Cover Up

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 29th November 2017

Characters: Benani, Nazli, Benamil
Description: Benamil takes his problem of being seen by Karhal to Benani, who has a solution.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 26 of Turn 9
Notes: Notes: Directly follows "Caught in the Act"
Mentioned: Karhal, Zathris

Benani

Nazli

Benamil

Benamil felt like he was going to be sick, ever since the day before
when Karhal had walked up on him and Arion he'd had that sinking
feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he was just waiting for a
knock on his door to tell him to get out of Amber Hills. He remembered
the conversation he'd had with Benani, how she had specifically warned
him about being careful and not letting anyone find out...

**So much for that.** He thought as he quickly made his way through
the Hold. He knew she'd probably be in her parlor at that time of the
morning, he'd already caught sight of Zathris taking a stroll with the
Steward toward the live stock pens.

He knocked on the parlor door, wiping sweaty palms against his pants
as the door was opened by a maid, the same one who'd brought in tea
the other night, he noticed.

"Benani," he said, tipping his head to the young woman and stepping
into the parlor to his sister.

One look at his face and she knew something was wrong. Her eyes
shifted to Nazli and she motioned with her head for the young woman to
leave them alone.

"My Lady," she dipped to Benani. "My Lord," she said to Benamil and
left the room.

"What happened," Benani said softly once the door was closed.

Benamil tossed himself down into a chair and cradled his head in his
hands. "Karhal saw, he knows about me and Arion." There was no point
in keeping the vintner's name hush hush any more, not after yesterday.

"What! How?" Her face grew pinched with worry.

"We were outside the Hold, and I mean, outside, a good distance away.
We weren't paying attention and the next thing I know I hear a throat
clear and when I look up it's Karhal." Benamil chewed at his bottom
lip as he dropped his hands and looked up at his sister. "You know him
better than I do. What do you think he'll do?"

"Outside the Hold?" She slumped in her chair and covered her face with
her hands. "What did I tell you the other day? If Karhal tells Zathris
I won't be able to..." She stood and began to pace.

"I know, trust me, all I've done is think about what you said. I've
felt sick ever since." Benamil was slumped in his chair, head lolled
back against the back support. He straightened. "You'll be able to
reason with Zathris, right?"

"Zathris _is_ reasonable. He has other priorities. First the Hold,
then the family." She stopped pacing and turned to look at her
brother. "What we have to do is misdirect the residents and give them
a completely different opinion of you."

Benamil looked at his sister as if she'd grown another head, "And how
are we suppose to do that? Karhal's a pretty believable guy, if he
says anything, I'm toast!"

"Yes," she nodded. "That's why you're getting married. In a big
ceremony at the Gather with everyone out to see how wonderfully in
love you are with your new bride."

Now he knew she'd gone crazy. Him? Married? To whom? "Explain, Benani.
What woman would want to marry me? Didn't we go down that path these
past Turns with all those women the family set me up with?" Not only
that, he didn't want to marry some woman, he wanted to marry.. .well,
Arion, even if it wasn't a realistic dream.

She looked at him seriously. "A young woman who has a problem being
touched and will be happy to care for you as a husband as long as you
don't make her sleep with you."

Benamil's brows furrowed, "Well, since I have zero physical interest
in women, I don't think it will be any hardship not sleeping with
her." That certainly wouldn't be a problem. "She's scared enough about
a real marriage that you think she would marry someone... someone like
me?"

"She's a sweet girl who was beaten and raped. She is afraid of
intimacy." She looked at her hands then back at her brother with pain
in her eyes. "I know what that feels like and thank my husband for
being very patient when I just couldn't be intimate. Of course, we
were and still are very much in love. I know that won't be the case
for you. But she needs your protection."

Benamil didn't know very many details about his sister's "time away"
from the Hold, but he knew that she'd come back a different person.
Not the carefree sassy sister he'd grown up with, so if she wanted to
protect this girl, then it must be serious. What would Arion think?
Benamil couldn't even begin to imagine the vintner's reaction to his
getting married, but what choice did he have? If he wanted to cover up
their relationship, for both their sakes, this was something that he
would have to do.

"Getting married is the last thing I have ever wanted," Benamil said,
running his fingers through his hair as he looked back up at Benani.
"But I don't see that I have a choice. I'll marry her, and treat her
right, you know that."

"Nazli," she called and a moment later she came through the door. "Yes My Lady?"

"Come here dear," she held out her hand. "Do you remember when we
talked about the kind of husband you needed?"

Her eyes got big and she looked sideways at the lady's brother afraid
of what he might know. "Ma'am I..."

"It's alright Nazli," she held up her hand. "My brother has agreed to
marry you including the condition you wanted. He has his own issues
which I'm sure he'll discuss with you." She looked at her brother for
confirmation. "You will be under his protection, and I _promise_ you
will be safe."

The girl looked as excited about marriage as Benamil felt, which oddly
enough, made him feel more comfortable about the situation. He stood
and inclined his head to the young lady, "Lady Benani is correct,
Nazli. A marriage would be beneficial for us both."

Her eyes were still dark with uncertainty but she tucked a strand of
her long dark hair behind one ear. "It's alright," she said. She'd
talked enough with the Lady Hold that she knew if she told her it
would work she'd have to trust it.

Benani turned to her desk and picked up some handwritten instructions
which she handed to her brother. "Forgive me by I've prepared your
'story' so it will be believable for the rest of the Hold. I'm going
to need you both to memorize it and look like you're in love. Can you
do that?"

Benamil couldn't mask the surprise on his face as he was handed the piece
of paper. "Clearly you had already done some thinking about this," he said
as he began to scan over their 'story'.

"A bit," she half smiled.

Nazli cleared her throat timidly and looked back and forth between the two
members of Amber Hills Blood. "Will I still be able to come here and serve
Lady Benani?" From the moment she'd told the Lady about her story she'd
felt a blanket of safety wrap around her and she didn't want to give that up if
it was at all possible.

"First things first," Benani said and pulled a box from her table. She handed
it to Benamil. "Down on one knee," she grinned.

Benamil could barely muster a smile. All he could think about was how
he could possibly explain this chain of events to Arion. One look at
Nazli told him she was just as dubious as he was. From what Benani had
said, she was a woman who needed careful handling, friendship, and
that was exactly what Benamil could offer. His heart was engaged
elsewhere.

The beastcrafter knelt and opened the box revealing a gold ring, the
centerpiece gem was an oval peridot, lined with smaller stones that
glittered and winked in the light. It was one of his mother's rings,
the one he was suppose to give to his bride.

"Nazli," he looked up at the young woman. She was beautiful for a
woman, even if she tried to hide behind her lengthy hair. "Would you
do me the honor of becoming my wife? I pledge my arm to you for
protection and I swear I will always see that you are taken care of."

All color drained from Nazli's face and her hands began to tremble.
Benani reached out to stroke her back. "Trust me Nazli," she said
softly.

The woman's wide green eyes shifted to her then back to Lord Benamil.
He had kind eyes, that much she could see so she nodded. "Yes," came
out it a barely audible whisper.

Last updated on the December 10th 2017

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Cover Up