Journey of Truth, The Journal of Tandilwen, thread 1 Options

[Lady Syl]

Prologue
Anvil
25 Sun's Dawn 3E 433

As my father lay dying, I closed my eyes and got up from the chair beside his bed, barely able to comprehend what he had just revealed to me. When he took his last breath, I stood across the chamber unable to look at him, while my aunt, Carahil, stood beside the bed holding his hand. I knew the moment his life force left his body—I felt it, almost like a heavy sigh breathed in a moment of great relief. And then I heard my aunt say, in a solemn voice, “It is done. He is beyond the reach of Nirn, in the Realm of Spirits.”

Carahil was a strong and serious person. I had always known that, ever since I was a child. She tried never to show too much emotion in any situation. That was the high elf way, so my father had always told me, and he expected me to be the same, even though my mother had been a wood elf. And I was good at it. I made my father proud. But never had I seen one so good at hiding her true emotions as my aunt Carahil. Rarely did her composure ever falter. The day my father died, however, I could hear it in her voice—a slight tremble which betrayed the pain of loss she felt for the brother with whom she had shared a womb.

Holding back tears, Carahil turned to face me, and finally I looked at my father—now just a corpse. The sight caused me to shudder, and I had to close my eyes again as a single tear slipped down my cheek. He was a man I barely even knew, and yet I had loved him like any girl loves her father. But more than that, the tear was for the truth that he had just told me—a confession on his death bed which would forever alter the course of my life. Nothing could ever be the same after what he told me that day. Nor could I love him quite the same as I had loved him before; he had betrayed my trust.

“Where are you going?” Carahil asked in alarm when I opened the door.

Stopping to look at her from the corner of my eyes, I answered with quiet determination, “To the Imperial City. Only the gods know where I’ll end up from there.”

And then I left, never to return.

This post has been edited by Lady Syl: May 12 2011, 10:41 PM

[Lady Syl]

Rihanae: Thanks! As you noticed, it was definitely my intention to leave you hanging, while also taking the chance to introduce you to that gorgeous and somewhat comical heir to the County of Anvil!

SubRosa:Yay, I'm glad you found it humorous! I hoped it would come across that way, but I'm never very confident about the scenes I write with a humorous side, because I've never considered myself very funny. I guess I am, though, when it pays to be!

Also, thanks for noting that pov thing--I went back and changed it.



Chapter 1.3--Summer of Love

Tandilwen was terrified, but she was determined not to show her fear, and she began struggling. But her captor leaned forward to whisper in her ear, “You would be wise not to do that, you filthy half-breed.”

She stopped resisting and nearly gasped when she recognized the voice of her captor. He knew she had recognized him, so he released her with a smug look on his face as she spun around to face him. It was Claudius Langley, the self-involved and often lazy captain of the guard. Tandilwen had always hated that man.

As she glared at Captain Langley, he tilted his head to the side, and said, “What? Are you surprised that I figured out what Maximus has been up to? I must say, I hadn’t quite expected it to be you I would find here. I would have expected someone of a more honorable lineage.”

“Just because you are Captain of the guard, it does not give you the right to insult me and my family. I am proud of my heritage. Better a half-breed elf than an Imperial pig.”

“You watch your tongue, girl. You’re lucky I don’t arrest you for your treasonous affair with Maximus Umbranox. You know, he is betrothed to the noble daughter of the Count of Kvatch. Countess Umbranox would likely have you whipped for being involved with her son.”

“Maximus can do as he pleases. Until he is wed, he is a free man. And everyone knows that it will be an arranged marriage. He doesn’t love her.”

“Oh, I see. You think he is in love with you?”

Tandilwen felt her face flush, but she answered, “No. I do not presume to know what is in his heart. I know that he does not love Venicia Goldwine because he told me this himself.”

Langley chuckled. “You are a very foolish girl.”

“What do you want?”

“Oh, I don’t know…more money would be nice. Say…50 drakes a month? Pay me, and I won’t tell the Countess about your little intrigues with her son.”

“You are trying to blackmail me, Captain Langley?” she asked with some amusement. “What if I tell the Countess about your little intrigues with Dairihill? I don’t think she would be very pleased with you dallying with her steward.”

Langley scoffed. “You think the Countess would care about me and Dairihill when you are sneaking around with Maximus? I think, of the two of us, it is you who is committing the bigger offense.”

“Oh, I’m not so sure about that,” Tandilwen replied. “You are a married man, and part of Dairihill’s contract is that she must remain chaste until she is wed. Everyone knows that.”

“You snitch,” said Langly, pulling out his dagger. “I can make you disappear, Tandilwen. So, I would watch it if I were you.”

Tandilwen realized she had backed herself into a trap when her back hit the cave wall, and the point of Langley’s dagger was still in her face. She was terrible at casting destruction spells, and she didn’t have a weapon—as if she would even know how to wield one if she did. Now she could no longer hide her fear, and she was visibly shaken.

“So, what’ll it be?” he asked, continuing to hold his dagger in her face. “Pay me 50 drakes a month to keep your secret, or I will cut out your tongue and bury you alive down here, and no one will ever find you.”

Suddenly, they were surprised when another voice was heard from the ledge up above them, “I would be careful who you are threatening, Captain Langley.” Maximus jumped down, his boots splashing into the water, and he pointed the tip of his silver long-sword in Langley’s face, as he continued, “You wouldn’t want to scar that pretty face of yours, now would you?”

“So, the delinquent viscount comes to save the day,” said Langley. “How touching.”

Moving to stand next to Tandilwen, his sword still pointed outward, Maximus said, “You dare to threaten a friend of your future count, Captain?”

“We both know she is more than a friend to you, Maximus.”

“It hardly matters now—I think my mother would side with me if I told her you were attempting to blackmail one of her subjects, and threatening her life in order to hide your own shameful relationship with her steward.”

“Point taken, milord,” Langley answered spitefully. “I think I will be returning to my duties now.”

“I think that that would be a wise decision, Captain.”

Langley hurried out of the cave, and Maximus sheathed his sword. When he turned to Tandilwen, she threw her arms around his neck and thanked him. Maximus smiled and pulled her chin up to kiss her lips, and replied, “You know I would never let anyone hurt you, Tandilwen. And if that greedy vulture tries anything with you again, I want you to tell me right away. I will stand by you to get him removed from his post and locked away for the rest of his miserable life, if need be.”

She smiled and reached up to kiss him again. Then he took her by the hand and led her up to dry ground, where they sat on an old rug together, gazing at each other fondly. Tandilwen always felt her stomach flutter when he looked at her that way, and she wondered if this was what love felt like. When he kissed her, she felt like a candle left out in the heat of the sun, and she melted into his embrace.

After tenderly making love, they talked together until he had to return to the castle, taking a secret passage that few even know exists. Their parting was sorrowful as always, and Tandilwen had to use all of her strength not to shed tears at their last tender kiss. She knew that by the end of the summer, it would be over for good, because Maximus was too good a man to be unfaithful in marriage. But for now, she would try to enjoy what little time they had together, and remain strong when it all came to a necessary end.

This post has been edited by Lady Syl: May 23 2011, 06:35 PM