Taking Arahael, Protecting Arahael. Part II

E

EquinoxSol

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"Time to wake up, Beldir," Faerveren said, gently shaking him awake before moving to Gurdir's side. Getting the two boys dressed and ready for the day, she leads them down to the dining rooms, finding Cirion setting the table with various other servants. Sitting them down, she sits in between them. Although she knew that she could have hired a servant to care for the boys, after what happened to Daechir and Dimaethor she didn't want to let them out of her sight, until she felt that it was safe enough for them to. When that day came, they would probably already know how to use a sword to protect themselves, which would do nothing but calm her. It's their birthdays soon, she thought to herself, in about a week... Deciding that she would do something special for them then, she flattened down Gurdir's hair, which had started sticking up when he slept.

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Lae had gone back to her official duties a couple weeks ago, taking care of the third floor rooms. The third floor wasn't used as much as the second or first, or a few of the floors above it, since most of its rooms had been used as vantage points to shoot out at invading enemies. The arrow holes in the walls gave it a rather morbid look, and not many wanted to sleep there or do business there. But, Lae liked keeping it clean. All she had to do most days was dust up and make sure no one would trip on anything if they came up there.
 
Octavian wouldn't be joining Faerveren and the boys for anymore meals and no one has seen him seen him sense the day before. He had shut himself up in his study barely eating or sleeping. He held a rather worn looking letter in his shaking hand, the writing looked shaky and rushed and he was barely able to make out most of the words. Even though he could only read a handful of the letter he knew what it meant, he knew that his worst fears were coming true. Octavian simply stared at the worn letter not really looking at it but rather looking through it, he didn't know what to do and he was frightened. Octavian laid his head on the desk and crumpled the note with his fist, he knew he would eventually have to face his fear and protect not only himself but his people. But for now he will hide like he did when he was a child.


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Cirion had taken his place by the door way that led into the dinning room. He was a bit fidgety as Octavian had not blown through with his usual scowl to sit at the head of the table. When he had not seen or heard hims stomp through the door way he started to fidget even more. "Where could he be, he would never miss a meal with Lady Faerveren. I hope nothing has happened to him." Cirion thought to himself as his eyes darted around the room before he turned slightly to look into the empty hallway, something was defiantly wrong.
 
Faerveren had eaten quickly, telling her sons that they didn't have lessons today. They were both excited by that prospect, and promptly ran off into the castle, probably to their playroom. Having noticed that Octavian hadn't appeared to eat, she silently took his plate, walking up to the study, where she thought he might be.

Knocking once before opening the door, she saw him with his head on the desk, and went to his side. "What is it?" she asked worriedly. Very rarely would she find him like this, and it worried her every time. Setting the plate down on the desk, she said, "I brought you breakfast. Do you want to eat?"
 
Cirion silently watched as Faerveren walked past him and through the door way carrying the breakfast plate, most likely going to see Octavian. He waited until she was a ways down the corridor before moving the servants into action to start cleaning. Once the cleaning had begun he snuck up to the third floor to find Lae, every now and then moving a vase or a crooked painting. Eventually after looking through almost every room until he found her in the last room doing a little dusting. Cirion leaned in through the open door way with a smile "Do you need any help with anything?" he asked taking a step into the room.

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Octavian heard someone knock and enter his study but he didn't move from his spot at the desk. Only when the person spoke did he know who it was, his heart started to beat a little faster. She came to see him, he could help but smile in his head that only erased the fear that had recently consumed him for a moment. He only offered a grunt in reply before siting up straight again and gently taking the food from her with his shaking hands. Octavian placed the dish onto the desk, he simply stared at it and spoke in more of a mumble "Its nothing..". He shifted positions before slowly starting to eat the food, Faerveren brought this all the way up here for him he wasn't going to just let it go to waste, no matter how much the thought of eating made him sick.
 
"It's obviously not nothing," she told him, frowning. He had never acted like this, at least, not when she was around. "If it is something that could hurt my children, don't you dare keep it a secret from me," she continued, more sternly this time. She didn't like this side of him; at least when he was his usual self, she knew what he was about to do, but this...this she knew nothing of. "Tell me."

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Starting when she heard a voice, she quickly recognized it as Cirion, and turned, a slight smile on her face. "No...this is what I did when...before the siege. I'm sort of used to it." She sets down the duster on an otherwise-empty mantle, smoothing down her skirt slightly.