this: Custom forbids a man congress with a girl of his household who is not his wife."
As Stavin looked into her eyes he felt his heartache renewed. "And so you remind me that even though I have proven myself, Dorvina can still never be mine, for no honorable man may take to wife any girl or woman of his own household." He looked past Sahrena to the Kel'Carin's oldest child and felt the emptiness in his belly grow. "Even so, you get your way," he whispered.
Dorvina answered him boldly. "Not entirely, and not in the way I would have chosen, but it will do." Her words burned like acid on Stavin's bleeding heart, and Sahrena took control before anything unfortunate could happen.
"I have already moved our things out of the master's suite. If you will follow me, I will see you settled."
Stavin nodded and followed Sahrena through the house. Though he had been there dozens of times in the past, he had never entered Barvil and Sahrena's rooms. The master's suite was made up of three rooms. The first room was the library. Shelves of books lined the walls, though there were bare places where books and small objects had obviously been removed. Next was the bedroom, and again it was obvious that many small items had been removed, but Stavin said nothing. While custom made everything in the house his, custom also allowed servants belongings of their own. By not saying anything now, Stavin was acknowledging that those missing items belonged to Barvil and Sahrena. Last was the armory. This room was bare except for the armor stand. Barvil's armor and weapons remained his so he could regain his honor in service to the town.
"If you will stand here, Master Stavin, I will help you with your armor," Sahrena said in a soft voice, but Stavin shook his head.
"Send Kar to help me, please. I'm—I don't want—"
"As you wish, Master Stavin," Sahrena replied with another bow.
As she turned to go, Stavin thought of something. "Please send someone to my parents' house for my clothes."
Sahrena again nodded and said, "As you wish, Master Stavin." Then she left, closing the door behind her.
Sahrena had only been gone for a few moments when there was a knock at the bedroom door. Stavin said, "Come," without looking. He heard the door open and turned to find a figure standing by the armory door.
"You sent for me, Stave—Master Stavin?" Karvik asked in a near whisper.
Stavin waved a hand for him to enter the room. "I need help with my armor, Kar, and I was embarrassed when your mom tried to undress me."
"Mom's that way. You know that. Stand tall," Karvik commanded and Stavin raised his arms slightly so Karvik could get to the straps on his sides. Even though Stavin was older by nearly two years, he still had to look up into Karvik's eyes.
Karvik reached up and started undoing the shoulder straps that held the breast plate to the back plate. "How did you manage on your own coming down the mountain, Master?"
Stavin sighed deeply. "This is so awkward. Coming down the mountain was easy: I didn't take it off. I only had one night, and it wasn't that bad sleeping in it. Not that I slept all that much." When the breast and back plates were off and hung on the rack, Karvik helped remove the rest of the armor. Then came the mail.
"This is finely woven mail. It fits you like a glove. What are you going to do when you start growing again?"
Stavin shrugged as he squirmed out of the mail coat and leggings. "I don't know, Kar. A year ago I was taller than you, but now you're taller by a hand. I haven't grown a finger in five years." Stavin finally got all the mail off, revealing the fine golden cloth beneath. "At least the dragon made the bottom half easy to get down."
That comment drew a snort of amusement from the younger boy. "First rule when choosing armor: Make sure you can squat in a hurry if you need to."
Stavin laughed. "Warmaster Kel'Horval certainly makes that lesson memorable, doesn't he?" he said with a grin. "I don't know how the dragon
As Stavin looked into her eyes he felt his heartache renewed. "And so you remind me that even though I have proven myself, Dorvina can still never be mine, for no honorable man may take to wife any girl or woman of his own household." He looked past Sahrena to the Kel'Carin's oldest child and felt the emptiness in his belly grow. "Even so, you get your way," he whispered.
Dorvina answered him boldly. "Not entirely, and not in the way I would have chosen, but it will do." Her words burned like acid on Stavin's bleeding heart, and Sahrena took control before anything unfortunate could happen.
"I have already moved our things out of the master's suite. If you will follow me, I will see you settled."
Stavin nodded and followed Sahrena through the house. Though he had been there dozens of times in the past, he had never entered Barvil and Sahrena's rooms. The master's suite was made up of three rooms. The first room was the library. Shelves of books lined the walls, though there were bare places where books and small objects had obviously been removed. Next was the bedroom, and again it was obvious that many small items had been removed, but Stavin said nothing. While custom made everything in the house his, custom also allowed servants belongings of their own. By not saying anything now, Stavin was acknowledging that those missing items belonged to Barvil and Sahrena. Last was the armory. This room was bare except for the armor stand. Barvil's armor and weapons remained his so he could regain his honor in service to the town.
"If you will stand here, Master Stavin, I will help you with your armor," Sahrena said in a soft voice, but Stavin shook his head.
"Send Kar to help me, please. I'm—I don't want—"
"As you wish, Master Stavin," Sahrena replied with another bow.
As she turned to go, Stavin thought of something. "Please send someone to my parents' house for my clothes."
Sahrena again nodded and said, "As you wish, Master Stavin." Then she left, closing the door behind her.
Sahrena had only been gone for a few moments when there was a knock at the bedroom door. Stavin said, "Come," without looking. He heard the door open and turned to find a figure standing by the armory door.
"You sent for me, Stave—Master Stavin?" Karvik asked in a near whisper.
Stavin waved a hand for him to enter the room. "I need help with my armor, Kar, and I was embarrassed when your mom tried to undress me."
"Mom's that way. You know that. Stand tall," Karvik commanded and Stavin raised his arms slightly so Karvik could get to the straps on his sides. Even though Stavin was older by nearly two years, he still had to look up into Karvik's eyes.
Karvik reached up and started undoing the shoulder straps that held the breast plate to the back plate. "How did you manage on your own coming down the mountain, Master?"
Stavin sighed deeply. "This is so awkward. Coming down the mountain was easy: I didn't take it off. I only had one night, and it wasn't that bad sleeping in it. Not that I slept all that much." When the breast and back plates were off and hung on the rack, Karvik helped remove the rest of the armor. Then came the mail.
"This is finely woven mail. It fits you like a glove. What are you going to do when you start growing again?"
Stavin shrugged as he squirmed out of the mail coat and leggings. "I don't know, Kar. A year ago I was taller than you, but now you're taller by a hand. I haven't grown a finger in five years." Stavin finally got all the mail off, revealing the fine golden cloth beneath. "At least the dragon made the bottom half easy to get down."
That comment drew a snort of amusement from the younger boy. "First rule when choosing armor: Make sure you can squat in a hurry if you need to."
Stavin laughed. "Warmaster Kel'Horval certainly makes that lesson memorable, doesn't he?" he said with a grin. "I don't know how the dragon
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