RVA: Shadow of Doubt, Ally
Oct. 26th, 2015 11:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalHer footpads were starting to hurt.
Foxen footpads were tough. Not as thick and leathery as a wazagan’s, but far superior to a human’s odd-angled feet which needed constant protection when they went out of doors. But even a foxen wore foot protectors in the deep cold, and long distant runners typically had their pads covered in a protective organic rubber coating that could be spread over their feet, and then peeled off after the application of a neutralizing spray.
Ali had been running far longer than was wise, especially on the hard tarmac of footpath that circled the inner perimeter of Darktail Manor’s grounds. Her feet were aching, with the occasional sharp pain that warned she was risking blisters and open wounds if she kept it up. And if she was hobbled thus, she might not be able to properly respond to any threats against Salli.
So? came the traitorous thought. If I can’t keep up with Salli, she’ll have to get someone else to be her minder, and that might divert her parents’ attention from us. On the down side, that someone else might be the perpetually smirking Zaker...
She slowed down to a walk, feeling the ache in her calves as she turned back towards the manor. Walking through the gardens, Ali found herself stopping in the holy arbor, sitting down against one of the sandstone pillars, her footpads starting to swell in pain. She folded her right leg of her left thigh and starting massaging it. When she and Salli had made love on Greenholme, before parting for Foxen Prime, they'd made the mutual discovery that Ali had proven particularly vulnerable to foot rubs. A few drops of warm oil and Salli had found she could effectively remove Ali's spine with a massage, the mistress serving the servant.
I could use a good foot rub, Ali reflected unhappily. But that would mean getting closer to Salli, and right now that would be a mistake.
A figure was approaching the arbor, turning the corner around a decorative wall of bushes. To Ali's surprise, it turned out to the Count Darktail, Salli's father. She started to push herself back up to her feet, but the count waved her to remain where she was, squatting down beside her. His face looked pensive, but didn't show any of the fear that some of the servants had shown when she'd passed them in the halls of the manor.
“Milord Count, how can I serve you?” Ali asked. “Is anything wrong?”
He shook his head. “No, no. Nothing is wrong.” The count frowned. “Well, that's not true. There's plenty wrong, but none of it is your fault. Not directly anyway.”
Ali felt herself tense up. “Is there something the matter with Salli... Lady Darktail?”
“Well she's not happy with her mother.” The count rubbed his ears nervously. Seeming to come to a decision, her continued, “Truth be told, I'm not particularly happy with her mother either at the moment.”
Her ears perked up. Could the count be a potential ally in defusing the tension between Salli and the countess? “I know things are bad between them right now,” Ali said cautiously.
“Mm, yes. I've been hearing quite a bit of it from m'lady wife's side of things. Her opinion of you is not, er, charitable.” The count looked quite embarrassed now.
“I never asked for charity,” Ali replied. “I know what I've done. I don't expect to be forgiven for it. I don't deserve to be forgiven for it.”
He frowned. “Well, you certainly don't look much like a psychotic murderer who would kill my daughter in her sleep.”
“Is that what she said about me?”
The count nodded grimly. “Among other things. I'll confess your history does take me aback a bit. For someone who went through the experiences you did, going by the court reports, you actually look very normal.”
She cocked her head. “How did you imagine I'd look?”
“I don't know. Not... normal. Perhaps taller, with sharpened claws or something. Not like a young woman who looks like she's afraid she'll be struck if she spoke out of turn, like you did when Salli introduced you to us.” His frown deepened. “Reminded me a bit of her actually, when she first came home after her divorce. That might be part of the problem.”
“How so?” Ali asked.
He chewed on his lip thoughtfully before answering. “You must understand that we failed Sallivera utterly when she was married. None of us saw Kevinaugh for the male he really was. He presented himself as a perfectly normal aristocrat, the son of a ruling noble, with the honor code that implied, and we accepted him as such. We didn't see the monster underneath all of that until it was too late. Until Salli was maimed, and her soul injured so badly that we feared she would take her own life. I think that failure is what's driving my wife to try and force you and Salli apart. She remembers how Salli suffered under Lord Kev, and after. She might fear that history is about to repeat itself.”
Ali's ears flipped back in horror. “I would never hurt Salli like that! I'd rather be dead!”
“So you say. So Sallivera believes. I'm inclined to believe it myself. Her mother is going to be much harder to convince. And that doesn't even bring up the political considerations.”
“Lady Salli told me about that. With your family's rapid elevation since old Countess Highglider was stripped of her title, you have to be extra careful about a scandal.” She shrugged. “And I am pretty scandalous, compared to Salli.”
He nodded. “I'm sorry about that damned newsnet article. Can't imagine what Lady Highglider was thinking, showing it to Sallivera at the party yesterday.”
“Oh, you heard about that?” Ali asked, her heart sinking.
“Yes. Countess Brighttail brought it to our attention just an hour ago. Made my wife rather upset.”
“It made Salli pretty upset too.” Ali scratched her ear, ducking her head down. “Look, I know I'm no good for her. I know I can't be with her in the long term. But... I just wanted to enjoy it, for a little while.”
Count Darktail smiled, rising to his feet and lending her a paw up. “Why don't we see if we can't stretch that out a little longer?”
* * *
When she had returned to the manor, Salli was already awake and dressed. Ali found her sitting in an armchair, a traveling shawl over shoulders, obviously ready to go out soon.
“Milady! Let me showered and dressed, and I’ll be ready to accompany you,” she said, as Count Darktail leaned down to give his daughter a brief hug.
Salli looked at her, a strained smile on her face. “Take your time, Alinadar. My physician appointment isn’t for another hour.”
Something in Salli’s tone caught Ali’s attention. “Is everything all right, Milady?”
“Everything is… fine…,” Salli replied, appearing to bite back on an alternate description. “I had a little conversation with my mother over breakfast, after Father had left to find you. It was concerning that idiot newsnet article. After some… discussion… it was decided that from this point forward Zaker will accompany me when I go out. You’re still to serve me at the manor as my bodyservant.
“I see.” Beside her, the count closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle.
“I’ll speak to your mother about this,” he said wearily.
“Please do,” Lady Salli replied, her voice tight with anger.
“In that case I… have to get cleaned up, Lady Sallivera,” Ali said reluctantly.
Salli’s eyes were wintery. “I’ll be home soon.”
“Hurry back.” Ali turned marched up the stairs to her room, footpads still burning in pain.
Foxen footpads were tough. Not as thick and leathery as a wazagan’s, but far superior to a human’s odd-angled feet which needed constant protection when they went out of doors. But even a foxen wore foot protectors in the deep cold, and long distant runners typically had their pads covered in a protective organic rubber coating that could be spread over their feet, and then peeled off after the application of a neutralizing spray.
Ali had been running far longer than was wise, especially on the hard tarmac of footpath that circled the inner perimeter of Darktail Manor’s grounds. Her feet were aching, with the occasional sharp pain that warned she was risking blisters and open wounds if she kept it up. And if she was hobbled thus, she might not be able to properly respond to any threats against Salli.
So? came the traitorous thought. If I can’t keep up with Salli, she’ll have to get someone else to be her minder, and that might divert her parents’ attention from us. On the down side, that someone else might be the perpetually smirking Zaker...
She slowed down to a walk, feeling the ache in her calves as she turned back towards the manor. Walking through the gardens, Ali found herself stopping in the holy arbor, sitting down against one of the sandstone pillars, her footpads starting to swell in pain. She folded her right leg of her left thigh and starting massaging it. When she and Salli had made love on Greenholme, before parting for Foxen Prime, they'd made the mutual discovery that Ali had proven particularly vulnerable to foot rubs. A few drops of warm oil and Salli had found she could effectively remove Ali's spine with a massage, the mistress serving the servant.
I could use a good foot rub, Ali reflected unhappily. But that would mean getting closer to Salli, and right now that would be a mistake.
A figure was approaching the arbor, turning the corner around a decorative wall of bushes. To Ali's surprise, it turned out to the Count Darktail, Salli's father. She started to push herself back up to her feet, but the count waved her to remain where she was, squatting down beside her. His face looked pensive, but didn't show any of the fear that some of the servants had shown when she'd passed them in the halls of the manor.
“Milord Count, how can I serve you?” Ali asked. “Is anything wrong?”
He shook his head. “No, no. Nothing is wrong.” The count frowned. “Well, that's not true. There's plenty wrong, but none of it is your fault. Not directly anyway.”
Ali felt herself tense up. “Is there something the matter with Salli... Lady Darktail?”
“Well she's not happy with her mother.” The count rubbed his ears nervously. Seeming to come to a decision, her continued, “Truth be told, I'm not particularly happy with her mother either at the moment.”
Her ears perked up. Could the count be a potential ally in defusing the tension between Salli and the countess? “I know things are bad between them right now,” Ali said cautiously.
“Mm, yes. I've been hearing quite a bit of it from m'lady wife's side of things. Her opinion of you is not, er, charitable.” The count looked quite embarrassed now.
“I never asked for charity,” Ali replied. “I know what I've done. I don't expect to be forgiven for it. I don't deserve to be forgiven for it.”
He frowned. “Well, you certainly don't look much like a psychotic murderer who would kill my daughter in her sleep.”
“Is that what she said about me?”
The count nodded grimly. “Among other things. I'll confess your history does take me aback a bit. For someone who went through the experiences you did, going by the court reports, you actually look very normal.”
She cocked her head. “How did you imagine I'd look?”
“I don't know. Not... normal. Perhaps taller, with sharpened claws or something. Not like a young woman who looks like she's afraid she'll be struck if she spoke out of turn, like you did when Salli introduced you to us.” His frown deepened. “Reminded me a bit of her actually, when she first came home after her divorce. That might be part of the problem.”
“How so?” Ali asked.
He chewed on his lip thoughtfully before answering. “You must understand that we failed Sallivera utterly when she was married. None of us saw Kevinaugh for the male he really was. He presented himself as a perfectly normal aristocrat, the son of a ruling noble, with the honor code that implied, and we accepted him as such. We didn't see the monster underneath all of that until it was too late. Until Salli was maimed, and her soul injured so badly that we feared she would take her own life. I think that failure is what's driving my wife to try and force you and Salli apart. She remembers how Salli suffered under Lord Kev, and after. She might fear that history is about to repeat itself.”
Ali's ears flipped back in horror. “I would never hurt Salli like that! I'd rather be dead!”
“So you say. So Sallivera believes. I'm inclined to believe it myself. Her mother is going to be much harder to convince. And that doesn't even bring up the political considerations.”
“Lady Salli told me about that. With your family's rapid elevation since old Countess Highglider was stripped of her title, you have to be extra careful about a scandal.” She shrugged. “And I am pretty scandalous, compared to Salli.”
He nodded. “I'm sorry about that damned newsnet article. Can't imagine what Lady Highglider was thinking, showing it to Sallivera at the party yesterday.”
“Oh, you heard about that?” Ali asked, her heart sinking.
“Yes. Countess Brighttail brought it to our attention just an hour ago. Made my wife rather upset.”
“It made Salli pretty upset too.” Ali scratched her ear, ducking her head down. “Look, I know I'm no good for her. I know I can't be with her in the long term. But... I just wanted to enjoy it, for a little while.”
Count Darktail smiled, rising to his feet and lending her a paw up. “Why don't we see if we can't stretch that out a little longer?”
* * *
When she had returned to the manor, Salli was already awake and dressed. Ali found her sitting in an armchair, a traveling shawl over shoulders, obviously ready to go out soon.
“Milady! Let me showered and dressed, and I’ll be ready to accompany you,” she said, as Count Darktail leaned down to give his daughter a brief hug.
Salli looked at her, a strained smile on her face. “Take your time, Alinadar. My physician appointment isn’t for another hour.”
Something in Salli’s tone caught Ali’s attention. “Is everything all right, Milady?”
“Everything is… fine…,” Salli replied, appearing to bite back on an alternate description. “I had a little conversation with my mother over breakfast, after Father had left to find you. It was concerning that idiot newsnet article. After some… discussion… it was decided that from this point forward Zaker will accompany me when I go out. You’re still to serve me at the manor as my bodyservant.
“I see.” Beside her, the count closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle.
“I’ll speak to your mother about this,” he said wearily.
“Please do,” Lady Salli replied, her voice tight with anger.
“In that case I… have to get cleaned up, Lady Sallivera,” Ali said reluctantly.
Salli’s eyes were wintery. “I’ll be home soon.”
“Hurry back.” Ali turned marched up the stairs to her room, footpads still burning in pain.
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