More Useful Than Embroidery

Writers: Devin, Bree
Date Posted: 24th July 2006

Characters: Iadell, Royani
Description: Tired of her current task, Iadell asks Royani for something more useful to do
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 13, day 3 of Turn 3

How much embroidery could one do? Iadell sighed and set down her work.
Surely, there must be something else. She saw the Lord Holder's young daughter--what was her name? Ah, yes, Royani--enter the solar. Gathering up a bit of courage, she walked over to her. "Excuse me? Royani?"

Royani's smile was instantaneous, even if she couldn't remember the name of the woman who had addressed her. She'd seen so many new refugees since the earthquake that she was almost regretting her offer to help. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Iadell returned the smile. "I was wondering if there were any . . .
necessary tasks I could help with?" She'd almost said important, but she thought that might have sounded impolite.

"You can sew?" she asked, nodding to the embroidery Iadell had left.

"Yes," the woman answered. "Nothing too fancy, but I do well enough."

Royani's smile turned a little bit mischievous. "And you want to do something a little more useful than embroidery?" Iadell chuckled softly. "Yes."

Nodding, Royani led the way to the corner of the solar, where several baskets of clothing had been set. "These are some of our old stores of clothing. I'm trying to go through them to see what can be mended and repaired for people who don't have enough to wear."

"I'm sure most of us would like to have another outfit or two to wear."
Iadell smiled. She herself had come with nothing but the clothes on her back.

Royani had parted with more than a few of her older garments at great emotional cost, but she felt foolish admitting to anyone else how much she'd valued such silly things when there were people who had lost everything.
"Well, if you see anything you like, you should take it for yourself!"

"Oh, I don't know if I could," Iadell said as she looked at the baskets.
"Maybe if there's something no one else wants."

"Of course you can," Royani replied in a scolding tone, picking up the first shirt and holding it up so she could examine it. "We'll find you something in here today. I'll make sure of it!" The older woman smiled. "If it isn't too forward of me to say so, I think you will make a wonderful Lady Holder someday."

Royani's face lit up in delight. "Do you really think so?"

"Certainly, dear. You're very welcoming and concerned with the needs of others, and those are good qualities for a future Lady Holder."

"I hope so. I'd like to be a Lady Holder, but I suppose it depends on who my father finds for me to marry." "Well, if he finds you anything less than a Lord Holder, you just say no,"
Iadell teased.

Royani laughed. "If only that were the way it worked! But I know he'll do the best he can. I'll make do with whatever he finds for me."

The talk of marriage brought an ache to her heart. **Oh, Gormand!** Iadell did her best to keep the pain from showing on her face. "I hope he finds you a good man, someone who can make you happy."

"Oh, I'm sure he will." But her tone wasn't nearly as sure as it had been.
With as many older siblings as she had, she'd seen enough arranged marriages to know just how often the wife was lucky not to be treated unkindly.
Marriage for love... well, it was foolish to even think about. Iadell caught the uncertainty and decided to change the subject. "Oh, this is a lovely color," she said as she reached into the nearest basket. She held the much too small tunic up to her. "But I think it's not quite my size." The woman smiled.

Grasping at the change gladly, Royani smiled. "Well, then. We'll just have to find one that is!"

Last updated on the July 26th 2006

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More Useful Than Embroidery