Keladry looked sadly up at the high tower. It had used to be her favorite place to go. One day six years ago, however, her brother had held her off the balcony...
A maid in the garden looked up at the sound of a scream from above and gasped. Keladry, the four year-old youngest daughter of Baron Piers, was being held upside down off the balcony by her brother Conal. Quickly the
maid scampered inside and found the baron.
"Sir, come quick!" she gasped. "Master Conal is holding Lady Keladry off a balcony!"
The baron ran outside swiftly, the maid at his heels.
"Conal!" the nobleman shouted. "Put your sister down immediatly and get down here." By this time the noise had attracted Ilane, the lady of the house. The small
figure disappeared and pounding feet were heard on the stairs. A moment later, Conal arrived.
"Yes, father?" Conal said causually. "Is something wrong?" Kel ran down the steps, took one look at her father's face, and hid behind her mother.
"Is something wrong? Is something wrong? I could kill you!"
"Father, I think you are overreacting. I..."
"You what? Decided that because Keladry is younger than you it is justifiable to hold her off a balcony!?" Piers subsided, breathing heavily.
"I wonder, my dear," the baron addressed his wife, "if disowning him would be too harsh."
Conal gulped. "Father, it will never happen again. Never. I promise."
"See to it that it doesn't." Piers said softly, his eyes cold. "Because if it does... well, see that nothing even remotly like this happens again...
for your sake."
Six years later, even Conal didn't remember the long ago incident. But the tragic results of that long past day in the garden live on in Kel's fear of heights.
A maid in the garden looked up at the sound of a scream from above and gasped. Keladry, the four year-old youngest daughter of Baron Piers, was being held upside down off the balcony by her brother Conal. Quickly the
maid scampered inside and found the baron.
"Sir, come quick!" she gasped. "Master Conal is holding Lady Keladry off a balcony!"
The baron ran outside swiftly, the maid at his heels.
"Conal!" the nobleman shouted. "Put your sister down immediatly and get down here." By this time the noise had attracted Ilane, the lady of the house. The small
figure disappeared and pounding feet were heard on the stairs. A moment later, Conal arrived.
"Yes, father?" Conal said causually. "Is something wrong?" Kel ran down the steps, took one look at her father's face, and hid behind her mother.
"Is something wrong? Is something wrong? I could kill you!"
"Father, I think you are overreacting. I..."
"You what? Decided that because Keladry is younger than you it is justifiable to hold her off a balcony!?" Piers subsided, breathing heavily.
"I wonder, my dear," the baron addressed his wife, "if disowning him would be too harsh."
Conal gulped. "Father, it will never happen again. Never. I promise."
"See to it that it doesn't." Piers said softly, his eyes cold. "Because if it does... well, see that nothing even remotly like this happens again...
for your sake."
Six years later, even Conal didn't remember the long ago incident. But the tragic results of that long past day in the garden live on in Kel's fear of heights.