Chapter 4 – A Mother's Worry
Serena wandered the castle corridors aimlessly, wondering if she should find her mother. "She'd probably have me clean my room," she mumbled. "Or perhaps the entire castle..."
"And my dear Bryce brought this back from Orlais last year..." Eleanor Cousland's voice floated down the corridor from the atrium beyond. Serena looked up the path to see her mother talking with three other hazy figures. Squinting, she realized these must be some of the guests Mother had been warning her to get cleaned up for. She noted two of the figures were obviously women, while the other was a broad shouldered man.
Serves me right for leaving my room, Serena thought. At least Mother won't chide me for looking a mess. Serena threw up a hand and waved to the group ahead.
"Serena, sweetheart! Come say hello. We have guests!" Eleanor called to her daughter.
Smoothing the front of her dress, Serena silently thanked the Maker she'd had the good sense to wash up after that incident in the larder earlier. Eleanor would not be pleased to see her daughter greeting guests covered head to toe in rat parts.
"Ah, here is my lovely daughter," Eleanor said to her guests, introducing Serena with a wave of her hand.
"Good afternoon, Mother." Serena said, smiling at the others. Her mother stood tall and elegant next to another iron-haired woman Serena thought she recognized.
"I don't see that troublesome hound of yours..." Eleanor replied, looking politely annoyed. "Did Ser Gilmore catch up with you? I assume the situation in the kitchen is handled?"
Serena nodded. "Yes, Mother, Nan is back to work as we speak. Peanut is napping in my room at the moment." She rolled her eyes. "I suppose he's tired from causing Nan all sorts of trouble. We left the larder a bit of a mess."
"Well, at least one of us will have had a decent dinner," her mother replied. "Perhaps your hound left something I can feed my guests." She gestured to the woman to her left. "Darling, you remember Lady Landra? Bann Loren's wife?"
"I think we last met at your mother's spring salon," Lady Landry said.
"Yes, of course," Serena replied with a small curtsy. "It is good to see you again. I think you were a bit… indisposed the last time."
"You are too kind, child. Well, it was a lovely salon, from what little I can remember. My son tells me I was very well beyond drunk at the time, and trying quite spiritedly to get you two engaged." Lady Landra smiled awkwardly, and put a hand on the arm of the young blonde woman next to her. "I'm not sure if you've met Iona, my lady-in-waiting. Do say something, dear."
The petite blonde woman smiled, her small brown eyes looked very kind. "It is a great pleasure, my lady. You are as pretty as your mother describes." Serena bowed her head, slightly embarrassed. What had her mother been saying?
"And of course, you know my son Dairren…" Lady Landra was saying.
The red haired young man smiled crookedly at Serena, as if waiting to see if she remembered him or not.
"Dairren…" Serena beamed, crossing the few feet between them to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. "Oh, goodness. It's been ages!"
"Indeed, my lady. It is wonderful to see you once again." Dairren kissed her on the cheek, before they became aware again of the other three ladies present. The two separated uncomfortably as Serena put out a hand for Dairren to kiss, as tradition demanded. She could feel her face grow warm.
"I apologize for my overzealous nature, my lady," Dairren intoned, a knowing grin on his face.
"Think nothing of it," Serena replied, working hard to keep her face from flushing. She silently cursed herself for being so silly around men today. You'd think Mother kept me in a cage, she thought petulantly, the way I've been carrying on today.
Serena turned to her mother. "I wish you'd told me Lady Landra and her family were to be our guests."
"Obviously, dear." Eleanor rolled her eyes at her daughter, smiling. "They're so... passionate at this age, aren't they, Landra?"
"Absolutely, but you remember how we were at their age, Eleanor," Landra replied with a laugh. "Always giggling about the young men in the practice fields… I daresay that's how Bryce first caught your eye."
"Oh yes, I was quite the battle maiden myself in my day, but I rather think it was my talent at the softer arts which helped me land a husband." Eleanor frowned at her daughter. "You know that's quite the compliment Iona gives you, as she says that after seeing you whacking those stuffed men in the courtyard, sweating like a mule!"
"Your daughter's prowess with her blades is quite impressive," Dairren said, with a wink at Serena. "I saw her practicing earlier with one of your castles' knights."
"Occasionally they humor me with a practice session or two," Serena replied with a shrug, her face growing hot once again. "Although the Grey Warden, Duncan, saw me and said I'd make a good recruit..." Serena looked sidelong at her mother, wondering if her reaction would be as her father had said.
"You haven't got it into your head that you want to become one, have you?" Eleanor asked, her face bordering on frantic.
"No, Mother. Father was very adamant that he wouldn't allow both Fergus and I to ride off into the sunset...Duncan said he would not press the issue."
"I should hope not! I don't need you off chasing danger like your brother, Maker knows I can't stop him at his age... but Bryce knows I would have his eyeballs for earrings if he sent my baby girl off to war with those monstrous things!"
"I don't think the knights are that ugly, Mother," Serena said with a grin. "Ser Gilmore told me he even has them on a regular bathing schedule now."
"Very funny," Eleanor said, dryly. Despite Eleanor's tone, Serena could tell her mother was slightly annoyed by her joking nature. "The darkspawn are a very serious matter entirely, though. If the men cannot hold them in the south, it may not be long before we shall all need to take up arms against them."
"Oh, you don't think it will really come to that, do you, Eleanor? I'm absolute rubbish with a blade." Lady Landra looked to her lady-in-waiting, Iona, who looked equally alarmed at the idea of ever lifting a sword or bow. "Surely the King's army can route those terrible things right back into the ground where they came from."
"Maker help us, I hope so," Eleanor replied, her voice soft.
"Hm, well, I think perhaps I shall rest now, my dear. Good evening, your Ladyship." She kissed Eleanor lightly on each cheek and turned to her son. "Dairren, I will see you and Iona at supper." She curtsied delicately, and headed off from the atrium towards her room.
"I think we'll retire to the study for now," Dairren said. "You are welcome to join us if you'd like, my lady."
"Yes, well... perhaps we should speak alone later, Dairren?" Serena asked.
"I would like that, my lady," Dairren replied. "Until then." His face remained cool, but Serena thought she could detect the ghost of a smile there. Serena watched silently as Dairren and Iona disappeared towards the library in the east wing of the castle.
Left alone with her mother, Serena suddenly felt very anxious, unsure on whether her mother was irritated with her over her cavalier attitude... or the Grey Warden business.
Eleanor gazed at her daughter, her big green eyes serious. "You should say goodbye to Fergus, dear, while you have the chance. He's riding out soon, you know." She paused a moment before putting a soft hand to her daughter's cheek. "I know it's difficult to stay in the castle and watch others ride off, but we must see to our duties first. You understand that, don't you?"
"Yes, of course, Mother. I just... can shake this feeling, you know. What if Father... or Fergus... what if they fall?" Serena unconsciously put a hand on her dagger's hilt, rubbing a thumb over it. "I can't help but think I could make a difference."
"It's in the Maker's hands now, dear, and we must cope as best we can." Her mother looked out over the grounds from the atrium, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Someone has to run this castle, don't they?"
Serena watched as one of the gardeners' pulled up dead bulbs from the flowerbeds near the castle entrance. It was always nice to see that the possible darkspawn war didn't interrupt everyone's daily lives. "I just have a bad feeling about all this," Serena said finally.
"As do I, pup." Eleanor put an arm around her daughter, squeezing Serena to her gently. "Your father and brother are marching off to fight Maker-knows-what... all the assurances in the world won't comfort me. I'm just thankful to have you here with me. Fergus and your father have their duty, and we have ours."
"Will you be staying at the castle? I had assumed so, but then when Father said I was to be in charge..." Serena trailed off.
"I am staying for a few days. Then I'll travel with Lady Landra to her estate and keep her company for a time. It won't be too long, mind you. I don't want to return to find drunken knights hanging from the chandeliers naked as the day they were born. But your father thinks my presence here might undermine your authority."
"So I'll be here alone?" Serena hoped her voice didn't sound as stunned as she felt. She had thought at least her mother would be here as a... secondary authority of sorts. She never imagined it would just be her taking care of everything.
"Well, your sister-in-law, Oriana will be here, and Oren, of course, and Ser Gilmore and some of the other knights and guardsmen, but yes. You will be in charge, even when I've returned." Eleanor spun her daughter towards her, looking her directly in the eyes. "Don't worry, my dearest, you will do just fine. You're smart, strong, and everyone here respects you. You are your father's daughter, right down to those precocious blue eyes of yours. Everything will work out just fine. You'll see."
Serena couldn't help but feel comforted by her mother's words. At nearly 19 years old, she supposed it was time she started taking on more real responsibility, and with Fergus and her father off to battle in the south... She smiled bravely for her mother, hoping that faking it would be enough for now.
Author's Note: First, thank you to all readers and reviewers! This is a rather short chapter, as I prepare for some much longer action-packed ones that are coming up. I wanted to note that the rating might change to M coming up soon, as well. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far.