Romance Recommendations
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Francesca, Sia
Date Posted: 8th April 2025
Characters: Aleriand, Lindora
Description: Lindora tracks down Aleriand to have a conversation.
Location: Printer Hall
Date: month 4, day 27 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Cithara, Zariah (not by name)
This was the fourth time Lindora had visited the Printer Hall library in the past sevenday, hoping she would run into the Hallmaster. She had heard some apprentices complaining over breakfast about him looking over their shoulders while they were shelving books. They had made it sound like he hovered frequently, but maybe it had been an exaggeration. Or maybe she was coming at the wrong times. For example, she couldn’t slip away during peak mealtimes.
She sighed, heading back to the entrance, when suddenly there he was. She quickly stepped back out of sight, touching her hair to make sure her braid was still in place. While her dress was plain, she wore a green ribbon to bring out the green in her eyes.
Taking a small breath, she stepped back into the aisle. “Oh, Hallmaster!” she said in mock surprise. “Sorry.”
Aleriand wasn't shelving (this time). He was shelf-reading, looking at the labels on the spine and fixing all the ones that weren't in the correct order. Most likely holders that didn't understand The System, but he was going to have a talk with the Journeymen to make sure the apprentices weren't just tossing everything on the shelf. Stil, the girl rushing around the corner startled him. "Oh! That's all right, Lindora. Are you looking for anything in particular? You look like you're in a hurry."
Lindora hadn’t actually prepared what she would say if she saw the Hallmaster, so she just stared for a few moments, coming up with and then discarding a few options. He didn’t need to be reminded of her young daughter at the moment, or hear about her enjoyment of romance novels. “Oh, not really,” she finally said. “It’s just nice to browse. There are so many options. Have you memorized where everything is?”
"There's a system." Aleriand said. "Nonfiction is numbered by category, fiction is by the author's name. It gets easier the longer you work with it. But it's only as good as how organized it stays. I needed a break from contracts and ledgers." It was apprentice work, really, and Aikley would be around to find him soon. Sometimes Aikley needed a mystery to solve.
She nodded. “That makes sense. There’s a system for organizing the food in the kitchens to make sure everything can be found and nothing spoils before it’s used.” Of course, he probably didn’t want to talk about the kitchens. “Do you have a favorite book you’ve read recently?”
Aleriand nodded at the analogy. It made about as much sense as anything else. "Favorite book? I'm not doing a lot of reading for pleasure recently. Contracts and copy-rights are more my style these days. Outside of the Master Unknown pamphlets, the Journeymen are particularly excited for the latest romance. I can set one aside for you when it's off the presses?"
Were they really going to talk about romances? Lindora blushed, then felt a spike of hope. Maybe he was trying to give a subtle indication of his interest in her. “Oh? That sounds nice. What’s it about?”
"It's about this sailor who washes up on this remote cothold, and the holder's daughter has to nurse him back to health. I believe there's some scandal about there being only one bed partway through." Aleriand said dryly. "Not my cup of klah, myself, but it's expected to sell well to the young ladies."
Her eyes widened as he gave a matter-of-fact description of the plot. He couldn’t talk this informally to just anyone, right? Trying to ignore her discomfort, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “I think I would like that. If you don’t like this plot, are there types of romances you do like?”
Aleriand paused for a moment, considering. "Some of the Weyr Romances are quite good." He said evenly, in hopes she may catch his meaning. "It's interesting to read a perspective that's so different from one's own. There's a lot of speculation about what it's like at the Weyr, but the reality is much different than rumor."
“Is it?” She imagined Weyr Romances would be racier than what she usually read, and wouldn’t end with the protagonists getting married. Is that what he liked? Was he looking for a fling, or a mistress, rather than a wife?
Rather than letting her thoughts continue to spiral, she grasped for something safe to say. “I was at Dolphin Cove Weyr for a bit, when the Harper Hall was there. I remember attending a few Hatchings. It was very exciting.”
"It is." Aleriand agreed. He'd attended more than his fair share of them, especially now that he was officially the Hallmaster, though as a Journeyman he and J'ine had often used the hatching as an excuse to sneak away. "I was there with the Harpers, too. I would have been happy to stay there and rebuild the Hall, but I don't know if I could be away from Emerald Falls for long. That does mean that I'm the friend without the means to go anywhere, though."
She was too young to have noticed him then, but if their age difference was a deterrent, she didn’t show it. “I wasn’t there for long. As soon as I turned 12, I went to the Bakercraft Hall. I haven’t been back since.” Thinking of what he’d said, she added, “It must be interesting to have friends that are dragonriders. So, do you visit the Weyr often?”
"They have to come get me, but a few of us still get together for dragonpoker pretty regularly. There's a few riders that run deliveries for the bookstore and the library, too, so there's always a dragonrider or two around. There's a greenrider that's been sneaking klah and cookies, and I suspect it's your baking." Aleriand said, remembering the snacks she'd been bringing by his office.
“I did meet a greenrider recently. She liked our bread rolls,” Lindora said with a smile. The way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, right? It was a good sign he noticed that others appreciated her baking.
A few more minutes passed in conversation and Lindora worried she would get back to the kitchens late, but she refused to be the one to end the conversation. She would talk to the Hallmaster as long as he’d let her.
"Here, why don't I send you off with a little weyr fiction." The Hallmaster produced a small novella with a plain cover. "Not as scandalous as some of the books Dolphin Cove orders, but it's one of my favorites." The romance itself was two male greenriders and wasn't too overtly sexual, but hopefully she'd get the idea.
She took the text, thrilled he wanted her to get to know him. “I’ll start reading it tonight,” she said with a bright smile.
He nodded, a soft smile tugging on the corners of his mouth despite himself. It was hard to not respond to her enthusiasm, even if it wasn't in the way she wanted. "I hope you enjoy it." He said. "I've kept you long enough. If she asks, let Cithara know it was me that kept you late."
“I’m sure it will be ok,” she said with false confidence. “Thank you, Hallmaster.” With a final small curtsy, book in hand, she headed back to the kitchens.
Last updated on the April 22nd 2025