Just be careful

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 29th June 2012

Characters: Zelanka, Yanley, Benaroy
Description: Zelanka warns Yanley and takes a trip down to memory lane.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: D'ale (not by name), Benani,

Refers to "Shelter from the storm"

Yanley

"Yanley, can I talk with you?" Zelanka asked when she caught up with the
lady in the hold's corridor. "In private," she added with a look around
them.

"Certainly, what it is about?" Yanley asked but the Headwoman only
gestured her to follow to her office.
~*~

After she had made sure the door was shut and they both were seated,
Zelanka gave Yanley a serious look. "You were spotted with a
dragonrider in a Tavern few nights ago," she started.

"So?" Yanley shrugged. "Who cares with whom I spend my time?" There was
no use denying it, for there had been plenty of people there.

"The rumour mongers. You are still a Lady of the Blood, Benaroy's
daughter and everything you do interests people. You have reputation to
maintain."

Yanley arched an eyebrow to her. "Are you implying something?" she
asked, little bit of heat in her voice.

Zelanka shook her blond head, "You just need to be more careful, that's
all. Don't give reason for people to ruin your reputation with gossip."

"I can't hardly prevent them talking."

"Don't give them a reason to talk."

"I'm a free woman now, no longer married. It shouldn't be anyone's
business with whom I spend my night with," Yanley retorted in a moment of
anger, not realizing she just gave away something Zelanka hadn't even
suspected
yet.

"Oh, Yanley. You didn't, did you?" Zelanka sighed sadly.

"What if I did?" she lifted her chin stubbornly. "And you should be the last
person to judge me. Pot calling kettle black, " she said with a snarl.
Benani had once confided with her, telling her about Zelanka's
relationship with their father.

Zelanka flinched visibly. Oh, yes, she was indeed Benaroy's daughter.
All fire and passion and stubborness beneath that cool exterior of duty.
Caring deeply, loving with passion, and the anger... The redfruit had not
fallen far from
the tree.

~*~ flashback begings~*~~

Zelanka lowered the laundrybasket to the ground and stretched her back.
All work and no fun, she sighed. Sometimes her life just sucked. She was
trying to rise three children and do a full-day job and sometimes she
felt she was doing it all alone. Petriv was avoiding her again, a sure sign
he
had someone else in his life. He couldn't meet her eyes and slept his night
elsewhere. Sometimes in the stable...sometimes he was nowhere to found.
She had given up her love and now dedicated her life for her family. She
felt burning behind her eyes. It was so unfair. Why was he allowed to be
happy while she was miserable. The headwoman was getting older and more
and more of her duties fell into Zelanka's shoulders. The Lady Holder walked
around with a large belly, again and she...she couldn't even think about
it. Or she would end up crying.

"You look tired," the Lord Holder said from behind her. He was sure she
hadn't noticed him following her. Of course, he had a very good reason
to explain why he would be walking this way. It hadn't quite come to
him yet, but he was sure it would be a _very_ good reason.

She nearly jumped out of her skirt."Oh, you scared ten turns out of me!"
she pressed her hands against her chest. Would seeing him ever stop
hurting?

"I didn't mean to startle you, Zela." It was hard to remember to call
her by her proper name when they were alone. Benaroy took a Lord's
prerogative and conveniently forgot that he wasn't supposed to address
her so casually now that they were not lovers. "I said, you look tired.
Are you all right?"

"My back hurts," she replied with a shrug. What else she could say,
start complaining how lonely she felt to the Lord Holder?

"Here, let me carry that," he said, stepping up to take the laundry
basket. Of course, what he really wanted to do was offer to massage it
for her, just any excuse to be close to her, touch her, breathe in the
smell of her... He might show it, but the loneliness filled him as
well.

"But you're the Lord Holder," she protested. Shards, she missed him.

"Did that ever stop me before?" he asked as he picked up the basket as
if it weighed nothing. Benaroy was still a strong man then. "You know
I've never been above getting my hands dirty."

"Well, that's true," she said, suddenly remember where those hands had
been on her...

He smiled down on her, grateful that he held a basket in his hands.
There would be too much temptation if his arms were empty to wrap her up
in them now that he was standing so close. It had been the hardest
thing in his life, to put an end to their affair once he was wed.
Sometimes he wondered why on Pern he had made such a silly decision. Of
course, it had been his sense of honor - he had promised his bride
faithfulness and expected the same in return. But shards, in his
heart... Surely a smile wasn't crossing any lines. "You look beautiful
today," he said softly, knowing that was treading rather close to it.

"Hah, I look like over-worked mother of three, who has absent husband,"
she retorted and bit her lip. Last thing she wanted to do was bawl
against the Lord Holder's chest. She wanted to, though.

Her last statement caught his attention. Benaroy knew that face so
well, had studied it up close, been lost in the beauty of it in
daylight, firelight, moonlight. He knew when something was wrong.
"What is it, Zela. Where is Petriv?"

"Who knows? In the arms of an another....man," she said bitterly,
chocking with the last word.

The war with his morals lasted only moments. Setting the basket down by
the wall, he took her hand and steered her towards an unused storage
room. "Come with me, and tell me everything," he said softly,
justifying it as just being a comfort to a friend in need. It wasn't
like they could talk about her husbands disgusting tastes out in a
hallway, after all.

"I know the signs," Zelanka sighed. "He's not home much and he can't
meet my eyes," she told him. "Even the children wonder where their dad is
all
the time."

"A lover?" That sharding man... He had the most amazing woman on Pern,
the life Benaroy only could dream of having, and yet all he could see
was other men. When he saw the pain in Zela's eyes, sometimes the
unnatural thought came to him that all he had to do was arrange an
accident... But no, he could never do that. He might secretly dream the
possibility, but Benaroy could never stomach such a thing. Still, he
wanted to do _something_. "Do you know who it is?"

"No, and I don't even want to know!" she answered.

Benaroy did. He _would_ find out who this man was. "Does he make
excuses as to where he goes? Does he tell you beforehand that he will
be gone all night?"

"Sometimes, sometimes not," Zelanka's slender shoulders lifted up and
then fell down again. She was feeling dejected.

Benaroy placed his hands on those shoulders, wishing he could have saved
her from this unhappy relationship long ago. "Has he given you any
indication tonight?"

"He said he might work late during the breakfast," Zelanka replied. "And
he had said that while staring the depth's of his klah."

Then the Lord Holder would be ready. He would find his best, most
discrete guard to keep both eyes on Petriv that night and report
directly to him just whose company he was keeping. Of course, the Lord
Holder would make up some story as to why it was important. But Benaroy
would know the truth. And he would take care of the situation, for
Zela's sake. There was so little he could do, so few comforts he could
offer, but he would protect her as far as his reach would allow.

Squeezing her shoulders gently, he looked straight into her eyes. "Just
be strong a little longer, Zela. Your husband will soon lose interest.
You'll see. Trust me."

Funny, Zelanka mused, those words actully frightened her.

~*~ End of flashback ~*~

"I'm sorry Zelanka," Yanley said with conciliatory tone, instantly
regreting her anger. "I didn't mean to be so mean."

"It's all right," Zelanka said with tired and sad voice. "Just be careful,
Yanley-dear. I don't
want you to hurt like I did."

"I'm big girl now, Zelanka, I can take care of myself. I trust you won't
tell about this to anyone?" Yanleya said.

"About what?" Zelanka managed to look so innocent, like she didn't had a
clue of what she was talking about.

Yanley laughed. You could trust Zelanka with secrets.

Last updated on the June 29th 2012

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Just be careful