As You Wish

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 31st May 2012

Characters: Erassa, Corowal
Description: What: Erassa brings a hard working Lord Holder his dinner...
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 7, day 17 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Felyna

Erassa used her hip to push the door the rest of the way open. "Since
it seemed you missed dinner with the family, I thought perhaps I should
bring your supper here instead." Otherwise she was quite sure Corowal
would forget to eat entirely.

"Thank you Erassa. I know I did miss it," Corowal replied, not lifting
his gaze from the hides spread across his desk. He was doing it
deliberately. Over working today so he could take the next day or two
more easier.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly. Did he really think he'd get away without
eating with her standing right there? "This tray is getting a little
heavy, sir. Do you mind clearing a space for it? Preferably in front
of you?"

"Oh, right, " now Corowal lifted his head and started to move the hides
into piles. Soon he had clear space in the middle. "Will this suffice?"
he asked bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Adequately," she said with a shrug as she set the tray down in front of
him. Erassa then pulled a chair closer and without invitation sat in
it, not intending to leave until she was sure he had actually finished
his meal. "I'll just wait so I can take the plates back with me. It
will save me a trip."

"Still watching over me?" Corowal asked with an amused chuckle. After
his first wife's death, Erassa had adopted that habit.

"I was charged with watching over _all_ the children in the Lord Holders
family," she said with a twinkle in her eye and a slight curl to her
lips. Erassa only teased him when they were alone. He seemed to enjoy
it.

"So you consider me a child too," Corowal said between mouthfulls.

"Only when you don't eat your greens," she said, pouring him a cup of
wine and offering it to him.

"Watch it, I'm your lord holder," Corowal said but his tone was light,
teasing one. He was very fond of Erassa, even if there was times when
she drove him quite mad. He had attempted to get her into his bed many times
after his first wife's death. She had resisted and now he was married to
Felyna. He still dreamed about Erassa.

"That won't get you out of eating your greens, Corowal," she replied
with mock sternness. The familiarity between them was a relief for the
foster mother. For Turns, she had tried her best to hide away from the
accusing eyes of the Hold. The Lord Holder had offered his protection,
and even in times of need, his comfort and support. He was the only
person she felt she could be herself around. And as tempting as it had
been to be his lover, to find a true connection with another human being
outside her son, she refused to be his dirty little secret. But she
knew, that still left her in a rather precarious position, especially
considering the recent news.

"Have you and the Lady Holder discussed my situation in light of her
pregnancy?" she asked, trying to keep her tone calm, not as anxious as
the subject made her feel.

"She wants to take care of the baby herself," Corowal replied. "How it
turns out in the end, is something that'll have to wait and see. The
older children still need you, especially Wallia," Corowal continued with
reassuring tone. With Wallia being blind, she would need someone to look
after her for rest of her life, probably.

"But if the Lady Holder needs a wet-nurse to assist her, you know I
can't help. My breasts haven't produced milk for months now." She
blushed ever so slightly at the word, and the inevitable image it would
conjure in his mind. It was good to remind him of her womanly qualities
from time to time. She might not sleep with him, but as long as he
still had some kind of attraction to her, she knew her position, and her
son's future, would be safe. But it was not something a woman usually
talked about with a man who was not her husband or her healer.

"Well, then I just had to find another woman to be wetnurse," Corowal
replied with a slight shrug. "But she's not even half way there yet, so
lets not make any far reaching plans yet," Corowal had already lost one
wife to birth
complications, so he was being cautious.

"I have a son to think of, Corowal. If it's possible that I might need
to find myself another home, I need to know as soon as possible. If
your wife _does_ need a wetnurse, what does that mean for _us_?" She
wanted, _needed_ some kind of assurance that she would not be considered
useless with another servant in their home.

"You won't be useless for many turns yet," Corowal replied. "Wallia
probably can't go to regular harper classes so she needs someone to
teach her in private," he continued, hinting that he consider her for
that job.

"Thank you for that assurance," she said, giving him a grateful smile.
"Though I'm not sure how I feel about knowing that eventually you will
find me to be 'useless', Corowal. No woman likes to hear that." Her
tone was teasing rather than accusing.

"Well, we all become *useless* one point or another," Corowal replied in
kind.

"_You_ will never live to see that day. You will die a Lord Holder, a
figure head for the Hold and an advisor to your son. Me, well, another
20 Turns and I will be useless in just about every way possible, unless
I can find myself a man to take care of." That was the only way a woman
could maintain her 'usefulness', after all.

"That's still a long way off," Corowal said. He had finished eating and
collected the dishes to neat pile in to the tray.

Erassa took the sign that he was done and ready to get back to his work.
She tried to never overstay her welcome. "Shall I come back and remind
you to sleep in your own bed if you haven't come home by the time I'm
ready for mine?"

Corowal was amused. "I think I find my bed all by myself. Unless you
want to join us?" he arched his eyebrows. He wondered what Felyna would
thought about _that_.

She shook her head with a roll of her eyes. He never gave, up, did he!
"You know my terms. If I will not be your dirty little secret, I
certainly won't do so for _both_ of you." Erassa stood and picked up
the dishes and tray. "But I will come back and make sure you get to bed
at a decent our. It will do neither of us much good if you work
yourself to death."

"As you wish," Corowal replied, since he was obviously not going to get
what he wished for. He didn't want to force her either.

Last updated on the July 1st 2012

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As You Wish