Tragic Tale (1/2)

Writers: Eimi
Date Posted: 13th March 2007

Characters: Kiomo, Suvan
Description: Kiomo speeks with Suvan before facing Perina and her father
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 2, day 3 of Turn 4

The young man paced back and forth, grinding the knuckles of one hand into the palm of the other nervously. "So... Perina will be here? At Garnet Valley? Can I see her?"

Kiomo shook his head uncertainly. "I can't say for sure, Suvan. I doubt her father really wants you two to meet again."

"But if I have to give testimony, I'll see her, right? She'll be there?"

"Yes, she'd be there. But you wouldn't be allowed to speak with her. You'd be speaking directly to the Lord Holder." It was better the boy didn't get his hopes up.

"Is she showing yet?" Suvan asked quietly.

"I don't know. I doubt it. Or at least they would be trying to cover it creatively if she is." They would want to hide her pregnancy as long as possible. At least until they could get her married to _someone_.

"If the child is mine, wouldn't it just be easier for _me_ to marry her?
I mean rather than go through this whole mess?" Suvan asked with a disdainful wave.

"It's not that simple, Suvan," Kiomo replied gently. "She is the daughter of a proud man who can't afford scandal. I'm afraid... well to put in bluntly, in some people's eyes you're just not good enough."

"I am as like to punch the man in the face if he says as much to me,"
Suvan growled, driving his fist into his palm for emphasis.

"Suvan, you had to have known when you and Perina became close that she would _never_ have been allowed to marry you," the holder reminded him. "You knew who she was."

"But I didn't know she would get _pregnant_," the boy snapped back, frustrated at all this talk of rank. Rank was something he didn't understand. Why was it so sharding important? And just who decides who was deserving of 'rank' anyway? "If I'm the father, the honorable thing would be for me to marry her! And I would too. I would marry Perina if they just gave me the chance. I don't care about rank. I _loved_ her, Kiomo!"

"I know," he replied pacifyingly. "I know, Suvan. And no one is calling your honor or your intentions into question." After all, the boy had no rank or reputation to lose. That honor was saved for men with rank, like Kiomo apparently. "You are only here to cast doubt on their accusations towards me."

"And just why would they accuse _you_?" the boy demanded angrily. "Who are you to her? Why would they think _you_ were the father of her child and not me?"

"I am a Lord Holder's son," Kiomo replied gently. "That's all they needed to know to accuse me."

"But you went to Quartz River to see her, right? Isn't that why they're accusing you?"

"No," he corrected. "I told you, I went to Quartz River with Lord Ishek on Hold business. That is the first and only time I ever met Perina."

"Well, just why should I help you? They have to have _some_ reason to suspect you. They can't just make accusations against anyone they please," Suvan growled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," Kiomo replied, shaking his head sadly. "I suspect they already knew Perina was pregnant then and they were trying to marry her off as quickly as possible. At dinner that night Perina paid particular attention to the Lord Holder, but Ishek wasn't interested. Their plan failed. But _I_ was there too, and they realized I was also highly connected. Ishek could only be accused if he had actually behaved dishonorably. He has no one but himself to answer to. But _I_ on the other hand must answer to the Lord Holder. By accusing me directly to _him_ I would be left vulnerable, and had I not found you, Suvan, I would have been more than likely forced to marry her. Please, Suvan, you have to believe me."

"Sure, it's just that easy for you," Suvan fumed. "But even if I go in there and scream to the Red Star that I am the father, Peringle would never ask _me_ to marry her."

"If I could give her to you, Suvan, I would. I know how it feels to love someone society says you shouldn't. It's not fair, and it's not right, for _either_ of us."

The boy sighed. This wasn't Kiomo's fault. It was Peringle's fault. After all, if Kiomo really had been a rival for Perina's affections, he wouldn't be denying anything. He was a victim in all this. An innocent man standing accused of something _he_ and Perina had done. "I suppose you're only in this mess because of me."

Kiomo stood and walked over to the boy, reaching up to place his hands on the lad's shoulders. "Someday the world will be fair for men like us, Suvan. Someday it won't matter who you love. The day will come when we'll just be judged by our hearts, not our station. You have to believe that."

Suvan nodded his understand. "Someday..."

"Excuse me, sir," a drudge said quietly from the doorway. "Our guests have arrived. Lord Ishek is expecting you."

Kiomo gave her a quick nod of understanding. Turning back to the boy he gave his shoulders one final squeeze. "Someday, Suvan."

Last updated on the March 13th 2007

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Tragic Tale (1/2)