Author's Note: thanks to all of you who R&R'd. This chapter's a little
dull, but necessary for advancements. Serenity and Endymion start to throw
violent sparks at each other within the next two chapters. There'll be
more soon!!!
"I don't understand."
The slighter man grimaced as Lord Tsuniko tried to hand him the letter. "Is the queen not self-explanatory? Do you insult her?"
"Sir, I mean the queen no insult, still your tongue. I fail to understand, however, why any man of noble blood would pose as a soldier to find himself a bride. It makes no sense to me! I am a lord, and you do not see my putting up some childish charade to find a wife! This man is an affront to my intellect and understanding of the more refined blood!"
"Perhaps you would understand better were I to explain Lord Shields' intentions," the messenger glared haughtily. "He has no wish for any woman to throw herself at his feet knowing that he is of noble blood. Lord Shields does not care for women of shallow heart. By posing as a soldier, Lord Shields is able to better judge their character. Or so he believes."
"And Queen Beryl has taken time from her schedule to monitor a minor lord's activities. I must admit that I highly doubt your story, sir," the older man raised a hand to silence any comment and turned to the door. "Serenity! Where is the tea I requested!? Useless girl. . . ."
"You have daughters, milord?"
"I have two daughters and a near-dead son," Lord Tsuniko answered curtly.
"And are your daughters wed?" the messenger's eyes seemed to bulge from their sore, red sockets as he waited a response.
"No. Neither girl has been married off."
"They are too young, then?"
The lord shook his head. "Far from. I am not certain how old a girl is when she is married in the south, but here, they are no more than fourteen."
"And your daughters would be.?"
"What concern are my daughters to you?"
Serenity entered the room and froze as he father spoke. Her large blue eyes leapt to the man slouched in the chair. Surely this decrepit-looking man would not request a bride! "I have your tea, father."
"Ah, quite a bit older, I see," the messenger jeered as Serenity poured the hot water over the green tea leaves. "Then I have come to the correct household."
"Leave us, Serenity," her father commanded in a curt and abrupt voice.
"Father?"
"Do you question me, child?!" the lord raised an angry eyebrow.
"No, sir. Excuse me," she murmured as she left the room.
Lord Tsuniko noticed the manner in which the messenger eyed Serenity. "She is sixteen, and her sister, Columbia, is nineteen next month. Am I to believe that you do not inquire for yourself?"
"I have no interest in your daughters, milord. With no offense intended, of course," he paused. "My lady, the queen, wishes for you to end Lord Shields' façade and force him into some arrangement where he returns to the palace as Queen Beryl has requested. He will not want to go, milord. He will be quite adamant on that fact. I would suggest that you befriend both the Lord Shields and his four generals. They are easy enough to impress or converse with. Offer them a room or two, perhaps?"
"You have done nothing to appease my appetite of questions, messenger."
The small man chuckled. "Of course, of course. I will come to that. Firstly, however, you need to understand that Lord Shields would not stay with you for a long duration should you immediately insist that he drop his pretense of being a soldier. Hire the group to work for you over the winter and eventually mention the letter you received from the queen. Do not do so until the heart of winter has spread over your already frozen north. I would then suggest that you offer him one of your daughters. Being unable to escape physically may apply the extra pressure needed in such an operation as this."
"You bore me, messenger."
"Does this?" the man threw an obscenely large bag of gold on the table. "I did not think so. This will be the first of many should you trap the Lord Shields in his own game. He will introduce himself as 'Endymion.' I suggest you take notice of him before someone else does. Good day, milord."
When Lord Tsuniko finally looked up from the gold pieces covering the small table, his tea had gone cold and the messenger had disappeared.
"I don't understand."
The slighter man grimaced as Lord Tsuniko tried to hand him the letter. "Is the queen not self-explanatory? Do you insult her?"
"Sir, I mean the queen no insult, still your tongue. I fail to understand, however, why any man of noble blood would pose as a soldier to find himself a bride. It makes no sense to me! I am a lord, and you do not see my putting up some childish charade to find a wife! This man is an affront to my intellect and understanding of the more refined blood!"
"Perhaps you would understand better were I to explain Lord Shields' intentions," the messenger glared haughtily. "He has no wish for any woman to throw herself at his feet knowing that he is of noble blood. Lord Shields does not care for women of shallow heart. By posing as a soldier, Lord Shields is able to better judge their character. Or so he believes."
"And Queen Beryl has taken time from her schedule to monitor a minor lord's activities. I must admit that I highly doubt your story, sir," the older man raised a hand to silence any comment and turned to the door. "Serenity! Where is the tea I requested!? Useless girl. . . ."
"You have daughters, milord?"
"I have two daughters and a near-dead son," Lord Tsuniko answered curtly.
"And are your daughters wed?" the messenger's eyes seemed to bulge from their sore, red sockets as he waited a response.
"No. Neither girl has been married off."
"They are too young, then?"
The lord shook his head. "Far from. I am not certain how old a girl is when she is married in the south, but here, they are no more than fourteen."
"And your daughters would be.?"
"What concern are my daughters to you?"
Serenity entered the room and froze as he father spoke. Her large blue eyes leapt to the man slouched in the chair. Surely this decrepit-looking man would not request a bride! "I have your tea, father."
"Ah, quite a bit older, I see," the messenger jeered as Serenity poured the hot water over the green tea leaves. "Then I have come to the correct household."
"Leave us, Serenity," her father commanded in a curt and abrupt voice.
"Father?"
"Do you question me, child?!" the lord raised an angry eyebrow.
"No, sir. Excuse me," she murmured as she left the room.
Lord Tsuniko noticed the manner in which the messenger eyed Serenity. "She is sixteen, and her sister, Columbia, is nineteen next month. Am I to believe that you do not inquire for yourself?"
"I have no interest in your daughters, milord. With no offense intended, of course," he paused. "My lady, the queen, wishes for you to end Lord Shields' façade and force him into some arrangement where he returns to the palace as Queen Beryl has requested. He will not want to go, milord. He will be quite adamant on that fact. I would suggest that you befriend both the Lord Shields and his four generals. They are easy enough to impress or converse with. Offer them a room or two, perhaps?"
"You have done nothing to appease my appetite of questions, messenger."
The small man chuckled. "Of course, of course. I will come to that. Firstly, however, you need to understand that Lord Shields would not stay with you for a long duration should you immediately insist that he drop his pretense of being a soldier. Hire the group to work for you over the winter and eventually mention the letter you received from the queen. Do not do so until the heart of winter has spread over your already frozen north. I would then suggest that you offer him one of your daughters. Being unable to escape physically may apply the extra pressure needed in such an operation as this."
"You bore me, messenger."
"Does this?" the man threw an obscenely large bag of gold on the table. "I did not think so. This will be the first of many should you trap the Lord Shields in his own game. He will introduce himself as 'Endymion.' I suggest you take notice of him before someone else does. Good day, milord."
When Lord Tsuniko finally looked up from the gold pieces covering the small table, his tea had gone cold and the messenger had disappeared.