Did You Hear?

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 4th November 2024

Characters: Elana, Sellimere,
Description: Sellimere reads Elana the latest pamphlet written by Master Unknown.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 1, day 1 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Corofel, Arippa, Reven, Vestian, Jylanya, Master Unknown

"Finally, and most juicy, unless my eyes deceive me, the young Lord Corofel was seen making advances on a lady. Don't despair yet, young bachelorettes, for the woman Corofel was kissing was none other than Lady Arippa!" Sellimere gasped, her eyes bright as she looked over the edge of the pamphlet at Elana. The two young women had met for lunch the day after the Turn's End celebrations and Sellimere had brought the latest pamphlet written by Master Unknown. They sat together at a table in the Dining Hall with two half-eaten bowls of soup cooling at their elbows. "Can you _believe_ it?! Lady Arippa! Warder Reven-- what is he going to _do_? Do you think he'll go back to Green Valley?"

"Oh please, it's obviously made up." Elana pressed a hand to her forehead and wished that Sellimere wouldn't speak so loudly. The soup she'd eaten sat heavy in her stomach. "Lord Corofel has _some_ decency."

"Does he, though? If he's kissing a married woman, and his Warder's wife?"

Elana rolled her eyes. She'd woken up irritable and headachy after the Turn's End celebrations. It made her want to be contrary and, oddly, want to defend the young Lordling. Corofel had been kind to her. He was one of the few people to actually _see_ her worth, and damaging gossip like that made her want to shove the pamphlet down Master Unknown's throat.

Or maybe she was just hungover. "I'm sure that it was spread by someone wanting to cause trouble for Emerald Falls Hold."

"But the Printer Hall printed it. They don't print things that aren't true." Sellimere stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "And anyway, just imagine if it were true! Do you think Lord Corofel would annul Warder Revan's marriage so that he could marry Lady Arippa?"

Elana wrinkled her nose. "Lord Holders can't annul a marriage just because they want to. I think a Harper has to do that."

"Do they?" Sellimere thought for a moment. "You might be right about that. Would Masterharper Vestian would do that for Lord Corofel, do you think? If Arippa was Corofel's true love?"

"You don't know if they are in love or not--"

"So you _do_ think that Lady Arippa and Lord Corofel were kissing!"

Elana winced. "No, I really don't. And even if they were, I doubt that Masterharper Vestian would end Lady Arippa's marriage just on Lord Corofel's say-so. This is just a mean rumor someone made up."

Sellimere pouted again. "Oh, don't be such a wet blanket. It's more fun to imagine that it _is_ true. Do you think that Lord Corofel will be walking around with a black eye this morning?"

That made Elana smile a bit. Poor Corofel! Reven was much larger - and broader - than he was. If the two men got into a fist fight, Elana would put her newly won marks on the Lord Warder. "Let's hope for Corofel's sake that he doesn't. Besides, Lord Corofel asked me for a commission so he'd better be in a position to deliver!"

Sellimere leaned forward, her eyes sparkling in delight. "Ooo-- you could ask him if he kissed Lady Arippa when you see him!"

"I will not! But _you_ should ask your fiance who that Trader girl was going to visit at the guard barracks. He ought to know." Elana smiled slyly. "Perhaps they walked into the barracks at the same time. What time did he go to bed, anyway?"

Sellimere whacked Elana with the pamphlet. "Don't even _hint_ at that. Redman would never. But he probably _does_ know who that girl was going to see. The guards gossip worse than the Kitchen Staff."

"Let's hope for all our sakes that whoever he is, he isn't married." Elana stifled a yawn. "Oof, I'm tired. Do you think anyone would miss me if I skipped chores this afternoon for a nap instead?" The thought of her little bed with its cozy quilt made her bones ache with want.

Sellimere shrugged. "Half the Hold is probably planning on taking an afternoon nap today too. Most of the laundry today is tablecloths and napkins, so the only ones complaining to Headwoman Jylanya if they're not all done will be the old Aunties."

"Promise you won't tell?" Elana asked as she stood.

Sellimere winked. "I won't... but I make no promises for Master Unknown."

Last updated on the November 4th 2024

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Did You Hear?