I tried to think of some sort of politeness to speak out, but then Bran held up his glass and said, "To my sister! Everything you've done is better than I thought possible. Though," he lowered his glass and blinked at me," why are you dressed like that? The servants look better! Why haven't you bought new duds?"
"What's the use?" I said, feeling my face burn again. "There's still so much work to be done, and how can I do it in a fancy gown? And who's to be impressed? The servants?"
Lady Nimiar raised her glass. "To the end of winter."
Everyone drank, and Bran tried again. "To Mel, and what she's done for my house!"
"Our house," I said under my breath.
"Our house," he repeated in a sugary tone that I'd never heard before, but he didn't look at me. His eyes were on the lady, who smiled.
I must have been gaping, because Shevraeth lifted his glass. "My dear Branaric," he drawled in his most courtly manner, "never tell me you failed to inform your sister of your approaching change in status."
Bran's silly grin altered to the same kind of gape I'd probably been displaying a moment before. "What? Sure I did! Wrote a long letter, all about it--" He smacked his head.
"A letter which is still sitting on your desk?" Shevraeth murmured.
"Life! It must be! Curse it, went right out of my head."
I said, trying to keep my voice polite, "What is this news?"
Bran reached to take the lady's hand--probably for protection, I thought narrowly--as he said, "Nimiar and I are going to be married midsummer eve, and she's adopting into our family. You've got to come back to Athanarel to be there, Mel."
"I'll talk to you " I tried my very hardest to smile at the lady. "Welcome to the family. Such as it is. Lady Nimiar."
"Please," she said, coming forward to take both my hands. "Call me Nee." Her eyes were merry, and there was no shadow of malice in her smile, but I remembered the horrible laughter that day in Athanarel's throne room, when I was brought as a prisoner before the terrible King Galdran. And I remembered how unreadable these Court-trained people were supposed to be--expressing only what they chose to--and I looked back at her somewhat helplessly. "We'll soon enough be sisters, and though some families like to observe the formalities of titles, I never did. Or I wouldn't have picked someone like Branaric to marry," she added in a low voice, with a little laugh and a look that invited me to share her humor.
I tried to get my clumsy tongue to stir and finally managed to say, "Would you like a tour through the house, then?"
Instantly moving to Lady Nimiar's side, Bran said, "I can show you, for in truth, I'd like a squint at all the changes myself."
She smiled up at him. "Why don't you gentlemen drink your wine and warm up? I'd rather Meliara show me about."
"But I--"
Shevraeth took Bran's shoulder and thrust him onto a cushion. "Sit."
Bran laughed. "Oh, aye, let the females get to know one another."
Nimiar merely smiled.
"What's the use?" I said, feeling my face burn again. "There's still so much work to be done, and how can I do it in a fancy gown? And who's to be impressed? The servants?"
Lady Nimiar raised her glass. "To the end of winter."
Everyone drank, and Bran tried again. "To Mel, and what she's done for my house!"
"Our house," I said under my breath.
"Our house," he repeated in a sugary tone that I'd never heard before, but he didn't look at me. His eyes were on the lady, who smiled.
I must have been gaping, because Shevraeth lifted his glass. "My dear Branaric," he drawled in his most courtly manner, "never tell me you failed to inform your sister of your approaching change in status."
Bran's silly grin altered to the same kind of gape I'd probably been displaying a moment before. "What? Sure I did! Wrote a long letter, all about it--" He smacked his head.
"A letter which is still sitting on your desk?" Shevraeth murmured.
"Life! It must be! Curse it, went right out of my head."
I said, trying to keep my voice polite, "What is this news?"
Bran reached to take the lady's hand--probably for protection, I thought narrowly--as he said, "Nimiar and I are going to be married midsummer eve, and she's adopting into our family. You've got to come back to Athanarel to be there, Mel."
"I'll talk to you " I tried my very hardest to smile at the lady. "Welcome to the family. Such as it is. Lady Nimiar."
"Please," she said, coming forward to take both my hands. "Call me Nee." Her eyes were merry, and there was no shadow of malice in her smile, but I remembered the horrible laughter that day in Athanarel's throne room, when I was brought as a prisoner before the terrible King Galdran. And I remembered how unreadable these Court-trained people were supposed to be--expressing only what they chose to--and I looked back at her somewhat helplessly. "We'll soon enough be sisters, and though some families like to observe the formalities of titles, I never did. Or I wouldn't have picked someone like Branaric to marry," she added in a low voice, with a little laugh and a look that invited me to share her humor.
I tried to get my clumsy tongue to stir and finally managed to say, "Would you like a tour through the house, then?"
Instantly moving to Lady Nimiar's side, Bran said, "I can show you, for in truth, I'd like a squint at all the changes myself."
She smiled up at him. "Why don't you gentlemen drink your wine and warm up? I'd rather Meliara show me about."
"But I--"
Shevraeth took Bran's shoulder and thrust him onto a cushion. "Sit."
Bran laughed. "Oh, aye, let the females get to know one another."
Nimiar merely smiled.
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Court Duel ]
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