Behind Closed doors
Ilisys Azrubêl and
Arkadhur Halsad
at the former’s residence, Fifth Circle, Minas Tirith.
The eve of the day after Erulaitalë, – attended by
Lotte and
Gildolen
The plates were discs of polished pearl, rimmed with a single band of gold.
Lotte bore them through the house, one to each palm, and each of them festooned with a fair feast of sliced cold meats and grapes. The housekeeper manoeuvred her way through swinging doors with the practiced ease of an elbow here, a foot there. She had no need to estimate steps up and down, beyond the skirts which hid the floor from sight. Her dance was a practiced feat of balance. For service grew only more instinctual, as far as she was concerned; it did not grow infirm. And
Lotte had served this family, her family as she liked to call them, since she had first been permitted the honour, at a modest thirteen years of age.
Entering the parlour, she found
Gildolen like a proud young tree, sprouting out of the polished floor with his head thrown back on his neck, and a small silver tray entirely bereft of reason to bear it in both hands. The evidence was found in the possession of the Lady and her guest. A flute of red wine apiece which each of them employed in various intentions, save to drink. With a kindly sway of her head,
Lotte set a plate before each of the diners, and took up the young valet’s place. After all, their lady ought never be left alone and unchaperoned in the company of a gentleman. Not if they were later interrogated on the matter by the
Lady Eressild. And in particular .. this guest .. The Lord that was not. Not by any means. Not a gentleman.
Lotte knew. And she had instructed
Gildolen to be upon his guard, as much as on his best behaviour.
“
It has been nearly twenty four hours. Are you not intending to ask me ?”
Arkadhur raised a fork and chased a grape around his platter, without great thought toward piercing it.
For a long moment the lady did not answer, and then without glancing up, she wondered “
What would you have me ask you ?” Her guest did .. glance up. As though to check whether she had just truly spoken.
“
Whether I did,” he shrugged, flippant. Determined to inspire a fury out of her. Any sort of a reaction. What she must be thinking .. he could not know. “
What that girl said that I did ...”
Lotte did not trust herself to look, either toward the younger lady or toward he that sought her answer. Quite what had occurred at the festival, she had gathered from other sources since. The false lord had apparently helped the guard to recapture a fellow Umbarian. And had just as apparently committed assaults and attempted abductions of Gondorians the year before. On which counts he had never been held responsible. Counts which stood him guilty of the same thing that his re-imprisoned countrywoman had done. Without proof, which was meanwhile being sought for, he had not yet been arrested. Though he was very much expected not to leave town, while the City Guard looked into the new allegations.
“
It matters to you,”
Isys glanced up, weary, “
whether I believe you ?]”
Arkadhur put down his cutlery. “
You have believed me before,” he reminded her.
“
That was before ..” she agreed. It had been .. before she had realised that the man was not simply posing as an Umbarian, but rather was born of Umbar, and instead merely posing as a Gondorian. To say that this fact had made a world of difference was, though, to still touch only on the very edge of the problem.
“
I do not know how we have come to the after,” the man conceded confusion.
“
I believed you,” the lady recalled. And set grey eyes unto him as she added “
when I should have not”.
“
You listened to another, when you should have listened to me ..” The Umbarian all but scoffed. “
It was ..” he tried, raised both hands in surrender of that effort and began anew. “
I should not have listened to you either. You were the one who was the prophet of false hope ..” he accused her.
“
I gave you a chance,”
Isys reminded him.
“
You gave me nothing,”
Arkadhur scoffed, without shame.
“
I gave you every .. chance” the lady disagreed albeit without losing her temper, as words instead failed to properly convey her frustration.
It was at that point when the young valet,
Gildolen, returned. Citing a caller at the front door, as the cause for his interruption. When the lady of the house enquired as to the identity of her late night caller, she was informed. It was
Raxelilta. Domanol she deduced, then. Having directed her staff to see the latest houseguest to the parlour,
Isys rose from where she had been sat.
“
I shall see you upstairs,” she decided, of the Umbarian. “
And you shall remain upstairs, until I am done with matters .. downstairs. Lotte, please relieve Gildolen and tell him that Lord Menilzir is to be bathed.”
“
You had me bathed last night,” the man reminded his hostess, failing to halt
Lotte meantime.
“
I did,” the lady did not sound uncertain, though her agreement did not explain. . So she sniffed at her houseguest somewhat disdainfully, before waiving him into the custody of the freshly arrived
Gildolen. “
A second shall do you no harm,” was the mistress’s conclusion. And rather an easier admission than her want to keep him as far from able to flee about the streets. In a bathtub, he was as vulnerable as she could render him. For howsoever long it will take.
Yet it would not prove the bathing to be any sort of the problem. No sooner had the valet escorted their Umbarian ‘guest’ back up the stairs, but
Lotte had swiftly returned with words to press upon her lady’s ear.
“
My lady, there is a caller come,” the elder woman announced, meeting a resounding stare from the noblewoman.
“
Yes, yes. Raxelilta,” she recounted. “
In the parlour, I am aware. Thankyou Lotte”
Isys sat down at the abandoned table.
The servant stalled, just long enough to breed doubt in all those who observed her expression. “
Yes, Raxelilta”
Lotte agreed. “
But this one is at the kitchen door. The other ..”
Together
Isys and
Lotte peered around the door and in the direction of the parlour, then toward the kitchen.
“
So Addhor ? At the kitchen ..” the younger lady supposed, and was met by a nod that inspired no gladness. “
And Domanol is in the parlour ..” Fantastic ! There was an estranged brother at each of the two ends of the house. And an Umbarian in the bathroom upstairs … And she could not afford for any one of them to be aware of any other one of them.
“
Lotte”
Isys smiled even as she met the other woman’s eyes. “
Do not let either of them know that the other is here. Or who is upstairs. Oh, and Lotte ?”
“
Yes, my lady ?”
“
We are going to need more tea,”
Isys imagined. She blinked twice as the other woman absorbed the ask.
“
Yes, my lady,”
Lotte bobbed an assent then and hastened off to be about her dual task. Life was never boring.