Remembrances

Writers: Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 30th July 2006

Characters: Benaroy, Royah
Description: Lord Benaroy has a gift for his daughter-in-law
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 13, day 6 of Turn 3

The Lord Holder of Amber Hills had decided it was time to do a bit of cleaning. This, however, was not the usual spring cleaning, but rather cleaning out a life time's worth of memories. Benaroy could not longer take for granted he had all the time in the world to go through every little box tucked away, nor could he just assume that his children would understand the significance of eighty turns worth of odds and ends. He never threw out anything of importance, but without someone to share those memories with...

He decided to start by carefully opened a box marked "Anley". Inside he found several carefully preserved remembrances of his second wife.
Their marriage contract. Letters of correspondence. A book full of notations of medical check-ups on each family member and calendars, all kept in her own tight, neat handwriting. Close to the bottom he found much more personal items. Opening one small jewelry box, of which there were several, he found a small silver necklace, set with a perfectly cut and polished amber stone. He had given it to her as a gift for a very special occasion.

Benaroy fingered the delicate chain thoughtfully. This was not a bauble that should be fought over. He knew exactly who to give this particular piece of jewelry to. Closing the small box he tucked it in his pocket and made his way down the hall to his third son's apartments.

"Yatia!" Royah called after his daughter who was trying to chase after her older brothers. "Please come and sit down now. Roten, Niaroy, that means you as well."

The children eventually did as bid, after jockeying slightly for space on the couch.

"What's up Da?" asked Niaroy.

Royah was just about to answer when a there was a knock at the door.

"There's somebody at the door, there's somebody at the door," chanted the children as Royah went to get it.

"Ah, Royah, good evening. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," the Lord Holder said with a smile for his son. "I was wondering if I might visit for a while."

"Not at all Father. You want to see the children?"

"Oh... Yes, of course," the Lord Holder said with an only slightly uncomfortable smile. He rarely had chance to spend much time with his flock of grandchildren. Admittedly, he barely knew them. It was another one of those things he had always told himself he would do one of these days. "And I was hoping I might have a moment to have a chat with your lovely wife, if she's free."

"Tenia, she's resting at the moment. I can see if she's awake," offered Royah.

"Please," Benaroy nodded as he walked into their living area. "Well, good evening little ones," he said to the children lined up on the sofa.

"Good evening Granda," the children said almost together. It would have been a picture of innocence, except for Yatia screwing up her face and looking up at the Lord Holder.

"Granda, why is your hair all white?" she asked.

The Lord Holder's eyebrows raised in only mild surprise. He had raised enough children of his own that very little truly surprised him anymore.
"Because, little Yatia, I am a very old man. Only very old men and women are allowed to have white hair."

"Oooh," she said. She was about to ask another question, but the Lord was saved by Royah and his wife coming back into the room.

"Ah, Tenia," the Lord Holder smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"All the better for having a lie down," replied his daughter by marriage as Royah helped her to a seat. "Thank you love," she said smiling up at him."

Benaroy was happy that his son had found such a partner to share his life with. Royah was lucky to have found a such a lovely woman with such useful connections, but they also seemed to genuinely care about each other. "I hear I am to congratulate you, Tenia."

"Thank you," she said. "Hopefully this little lot will have another playmate soon."

"We haven't told them yet," said Royah quietly. The two boys certainly were old enough to remember Tenia losing the last child she'd carried.

"Ah, I see." Benaroy certainly would not have thought it a secret, but obviously it was their choice. "Well then, perhaps we should speak in private then?"

Royah gestured the children off. As he returned he heard his wife talking.

"The healers say once I get past the first two and a half months I should be fine. There won't be a lot for them to notice before then, and once that's happened, then we'll tell them."

"I have nothing but confidence," the Lord Holder said as he pulled a chair closer to her. "Women have miscarriages from time to time. Just because you lost the last child does not mean you will lose this one.
You mustn't be afraid, my dear."

"It's hard not to be sometimes."

"Fear does no one any good," Benaroy said patting her hand gently.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the box out. "You know, I had this... tradition. Each time my wife told me she was pregnant, I had a small gift commissioned. This one," he said as he carefully opened the box, "was made when Royah was conceived."

"May I see it?" she asked.

"Of course," Benaroy nodded as he turned the box around and held it out for her.

Royah's eyes opened wide. "I think, I think I remember Mama wearing that necklace."

"It's beautiful," said Tenia.

"I would like you to have it, Tenia. A family heirloom for luck," the Holder smiled as he covered her hand with his.

"Oh thank you!" She looked at Royah, and he looked back at her with a slight nod. "I'll keep it safe. And, and we decided that if this one is a girl, we might call her Anley."

The Lord Holder smiled softly. "My wife would have been touched by that," he said with a small nod of approval.

"I thought it a beautiful way to remember Mama," Royah said.

"Indeed," Benaroy nodded. "She was a wonderful woman." The Lord Holder truly missed her. He missed all his wives, though of all of them, Keizha was the one he had truly loved. There had been one more after her, but he could give her no such obvious token of his feelings for her...

Last updated on the July 31st 2006

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Remembrances