"What horror have you inflicted on our clan today?" Lord Bleddyn scoffed from inside the house. He slowly opened the door, revealing that he wore a dressing gown and slippers. It was almost midday.
Lord Carrion shifted uncomfortably. "I have not done anything worth reprimand, Father."
Bleddyn finally noticed . Eyeing his son one more ti, he sighed.
"The sight of another swordsman makes think otherwise. Unless this is a call to war, Lord Holden?" Bleddyn asked earnestly. I suppose I would want to see my long lost bride if I only recently found out she was still breathing.
"No, Lord Bleddyn. I simply wanted to make sure that Lord Carrion understood that all tournant champions were held in the highest regard." I dipped my head in respect to the man who held the title of Swordsman long before I did.
It was not exactly court etiquette now that I technically outranked him, but I am not exactly a court trained man. I prefer to think of my manners as more free range.
"Are you sure? The slew of clansn that have co knocking at my door complaining about my son has all out of sorts." Bleddyn rubbed his temples with his fingertips before letting his palms press into his eye sockets.
At least Bleddyn had more color than the last ti I saw him. His temperant seed not quite improved, but at least shifted away from the lancholy self loathing and into a more self righteous frustration.
"Eris and his father have never liked ! You know they are just jealous of our family." Carrion cut to his father in a slicing tone.
"All the more reason to give them nothing to complain about." Bleddyn spat back.
"Is everyone against ?" Lord Carrion threw his hands in the air in frustration.
Maybe I should not have been so quick to think I was the only one who voiced concerns about Carrion. I did not, however, express them so much to him. Sohow that made feel less guilty.
I could feel the familial tension grow as Bleddyn stared down at his son silently. I do not know why Carrion thought he would find sympathy in the man he recently fought to a bloody end.
"I will leave you two to your conversation and get back to the royal box. I am sure engagent plans must be made," I tried to shrink away. No such luck.
"Engagent plans? How dare you challenge for the honor of leading our clan just to use that power to propose again to Princess Alina!" Bleddyn exploded in a rage I had not seen since before King Caderyn passed.
"You would leave our clan and our country without a Swordsman in a ti of war? How irresponsible can you be? I suppose it does not matter just as long as you get to be king? I raised a foolish son indeed," Bleddyn closed the distance between himself and Carrion.
In the face of his son, he spit on the ground. "You are no leader!" He raved barely above a whisper.
I pulled Bleddyn back from his son. I have no idea what happens in this house behind closed doors, but this family does not put the function in dysfunction.
"Lord Bleddyn," I began before Carrion cut off.
"Are you quite finished, Father? Because your Swordsman would like to clarify sothing for his clansman." Carrion puffed out his chest and let his hand rest on the hilt of his clan’s sword.
Lord Bleddyn stepped back under the guidance of my hand. A glance toward let see the confusion in his eyes.
"You should know by now that the ladies of the royal family prefer the clan of Stag." Carrion’s voice trailed off allowing Bleddyn to connect the dots of who might be engaged.
"Sir John is engaged to Queen Valerie?" Lord Bleddyn vocalized as if he started making sense of how often the man was around the castle. I am sure my own expression must have mirrored his when the proposal happened.
"It seems he was to win everything today." Lord Carrion’s cool aloofness settled back into his deanor.
"You lost your match, too?" Lord Bleddyn questioned.
"I not only lost. I was disard," Carrion admitted.
I saw the match. I rooted for such an outco. Hearing the vanquished admit defeat broke sothing in . Maybe Carrion was not such a villain, simply misunderstood.
"If that is all, I think I have had quite enough of being a public disappointnt today and would like to retire to be one privately. I am sure that the Swordsn are not needed for the beginning stages of a royal engagent, but I am sure Lord Holden’s presence is needed to celebrate. Good day!" Carrion pushed past his father to enter the house.
"I am sorry you had to see that, Lord Holden." Bleddyn straightened his housecoat, seeming to notice he was not properly dressed for public.
"It is just Holden if you don’t mind." It was all I could think to respond.
"Not at all, Holden," hesitancy crept in behind my na, but not in a way that made feel he was uncomfortable with the informality. "Was it a bad match?"
"I think it was Lord Carrion’s best match of the tournant." I offered because it was the only one I felt he did not cheat.
Bleddyn nodded before his shoulders slumped. He seed to be withdrawing into himself like he had after the tragic invasion of the Norads.
"I think next ti, it would an a lot to have your support in the stands." I hoped I had not missed my mark as to what both n wanted.
"Perchance," Bleddyn started before clearing his throat." Good day, Holden."
I made my way back to the royal stands with the confidence that Lord Carrion was at least contained for the ti being.
I slipped back into my place. I thought my absence went relatively unnoticed except by Lord Garrison and Sir Gavin who stood next to . Those two and of course Gella who eyed from the mont I returned to my post. Nothing got past her.
Reviews
All reviews (0)