It's My Family

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 6th May 2011

Characters: Erassa, Corowal
Description: Corowal tells Erassa some news, and it doesn't go well for either of them
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Felyna, Zathris

Erassa carried the tray through the dimly lit corridors. Most
sensible people had already gone to bed, and truth be told, that was
exactly where she wanted to be. But the Lord Holder hadn't taken his
supper yet. Until that final task was done, she couldn't in good
conscience indulge in the sleep she craved.

"Your dinner, m'Lord," she said, pushing office door open with
her hip. Corowal was finnish up his correspondence when Erassa came in.

"Ah, is it that late? Thank you Erassa," he said. He been not paying any
attention to time. That happened to him sometimes when he was pulled in
to his work.

She couldn't help but smile slightly. He did tend to get so
engrossed in his work sometimes. "Later than that, in fact. The
children have been asleep for at least a candlemark."

"Well, high time to stop then," Corowal said, stretching his
arms.

"It's another late night for you," Erassa noted as she set the tray down
on the table.

"It is. I got plenty of done though," Corowal said. "Sometimes the
evenings are most fruitful time for working since there are less
distractions."

"Food is a necessity, not a distraction," she chided gently before
taking the pen from his hand and putting it carefully back in the ink
well.

"You're right, of course," Corowal grinned and leaned backwards.

"You're in a rather good mood," she noted as she leaned over him
slightly to shift his papers carefully to the side. She knew better
than to remove them completely or make him lose his place.

"Am I?" Corowal said and helped her to clear space for the food tray.

She shrugged, bringing the tray back over to the desk for him. "I don't
know, maybe you are just happy at the thought of food finally."

"Maybe," Corowal straightened up and rubbed the side of his face. He
knew he had to tell her sooner and later, so why not now. "I got letter
from Lord Zathris."

"Oh?" Erassa humored him as she poured him a cup of tea.

"The fosterage of Corofel is finally settled, date and all," he told
her. It had been decided months ago but the actual fostering has been
postponed time after time. If it wasn't something in this end, it had been
something in Amber Hills.

She stood up so fast she nearly upset the tray and spilled his dinner.
Her hand reached out to steady it just in time. "What? What do you
mean 'fosterage'?"

"It is customary for a children of Lord Holder to be fostered in another
hold. Corofel is going to Amber Hills hold. It's been talked before and
now it's set."

**How could you set this up without asking _me_!** her mind screamed,
though she knew she had no right to be consulted. "When?" she finally
ground out, turning around to wipe the table down before he could see
the tears forming in her eyes, though whether they were from anger or
sadness, even she couldn't tell.

"In a sevenday or two," Corowal replied. He knew this upsetted her, but
it was none of her business. It wasn't even Felyna's business. Corofel's
affairs were his only responsibility since Ofelia's death.

It was like a slap to the face! Or a punch to the stomach. The news
just about knocked the wind out of her. Gripping the towel, she found
just enough air to choke out, "Does he even know?"

"Of course he does, although not the exact date yet," Corowal replied.
He had had few private father to son talks with his eldest.

The words just slipped passed her tongue before she could stop them.
"And you couldn't tell _me_?!"

"I did talk about it with you, although it was several months ago,"
Corowal replied with some heat.

She made her tone much more steady, knowing she had no right to snap at
him like that. Erassa certainly hadn't intended to say her thoughts
aloud like that. "You did, but it sounded like it was something
undecided. Something in the future. Not something that would be
happening with only _sevendays_ of warning."

"It was undecided then, it's settled today," Corowal said.

Was he actually that daft or was he being stubborn on purpose?! "You
made it sound like it would be undecided for a good while longer, and
made no indication that you were working to get it organized," she
ground out carefully, trying very hard not to lose her temper.

"I've been working on it all the time and I do not tell you of
everything," she was making him angry.

"Of course not, and I don't ask that you tell me everything. But how am
I supposed to care for your children if things like this are hidden from
me?" She didn't even know how Corofel would feel about all this. How
could she help him if she was herself unprepared for the news? How
could she help the other children understand that now their older
brother, who they look up to and depend on, would be leaving them. And
so very soon!

"I'm not hiding things from you. If you don't pay attention to what
happening, it's hardly not my fault," Corowal said with some heat.

"Oh, excuse me for not being on top of all of _your_ comings and goings!
I'm a little busy clothing and feeding your children, tucking them into
bed, drying their tears, stopping their fights, helping them with their
harper lessons, cleaning up after them, not to mention feeding,
cleaning, and chasing after _you_! Forgive me if I cannot read your
thoughts by now!" Erassa was no longer holding back. He could be
insufferable sometimes!

That did it. Corowal stood up. "No one talks to me like that, especially
not a fostermother. Get out of my sight!" If she thought she could yell
at him and tell him how to run his family, then perhaps it was time to wean
his children from her. She had made clear she wanted nothing more than be
the fostermother, so she had no rights. "If you're not happy, I can find
another fostermother."

She was more than happy to oblige him by throwing the towel on the table
and storming out. Erassa had taken such tender, loving care of his
childen - shards, she was the only mother his Wallia had ever known! -
and yet he could still treat her as a mere servant! Sometimes she
wondered just what she was still doing at that sharding Hold. The world
had opened up for her after B'lion's death. She could go anywhere! If
only she didn't love those children so sharding much...

Last updated on the May 10th 2011

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It's My Family