Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2022 20:00:39 GMT -5
[ For @berengar ]
Beginning to fill in the role of Captain was no easy task. It was much more time consuming than simply being a lieutenant, and though Warren was happy to be in the role, some other things had fallen to the wayside. Namely..."Two letters for you sir, from your sisters I would presume by the seals."
A deep breath exited Warren's mouth and his head fell back against his chair. "Are you certain those letters didn't simply...get lost in post, Lady Aveline?"
"Oh, I'm quite certain, sir," Aveline said with a wide grin that made the older man roll his eyes. He reached his hand out and she plopped them into his palm with a satisfied smiled. As soon as the two letters were in his hand, Aveline sat down in the chair that rested on the other side of Warren's desk. She crossed her legs and rested her hands on he knees. Warren gave her a flat look in return, but she seemed to have no intention of moving.
"I'm not reading them aloud, my lady," Warren said.
"That's okay! Just seeing your face will suffice."
Grunting, Warren broke the seals and read both letters. It didn't take long. They were short. When he finished, he sat them down on his desk and rubbed his face. Lady Aveline looked, indeed, very satisfied. "I told you, sir."
"Yes, yes, I'm aware that you reminded me many times, and you should be aware that I've been a little preoccupied. It's not as if I haven't spoken to them. Yet somehow their mothers managed to me write me two separate letters that were near identical in castigation."
"As to be expected by Lady Everly and Lady Willa."
"Yes, you are a big fan of theirs, aren't you?" He pursed his lips. "Fine, as you're so very eager to see me fulfill their requests, why don't you remain in that chair and aid me in finishing this paperwork."
Finally her cocky grin disappeared from her face and her satisfied attitude deflated. "Fine, let's get it over with."
"Thank you," he said, mocking her with satisfaction in his tone.
------
Out in the courtyard, a group of young boys and girls were going through some simple training drills. They'd already run laps and done jumping jacks, and now they were training with little wooden swords. Two of the soldiers paired were a boy named Ian and a girl named Winifred. The boy was slightly taller, but the girl was faster. She was dodging her opponents moves as if she'd done it a hundred times before, and took the boy out at the legs.
An older girl, standing at around five foot six, with long, dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the top of her head, couldn't keep herself from laughing. Her younger sister, the spitting image of her only with much curlier hair, grunted. "You'd think he'd have figured that one out by now."
"It's alright, he'll get her next time. He always does." They watched together as a second round began and Winifred tried the same move again. This time Ian saw it coming, blocked, swiped her sword upward, pushed her down onto her back, and pointed his wooden sword at her belly. "Told you." Evangeline smirked at her younger sister.
"Ian is too rough," Elisse, replied, and hurried over to a fallen Winifred to help her up. Evangeline glanced around the courtyard, accidentally meeting the eyes of a boy she knew to be around her age. She gave him a pretty smile and tucked stray strands of hair behind her ears the way a pretty young girl might when spotted by a boy her age, and pretend that she didn't notice him.