Evening Petition was the most important part of Duke Bruno's day. During
Petition the Lubraniers (A/N: LubrAN-ee-airs) could come to him with their
requests, complaints, and quarrels. He also judged any who had committed a
real crime, as with Joseph Monk, who would be convicted in a week, when the
necessary people had been assembled. When there were no petitioners, it was
a time for socializing. Evening Petition was held in the Hall, where the
household's meals were also served. The tables were moved to the side every
evening so that the guests would have enough room to walk around. Anyone
who wanted a say could come, but it was mostly just a socializing affair,
almost like a daily ball, without dancing and not so formal.
The other knights had joined Tayli and Terian shortly after their conversation, and Tayli noticed that most of them had added something to make themselves more formal-only Sirs Luke and William seemed to be going as they were before. Silently, Tayli had followed as the group followed Michael and Terian, roughly by twos in degrees of importance. She walked silently and smoothly through the elaborate hallways, simply observing. The amount of people they passed in the halls increased steadily as they got nearer their destination, until it was a steady stream of guests and servants. Most of them didn't notice Tayli, and, if they did, she always managed to slip back out of sight so quickly that they weren't sure of what they'd seen.
Michael and Terian paused at the grand double doors that lead into the Hall. Seeing that there were no petitioners around at the moment, Terian proceeded, parading in with his head held high and a proud smile on his face. The knights waited a breath before following, and when Tayli was going to slip to the side, Luke smiled and beckoned her on with them, so that she had no choice but to follow. There was a small hush as the Prince entered, and the crowds parted almost automatically to allow him to get to the Duke, but when the Lubraniers caught sight of Tayli, posture proud, black cloak swirling out and behind a little, so that they caught sight of her plain breaches and tunic, they went mute. There was a moment during which you could have heard a feather touch the floor before the noise suddenly boomed forth as people whispered to their neighbors wonderingly, craning their necks to see the strange, beautiful maiden who carried a sword walking among the knights.
Said knights just kept walking, led by Terian, and then stopped to make a respectful bow to Duke Bruno, who sat at one table at the opposite end of the hall. Tayli bowed to the Duke as well, as she had bowed to Sir Michael before, out of respect for his status, but said bow always had the potential to change as she got to know him further. The Duke stood and bowed back, deeply to the Prince and less so to the knights, and Tayli noticed the flaming orange hair to his side, which was also bowing to Terian and the group. When Rafe had straightened up, he looked straight into Tayli's eyes, and awareness passed between them. Silently, watched by all the gossiping Lubraniers, they bowed to each other, the deeply respectful version of the bow amongst equals.
And Tayli looked to the lady on Rafe's arm, who'd curtseyed to Terian and the rest, and smiled, and the lady smiled back, a little hesitantly, as Rafe grinned.
Terian and Sir Michael had been silently conferring with the Duke, and when he made an effort to smile and welcome her, in a loud, carrying voice, the Lubraniers took that as their cue to begin talking amongst themselves again.
Tayli watched a little nervously as the Duke moved up to her, but was relieved when he extended his hand, smiling. She grasped it, smiling back.
"I am Tayli, milord."
"Welcome, Tayli, to Lubran. Sir Michael has informed me that you have only good intentions, and, that being the case, I'm sure you'll find everything very much to your liking here."
"Thank you, milord." She liked the Duke already-he was kind and open, and she read only truth in his eyes, if a little fear-but he couldn't be blamed for that.
"You can meet my family later, when we're not surrounded on all sides by my people. At breakfast, maybe?"
"I should like that, milord." Smiling one last time, Duke Bruno wandered away from her and was immediately snatched by a group of elderly merchants, who were taking furtive glances at Tayli when they thought she wasn't watching.
In truth, Tayli was watching everyone. She was standing next to the group of knights, who'd almost all found someone to talk to already, mostly either a flirt (in the younger ones' cases), or a gossiper, intent on more information on her. It wasn't the not talking that bothered Tayli; it was the amount of people there. It was overwhelming-the sight, the sound, and the smell of all those people, their closeness as they pressed in from all sides, swooping down on her already . . . She felt the fear churning in her stomach as her face paled a little. She started feeling a little dizzy and focused on noticing everything that was going on instead, trying to fight it off. So when she saw Rafe trying to casually make his way over to her, she was relieved. Taking a quick glance around, she saw the guards at the doors and knew that the Prince would be safe.
It only took a few strides to get to Rafe, and by then she was feeling definitely sick. When he got close to her, he gripped her upper arm bracingly, and Tayli saw his fiancé hovering close by, obviously unsure of what to do.
"Rafe. . ," Tayli said, and it came out as half a whimper-pathetic and frightened, she knew, but she was deathly afraid of crowds, and always had been. Beckoning to his lady that she follow them, Rafe steered her away from the crowds, into a back corner of the Hall which was almost deserted. As soon as she was there, Tayli's head began to clear, and her stomach settled, and she silently thanked Rafe for remembering and coming to help her. She could easily see Terian from the corner, so it was strategically a good choice too. Tayli leaned against the wall for a few minutes, resting her head against the cool stone and catching her breath as she got her body under control again.
As soon as she had, she turned to the lady at Rafe's side and really looked at her for the first time. She was small, coming about to Rafe's chin, and had thick, dark brown locks that waved down to mid-back. There was a slight spattering of freckles across her nose, and her mouth seemed curved in a permanent small smile. She had a round, pretty face, and her large brown eyes sparkled with mischief. Tayli glanced between her and Rafe, noticing the adoring sidelong glances they were casting at each other, and gave her verdict: perfect.
"Tayli," Rafe said, interrupting her thoughts, "meet the woman I love, Melanie. Melanie, meet Tayli, my little-sister stand-in, who's been more trouble than she's worth over the last few years."
"Oh, don't get me started on what he was up to the last few times I saw him," Tayli warned, and Melanie laughed slightly, and Tayli found that it wasn't the girlish giggle she thought it would be, but a light, tinkling laugh that spoke of lively womanhood. She smiled and grasped Melanie's hand.
"It's good to meet you," Tayli said warmly. She already liked Melanie and wanted to get to know her better. "And if Rafe gives you any trouble," she said with a mock glare at him, "just send for me and I'll get him for you."
Melanie laughed. "Rafe, trouble? Whatever do you mean?" She replied, playing along, placing a hand on his arm fondly. Rafe snaked an arm around her shoulders and bent down to whisper something in her ear, and then kissed her lightly.
"Rafe," Tayli said admonishingly, "please. Go blind someone else, if you wish." Melanie had the grace to blush and Rafe laughed uproariously.
"You haven't changed at all," he said, and when Tayli shook her head, smiling, he just clapped her on the back fondly.
"Why don't you take a walk with Mel? I'll watch the Prince for you."
"If anything happens, Rafe Ster, I promise I will flay you with my own two hands."
He raised his arms defensively. "Nothing's going to happen, Li, I promise. Now go."
Tayli was obligingly turning to Melanie, after one last warning glare at Rafe, when, at the other side of the room, Duke Bruno stood up, and a gradual hush spread around the Hall. "Honored guests, Your Highness, Sirs, I have an announcement to make."
The other knights had joined Tayli and Terian shortly after their conversation, and Tayli noticed that most of them had added something to make themselves more formal-only Sirs Luke and William seemed to be going as they were before. Silently, Tayli had followed as the group followed Michael and Terian, roughly by twos in degrees of importance. She walked silently and smoothly through the elaborate hallways, simply observing. The amount of people they passed in the halls increased steadily as they got nearer their destination, until it was a steady stream of guests and servants. Most of them didn't notice Tayli, and, if they did, she always managed to slip back out of sight so quickly that they weren't sure of what they'd seen.
Michael and Terian paused at the grand double doors that lead into the Hall. Seeing that there were no petitioners around at the moment, Terian proceeded, parading in with his head held high and a proud smile on his face. The knights waited a breath before following, and when Tayli was going to slip to the side, Luke smiled and beckoned her on with them, so that she had no choice but to follow. There was a small hush as the Prince entered, and the crowds parted almost automatically to allow him to get to the Duke, but when the Lubraniers caught sight of Tayli, posture proud, black cloak swirling out and behind a little, so that they caught sight of her plain breaches and tunic, they went mute. There was a moment during which you could have heard a feather touch the floor before the noise suddenly boomed forth as people whispered to their neighbors wonderingly, craning their necks to see the strange, beautiful maiden who carried a sword walking among the knights.
Said knights just kept walking, led by Terian, and then stopped to make a respectful bow to Duke Bruno, who sat at one table at the opposite end of the hall. Tayli bowed to the Duke as well, as she had bowed to Sir Michael before, out of respect for his status, but said bow always had the potential to change as she got to know him further. The Duke stood and bowed back, deeply to the Prince and less so to the knights, and Tayli noticed the flaming orange hair to his side, which was also bowing to Terian and the group. When Rafe had straightened up, he looked straight into Tayli's eyes, and awareness passed between them. Silently, watched by all the gossiping Lubraniers, they bowed to each other, the deeply respectful version of the bow amongst equals.
And Tayli looked to the lady on Rafe's arm, who'd curtseyed to Terian and the rest, and smiled, and the lady smiled back, a little hesitantly, as Rafe grinned.
Terian and Sir Michael had been silently conferring with the Duke, and when he made an effort to smile and welcome her, in a loud, carrying voice, the Lubraniers took that as their cue to begin talking amongst themselves again.
Tayli watched a little nervously as the Duke moved up to her, but was relieved when he extended his hand, smiling. She grasped it, smiling back.
"I am Tayli, milord."
"Welcome, Tayli, to Lubran. Sir Michael has informed me that you have only good intentions, and, that being the case, I'm sure you'll find everything very much to your liking here."
"Thank you, milord." She liked the Duke already-he was kind and open, and she read only truth in his eyes, if a little fear-but he couldn't be blamed for that.
"You can meet my family later, when we're not surrounded on all sides by my people. At breakfast, maybe?"
"I should like that, milord." Smiling one last time, Duke Bruno wandered away from her and was immediately snatched by a group of elderly merchants, who were taking furtive glances at Tayli when they thought she wasn't watching.
In truth, Tayli was watching everyone. She was standing next to the group of knights, who'd almost all found someone to talk to already, mostly either a flirt (in the younger ones' cases), or a gossiper, intent on more information on her. It wasn't the not talking that bothered Tayli; it was the amount of people there. It was overwhelming-the sight, the sound, and the smell of all those people, their closeness as they pressed in from all sides, swooping down on her already . . . She felt the fear churning in her stomach as her face paled a little. She started feeling a little dizzy and focused on noticing everything that was going on instead, trying to fight it off. So when she saw Rafe trying to casually make his way over to her, she was relieved. Taking a quick glance around, she saw the guards at the doors and knew that the Prince would be safe.
It only took a few strides to get to Rafe, and by then she was feeling definitely sick. When he got close to her, he gripped her upper arm bracingly, and Tayli saw his fiancé hovering close by, obviously unsure of what to do.
"Rafe. . ," Tayli said, and it came out as half a whimper-pathetic and frightened, she knew, but she was deathly afraid of crowds, and always had been. Beckoning to his lady that she follow them, Rafe steered her away from the crowds, into a back corner of the Hall which was almost deserted. As soon as she was there, Tayli's head began to clear, and her stomach settled, and she silently thanked Rafe for remembering and coming to help her. She could easily see Terian from the corner, so it was strategically a good choice too. Tayli leaned against the wall for a few minutes, resting her head against the cool stone and catching her breath as she got her body under control again.
As soon as she had, she turned to the lady at Rafe's side and really looked at her for the first time. She was small, coming about to Rafe's chin, and had thick, dark brown locks that waved down to mid-back. There was a slight spattering of freckles across her nose, and her mouth seemed curved in a permanent small smile. She had a round, pretty face, and her large brown eyes sparkled with mischief. Tayli glanced between her and Rafe, noticing the adoring sidelong glances they were casting at each other, and gave her verdict: perfect.
"Tayli," Rafe said, interrupting her thoughts, "meet the woman I love, Melanie. Melanie, meet Tayli, my little-sister stand-in, who's been more trouble than she's worth over the last few years."
"Oh, don't get me started on what he was up to the last few times I saw him," Tayli warned, and Melanie laughed slightly, and Tayli found that it wasn't the girlish giggle she thought it would be, but a light, tinkling laugh that spoke of lively womanhood. She smiled and grasped Melanie's hand.
"It's good to meet you," Tayli said warmly. She already liked Melanie and wanted to get to know her better. "And if Rafe gives you any trouble," she said with a mock glare at him, "just send for me and I'll get him for you."
Melanie laughed. "Rafe, trouble? Whatever do you mean?" She replied, playing along, placing a hand on his arm fondly. Rafe snaked an arm around her shoulders and bent down to whisper something in her ear, and then kissed her lightly.
"Rafe," Tayli said admonishingly, "please. Go blind someone else, if you wish." Melanie had the grace to blush and Rafe laughed uproariously.
"You haven't changed at all," he said, and when Tayli shook her head, smiling, he just clapped her on the back fondly.
"Why don't you take a walk with Mel? I'll watch the Prince for you."
"If anything happens, Rafe Ster, I promise I will flay you with my own two hands."
He raised his arms defensively. "Nothing's going to happen, Li, I promise. Now go."
Tayli was obligingly turning to Melanie, after one last warning glare at Rafe, when, at the other side of the room, Duke Bruno stood up, and a gradual hush spread around the Hall. "Honored guests, Your Highness, Sirs, I have an announcement to make."