Telling her story.

Writers: April, Eimi
Date Posted: 26th August 2006

Characters: Amowyn, Penryn
Description: Amowyn goes to take a meal to Penryn and ends up telling him her whole story.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 13, day 27 of Turn 3

Amowyn smiled as she made her way to the steward's office. He had been busy lately and had not sent for his meal or come down for it. Her long black hair was pulled back in a neat braid that she had twisted into a bun at the nap of her neck. It mad her delicate face look older than she was. She wore a very simple dress belted at the waste. Over that she wore an apron. It was different form what she had grown accustom to. But, that had all been in the past. it was over now. She maneuvered the tray she carried to her hip and knocked. She had made it to his office quickly.

"Come in," Penryn called as he looked up from the hides littering his desk. She smiled as she came in. "I figured you'd be getting hungry. You hadn't sent for your tray or come down to eat." She looked around for an empty bit of space for the tray and shook her head. Using her empty hand she carefully stacked a couple piles of hides. She carefully balanced the tray on her hip the whole time.

"Thank you very much..." Shards, he forgot her name... "That is very thoughtful of you," he added quickly to cover his blunder. The steward stood to move some more hides out of the way to make room for the try.

"It's no problem. Just figured you'd found something interesting an forgotten." She smiled as she placed the tray in the empty spot and gently straightened a few piles. She did it unconsciously. "Amowyn, I said to myself, You'd best see to our steward before he starves himself silly." She smiled as she looked up to him. She hadn't missed hsi slight hesitation.

**Amowyn! That's it!** He smiled as he reached for the mug of klah. "Well, Amowyn, that was very kind of you. And how are you settling into the Hold?"

"Very well thank you. I find it refreshing to be back in a hold after such a long travel. Though it does kinda make me miss home." Her real home anyways. Not that nightmare she had been living as the lady of the hold. "But I like it well enough. So does my little girl."

"How old is your daughter?" Penryn asked curiously.

"Five turns." She carefully righted a pile of hides on the floor. She glanced over her shoulder at him as she stood. "She has made many new friends here."

"That's good. Has she started classes with the harper then?"

"Oh yes. She didn't have the luxury of going before. Her father didn't want her to learn." She shook her head. "But that's neither here nor there. Do you have any children?" Still being slightly new she didn't know everything about everyone yet.

"No, I never did have any children," the Steward replied simply. "Maybe some day."

"I'm sure you will." She said with a smile. "My goodness have you got quite a few hides about. Would you like a bit of help organizing them?
I was just on my way to my rooms after this. I could give you a hand."

"That's very kind of you, Amowyn, but these hides are full of information on crop rotations, tithes, reports and the like. Unfortunately it's impossible to organize without knowing every detail and how it fits into everything else. But if you don't mind keeping me company while I eat, I would appreciate it if you could take the tray back for me."

"I don't mind." She sat on the only available spot and smiled. "It's probably similar to the hides I helped my husband's steward with back home." She said unconsciously.

"Your husband lead a Hold?" Penryn asked in surprise as he broke off a piece of bread.

"Yes." She said simply. She had walked into that one. She had wanted to avoid all that. "He was very strict and nearly a perfectionist." She looked down at her hands. She missed those she had worked with, but she definitely didn't miss her husband. "I learned a lot while with him."

"When did he die?" Penryn asked sympathetically.

"I've been apart from him for two turns now." She had to think on it. It seemed so long ago that she had left. She had even heard of him taking another wife. She brushed a stray wisp from her eyes. She pushed it back as if irritated at it's audacity, to escape her neatly done bun.
she was only slightly caught off balance by the conversation. She had hoped to avoid questions of her husband. Though she wasn't exactly lying, she was elaborating either.

The Stewards eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. "_Apart_? So, he is living then?"

Amowyn's face paled. She had hoped he wouldn't have seen it that way. He was smarter than she had thought. She looked down and tried to think of some way to change the subject. She wrung her hands worriedly and would have bolted then and there. But, she was raised to take whatever came her way. "You're not in any trouble are you?" Penryn asked, noticing her nervous expression.

"If I were to tell you everything you'd send me back. I'm not going back. I can't. I won't." She stood. Her thin frame stood tall and still. She was unsure how he would take it. He was her superior. He had the right to know. "I think you'd better tell me what's going on, Amowyn, before I feel obligated to personally find all the answers," the Steward said with a stern look. He was not about to allow her to bring trouble into the Hold for no good reason. She could be a criminal on the run for all he knew, a dangerous one even. He was not so ignorant to believe a woman incapable, especially not after Verora.

She sighed as she realized she'd been caught. Her heart sank. She had spent two turns hiding form her husband. She had even learned of his new wife and family. What would he think of a wife running away. "I was married to Havernickle at the age of 15. I knew he never really liked me. He just wanted me to be obedient and bear him many sons. I bore our daughter and it nearly cost me my life. The healers were afraid of what would happen if I were to have another. He grew angry and more distant. He was a 60 turn old man and he needed an heir for the hold. He grew mentally abusive and hateful to me. HE never even tried to love his daughter. He was cruel and hateful even to her. Finally I couldn't handle it anymore. I left him two turns ago. I faked my own death and left with my daughter. She deserved better. He has since married and they have a son. She is all I never was." Her shoulders sank. "Know I'm sure you will all send me back to him. If you do, please keep Aavia here. I'm afraid of what may happen should she go back." tears fell unbidden from her eyes.

"Ah, well..." Penryn was at a loss. She faked her death and now her husband - who considering she was still alive she was still legally married to - was 'married' illegally to another woman and the child they thought was legitimate would now be considered a bastard... This was a sticky mess! "I believe you will have to tell your story to the Lord Holder. It is Lord Ishek's place to decide what is to be done."

Amowyn sighed as she looked at her hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I've worked so hard to make a better life for my daughter. I have spent many a night trying to figure out what to do for her. He will never name her his heir even if she were to marry. She has no prospects. He would just marry her off to some man to get her away from him. He would..." She shuddered and tears began to fall again. "I'm sorry I have gotten you all into a mess. Perhaps I should pack up my daughter and leave. I wouldn't want to get the hold caught up in my problems." SHe stood to go. She looked lost and frightened as she headed for his door.

"Don't do anything rash before speaking with Lord Ishek, Amowyn," Penryn said following her. "You may not have to leave. Talk to him before you make any decisions."

She nodded absently as she left. her mind was a jumble of fear and hopelessness. She was afraid of the outcome of this night would be.
Seriously afraid.

Last updated on the August 27th 2006

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Telling her story.