Post 4

Veyga kept to himself over the next few days, choosing to avoid supper in the great hall, and opting for a simple meal with his men in the barracks instead. He was restless, and only the constant practice with his two men kept him from crawling out of his skin. He wasn’t accustomed to so much time doing nothing. Eithna had been busy as well, with a sudden flux making its way through a nearby village. They hadn’t laid eyes on each other since that last night of supper, and Veyga felt it was best that way. He had only met Jared once, and barely a dozen words had passed between them. He thought it ironic, considering that Eithna had made an attempt to claim a kinship between them.

He had found a stack of books in his room upon returning from his conversation in the stables with Lord Wensellas. Poring through the titles, he found several books aimed at young noblemen preparing to enter Court, which he immediately committed to read. At the bottom of the stack, however, was a beautifully illuminated copy of ‘Bramble Rose,’ and inscribed in the front cover was a note from Lord Wensellas gifting the book to ‘Arius.’ Veyga had been touched, and the book was immediately tucked away safely among his gear.

On the fourth day, a page knocked lightly at his door late in the evening, and Veyga paused in his preparations for bed. He opened the door, startling the young page with the sight of his scarred, muscled chest covered with tattoos. “Uh, sir, please, uh, my Lord Wensellas would like to speak with you in his study.” Eyes round as saucers, the page sketched a quick bow.

Veyga sighed deeply but pulled his shirt and tunic back on before following the page down several hallways and to a closed door. The page knocked timidly, and at the Lord’s muffled ‘enter,’ pushed the door open and motioned Veyga into the room.

He stopped before the huge wood desk where Lord Wensellas was writing on parchment, the many candles throughout the room flickering across his face, casting strange shadows. The Lord glanced up with a wry smile. “Have a seat, Arius. We’re waiting for another party, and then we can chat.”

One finely arched brow raised, Veyga gingerly took a seat before the desk. Moments later a soft knock heralded the arrival of another, and Veyga couldn’t tear his gaze from the finely dressed woman who entered. Both Lord Wensellas and Veyga rose to their feet as she approached, and Veyga swallowed hard as she offered gloved fingertips to Lord Wensellas and then to him to touch to their lips.

Lord Wensellas motioned for them both to sit, and upon taking their seats he smiled widely. “I have to admit that on occasion, I enjoy a little intrigue. Arius, this is Lady Fairhaven, of Fairhaven manor. She is a widow, and therefore enjoys more freedom than many women of her station. My lady, this is Arius, a friend of Eithna’s that needs a little… help… with the vagaries of Court. I thought that you would be a perfect match for each other. Lady Fairhaven, Arius, finds herself currently at loose ends, and you find yourself in need of a… well… I’m not quite sure how to couch it…”

The Lady tossed long blond ringlets and cast a chocolate-brown gaze from beneath lashes darkened with kohl. “I believe you are looking for some instruction, are you not? Well, I am an expert in all things related to Court. As a matter of fact, I am often sought out to… instruct young men before they are formally presented to the High Court. I’m not a whore, let me make that very clear from the beginning. I do not take payment for my services, but as a widow, I am certainly freer in my choice of activities, and if I choose to educate young men in certain areas, and yes that does often include the bedroom, well then there is no sin to that is there?”

Veyga just blinked, looking from her to Lord Wensellas, and then threw back his head to laugh. “You have found me a courtesan, my Lord Wensellas?”

“A companion, Arius. She can spend as much time with you as you both would like, and no one will ever question it. Day, night, every moment or no time at all. You will find no one who is better suited to instruct you in what you need to learn, and she seeks no payment, as I suspect you may not be able to afford a formal tutor.”

He shook his head, still laughing. “There is that. What then, pray tell, is the catch here?”

She smiled like a cat that had caught a mouse. “Pretty and smart, I already like this post. The catch, Master Arius, is that you play partner to me for social events, and that travels beyond Lord Wensellas’ Court here. You need not make a mark for yourself, you are simply a showpiece on my arm as far as anyone else will be concerned, which will give you entry into more Court experience then you could ever hope to garner on your own. As a widow, it is true that I am free to choose my own… adventures; however to be a single woman at many events means to be partnered with potential husband material, and I have absolutely no desire to become a wife again. While I loved my husband, I also love the new life I have carved out for myself. Having a partner for these events ensures that I will not be bothered by any puppy-eyed wastrels.”

Veyga chuckled again. “I see. So simple, is it?”

Lady Fairhaven’s smile grew a little pinched. “It may seem simple to you, but I assure you it is not in the least. I have no current prospects for young sons seeking education, at least not for another summer, and so I find myself at loose ends. There is no reason we cannot both benefit from your current situation.”

Veyga’s smile disappeared and he nodded curtly. “Indeed, I agree with you completely. Well then, I suppose we should give it a try.”

Lady Fairhaven smiled now, her deep brown eyes not quite concealing how completely and utterly satisfied she was. “I suppose we should. Well then, I’ll leave you to your own ends for the time being. Thank you, Lord Wensellas, for thinking of me.” She stood and both men stood as well as she glided from the room.

Veyga wasted no time examining the luscious curves hugged by her expensive gown. He glanced over his shoulder at the Lord, who looked equally satisfied. “Thank you, my Lord Wensellas. Now let’s just hope she doesn’t eat me alive.”

The Lord grinned. “That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, would it?”

Veyga took a deep breath and declined to answer as he headed back to his own room.

Yet another knock on the door of his room woke him early the next morning. He rolled from bed, wrapping a robe around his bare form and pulling his eye patch on, and then he padded barefoot to the door. He cracked it open and peered out blearily.

A whirlwind nearly shoved him back as the Lady Fairhaven and a veritable bevy of handmaids bearing bolts of cloth and baskets of trim swirled past him and into his room. She spun about once inside, tapping a gloved finger against her lips as she eyed him up and down, taking in the long tousled braid and the sleep-smeared gray eye. “Still abed are we?”

“What time is it?” He wasn’t typically a late riser, but he’d had a hard time falling asleep the night before with all the thoughts churning in his head.

“Well all right, then, I’ll admit it is a tad early, but after all we have so much work to do!” She smiled and flung her cloak over a nearby chair, revealing her form-fitted purple gown. His gaze was immediately drawn to her ample cleavage, which of course was her intention when she had designed the gown in the first place. He flushed and tore his stare back to her lovely face.

She was truly a beauty, of the sort that would capture every male gaze when she entered a room. Delicate features and a pert nose, luscious cherry-red lips and dark chocolate eyes set off by the dark kohl along her lash lines. She was short; the top of her head barely cleared his chin, and her figure was nearly over-lush, if there was such a thing. Her blond hair was carefully styled into long ringlet curls pulled up at the crown and then cascading over her shoulders, again drawing his gaze straight to her cleavage. He felt a flush suffuse his skin as he jerked his gaze back to her face.

She simply laughed and waved to the flock of handmaids that were even now departing the room after depositing their bolts and baskets around the room. “It’s time to shop, and since I am afraid that few tailors will have much ready-made in your size, we will be doing it all ourselves. Well let’s be honest, shall we? I’ll be doing the shopping, and my Lord Wensellas’ tailor will be doing the sewing.”

“I-.” He shook his head. “Shopping?”

“Well you certainly can’t appear on my arm dressed like that!”

He just blinked dumbly at her. “Like this?” He looked down at his robe, thinking that surely that was obvious. She laughed, and the tinkling sound of her mirth sent shivers up his spine.

“No, of course not, but I assure you that while a tunic and shirt are fine and well, and I know that the Lady Eithna did make an effort to suit your coloring, we need much more. After all, you cannot be completely outshone by me, can you? You need an entirely new wardrobe, and I am making it part of my personal mission to make sure that happens. All you have to do is stand and let us take your measurements, and then stand some more while I drape fabric over you to check for shades against your coloring.” She was beaming, obviously in her element, and Veyga barely blinked as a gentleman accompanied by the valet who had previously helped Veyga to dress for supper entered the room, shutting the door behind them.

Lady Fairhaven approached him as she tugged her gloves off, tossing them over her cloak and then reaching for his robe. “Come now, off we go.”

Veyga was too shocked to put up a fuss as she pulled the fabric from his body, and he was standing there in his full glory. She wiggled her brows at him and purred a little as she did her own once-over, obviously pleased by his physique. He swiftly cupped his hands over his groin, flushing again, and cast a helpless look to the valet, who only shrugged.

Lady Fairhaven laughed and went to the wardrobe where the few garments that he already had worn were folded and hung, and she tossed him a pair of drawers. “Put these on, and let’s get started.”

What came next became a blur for Veyga as he was poked and prodded and measured and pinned. When they were finally finished, and he figured that every calculated inch of him was now written onto a hand-held chalkboard, the valet and the tailor left them alone. She handed him back his robe and motioned for him to sit with her near the room’s small fireplace.

Lady Fairhaven settled back into her seat with a satisfied sigh. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He just raised one brow, and she laughed. “Come now, Master Arius, let us go over some… ground rules, shall we say?”

He nodded cautiously. “All right, what exactly did you have in mind?”

“Most of them are simple common sense, which I suspect you possess in spades, but it doesn’t hurt to lay them out all the same.” She held up her long delicate fingers and began to count. “One, I will sleep with you only if I wish to, and I will make it very clear if I wish to. As I said before, I am not a whore. Two, you will attend every event I accept on our behalf, without complaint, with no excuses. Three, you must trust my judgment in all things, and you simply must trust that I am the expert here. Four, I expect you to dress and behave as befits a gentleman, even if you possess no station or breeding, which I am told is the case, is that so?”

Veyga nodded, a wry smile twisting his lips, and she continued. “Five, I expect you to study in your own time as well- I am not to be your sole teacher; I’ll be sure to have appropriate books delivered to you, and you will learn from your experiences as well of course. Six, you will become the person I am making you into, at least while we are in public. In private, of course, you may relax to a certain extent. Think of this like an theater role, and you will be expected to learn your lines and prompts. Do you think you can handle that?”

“Yes, Lady Fairhaven, I believe that I can handle every one of those points.” Veyga decided then and there to become Arius in every sense of the word. Veyga, the man who was Veyga, would be packed away until he was needed again.

“Oh yes, and please, do call me Rayna, at least in private. Lady Fairhaven sounds so… formal. Is there a formal name I might use for you, or is simply Master Arius?”

Arius shrugged. “I suppose it is simply Master Arius. But please, in private, just Ari.”

“So be it.” She held her hand out to him, gentleman-style, and he clasped her wrist, feeling the silky heat of her skin against his. Then she clapped happily. “This is going to be an adventure, for certes! Now, the tailor will have at least a handful of things ready within the next few days, and the rest within a fortnight. You will be quite well dressed, which is fortunate because we have so much work to do! You are at least a good base to start with.” She tapped one fingertip thoughtfully against her lips, a habit he would associate with her for a good long while. “Since I know literally nothing about your upbringing, your past, or your parentage, I will assume you know nothing. Do me a favor and play dumb, and just listen as I go along. You will surely glean something along the way.”

He nodded again. “May I ask a question, Lady- er- Rayna?”

“Well of course.”

“What exactly have I gotten myself in to?”

She laughed prettily, and Arius shivered again, wondering at the strong reaction this forward woman was having on him. Not since Eithna had he even felt any sort of attraction to the fairer sex. Perhaps it was her confidence that appealed to him. “Now I’ll leave you to your valet to dress, and then I will return and we will break our fast together before going riding.” She hesitated as she stood and began to draw on her gloves. “You can ride, can’t you?”

He stood with her, and nodded. “I can, although I doubt there is any elegance to it.”

“That’s fine, you seem the graceful sort, and so I doubt you’ll be a complete clod in the saddle.”

Arius’s smile was slight as she tossed her cloak over her arm and left in a swirl of skirts. The valet entered moments later, and Arius obediently let himself be dressed in appropriate riding gear. Less than a candlemark later, she was back in his suite, having changed her own gown into an equally flattering red riding habit.

Rayna examined her new charge over the edge of her teacup as she sipped her tea. Granted, he was much older than most of her charges tended to be, but he was certainly pleasing to the eye; even with the leather eye patch which gave him a rather rakish air. She had been certain to choose fabrics that would drape across the well-muscled chest and cling to his narrow hips; she was sure she would soon be the envy of every single chit, and probably several of the married women as well. He had insisted on shirt styles which would cover his tattoos, which she had immediately agreed on, although she was looking forward to the possibility of exploring those dark etchings in the future. He hadn’t responded in any way to her subtle hints so far, so at least he wasn’t a complete lecher, but she had at least noticed him eyeing her cleavage. He was a quiet man, and although he had shown hints of a good sense of humor, she suspected he rarely showed that in public. Well, it would be up to her to draw that particular trait from him. It would take him a long way in any Court to be able to laugh, not only at those around him but also at himself. Rarely did any nobleman or noblewoman take life seriously, although she suspected this man had never been in such a position before. Well, that was fine; after all she would teach him to at least fake it well enough.

He finally set down a dainty spoon and scowled. “I don’t understand the need for all these pieces of silver. I really, really don’t. Why are there ten pieces, all for different things? A spoon and a fork and a knife I get, but…” He shrugged.

She set down her teacup and leaned forward. “Well then, this is a good start to a lesson, isn’t it? Pay attention, for using the wrong utensil will draw notice for sure, of the type you certainly do not want.” She gathered up her entire setting, and one at a time set out each piece of silver while explaining its use. He paid close attention, and once he understood the use for each piece, it made more sense.

“I still think it’s impractical to use all these different pieces when a set of three would work just fine.” Arius shrugged.

She reached across the little table and gathered his pieces next. “Now, you lay them out just as I did and tell me what each is for.” Her finely arched brows, so light as to be nearly white, lifted as he recited in near perfect detail. Each moment she spent with him became more and more promising. He was a quick study indeed.

“Let’s cover tea next, because one of the things you will have to endure while visiting is tea, and unfortunately not many manors brew tea as well as Lord Wensellas’.”

“Later, please. You said we could go riding.” Arius stared soberly at her, and she tipped her head to one side, quizzical at his interruption and his determination.

“So I did.” She stood, and motioned for him to stand beside her. Within a few moments she had instructed him on the proper way to escort a lady, and she laid her fingers delicately on his arm as he led her from the room and toward the stables.

Once two horses were saddled for them and they were mounted, she turned her horse to the lead. “Are you very familiar with the area, Master Arius?”

He shook his head. He had wanted to explore, but felt it would be more prudent to stay close considering the circumstances under which he had arrived. Rayna smiled. “Are you a very good rider Master Arius?”

“I am known to be a decent rider, yes.”

“Well then, we’re off!” She leaned into her horse’s mane and he could only shout once as his horse leapt after hers.

They rode hard until their horses were lathered. Rayna was a beauty on horse-back, even in the ladylike side-saddle she was forced to use. She took jumps over hedges and creeks effortlessly. He made no effort to pass her mount; there was no reason to. Instead he simply took pleasure in the ride, and enjoyed her flushed and grinning face as she continuously sent mischievous glances back over her shoulder.

They drew up to a long, wide lane and were able to ride side-by-side as they walked the horses to cool them. She giggled. “You kept up well, Ari!”

He let his lips curve into a small smile and shrugged. A companionable silence stretched between them as they rode along a slow-moving creek, the ground beneath the horses’ hooves dappled with sunlight and shade from the trees above as they left the fields where they had been galloping to follow the lane.

Finally Rayna cast him a sideways glance. “So, Ari, I’m sure you are simply seething with curiosity at my plans for you.”

Arius thought for a moment before answering. “Actually, I’m not. For once in my life, I’m not concerned with placing my entire future in the hands of someone else.” His smile didn’t reach his eye. “At this point it doesn’t much matter what I want personally, that’s been seen to. So I suppose I am just along and ready to submit to whatever you have in mind.”

The lady lifted one finely arched brow. “That sounds a little… melodramatic, if you ask me.”

He chuckled dryly, and then sobered again. “Lady Rayna, I’ve come to understand that some things are out of my hands. Perhaps it is fatalistic, maybe it’s just selfishness, but I will simply go along and do what I have to do.”

Rayna shrugged. “Well then, you will hear no complaint from me at having a willing, albeit not eager, student.” She studied him for a moment longer, and then sighed softly. “We will simply start with basic manners until I feel that you are prepared for an outing, which will most likely be tea somewhere. Or…” Her dark chocolate-colored eyes sparkled with mischief. “Or we can wait until the bulk of your wardrobe is ready to reveal you to the public. After all, I have already accepted an invitation to a little gathering… yes, that will do. That will do nicely.” She hummed softly. “I suppose I should inquire as to whether you have any personal plans, Ari. It hadn’t even occurred to me that you might; after all, most of my pupils are too young to really be pursuing their own events.”

He shrugged. “As long as I have a little time each day to myself, then I am content to allow you to fill my time as you will.”

She smiled again, although that roguish glint didn’t leave her gaze. “Perfect. So, then, how old are you exactly? I’d guess a score of summers?”

Ari shrugged. “A score and two, a score and three. I’m not sure, exactly.”

She hummed again. “A little older than I had guessed, but so young in some ways, no? And yet… I suspect so much older in others.”

He didn’t feel that her comment required a response, and they continued to ride in companionable silence for a long while. Then Rayna grinned. “Well, whatever the outcome, we shall have a grand time of it. I simply refuse to allow things to happen any other way. You’ll be finely polished in no time, and I will have a gorgeous specimen to show off along the way.”

He flushed slightly, casting a sidelong glance at her, and she giggled happily. “Oh, not only smart and gorgeous, but modest as well! You really are a perfect specimen! Now come, let’s return these beasts to the stable, and I’ll let you alone for a few candlemarks while I make more certain plans for the next fortnight.”

He nodded, and they completed their ride in companionable silence.

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4/16/11- updated