Aftermath

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th January 2009

Characters: Cyrek
Description: Lord Benaroy is dead, but the Hold remains
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 8 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Benaroy's children, Zathris, and Shadux

Cyrek quietly closed the door behind Chuspin, and rested his head against the smooth wood as he tried to collect his thoughts. Poor Lord Benaroy, dying alone at his desk with no one to find him until morning. It was a kinder end than that met by the Lords of Amethyst Cliff, but it was still less than the old man deserved.

But life went on. Benaroy's children would need to be notified - Benaran, Benani, Royah... with a pang Cyrek remembered poor Royani, who had gone missing not that many months ago a Gather at Garnet Valley. If she was still alive, she wouldn't know of her father's death. If she was alive... well, she wasn't, not with this much time gone past and no ransom demands.

Trouble appeared from /between/, crooning softly. He landed on Cyrek's shoulder and wrapped his tail around the Steward's neck. Cyrek reached up to scratch the little bronze's head, and the firelizard closed his eyes. "I guess I have some visits to make, and some letters to write." Trouble neither agreed nor disagreed, so the Steward retreated to his desk for a few quiet moments in order to collect himself before he began making visits.

In some ways, the earthquake at Amethyst Cliff had been kinder, simply because all the Lord's quarters had been destroyed. There was no Blood funeral, and instead the family had been mourned along with the holders who had accompanied them. Lord Benaroy would need a proper funeral arranged, and soon. He and Zelanka had been close... it was debatable as to whether or not Zelanka would feel up to the arrangements, but if Cyrek knew her at all, she would want to be in the thick of them, if only as a way to stave off her grief.

A funeral, and someone would need to address the holders, to let them know that their Lord was dead. That ought to be the duty of the heir... Cyrek felt his stomach go hollow. There _was_ no heir. None declared officially, that is. **Perhaps he left a will with the harper,** he thought wildly, **or we'll have to search his office. Maybe he wrote one and hid it!**

Unlikely. He was now at the helm of a heirless Holding - again. Only this time, Benaroy's sons would be circling each other like wild canines, looking for signs of weakness so that they could tear their opponents apart. Lord Benaroy had eight sons and a married daughter. There were nine potential heirs. **What a mess,** he thought, and rubbed his face with his hands. It was still early in the day, but he felt exhausted by the enormity of what Benaroy's death had left him with.

There were nine potential heirs, and that meant that he would have to relay the news of Lord Benaroy's death personally, nine times. And then a tenth soon after, to announce the news to the Holding. He reached for the bellpull to summon a drudge to find Zathris. He could ask the Understeward to arrange the public announcement... but belatedly Cyrek realized that Zathris would be notified first with the rest of Benaroy's family. There was no way that he could ask for Zathris, when Zathris had his wife to console.

**Shadux.** The young man would need to be told sooner rather than later, anyway. He had the feeling that he'd never be forgiven if Shadux found out about Lord Benaroy's death with the rest of the Hold - if Shadux had forgiven him for taking his father's place at all, which was unlikely. Still, Shadux was the best man for the job, and so the Steward sent a drudge for him.

While he waited, he lifted a sheet of white paper from a folder in his desk and found his pen. The Harper Hall would need to be notified, and then the Weyr. Cyrek tapped the pen against the desk's clean surface for a moment before he put the nib to the paper.

'Hallmaster Almonteo,

Greetings. I hope that this letter finds you well and in strong spirits, as the news it bears is not good. Lord Benaroy is dead...'

Last updated on the January 24th 2009

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Aftermath