Ch 3 Conviction
"Why did she avoid you" Gerril asked.
"She didn't trust the highborn" he said softly.
The other man nodded, he could understand that, but being a bard she should have realized what she was feeling. Though self delusion was rampant, he thought looking at Rannel. The man was bleeding inside and he wouldn't admit it.
Convince my love
She's made for me
Come be my own
And follow me............
Rannel woke the next morning when a hand hit the side of his bed. "What's the matter with you boy, you're late for lessons and here I find you still abed".
"What" he said, still groggy. He groaned and put his arm over his eyes.
His tutor shook his head, Rannel was never late for lessons. He had never seen another so hungry for learning and normally he was up first his nose in a book before he even arrived.
"What's wrong" he asked again, more gently this time.
"I had trouble getting to sleep last night" Rannel groaned.
"Lady trouble" the man teased.
Rannel just groaned and turned over and covered his head with his pillow "Don't remind me".
The grin slipped a bit from the other man's face, damn but it had to happen sometime. There was only one thing to do, resolve the problem one way or another. "Who is she" he asked.
"One of the bards from Valdemar, the one who plays flute" he said peeking out from under the pillow.
Belken frowned "I don't remember ever seeing you talk to her" he looked at Rannel. "How could it be so bad, they just arrived yesterday" he asked.
"I don't know, all I do know is I've only seen her three times and from the first it just hit me she's a part of me" He growled in frustration "But she keeps running from me, I can't even get close enough to talk to her".
Belkin sat down and thought for a moment "Sounds like a lifebond".
"Whats that" Rannel asked, sitting up.
Belkin frowned "Didn't I ever teach you anything, think. Sun and Shadow, even the Queen's own in Valdemar has a lifebond I've heard".
"Oh" Rannel said softly, thinking about what the other man said. He looked up "Then she's feeling it too" he asked.
"If it's a lifebond" he said. He turned to Rannel "If she's avoiding you like you say, it probably is, I think she's scared".
"Scared, why" he asked.
"She doesn't know you, you're a highborn living on your own estate, second son no less. She's a visitor and if I am guessing correctly is probably of common blood" he said listing reasons.
"None of that matters" he said.
"No, but she doesn't know that" he said. He looked sideways at his pupil "You'll have to show her".
"How, she won't let me near her" he asked running his hands through his hair in frustration.
"The ladies will help, they love a good romance" his tutor said with relish.
"And have it be the talk of the keep" he asked aghast at the thought.
"You want her don't you, you only have a week you know" the other man asked.
"Good point, alright I'll do it" he said covering his face.
The other man looked at him with a hint of pity, he's got it bad he thought to himself.
Rannel got dressed and Belkin followed him towards the ladies bower, as they came closer it was more that Rannel was following Belkin as he slowed down. Belkin laughed at his reluctance, he had seen other big strong men afraid of women, at least in mass.
Finally they reached the door of the bower. Rannel froze as he heard the flute, he turned to Belken "it's her" he whispered to the other man.
"You lucked out" he whispered back to Rannel. "I'll have to go in to get the help you need".
Rannel cocked his head listening to the feel of the music "She knows I'm near".
"It's that strong already" the other man asked, surprised.
Rannel nodded. Belkin pursed his lips in thought "You'd better go to the south garden. I'll send your help there" he said pushing Rannel in that direction.
Early the next morning Graella was already awake and dressed, feeling a little trapped. She was afraid to walk the halls in case she would run into Rannel, along with this fear another emotion was pulling her towards him and the tug of war inside her was driving her crazy. If she had realized what was in store for her she would never have agreed to come here. Pull yourself together Gray she told herself.
It was a relief when Sara came to the room she shared with Donna. "Could you join us for breakfast in the bower" she asked. "You can bring your friend" she added pointing to Donna who was still getting dressed.
Graella smiled "I'd love to" she said, it would get her out of this room and away from Rannel. Donna nodded as well, though she had been giving Graella looks from time to time all morning since she had woken up and found her pacing the room.
Early that afternoon Graella was playing her flute when she felt the echo again and she just knew he was there, listening to her music. This time she held it together and no one else but Donna guessed that anything was wrong. Donna sat to the side a slight frown on her face, she watched Graella sensing something different in her gift, she heard the echo and her eyes suddenly widened in comprehension as she saw the two men lurking outside the doorway. The older man pushed the younger and as he left the echo became fainter though it never fully disappeared.
The older man entered and made his way to one of the ladies who had befriended Graella, he knelt by her chair and whispered in her ear. They whispered back and forth the ladies sitting nearby adding quiet comments for a time until he stood up and left. The ladies in that section of the bower put their heads together and whispered fiercely until some of the others put their work down and joined them, then one of them, Sara left and the others settled down to listen to the music and do their work. Graella had noticed some of this, but she was so relieved that He had left that she didn't pay much attention.
About a candlemark later Mara said to Graella "Could you go with Deena and bring some more cloth from the storeroom, it might be nice to take a break from your playing".
Graella nodded and followed the other woman, while Donna started to play her Gittern. "Where is this store room" Graella asked the other woman.
"It's not far" she answered absently. "Here it is" she said pushing the door open. She gestured for Graella to enter and followed her in the dark room.
Graella sneezed as dust puffed up under their feet "How often do people come here anyway" she asked.
"Not often, but they put the velvet here that Sara wants, to make a winter dress" she said. Mara looked around then pointed to a large stack towards to back of the room "Could you look on the other side of that while I'm pulling out the velvet, there should be some embroidery thread in a box there".
Graella nodded and walked behind a stack of cloth larger than she was, she peered into the corner and saw no box "I don't think it's here" she called out.
"I'm sure it's back there" Mara said. "Keep looking it might be under a corner of the stack".
"Alright" she called back, she knelt by the base of the stack and felt the edges for the outline of a box, there it was. "I think I found it" she called out. There was no answer.
She stood up and peered around the stack but didn't see the other woman, she shrugged and went back to the box, tugging gently until she freed it. She dragged it over to the window and looked inside, there was no embroidery thread only lace. Then she heard the door close and a muffled giggle and she felt him there.
She turned slowly and as she had thought, he was standing there watching her in the dim light.
"Rannel" she said uncertainly.
"So you do know my name" he said, his voice quiet. He started walking slowly towards her and she backed up until she bumped into the windowsill.
He stopped about two feet away from her and looked into her face "You can't fight it you know, even if you leave it'll still be there eating away at you" he said.
"What" she asked, hoping he wouldn't say it.
"Our lifebond" he said gently running a finger down the side of her face. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes.
"We can't be" she said. "We've just met. It's too soon".
"How soon is too soon for your heart" he asked softly leaning closer to her watching her eyes carefully.
She turned away, torn with conflicting desires. "I won't be toyed with" she sobbed.
"I'm not him" Rannel said softly, his heart almost breaking at what he felt in her.
"Who" she asked not looking at him.
"The one who hurt you" he said in his soft voice.
"How, who told you" she gasped.
"Your heart, what you feel I feel and what I feel you feel, don't you" he added in a stronger voice.
"Yes" he barely heard her whisper before she hugged him fiercely and he held on for dear life, a tear of relief trickling down his cheek.
"You'll marry me" he asked when they came up for air.
"Yes" she said, knowing that she could never leave him.
"Come" he said leading her back to the door, he knocked and she heard the giggling again.
"They set us up didn't they" she said.
"Yes, I asked them to, do you mind" he asked.
"No, it gave me you" she said as he hugged her tightly.