A Glint of Gold

By Avalon Estel

A/N: My first Sherwood Smith fic. Please be kind, and please don't curse if you leave a review!

Disclaimer: I am not Sherwood Smith. I am not related to Sherwood Smith. I make no claims to anything in her works, and fully respect that all of this is hers. I'm just the little kid playing in the sandbox.


Vidanric walked into his bedroom, tired as always. He caught sight of the tiny, cedarwood box on his writing desk. Knowing it was from Meliara, he flicked it open. Inside was a golden ring, etched with laurel leaves and gentle scrolls, a bright ekirth glinting on it. He plucked it from the box and realized that it was too small to fit his fingers. A bit apprehensive, he slipped it onto the little finger of his right hand.

It fit.

He pulled it off and clasped it tightly in his palm, falling backward onto his bed. He sighed. Why did she hate him so? He wished he could tell her that he was the Unknown, the unseen suitor who courted her with pen and words rather than touch and sight. But then she would hate him more. How could she love the Unknown so much, yet still be so resentful and cold towards him? All he'd ever done was try to help her. It was her temper that was the problem. He sighed and closed his eyes. She shunned him, avoided him, and flew into a rage at his slightest remark.

And yet he loved her.

He could have anyone at court, maybe even the Lady Tamara, and yet it had to be fiery little Meliara.

There was a tapping noise outside his door.

"Vidanric? Are you in there?"

"Russav?" asked the Marquis.

"Who else?"

"Come in," Vidanric said softly, sitting up and pushing back strands of gold from his face.

The Duke of Savona stepped into the visiting compartment at the same time Vidanric did. The smile disappeared from his face.

"What's wrong, cousin?" he asked.

"Nothing," murmured Vidanric.

"Come now," coaxed the Duke. "Surely there is something troubling you. That little frown line appears between your eyebrows. Is it the Lady Meliara?"

Vidanric sighed again. "I can hide nothing from you. Indeed, it is."

"More questions for her dear Unknown?" teased Russav.

"Please, I'm not in the mood," Vidanric said, his voice breaking.

"What happened?"

Vidanric held out his hand, turning it so that the light of the glowglobe would glint off of the ring. "She sent me this."

The grin reappeared on Russav's face. "So why are you unhappy? You should be pleased!"

"That's the problem," Vidanric said. "She didn't send it to me. She sent it to her Unknown."

"I see," mused Russav. "What are you going to do?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to flaunt it. I wish the Unknown to remain anonymous, at least for now."

"When will you tell her?"

"I don't know."

After a while, Russav left. Vidanric fell into a quiet sleep, the ring encircling his finger.

Two days later, the Unknown sent Meliara a note. She responded by asking him to wear it, though he already was.

The next morning, he sent her a white rose.