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Zaric strode swiftly into Thalion's office, a rain soaked, mud stained bag in his hand.
"I found it, sir." he announced handing the bag to his lord. Thalion studied it for a moment then set it down on the floor next to the fire. He carefully opened the bag as he crouched down next to it. He was disappointed to find only a change of clothes and a few soggy food rations.
"Well, perhaps our Lady is just as she says-" Thalion stopped something shiny catching his eye. He lifted one of the shirts and a necklace fell to the floor with a soft thump. Thalion lifted it and held it up in the fire light.
"Zaric, call Maeps in here for me." the man left returning with the aging woman. "What house crest is this?" Thalion asked handing Maeps the necklace. She studied it for a while then handed it back.
"I haven't seen that crest in ages. It's the crest of the house Quion. Rumar, if I'm not mistaken, is its lord."
"Does Rumar have any children?" Thalion asked trying to hide the anxiousness in his voice.
Maeps thought for a minute. "Yes, I believe he does. She was but a babe when Rumar visited last. Elraen was her name I believe. Only a few years younger than yourself."
"Thank you, Meaps." The woman shuffled back out of the room. Zaric turned to Thalion.
"What are you going to do sir. About Amara/Elraen?"
Thalion didn't answer right away but stared into the fire. "I'll do nothing for the moment. Say nothing about this to any one. She might not even be Lord Rumar's daughter; she might be a servant from the same house. But either way it's none of our business unless Rumar asks."
"As you wish, my lord." Zaric said leaving Thalion with his thoughts.
……
Elraen was able to avoid Thalion for nearly a week. Fortunately for her, Maeps kept her so busy she didn't have to make up any excuses not to stop and chat.
This wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. As long as she avoided Thalion for another seven days she would sing then take her leave. Immersed in her thoughts and rushing around, as usual, Elraen turned the corner sharply and ran straight into Thalion coming in the opposite direction.
"Sorry. I didn't see you," he apologized helping her to her feet. Elraen stared wide-eyed at him. He wore long brown pants well worn on the knees and stained along the bottom. His shirt wasn't much better, the cuffs beginning to fray. He bent over and collected up the things he had been carrying: two long fishing poles and a box of bait.
"What?" he asked seeing her staring.
"What are you doing in those ratty clothes?" she asked in total amazement that he would ever be seen in that state. Her parents certainly wouldn't let her out like that.
"Going fishing," he said with a shrug checking to make sure he had everything.
"But your shirt is about to fall apart!" she protested in disbelief.
"Oh, this is my lucky shirt," Thalion said giving her a humorous wink. "Would you like to join me? Zaric was going to come but I guess something came up."
"I can't, Maeps has things she wants me to do," she said her voice trailing off at the angry look on Thalion's face.
"Maeps works you too hard," then he smiled mischievously. "You need a break and I need a fishing partner. Come on." And with that she found herself being dragged back around the corner and towards the back door.
"Maeps, I'm going out fishing," he called without breaking stride.
"Again!" they heard Maeps yell from the kitchen. Thalion shooed Elraen out the door in front of him then called back.
"I'm taking Amara with me, too," after saying that he quickly shut the door and, grabbing Elraen's arm again, raced away from the house. "Hurry," he called. "Before she says no!"
In no time they had reached a small pond to the south of the house. They both slumped to the grass panting for breath. Thalion lay back clasping his hands behind his head.
"Now that's more like it," Elraen heard him mumble to himself. He lay there for a moment with his eyes closed enjoying the silence.
He showed her how to bait the hook and cast properly. Then they settled down on the bank using an old fallen log as a backrest. They both stuck their poles deep into the soft dark earth. Silently watching the ripple patterns the wind made as it danced across the surface of the water, Elraen let her mind and body relax. It was so calm sitting under the protective branches of a large willow. A breeze swept by carrying a few stray leaves. Elraen picked one up from the ground and studied it in almost a trance.
"I see why you come out here," she whispered, gently breaking the silence. "It's very peaceful."
She glanced over at Thalion. He nodded with a strange little smile.
"Out here no one asks me whether it would be more profitable to do this or that. I don't have to settle the petty squabbles of traders or merchants. Out here I don't have to be Lord Thalion, I can just be Thalion," he said slowly.
"My father loved those kinds of things. He would have never let me come out to fish."She said with a sigh.
"Why not?" he asked encouraging her to continue.
Elraen sighed. "It's not lady like. He would say," Elraen gave him a mischievous smile. "But I went anyway."
"Is that why you ran away? Because he was so strict?" he asked. She gave him a shocked look. How did he know she had ran away?
"I don't know what your talking about," she said recovering quickly. She had relaxed, she needed to watch herself more carefully. He shifted weight next to her, then she felt him tuck a few locks of soft black curls behind her ear. She glanced up at him; he seemed to see right through her. Why did the presence of this man comfort and unbalance her so?
He leaned closer, slowly so she could escape if she wanted. Elraen didn't move, finding herself paralyzed by his deep brown eyes. He finally kissed her and, without realizing it, Elraen wrapped her arms around his neck. It was as if the rest of the world disappeared around her, all of her troubles disappeared with his gentle touch.
When they finally separated Elraen looked up into his face. He smiled tenderly down at her then leaned forward to kiss her again. But she pulled away. What did she think she was doing!
"I can't," she said wriggling from his arms. He didn't stop her.
"Amara, please wait," he begged. She felt his hand lightly touch her arm as she stood.
"I can't," she moaned again, half of her wishing to run and the other half longing to return to him.
She ran from the pond back towards the house as fast as she could. Stumbling in the door and dashing up the stairs, she found her room and locked the door firmly behind her. She slumped to a chair next to the bed and cried.
……
Elraen avoided Thalion with a new passion. Hurriedly making any excuse she could think of to stay away from him. She forced herself not to think of him. She couldn't-she wouldn't admit to herself or anyone her feelings.
Sighing, Elraen clipped her hair up in her usual bun as she prepared for the banquet. The light blue cotton dress wasn't as elaborate as some of her dresses at home, but it was more than the plain brown servant's dress she had become accustom to.
An old song kept running through her head:
Should I love again?
My heart says I must
But who should I love
And who should I trust
Elraen shook her head to clear it. She looked into the mirror checking to make sure everything was perfect. She pushed one more pin in her hair, then quickly strolled out the door. Guests were already filling the entry hall. A mass of brilliant color and flowing gowns. The chatter was almost deafening as Elraen entered the large ball room on the north end of the house.
She saw that Thalion had the musicians playing and a lively dance started. She marveled at the scale of the banquet. Her father couldn't have put on a party half this size.
Watching from one of the tables just off the dancing floor, Elraen saw the number of guests entering began to taper off. Soon there were only one or two joining the party late.
She heard someone clear their throat behind her. She glanced over to see Thalion in his best suit.
"May I have a word with you?" he asked holding out his hand and bowing gracefully. She began to refuse, but he snatched up her hand and spun her from her seat and into the mass of dancers.
"My Lord, I..." but he didn't let her speak as they began to dance. She felt again the comfort and confusion of simply being near him, only intensified by his proximity.
"Amara, don't you think I know that you're going to disappear as soon as you have the hundred pieces?" he spoke softly into her ear. "I can't let you leave without saying I'm sorry. The incident at the pond.... that wasn't why I took you out there."
"I know," she said trying not to look up into the soft brown eyes she knew awaited her. "You're a very good dancer," she commented trying to change the subject.
"So are you," he said with a sigh. He knew that was the best he would get. "Ah, they're finally here," he mumbled.
"Who's here?" Elraen asked.
"Rumar of the house of Quion. He and his wife came the farthest. They live somewhere over by..." he paused. "Are you all right? You're looking rather pale. Here, let's get you out of this ruckus."
Elraen wasn't paying any attention to what Thalion was saying. She was too busy trying to hide from her parents behind the Lord's sturdy frame. She didn't protest when he led her off the floor and out a side door. Then he lead her to a quiet room a short way down the hall.
"There. Is that better? Tho I'm suprised that a lady of your class would be over welmed by a mere party, Elraen." Elraen froze in her tracks. He had called her by her real name. She slowly turned to face him. He was studying her closely, but there was no anger in his eyes.
"How long have you known?" she asked softly, ashamed for lying to him.
"I only knew for sure when your parents arrived."
"I'm sorry I lied to you," she said lowering her head. "I didn't know what else to do."
He gently lifted her chin forcing her to look at him. "Now I have to decide what to do about all this, for Rumar has asked me to aid in the search for his daughter," he said with a frown.
"Please, Thalion, don't make me go back. I can't marry him. I won't!" Elraen said frantically remembering the disgusting grin on Domakar's face.
"Shhh. Calm down. Calm down," he hushed in soothing tones gently stroking her hair. "Who won't you marry?"
"Domakar, Domakar of the house of Barner."
Thalion gave a snort. "Wake up to Domakar every morning? No wonder you ran. I'm assuming it was arranged for you."
Elraen nodded solemnly, looking down at her hands. "Please don't tell them."
"I have to. But I can promise that I won't let them take you if..."
Elraen glanced up when his voice trailed off. "If what?"
Thalion cocked his head and gave a little smile. "If you will agree to marry me," he said no humor in his voice.
Elraen's eyes flared with rage. "That's black mail!" she hissed.
"Is it?" he asked, then wrapped his arm around her and kissed her. Elraen found the world fading around her again, and some thing inside her snapped. Perhaps it was her stubbornness, not letting herself fall in love but falling none the less. Perhaps it was something else, but either way she couldn't hold back her feelings any longer and she tightened her arms around his neck, bringing him closer.
When he lifted his head Elraen let herself drown in his brown eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but he hushed her again.
"I'll only let you speak if you say yes," he said with a good-humored smile, knowing he had already won her heart. She returned his smile and layed her head on his shoulder. She was so tired of running, of lying, of having to separate herself for fear of others finding out who she was. She just wanted to rest.
"I'll take that as a yes," he whispered softly, kissing her black curls. "Come on. We have to go tell them you're all right."
Elraen sighed uneasily. She didn't know how her parents would react.
"Don't worry!" he said kissing her hair again. "I greatly doubt your father will refuse."
They walked back out into the crowd and over to where her parents were sitting. Omala saw her daughter first, running over and hugging her tightly. Her father was next to hug her.
"That was highly inappropriate running away like that," Rumar began to scold after releasing her, but Thalion cut in cheerily.
"Rumar! Just the man I wanted to speak to." Rumar eye the younger man suspiciously. "I have a proposition for you," Thalion continued. "I'd be willing to share half of my trading profits with you. Which you know is quite an amount."
"And what do you get out of the deal? Nothing is free."
Thalion glanced over at Elraen. "I would get your daughter's hand in marriage, of course."
Rumar glanced over at his daughter and saw the pleading look she gave him.
"We'll need to get all the fine points down on paper, of course." he said after a moment his business mind kicking in.
"Of course," Thalion agreed then turned to Elraen. "You're up to sing in a few minutes. I'll go get this sorted out in time to listen. But if I don't be sure to save me a song," he said with a smile and a wink, but Elraen could see a tenderness even in his humor. Yes, this is where she would be happy, with Thalion.
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