trickled
down a cheek. She turned her head to the side, trying to hold them
in.
Frath leaned forward in concern. “What’s
happened now? Is there anything I can do?”
“No, there’s nothing any of us can do. She
won’t see me anymore. Now she’s gone and gotten pregnant, but
doesn’t know who the father is.” The dignified lady wiped her eyes
carefully with a handkerchief she pulled out of a little purse in
her lap. “She’s still doing those drugs though and I’m afraid she’s
going to hurt herself and the baby.”
“I can talk to her,” Frath offered
earnestly. He wanted very much to help, though he knew there was
most likely nothing he could do.
“I’m sorry, Frath, but she wouldn’t give you
the time of day. With you being in the City Guard, things could go
very badly for you and her and I just . . .” She turned to look
toward the fire again to hide more tears that threatened. Frath
reached over and held her hand.
“Lunch is ready, Milady,” a red-haired woman
in a servant’s dress and apron said from just inside the
entrance.
“Thank you, Mary” Lady Pallon replied. She
patted Frath’s hand in thanks and they all rose to follow the
servant into a dining room. Frath grabbed his sword and efficiently
reattached it on the way.
The savory aroma reached them even before
they entered. Marvelous dishes of food waited for their pleasure at
one end of a large table. Lady Pallon sat at the head while Frath
took Sheela to a seat on the left side. Upon seeing that Frath’s
place setting was on the opposite side, the lady winked at the
servant. “Mary, our guests would like to sit together. They are in love after all.”
Mary smiled in quick understanding. “Oh yes,
Milady. I’ll correct that right away.” She hurriedly moved the
place setting so the blushing couple could be next to each
other.
“Have you told your darling how you saved
me, Frath?” Lady Pallon asked while Mary filled their glasses with
wine. Sheela looked at hers nervously.
Frath blushed and shook his head slowly.
“It’s really not that big a deal.” He didn’t like talking about
actions that others considered heroic. They were things he felt
needed to be done, so he did them. There was no pleasure in
boasting while so many people in the city suffered.
“Of course it is. You saved my life in an
amazing act of bravery for one so young as you were at that time,”
she insisted, dismissing his modesty with a wave of her hand. She
turned to Sheela who was tentatively sipping the wine. “He was only
fourteen at the time and was in a City Guard program that helps
criminal youth. Melody and I were foolishly walking without an
escort after dark near the Orphan District where Frath lived. He
wasn’t supposed to be out alone, especially not at night.” Frath
had filled his plate with food and was focusing on it so he
wouldn’t have to look Sheela in the eye.
“A group of disreputable individuals quickly
surrounded Melody and I. There were six armed with wicked looking
swords,” she said while cutting the lamb chops on her plate. Sheela
watched carefully and tried to do the same. “No dear, like this.”
Lady Pallon demonstrated the proper way to hold the fork and knife.
“I’ve given up trying to get Frath to eat like a proper young man
should.” Frath blushed and slowed down when he realized he had been
shoving food in his mouth as quickly as possible, the normal way of
eating in the guard.
“As I was saying, Melody and I were in
mortal danger. Our bodyguard at the time had been sick and I
thought we would be just fine going out on our own.” Sheela began
eating as she listened in interest. Frath continued to look
anywhere else. “Young Frath saw us in trouble and threw a rock at
the leader of the men, knocking him out with an amazing shot
to the head. Two of the others turned on him with their swords
while three kept an eye on us.”
Sheela looked at Frath with new admiration.
He shrugged while focusing
down a cheek. She turned her head to the side, trying to hold them
in.
Frath leaned forward in concern. “What’s
happened now? Is there anything I can do?”
“No, there’s nothing any of us can do. She
won’t see me anymore. Now she’s gone and gotten pregnant, but
doesn’t know who the father is.” The dignified lady wiped her eyes
carefully with a handkerchief she pulled out of a little purse in
her lap. “She’s still doing those drugs though and I’m afraid she’s
going to hurt herself and the baby.”
“I can talk to her,” Frath offered
earnestly. He wanted very much to help, though he knew there was
most likely nothing he could do.
“I’m sorry, Frath, but she wouldn’t give you
the time of day. With you being in the City Guard, things could go
very badly for you and her and I just . . .” She turned to look
toward the fire again to hide more tears that threatened. Frath
reached over and held her hand.
“Lunch is ready, Milady,” a red-haired woman
in a servant’s dress and apron said from just inside the
entrance.
“Thank you, Mary” Lady Pallon replied. She
patted Frath’s hand in thanks and they all rose to follow the
servant into a dining room. Frath grabbed his sword and efficiently
reattached it on the way.
The savory aroma reached them even before
they entered. Marvelous dishes of food waited for their pleasure at
one end of a large table. Lady Pallon sat at the head while Frath
took Sheela to a seat on the left side. Upon seeing that Frath’s
place setting was on the opposite side, the lady winked at the
servant. “Mary, our guests would like to sit together. They are in love after all.”
Mary smiled in quick understanding. “Oh yes,
Milady. I’ll correct that right away.” She hurriedly moved the
place setting so the blushing couple could be next to each
other.
“Have you told your darling how you saved
me, Frath?” Lady Pallon asked while Mary filled their glasses with
wine. Sheela looked at hers nervously.
Frath blushed and shook his head slowly.
“It’s really not that big a deal.” He didn’t like talking about
actions that others considered heroic. They were things he felt
needed to be done, so he did them. There was no pleasure in
boasting while so many people in the city suffered.
“Of course it is. You saved my life in an
amazing act of bravery for one so young as you were at that time,”
she insisted, dismissing his modesty with a wave of her hand. She
turned to Sheela who was tentatively sipping the wine. “He was only
fourteen at the time and was in a City Guard program that helps
criminal youth. Melody and I were foolishly walking without an
escort after dark near the Orphan District where Frath lived. He
wasn’t supposed to be out alone, especially not at night.” Frath
had filled his plate with food and was focusing on it so he
wouldn’t have to look Sheela in the eye.
“A group of disreputable individuals quickly
surrounded Melody and I. There were six armed with wicked looking
swords,” she said while cutting the lamb chops on her plate. Sheela
watched carefully and tried to do the same. “No dear, like this.”
Lady Pallon demonstrated the proper way to hold the fork and knife.
“I’ve given up trying to get Frath to eat like a proper young man
should.” Frath blushed and slowed down when he realized he had been
shoving food in his mouth as quickly as possible, the normal way of
eating in the guard.
“As I was saying, Melody and I were in
mortal danger. Our bodyguard at the time had been sick and I
thought we would be just fine going out on our own.” Sheela began
eating as she listened in interest. Frath continued to look
anywhere else. “Young Frath saw us in trouble and threw a rock at
the leader of the men, knocking him out with an amazing shot
to the head. Two of the others turned on him with their swords
while three kept an eye on us.”
Sheela looked at Frath with new admiration.
He shrugged while focusing
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