Reality, Memory, and Dreams

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th February 2019

Characters: Bryvin, Yriadha, Sophque
Description: Reality isn't always what it seems when it comes to remembering history.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 9, day 12 of Turn 9

Bryvin

Yriadha

Sophque

Yriadha stood looking out of her office window, fingering the small,
delicate pearl necklace at her throat. Her gaze was distant, as though
she wasn't really watching the scenery outside, but was deep in her
own mind. So deep in her reverie, she didn't hear Sophque knock at
first. It took a second light tapping for her to turn her head. " Oh.
Thank you for coming."

"Sure," Sophque said recognizing the headwoman's mood. "What's going on?"

"Come in please." She turned away from the window, the pearl rolling
in her fingers. She waited until the door closed. "Would you mind
terribly watching Yavin this evening? I know it is short notice, but
there is personal business that I have to attend to this evening."

"Sure," Sophque nodded. "Did you want me to watch him here or is my
cot alright?"

"Your cot is fine." Her brow knit and she finally released the
necklace and felt it fall lightly against her chest. "Discretely if
you please." She drummed her fingers against her thighs, clearly
perturbed at her thoughts. She trusted Sophque and it was far more
difficult to hide behind a stoic expression. "I had a visitor this
morning."

"Oh?" Sophque encouraged. It wasn't often that Yriadha shared
information about anything but she seemed in a somewhat sharing mood.
"Anyone I know?"

"No. He's here from the Amber Hills area. I grew up there and knew him
when I was young." She began fingering the pearl at her throat once
more. "A minor Holder here for trade negotiations with the Steward. He
stopped to see me." She frowned. "It was...unexpected."

"Are you alright?" Sophque was a little worried by the tone of Yriadha's voice.

Her eyes remained distant, seeing past Sophque more than focusing on
her. "Yes, yes. I'm fine. He bore a message from my father, but, " she
waved a hand in negation of that matter's importance, then shook her
head, collecting her thoughts. "I'm afraid the visit surprised me more
than I'd like to admit. I haven't seen him in nearly 35 turns."

Sophque smiled internally. Yriadha was the most pragmatic woman she
knew. But this was different. "That's quite a long time," she said
softly."

Yriada nodded in agreement, her mind deep in her own memories for
another moment. "Well, closer to 33 turns, now that I think of it.
But, you're right. A long time." A softness came over her features for
a moment before she regained her focus. and she frowned. "He's leaving
in the morning."

"And you want to see him where no one is watching?" The corner of
Sophque's mouth lifted with approval and understanding of the
situation.

Yriadha's brows rose high, Sophque's words brought her immediate
attention. "If I were to see him, it would only be to speak to him and
nothing more. I don't believe that Stenlis would violate the vows to
his wife." She paused, "And there are other considerations." Her
fingers gripped the pearl tightly. Bryvin had explicitly claimed her
as his alone, which both irritated and secretly thrilled her. But
would she, if Stenlis offered? She considered it. No, she couldn't.
"But you're right. I wouldn't want an audience." Silently she debated
on her friendship with the other woman and her own history that she
hadn't spoke of since she had come to Sunstone. "There is history
between us that bears discussing."

"Alright," she nodded slowly. "No one will ever hear anything from
me," she added and meant every word.

"Thank you." Yriadha studied her friends face, there was so much
bubbling under the surface that she wanted to say, to release after so
many turns of silence. She had no other confidant, no one who might
understand. "Stenlis is..." she struggled with the right words. " Had
I been given a choice at the time, Stenlis would have been my
husband."

She'd said if she'd been given a choice so Sophque blinked. "Then you
preferred him?" She could use any stronger terms than that.

"Yes" She had preferred him to any. "But a third son who's unlikely to
inherit isn't much of a prospect." Her lips thinned with bitterness at
the memory. "And to a father, a fifteen turn old girl is far too
dreamy about love and marriage to make the right decision."

"Ah," she nodded with understanding. She'd been only sixteen turns
when she'd been handed to her brother's sailor friend. "It's a time
before you really know anything."

Yriadha nodded in agreement. "Hmm... He left two days after my wedding
to train as a steward at the main Hold. I didn't see him after." She
had thought, at the time, that it was the worst thing that could have
happened to her and that she would never recover. "Demeltor was 30
turns older and at the time, wealthy." She shook her head and frowned.
"No matter. He's dead." She rose. "Would you share some wine with me?"

"No thanks," Sophque said. "I have to go tell Lord Bryvin now." She
turned and walked through the door.

Yriadha felt the shock bloom in her belly. "Wait, what?" The sense of
betrayal that swarmed in her gut made her feel sick. Was that how
Bryvin got his information about her? "No. No! You can't! Stop!"

A hand seized her shoulder and turned her. Bryvin leaned over her.
"What is going on? Are you alright?"

Yriadha gasped in both surprise and fear. Fear that Bryvin had over
heard and surprise at the unexpected touch. She jerked, eyes blinking
rapidly as her senses provided jumbled information. She wasn't in her
office. She was laying down, her head pillowed on a masculine arm and
she was quite naked and warm. She froze, not answering Bryvin but
instead glanced around as if to make sure of her surroundings, As she
recognized her own bedchamber, her shoulders relaxed. She pushed the
dark mass of her hair from her face with a hand that still trembled.
"What?"

A small smile tilted the corner of his mouth. "Were you having a bad
dream," he asked and helped smooth the hair out of her eyes. He could
still see the fear in them and only imagine what she'd been dreaming
about. "You just yelled 'No, no stop!' Who were you yelling at,
beauty?" His warm hand dropped down to cup one perfect breast as he
used the endearment reserved only for her.

"I don't know." The reply was quick as Yriadha slowly relaxed again
beside him, but struggled to regain her composure. She _had_ seen
Sophque that evening and had asked her to watch Yavin for the night,
but hadn't discussed anything further. Why had her mind decided to
extend that conversation? As the tip of her breast immediately reacted
to Bryvin's touch, she found that it was a bit harder to organize her
thoughts. "It was just a dream, " she murmured, more to herself than
to him.

"Mmmm," was his only answer as he took possession of his beautiful
headwoman again. She didn't have his love but she did have a bit of
his affection and skills in the bedroom he occasionally appreciated.

Last updated on the March 3rd 2019

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Reality, Memory, and Dreams