Lady Brina's Matchmaking Dinner

Writers: Aaron, Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 30th March 2021

Characters: Brina, Wirnan, Yriadha
Description: The courting dinner doesn't go exactly to plan
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 7, day 5 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Suynie, Bryvin

Brina

Wirnan

Yriadha

Brina carefully slid the stem of a delicate rosy-pink flower into the
vase that stood at the centre of the dining table, and adjusted the
arrangement one last time. Perfect.

The small, round table had been laid for dinner for three, and placed
close to the window that overlooked the orchards, down to where the land
curved around the blue-grey waters of the bay. A lovely view, for though
the day had been cloudy, all the colors of the setting sun filled the
sky. Now, all that remained was to wait for her visitors. And soon
enough, a knock at the door heralded the first arrival.

Wirnan was rather smartly dressed. Not exactly formal. But smart. Well
pressed. A tie and a vest but no coat. That sort of thing.

"Good evening, dear cousin," he greeted Brina. "Thank you for going to
the trouble." He smiled.

Only moments later, Yriadha appeared. Though she wasn't dressed in the
dark colors that symbolized her status as a widow, the emerald green
she wore was pleasant enough for the occasion. When she saw Wirnan,
her brows rose and she looked at Brina and there was a slight uplift
of her lips in acknowledgement. **Ah. I see...** "Lady Brina, Wirnan,
thank you for inviting me to dinner. I don't often get to eat outside
of the dining hall."

"I'm glad you could both come. I was trying to think of a way to show
how grateful I am for all you both do for my brother and his family, and
it came to me that we'd never sat down and enjoyed a meal together."
Brina met her cousin for tea often, and the Headwoman had accompanied
her to dinner with her brother and some of the young ladies, but she
couldn't recall ever being with the two of them. "It's always been
business, especially with all there was to do for the wedding. Please,
sit." She gestured to the table.

"Of... of course, thank you," said Wirnan. He had never been nervous
around Yriadha before. But he had never been hoping to establish this
kind of rapport with her before. He was almost certain she would see
right through this, but that did not mean she would not play along – at
least for a while. He smiled at both women and then pulled out a seat
for each in turn.

"Thank you, Wirnan." Yriadha slid into the seat that Wirnan pulled out
for her. "This is a very kind and thoughtful gesture, Lady Brina." She
looked at the table arrangement, and found it to be a pretty accent.
"It appears you went to some trouble to arrange such a lovely display.
It's very appreciated. Would you like some help serving?"

"Yes, please. And Wirnan, if you could pour the wine?" Brina uncovered
the plates and serving dishes, revealing fresh-caught whitefish and
several kinds of lightly steamed vegetables. "Well, I have the time now
for planning meals and arranging flowers. Several of the young fostered
ladies returned home with their parents after Lord Bryvin's wedding, and
others are now occupied with attending on Lady Asaile. It's very peaceful."

Peaceful. Wirnan wondered again of a sudden whether he was crazy. Out
of his mind. With the young ladies having mostly returned home, would
he even need the protection of appearing to be married? Or, rather,
marrying for appearances, he supposed.

But then, this would surely not be the last time someone might try to
use him for his position.

"The wine, of course," he said. He poured three glasses without spilling
a drop.

"So this is what the cooks were working on today." Yriadha was proud
of the cooks in the kitchens; some were quite talented and she made
sure that they received appreciation for their work. It was a
different meal than what had been planned for the dining hall, which
pleased her as well. There'd been real effort made for this single
dinner; it felt nice to feel a bit of appreciation in return.

"I can imagine it is peaceful. It's certainly quieter with far less
dramatics now that many have left. I believe my daughter Humari will
be joining the ladies as well, if Lady Asaile permits." She turned to
Wirnan and took the offered glass. "Thank you. Wirnan, I believe you
know her husband, Taril. His ships bring in most of the supplies that
come in by sea."

"Yes, we have met," Wirnan confirmed. By then, he had met most if not
every captain of every ship or fleet that regularly harbored at
Sunstone. "Congratulations to your daughter." He smiled. He wondered
what it must be like to have children.

"Thank you," she inclined her head and noticed Brina's silence as they
spoke. "Now that Lord Bryvin is settled and married, will you be
remaining with us at the Hold, Lady Brina?"

"Yes, my brother has been kind enough to offer me a home here, and I've
been very happy since I arrived here." Brina sipped her wine. "I hope
I'll be able to assist the Lady Holder as she accustoms herself to her
new position. As we all will, I'm sure."

Yriadha inclined her head. "Of course." She would have less to do with
the new Lady Holder and would be content to simply do her duties; she
doubted that Lady Asaile would meddle much in her affairs so she was
glad to leave her to Lady Brina. She began to cut the delicate fish on
her plate and took a small bite before taking a sip of wine.

"Of course," Wirnan echoed. He also suspected that Lady Asaile would
have little occasion to grace his doorstep, but if she did, he would
certainly do whatever he could to assist her. After speaking with Lord
Bryvin.

The wine and fish were really quite good, were they not?

"It's a bit of a relief to see things settling down to a new normal,"
said Wirnan. No more unexpected knocks at the door from girls he did not
have the heart to rudely dismiss as he likely ought to. Perhaps.

"I have to wonder how long it'll remain that way," Brina said. She
paused to taste a slice of the fish, savoring its light texture. "My
brother always had some new surprise up his sleeve when we were children
- you'll remember, Wirnan - and I don't think he's changed much. Well,
all we can do is wait and see what he has in store for us."

The talk turned to Hold matters for a while, and it was only when the
first course was nearly done that the door opened and Brina's maid
slipped into the room. She approached her lady on soft feet and bent to
whisper something into her ear.

"Oh, dear." Brina sighed and set down her cutlery, rising to her feet.
"Steward, Headwoman, will you excuse me for a few minutes? I'm afraid
there has been a minor dispute between two of the young ladies that
requires my attention." She gave Wirnan a quick smile. "I hope it won't
take long, and I'll be back for the dessert."

"Of course." Yriadha's lips corners curled up just a little as Brina
walked away from the table and she faced Wirnan alone. "Hmm. How
unfortunate that she's pulled away during dinner."

"Oh, eating alone with me can't be all that bad, can it?" Wirnan
laughed. Only a touch of nervousness crept in at the end. "We'll keep
the conversation going until she gets back, and it'll seem like the
blink of an eye, I'm sure. How is Yavin?" he asked. People often could
talk for ages about their children – by birth or fostering, either.

Offering a smile, Yriadha shook her head. "Of course not, Wirnan. I
just find it a little amusing, that's all. You do realize what she's
doing, don't you?" Her lips curled up as she took a sip of wine.
"Yavin is quite well. He's much like any child his age. Full of
mischief and laughter."

"Mischief is much better suited to boys his age than to girls old
enough to marry a Lord Holder," said Wirnan. He took a sip of the wine
as well, supposing he had to address what she had said first. "What is
Brina up to, then?" As if he did not know... Wirnan supposed he ought
to have known Yriadha would see right through it.

"Very true. I heard about that." A hint of humor gleamed in her eyes
as she studied him. "Wirnan, let's be honest with each other, shall
we? While I'm flattered at the thought of being courted, isn't there
another young woman that you'd rather be dining privately with?
Perhaps someone you may have danced with at the wedding?"

Wirnan blushed just a touch. Of course, he wanted her to pick up on
the purpose, but he had not counted on so quick a dismissal. But at
the mention of someone else, his embarrassment turned to confusion.
Who else could he...

Someone he danced with? But the only other person he danced with was –

Suynie. He realized he was smiling at nothing more than the thought of
her. Could she ever look at him that way?

Could she forgive him for not realizing these feelings were there,
swimming under the surface? How blind he was.

"I... I must confess, I am embarrassed at how oblivious I have been to
my own feelings," he said.

She noticed the smile, then the spark of realization in his eyes; at
that she took a sip of her wine, then set it down. "You've been busy,
of course," She replied solicitously and with a small degree of
understanding. "And if I might be so bold, Wirnan, you've been
concentrating on avoiding unwanted attachment and attention. You may
not have been looking at the attention that you did indeed want."

"You must be right, of course. And at the same time, I wonder if I
should not have already been more carefully considering that anyone
might see me with her. Anyone who wants to find me surely knows where
I am now," Wirnan sighed. "I felt safe here. Feel safe here. But I
won't be able to forgive myself if I were to get anyone else hurt."

Bryvin would not have given him such a high profile position if he
were not sure it was safe. But the worry was there again now.

"Hm." Yriadha considered that for a moment. "You _do_ have protection
here, Wirnan. Perhaps you should allow yourself some measure of
happiness and take what you can find. Otherwise, and I will be blunt,
what's the point of saving your life if you're just going to be
miserable while you're living?"

"Blunt, indeed, Lady Yriadha," Wirnan conceded as he poked his plate
and then put his fork down. "If you think it's safe enough for... for
Suynie..." He really could not help but feel a little surge of joy
just at the thought of her wanting to dance with him.

"I am glad for your advice."

Yriadha inclined her head. "I do fear, however, that we may disappoint
the Lady Brina." A small smile played over her lips. "But I think the
end result will please her."

"Ah, I hadn't thought of that, either." Wirnan winced. "And you? I...
I hope I haven't hurt you."

The idea that Wirnan might have hurt her emotionally was almost
laughable, but Yriadha would not offend the other man by revealing her
inner thoughts about it. Instead, she gave a slightly lift of her lips
and shook her head. "Not at all, Wirnan. Though I am indeed flattered
by the thought, I'm not interested in courting anyone right now." She
looked up as she saw movement at the door. "I thought she might come
back soon."

"Ah, yes," Wirnan sat up straighter. He had a lot to think about, he
supposed. He felt a sense of relief that he had figured this out – with
Yriadha's help – and that she was not upset. He cleared his throat,
smiled, and continued to eat.

Lady Brina returned only moments later, sweeping into the room as if in
a hurry. "I am sorry. A quarrel over a skein of embroidery thread was
turning into a battle for the ages. Peace has been made, fortunately."
She resumed her seat and turned to Wirnan. "I hope you've been enjoying
dinner in my absence."

"Of course." Wirnan smiled. "The food is delicious. And there's no need
to apologize. Some work refuses to wait. I should think the two of us
understand that as well as anyone."

"Yes, of course. Let's hope that our duties leave us in peace for long
enough to enjoy the dessert," Brina said, looking from one face to
another. She'd never been able to read much from the Headwoman's
expression, but Wirnan did seem a little more relaxed than before. She'd
have to talk to him later to find out if her scheme had been a success...

Last updated on the July 21st 2021

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Lady Brina's Matchmaking Dinner