[Elora]

After the Party

Ruiel studied Ränne's bowed head. A smile flickered there, unseen by the other woman. Ränne was tired and it had been a trying day. With lords and ladies fluttering hither and thither in their finery, maids such as Ränne were left to race about after them. Still, despite all this, Ränne had proved herself once again. The woman had seen and heard much as she had worked that day with all but invisible speed.

Looking aside to her glass, Ruiel toyed with the stem as she spoke on.

"I hear that you are held in high esteem, Ränne," she said with amusement. Ränne looked up in some uncertainty, her earlier shame only now fading from her cheeks. It leant her an innocent expression that was both becoming and utterly inappropriate.

"My lady, I do not understand," she replied, eyes wide. Ruiel's brows arched.

"Do you not? You have come to the attention of none other than Findulias herself. Such an honour," Ruiel purred. Ränne, who knew better than most how her mind turned, looked uncomfortable. The other woman shook her head.

"I did not seek that duty, m'lady" she said quickly.
"But, you have it, Ränne. Do you not? I was confident I heard the bride-to-be clearly. Am I mistaken?"

Ränne quickly chose between the safer course. Better to acknowledge the truth than suggest that Ruiel was mistaken.

"Findulias did name me, my lady. But my duty is to-," she said swiftly. Ruiel cut her off mercilessly.
"Your duty, Ränne, is to serve. Findulias has named you, and I bid you to do so," Ruiel smiled again and sipped at her wine.
"It well suits me that she has done so. This works directly into our hands. Now, see to the bedding," Ruiel waved her hand in the direction of the taffeta upholstered bed, and stood herself as she drained her glass.

As she pondered the necessity to extract Dryea from her chambers, a knock sounded at her door. Ruiel set her empty glass down, smoothed her skirts and again voiced her customary "Come!"

Dryea appeared in the doorway. Ruiel clasped her hands in front of her, making no move to close the distance between her and her daughter or break the silence that had sprung up.

"Mother," Dryea said somewhat hesitantly. Ruiel remained silent in the dancing light of the hearth behind her. Dryea mustered herself admirably and stepped forward to let the door close behind her.

"You sent for me, mother," Dryea said as she walked to a respectable distance. It was not seemly to shout at your mother from the other side of the room.

"I was pleased with the day, Dryea," Ruiel said mildly in a tone that did not match the iron in her gaze.

"As was I, mother," Dryea cautiously agreed, knowing what was to come should she step but one foot incorrectly. Ruiel gestured smoothing at the glasses on the side board, and Dryea demurred wisely. Her mother turned away to face the hearth, yet Dryea was not dismissed so lightly.

"I trust you acquainted yourself with all the dignitaries, daughter? I heard a range of innuendo and rumour sweep the room."

"I did, mother. The rumours were readily taken up. There is little warmth towards Findulias amongst the ladies of Minas Tirith."

"And what of the men of the court? How are they disposed?"

Dryea recognised what yawned before her feet, yet all she had was her mother's back to observe. It was straight, held in elegant repose as she waited for her daughter's response.

"Some... some are taken by her beauty and some have little shrift for a stranger, pretty or not. Those enamoured should prove malleable, as I had planned," Dryea said, hoping to find safer ground in discussion of their machinations. It was not to be.

"You are exquisite, and certainly able to outshine Findulias, daughter," Ruiel said as she turned to her side to study Dryea. Some relief appeared in her daughter's face when the storm she had expected did not break.

"See that it is so, Dryea, for you will not shine when garbed by one man's arms." There was the snap of maternal command in her voice as she finished her statement. Dryea's chin bobbed up in alarm.

"Too much has been invested to allow foolish childish sentiment to pull it down. If you do not see to it, know that I will!"

Ruiel did not raise her voice, nor did she frown. Yet, the threat was implicit, for Dryea was familiar with her mother's capacity to see things done at all cost. Whether her daughter agreed or not made little difference to Ruiel, and she turned back to the fire for a moment whilst Dryea wrestled with conflicting emotions.

"You have done well and you will continue to do well. Good evening, Dryea."

Ruiel turned to watch Dryea depart, mind occupied with her daughters. Perhaps, if Dryea proved too head strong, Alethea could step in. The girl had potential, afterall she was her daughter. It would be inconvenient, and Dryea would have to be dealt with. Somewhere within Ruiel, painful fear at what that might mean flickered, but she siezed that with an iron fist and silenced it. Damn Rhir, and all men with him!

Ränne was doing her best to appear invisible, and so when Ruiel turned to her, she was not well pleased. Such an exchange was dangerous to overhear, deadly even. Ruiel watched Ränne walk out from the other side of the bed, where she had pulled back the luxuriant bedding with her efficient grace. Ruiel's smile was back in place as she studied the maid. Of all the day's work, Ränne had achieved the most. It was no small surprise the woman was tired.

"Did you see Pelian and Sador today, Ränne?"
"Yes, m'lady," Ränne replied, looking up with a hesitant smile of her own.
"Seems she has still to disentangle herself from that clod of a husband. Disappointing, for Pelian has much potential, yet convenient as she would make a challenging adversary that I do not have to contend with whilst Sador is in attendance.

Perhaps we could send the happy couple a bouquet. It would a mark of gratitude for Sador remarkable longevity and a mark of sympathy for his corralled wife. I will ponder it some more," Ruiel said with ascerbic humour that set her eyes gleaming. Ränne's smile blossomed, in no small part a measure of her relief.

Ruiel reached back to unbind her hair. It swung in a heavy rope down her back, freed once the ornate pins that had held it into place were removed. She shook her head as it unravelled and spread over her back, rich against the indigo of her gown.

"It has been a long and tiring day, Ränne. You should rest, for you will need your wits about you," Ruiel suggested, a hint of command in her voice also. Yet, her face was softer as she beheld Ränne. A trace of affection was allowed to come to the surface, both in her shared jest and her expression.

Ruiel turned to the wardrobe and proceeded to peel the heavy gown from her in readiness for the night. She hung it and pulled another out for the morning, and clad in a silk shift of a green-blue hue that shifted in the light, she retired.

[ July 09, 2003: Message edited by: Elora ]