For Old Time's Sake

[Aoife Lee Frye]

It had been long enough, eleven long months since Aoife had ventured more than half an hour’s ride from the family estate. As content as she was to stay within the family estate, to spend her days doing little more than sleeping or toying with the dying embers of her hearth… coaxing the flames back to life as though she could do that to herself, coax herself back into existence, find joy in the things she once loved. The days had long since blurred together, nothing really changed between each one. It hurt less each day, but only a little, and Aoife still couldn’t make it twenty-four hours without breaking down into tears. Still, her father had decided enough was enough and a change of scenery may do her more good than harm.

    So, when he had packed up to return to the capital, Aoife had been roped into joining him. It didn’t matter that she was twenty-seven, no longer a little girl… he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Stubbornness seemed to be a defining trait of the Lee Fryes, and her father had an extra 23 years on her to practice and develop that particular skill. Upon arriving at the capital, he had more or less allowed her to change and then sent her out to visit her cousin under the guise of collecting sone flowers. Really, he just wanted Aoife out of the house, seeing family, socialising again. Nearly a year of keeping to herself hadn’t seemed to help, and now he was willing to try other means of coaxing his only daughter back to herself once again.

    Aoife didn’t arrive empty handed, when she arrived at the McIntyre residence, she arrived with some seeds from plants native to her mountain home, a letter from her mother, and some other odds and ends. She waited patiently to be shown to her cousin’s rooms, falling quietly into step behind the servant. ”Rosemary.” Aoife said softly, giving her younger cousin a small wave with her free hand as she set the basket down. ”Are you busy?”

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Rosemary hadn't even heard the servant knock--she'd been far too immersed in the book she'd been reading; it was the movement out of the corner of her eye that got her attention. When she spotted who it was, she nearly dropped her book onto the floor in her surprise. Thankfully she managed to fumble and catch it, setting it absently aside on the table because she was already moving towards Aoife.

It was simply instinct to hug her cousin--she had been wishing she could do so ever since she heard of her misfortune. She had only ever dreamed of being in love, never experienced it, and she could only imagine what it must be like to lose someone you cared for so deeply. She'd sent along a parcel of baked goods and some lavender-chamomile tea for her cousin not long after it happened, just out of a desire to do something sweet for her. She wondered if they had reached her and if she even remembered... She was a worrier by nature, and she had worried about her cousin more than perhaps she ought.

"Aoife, it's good to see you! Of course, I'm not too busy--for you, never." She hurried to give Aoife a gentle hug, careful not to wrap her too tight in case she was uncomfortable and needed to pull away. "I've missed you, dear cousin. Please, come in."

She smiled at the servant as well. "Could you bring us some tea, please? And the ginger cookies from yesterday, if any of them survived Lucas." Once the servant had disappeared, she turned to Aoife again.

"Did you need something in particular? Or do you have time to talk...?"

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Aoife froze for a moment or two as her younger cousin pulled her into a hug. But she quickly softened, wrapping her arms around Rosemary with a small smile. Physical affection had never really come naturally to her, but she had learned (slowly) over time, and she was truly glad to see Rosemary again… even if she wasn’t quite as warm in her affections. ”It’s good to see you too… it’s been too long.” Aoife said softly, releasing her arms and taking a step back to look at her cousin. ”I’ve missed you too.” She added after a short pause.
    
Aoife had missed her cousin, in a way. She missed the days when they were younger, when there was nothing to worry about and ideas of love and marriage had just been fairy tales. Back before Aoife had learned to see the world as it truly was rather than the way it could be. At Rosemary’s invitation, Aoife entered the room, grey eyes not leaving her cousin for a moment as she asked for tea and cookies. In truth, Aoife didn’t have much of an appetite, but she smiled at the mention of her other cousin: it was good to know things hadn’t changed all that much in her absence.

    ”A little of both actually,” Aoife said lightly, retrieving the basket from where she had set it down a moment ago. ”Mother sent you a few things, there’s some seeds, a letter, and the like… and father sent me because he thought I could do with the company.” Her shoulders rose and fell in a half-hearted shrug then. There was little point in hiding the purpose of her visit, Aoife had always been a terrible liar at the best of times. ”How are you finding your work at the moment?”

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Rosemary was glad Aoife returned her embrace--it reassured her that things might not be too chilly between them even after almost a year. She led the way to a pair of armchairs and a small coffee table as they waited for the servant to return with tea and gestured for Aoife to sit as well.

"Well that was kind of your mother. She's been a good partner for letters since she never forgets to respond. She's the only one who doesn't leave me waiting," Rosemary answered with a gentle smile. "As for my work, I've been doing alright with the things in the greenhouse, despite the cold and the fact that I'm often at the castle with Princess Cera. I have some lovely roses blooming at the moment if you're interested in bringing some home, they're a simply fantastic shade of red. As for my duties as a lady in waiting..." She blushed and looked at her feet as she considered.

"I fear I've been less than satisfactory of late. After..." She swallowed hard. "After my failed engagement, I'm afraid I'm a bit awkward at parties." That was quite the understatement--she'd actually been trembling the entire time she'd been dancing at the last gathering she attended. She was much happier around just Cera and the other ladies in waiting, but she couldn't avoid society forever. She'd claimed a lingering illness for the first two months after her engagement ended, waiting for the bruises to vanish and her anxiety to fade at least a little, but it hadn't completely erased the events of that time. She smiled apologetically at Aoife.

"I'm afraid I'm not the most interesting; I haven't any thrilling stories to tell or jokes like Lucas. Just me and my flowers."

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Sinking into the offered chair, Aoife regarded her younger cousin carefully. Despite the welcome embrace and warm words, there was something else there that she couldn’t quite place. A sadness perhaps… or some anxiousness… When her cousin exclaimed how good a writing partner Aoife’s mother was, Aoife could not help but feel guilty then, the feeling twisting in her gut as though it was a knife. Aoife hadn’t written to Rosemary once in the last eleven months, not even to thank her for the tea and baked goods she had sent all those moons ago. It her own grief, the woman had forgotten to even spare a thought for her family.

    ”That would be lovely, thank you Rosemary” Aoife said, some warmth colouring her tone as she imagined several places around the house that would benefit from a splash of red. There was a soft spot in her heart for flowers, though she lacked her cousin’s green thumb. ”I heard that it had been called off, but no one said as to why.” Not that it mattered why her cousin’s engagement had been called off, all that mattered to Aoife was that Rosemary was okay. If she had known the full story, wild horses wouldn’t be able to keep Aoife from storming up to the lord in question and teaching him a lesson he well and truly deserved. ”Are you okay?”

    She shrugged at Rosemary’s insistent she wasn’t the most interesting. ”I think a break from thrilling stories and jokes suits me just fine.” Aoife said lightly, getting comfortable in the chair. ”What are you growing at the moment, aside from your roses?”

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Rosemary paled at the remark about Aoife not knowing why the engagement was called off. She knew she could trust Aoife, she did trust her, in fact, but she wasn't sure it was fair to burden her cousin with her grief so soon after the other woman's engagement had ended in mourning. The question of if she was okay, however, surprised her, and she jumped slightly.

"I...I'm better than I was," she replied, deciding to answer truthfully. "It, um, it was a decision I had to make for my own safety. Father wasn't pleased, but, once I explained, he wasn't able to argue." A dark look passed over her face as she recalled having to show her father what Magnus had done to her. Her own father had believed Magnus over her; she may not be as close with her father as some were, but she'd hoped that at least being his own flesh and blood would earn her that much credence. It did not. He needed proof. Unwittingly her hand strayed to rest atop her thigh where she knew she scars were still visible beneath her skirts.

The change of topic to her garden was a relief. "Ah, well, the roses are coming up nicely, and crocuses, and then I've been trying for some fruit trees. I have an apple tree that's come up to be a nice sapling, although it certainly won't have any fruit for a few years, yet. Let's see... my spices are all the usual: parsley, sage, basil, and of course, rosemary..." She smiled. "We could always walk out in the greenhouse if you're interested. It's a tad humid, but it's not too hot this time of year."

[Aoife Lee Frye]

She would have had to have been remarkably unobservant not to notice the colour drain from her cousin’s cheeks when the conversation shifted to Rosemary’s engagement, or at least the ending of it. The way Rosemary seemed to jump at the mention of her engagement made Aoife worry that something terrible had happened. The guilt she felt at shutting the world and her family out for so long once again twisting like a knife edge in her gut.
    
    Something akin to concern took hold of the older woman’s features then as she regarded her little cousin, watching the way her features darkened. ”Your own safety?” Aoife echoed, looking at her cousin intently. Had she been more physical with her affections, Aoife would have reached out and taken her hands. Instead however, Aoife half rose out of her seat, hands balling into fists. ”Rosemary, did he lay his hands on you?” She hadn’t even given the younger woman a moment to answer and Aoife was already planning a rather unfortunate incident for a very particular Lord. Rosemary had always been kind, always been more introverted than most of their family, and Aoife couldn’t bear the thought of someone hurting her. Much less someone hurting her and walking away without consequence.
    
    Then, the conversation shifted to a more pleasant topic: Rosemary’s gardening. And Aoife sat back down, though her fingers did not uncurl from the fists. ”A walk in the greenhouse would be nice, I would love to see the roses and crocuses.” She meant every word, Aoife had a soft spot for flowers even if she couldn’t grow them herself… herbs only held her interest if they could be used for poisoning or healing, but she would still enjoy hearing Rosemary talk about them. ”I’m sure I can handle a little humidity.” Aoife assured her younger cousin with a small smile.

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Did he lay his hands on you?" The question made her flinch, and she knew her lack of an answer was telling.

"Perhaps...perhaps we should walk and talk. I'll...I'll do my best to explain." Rosemary said slowly as she rose to her feet. Well, the greenhouse would be a safe place to talk, at least, and it wasn't as if the servants hadn't already heard... Yes, she could tell Aoife. Or at least, she could try.

She gave a poor imitation of a smile as she led the way to the door and opened it for her cousin, gesturing for her to step through first. Once she did, Rosemary would guide her down the back stairs and out through the kitchen towards her greenhouse as she talked. Her words were awkward and halting, but she didn't want to keep things from Aoife.

"I um...I don't know what you heard about things so I...I'll start from the beginning. I was engaged rather suddenly to Magnus Bournemouth. We had met at a party after he returned from time abroad in Tresteria, and he said it was love at first sight." She looked a little green at the thought as if his being in love with her made her sick to her stomach. "Of course, no one had ever, um, paid that kind of attention to me before. And father was practically ready to have us married that day, he was so pleased with the connection..."

"It was like a whirlwind swept in overnight and my whole life was suddenly Magnus. We were always together. He treated me like a queen, most of the time, but whenever I did something wrong..." She flinched at suddenly tangible memory of Magnus's hands gripping her by the shoulders and shaking her, and she rolled her shoulders to ward off the feeling of his fingers digging into her flesh. By now they had reached the greenhouse, and she opened that door for Aoife as well, waiting for her to enter and for the door to shut behind them before she whispered: "So yes. He did lay his hands on me. And more." Hands, blades, boots, more. He had violated her in every way she could imagine, save for taking her life...and that was only because he had been interrupted.

She couldn't look up at her cousin as she admitted it, and her hand still rested on the door handle as if she might fling it open and make a run for the house. Her chest was tight and her heart was racing. Her own father had called her a liar, her brother didn't know, and Magnus was still out there, wooing others with his steel gaze and his shining smile. She didn't know why she'd suddenly explained all this to Aoife, of all people. She hoped she wasn't burdening her with too much. She didn't want her cousin to regret her visit.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

The concern on her face deepened and Rosemary suggested they walk and talk. Aoife had suspected there was more to the story of Rosemary’s engagement (and its end), partly because no one would give her a certain answer to why it had ended. That seemed to be becoming a trend, people hiding the truth from her… but that wasn’t important now, what was important was her cousin and her cousin’s welfare. ”Of course.” Aoife said, giving the younger woman what she hoped was a reassuring smile. ”Lead the way.”

    Standing, Aoife followed her cousin’s lead through the house. Noting they took the back stairs, moving through the quieter sections of the house: the ones where they risked little, if no, interruption. She did not comment on the secrecy, Aoife did not say a word as she listened to Rosemary’s brief retelling, brows furrowing the more her younger cousin spoke. The more she learned, the less Aoife liked this Magnus Bournemouth, and by the time they reached the greenhouse and Rosemary’s tale had come to an end: Aoife loathed the man.

    Rosemary had always been introverted, always been kinder than Aoife could ever hope (or want for that matter to be), and the thought of someone hurting her… especially intentionally… it brought the older woman’s blood to boiling point. Stepping into the greenhouse, Aoife could feel ever muscle and sinew in her body tense in silent rage at the way her cousin had been treated at the hands of this man.

    It took a moment or two before Aoife had calmed herself enough to temper the fury in her tone. Getting emotional was hardly a great trait for a solider, it was a liability. But she was no longer a soldier, and this was Rosemary, a woman Aoife couldn’t imagine hurting a fly. She deserved better than that. ”Rosemary,” She began, her voice stern as she looked her younger cousin in the eye. Rosemary may have had an inch or two on Aoife in height, but she seemed smaller somehow, almost fragile. ”You don’t have to tell me what he did to you, I wouldn’t ask you to. Is he still in Teronna?”

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Rosemary raised her head at the emotion in Aoife's stern voice, still quailing slightly as she waited to hear what else her causing would say. Tears shone in the corners of her eyes and her mind raced in the brief pause, filling in half a dozen ways things might go terribly wrong. What Aoife said, though, didn't fit even her wildest imaginings. She believed her, without question, and something about the glint in her eyes told Rosemary that she had plans for Magnus. Rosemary's verdant eyes widened, and the tears spilled down her cheeks as she nodded.

"Yes, he--he's at court. Always. He watches me when I'm with the princess..." she shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself as if she'd taken a sudden chill, even in the humidity of the greenhouse. Even talking about him this much felt like he was there, with those soulless eyes watching her. "He hasn't tried to get close, thank goodness...I think I might be sick if he touched me again." She swallowed hard.

"Thank you...for believing me. Father he...I had to..." She had to stop and press her hands to her mouth for a moment and took a ragged breath in through her nose. "I had to show him the cuts and bruises before he would believe what Magnus had done. He thought I just wanted to get out of the engagement."

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Oh okay, Aoife began to panic a little at the quiver in her cousin’s voice and the tears that were beginning to pool in Rosemary’s eyes. Aoife could handle almost anything, she had seen men lose limbs, watched the life fade from people’s eyes, popped a comrade’s shoulder back into it’s joint: but she was not trained to handle or prepared to deal with a woman crying, especially Rosemary.

    Thankfully, the tears did not brim over, did not fall down the younger woman’s cheeks. Good. Aoife thought, allowing herself an internal sigh of relief that her cousin had not broken into tears. Her expression darkened however, with every word Rosemary spoke. It was bad enough that the man had even attempted to harm her cousin, more so that he had succeeded, the fact that he was still hurting her… watching her… Aoife could not let that continue.

    ”Of course, I know you would not lie about such a thing…” She assured her, heart breaking for what Rosemary had been through and for what she had been forced to do to make herself heard. Her cousin had no reason to lie and even if she did, the older woman doubted that anyone could feign the pain she saw in Rosemary’s eyes and heart in her voice. ”…he will pay for what he has done.” The hatred in Aoife’s words was palpable. There were too many men who thought their gender and status granted them the right to think of other people as playthings. A thought dawned on her then, she found herself idle in the capital after all, and if Rosemary needed that reassurance: Aoife could provide it. ”If the princess would allow it, I can always accompany you to the palace on occasion… should he be stupid enough to come near you again…” She let her sentence trail off then, leaving the rest to both Rosemary’s and her own imagination. It wasn’t enough, and wouldn’t give Rosemary back what she had lost But until Aoife could conjure a more permanent solution: it would put her mind at ease.

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Rosemary couldn't decide if she was relieved or horrified by the amount of violence Aoife was implying. On the one hand, having someone willing to defend her, someone who really knew what was going on, was lovely. On the other, she didn't like violence as a whole, and she didn't want to encourage anyone to do what Magnus had done. She just wanted him to stay far, far away. But if Aoife could help with that...she wouldn't argue with her methods.

She took a deep breath and delicately swiped under her eyes with her thin fingers before turning to play with the leaves of a nearby rosebush--one of the ones she had mentioned to her cousin moments ago. The color of the blooms was a magnificent red that darkened near the stem, almost the color of blood.

"Thank you, Aoife," she said, her voice a bit more steady now, but still heavy with emotion. It means a lot, more than I can say, to have you trust me."[/b] She looked back up at Aoife with a smile. "I certainly won't ask you to seek him out or to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. But I doubt Cera would argue with having an extra visitor once in a while. In fact, I think the two of you might get on quite well. The princess is no shrinking violet, herself." She laughed softly. "She's more likely to ask you to teach her to wield a weapon than anything else."

[Aoife Lee Frye]

It was probably for the best that Rosemary did not possess the gramarye gift to see into Aoife’s mind then. For even though she didn’t have a face to put to the name, Aoife was already planning how to happen across that particular lord. If only to see what kind of a man he was, how he held himself, which hand would cause him the most trouble should a few of the fingers get broken… just small details that would help her make sure he never even considered looking at Rosemary again, let alone hurting her.

    Those thoughts were dangerous to explore too much, and it was easy to get swept away with her anger. It took a gentle rustling as Rosemary’s thin fingers reached out to touch the leaves of a nearby rosebush to bring Aoife back to her senses and away from thoughts of justice. Blinking a few times, the older woman grounded herself and focused grey eyes on the deep red of the blooms. They really were beautiful; Rosemary certainly had a gift.

    Aoife bowed her head slightly at her cousin’s words. ”No, it is probably best you do not ask that of me.” Aoife said lightly, as though they were discussing the weather rather than revenge. But it was a relief to see a smile on Rosemary’s face once again. It was best that Rosemary not know of the woman’s true intentions, should what Aoife considered to be Rosemary’s fragile heart and pure conscience compel her to intervene. ”That could be arranged… I think it would be a good idea for you to learn to defend yourself as well Rosemary, life at court is not as safe as you may imagine.”

[Rosemary McIntyre]

Rosemary's brows knit at her cousin's last remark. Not as safe as she might imagine? She imagined quite a bit, apparently, because it had never occurred to her that she might be in danger at court. There were always guards about, some had even become familiar faces over the last few years. Did Aoife truly think something might happen? She had been involved with the military as well, did she know something that Rosemary didn't?

She looked up from the roses with apprehension. "I would hope you're wrong, but... Perhaps it wouldn't hurt." She wondered, briefly, if things might have been different for her if she'd known how to fight back, and her eyes drifted back to the wicked thorns on the stems of those same beautiful roses. Nature built-in protections for its beauty. Even the most beautiful flowers could be poisonous or carried their own kind of blade. Would she have had the will to do it? Would she still have the same scars? Would she have been harmed more if she resisted? She nodded once, reaching a conclusion based more on the feeling in her stomach than on any of her specific musings.

She looked up to Aoife again with a wan smile. "Yes...I think you might be right. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might begin?" She gestured around her, to the brightly colored plants. "We may be standing in a room full of poisons, but I doubt that would do me any good in a disaster."

[Aoife Lee Frye]

The courts were dangerous places, regardless of the kingdom. There was a reason the royal family were always shadowed by so many guards, why the patrolled the grounds, why they were stationed at every station. Nowhere was particularly safe, and with the tensions between the mystics consistently stretched and strained below the surface… hidden from view but felt across Teronna, Aoife was worried it would all come to a head before too long and Rosemary may just find herself caught in the crossfire.

    ”It would not hurt.” The older woman echoed, looking her cousin in the eye. It was, at least in Aoife’s opinion, a vital skill to possess. Being able to defend oneself. Especially given what Rosemary had been through. ”Learn how to use a knife, where to aim… there’s little point in carrying a weapon unless you know how to use it.” Aoife began, pulling her gaze away from the younger woman to explore the greenhouse. Poisons certainly had their uses, but they could be slow to act and difficult to administer effectively… weapons however, were more immediate, more efficient. ”A poisoned blade would not be a terrible idea, but only if you know how to handle it…” She continued, speaking to roses rather than Rosemary. ”…It wouldn’t be much good if you nicked yourself on your own weapon.”

    A heavy sigh fell from her then, training and combat had always come so naturally to her… Aoife was not sure how to begin from scratch. ”I’ll find a blacksmith, see if I can get something made you can carry without it being seen. After that, I’ll teach you how to use it?”