Happy As Can Be Expected

Writers: Ames, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th April 2015

Characters: Danrina, Bryvin, Sophque
Description: Danrina seeks help from Sophque and discovers Lord Bryvin may not be as happy as he seems
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 12, day 12 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Xeladrie

Danrina

Bryvin

Sophque

"Good afternoon, Sophque," Danrina greeted the woman with a smile as
she entered the chamber. She seemed to be here often getting something
altered, mended or made for her. She had gotten to know the seamstress
quite well in recent months.

She pulled the royal blue gown from over her arm and laid it on the table.

"I need your help, again!" She gave a half-snort at that, "I've
managed to tear yet _another_ dress. I honestly don't know what I am
doing to them all. Thank goodness you are so good at mending them."

Sophque smiled was the younger woman came in with her request. "Oh
my," she said shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you," she
said with mock severity. Truthfully she enjoyed the companionship
she'd been finding now that she worked for Lady Xeladrie. So many more
opportunities to meet other young women who didn't seem inclined to
criticize her for remaining unmarried.

She picked up the ripped hem. "This isn't going to be easy," she said.

Danrina sighed. Nothing ever _was_ easy in her life. She had less than
two months to solve her problem and yet she hadn't found a suitable
man to actually _ask_ for her hand in marriage.

"I'll pay whatever it takes. It's one of my favorite dresses," she
responded, **And I need it to look my best for these next two
months,** she thought to herself.

Plopping down into a chair, she sighed, "Why do things have to be so
complicated and difficult all the time?"

"I don't know," Sophque sympathized. She herself had wondered that
more than once. "All you can do is move forward." She picked up the
rent hem and matched some of her thread trying to get the exact shade.
"This will work for now but I could make some decorative trim to go
around the entire hem."

**Move forward,** Danrina mused. **Good advice.** She tucked that away
to remind herself over the next few months. She hadn't figured out a
plan yet, but she _would_ find a way to stay away from her father's
plans for her.

At the mention of decorative, Danrina's eyes and face lit up. She
_always_ liked to look pretty and something to make the dress even
more beautiful wouldn't hurt.

"I would _love_ that. It is my favorite and adding a nice trim would
make it even better!"

"I have something nice that might work," Sophque smiled and rummaged
through a drawer to pull out a card of trim wrapped around it. "I
think there is enough to circle the hem of the dress."

"I like it," drawled a very male voice from the doorway.

"My Lord," Sophque quickly swept a curtsey.

Bryvin just crooked a finger at her. "Let me see that."

"My Lord," Danrina greeted him as well. She hadn't seen as much of
Bryvin since the wedding, though she thought of him each time she
stroked Jem's hide. The little green firelizard wasn't as fond of the
seamstress' quarters and was off flitting about somewhere else.

Sophque blinked, nodded and stepped over to offer the trim for the
Lord to inspect. "Yes sir," she murmured.

He held out a length of the trim looking from it to the dress to the
ladies. Not that he knew anything about it but he nodded. Then he
smiled at Danrina. "I think this would look lovely on you." He turned
his regard back to Sophque, "Go ahead and use it, send the bill to
me."

She blushed at his compliment, allowing herself a moment to gaze at
the man she had once hoped to marry. But then she blinked at his next
words.

"M'lord, I have the money to pay for the trim," she was agitated that
he must have thought her a charity case. Why else would he want to pay
for it for her? Her stores were lower than they were when she'd
arrived, but she'd been frugal and have saved enough to cover what she
needed. Her father still sent her a monthly 'allowance' and she'd
managed to store what she could while still taking care of her needs.
The trim was an excess, but she had enough to pay for it and Danrina
hoped perhaps it would help her solidify a contract with someone. Her
time was running out and she _had_ to find a solution.

Bryvin smiled again indulgently. "I have no doubt you do."

Sophque's head swiveled back and forth between the two uncertain
exactly what she should do. She held out her hands for the card of
trim.

Bryvin dropped it into the seamstress' hands. "Is it so difficult then
for you to accept a gift Danrina?"

"A gift?" She inquired, turning sharp blue eyes up to his face. "I'm
always happy to accept a gift." She hoped her words helped hide her
embarrassment. She hadn't wanted to insult Lord Bryvin who had simply
been making an offer of a gift. She wished she could have dropped her
head in her hands and groaned for being so foolish. Yet, why was he
giving her a gift?

"Thank you m'lord. You are most generous to me," she added, her mind
still reeling.

"No need to thank me," he smiled. "My wife has expressed to me how
helpful you are to her. You as well Sophque," he turned his most
charming smile on the seamstress.

Sophque immediately dropped her eyes before they could pop out of her
head. "Thank you sir," she said as she sank into a curtsey. "Lady
Xeladrie is a pleasure to serve."

Danrina beamed inside. Perhaps some of her conversations with the Lady
Holder _would_ end up paying off for her. She _had_ said she would see
if there was some way she could help with Danrina's own problem.

"You both seem happy, m'lord, I'm glad to be of assistance in anyway,"
Danrina finally replied. She still felt that tinge of jealousy, though
she was finding it hard to stay jealous under the kindness and kinship
she felt towards the new Lady Holder.

His eyes showed momentary pain to Danrina alone. "Happy as can be I
expect," he said softly and turned away. "Have a lovely day ladies,"
he said as he left.

She caught the shadow that passed across his face, but then it was
gone. Danrina wondered whether she had imagined it but Lord Bryvin's
words added fuel to the fire. It seemed all was not going as well as
it seemed between the Lord and his new Lady wife.

Last updated on the May 5th 2015

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Happy As Can Be Expected