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Rainfall on Judgment Day
Chapter 2
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past
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They came to him one cool night in early autumn, their faces pale and haggard in the flickering candlelight, clenching each others' hands so tightly that the skin had become white; Sain noted how Kent's free hand rested gently at the small of Lady Lyndis' back as he led her into the room, how the fair lady of Caelin seemed to rely on him for support and strength.
Sain stood and bowed to his lady, nodded to his oldest and dearest friend. "Milady Lyndis, Kent,' he said to them, "such an unexpected pleasure at this late hour. May I be of service?"
Lady Lyndis looked at Kent; he nodded, squeezed her hand quickly before turning to close and lock the door to Sain's room; his hands were shaking when he returned.
The air was thick with tension, and Sain found himself swallowing nervously despite himself. "Would you care for a seat, milady? Or a drink, perhaps? I received a beautiful wine the other day, but I'm afraid I haven't had an opportunity to sample it as of yet." He smiled weakly at them in what he hoped was an inviting, casual sort of way.
Lady Lyndis opened her mouth to answer, but it was Kent who spoke instead. "A chair for Lady Lyndis, Sain; the wine she can do without." Kent spoke in the clipped tone he normally used with courtiers and new recruits; he seemed to realize this and looked at Sain apologetically. His voice softened. "Though I could most certainly use a bit, and it seems like you could use a glass yourself to get through all that paperwork." Kent gave him a small smile, though it seemed too strained and forced to contain any real amusement. "Please, Sain."
"But of course," Sain said. He shrugged and pulled his chair from his desk, guiltily noting the mass of papers strewn across the hard oak top, set it before her and motioned for her to sit down.
She looked at Kent briefly, tugged the shawl about her shoulders tighter and sat on the proffered chair. Kent stood behind her, hands clasped behind his back as he silently watched Sain pull a bottle and two glasses from a trunk at the foot of his bed. He looked older than Sain had ever seen him, as if Kent were at least five years his senior instead of a mere two years his junior. Sain gave the younger man a glass of wine and retreated to his desk, where he leaned against an edge not completely littered with documents.
All was silent for a few minutes as the men sipped idly at their drinks. Lady Lyndis fidgeted with a fraying thread on her shawl, an invisible speck of dirt on her skirt. The three of them were comfortable enough with each other to the extent that such silences were not an issue, and yet something about the stillness was disconcerting.
Finally Kent spoke. "There is something you must know, Sain."
Out of the corner of his eye, Sain saw Lady Lyndis close her eyes and hang her head in shame.
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Xirysa Says: Short chapter is short, but I have exams this week and I wanted to put up something. Plus, I'd had this bit written for a while, and there was really nothing else I could put into this chapter without getting ahead of myself. Hopefully you enjoyed, and thanks for reading! Any feedback or critique is, as always, greatly appreciated.