I Didn't Touch Her!

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 4th April 2011

Characters: Wirnan, Zathris
Description: Wirnan tells Zathris he didn't touch Kaya, but Zathris doesn't have many options to offer his Steward.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 12 of Turn 6
Notes: Takes place after 'A Setup'
Mentions: Kaya, Yarovan, Benani, Isily

Wirnan

Zathris

Zathris ran his hand through his hair, then allowed it to drop into his lap
as he gazed at the man across from him. He had retired to his office,
mainly because of the privacy it afforded. Things had gone very, very wrong
and in a very short period of time. Not long before, one of his most
prominent holders had stood there, ranting and raving about 'his steward'
and how something should be done. It had taken a lot of talk to get Yarovan
to calm down, but Zathris' reassurances that he would approach the matter
with most seriousness and thought and care seemed to have the effect
intended.

But now what was he to do? It didn't sound like Wirnan at all, embracing a
half naked young woman while the door to his quarters were left wide open
for all of Amber Hills to see. Shards, the man having an affair with a
young woman just didn't sound like Wirnan at all. So he wasn't going to
pass judgment, not until he heard the Steward's side of the story.

Wirnan sat, arms resting on his knees, head in his hands. The silence in the
office seemed to hang in the air. He was still reeling from everything that
had happened in the span of just the past few candlemarks.

"I didn't touch her. I didn't _do_ this." came the almost strangled voice of
the steward. When he raised his eyes towards his lord holder, they were
filled with desperation and despair. "I can't even fathom how this happened.
Zathris, you have to believe me. I would _never_ do what they are saying."
Wirnan's heart seemed to ache with his need to know that Zathris had not
lost his trust in him. "Shard it, I can't even believe we're sitting her
now." He dropped his head into his hands again as the reality of the
situation took hold again.

"I believe you." Zathris stated quickly. He did. Wirnan was not the sort
to lie, especially not about something like this. It was one of the reasons
he trusted the man as much as he did. In the short time they had known each
other, he had grown to like the man a lot, consider him a friend. But now?
There wasn't much he could do for him. It was a sticky situation and
Zathris hated the fact a friend had gotten stuck in it. "But they don't. I
have two holders saying otherwise and while I believe you, they are mad
enough that...well, to be honest, we're rather limited in what we can do
regarding the matter."

His bleak eyes looked at Zathris sorrowfully. "She tricked me," he gritted
out, "but I cannot fathom why." He shook his head as though to emphasize the
point. "And shard it if I don't want to know what drudge unlocked my door
for her." Wirnan was mad enough that he'd take that anger out on whomever he
could. "Someone had to do it, I know it was locked when I left it this
morning."

"That will be investigated and the drudge responsible will be punished."
Zathris assured him, jaw tightening. Except that it would be very, very
difficult unless someone actually stepped forward. The Lord holder rubbed
his hand over his face. "If it were just one, rather, if it were just
Vinarum....but it's not. Yarovan's involved. His hold provides us with a
lot of our goods. I'm afraid politics would suffer and greatly so if I
didn't do something to appease him. Unfortunately, there is only one way he
will be appeased."

"Zathris," Wirnan looked at him with utter despair in his eyes. "There
_have_ to be options." He almost choked on his words. He knew what normally
followed such an encounter as the one he and Kaya had found themselves in.
"There has to be something I can do to appease them, to convince them that I
did not do this." He hung his head, knowing that it was nigh onto
impossible. "I didn't do this. I wouldn't do this," he muttered feeling a
wave of despair and desperation wash through him.

Shaffit, Zathris hated the situation. If they could just find the drudge
who did open the door, then they would have a basis for their argument. But
they didn't. "Unless someone comes forward and admits to her going in, I
don't think they will be appeased." Zathris ran one hand through his hair
and sighed heavily. "I don't want to do this to you Wirnan...but we can't
afford to lose the support of Turquoise Valley." Granted, neither could
Turquoise Valley afford to lose the support of Amber Hills, but tension
would be tight and other problems could stem from it. "It's a horrible
situation with politics...there's not much I can do...and he's demanding
that something be done now."

He buried his face in his hands, looking for all accounts and purposes like
the dejected man he felt like in that moment. "How could I ever convince
people that I haven't done this? This is not the way things are supposed to
work out?" He raised his eyes, filled with shadows and sadness to the man he
called his friend. "There has to be some other option." He wanted to beg
Zathris to find it, to help him through this mess, but in his mind he knew
there was little that could be done. "He wants me to marry her, doesn't he?"
The words came out with a sigh. "How can I marry someone who set me up like
this? How could I possibly want to look her in the eyes and claim she is my
wife?" He was angry now. Wirnan's emotions were like a roller coaster,
shifting from one minute to the next as he tried to process the aftermath of
her deceit.

Zathris shook his head. It was awful what was happening to his friend and
shaffit, he wanted to help. But he was between a rock and a hard place, much
like Wirnan. Except, the effects of making the wrong choice would have much
more further and dire consequences. "I'm sorry Wirnan. If...if I could, I
would absolve you of this. But this could affect the hold in a very big
way. If you don't marry her..." He trailed off. The steward knew as much
as he did what unrest could do, especially on the heels of all the unrest
with Amethyst Cliff. Zathris needed the support of his holders.

He groaned and dropped his gaze once more. This was so unfair. "What if I go
through with this, then perhaps once her father is gone, there could be some
_other_ options?" He looked up questioningly towards his lord and his
friend.

"Other options?" Zathris' eyebrows quirked up. "What do you mean, Wirnan?"

He heaved a great sigh. "I do _not_ wish to marry her, but I see I may have
not choice in this matter. But, once he's gone, could you not just dissolve
the union? She and I could go our separate ways and her father would be none
the wiser?" His eyes held a glimmer of hope as he gazed at his friend.

Zathris' jaw tightened. "No. For a couple of reasons. First of all, I do
not believe in divorce except in certain circumstances. If a wife can prove
her husband is beating her, or in regards to infidelity. Those are the only
reasons. And even then I will advise the couple to talk matters over, to
try and work things out." Zathris' voice was firm on the matter, but then
it softened. "And I'm afraid that even if I did allow it, the situation is
not so simple. Her father would surely hear of it, or if not, would notice
when you are no longer married on his next visit here, or one his men will.
Then we will simply be back where we started. Maybe in an even worse
situation." The Lord shook his head. "Look...Wirnan, this is awful the way
it happened. But there was something between you two. And as angry as I am
at the girl, there must have been some reason she did what she did. My
advice to you would be to try and love her, even if you don't feel like
loving her. Treat her in a loving manner anyway. Perhaps she'll come
around, explain things. And it will certainly be a happier situation for
you as well."

Wirnan felt his own anger flare up at the answer he received. "So you'd
subject me to a life of misery all for _your_ politics. And here, I thought
I could call you friend!" His eyes flashed and his fists clenched. "Looks
like your advice worked well for you! Talk it over, work it out. Is that how
you got Benani to forgive you over what happened with Isily?" Wirnan was
throwing the only punches he could. He was a desperate man trying to fight a
losing battle. "Maybe I'll just take up a mistress on the side, be like
_you_, eh? Is that the way to solve things?"

Zathris didn't get angry often, but when he did, it was a mighty thing. He
jumped to his feet, his fist coming down hard upon the desk which caused
several parchments to fly off and his ink well to fall and shatter on the
floor. "I never cheated on Benani! Never _would_ cheat on her!" His face
was red and tight and his eyes burned as he glared at his friend. Then he
straightened and took a deep breath. "I know what it's like to be accused
of something you didn't do Wirnan. I know very well. I'm just sorry I can
not help you any better."

Wirnan seemed to deflate right there where he sat, almost all hint of hope
vanishing from him. He'd known the whispered rumors about what had gone on
had not been true to the man he called friend, but in his anger and hurt,
he'd lashed out at the only person he _could_ call friend right now.

"What if I just left? Disappeared?" He asked quietly, staring forlornly at
the floor. "You could claim no knowledge of my whereabouts for I wouldn't
tell you them." His heart seized in his chest knowing if he did this he
might never see his sister or her children again. Wirnan felt like a
desperate coward in that moment, but he had reached the end of his options.
What else could he do?

"And what of your family?" Zathris asked as he lowered himself back in his
chair with a weary thump. It was as if he could read the Steward's mind.
"Your sister? Her children? Running away would hurt them. Not only that,
it would only confirm in the minds of those who are doubtful that you _did_
do something wrong."

"I don't know," he mumbled dejectedly. "I didn't ask for this. Why did this
have to happen to me?" Wirnan's voice actually cracked at that. With the
anger gone for the moment all that remained was a deep sense of sadness and
emptiness inside of him.

"I don't know." Zathris stood up again, but it wasn't out of anger, this
time, but out of a desire to help comfort his friend. He rested his hand
upon the steward's shoulder. "But I will support you in any way I can. I
am just sorry it's not in way that you wish. If things weren't so
complicated..." But they were. Far too complicated and Zathris had to do
what was best for the hold, not just for an individual, even if that
individual was a friend. Even if it hurt to do it. "And I ask...give her a
chance. There is more to this than there seems, I think."

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

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I Didn't Touch Her!