PW124: Making Amends

[Ivone]

Ivone found Azuel odd. He seemed awkward in the way he held himself, making few gestures but sighing heavily often, as if the whole thing was really much more than he could be bothered with. When he looked her direction, he would find her looking at him as she followed. Ivone did not look away or break eye-contact. She wanted to understand. Really, she did, but he gave her nothing.

She waited in silence a step behind him as they waited on Latifa. Ivone's eyes widened at Latifa's words. Certainly, not! Could he? Ivone looked away from the pair of them. Ivone had to agree, she'd begun to think Azuel preferred the company of men to women. When she looked back, Azuel looked as if he'd been hit, his expression was a less-than-veiled cringe and he'd drawn his shoulders inward. Ivone's gaze flicked between the pair during the interchange. Whatever relationships the pair had, it was unhealthy.

"Thank you." Ivone moved past the uncomfortable pair and toward Latifa's dresser. The dresser had seven drawers, a long central drawer, with two smaller drawers on either side, with four regular sized drawers in the middle and bottom. Ivone hoped that Latifa followed some convention and avoided looking in the two smaller drawers. Typically those would hold undergarments and stockings. This lead her to open the central drawer. What greeted her caused her eyes to widen and to blush. Prophylactics and devices that resembled various male shapes, one of them exceptionally large (was it supposed to be a ... troll's?), and something that looked like some kind of leather harness, lay in that drawer.

Ivone closed the drawer without a word and moved to the next drawer down on the left. The contents of the drawer were not as embarrassing as the prior drawer, but certainly much too sheer to borrow for a night's sleep. Ivone closed her eyes and the drawer. Inhaling a breath, she opened her eyes and turned back toward the pair. The hint of color still stained her cheeks, but she managed to keep her look steady. She also chose to ignore the fact that a mirror had given the Vyaduka pair full view of her reactions.

"I just realized that our body shapes are so different, borrowing one of Latifa's nightgowns really won't do. I can sleep in my shift, but perhaps I could have a robe?" All this was said as she moved back toward the safety of the hall. She'd be damned if she'd go through the woman's armoire. Teodinus knows what the woman kept in there!

[Azuel Vyaduka]

Fortunately for Ivone, Azuel had completely missed her reaction. Thanks to his distinct aversion to Ivone, the last thing he desired to scrutinize was her. Less fortunately, the same could not be said of Latifa, who now struggled to retain laughter within her cheeks. The dam eventually broke, and a soft chuckle escaped. She put her hand on her brother’s shoulder and spun him forcefully around, so that he once more looked into the room. Before he could so much as regain his balance, she explained exactly what she found amusing.

“You should have seen her face!” Latifa declared, pointing to her mirror. She bent slightly, changing her position such that she used Azuel’s shoulder for her own support rather than to control his movement. The motion didn’t aid Azuel’s teetering balance in the slightest, causing both siblings to need to take a step forwards for stability.

Azuel could only cringe as his sister’s features brightened yet more. He pushed himself from her grasp and took a step back to his initial permission, stepping softly as if tiptoeing around a lion. On some distant, fundamental level he felt a sense of familiarity and safety. His conscious mind registered nothing but embarrassment at the antics Latifa had involved him in.

His struggle to save his frail pride had mercifully occupied his full attention, preventing him from seeing over the face value of Ivone’s words. He was blissfully spared any focus upon just what might have left Ivone so flustered.

“Right, of course. Uhm, we might have one of our mother’s old robes somewhere? No, probably not.” Yet another stupid thought. He didn’t miss the tiny spot of hesitation in his sister’s laughter at the mention of their mother but didn’t dare call attention to it. At least whatever bothered her about it kept her from exploiting his befuddled state.

“Oh, I had best come to your rescue.” Latifa murmured, clearing the remnants of mirth from her features. She wandered over to her dresser and opened the correct door, finding a suitable garment in no time at all. She readily handed it over, dropping the robe gracelessly into Ivone’s hands before walking her back to the doorway.

Once Ivone passed Azuel and strode back into the hallway, Azuel leaned over to his sister. Speaking from the corner of his lips in the most muffled voice he could, he whispered, “We’ll talk once I take her to the guest room.”

She rolled her eyes but responded with a nod before wordlessly striding back into her room and closing the door. Azuel took that as consent enough and took steps to lead Ivone to her room. He doubted she would have missed him whispering to his sister but similarly doubted she could have discerned what he said. Not that it really mattered.

He took steps to take Ivone to the guest room, just down the hall.

[Ivone]

Ivone waited, posture perfect, as Azuel murmured to his sister. She didn't have an elf's hearing, but did they really think she couldn't hear? When Azuel took steps to lead her to the guest room, she almost said, "Don't worry, I will be as glad to be out of your way as much as you will be."

She didn't though, because that would be foolish.

Instead, once they were at the door to the guest room, she said, tone polite and earnest,

"I think we should clear the air between us before retiring for the night. You can refuse, of course, but ... would you please take a moment longer with me?"

Ivone gestured toward the chairs by the hearth. She waited only a moment, before entering, hoping Azuel would follow. He was lowest in the pecking order, but he was the squeaky wheel. Jafar nor Latifa seemed to care one way or the other. Maybe she should let Latifa seduce her... a thought for another time. Right now, assuaging Azuel's suspicions through a frontal assault of honesty was her plan. If only, he would let her.

[Azuel Vyaduka]

Azuel crossed his arms and remained standing. “My sister will be expecting me back soon. I need to discuss a family matter with her.”

He hesitated. Ivone probably deserved a better chance than he was giving her. He frowned deeply. There was so much he might do in this situation. He was most sorely tempted to confront her, to demand to know who was behind her presence here in the Vyaduka house.

A nameless, shapeless fear prevented him. He didn’t want to cause any waves. All he wanted was Ivone to remove her influence from his life so that he could get back to his books.

The thought might have steeled him to do what needed to be done, but it only made him more indecisive. His hesitation cost him. He had waited too long. There was nothing to be done but stand and wait for Ivone to start talking. He would judge if it was worth sitting down for as it came to pass.

Fortunately, Azuel only just managed to restrain the embarrassed red that wished to creep onto his cheeks. Hopefully she would assume this was all intentional on his part, rather than the result of bumbling incompetence.

[Ivone]

The guest room was cold and dark. No fire had been set and banked in the fireplace. No candles were lit. Thankfully, the materials were available. The Vyaduka's did entertain guests once in a blue moon, so the capability was there. In the dim light from the hallway, she could see the matches on the mantel. Ivone moved to get the matches and started with lighting the candles. Next, she stacked the coal and used some wood as kindling. She missed Azuel’s dithering and awkward failure to leave. Ivone sighed and looked at Azuel with pity once the fire started to burn.

“You Vyaduka have it hard, you are so weaned on political machinations, you suspect everyone.” Ivone shook her head for a moment, as if to say ‘what a pity’.

“Often suspicions come from a lack of information. So, I will give you information you do not know: I am Khayyam’s ward and will be until I turn twenty-five because of an agreement between Khayyam and my late husband, Tian.” Ivone waited a moment, to allow Azuel to do the math. She would be Khayyam’s ward for the next four years.

“Khayyam used to visit with us regularly. Those visits stopped when I lashed out in my grief. Not only is it my duty to repair the rift I created, I want to. For half a year, I succumbed to that grief and kept everyone who cared for me at bay. Fortunately, an arranged marriage mart meeting turned into business partnership and helped ground my sensibilities.” Ivone held her hands out to the fire to warm them, before turning to face Azuel.

“I came to realize that I am not an island. Loneliness is not a friend and I do have friends. Real friends, and one of those friends is Khayyam Vyaduka. Even though I had lashed out at him, he never stopped caring for me and ensuring I was cared for. I decided to repay his kindness by making my business a success and by making an apology.”

Ivone turned to face the fire, lifting her hand to wipe away tears that had come unbidden. They infuriated her now. He’d probably think they were just a ploy. And, that annoyed her, too. Not, that she didn’t have an ulterior motive, that was beside the point right now. Right now, she needed to be righteous.

“Do I… do I get something out of it? Yes, of course!” Ivone moved to Azuel, looking up at him earnestly.

“I get the resumption of a friendship with someone whom I can trust implicitly that had been part of my life for the last three years, someone who has never asked anything of me other than my companionship and respect. I get forgiveness from behaving poorly to someone who did not deserve it. Yes, human interaction always has some self-serving motivation, it’s true.” Ivone sighed and caught up the robe.

“But, that doesn’t always mean that motivation is negative.”
Ivone loosened a button at the top of her collar. “I’m sure my words mean nothing to you, but I thank you for listening.”

[Azuel Vyaduka]

To put it mildly, Azuel had no idea what to do. With features still as marble and arms locked in a crossed position, his internal state was more comparable to a fish hauled onto the deck of a boat. His mouth opened as if to say something but the motion reversed itself before any noise escaped from him.

The only noise in the room was the crackle of the newborn fire. Thoughts bloomed frantically in his head only to be rejected with equal speed. Just when he thought he could answer her accusation of politically fueled cynicism, he became suddenly worried about how his response might prove hypocritical due to his grandfather’s prior actions in dealing with Ivone. Growing more defeatist with each new consideration, he rapidly worked himself into a downward spiral that told him one thing: he had just lost all grip on the conversation. It was time to duck out with his tail between his legs.

His thoughts were swiftly rerouted from seeking a graceful retort to any number of possible exits, but by this point his thoughts were in such a terrified frenzy that he utterly failed to create any plausible excuse. A nameless fear gripped him and he involuntarily emitted what could only be considered a short grunt before turning around and making a beeline for the door. His strides were measured and purposeful, but perhaps a tad too hasty. Not a single intelligible word had left him.

By the time his hand closed around the door handle he had realized what a mess he had just made of the situation but still couldn’t bring anything worth saying past his lips.

He eventually settled on a lame declaration of “We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?” before he swung around the door and closed it. He fantasized about keeping it locked up forever so that she might cease making a fool out of him. Expressions that had been repressed during the entire conversation sprang to his face unbidden, his cheeks turning red with an absurd rapidity as his mouth curled into a frown so forceful the edges of his lips looked like they might tear free from his chin.

No longer exercising restraint, he stalked off down the hall towards his sister’s room at a speed which bordered on a jog. A realization ground his momentum to a halt. He couldn’t see his sister like this, Teonidus only knew what she’d manage to pick up on and turn against him. Of course, his room was further down the hall, so he had no choice but to tiptoe past her door.

Teonidus, what an embarrassment he was!

[Ivone]

Ivone watched Azuel leave. Her thoughts were still, though her emotions were less so. She heaved a breath and moved to the bed, inspecting it. There was a slight scent of dust, but one had to expect that smell in older houses. She started with the pillows, lifting them and fluffing them until she was satisfied. Next, she threw back the duvet and sheets. Best to make sure no spiders or other things had taken roost before she lay down. Was it rude to think they would allow their guest room to be in such a state? Perhaps. But, considering everything had to be done by the family, one should make an effort to help. No?

Once she'd shaken the sheets and fluffed the pillows, Ivone unbuttoned the remaining buttons at her collar and wrists. She'd sleep in her shift and damn them all. Between the fire, which she banked, and the blankets, she'd be fine. The chill in the room, still not banished by the fire she'd lit, prickled her skin and left goosebumps along her arms. Pulling on the robe Latifa lent her helped some, but not as much as she would like.

Ivone loosened her hair until it fell in a gold cascade around her shoulders. Then, she slid beneath the covers. Another cold, large bed...

Ivone rolled to her side, bunching up the covers around her, and curled loosely into a fetal position. Thoughts rattled around her head and she squeezed her eyes tightly, hoping to make them stop. Hopefully, morning would be gracious and come early, since sleep seemed elusive.

[Azuel Vyaduka]

Azuel woke up the next morning and moved through his morning routine without incident. Having never been a particularly sharp one upon waking, his groggy mind did not leap to consider either his embarrassments last night or the way his sister now stared at him, a frustrated expression on her face. Fortunately, he was not so far gone that he failed to notice when she put him in a headlock, keeping him from walking out of the bedroom hallway to the kitchen, where he hoped to make himself breakfast.

As he sputtered awake, she ran her hand through his already messy bed hair. His black locks, normally slick and immaculate, was thrown into helpless disarray as strands were flung this way and that.

“What the heck, Azu. I was prepared to stay at home for the night for you, and you don’t even show up? Rude.”

He struggled to form a coherent response, but being plainly uninterested in whatever explanation he could give she twisted him around to keep him from speaking with any eloquence. He tried to pull back, but he had never been one for forceful responses to conflict and didn’t care to overpower her.

“What could have kept you?” She mocked a ladylike gasp with her free hand and Azuel immediately dreaded where the conversation was about to go. “Don’t tell me she seduced you? My baby brother can’t have fallen for her womanly charms! No Azuel! Don’t! My faint heart just couldn’t take it!”

She let him loose. Azuel did not waste the opportunity to step out of arm’s reach. “You know full well that didn’t happen,” He said it with anger, but there could be no doubt his face was not red with rage. The poor Vyaduka could only wonder why he was forced to endure such frequent embarrassments. He restrained himself from attempting any verbal counterattack. There was no way that starting an argument could do anything but hurt both of them.

He suspected she knew that he didn't dare cause such chaos, but also didn't think there was anything he could do about it.

[Ivone]

Somehow she'd managed to fall asleep. When she woke, her body heat had made a warm cocoon under the heavy blankets and her nose was cold. A sheen of damp had formed on the outside of the blanket, a natural reaction between the chill in the room and the heat of her body beneath. Days like these reminded her why having a husband, or even a servant, was a wonderful thing. When Tian was alive, Ivone often woke to find a cheery fire blazing, hot tea, and fruit waiting for her. On days when he did not attend to business, he'd warmed her in better ways. Maybe she would ask Aurelio to find her someone they could trust as a servant for her.

Aurelio. Another topic not to think about.

Ivone forced herself to slip from the bed and get dressed. Being stuck in this house would drive her crazy before too long. Plus, it'd be just her luck they would not have extra toiletries for morning ablutions. Moving to the window, Ivone used a curtain to rub the condensation from the glass. Outside, Marn was transformed.

The pristine, white snow had a magical effect, making everything seem so... pure. A sense of yearning turned in her gut. Hadn't she been pure once? If it hadn't been for that battlemage...

Ivone's hands clenched and she grit her teeth. Turning on her heel, she moved to a small vanity table and plaited her hair fiercely, find ways to exert some energy before she had to present the facade of gentleness, propriety, and widowhood.

Her desires wouldn't be fulfilled quickly. She needed to stifle and suffocate everything for the sake of achieving her goals. When she could focus clearly once more, Ivone patted and tucked her hair, smoothed her bodice and skirt, and made her exit.

Once more unto the breach!

Opening the door, she caught a glimpse of the younger Vyaduka tussling, before a door closed. As for the eldest and the father, she wondered where they might be. Khayyam, she could imagine, would be in his study or still abed.

With that thought, Ivone moved into the Hall and headed toward the stairs.

[Azuel Vyaduka]

Azuel was willing to brave the snow to see if he still had classes that day, and so he packed his bags and trotted out through the crisp morning air shortly afterwards. The weather was what it was but Azuel knew no other way of life than to repeat what he had done the day before. Adaptation was not a strong suite of his.

Rather than wonder aloud if classes were still to be held for those dedicated few who would take the hike, Azuel silently ate his breakfast and prepared without a word. Shoving books into his bag, he lamented the apparent fact that he’d rather his actions were interpreted as inconsiderate than ignorant. He subsequently reflected that nobody would give a damn what he did today and he was likely overthinking everything, as usual.

He sighed and finished his packing. He slung the strap over his shoulder. The leather bookbag was practically bursting due to the amount of material that had been forced inside; a smaller, perfectly rectangular bulge showed from one side due to the presence of a particularly small book pushing against the side.

With that task complete he set off, intending to avoid all notice. He even went so far as to take an inefficient route when he heard voices down one particular hallway. The rest of his day proceeded uneventfully enough; due to serious snow’s sheer rarity, the school had no official policy by which classes would or would not be cancelled and so many others had also shown up. Enough were present that at least a few of his teachers would proceed with lessons, and so Azuel remained for the day’s full duration. He pretended his grandfather would have Jafar walk Ivone home in his stead but never truly believed it.

When he returned later in the day, he was unsurprised to find Ivone yet remained. He shrugged snow off his boots without considering the fact that he would soon be bidden to walk out once more; the happy delusion that he might not need to was comforting, even if certainly false.

He did not seek out his grandfather to ask when he should take Ivone home. They would have to come to him, studying in his room, once again.

[Ivone]

"Ivone, are you leaving?"

Ivone stopped short on the stairs, turning she looked over the railing to see Khayyam emerging from his study.

"Ah, Khayyam, yes. I'll be able to find my way easily now that it is light out and the snow has stopped falling."

"At least, break your fast with me."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Khayyam."

Breaking her fast with Khayyam, turned into lunching with Khayyam and into Azuel returning home. Finally, Khayyam decided she could leave.

"It's warmed up now, come, I will have Azuel escort you home."

"As you wish, Khayyam."

Ivone waited patiently in the foyer, in her coat, as Khayyam ventured upstairs.

"Azuel, escort Ms. Malastrast home." The knock on the door accompanied the command.

[Azuel Vyaduka]

Azuel considered pretending not to hear the knock. It had happened before, with him so engrossed in a book that the rest of the world simply faded away. It would be suspicious if it should start occurring only when about perform tasks he did not care for, so he begrudgingly got up and strode over to the door.

He didn’t speak until he opened the door, whereupon he discovered that Khayyam had been about to knock again. Azuel blinked. Surely he hadn’t been that slow to approach the door?

“Of course, grandfather. We’ll head out at once.” He privately complimented himself at how even and smooth he had kept his voice. He strode out of his room after the pair backed up, moving alongside Ivone. Khayyam was at their backs, perhaps to pressure Azuel into acting as courteously as possible; a fact which Azuel did his best to ignore without provoking a reaction.

He gathered up his own coat and slung it onto his frame. It was still a bit cold from his prior excursion, but that didn’t bother him. It was about to get colder. He flipped up his hood as well, with the intent of keeping heat in.

He opened the door and was greeted by a slight breeze. His lips twisted in displeasure, for it had not been present last time and would make the chill all the worse. Standing outside, he said, “We had best hurry along, then. I’d hate for us to spend any more time letting winter in.”

[Ivone]

"I agree. Thank you again, Khayyam, for the hospitality."

Ivone stepped out onto the front step and held out gloved hand to Azuel. As a gentleman, he should go down the steps before here and hold her hand as she navigated the steps to ensure she didn't slip. As a gentleman, he should also offer his arm to her as they walk with her on the inside and he on the outside. Thankfully, she only lived a block over. Unfortunately, to get there she'd have take the circuitous route around. Despite his flaws at least Aurelio Merynir knew how to act like a man should.

Ivone waited for Azuel to catch on.

[Azuel Vyaduka]

It was a difficult struggle, but Azuel suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and accepted her outstretched hand. Several half-formed smart mouthed comments leapt to his mind, most of which involved accusing her of being unable to walk on her own. He kept silent, of course, and consoled himself with the lie that he would save them for later, when his grandfather was out of earshot.

Thank Teonidus that his sister wasn’t here to see this, he’d never hear the end of it. At least she might have made some wisecracks of her own, to distract from his own failings. His family could never complain about him when she was present as well.

Azuel walked her down the yard leading up to their path, quietly moving to the side so that Ivone could use his prior footsteps to navigate the dwindling snow. It then occurred to him that if she insisted on being coddled, perhaps he could secure petty vengeance by overdoing it. It was something to keep in mind for it would at the very least serve as another source of solace.

Azuel glanced backwards at his grandfather, seeking to read the expression etched into his aging face. He noted the momentary rise of his thick greying eyebrows as his frown deepened, but his features dropped as if relaxing all the same. Azuel could only guess as to what that meant: resignation at Azuel’s behavior? Relief that Ivone had absolved him of guilt? Quiet pride at Azuel’s unconscious thoughtfulness? Azuel did not know, which left his own features slightly perturbed as he turned back to the road ahead.

Ever watchful, he studied Ivone as well. The corner of his eye found her equally inscrutable, but Azuel was not one to relent when no consequences existed for continued study. He would watch her, and carefully. Life had taught him at too young an age that everyone wanted something, family, friend, or foe. Perhaps this short walk would grant him advantages in the future trials Ivone would inevitably create for him. He waited for her to make the first move towards conversation, privately wondering if he was reading into everything more that was necessary.

[Ivone]

Ivone just wanted to be home and to take a bath. She'd done what she'd intended to do. She'd made her peace with Vyaduka and had been welcomed back into his graces. She'd suffered his insufferable family. Now, she only needed to make it to her front door, offer something warm to drink, and watch Azuel decline and be happily done with her.

Ivone's hands were tucked into the muffler she carried. A scarf was wound around her neck and a hat kept her head warm. She'd worn sturdy, winter, walking boots under her dress. The chill in the air made her cheeks and the tip of her nose pink. Ivone looked around at the surroundings. At this time of day, many people had decided to come outside. Children laughed and threw snowballs. Some had made creations in the snow. People greeted one another with smiles.

Ivone couldn't help but smile, too. Her smile lit up her face.

"Isn't it funny how the weather can affect people's moods so? Last night, as I looked out the window, I couldn't help but think how beautiful the snow made the houses look. Just look at the ice that's lined the limbs of the trees, like glass."