Rubicon River Hold - Lady Holder's Office
This room indeed bears the mark of the current Lady Holder. There is no artwork save for a simple mosaic of the hold's design into the floor as you enter. There are no distractions in here for her or those that have business here. One wall has bookshelves that are neatly stacked, with all books within reach as well as wooden boxes containing parchments. A large rosewood desk marks the centre of the room, simple, yet elegant. A highbacked chair cushioned in royal purple velvet sits behind the desk, while two simpler chairs sit before it. On the north wall towards the western corner of the room is a simple door leading to the private chamber of the Lord and Lady.
This morning Lyerdes has been called into his mother's office. It has been near two turns since the death of his father, over a turn since Gaerwyn became his mentor, trainer, warden in his stead till he was to come of age. They seem to have a good relationship, perhaps because Lyerdes was so young when his father passed. There is already a tray of breakfast foods set on a small table with a few seats around it and Ryeira waits at her desk, reading over the morning reports.
Lyerdes has been summoned! He certainly doesn't seem surprised, since he usually floats between the offices during the day when he can get away with it. Lyerdes was too young to have much memory of his father really, being less than five turns at the time. The boy appears in the doorway and knocks politely before announcing his presence. "Hi mom!" He's eying the tray of food and can feel his tummy grumbling.
A few steps behind Lyerdes comes Gaerwyn, the Warden taking the time to make sure his young ward ended up where he belonged. Remaining quiet, he allows the boy and his mother their greeting, instead dismissing one of the lingering servants with a nod of his head, closing the door with a soft click, and lingering there.
Ryeira rises from his desk, arching a brow at the informal greeting in her office as she moves around the desk, but a smile struggles to keep itself known as she hears the rumble. She looks up to Gaerwyn and nods to him as he dismisses the servent and only then does Ryeira crouch down to receive her son. "Good morning Lyerdes." She says almost formally though she does open her arms for an embrace and a kiss of each cheek. Finally Ryeira rises and moves towards the table setting motioning the others to do the same.
Lyerdes is only six! You can't expect him to be formal this early in the morning pre-breakfast. He does run over to give his mother a big hug though once she's couched down. He gives her a squeeze, then eyes the table. "Good morning! Is the food for us?" He looks back to Gaerwyn to see if his mentor is still lingering behind him.
Only once the door is closed, and the privacy of the room ensured does Gaerwyn relax a little - albeit only enough to allow a soft chuckle for Lyerdes's question, hands going to the boy's shoulders to steer him towards a seat just for him. Gaze lifts to Ryeira, a small smile crossing his face, bowing for the lady to settle herself first. "It is, Lyerdes.." He adds simply.
Poor Lyerdes, if it weren't for this private moments he might think his mother a cold demon, but the barriers do come down in private. "Yes, the food is for us. There is something that Lord Gaerwyn and I did want to speak to you about." Ryeira takes a napkin to her lap and smooths it out and nods for Gaerwyn to join her in the seat next to her.
Lyerdes climbs into the seat he's directed to, taking a moment to survey the food choices one last time before he settles on some fruit and a couple of biscuits. He unfolds his napkin into his lap like his mother. Then he peers between the two of them. "Can I still eat while we talk?" He pulls his feet under himself, this way he's more than tall enough to see over the table. "Am I in trouble?"
After giving Ryeira a moment to settle into her seat, Gaerwyn settles himself into his own, his own hands staying from the food for the time being. A nod indicates that the young Lord is free to eat, while he spares a glance at Ryeira as the boy's feet end up underneath him. "You're not in trouble, Lord Lyerdes. In fact, you've been doing well, and we may have a reward for you, as well." He replies formally, inclining his head, before he glances sidelong at Ryeira, indictating that the woman should proceed.
"Of course you may as long as you do not talk while you chew." Ryeira responds with a little reminder of manners. She smooths the napkin over her lap once more, not taking any food for herself yet either. "You are not in trouble at all Lyerdes and I will leave Gaerwyn to give you the specifics on your reward. We wanted to talk to you first before we announce our engagement." She says in formal terms, glancing to Gaerwyn with a softened look before looking to Lyerdes, "I have grown in affection for the Lord as a woman should for a husband and we would be wed with your blessing." Not a big ask at all.
Lyerdes nods to them. "Yes ma'am." He carefully picks up a biscuit to munch on while the two adults talk to him. There's a blink given to Gaerwyn at the mention of a reward. Then he turns back to his mother with a puzzled look before making sure his mouth isn't full. "Engagement?" But at least he recognizes the term 'wed'. "Ohh! You two are getting married finally? When? Can I come to the wedding? Do we get to throw a big party with harpers and a big feast?" Sure, his blessing is in there someplace.
Gaerwyn nods simply at the mention of a reward, before Lyerdes's rambling reply has even the steady Warden looking rather taken aback, blushing just a bit as he turns his gaze to Ryeira with a look of, 'Were we that obvious?' before he regains his composure, nodding at the young Lord. "At the Harvest Festival, should all go as planned." He offers as to a when, leaving other questions to Ryeira.
Lyerdes's response takes Ryeira a little by surprise. Oh she had not worried about his approval, but the enthusiasm of the approval causes her to look to Gaerwyn with a half smile, "Out of the mouth of babes…so much for disgression." Well they tried to be discreet. But yet there were more and more meetings in private, longer conversations at the dinner table. The fighting lessons. Well many probably pretended not to notice. She looks back to her son and nods, "Of course you will be there and Ryna too."
Lyerdes has the inside knowledge of Ryeira and Gaerwyn's personal lives. He notices things, as most kids do. Even if he doesn't point them out. Plus to him it just seems natural, that his two closest caretakers be wed. It makes sense in his tiny six year old head. Though it was likely others knew as well. He nods with a grin. "Ooh, the Harvest Festival. So we get to have a party? Can I be in the wedding, or do I just have to watch? You get presents for a wedding!" And presents were exciting.
As Lyerdes continues to ask questions, Gaerwyn moves to take a biscuit for himself, slowly buttering it, and allowing Ryeira and her son to begin to talk. "We haven't spoken to the Harper, yet, to plan the ceremony." Gaerwyn offers before distracting himself with a bite of biscuit.
"Of course Ryna and yourself will be in the wedding party." Ryeira explains as finally she does relax enough partake in breakfast herself. "A small wedding I think, but the Harvest festival itself should more than make up for it I think." As if the wedding of a Lady holder could be a small thing. She smiles to Gaerwyn and nods to him, motioning it is now time for his news.
Lyerdes nods to Gaerwyn. "When is the Harvest Festival again? Is it soon?" Of course soon in six year old times is different than in adult times. "How small? We still get to have a party afterwards, right? During the festival?" With presents? When his mother motions to Gaerwyn he turns his attention back to his mentor, taking a second to focus his attention on peeling a piece of fruit.
"About two and a half months, Lyerdes. 20 meetings with your Harper tutor Cera." Gaerwyn attempts to put it into perspective for the boy, glancing sidelong at Ryeira, before back at Lyerdes. "We.. thought that perhaps you and your sister would do well to have more friends of your age…" And station, but that goes unsaid to the child. "We will be arranging for a number of young Lords and Ladies to be fostered here, with you."
Ryeira is quiet as she eats, letting the Warden discuss this with her son before there is a knock on the door. Ryeira rises from her seat to answer it, nodding to the lady there. "If you would excuse me, there is something I needs attend to. The servents will clean up once you are done." She moves over and kisses Lyerdes on the top of the head, then over to Gaerwyn and kisses his cheek quickly before departing.
Lyerdes nods. "Twenty meetings? Oh that's pretty far away, then! But I guess you need that time for planning and things. Inviting people." The boy seems to think on this, before blinking at Gaerwyn and his mother. "So… does this means I'll have more brothers and sisters then? You two aren't going to have any more kids? Will they be here forever? What if I don't like them?" The young Lord gives his mother a hug as she departs.
"A whole season, Lyerdes. But, plenty of time for things to be decided." Gaerwyn agrees with a soft laugh, hand resting on Ryeira's shoulder as the lady excuses herself, before his attention drifts back to Lyerdes. "They'll be here as long as their parents feel they should. Some longer than others. Some may stay for good. It will be good for you to learn how to act with your peers." Gaerwyn says firmly, gaze darting to Ryeira as she disappears, the warden caught off guard by Lyerdes's question of brothers and sisters.
Lyerdes nods to Gaerwyn. "A whole season. That's lots of time then. There's only a glance towards his mother's exit, though he looks a bit apprehensive at the notion of a bunch of his 'peers' moving to the hold. "Does that mean we won't have private lessons anymore?" Will a bunch of kids be cutting in on his Gaerwyn time? Those blue eyes turn on the warden.
"You will still have your lessons, Lyerdes, though you will share your time with Cera with the other students, learning together, certain lessons will be for you alone. They will not be the next Lord of Rubicon, you will, and you must be prepared." Gaerwyn inclines his head to the boy, meeting his blue eyes with a bit of a smile. "It will not be as bad as you think, young Lord. I promise."
Lyerdes purses his lips in thought. "Well.. that might be fun! I mean, having some other people in with Cera. But I mean.. you and I will still see each other, right? For the Lord holder lessons, right?" Basically 'you're not pawning me off into the herd, are you?'. Clearly he's worried about losing his time with the man who will be his stepfather in a few short months. "Will they be from the hold?"
"You'll share lessons, so that you can take turns answering questions, and learning with each other." He nods, before he smiles at Lyerdes's worry. "We will still have our lessons, just you and I. And, in time, there will be other lessons, too. And trips, to visit those who will look to you as Lord Holder." He reassures the boy. "Some will be from here. My brother has agreed to send his youngest sons, and they may be from all over. You'll be able to teach them many things, show them the Hold."
"Ooh." The boy nods to Gaerwyn. "That should be good! I'm glad we still get our lessons though. Trips! Where would we be going? To like… the weyrs?" There's a break in the onslaught of questions for Lyerdes to eat a bit. "Which brother? They'll be around my age then, right? Not all old, like Ryna?" Ryna was a bit too old to be a good playmate for him, really.
"Haerot's boys, one is a turn older than you, one a turn younger. They won't have a Hold, though, so they'll be learning different things than you, sometimes." Gaerwyn takes advantage of Lyerdes's silence to steal of bite of his own breakfast, before chuckling. "To the Weyrs, to the other Holds. To visit the craftmasters, and in time, you'll learn to sail, and to captain a ship of your own."
Lyerdes nods his head up and down. "Oh, that's good! So I'll have at least two people to play with. They won't have a Hold? Can't they stay here and this be their hold?" He's missed the point a bit, there. "Ooh, lots of places then! Can we see the place where you grew up, too?" There's a frown at the mention of sailing and he falls quiet, chewing a long time on the bit of fruit he's eating.
"Hopefully, many will agree, and the Hold will be full once more." Gaerwyn nods, as Lyerdes talks, excited about traveling here and there. "Aye, I think that we might see Central Hold, at some point. It's different than here, though. Very different." As Lyerdes falls quiet, the Warden's gaze lingers on him, daring not interrupt the boy's thoughts. "Do you not wish to learn to sail?" He finally asks.
"Yeah. It would be nice to have more people around. Is Central Hold full of people? Maybe some of them want to come here. What's different about that hold? I mean, besides that we're not there. Do they have a warden like you?" Lyerdes scratches his head a bit and looks around to sort of figure out what he wants to say exactly. "Well… I dunno. It's just… scary. What happens if I crash my boat like my dad did?"
"It is full. I have six brothers, after all, and they all have kids. But, Rubicon used to be full, so it will be again." He pauses, shaking his head. "Central hold isn't on the water, there's only a river. And it's all flat, in the jungle. But, they have a Lord Holder, they don't need a Warden. When you're Lord Holder, I won't be Warden anymore." He explains patiently, with a little bit of a smile. "Sometimes accidents happen, but we'll start in a little lake, so nothing will happen."
"Ah yeah. That's a lot of brothers! But if we foster kids here we'll be full, too. Plus maybe you and mom will have kids? You should have some kids that are yours and not like me and Ryna." He nods about the information on Central Hold. "Yeah, that's a lot different. Do you like here better?" He frowns at the information about him no longer being warden once he takes over as Lord Holder. But it's something he's heard on many occasions. "You'll have to stay though. Because you'll be married to my mother." And that meant he had to stay. "Oh, I think maybe I could do that. In a little lake where I could just swim."
"It will be full, and busy, and it will be good for everyone." He nods, before he chuckles softly at Lyerdes's words. "We'll see, Lyerdes. Let things happen as they should." His question, however, earns a smile. "Rubicon's my home, now, Lord Lyerdes, not Central. I won't be leaving." He slowly stands up, nodding his head. "Have you had enough, or have you been too busy talking? I'm certain the stablemaster is waiting for you for your ride." Yay ponies?
Lyerdes nods to Gaerwyn. "Yeah, I guess things will work out on their own really. As long as you don't leave we'll be okay!" And Lyerdes would likely find a way to keep the warden on his payroll even after taking over the duties of Holder. The boy hops down off his seat and takes another piece of fruit. "I'm done! I'll take this for later though. Sometimes my horse wants a treat, too."
"I won't leave.." He reassures Lyerdes with a grin, before he's ushering his charge out of the Lady Holder's office. "Get into your riding clothes, and hurry to the stables. I'll see you at lunch, and then for our lesson, Lord Lyerdes." He says with a tilt of his head, before Ryeira's attendants are taking care of cleaning up after breakfast, and Gaerwyn is turning towards his own office, to take care of paperwork.
