A Change of Position

Writers: AL, Heather
Date Posted: 16th June 2014

Characters: Zathris, Barenziah
Description: Zathris remembers the first time he met Barenziah, then changes her position.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 7, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Faldrimme, Benani

Zathris

Barenziah

Zathris eyed the woman as she moved through the hallway. She'd been a
constant presence in recent months, though her duties had been to
Faldrimme more than anyone else. There had been a thought to
introduce Faldrimme to several potential suitors, including Demir of
Hidden Meadows. With Benani's kidnapping and subsequent return, that
had been placed on hold - but Barenziah had taken extra time to tend
to the broken Lady Holder.

***Flashback***

"What," push, "the feck," push, "is in here?" Barenziah muttered
beneath her breath as she drug the trunk along behind her. Another
lady was visiting the Hold for a few days and Barenziah had been
assigned to help attend her while she was there. While a male drudge
had carried most of the heavy things, the lady had insisted that
Barenziah could get the last trunk which just carried a few of her
"lighter" things. Judging by the sheer size of the gargantuan woman
that was visiting, Barenziah figured that even if the trunk just held
some shoes they were probably large enough to house small vermin.
**Maybe that's a small exaggeration.** She told herself with a smirk
as she stood and placed a hand to her lower back. A strand of her fiery
red hair fluttered down in front of her face and she blew at it with a
sharp exhale.

"If I were to hazard a guess," A voice followed the legs that came
into view and the hand that reached down to grab the handle on the
opposite side of the woman. "Probably about half of the woman's
belongings." Zathris grinned at the struggling woman, then lifted his
end. "Think you can get that side if I help?"

Barenziah's blue eyes widened, "Oh! Lord Zathris," she kept her hand
on her side of the trunk. Where had the man come from? She hadn't even
seen him approach, "You shouldn't be carrying that.... You're the
Lord."

"I am the Lord, but doesn't that mean I get to decide what I should
and shouldn't be carrying?" He arched his eyebrows upward and then
wriggled them before Zathris nodded in the direction she'd been going.
"Come on. You're going my way anyway, I might as well do_something_
useful around here."

"Well," Barenziah reached up with her free hand scratched her forehead
"if my father sees this then it was all your idea. He would faint to
think that I was causing the Lord Holder some sort of extra work." She
flashed a grin as she led the way foreward. It really was much easier
to carry the trunk with the help of Zathris.

"So if your father sees us, it was all your idea. Gotcha." Zathris
winked back at her then continued on the way through the halls. "So
where are we going?"

"The guest quarters." Barenziah said over her shoulder, although she
didn't say much more as she concentrated on holding her end of the
trunk. She didn't want Zathris to think she was some weak, helpless
woman after all.

When they arrived at the door, Barenziah released a sigh and gladly
turned loose of the handle, shaking her head as she did, "Thank you
for your help, Lord Zathris. I appreciate it." Now she had the
pleasure of unpacking the woman's things for her. Being an attendant
could be good or bad, depending on who you were attending. Barenziah
had a feeling that the next few days were going to stretch her
patience thin.

"Not a problem. I don't think I caught your name." Zathris
straightened and turned to face the woman directly and waited
expectantly. He'd seen her around, of course, but he'd never taken
the time to stop and talk to her. Well, he'd changed that and he
certainly didn't want to leave without knowing a bit more about her.

"Barenziah, my Lord." She ducked her fiery, red head and curtsied with
well-practiced ease. All Barenziah could think about was the times
that she and some of her friends had giggled about how cute the Lord
Holder was and how none of them would have minded should he have a
wandering eye in their direction. Now here she was, face to face with
him.

"Barenziah. And how long have you been working here?" A thought
occurred to the Lord Holder even as he watched her. Here was a woman
willing to work hard enough to move a heavy trunk all by herself.
That spoke something about her character. While she didn't hold high
position in the Hold, she held enough sway that she could have easily
ordered drudges to do it for her. But she hadn't.

"My whole life, sir." Barenziah answered back. She had grown up at
Amber Hills, she would daresay that she knew every passage way and
corridor like the back of her hand.

"Hm." He eyed her, not with the desire of a hungry man, but with an
eye for someone who had a thought occur to him. "All right,
Barenziah. Report to Royan tomorrow. He'll have my recommendation
that you become a lady in waiting to Faldrimme. She needs a woman of
character."

A smile crossed Barenziah's face. Moving from being a simple attendant
to a lady in waiting was much better, a step up in fact, "Thank you
Lord Zathris." She inclined her head to him once more.

"If you work as hard for her as I saw you do today simply for a
stranger, then I won't be disappointed." Zathris flashed another grin
and inclined his head to her before he turned to disappear from the
room, leaving her to ponder her new position.

****End flash back****

Since then, Barenziah had been a companion to Faldrimme, but she'd
also stepped in to help with other duties as necessary. Now there was
a void she could fill.

"Barenziah." He called, weight heavy in his voice, shadows beneath
his eyes, but even so Zathris managed a half smile for the woman. "A
word with you, please."

Things had been tense around the Hold with Lady Benani's
disappearance, and Barenziah hadn't seen the Lord Holder in a while.
His presence in the hallway had nearly startled her, mostly because
she hadn't expected the way he would look. The tone of his voice, the
circles beneath his eyes, and his general aura suggested how weary he was.

"Yes, Lord Zathris?"

"I need you." He stated softly as a hand ran through his long hair. "I
need you to help with Lady Benani. Would you be opposed to a
reassignment?" Faldrimme would understand, Zathris was sure. He's seen
how Barenziah worked, her character, her personality. She was the sort
of person Benani needed around her at the moment.

**Reassigned to the Lady Holder?** Barenziah had only heard the rumors
that were circulating about their recently rescued lady but she knew she
was up to the task. She wasn't sure why Zathris had thought to pick her
of all people, but she counted it an honor, "I would be happy to assist
Lady Benani."

Zathris nodded and stepped a little closer, his voice lowering. "She's
broken, Barenziah. I need someone strong who can help her regain her
own strength. Do you think you can do that?"

That sounded like a tall order to fill but Barenziah felt confident that
Zathris had picked her because he saw something there, "My strength will
be hers until she regains her own."

Her words of confidence seemed to ease the weight upon his shoulders and
he nodded. "Thank you. I know it's a lot to ask, but you have my
appreciation."

"Of course, my Lord, I would do anything to help." And that was the
truth. For all of Barenziah's slightly unconventional ways, she was very
loyal to her Hold.

Last updated on the June 17th 2014

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A Change of Position