Oria and I walked into the kitchen to find Julen staring at a handsome young man with curly black hair and fine new livery in Astiar colors.
His chin was up, and he swept a cool glance over us all as he said, "My errand is with my lady, the Countess of Tlanth."
"I am she." I stepped forward.
He gave me one incredulous look, then hastily smoothed his face as he bowed low. In the background, Julen clucked rather audibly. Next to me Oria had her arms crossed, her face stony. The young man looked about with the air of one who knows himself in unfriendly territory, and I reflected that for all his airs my brother had hired him or he wouldn't be here, and he deserved a chance to present himself fair.
"Surely you'll have been warned that we are very informal here," I said, and gave him a big smile.
And for some reason he flushed right up to his fine hairline. Bowing again, he said courteously, "My lady, I was to give this directly to you."
I held out one hand, noticed the dirt smudges, and hastily wiped it on my clothes before putting it out again. When I glanced up at the equerry, I saw in his eyes just a hint of answering amusement at the absurdity of the situation, though his face was strictly schooled when he handed me the letter.
"Welcome among us. What is your name?" I said.
"Jerrol, as it pleases you, my lady." And again the bow.
"Well, it's your name if it pleases me or not," I said, sitting on the edge of the great slate prep table.
Julen clucked again, but softly, and I looked to the side, saw the preparations for tarts lying at the ready, and hastily jumped down again.
"Tell me, Jerrol," I said, "if a great Court lady mislikes the name of a new equerry, will she rename him or her?"
"Like…Frogface or Stenchbelly?" Calaub asked from the open window, and beyond him three or four urchins snickered.
Jerrol glanced about him, his face quite blank, but only for a moment. He then swept me a truly magnificent bow--so flourishing that no one could miss the irony--and he said, "An my lady pleases to address me as Stenchbelly, I shall count myself honored." He pronounced it all with awful elegance. And everyone laughed! I said, "I think you'll do, Jerrol, for all your clothes are better than any of us have seen for years. But you will have heard something of our affairs, I daresay, and I wonder how my brother managed to hire you, and fit you out this splendidly, in our colors?"
"Wager on it yon letter will explain," Julen said grimly, turning to plunge her hands into her flour.
"Oh!" I had forgotten Jerrol's original purpose for arriving, and looked down at the letter with my name scrawled above the seal in Branaric's careless hand."
His chin was up, and he swept a cool glance over us all as he said, "My errand is with my lady, the Countess of Tlanth."
"I am she." I stepped forward.
He gave me one incredulous look, then hastily smoothed his face as he bowed low. In the background, Julen clucked rather audibly. Next to me Oria had her arms crossed, her face stony. The young man looked about with the air of one who knows himself in unfriendly territory, and I reflected that for all his airs my brother had hired him or he wouldn't be here, and he deserved a chance to present himself fair.
"Surely you'll have been warned that we are very informal here," I said, and gave him a big smile.
And for some reason he flushed right up to his fine hairline. Bowing again, he said courteously, "My lady, I was to give this directly to you."
I held out one hand, noticed the dirt smudges, and hastily wiped it on my clothes before putting it out again. When I glanced up at the equerry, I saw in his eyes just a hint of answering amusement at the absurdity of the situation, though his face was strictly schooled when he handed me the letter.
"Welcome among us. What is your name?" I said.
"Jerrol, as it pleases you, my lady." And again the bow.
"Well, it's your name if it pleases me or not," I said, sitting on the edge of the great slate prep table.
Julen clucked again, but softly, and I looked to the side, saw the preparations for tarts lying at the ready, and hastily jumped down again.
"Tell me, Jerrol," I said, "if a great Court lady mislikes the name of a new equerry, will she rename him or her?"
"Like…Frogface or Stenchbelly?" Calaub asked from the open window, and beyond him three or four urchins snickered.
Jerrol glanced about him, his face quite blank, but only for a moment. He then swept me a truly magnificent bow--so flourishing that no one could miss the irony--and he said, "An my lady pleases to address me as Stenchbelly, I shall count myself honored." He pronounced it all with awful elegance. And everyone laughed! I said, "I think you'll do, Jerrol, for all your clothes are better than any of us have seen for years. But you will have heard something of our affairs, I daresay, and I wonder how my brother managed to hire you, and fit you out this splendidly, in our colors?"
"Wager on it yon letter will explain," Julen said grimly, turning to plunge her hands into her flour.
"Oh!" I had forgotten Jerrol's original purpose for arriving, and looked down at the letter with my name scrawled above the seal in Branaric's careless hand."
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Crown Duel ]
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