Savil heaved a strictly internal sigh. Lad, a year obviously hadn’t improved you except in looks- and that’s no advantage. You’re too damned handsome, and you know it.
Since she’d last seen him, Vanyel’s face and body had refined. It was a face that could (and probably did) break hearts - broad brow, high cheekbones, pointed chin, sensuous lips - fine-arched black brows, and incredible silver eyes; all of it crowned with thick, straight, blue-black hair most women would kill to possess. The body of an acrobat; nicely muscled, if not over-tall.
And the posture was arrogant, the mouth set in sullen silence; the eyes sulky, and at the same time, challenging her.
Lord and Lady. Do I believe my fool brother, or do I take the chance that a good portion of what’s wrong with the boy is due to Withen trying to mold him into his own image?
While she tried to make up her mind, she nodded at the two armsmen. “Thank you, good sirs,” she said, crisply. “You have performed your duty admirably. You may go.”
The taller one coughed uneasily, and gave her an uncomfortable look.
“Well?” she asked, sensing something coming-something she wasn’t going to like. Something petty and small-minded -
“The boy’s horse - “
“Stays, of course,” she interrupted, seeing the flash of hurt in Vanyel’s eyes before he masked it, and reacting to it without needing to think about which way she was going to jump.
“But, Herald, it’s a valuable animal!” the armsman protested, his mouth thinning unhappily. “Lord Withen - my lord - surely you’ve beasts enough here - “
“What do you think this is?” she snapped, turning on him with unconcealed anger. Gods, if this was symptomatic of the boy’s trip here, no wonder he was sullen.
Take the boy’s horse, will you? You bloody little -She took control of herself, and gave them irrefutable reasons to take back to their master. They were, after all, only following orders.
“You think we run a damned breeding farm here? We haven’t horses to spare. The boy will be taking equitation lessons, of course, and he’s hardly going to be able to go over the jumping course on foot!”
“But - “ the armsman sputtered, not prepared to give up, “Surely the Companions - “
“Bear their Chosenand no other. “She took a deep breath and forced her temper to cool. The man was making her more than annoyed with his obstinacy, he was making her quite thoroughly enraged, and if this was a measure of what Vanyel had been subjected to over the past few years, well, perhaps the boy wasn’t entirely to blame for his current behavior.
“I said,” she told the men, glaring, “you may go.”
“But - I have certain orders - certain things I am to tell you - “
“I am countermanding those orders,” she Answered swiftly, invoking all of her authority, not just as a Herald, but as one of the most powerful Herald-Mages in the Heraldic Circle, second only to Queen’s Own, Seneschal’s, and Lord-Marshal’s Herald. “This is myplace, and myjurisdiction. And you may tell my brother Withen that I will make up my own mind what is to be done with the boy. If he wants to deposit young Vanyel in my care, then he’ll have to put up with my judgments. And you can tell him I said so. Good day, gentlemen.” She smiled with honeyed venom. “Or need I call a Guard to escort you?”
They had no choice but to take themselves off, though they did so with extreme reluctance. Savjl waited until they had gone, and were presumably out of hearing range, before taking the letter she’d been given out of her pocket. She held it up so that Vanyel could see that it had not been opened, then slowly, deliberately tore it in four pieces and dropped the pieces on the floor.
Margret is going to have my hide,she thought wryly. IIshe’s told me once not to throw things on the floor, she’s told me a hundred times-
“I don’t know what Withen had to say in that letter,” she told the strange and silent boy. Was that sullenness in the set of his mouth, or fear? Was that suspicion in the back of his eyes, or arrogance? “Frankly, I don’t care. This much I can tell you - young man, you are going to stand or fall with me by your own actions. I tell you now that I very much resent what Withen has done; I have three proteges to train, and no time to waste on cosseting a daydreamer.” Might as well let him know the truth about how I feel right out and right now; he ‘II find out from the gossip sooner or later. I can’t afford to have him pulling something stupid in the hopes I ‘II pull him out of it and give him some attention.“I have no intention of trying to make you into something you aren’t. But I also have no intention of allowing you to make a fool out of me, or inconvenience me.”
There was a whisper of sound at the door.
Without turning around, Savil knew from the brush of embarrassed Mindspeech behind her that Tylendel and her other two proteges, Mardic and Donni, had come in behind her, not expecting to find anyone except Savil here. They had stopped in the doorway - startled at finding their mentor dressing down a strange boy, and more than a bit embarrassed to have walked in at such a touchy moment.
And of course, now it would be even more embarrassing for them to walk back out and try to pretend it hadn’t happened:
“You’ll be taking lessons with some of the Herald-trainees and with some of the young courtiers as soon as I get a chance to make the arrangements,” Savil continued serenely, gesturing slightly with her right hand for her three “children” to come up beside her. “Now - Vanyel, this is Donni, this Mardic, and this Tylendel. As Herald-trainees, they outrank you; let’s get that straight right now.”
“Yes, Aunt,” Vanyel said without changing his expression a hair.
“Now what that actually meansis not one damned thing, except I expect you to be polite.”
“Yes, Aunt.”
“My servant Margret tends to us; breakfast and lunch are cold and left over on that table over there. Supper will be with the Court for you once I get you introduced. If you miss it, you can take your chances with us. Lessons, hmm. For now - oh - Donni, I want you to take him with you in the morning and turn him over to Kayla; Withen was rather insistent on his getting weapons work, and for once I agree with him.”
“Yes, Savil,” the short, tousle-haired trainee said calmly. Savil blessed the girl’s soothing presence, and also blessed the fact that she was lifebound to Mardic. Nothing shook a lifebond except the death of one of the pair. Vanyel’s handsome face wasn’t going to turn herhead.
She rather dreaded the effect of that face on the rest of the younglings at the Court, though.
“Mardic?”
The imperturbable farmer’s son nodded his round head without speaking.
“Take him to Bardic Collegium in the afternoon for me, and get them to put him into History, Literature, and - “ she wrinkled her brow in thought as her three proteges arranged themselves around her.
“How about Religions?” Tylendel suggested. He raised one dark-gold eyebrow and Mindspoke his teacher in Private-mode, his lips thinning a little. :He’s lovely, Savil. And he Feels like he’s either an arrogant little bastard, or somebody’s been hurting him inside for an awfully long time. Frankly, I couldn’t tell you which. Is he going to be as much trouble as I think?:
:Don’t know, lad,:Savil Mindspoke soberly. :But don’t get wrapped up with him, not until we know. Anddon’t fall in love with him. I have no idea where his preferences lie, but even Withen didn’t hint he wasshay’a’chern. I don’t want to have to patch your broken heart up. Again.:
:Not a chance, Teacher,:Tylendel mind-grinned. :I’ve learned better.:
:Huh. I should hope. Oh, Lord of Light- Idid give all of you grabs at Dominick’s old room, didn’t I? I don’t want to start this off with hurt feelings- :