"Fabulous!" Lord D'Arcy clapped his hands in delight. Approaching old age,
grey-haired and with a large, comfortable belly, he seemed a jolly and soft
man. Which he was – when it came to his daughter.
Vivienne forced a smile onto her lips and twirled slowly – the best she could really manage.
The aching pain in her leg suggested maybe a trip again to a Healer, a though which made her feel weak and useless. What good was she to anybody else if she couldn't even look after her own body?
"You look beautiful, my nightingale," Her father said, "The boys, they will be hiting you with sticks!"
Vivienne suppressed the urge to giggle, and did not correct him. For one, it wasn't nice to laugh at an old man's ailing memory, and for another, ladies did not giggle.
"It is a lovely dress, Pappa. I am sure it will be simply splendid for the Cerwemony tonight."
Satisfied that his daughter would look stunning that evening, he hurried off to attend to business.
Vivienne shooed all the attendants out of he room – except for one, her favourite.
Nova helped her old friend to undress, and handed her a day-dress.
"Ye really did look beautiful," Said the maid cheerfully, tying up the laces, "As always."
Vivienne didn't reply. She saved the energy to remain on her feet.
"Ye should sit down, fer just a minute," Nova told her, worried by the ashen colour of Vivienne's face.
"No, I must attend lessons today, remember? Faramir is teaching me to read!"
"Will'nae yer father be angry?"
"Oh, I daresay he should, if he were to find out. But, after all, who is going to tell him?"
"Oh, not me!" Nova cried, "If ye were thinking I would - "
"Calm yourself. I trust you, dear Nova-lina. Now hand me that infernal cane, would you? I do not want to be late."
Vivienne forced a smile onto her lips and twirled slowly – the best she could really manage.
The aching pain in her leg suggested maybe a trip again to a Healer, a though which made her feel weak and useless. What good was she to anybody else if she couldn't even look after her own body?
"You look beautiful, my nightingale," Her father said, "The boys, they will be hiting you with sticks!"
Vivienne suppressed the urge to giggle, and did not correct him. For one, it wasn't nice to laugh at an old man's ailing memory, and for another, ladies did not giggle.
"It is a lovely dress, Pappa. I am sure it will be simply splendid for the Cerwemony tonight."
Satisfied that his daughter would look stunning that evening, he hurried off to attend to business.
Vivienne shooed all the attendants out of he room – except for one, her favourite.
Nova helped her old friend to undress, and handed her a day-dress.
"Ye really did look beautiful," Said the maid cheerfully, tying up the laces, "As always."
Vivienne didn't reply. She saved the energy to remain on her feet.
"Ye should sit down, fer just a minute," Nova told her, worried by the ashen colour of Vivienne's face.
"No, I must attend lessons today, remember? Faramir is teaching me to read!"
"Will'nae yer father be angry?"
"Oh, I daresay he should, if he were to find out. But, after all, who is going to tell him?"
"Oh, not me!" Nova cried, "If ye were thinking I would - "
"Calm yourself. I trust you, dear Nova-lina. Now hand me that infernal cane, would you? I do not want to be late."