Dreven City; Meridian 1259
Summer had found the land of Shadokhan, bringing with it long hot days and cool nights. The rich had taken themselves away from the stinking city of Dreven to the shores of Lake Silvermere, and with their absence came a new kind of freedom for the young lovers. With no Leandra to make demands on his time, Duncan was free to spend his days with Mara, and she was not so constrained by the many eyes and ears that followed her every move. They had played their roles perfectly for a pair of cycles, and Mallory Senior, at least, had relaxed his guard, allowing his son to enjoy the leisure of having a mistress at his beck and call.
But today, the first day of Meridian, Mara had asked Duncan to stay away for a while, nervous of preparations she felt had been a long time coming. She wanted it to be perfect for him, and with Elise's help, she hoped it would be. As evening came, she had sent word that she wanted her lover to join her for dinner, and waited impatiently for him to arrive under the watchful gaze of her oldest and dearest companion.
He had wondered all day what she was up to. She rarely if ever asked him to stay away, and though part of him worried she might be seeing another suitor or "practicing" on someone else, he trusted her implicitly. She had promised to love only him, and he trusted her to keep her word, which brought him back to wondering what she was up to. With his father away on what he had called a "business trip", he was free to do as he pleased, and the air at Mallory Manor seemed to have lightened almost overnight. For the first time in a long time, the manor was full of life and laughter, no tiptoeing around for fear of crossing the master of the house. With his father away, Duncan had done a little digging to find out just how much money his mother had put away in his name, and much to his surprise, the sum was a tidy one, enough to ensure he and Mara could get away and start a new life somewhere else.
The apartments had been cleaned, though there was only one room that was intended for use tonight, and that had been laid with table and chairs, candles to illuminate the darkness as it would fall in the hours to come. The bed - a huge monstrosity canopied with silk and velvet - still seemed to dominate the room, but Mara had been trying to ignore it for most of the day. Even she had been prepared as best she could, bathed and garbed in her favorite of the gowns the Mallory fortune had provided her with, her hair pinned back to highlight the smooth line of her neck and the barest swell that peeped from the neckline of that gown. Elise had said she was proud of her, and she wanted to believe it, but she wouldn't be still until Duncan arrived.
Had he been summoned to Mara's apartments without mention of dinner, he might have thought nothing of it, but her message had been quite specific. It had specifically read that he was being formally requested to join her for dinner that evening. An odd request, considering he'd been joining her for dinner for the past several nights. Confused, he'd showed the invitation to his father's housekeeper - a woman by the name of Beryl who had been with the family as long as Duncan could remember and who was as much as surrogate mother to him as Elise was to Mara. Despite or because of his confusion, she had chuckled in amusement before telling him to take a bath while she set out his best clothes for the evening.
As the hour approached, Mara grew increasingly more nervous, to the point where Elise had sat her down with a glass of wine, all but forcing the young woman to drink it down just to steady those nerves before she changed her mind entirely. The summer days were long, and the dusk only just beginning to gather when the time came. Elise left her young charge to gather her wits and courage with an indulgent smile, moving to the door to greet the young master when he arrived with that same smile, fond and secretive with knowledge he had not yet been made privy to.
The truth was Duncan felt stifled in the doublet and trousers Beryl had insisted he wear. The doublet was made of the finest brocade in rich shades of silver and gold, a row of gold buttons lined the front, a black leather belt cinching his middle. He wore plain black trousers that were tucked into black leather boots that had been polished and shined for the occasion. He even wore a blade at his side, not only for defense but because Beryl insisted it made him look like a proper gentleman. His hair had been tamed as best it could and parted on the side, the ends curling stubbornly. He cleared his throat as Elise answered the door, seemingly as nervous as her young charge. "Good evening, madam," he greeted her with a cordial bow. "I have an invitation to dinner from Miss Devine."
Elise - dear, kind Elise who had scolded him more often than she liked to recall - dropped into a low curtsey as he came inside, utterly failing to hide her grin. "Good evening, Master Mallory," she greeted him in return. "Miss Devine may be found in her chamber." There was a beat, and she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Whatever you do, don't laugh, or she'll stab you with whatever's to hand."
He arched a brow at her, wondering what was going on and whatever it was that might tempt him to laugh at Mara. "Am I overdressed?" he asked quietly, feeling suddenly a little silly in the brocade. He was far more comfortable in simple clothing, but Beryl had insisted. He was a little flushed, not only from embarrassment, but from the heat of the day and the cut of the outfit, which felt like it was suffocating him.
"No, you look right handsome, Master Duncan," Elise reassured him with another smile, gently chucking him under the chin as she gestured toward the correct door. "Just be mindful - she's been planning this all day." It was as much warning as he was going to get, however unhelpful it was. Elise dropped him another curtsey, more to tease than out of deference to a boy half her age, and led the way to Mara's chamber, drawing the door open to announce him. "Master Mallory, my lady."
For a moment, Mara was completely still, almost lost in the play of shadow and light that filled the room until she moved, turning away from her contemplation of the fire to look over at the doorway hopefully. Her gown was as brocaded as his doublet, in silver and purple, fastened not with laces but with hooks, as the noble women were wearing this season. It was far more grown up than anything he'd seen her wear before, throwing her sharply into the light as a young woman. She truly was no longer a child. "Hello, Duncan."
There was that lifted brow again, as if he was trying to sort out just what Elise was alluding to. So, this was some sort of special occasion, but he couldn't think of what. It wasn't either of their birthing days, nor any other holiday he could think of. He returned Elise's bow with another short bow of his own before following her inside, one hand resting idly against the handle of his blade. In years to come, he and that blade would be inseparable, but that was still a little way off yet.
"Mara," he returned, heart lurching at the sight of her dressed as she was, looking almost like royalty. She was a vision to behold and lovelier than any woman he'd ever laid his eyes on. It was no wonder Stefan wanted her and Leandra was jealous of her. She was by far the most beautiful woman in all of Dreven - at least, in Duncan's mind. He was speechless for a moment, frozen in place, gawking like a schoolboy with his first crush - which, in all truth, he actually was. "You-you look lovely." So lovely, in fact, that he almost forgot the bunch of flowers Beryl had sent along with him, fresh-cut from the Mallory gardens. "Oh! These are for you," he told her, stepping forward and holding out the bouquet, somewhat shyly.
Her own moment was silent, shy surprise softening her features as he presented her with a bouquet of flowers that could only have come from his own gardens. Her smile burst forth, too bright to be concealed beneath silly form, and she advanced toward him, curling her fingers about the stems and his hand as she looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she murmured softly. "They're beautiful." Not that she'd done more than glance at them; flowers didn't hold a candle to him. She'd never seen him so dressed up before, and certainly not just for her. There was a quiet cough behind Duncan, and Mara blinked, reminded abruptly that she was supposed to be in charge of this evening. "Oh! Elise, could ....could you put these in water for me, please, and tell Cook we're ready to begin?"
There was a rustle as Elise took the flowers from her, though Mara's eyes were once again on Duncan's with shy warmth. "Yes, my lady."
Summer had found the land of Shadokhan, bringing with it long hot days and cool nights. The rich had taken themselves away from the stinking city of Dreven to the shores of Lake Silvermere, and with their absence came a new kind of freedom for the young lovers. With no Leandra to make demands on his time, Duncan was free to spend his days with Mara, and she was not so constrained by the many eyes and ears that followed her every move. They had played their roles perfectly for a pair of cycles, and Mallory Senior, at least, had relaxed his guard, allowing his son to enjoy the leisure of having a mistress at his beck and call.
But today, the first day of Meridian, Mara had asked Duncan to stay away for a while, nervous of preparations she felt had been a long time coming. She wanted it to be perfect for him, and with Elise's help, she hoped it would be. As evening came, she had sent word that she wanted her lover to join her for dinner, and waited impatiently for him to arrive under the watchful gaze of her oldest and dearest companion.
He had wondered all day what she was up to. She rarely if ever asked him to stay away, and though part of him worried she might be seeing another suitor or "practicing" on someone else, he trusted her implicitly. She had promised to love only him, and he trusted her to keep her word, which brought him back to wondering what she was up to. With his father away on what he had called a "business trip", he was free to do as he pleased, and the air at Mallory Manor seemed to have lightened almost overnight. For the first time in a long time, the manor was full of life and laughter, no tiptoeing around for fear of crossing the master of the house. With his father away, Duncan had done a little digging to find out just how much money his mother had put away in his name, and much to his surprise, the sum was a tidy one, enough to ensure he and Mara could get away and start a new life somewhere else.
The apartments had been cleaned, though there was only one room that was intended for use tonight, and that had been laid with table and chairs, candles to illuminate the darkness as it would fall in the hours to come. The bed - a huge monstrosity canopied with silk and velvet - still seemed to dominate the room, but Mara had been trying to ignore it for most of the day. Even she had been prepared as best she could, bathed and garbed in her favorite of the gowns the Mallory fortune had provided her with, her hair pinned back to highlight the smooth line of her neck and the barest swell that peeped from the neckline of that gown. Elise had said she was proud of her, and she wanted to believe it, but she wouldn't be still until Duncan arrived.
Had he been summoned to Mara's apartments without mention of dinner, he might have thought nothing of it, but her message had been quite specific. It had specifically read that he was being formally requested to join her for dinner that evening. An odd request, considering he'd been joining her for dinner for the past several nights. Confused, he'd showed the invitation to his father's housekeeper - a woman by the name of Beryl who had been with the family as long as Duncan could remember and who was as much as surrogate mother to him as Elise was to Mara. Despite or because of his confusion, she had chuckled in amusement before telling him to take a bath while she set out his best clothes for the evening.
As the hour approached, Mara grew increasingly more nervous, to the point where Elise had sat her down with a glass of wine, all but forcing the young woman to drink it down just to steady those nerves before she changed her mind entirely. The summer days were long, and the dusk only just beginning to gather when the time came. Elise left her young charge to gather her wits and courage with an indulgent smile, moving to the door to greet the young master when he arrived with that same smile, fond and secretive with knowledge he had not yet been made privy to.
The truth was Duncan felt stifled in the doublet and trousers Beryl had insisted he wear. The doublet was made of the finest brocade in rich shades of silver and gold, a row of gold buttons lined the front, a black leather belt cinching his middle. He wore plain black trousers that were tucked into black leather boots that had been polished and shined for the occasion. He even wore a blade at his side, not only for defense but because Beryl insisted it made him look like a proper gentleman. His hair had been tamed as best it could and parted on the side, the ends curling stubbornly. He cleared his throat as Elise answered the door, seemingly as nervous as her young charge. "Good evening, madam," he greeted her with a cordial bow. "I have an invitation to dinner from Miss Devine."
Elise - dear, kind Elise who had scolded him more often than she liked to recall - dropped into a low curtsey as he came inside, utterly failing to hide her grin. "Good evening, Master Mallory," she greeted him in return. "Miss Devine may be found in her chamber." There was a beat, and she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Whatever you do, don't laugh, or she'll stab you with whatever's to hand."
He arched a brow at her, wondering what was going on and whatever it was that might tempt him to laugh at Mara. "Am I overdressed?" he asked quietly, feeling suddenly a little silly in the brocade. He was far more comfortable in simple clothing, but Beryl had insisted. He was a little flushed, not only from embarrassment, but from the heat of the day and the cut of the outfit, which felt like it was suffocating him.
"No, you look right handsome, Master Duncan," Elise reassured him with another smile, gently chucking him under the chin as she gestured toward the correct door. "Just be mindful - she's been planning this all day." It was as much warning as he was going to get, however unhelpful it was. Elise dropped him another curtsey, more to tease than out of deference to a boy half her age, and led the way to Mara's chamber, drawing the door open to announce him. "Master Mallory, my lady."
For a moment, Mara was completely still, almost lost in the play of shadow and light that filled the room until she moved, turning away from her contemplation of the fire to look over at the doorway hopefully. Her gown was as brocaded as his doublet, in silver and purple, fastened not with laces but with hooks, as the noble women were wearing this season. It was far more grown up than anything he'd seen her wear before, throwing her sharply into the light as a young woman. She truly was no longer a child. "Hello, Duncan."
There was that lifted brow again, as if he was trying to sort out just what Elise was alluding to. So, this was some sort of special occasion, but he couldn't think of what. It wasn't either of their birthing days, nor any other holiday he could think of. He returned Elise's bow with another short bow of his own before following her inside, one hand resting idly against the handle of his blade. In years to come, he and that blade would be inseparable, but that was still a little way off yet.
"Mara," he returned, heart lurching at the sight of her dressed as she was, looking almost like royalty. She was a vision to behold and lovelier than any woman he'd ever laid his eyes on. It was no wonder Stefan wanted her and Leandra was jealous of her. She was by far the most beautiful woman in all of Dreven - at least, in Duncan's mind. He was speechless for a moment, frozen in place, gawking like a schoolboy with his first crush - which, in all truth, he actually was. "You-you look lovely." So lovely, in fact, that he almost forgot the bunch of flowers Beryl had sent along with him, fresh-cut from the Mallory gardens. "Oh! These are for you," he told her, stepping forward and holding out the bouquet, somewhat shyly.
Her own moment was silent, shy surprise softening her features as he presented her with a bouquet of flowers that could only have come from his own gardens. Her smile burst forth, too bright to be concealed beneath silly form, and she advanced toward him, curling her fingers about the stems and his hand as she looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she murmured softly. "They're beautiful." Not that she'd done more than glance at them; flowers didn't hold a candle to him. She'd never seen him so dressed up before, and certainly not just for her. There was a quiet cough behind Duncan, and Mara blinked, reminded abruptly that she was supposed to be in charge of this evening. "Oh! Elise, could ....could you put these in water for me, please, and tell Cook we're ready to begin?"
There was a rustle as Elise took the flowers from her, though Mara's eyes were once again on Duncan's with shy warmth. "Yes, my lady."