Despite their issues in the past, it was nice to see a familiar friend. "There is no need for formalities, Carth, it is wonderful to see you."
She removed her hands from her own children and descended the stairs to greet the new children. She noticed the child with a limp and she would contact her healer on hand when they had a moment of privacy. Heal just enough not to be a discomfort but not too much that it would be very noticeable.
She gave them all a pleasant smile. "Hello children. My name is Ebony. You'll all be staying with me until I can find good homes for you all. My wards, Calvin and Lily, will help you all settle in. They'll show you to your rooms where fresh clothes are waiting for you and bathe if you would like. We have some breakfast left over if anyone is hungry and lunch will be on a few hours. Come inside. Everyone is excited to meet you."
And it was true. Each member of her staff were lined up inside, excited to meet the new children to greet them and care for them.

Carth relaxed, ever so slightly. He hadn't been sure how Lady Ebony would react to him turning up on her doorstep, but she assuaged his fears quickly.
He nodded at the little ones. 4 girls and 2 boys, 5 Venians, 1 Harad, and the little guy wouldn't let go of Carth now that he was helping him move.
The girls gravitated naturally to Lily, the boy to Calvin, but the little Harad couldn't take his eyes off of Lady Ebony. Carth tried to nudge him, but he wouldn't budge.
"Lady Ebony asked you to go inside, Teben." Carth was firm, but not harsh, like he was used to speaking to children, which was an odd concept for a man as rough built as he.
Teben didn't move. He just kept looking at Lady Ebony. Finally, he spoke, his voice the low, raspy voice of a boy just growing into his teen body.
"Are we going to be your new slaves?"

Ebony watched as the children went to hers. All but the one boy clinging to Carth. She waved off Carth at his words. It was alright. He had every reason to be scared.
She stiffened at the boys words. She crouched down in front of the boy. "No, you will not be my slaves. You will never be a slave again, this I promise you. Romulus saved me just as he did you. He gave me this, my lands, my home, my people. He gave me this so that I might help others just like you. You will be safe and comfortable here. And some time in the future I'll find you a nice home with loving parents who will take care of you. You will never want for anything again. You'll be safe and happy for the rest of you days."
She held out her arms so that she may pick him, should he let her.

Carth nodded at her wave, but he couldn't move away to give them privacy with how the boy was clinging to him. He had things he wanted to tell her about the kids, and favors to ask in their placement, but now wasn't the time for that either.
Teben furrowed his eyebrows midway through her words. "Prince Romulus rescued you?" It boggled his mind a bit to think that this grand Lady would have ever needed saving.
On top of that, she was Venian. For poor Teben, that meant she was one of the people who'd beaten and abused him his entire life. To think of her needing to be rescued by he Prince…
"Were you a slave?" He didn't move to her arms just yet, not quite trusting her offers of safety and happiness, though his grip on Carth's arm loosened a bit.