Princess In Waiting (Rouland)

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

There were some things that just were beyond anyone’s understanding and imagination, and for some reason that had been the case when she had heard from Caitrin that Griff had simply gone off after an argument. This could not be over, their wonderful love story. Not like that, it was too silly. And yet it would not be the first time. Relationships ended after arguments after all. But not this one… they would somehow work it out, Yassia was convinced of that. But until that could happen, Caitrin needed a friend more than anything. Someone who wasn’t there to judge and maybe brought the odd smile to her face that now was rather sombre where it once had been so bright.
She owed that to Caitrin in a way. Caitrin was the one who had made her feel so welcome in Camelot, even though she had not even planned to stay more than a few weeks. Well, that had worked out well, hadn’t it? It was about ten months now, and still there was not much development of her case in sight. Camelot was simply too busy warding off threats after threats and thus could of course not spare any resources. Her uncle Kaye had not yet been able to manage anything, but that might be due to the fact he hadn’t cared for much in the past thirty years. He had his horses and his memories, and that had been enough for him for a long while – until she had shown up, stirring up his sedate and bitter life quite a bit.

So now she was going to see if there was anything she could do for her friend. It gladly wasn’t more than half an hour’s ride from Falconeyrie, where her uncle lived, to the estate of Caitrin’s uncle. Yassia had made sure to bring some good spirits with her, so she might cheer Caitrin up a bit. That girl seriously needed to get out of her room and live again. All would turn out well in the end, and in the meantime she really shouldn’t waste her time with too much mourning. Well, it sounded easier in theory anyway.
When riding into the yard of the manor, Yassia felt reminded of her first visit here, when she had only followed vague dinner invitation and had found her best friend in the lively and certainly different young lady named Caitrin. Back then, the horse she was riding now, one of her uncle’s finest, hadn’t even had a name yet, but Caitrin had helped her out with that soon enough.

Now she was handing Terrell’s reins to a stablelad that came rushing towards her and nodded at another servant that had stopped to gawk at her.
”Please be so kind as to announce Princess Yassia as a visitor to Lady Caitrin”, she spoke in a regal, but at the same time quite friendly manner. There was nothing gained in acting all despotic after all. It didn’t make the servant’s legs run faster.


Tag: Rouland
Timeline: shortly after s3e9/10
Time of day: midmorning

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland often found himself in the middle of his niece’s problems, or certainly a part of them. This time was no different of course, and once again Rouland was expected to do and say everything perfectly as to avoid a confrontation with his niece. None of this was his fault, so he couldn’t see why he was being forced to play this part. But, despite what might come across, he did care for his niece, and he just wanted the best for her. Maybe, at first, when they had just been getting to know each other he had just wanted rid of her, but now he was more after her comfort than anything. Right now, nothing seemed right. He didn’t know exactly why Griff had gone, but Caitrin had been a hormonal wreck ever since, and the only details Rouland got were when she was shouting at him for not understanding her, and that he wouldn’t understand what she was going through. Rouland had never wanted a daughter, because of how hormonal he had heard they could be, and though his niece was more than capable of standing on her own two feet, she still seemed to adhere to the stereotypes.

He hoped she and Griff made up their differences soon. He had thought that this was it, and that she would just get married and that would be the end of that story. He’d hoped for it in a sense, because she was getting older and Griff had been her first serious suitor after all. He’d even given the wedding his blessing. Rouland groaned, this wasn’t how it was all supposed to be. He expected Celyn to come round at some point as well, to offer his own brand of comfort. He quite liked the man, and had come to understand that he would just turn up unannounced at the estate to surprise Caitrin. Rouland was slowly coming to realise that Caitrin was turning his house into her house, and if she thought she was living here once she was married then she had another thing coming. The worst bit was, Rouland knew all she would have to do was to bat an eye lid at him, and she and whatever husband she had would have residence here for as long as they wanted.

A knock came on his study door. Great. Rouland got up and opened the door swiftly. Why couldn’t the world just leave him alone? He just wanted some peace. “Yes?” The servant swiftly curtseyed towards him, and her cheeks flushed. Years of working under Rouland hadn’t settled her one bit,

“Princess Yassia is here to see the Lady Caitrin.” Rouland knew that Caitrin was out riding for the morning, because he had suggested it. He’d sent one of his men to keep an eye on her, because frankly in her state she could end up anywhere at the moment. If it had been some other woman or noble he would have just sent them away, but the Princess was another matter. He supposed he could at least gesture a few words to her. It didn’t have to be a long conversation. Rouland just nodded at the woman, and took his wine out of the study and descended down the stairs. The young woman in question was stood just inside of the entrance to the manor. Rouland bowed curly to her,

“Princess Yassia, I regret to inform you my niece is out riding at the moment.” He was itching to take a swig of wine, but resisted the urge just yet, “But you are welcome to wait inside, as she will not be long.”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

In her mind, Yassia was already going through several ways of approaching Caitrin, while she waited for her presence to be announced. Much depended on how she would be greeted with. Would she be merely called inside, that would mean Caitrin was really down and didn’t have much energy left to even get up and greet her friend, but if she came down herself, then she might feel a little better, and that of course required a different approach. She knew from experience that nothing felt as awkward and misplaced as an unnecessary amount of pity. Especially those who were otherwise strong didn’t want to be pampered in their hours of need, they were adamant that they would go through this alone and unaided. That might turn out to be a fallacy in the end, but that wouldn’t stop them from trying. Yassia knew all this because she was in some ways similar to Caitrin, though Caitrin surely was the even stronger one. This would all be tricky at best.

She realized that something must be off as soon as she heard footsteps coming down the large staircase that lead towards the entrance where she was now standing. These were not the footsteps of Caitrin, they were heavier, slower in a way, and it sounded like heavy boots collided with the wooden floor. And soon enough she was proven right, as she saw a man coming downstairs, a man she hadn’t been introduced to formally yet, but she recognized him at once from Caitrin’s speech and from the simple fact of being here at all. This must be Lord Rouland de Archer, Caitrin’s uncle and the owner of this manor.
Great. Somehow Yassia hadn’t been prepared at all for this unexpected meeting, and she didn’t know how to deal with it, how to deal with him. From what she knew, he wasn’t the best of company, simply because he didn’t desire to be.

But then, didn’t she have another of this calibre sitting in the manor she was now lodging in? Her uncle Kaye? He was as anti-social as you could get, and had worn the grim and sour expression of a displeased mule so long on his face that his muscles had settled to it and it was now his normal expression. If she had managed to crack his shell, then she would live through a few moments of akward conversation with Lord Rouland, right?
And anyway, wasn’t this slightly good news? Caitrin was out riding, that would surely do her good! She had been cooped up in her room for far too long now! Maybe this was the beginning of a change?
”It is no problem, Lord Rouland!” Yassia replied with a friendly smile and inclined her head. “I shall wait, if you are sure she won’t be long. And it gives me the opportunity to finally meet you in person.” Had that just sounded like a threat, Yassia thought inwardly amused. Maybe for him it would. Oh well, if she could live through a few moments like this, then so could he. After all, he had been the one offering her to wait.

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland hadn’t heard a lot from Caitrin about Yassia, well that was a complete lie, his niece talked his ear off most of the time and Yassia was just one of her topics at the moment. He knew the woman was the heir of a Kingdom far from here, and that she was trying to gain support at the moment. That was about as much as Rouland knew, but he supposed it was better than nothing. To Rouland, most women were irritating, dependent or just plain needy. If what Caitrin had told him was true, and Yassia had gone across various lands to reach Camelot, then he did have respect for her if nothing else. Her route wouldn’t have been taken on by most men he knew, let alone women. But he supposed if you had to do something, then it would have to be done. Rouland managed a small, half amused smile at the woman. He wasn’t really sure how this conversation was going to go. He didn’t socialise unless it was a forced event, and this was rather forced.

He hadn’t spoken to other young women, apart from Caitrin obviously, but she was a relative so it was slightly different. It was rather difficult now that Griff was no longer around, as it meant Caitrin was around the house more often. She’d just been using the house as a place to eat and sleep, and that was it But she had spent most of the last week in her room, or in the solar, and Rouland was already starting to get annoyed with it. He hated seeing her so inactive, mainly as it really wasn’t her, and while she was in the house he had to think of things to say to her. He’d told her to go out on a ride this morning for the good of her health. It wasn’t good for young women to be sitting round not doing anything useful, and she was starting to look pale. Rouland wasn’t about to let his niece just waste her life in the solar with him everyday of her life. Neither of them wanted that.

“Indeed Princess.” Rouland gave a short smile, and finally his inclination towards his wine won him over, and he took a small swig from the goblet. Yassia would probably judge him for that, but if Caitrin had told her anything about him then she wouldn’t be surprised. He didn’t care, it was his house, and if he wanted to drink first thing in the morning then he would. He needed it for his nerves at the moment; that was his current excuse. “Would you like to join me in the solar? It is a bit more comfortable than standing in here.”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Alright, this would be a challenge indeed, Yassia decided. Even if she didn’t want to become best friends with this man – and sweet stars she had NO inclination whatsoever! – the sheer task of conversing with him without giving up out of confusion or irritation would be quite something to look forward to, in the strictly scientific sense of course. Yes indeed, it would be an interesting experiment to see who had the longer breath in this. If anything, it would invoke Yassia’s competitive spirit, and that was not the worst thing to exercize on a random morning like this one. He had already made the first step by inviting her inside, and now technically the next step should come from her. But she had done so already, telling him it was a chance for a meeting. Ah, the delicacies of courtesy and suitable conversation. It was always a challenge, but never before had it been like this, awkward and totally detached. They probably could call themselves lucky no awkward silence had ensued yet. But maybe that wasn’t so far off, as Yassia couldn’t quite find many conversation topics she and Lord Rouland might share.
Then she realized he was carrying a goblet in which she assumed was wine, and she only just caught herself from raising an eyebrow. Caitrin might have dropped the odd hint about her uncle loving to drink wine more than could possibly be healthy for him, but Yassia would never have imagined that he would already do justice to it that early in the day. It was midmorning! Drinking wine was something for the evening and in company, right? Where was the fun in drinking it all alone, as he obviously was?
But then, growing up with court manners like Yassia had, had also told her not to mind other people’s business unless it was absolutely necessary. Lord Rouland didn’t appear drunk to the princess, and that was all that really counted. As long as he could afford it, both physically and financially, he was fine.

”Why not, yes, let’s go to the solar”, she agreed and politely waited for him to show the way, even though she already knew where the solar was. Oh, what wonderful hours had she spent there with Caitrin! They had danced so freely and carelessly to the rhythms of Yassia’s homeland, and they had talked about both their futures in the brightest colors. With a pang of sadness, Yassia remembered how lovingly Caitrin had spoken about Griff. Her eyes had gleamed with such a special light, but this light was gone now from her eyes. It was a true shame, but hopefully nothing that couldn’t be fixed.
”I quite like your home, Mylord”, she complimented him, while walking. “Falconeyrie is quite dark and crooked in comparison.” In truth, Yassia loved her uncle's manor just for that, but still, this one was nice and she would say so.

[Rouland de Archer]

This was the reason Rouland stayed away from court, he didn’t like other people’s company, bar his own family, and he only put up with them because he was obliged to. In hindsight, he was glad that he had taken on Caitrin’s wardship, because she at least brightened up the estate. It also meant he had someone to call upon to deal with visitors so that he didn’t have to most of the time. She attended all the functions in his honour as well. However, that idea didn’t work when she wasn’t bloody well here. Rouland took another swig of his wine, and only realised then that he was being rude. Once Yassia was seated in the solar he coughed slightly and looked across at his guest. “Would you like something to drink?” He wouldn’t be offering her his best vintage... maybe just one of the lesser ones. That stuff was expensive after all, so he wouldn’t be just dishing it out whenever to whoever happened to walk through the door. His stores had been lacking recently, and he wondered if Caitrin was the blame, or maybe he had just drunk it and couldn’t remember it. That’s why he wouldn’t ask her, because if the latter was true, she’d probably just lecture him about it. Sometimes he wondered who was who’s ward with her.

He grinned inwardly as Yassia complimented his home. If there was one thing he prided himself upon it was his surroundings. He had an incredible eye for detail, and his home was always up to date with the latest fashions. After all, he spent the vast majority of his time here, so he had to find some pleasure in it. “Thank you Princess.” He managed a small smile at least, and took another sip on his wine. He supposed he should probably say something, after all, they were probably going to be here for a while. Knowing Caitrin she had probably arranged this on purpose to force him to have his daily dose of socialisation. Damn her. “I have never visited the manor myself, but I have heard it is quite grand.” Was it? Or was it derelict? Rouland had no idea, he was just trying to be polite, probably failing. He wondered how much Yassia knew about Caitrin and Griff’s current argument. Honestly, everything seemed to be a drama all the time with those two. One day Caitrin would get married and settled, and then Rouland would drink less, “How are you today Princess? I trust your ride over here was not too tiring.” Urgh, formalities.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia took a seat in the solar and casually looked around her, wondering how far Lord Rouland would go in his attempts on courtesy. Would she be offered a drink? And should she accept? It was the middle of the day after ll, not the right time to drink wine! At least not for her. Maybe she should ask for another type of refreshment instead. Just in case this matter came up, anyway. There was still no telling. How peculiar it felt sitting here now with the master of the house, while waiting for his niece to come home. It hadn’t been the case of course, but suddenly Yassia felt like she had been doing something behind Lord Roulands’ back. They had drunk his wine for starters; knowing Caitrin, there was no telling if she had asked her uncle beforehand. Chuckling inwardly, Yassia made a mental note not to act too familiar with anything around here. And she caught herself hoping that Caitrin would indeed appear soon.

Then it came after all, the question whether she wanted something to drink. Yassia cocked her head for a moment, as if she still needed to think, and then said: “Some refreshment would be nice, yes, but no wine for me please.” With difficulty she only just bit back the comment: ‘after all, it’s so early’. Now that would have been awkward indeed, and certainly not made to bring her into this man’s good favor. No one liked to be called out on his shortcomings after all. Or would he even bother? Hmm… better not take any risks.
It struck Yassia quite odd that he talked about Falconeyrie as ‘grand’, but then when she thought about it, in comparison it might even be. Yassia had been grown up in the splendor of a palace, so a manor and its surroundings would probably never been titled ‘grand’ by her.
”It is a nice place for sure, but it’s more functional than pretty I’m afraid”, Yassia explained, smiling. “My uncle doesn’t care for too much splendor, he just wants space for his horses and otherwise a functioning little estate. And like I said, the interior is a little winding and dark. Not a masterpiece of architecture.” For children it would have been a wonderful playground though. Too bad Kaye had never married.

A little silence ensued afterwards and Yassia wasn’t even so much uncomfortable with it. There was a time for talking, but there could be a time for silence just as well. Rouland’s attempt on making casual conversation was not lost to her, but in her eyes he needn’t try so hard. If she had learned one thing over the last year and maybe even before that, then that amiable silence was often better than awkward conversation.
“No, on the contrary, it was quite refreshing”, Yassia replied, slipping into the same nonchalant tone Lord Rouland used as well. There really wasn’t much to say about the ride, and before they both choked on their words, maybe it was time to take a leap of faith?
Leaning forward, Yassia began: “In all honesty, Lord Rouland, you don’t have to play my entertainer. If I got used to anything since living with my uncle, it is silence. He isn’t much of a talker after all.”

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland was rather glad she declined the wine. That meant more for him, which could only be a good thing. That was the problem with guests sometimes, they knew he kept a good vintage, so they had a habit of drinking him dry on the rare occasions anyone did call round. He tried not to look too happy at her choice, and sent a servant away to get her some water. They didn’t have a lot to offer here, but hopefully that would suffice for now. No doubt Caitrin would make up for whatever he had missed when she arrived eventually, which needed to be sooner rather than later. He was still convinced she was doing this to him on purpose. He sipped on his wine as the servant brought Yassia a goblet of fresh water, “I hope that is to your liking.” It was water, how could you not like it? Honestly. Maybe she was expecting something like milk, or some such other luxury, but those were scarcely tapped into by himself and Caitrin, let alone their guests.

Rouland nodded as Yassia explained her Uncle preferred the practical approach rather than the splendour that he preferred. He could understand it, but not relate to it. After all, his home was his space, and if he couldn’t make that his own then what was left? His son wasn’t here for him to fashion anymore, and neither was his wife, so it was his house and his niece that he had to tend to. Though Caitrin tended to herself more than he ever tended to her. He had stopped throwing suitors at her over two years ago, and since then they had got on a lot better than they had been doing. “I’m sure he still loves the place though?” Rouland said with a small smile, “I am glad your ride was not too tiring Princess.”

Though Rouland would normally have jumped at Yassia excusing him, he felt already like he wasn’t going to take up her offer. That was for two reasons, the first was that she was royalty, and though Caitrin might treat her like a sort of equal, Rouland knew the ways of the world. One day this woman could be at the head of her own dynastic line, God willing, and he wasn’t about to upset her. After all, links with other countries could always come in handy, no matter how remote the claim. The second reason for not just nodding and leaving as quickly as he could was because if he did he would never hear the end of it from Caitrin. Though she was younger than him, she was his ward for Jesu sake, she felt like it was her duty to tell him how to live his life, and to get him to be more sociable. Rouland disagreed of course, all the time, and he hated socialisation. But in the same breath, he knew if he upset Yassia with his lack of hospitality, that would upset Caitrin as well. In her current state he didn’t want to push her over the edge, or so to speak. “Not at all, I am used to Caitrin being more talkative than she has anyway…” He trailed off, and straightened up. Caitrin certainly hadn’t been herself recently, and Rouland didn’t care for it one bit. He was supposed to be the dry, irritable one in the household, not her. Having two versions of him in the house was already wearing thin, and the servants felt like they were walking on egg shells most of the time.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

When Yassia had called for a refreshment, she had indeed had nothing else in mind than water. A year before or so, when still in Ailantha, she might have asked of something less ordinary, but again her journey had brought her to be wiser on that part. Water was sweeter than any sparkling wine or strong sidra, a beverage made of apples which was known here – as Yassia had learned – by the word ‘cider’, when you were thirsty, and she had been thirsty often on her way here. More often than not, she had of course kept the little money she had had together and did not waste it on wine or such luxery, when she could live of a well or a brook for free. The water was as welcome to her now as it had been then, for even if it was still midmorning, the ride from Falconeyrie had left her in want for a drink for the last two miles.
”Water is perfectly fine, I thank you!” she assured Lord Rouland and also directed a thankful smile at the servant who had been bringing the goblet. She thought she remembered the servant’s face from the night spent at Caitrin’s house, but then she couldn’t be too sure.

It took Yassia a moment to ponder of this question precisely. It might have been an easy one, did her uncle love Falconeyrie or did he not, but in fact it was not such an easily answered question after all. Part of the blame there lay with her uncle himself, as he never showed many feelings apart from being gruff and cynical, which included a lot of badmouthing his home, his servants and several other things. But over time, Yassia had learned to decipher those messages and find the hidden meaning behind them. Sir Kaye often enough lived by the policy: ‘No monish is enough praise’ and so when he did NOT badmouth something too sternly, it probably was a well-liked thing. Falconeyrie bore many memories, also of her mother Yassia had learned, and sometimes Kaye just buried himself in all these memories, good and bad, instead of creating new ones.
”I think he couldn’t think of himself without it”, she hazarded with a little smile. “There he has his horses, there he has been born, and he took it over willingly when his parents died. I don’t think he could live elsewhere, so yes, I do think he loves the place.”

Now they were suddenly talking about Caitrin, and Yassia felt the worm of unease and concern coiling in her stomach, Rouland lived with Caitrin, closer than anyone else, and so he naturally would be observing most about her changes. It all fit into a rather disturbing pattern: The lively Mercian woman was but a shadow of herself now, and it ached Yassia’s heart to think of her friend as such. Could love really bring you down so much that you became a distorted picture of yourself?
”She hasn’t been well, has she?” she asked softly, leaning a bit forward. “The stars know I should look after her more often. She needs people that care for her now more than ever, to guide her through this unfortunate episode – as I am adamant it will be but an episode. I am yet sure Griff will return!”
It might be overly naïve to voice such an opinion, but that didn’t hinder Yassia to hold firm to it. Love could be cruel yes, especially when the stars interfered and ruffled up your path. But in the end, they would not turn against two loving heart, unless it was not meant to be. And that was simply unacceptable.

[Rouland de Archer]

Well, Rouland wasn’t quite sure what he would have done if Yassia had said that the wine wasn’t good enough for her. After all, he didn’t have anything else to offer her. He had his wine, and so did Caitrin though hers wasn’t as good as his. Apart from that they just drunk the water and that was it. They couldn’t really afford much else. Though Rouland loved his vintage, he was a man who very much lived within his means. He wasn’t extravagant, though he lived comfortably compared to most. Looking back at Yassia he managed a sort of grin before taking in some more wine. If she hadn’t have wanted water then she would have had to just cope with not having a drink, unless she wanted some watered down wine. Honestly, he couldn’t see the problem with drinking this early in the day. You only live once after all, and it was his life and his home.

Rouland just nodded as she explained about her Uncle’s home. He couldn’t remember ever going to the place himself, but he rarely left the manor for social visits. Occasionally Caitrin dragged him to court, and that was usually his dose of socialisation for the year over and done with for the year. He was sure she only made him go to court to prove to everyone that he hadn’t died yet. He just didn’t like going to court, why was that so difficult for her, and the other courtiers to grasp? What was there for him to have at court, well apart from free wine and food. Hmm, he hadn’t thought about it like that before. Free wine. Then again, it wouldn’t be as good as his, so he’d probably not end up drinking it anyway and would end up draining his own stores when he got home. It was a slightly depressing thought at best. “Well as long as he loves the place, that’s all one can ask.” Urgh, did that sound too cheerful for him? It didn’t feel like him saying things like that, “Does he have a son to inherit?” He asked rather casually, that was more like Rouland. Rouland had a son of course, though only a few knew that. Jesu knows where Dristan was now. Rouland occasionally got letters from his son assuring him that he wasn’t dead, or married yet. Rouland wasn’t sure which of those would be worst to stomach. He could imagine the sort of woman Dristan would bring home with him. If he ever came home that was.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought Caitrin’s condition up, but it was hard not to. After all, she was the only other occupant of the house, so it was hard for him to really speak about much else. Well, apart from wine, but Yassia clearly wouldn’t appreciate his extensive knowledge on the wines of Albion, so he would rather save his breath. He shook his head at her question, “No, she has not.” It was annoying having her in such a state, because she was usually the one who brightened the place up, now there was an atmosphere about the house that was hard to disperse. “She will appreciate your company.” Rouland said with a soft smile, perhaps it would cheer Caitrin up somewhat. Of course Rouland should be the one caring for Caitrin right now, but he wasn’t about to say that to Yassia. His pride was too strong for him to admit that so freely. “He’ll be back.” Rouland agreed and took a swig of his wine. He was a good judge of character, and in a way he felt like he knew Griff in ways Caitrin didn’t. She was blinded by love and affection, a disadvantage that Rouland wasn’t cursed with, “But not for some time I think.”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Talking about Kaye was so much better than not talking at all or exchanging pleasantries about the weather or – the starts prevent – compare drinking habits! Yassia didn’t waste much thought on if Kaye would like to be the subject of their conversation. She doubted he even would care much, she wasn’t badmouthing him after all, in fact, she was trying to make him appear a little more caring than he actually was. Kaye was a difficult character by any means, he had been formed by events that had been none of his doing, and somehow Yassia had an odd feeling that it was a little her fault as well. That was ridiculous of course, since Yassia was only her mother’s daughter and had been a child still when she had been killed. She had not known her mother had kept no contact to her brother, had never let him know she was still alive, but somehow it still made her feel bad, especially for Kaye’s sake. Had he known his sister was alive and well, even higher in her status that she ever could have become in Camelot, as the beloved Queen of Ailantha… it might have made him a very different man, less bitter, less unforgiving and distant.He was getting out of his shell more often than he had been, with Yassia around, and they had formed a bond that needed not many words, but there were things that could never be made up for again. Kaye would never be a different man, he could not make a complete turn into the charming and life-loving man he had once been.

It only occurred to Yassia now how little Kaye must have made known of himself in the last few years, if people didn’t even know he had never married! But then, this was Rouland de Archer, and she knew from Caitrin that he kept to himself a lot as well, so it might be not such a great surprise he had no idea about some of the fellow lords and how their lives looked like.
“No, he never married”, she answered softly, the thought of Kaye having illegitimate children never even occurring to her. That was just another side of her proper and sheltered upbringing. In Ailantha, illegitimate children amongst nobility and royalty were a taboo, and frowned upon. It went against every rule in the book to have intercourse with a man or woman you were not lawfully married to. The stars didn’t look down in favor on such children, even though that was a clear matter of cause and effect if you thought about it. Just that Yassia never had. In her eyes, it was clear that Kaye could not have any children, because he had never married. It didn’t even occur to her Lord Rouland might find her matter-of-fact tone amusing.

To say that Yassia was surprised by Rouland’s positive view on things was an understatement. In the middle of taking the goblet of water to her lips, she halted the movement and instead leaned forward, as if to assure herself she had understood him right.
“He’ll be back.” “But not for some time I think.”
Yes, that had been his words. And they had not been sounded evasively, as if he was trying to convince himself with them, he WAS convinced, so much was evident in his voice. How could he be so sure? Did he really know Griff so much better? Caitrin didn’t seem to share this optimism, that was obvious. So where did Lord Rouland take it from?
“What makes you think such?” she asked curiously, for once completely into this conversation, not only with her mind, but also with her heart. She wished so dearly for Caitrin to be happy again, and if there was the slightest chance of Griff coming back – which she hoped, but could not say for sure no matter what she had claimed – she would take that chance for Caitrin’s sake, and she wanted to know more about it. “And does Caitrin know you’re thinking that way? I think it would console her if she knew you’re so sure about this. Then she could really see it as an unfortunate, but temporal episode.”

[Rouland de Archer]

The fact her Uncle hadn’t ever married did strike Rouland as odd. He felt sorry for the man, as he had never known the heat of a woman’s bed, well, the heat of a woman’s bed and for it to be totally legitimate. Even Rouland had once had a wife though you wouldn’t think of it to look upon him now. He didn’t even have his son by his side, ungrateful toad that he was. He had given Dristan everything when he was growing up, they had clashed once and the boy had declared he was going to travel. He had only seen him at brief moments ever since, which was incredibly annoying. He needed someone to take over the estate, and now Griff had run off he was starting to worry somewhat. “Marriage is not for everyone, though for some it is a necessity.” Again he was being blunt, but again he didn’t care. It was his way, and he had nothing to prove to Yassia, and Rouland didn’t change his ways for anyone, why should he?

Rouland de Archer was incredibly good at reading people within a short space of knowing them. Though he could not boast this much about Yassia just yet, he had seen and spoken to Griff enough to know the man practically inside out. That was why he was able to wind him up with such ease, he knew which buttons to press, and he knew how to act to make the man feel utterly uncomfortable in his presence. He knew his niece as well, and he knew her temper and her venomous words, and how they would have taken their toll on Griff. However, the way Griff had come to Rouland a while back, and spoken to him about how he would care for his niece if he consented to their marriage told Rouland that Griff would be back. He was smitten with Caitrin, and she was smitten with him no matter how much they both wanted to be stubborn and deny it. Though Griff wasn’t as stubborn as Caitrin, he suspected the man’s pride was wounded, so that was why it would be some time before he returned, but he bet Griff would return, even if it was just once more, to see whether Caitrin still felt anything for him. This was all speculative of course, and Rouland was in no means linked to the black arts so he had no idea what the future held for any of them. He just had a feeling, and that was all he needed. “I saw the man enough to gain an opinion of his character.” Rouland mused rather wisely, as he answered Yassia’s question.

No, he had not spoken a word of any of this to Caitrin, mainly because he didn’t want to. He wanted her to heal on her own, and not rely on him through her grief. Only she and Griff could fix this mess and though Rouland knew he could sit here and judge all that went on before him it was not for him to meddle with. He was not a gossip, and he was not incredibly into speaking about feelings. Caitrin had Yassia for comfort, so he would not get involved in that side of things. “I have not told Caitrin, neither will I.” He stated rather bluntly, “I would ask you too to not repeat my words to her.” Urgh, he supposed he had to explain himself to Yassia now, because she didn’t seem like the kind of woman who would just nod dutifully at him. Why did his niece attract such unconventional people? “She needs to get through this, and sort it out with Griff. It is not for me to say one way or another, what would happen if I was so sure about this and Griff never did return?” He reasoned very mildly, he was not angry with Yassia’s question, he just saw no reason in dancing around an answer when he preferred the blunt approach.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

“Marriage is not for everyone, though for some it is a necessity.”
Of course Lord Rouland was right about that, though Yassia herself would have probably said it with a little more tact. Then again, when had he ever shown tact in this conversation before? He said things as he meant them, probably never sparing anyone, and just like with her uncle Kaye that would not get him many friends. Though Kaye did it because of his profound bitterness concerning life; she had no idea why Rouland would do it. Perhaps just because he could, though that would make him rude on top of tactless, and Yassia was not sure whether she really wanted to go down that road just yet. After all, she had just met Lord Rouland and didn’t want to prejudge him by just a few phrases he had said. What irked her though was that withour even knowing it, Caitrin’s uncle had touched a sore spot within Yassia. For her, marriage would be the utmost necissity, if her preferred plan failed and she could not convince her people to let go of that ridiculous law saying she could only rule when married. She would have to find someone, and find him quickly, regardless of her feelings.
So her answer was a little stiff, when she replied: “That may be so, yes. Not many are so lucky as to marry for love.”

Yassia did not want to question Lord Rouland’s expertise on judging people, even less since he probably knew Griff better than she did any day – they had never really met in such a way that she could hazard a guess on his character – but then she never particularly liked people who thought their opinion was the be-all and end-all. However, this time Yassia would not mind if he was right, since that meant Caitrin would be happy in the end, with Griff returning to her side and them finally marrying. Yassia remembered all too well how they once had discussed that there was never a life like the cliché story’s told about princesses and ladies, but did it really have to turn out like this? This was probably farthest away from a happy end you could get, and Caitrin deserved so much better!
“Well, then let’s hope your estimation doesn’t fail you, Mylord”, she consented with a sigh, leaning back in her chair. “The stars often have a cruel way of making us value what we want by taking it away, but their lessons pay off in the end.”

Rouland’s reaction and his conclusion however rang completely wrong with Yassia and she raised her brow in surprise and irritation alike as he sounded the request of her not speaking to Caitrin about his resolve rather like a demand. Who did he think he was?! Now he had crossed the line of being rude, and only because she had gotten used to such behaviour from some Camelotians in general and her uncle Kaye in particular she bit back a very sharp reprimand. This was neither the time nor the place for turf wars, but she would not let this stand either! There was a middle way to everything, she just had to find it.
“A moment before you were so sure of your own estimation and now you’re backing down?” she asked, a little incredulous and not quite able to hide the slight contempt in her voice. “And just because you don’t want to meddle! Do you ever think about Caitrin in all of this? How just a little spark of hope could make this so much more bearable for her?! If you are so sure that Griff will return, then why let her suffer? And if you are NOT sure…” she let the sentence hang there between them unfinished, but her eyes showed clearly what she meant: Then why boast about your superior knowledge earlier? Given, this was not quite the middle way she had anticipated, but she would not take it back.

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland knew that marriage was more used as a political tool than a love one most of the time. It never really bothered him, though his niece had always fought him in that particular fact. She had always wanted to marry for love, and had refused every suitor he had found for her. Now even the love match was starting to turn sour. He pulled his face slightly and shifted in his seat and just nodded at Yassia’s words as the topic was much exhausted.

It took all of Rouland’s strength to not raise an eye brow at Yassia’s mention of the stars. He had been brought up in Mercia where they were taught to pray to the spirits, and those who had passed. The stars were mere things of childish dreams, something to use to inspire stories around the fires in the evening. He still kept the traditions of praying to spirits in times of trouble because that was what he believed, and it had worked for him in the past. He smiled inwardly to himself and just nodded at Yassia’s words, “The spirits will guide her, as they always have, and always will.” He took another sip of his wine, he knew that whenever he wasn’t here to see over his niece then the spirits would watch over her, and Griff if he ever did come back.

Rouland would have thought that a Princess, and heir to a throne, would have known how to play the conversation a little better than she currently was. He just raised an eye brow at her and took a sip of his wine, “I would watch your manners Princess, I am not my niece.” He was not her friend, he was her aquantances, and he was a Lord in Camelot in his own rights, so he did not appreciate a woman from a different Kingdom, who he had the decency to be hospitable towards, to come into his home and speak to him in such a manner. His words were not harsh, if anything they were just advising her, because he wouldn’t take kindly if she carried on in that tone. He didn’t expect women to be silent, or just make pleasantries, he just expected a little familiarity before he was treated in such a way. Rouland looked over Yassia and pressed his lips together, “Caitrin is strong, she’s a Mercian, and she has faced a lot worse than this, and she probably will again. I don’t want to make it harder for her by giving her false hope. Unfortunately foreseeing into the future is outlawed in this kingdom, or I would tell my niece with certainty if her fiancée is ever going to come back to claim her hand.” He looked sharply at Yassia, “I might be sure of myself, but I will never give Caitrin false hope.” God knows, she had enough on her plate, and Rouland didn’t want to upset Caitrin more. He was just a voice in the background for her, someone who could nod in the right places and hope to get it right some of the time. Caitrin was the closest family he had, and he didn’t want to hurt her anymore than Griff already had.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

It was clear Lord Rouland was somehow emphasizing his own belief in this conversation, mentioning the spirits so decisively, but Yassia was by no means willing to start on a religious debate now. Neither was her the master of her belief nor she of his, after all, and as long as no one got hurt in the process, in Yassia’s eyes everyone could hold firmly to his belief. After all, in the end, what did it matter if it was the stars or spirits helping the people to get on with their lives? She might have not thought so before, but Yassia had learned in that aspect as well, what with her mother maybe adopting the worship of stars, but always remembering the spirits, too. So, if Rouland wanted to bait her with his adversaring belief, she would not raise to it.
“Of course”, she merely said, inclining her head. Talking to him might not come as easy as maybe talking to Caitrin or even Arthur Pendragon, but then it was still easier than talking to Kaye on a bad day. There you sometimes really were under the impression you could hold better conversations with a brick wall. “I dearly hope so for her, she deserves all guidance she can get. She is such a wonderful person.”

The moment she thought again over her words, the resolve to never take them back quickly vanished, and Yassia wished she could have guarded her tongue better. And to make this even worse, she was now reprimanded by Lord Rouland, in his usual calm manner, which somehow made it worse still. Her initial reaction was to remind him sharply that he still was her inferior, but then she reined herself in just in time and forced herself to swallow the bitter pill. As he was right. At least partly. She might be irritated with his behavior and find it wrong, but for now he was not only her host, he was probably more than twice her age, and she could not just snap at him like that. It was her typical Ailanthan behavior, but that was by no means an excuse. It was immature even, and Yassia hated to be thought immature. That had been the word her uncle Guifré had used so frequently concernign her, not in this exact wording of course, but the meaning had been clear. Someone like this, unable to keep her temper in check, was not fit to rule over a kingdom, with all its responsibilities and the tact that required. Ever since then, Yassia had been intent to prove him wrong, but she was not helping herself with this. And she wasn’t helping Caitrin either.
So Yassia took a deep breath, and searched Lord Rouland’s gaze for a moment, before dropping hers. “You are right, Mylord, I must apologize, I spoke out of term. Not only do you know Caitrin better than I do, even if I WAS right in this, it is not my place to speak to you as such. I am sorry, and I do hope you accept my apology and forget what I said.”

It might be a bitter pill for Yassia to humble herself before anyone, but that didn’t mean she would not mean her words and only say them for courtesy’s sake, as empty phrases. She DID mean them, and the one most sorry about her rash behavior was usually she herself. One day, her temper would cause her serious harm, or someone she cared for, she knew that. Her father had started a war on mercernaries, because he could not balance his grief and his anger at the same time, and it had not been a glorious chapter in Ailantha’s history. She might not start a war, but every foul word was an enemy gained and a friend lost, and it pained her to see these reapings of the seeds she had sown. She did not want to make an enemy out of Lord Rouland, just because of a few imprudent words. Even if she thought that sometimes false hope was better than no hope at all, she would not argue the case now.

[Rouland de Archer]

Rouland de Archer was sure that the spirits would guide Caitrin in whichever path she chose to take. He knew that no matter how much Griff had hurt her, she would take him back if he turned up on the doorstep. He couldn’t say he would agree with her, but he wasn’t going to sit here and judge. It wasn’t his life after all. He would give his opinion if Caitrin asked for it, but she never did, so he never gave it. Instead he just prayed to the spirits, in the hope that Caitrin would gain counsel from somewhere. After all Rouland still kept the old God’s and prayed to the spirits back in Mercia. It was probably one of the only connections that he still had with his native Mercia, even his accent wasn’t that strong anymore. Well, it wasn’t strong when it was compared with Caitrin’s. He hadn’t been back to Mercia since he had been sent here to marry all those years ago, but he had no reason to return. Both his parents were dead, and he hated his brother. Caitrin was the only link he had to Mercia now really, and even she didn’t really like the kingdom that much. “She is, and she’ll get the help she needs when she learns to ask for it.” That was the problem with his niece. She never asked for help, and never admitted that she needed it. Rouland did just go along with her wishes most of the time. After all, if you told Caitrin that she needed help then she would go on the defensive and then no one would get any help through to her.

Rouland felt rather smug that he had got Yassia to apologise to him. With the way she had spoken to him in the first place, she had expected her to be the one demanding a respect. Well, she might be of Royal blood and call herself a Princess but she didn’t have a kingdom at the moment in which to rule over. Of course Rouland wouldn’t point this out, neither did he hold it against her. But this was his house and he demanded respect of all his guests, not just her. He did feel like he had won a victory somewhat. However, Rouland wasn’t going to point out that, as it wasn’t very gentlemanly was it? He just nodded at Yassia, without even the slightest bit of a smile. He always did have quite a good poker face. “I accept your apology Princess, I do after all have quite high standards that not many in Camelot keep anymore.” That was an unfortunate truth, but Rouland did demand respect from those who came into his home, no matter who they were. He had to admit he was quite taken aback by how quickly Yassia had apologised to him, but he wasn’t going to bother about this, she had apologised, that was all he cared about.

Taking another sip of his wine, Rouland sat back in his chair and began to wonder just how long Caitrin would be occupied for. The ride had been his suggestion, but now he wished that he hadn’t said anything at all. After all, it meant he was forced into this socialisation which wasn’t exactly becoming of him. Rouland looked across at Yassia and managed a small smile, right, small talk. He could do this. “How long have you been in Camelot?”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

In one thing Lord Rouland might be right, Caitrin really wasn’t one to ask for help, at least as far as Yassia could tell. Proud people never were good in asking others to aid them, and she should know, because she sometimes was the same. But then, there only needed to come the right incentive, the right thing you had to fight for, and then you couldn’t do anything else but asking for help, because the fear of loss was far greater than the shame of admitting that you could not fare on your own. Had Caitrin reached that point now? Or would she continue to be stubborn, suffering in silence until some time had passed and Griff would finally return? Still, ‘learning to ask for it’ sounded very… patronizing in Yassia’s head, and she wasn’t sure if she liked that tone. Caitrin was a grown up woman after all, and there were things you never learned, because you just didn’t think it worth it. What would be better for Caitrin in the end, actually getting help or sticking to her self-esteem, which seemed to be the only thing she had left, albeit seriously damaged as well? Probably only time would tell, like with so many things in life. In the end, there was no use talking over clouds that had not yet passed the mountains, like her people said.
”That might be a hard lesson indeed”, she mused with a smile that bordered on fond. Yassia loved Caitrin and accepted her like she was, actually wouldn’t want her any other way… except maybe a bit less… forward when it came to certain things. It was an easy way to make Yassia quite uncomfortable in her friend’s presence, but she knew that not all of it was true indignation.

It took Yassia several deep breaths and flexing and un-flexing of muscles to remain calm. Maybe Lord Rouland hadn’t meant to come across aloof when accepting her apology, but maybe he could have been a little less smug about it, even though he at least didn’t smile. He was wearing on her alright, and that was saying something. How did Caitrin live with this man? Oh well, they probably constantly clashed, but that of course was no option for Yassia. She needed to stay on the rocky path of diplomacy here, and that to the best of her abilities. Visting Caitrin would become so much more tedious, if she had a fallout with the Lord of the Manor. She could not risk that, even if his words made her seriously want to snap back at him. High standards?! In the end he was still nothing but a solitary lord, hiding away from court life, so how would he even KNOW what high standards were?! Saying anything of this would be not very advisable though, so Yassia rather said nothing at all, just nodded curtly and took another sip of her drink.

While smalltalk wasn’t the most intriguing thing in the world, could even be quite tedious most of the time, at least it held little to no conflict potential and was as such rather ideal for the current conversation. Sweet stars, how she hoped Caitrin would come soon! Apparently she had been wrong, Lord Rouland COULD teach Kaye a thing or two about being difficult! What was his excuse?!
”It’s a few months now”, she explained with a polite smile. “I came here shortly before the Lady Morgana was found again, that’s why I remember it so clearly.” And of course, every day she woke up with the hope of finally getting some news on how her case was viewed on. But every day she went to bed still waiting.

[Rouland de Archer]

Well if Yassia thought him rude or irritating or anything else she certainly wasn’t saying anything past her previous outburst. She was probably too well raised to be rude in company, especially in a kingdom which was not her own. In truth, Rouland did respect Yassia for what she had gone through, but that didn’t mean he appreciated her coming into his home and questioning his way of doing things. He had seen much of the world and most of it he didn’t want to repeat. Rouland shifted in his seat slightly, and looked across at his guest. He just nodded at her words, he didn’t really have much more to add, and she would probably be glad if he stopped acting so smug about everything. Well, he could comply for the moment anyway.

Ah, so in essence Yassia had been here as long as Griff had been then. Well, that was odd in a way, but it gave him something to think on. Yassia had never seen Caitrin without Griff, and without that attachment, so maybe that was why she thought she was now so broken and upset. Rouland had known Caitrin from the cradle, though in retrospect he would have wanted to know her better in her youth if he hadn’t disagreed with her father so much. Whenever he had visited, Rouland had always taken to Caitrin, she always had a bite about her, and she was the only one who probably tried to deny her father. “It must have been strange to come across Camelot in such circumstances. What do you think of the kingdom, and it’s customs so far?”

It was at that moment he heard the door to the manor open, and he hoped that it was his niece so that he would be released from this situation. He almost perked up at the prospect and he bowed his head to Yassia for a few moments, “Excuse me my Lady, I believe I have heard my niece come in.” He hoped it was her, and not just some servant passing by. He entered the landing, and was relieved to see his niece standing there, though he could tell something was wrong just from the way she was standing. He took a few moments in silence, before she took her cloak off and just looked at him, her eyes red and puffy. “The Princess Yassia is here to see you.” He said quickly and Caitrin nodded, but wiped her eyes on her sleeve again. Rouland wasn’t really used to his niece being an emotional wreck, and he just felt uncomfortable for a few moments. Caitrin was in limbo between the door and the solar but Rouland stood in her way, “Go and get yourself in a fit state before you come downstairs, you can’t receive anyone like this.” Caitrin just looked up at him and bit her lip, “No, go on, sort yourself out.” Caitrin nodded and sniffed back before heading up the stairs, still sobbing into her sleeve.

Awkwardly, Rouland made his way back into the room, wondering what he could say to Yassia. He pressed his lips together into some sort of smile. Whatever it was he felt uncomfortable. “It was Caitrin, but she has dirtied her dress while riding, and wishes to change it.” It was the best lie he could think of, and Yassia still probably wouldn’t believe him, “She won’t be long.” He hoped that much was true, Caitrin had looked upset, but he would ask her later, it hadn’t been the time to ask while they had both been out in the hallway. She had looked upset enough without him making it worse.