While At Masbolle - Chapter1

The Sister

Summary: An account of Keladry of Mindelan's stay at Masbolle. Future KD, set after Lady Knight.

Disclaimer: Not in the ownership of me whatsoever.

May reword this later, as I'm not quite happy with it yet.

"Your rooms, Lady Keladry," the pretty girl said shyly, curtsying as she did so. Around the age of 16, with long curly blonde hair and baby blue eyes, she was the image of a fresh from the convent lady, clad in a simple blue long sleeved cotton dress that hugged her slender curves and sported a modestly low neckline.

"Kel," the travel worn Lady Knight corrected.

She looked into the room as the younger girl explained slightly anxiously, "It's only a small suite of rooms, but we were informed that you should like them. If you need anything at all during your stay don't hesitate to ask one of the maids for assistance or most likely you can find me in my rooms down the hall," she indicated a door near the end of the hallway, "or in the small garden near the kitchens out the front."

She blushed lightly at Kel's semi-questioning look, mumbling something about not caring if gardening was a servants work, and not suited to a lady, because it suited her just fine, before the girl remembered her current task.

"Anyway, I've had a warm bath drawn for you, since you and your companions no doubt worn out, mother sees it fit to postpone dinner by an hour to give you and the rest of the commanders more time to sleep."

She smiled as Kel's eyes widened as she walked into the newly opened room. It was reasonably big, painted a light forest green and sported dark green drapes to frame the large window that lay on the opposite wall to the grand double bed.A deeply engraved wooden bow lay at the bottom of the bed, obviously meant for personal belongings, was patterned with swirls and tasteful Yamani designs, identical to those on the beds dark headboard.

Apart from the weapons rack that lay against one wall (which, she did not fail to notice, held a place for a Yamani glaive), the large fireplace was the only other thing in the room, if you did not count the two doors. One, she discovered, led to a privy, dressing room and large walk-in closet, while the other led to a small sitting room.

It contained a comfortable looking elegant (which usually did not go together) couch, bookcase, (filled with interesting tomes from the Masbolle library) a small table and a selection of cushy chairs that surrounded a large stone fireplace and the table. There was also a desk in the corner, on its top a few candles in holders.

Walking back into the main room, Kel found that the girl, who had been previously introduced as Dom's younger sister, was now perched on the side of the bed.

What had puzzled Kel most about the rooms, apart from the grandeur of them, and the fact that they had been given to her to use, was the fact that most of the decorations were distinctly Yamani, and not Tortallan, as she would have expected.

When she absently let her thoughts wander (she would later blame her tired condition), she accidentally let the question slip out. The girl laughed.

"Oh, I was wondering if you would think it odd," the blonde commented, somehow managing to laugh and snicker at the same time - a feat that Kel would have thought impossible if she did exactly the same thing whenever someone recalled one of Neal's many antics (most of the time Dom, who she had recently discovered, had many interesting tales of Neal's childhood.)

"Brother insisted on having them made when we built this wing a few years back, I suspect on the off chance you may someday visit us, as the only other Yamani that he knows apart from cousin Yuki is you, and Yuki and Neal have their own rooms in the castle." She observed Kel's face carefully, a slight smile playing across her face when Kel didn't bother to try and hide her astonishment.

She handed Kel the small keys to the room on her way out the door.

"He wouldn't like that I'd let slip about this particular bit of information, but I did still have to get back on him for his last prank - managed to drive away half the suitors I'd gotten in that one night he did. Although, now I think about it, that may have been his aim." She thoughtfully rubbed her chin, preparing to go out the door.

"Why were you building a new wing last year? The Masbolle castle is massive without it, so why did you want the extra space?" Kel asked curiously.

The girl turned back to Kel, rolling her eyes slightly. "Mother wanted to build rooms for Dom and his lady afresh instead of remaking one of the other sets of rooms, seeing as Dom didn't want to take over Mother and Father's rooms."

Seeing Kel's still confused gaze, she continued. "Our older brother's died, so Clarice was left as next in line, although, girls can't inherit Masbolle, and at this point it seems unlikely that Clarice will be able to have children. So even though he's the youngest son, Dom will inherit after Father dies, and become Lord of Masbolle, and in Mother's point of view, need bigger rooms as befitting a Lord. Dom's not betrothed to anyone, but Mother hopes that building the rooms for him with room for a wife, and her belongings also, he will take the hint and get married sometime soon. Mothers not getting any younger and secretly before she dies, i know she hopes to see her only son set up with a good life and family, as she knows a family is impossible for her eldest, and i don't think that she wants to let me go yet. With finding out that Father is terminally ill she has been getting more desperate, knowing that her time may come soon," she confided in Kel.

"I'm sorry, i didn't mean to burden you with my troubles," she said hastily, shutting the door behind her with a click, and leaving Kel feeling overwhelmed by the information she had just received.

She walked over to the promised bath, submerging herself in its waters, drowning herself in her thoughts.

Today had been informative, and strange, to say the least.

It had all started with a bang...