Demanding Answers

Writers: AL, Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 19th December 2015

Characters: Demir, Rethisa, Zathris
Description: Zathris, startled by the news that he is an Uncle, seeks out Demir for answers.
Location: Hidden Meadows
Date: month 3, day 8 of Turn 8

Demir

Zathris

The news of the birth of Rethisa and Demir's baby girl had come as a
shock, to say the least. During the time his sister had been at Amber
Hills, she had said nothing about her condition. To have the baby born
so soon after the wedding could only mean one thing. Several days
passed before Zathris was able to justify leaving the Hold.
Fortunately, his brother was available to carry him over to Hidden
Meadows rather than have to seeth through the time it would take on a
trip by foot. As soon as he was on the ground, Zathris flew into the
hold. "Where's Demir?"

"In 'is office, I expect My Lord," the drudge pointed toward the side
of the main hall "That way sir," he added with wide eyes.

"Take me there." Zathris stated with no room for disobedience.

"My lady, my lady! You had better come quick!" Allera burst into
Rethisa's parlor.

Rethisa frowned as she placed Mirresa in her cradle.

"What is the matter, Allera?" The look on Allera's face made Rethisa
fear something was terribly wrong. "Is it Demir?"

"Not exactly," Allera said. "Lord Zathris is here. When I left he was
demanding someone bring Demir to him."

Rethisa knew her brother's temper, and she also figured she knew what
this was about. "Look after Mirresa." The young mother left the room,
following the sounds of the Lord Holder's arrival.

Meanwhile below stairs Demir came out from behind his desk as he heard
the voices and started toward the door. One look at Zathris' face
threw him into confusion. He didn't have any idea why the man would be
angry with him when he had every reason to be angry with Zathris. His
face stilled to almost non expression lest he betray his own deep
resentment of what he and his sister had done. "My Lord?"

"Out." Zathris' command was not for the holder but for the drudge who
had showed him the way to Demir's office. As soon as the door closed
behind him, he crossed the room, hands slamming into the desk. "A
baby. She was pregnant? Since when do you go and bed my sister
before you've even asked for her hand!? Do you have_any_ idea what
you've done?"

The drudge hadn't needed to be told twice and nearly flung himself out the
door.

Demir watched him go and then turned his eyes back to Zathris. Could
it be he hadn't known? That all this time he'd been blaming the man
for trapping him when she'd hid it from her own brother? That combined
with what she'd told him about her trip to Amber Hills made him lift
his chin. "I married her. That is what I did."

"Yes, after you go and get her with child!" Zathris threw his hands
in the air. "I thought you had more sense than this, Demir! She's
already been through/between/ and beyond and now you're heaping the
judgement of the hold upon her with this!"

He took a breath and told a little of the truth. "She was very
careful," he said. "No one knew she was pregnant but her maid.
Obviously_you_ didn't. We simply say the baby was early and no one
knows any different." His eyes were cold though not for the reason
Zathris might have thought.

A knock sounded on the door, more of a courtesy than a request, before
Rethisa stepped into the room. The tension between her brother and her
husband was thick and Rethisa knew that it was her fault.

"I heard my big brother was here causing a ruckus." she said, closing
the door behind her.

Zathris straightened and turned toward his sister, his frown
intensifying and the creases on his brow deepening. "Rethisa. Why
didn't you tell me?" If nothing else, the woman's presence helped calm
him somewhat, though anger still churned in his breast.

Demir threw a look at his wife over the back of Zathris' shoulder and
gave his head a tiny shake. He didn't want her telling even her
brother the truth of the baby's parentage. He crossed the room toward
her and turned to face his Lord with his arm about her waist.

"We're fine," he said respectfully. "Her reputation is safe."

Rethisa had been prepared to tell Zathris exactly why she had not been
able to tell him about her pregnancy, but the look Demir gave her made
her change her story. "I'm sorry, Zathris, I know it's not what you
expected from me." Was Demir really going to let his reputation take
the fall for her?

"Isa." Zathris crossed over, his hands gently encircling her arms and
he bent down low so Demir could not hear the query. "Did he take
advantage of you? You can be honest with me. You can_trust_ me."

Her eyes widened at the question, and her heart squeezed. Poor Demir,
would that be what people thought of him and their relationship? If
only Zathris knew that_she_ had been the one that had taken advantage
of Demir and his kindness. **No, Zathris, I'm the bad guy here.**

Rethisa looked up into her brother's eyes, "No, Atty, this was my
choice." That wasn't a lie at least.

Demir could tell their bond was strong, like his own with his
siblings. For a moment he almost relented but no, he couldn't let her
tell anyone. He leaned over and kissed her temple. Then he let down
the shutters of his emotions and let them both see how much he cared.
"I love her," he said simply. "I have since the first moment I laid
eyes on her."

And he was there, so why would his sister admit to anything? "I wish
to speak to her alone." Zathris knew that if the holder hovered
during their conversation, there'd be no way she'd say anything
against him.

"Of course My Lord," Demir bowed his head. Then he smiled at his wife
and walked out the door.

Rethisa was still reeling from what Demir had said. He loved her?
Surely he had just said that for the benefit of Zathris. She
remembered how angry and hurt he had been on their wedding night and
the sevendays following... That kind of betrayal wasn't something that
someone could forgive, was it?

As soon as the door closed behind Demir, Zathris turned to his sister.
"Rethisa, tell me the truth. The last thing I want is for you to find
yourself in another bad situation. I will take you with me right now
if need be." She'd already suffered enough.

If she went with Zathris then her daughter would always be a bastard
child, but here at Hidden Meadows Mirresa would be the daughter of
Demir.

"Zathris, this is where I want to be, I swear to you. Demir is a good
man, a lot like my big brother really." She smiled at him. "I would
not stay here if it wasn't the best thing for me and Mirresa." Rethisa
reached out and squeezed her brother's arm. "I am sorry you had to
find out this way but I am far from perfect." Letting that sink in,
she tilted her head, "You have a niece that would like to meet her
uncle, you know."

"No one is perfect." Faranth knew he wasn't, but Zathris refused to
let her get into another loveless marriage with a husband who didn't
treat her properly. "You know I just want you to be safe and happy,
right?"

"I know, but please trust me, this is what I want." She looked up at
him. "This is what I want." Rethisa gave him a moment to let that sink
in. "Now come on, I want you to meet my daughter."

Zathris studied her expression closely for a moment before he relaxed
and nodded. "All right. Let me see my little niece."

Last updated on the December 21st 2015

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Demanding Answers