Part II
I'm pretty grumpy and rather whingy - so here's part II.
part I
"Ooooshush now, little ones." crooned the woman, as she rocked back and forth in front of the flickering fire. Talking as if to herself, she looked up, and spoke again, "They're the ones, you know they are. The ones that'll make the shadow of Desira flee." A restless shuffle in the doorway, caused her to glance from the corner of her eyes.
The soldier standing there was staring half fearfully, half yearningly at the swaddled newborns cradled in the woman's arms. Noticing the woman's glance, his posture became defensive - his expression scornful, "Hush yourself woman, no more of this nonsense from you - keep your mouth shut and maybe his Lordship will let you live."
"Aye, maybe he'll let me live - rescuing his grandchildren from being slaughtered like their poor mum, I did. Kill me or not - matter it doesn't - I can't escape fate anymore than he can escape these babes and what they stand for!"
"They stand or nothing!" The soldier hissed at her, "Stupid peasant tales, nothing more!"
"You can't deny the existence of the Mistress and Master?" the woman appeared horrified at the very thought.
"I can and I will - there has never been a Mistress and Master and there never will!" the man stated loudly, trying to look both commanding and authoritative. Instead he appeared more like a young child who is desperately trying to convince himself that there really isn't a monster under the bed. The two stare at each other - both trying to force the other to admit they were wrong. Footsteps and voices from outside snapped their gazes apart.
The soldier, blinked, shook himself as if coming out of a deep sleep, and stood at attention by the door. The woman smiled sadly, clasping the babies closer to her and stared into the flames.
Th soldier saluted as the door swung open and Marshal Jant strode through. Stopping just inside, the Marshal's eyes flicked around the room, resting briefly on the woman and what she held. Turning her head to acknowledge the soldier, Jan was suddenly pushed to the side from behind as Lord Celler impatiently strode through.
"Is it here?" he demanded looking at the Marshal. Shrugging her shoulders, Jant looked inquiringly at the soldier. The soldier paled and swallowed reflexively when he found himself being scrutinized by his Lord.
"Over there M'Lord." he stammered as he pointed towards the woman.
Nicholase Celler quivering like a beast close to the kill; forced control on himself as he moved towards the woman. Halting, he reached out, grabbed her shoulder and forced her body around to face him.
"You have it?" he rasped, his body tense in his urgency to know.
"I saved THEM for you M'Lord." the woman whispered, twitching her shoulder in his grasp. Surprised by what she said, Nicholase loosened his grip, enabling her to break free of his hold.
"Them?" he repeated, as if he was unsure of what she had said.
The woman straightened her shoulders and reached across pulling down the blankets, exposing what lay within. "THEM, M'Lord." she said again, dragging his gaze down with hers.
Fully looking at what the woman held, Nicholase was surprised and immediately delighted to see two babies. His eyes gleamed as plans of how to use this unexpected bonus formed in his mind.
Looking at the woman gain, he demanded, "How did MY grandchildren come into your care?"
Keeping her head lowered the woman answered. "I was in attendance to your daughter these las 3 months, along with that cousin..." she sniffed, her voice telling plainly what she thought of the cousin. Lord Celler grunted, whether in acknowledgment of her tale or in agreement with her dislike of his cousin, she was unsure. "...we went to that place when her pains started - her Ladyship thought it to be the most likely place to have her child in peace..." she paused again.
After a few moments of silence, Lord Celler impatiently gestured for her to continue.
Sighing, she resumed talking again. "I suppose it would have been a safe enough place - if that other female - that cousin - hadn't informed that viper family of hers where we were! Your daughter had just given birth, when the supposedly locked door flew open and several armed men came in." Again she sighed, looking more tired than grieve. "In the resulting confusion - your daughter fought like a lioness - I managed to slip away with the babies. Bringing them here until I could get word to you," she paused and looked up under lowered lids "M'Lord."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm," Lord Celler hummed, as he stared at the twins and considered the ramifications of the woman's tale. Glancing back at the woman, Lord Nicholase was surprised to see an almost worshipful look on her face as she stared at his grandchildren. Glancing at the other tow occupants in the room, Lord Celler was displeased to see a fearful, yet worshipful look from the soldier standing by the door. Marshal Jant had a thoughtful, considering look on her face. Just as Lord Celler's eyes swept over her, Jant looked up and met her Lord's glance. Her thoughtful frown was replaced by a cool, and slightly amused look, "My Lord," she said raising her eyebrows.
"I want you to select a group of guards, and execute everyone and their families, who were involved in the death of my daughter."
"Yes, M'Lord," Jant said. Giving a half bow, the Marshal turned and strode through the door.
"Wait, Jant," Lord Celler called, halting her. "Spare all the children age two and under. Have them brought to the keep. My grandchildren will need toys to play with." Jant, nodding once more, continued out the door.
Lord Celler, smiling to himself, turned once more to the woman. "Well woman," he started, then paused as a thought occurred to him. The woman looked up when he didn't continue. Lord Celler was looking at his grandchildren in a thoughtful way and for the first time, he looked displeased. "Twins, huh?" he muttered under his breath. Giving the woman a piercing look he said, "Think the Mistress and Master have come back have you? Old woman's tales of salvation from the shadow of Desira come to haunt me perhaps?" Seeing the startled and fearful look on the woman's face, Nicholase just laughed. "Bah!" he snorted and took the bundled twins from the woman's reluctant arms. "Master and Mistress perhaps, but ones' that I'll shape and control!" So saying he turned and walked to the door. Turning once more he looked at the woman standing alone in the room, her empty arms hanging down by her sides, the flickering firelight casting shadows on her face as she looked at what he held. Smiling, he turned to the soldier standing at attention by the door. "Kill her when I am gone," he said, and walked out into the night, kicking the door shut behind him.
part I
"Ooooshush now, little ones." crooned the woman, as she rocked back and forth in front of the flickering fire. Talking as if to herself, she looked up, and spoke again, "They're the ones, you know they are. The ones that'll make the shadow of Desira flee." A restless shuffle in the doorway, caused her to glance from the corner of her eyes.
The soldier standing there was staring half fearfully, half yearningly at the swaddled newborns cradled in the woman's arms. Noticing the woman's glance, his posture became defensive - his expression scornful, "Hush yourself woman, no more of this nonsense from you - keep your mouth shut and maybe his Lordship will let you live."
"Aye, maybe he'll let me live - rescuing his grandchildren from being slaughtered like their poor mum, I did. Kill me or not - matter it doesn't - I can't escape fate anymore than he can escape these babes and what they stand for!"
"They stand or nothing!" The soldier hissed at her, "Stupid peasant tales, nothing more!"
"You can't deny the existence of the Mistress and Master?" the woman appeared horrified at the very thought.
"I can and I will - there has never been a Mistress and Master and there never will!" the man stated loudly, trying to look both commanding and authoritative. Instead he appeared more like a young child who is desperately trying to convince himself that there really isn't a monster under the bed. The two stare at each other - both trying to force the other to admit they were wrong. Footsteps and voices from outside snapped their gazes apart.
The soldier, blinked, shook himself as if coming out of a deep sleep, and stood at attention by the door. The woman smiled sadly, clasping the babies closer to her and stared into the flames.
Th soldier saluted as the door swung open and Marshal Jant strode through. Stopping just inside, the Marshal's eyes flicked around the room, resting briefly on the woman and what she held. Turning her head to acknowledge the soldier, Jan was suddenly pushed to the side from behind as Lord Celler impatiently strode through.
"Is it here?" he demanded looking at the Marshal. Shrugging her shoulders, Jant looked inquiringly at the soldier. The soldier paled and swallowed reflexively when he found himself being scrutinized by his Lord.
"Over there M'Lord." he stammered as he pointed towards the woman.
Nicholase Celler quivering like a beast close to the kill; forced control on himself as he moved towards the woman. Halting, he reached out, grabbed her shoulder and forced her body around to face him.
"You have it?" he rasped, his body tense in his urgency to know.
"I saved THEM for you M'Lord." the woman whispered, twitching her shoulder in his grasp. Surprised by what she said, Nicholase loosened his grip, enabling her to break free of his hold.
"Them?" he repeated, as if he was unsure of what she had said.
The woman straightened her shoulders and reached across pulling down the blankets, exposing what lay within. "THEM, M'Lord." she said again, dragging his gaze down with hers.
Fully looking at what the woman held, Nicholase was surprised and immediately delighted to see two babies. His eyes gleamed as plans of how to use this unexpected bonus formed in his mind.
Looking at the woman gain, he demanded, "How did MY grandchildren come into your care?"
Keeping her head lowered the woman answered. "I was in attendance to your daughter these las 3 months, along with that cousin..." she sniffed, her voice telling plainly what she thought of the cousin. Lord Celler grunted, whether in acknowledgment of her tale or in agreement with her dislike of his cousin, she was unsure. "...we went to that place when her pains started - her Ladyship thought it to be the most likely place to have her child in peace..." she paused again.
After a few moments of silence, Lord Celler impatiently gestured for her to continue.
Sighing, she resumed talking again. "I suppose it would have been a safe enough place - if that other female - that cousin - hadn't informed that viper family of hers where we were! Your daughter had just given birth, when the supposedly locked door flew open and several armed men came in." Again she sighed, looking more tired than grieve. "In the resulting confusion - your daughter fought like a lioness - I managed to slip away with the babies. Bringing them here until I could get word to you," she paused and looked up under lowered lids "M'Lord."
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmm," Lord Celler hummed, as he stared at the twins and considered the ramifications of the woman's tale. Glancing back at the woman, Lord Nicholase was surprised to see an almost worshipful look on her face as she stared at his grandchildren. Glancing at the other tow occupants in the room, Lord Celler was displeased to see a fearful, yet worshipful look from the soldier standing by the door. Marshal Jant had a thoughtful, considering look on her face. Just as Lord Celler's eyes swept over her, Jant looked up and met her Lord's glance. Her thoughtful frown was replaced by a cool, and slightly amused look, "My Lord," she said raising her eyebrows.
"I want you to select a group of guards, and execute everyone and their families, who were involved in the death of my daughter."
"Yes, M'Lord," Jant said. Giving a half bow, the Marshal turned and strode through the door.
"Wait, Jant," Lord Celler called, halting her. "Spare all the children age two and under. Have them brought to the keep. My grandchildren will need toys to play with." Jant, nodding once more, continued out the door.
Lord Celler, smiling to himself, turned once more to the woman. "Well woman," he started, then paused as a thought occurred to him. The woman looked up when he didn't continue. Lord Celler was looking at his grandchildren in a thoughtful way and for the first time, he looked displeased. "Twins, huh?" he muttered under his breath. Giving the woman a piercing look he said, "Think the Mistress and Master have come back have you? Old woman's tales of salvation from the shadow of Desira come to haunt me perhaps?" Seeing the startled and fearful look on the woman's face, Nicholase just laughed. "Bah!" he snorted and took the bundled twins from the woman's reluctant arms. "Master and Mistress perhaps, but ones' that I'll shape and control!" So saying he turned and walked to the door. Turning once more he looked at the woman standing alone in the room, her empty arms hanging down by her sides, the flickering firelight casting shadows on her face as she looked at what he held. Smiling, he turned to the soldier standing at attention by the door. "Kill her when I am gone," he said, and walked out into the night, kicking the door shut behind him.