Key to the secrets (part 1/2)

Writers: AL, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd October 2011

Characters: Zelanka, Zathris, Benani
Description: Zelanka finds a long lost key that belonged to Benaroy and takes it to Zathris and Benani.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 4, day 1 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Shadux

Notes: 1 of 2

Zathris

Benani

Zelanka finally found the time to repair her jewelry box. There was
tear in the lining that needed to be sewn shut. She took her things to
her living room for better light and started emptying the box's contest.
Then she run her fingers along the insides, trying to determine how
best proceed. Her probing fingers felt something and she frowned. There
was something there, between the box's wooden wall and the lining.
Something that had slipped through that tear. She started to work it
out of there, but it was in a difficult place. She fetched a crotchety
hook to fish it out. In the end it was resting on her palm. It was a
key, small key, like one could fit a box or a desk drawer.

It was _the key_. She slipped out few ugly words she didn't normally
use. The key was trusted to her for safekeeping, and what a safe keeper
she turned out to be! So good, that she and Shadux had spent many
candlemarks looking for it after Benaroy's death. Well, Shadux had been
mostly looking for the lock. Neither could be found and then the matter
was dropped when Conclave made Zathris the Lord Holder.
Zelanka's instinct told her that the key was important. What she really
wanted to do was to throw it away and forget it ever excicted. But it
was not hers to decide. She pondered her options. She really should
give it to Zathris. But who knew what secrets it would reveal? Some
secrets should be best left undisturbed. For instance, Benaroy's last
will revealed now would only bring grief and disruption. But the lock
that the key opened was missing too, and without the lock and the
secrets behind the lock, the key itself was harmless. But Benaroy had
given it to her with purpose, and could she go against his will? Those
thoughts and many other circled in her mind while she tried to decide.

When she finally made up her mind, it was already late evening. Too
late for disturb the Lord and the Lady. It had waited this long, it
could wait till tomorrow. She dropped the key to her pocket.

~*~ next day ~*~

Zelanka knocked the Lord Holder's door. Her left hand was squeezed to
tight fist.

"Come in." Zathris looked up from the bit of parchment over which his
hand was poised, paused in his writing at the interruption. He wasn't
perturbed by it, however, a smile springing to his face when the
Headwoman came into view. "Zelanka, hello."

"My Lord," Zelanka curtsied. She felt unusually nervous and didn't know
how to approach the subject. So she just walked to the desk and
dropped the key to it. "This key belonged to Lord Benaroy. He gave it
to me for safekeeping some time before his death. And I lost it and
found only yesterday evening again," she lowered her head in shame.

Zathris took the key and looked at it. To be honest, he was a bit
confused. Zelanka seemed anxious for some reason and he couldn't
understand why. "A key? A key to what?"

Benani had been working with Yanley all morning to bring her up to
speed on the status of sharing her duties. She was put off at first by
Zathris' suggestion but after having her sister with her only a short
time she realized he was right. Yanley had held the position of Lady
Holder in her own right and knew what to do in every situation.
Somehow, her sister's gracious manner and buoyed Benani's spirits and
she'd gone to take the nap her body required but she'd been denying
herself. Refreshed she headed toward her husband's office to thank
him and admit that he'd been right.

Entering his office after a quick knock she smiled at the headwoman.
"Hello Zelanka."

"I don't know," Zelanka was just replying when Benani came in. "Good
morning, Lady Benani."

Benani turned her smile on her husband and went around the desk to
kiss him hello. "Sorry if I'm interrupting," she said. "I can come
back later."

"Well, this concerns you too, my lady, or more likely your father,"
Zelanka said and she found herself explaining the situation again, this
time for her.

"Benani." Zathris reached for his wife and took her hand, then opened
the other that held the key, the item resting in his palm. "Does this
look familiar to you at all?"

She picked up the key. "It looks familiar..." She couldn't place it
though.

"Really?" Zelanka said hopefully. "Shadux and I couldn't find any
locks with key missing. I know where he kept his office desk's key and
the key to that hidden locker in the cupboard."

"Yes," she said. "But it's been a long time." She was thinking hard
trying to dredge up the memory as she turned the key over and over in
her fingers. She sidled over and sat on Zathris knee. In that moment
she had a flash of a memory. Benani slapped the key on the desk and
sat still trying to hold on to the flash.

The sun streamed through the windows and dust motes floated like
little sparkles in the shafts of sunlight. Her eyes drooped and then
popped open.

"Oh!" she smiled at Zathris then Zelanka. "Daddy's private place."

She hopped up and went around the side of the desk to crouch. "Not
this desk. His old desk in my quarters. You remember Zelanka, he used
to have that in his room? The one he had specially made?"

"I remember how hard time we had to get it fit through the doors, when
it came," Zelanka said.

"So this goes to his old desk?" Zathris glanced at the key in his
wife's hand. "Perhaps we should go see what's inside it."

Zelanka nodded her agreement, she was too curious not to miss it.

"Yes," here eyes sparkled with excitement. "Who knows what we'll find
there. I hadn't even thought about it in turns. Shall we," she
suggested and turned for the door.

Zathris offered one arm to his wife, then the other to Zelanka. "It
should be interesting, just to look." Of course, what would they
fine? Zathris suspected they would most likely be papers, maybe some
notes, even journal entries.

"I admit being curious," Zelanka said, accepting the arm.

Last updated on the October 27th 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Key to the secrets (part 1/2)