"Are... Are you not able to be more specific with me? This is all you have?" I ask the messenger as they continue to pant for as much air as they can get, outside the front gates of my keep. I've offered to take them in for shelter and rest, but, they've refused as he needs to get back out there. Whoever this man is, I am glad that my Castellan was able to reach them.
As many people as I can find that are like this... All of them if need be.
"I... Am... I am sorry, The Lady Bosphama... This is all I was able to get right now. Word of emerald winds, a woman wreathed in gold... Helping people. I marked it down- h-here!" he explains as he continues to smack his finger on the roughly written on scroll.
"Thank you... Please, stay for the night. Have something to eat and drink at the very least!" I urge him as he already gets started on heading back the way he came.
"If Joastelan catches me, he'll have my neck!" they nearly laugh before they painfully start to limp off into the dark of the night.
"He's right, you know!" my castellan calls out with a chuckle as I turn back towards my home. Walking inside with my trusted friend, the guards close the heavy wooden gates behind us. Sticking to the well-lit path, Joastelan holds my arm as we ascend the steps. Though, I keep him close even after the need for him vanishes.
"He came with a location..." I breathe in disbelief as I shakily hand it over to my trusted member of staff. He takes it up and gazes sternly at the crude map, tapping its centre before a quiet groan comes out.
"She's in the lands controlled by one of Lord Burspharosa's lackeys, isn't he?" Joastelan asks as I come to a stop so I can clutch my exhausted head. A headache smashes up against the innermost walls of my skull but it feels like it is about to burst out onto my skin.
"Y-Yes... I recognise the names of these towns and cities. But, it's such a vast area..."
"How hard can it possibly be to find such a blatant foreigner?" he asks and I start to think back to my younger years. When I first met my husband, when Brewbrt travelled around the world with us for profit and adventure. With the Clockwork Baron and Errosalie...
A long time ago it all was, but, so much still remains clear to me. Even when I travelled with Brewbrt, the people of his land had trouble tracking us down even with me and my husband. A machine man and his archer-noble accomplice, we managed to remain hidden even then. It only sounds easy because describing Brewbrt makes it sound so blatant.
Look for the man with the potent magic gifted to them by the Mountain of Wind.
"I can get men searching the towns and the skies above in no time, My Lady Bosphama, do not worry." Joastelan assures me as we arrive at my private office. Moving within it, I send the maid assigned to it for this day out and I collapse onto my chair.
"You have all the trust I can possibly put into you... My honest liar..." I say, smiling as I tease him over our past.
He barely chuckles as he looks away, a hand on his sheathed weapon, "Bring her here?"
"Yes, Joastelan, when your men find her, bring my daughter home. I will spend some time with her before we finally put this whole issue to rest... I can finally wake up from the nightmare of these quiet halls." I answer as I look idly over at some of the scrolls I had brought in earlier. It's nothing important compared to what keeps me up at the moment, but they need to be done. Legal paperwork, requests and petitions from court...
I rub my face as the mere thought makes me hollow of anything that can be called energy.
"My Lady Bosphama, if I may, shall I carry you to your room?" Joastelan asks as he steps closer after unhooking some of his equipment. I shake my head with a violent disregard for my headdress and hair. Swiping some of the loose strands away as I slow down, he steps back.
"Have someone bring in something sweet... I... I need to..." I struggle to say as I get back to work as if I am a living corpse. So devoid of life and effort I might as well belong in a grave hidden away in the well-worked, metallic earth. A lid pops open and then a familiar smell manages to bring me back to life, if only a little.
"Go on, eat you stupid thing." Joastelan scoffs innocently as I slowly pop one of the formerly hidden sweets into my mouth.
"Oh... Ah... You know, I can have you arrested for that..." I limply let out as I bounce from side to side in my chair, suckling on the hard-boiled delight.
"Then you will never know about all the things I have set aside for you in preparation for your stupidity." he tells me as he takes a small handful out before he seals the tub up again. I moan miserably as I reach for the container, only for him to snatch it up into the air and gently toss it away. Masterfully, it lands on a nearby cupboard with a gentle slide that leaves the front facing me.
"Quiet you..." I mumble between popping the sweet from either side of my mouth.
"Keep on working for as long as these last then it's off to bed for you, My Stupid Lady Bosphama."
"Where do I keep my release forms...?" I ask anyone else present as I look around for the right paperwork. Joastelan laughs as he puts my attention back on task as the sweet suddenly stops on my right cheek. The flavour builds up to a usually unbearable degree, yet I keep it there. Steadily draining it down into a little pebble.
Flicking it over onto my closest line of back teeth, I crush it with a quick crunch.
"I know I am not in your employment for my literary or accounting skills, but, is there anything I can help you with, Eratheen?" Joastelan asks as he comes around, dropping to a knee by my side.
"You can keep your professional wits about you." I joke and warn sincerely.
"I will bare that in mind, My Lady Bosphama." he says with a smile as he rises back up, passing me over the piece of equipment I was devoid of. Maybe that is what he is good for right now, stopping the stress getting to me over the little things.
"Are you able to find me some forms that I can address to the..." I start to say as the name of the people escapes me. Groaning, I place my palm on my head and I suffer over it as I try to remember.
"This one?" he asks as he seems to get lucky giving me what I am after.
"Yes, yes... Thank you." I tell him as I start to sloppily write down what I need to. Only to spill the ink all over the paper, ruining it and many other things on my desk. Freaking up, I clench my hands tightly as my breathing slowly picks up.
Joastelan places his hand on my shoulder, then he pulls my chair out gently.
"It's alright, you're just tired. Maybe we should reconsider the sweets?" he goes as he takes the ceremonial tabard of his armour, staining it black beyond repair.
"No... Don't..." I mutter as he continues to ruin the last thing he should be using to clean up my mess.
"Stay." he orders as he moves to the door, sliding it open.
"Castellan?" a maid asks as he stops them.
"Go and grab the stuff needed to wipe down The Lady Bosphama's desk. If they are still good, help yourselves to the drops on the table. I will be taking The Lady Bosphama to bed, where she belongs." he tells them as he comes back to me, having left the door open. Initially trying to shove him away as a mixture of moans leave me, his hands break through to my shoulders. Pulling me up with no effort at all, I moan some more.
"Stop... I need to!" I say only for him to practically push me towards the exit of the office.
"No ifs, ands or buts. Straight to bed with you and I will come and get you in the morning." he informs me just as a main bows her head my way as we come out into the hallway.
"No... I am the Lady of the Keep, you will listen to me, Castellan!" I demand as a slight, static shock builds up in me. Letting the warning spell off, Joastelan groans as he shivers under the affliction of my power.
"As you have said, -I am your- castellan. My duty is to protect your personal residence to the best of my ability until death. When you are in residence, my duty evolves to encompass your safety in its entirety. If you wish to endanger yourself, then I shall protect The Lady Bosphama from that problem." he explains to me as he nearly slams open the door to my room. Gently nudging me into it, I stumble in, barely keeping myself off of the carefully laid and wonderfully soft carpet.
"I..." I start to mutter as he closes the door nearly.
"Oorika or one of your maids are better suited for this point, My Lady Bosphama." he tells me as he carries on closing the door.
"Joastelan, wait!" I snap and the door stops moving, his armour rustles slightly as we turn to face each other.
"Get some rest, Eratheen." he says but he remains.
"Just loosen my kimono of its belts, help me with my headdress... I will go straight to bed as is after that." I sigh and he nods, coming into the room as he closes the door behind him. Getting to work as best as I can, I guide his hands in the right direction. Funnily, however, despite how many straps and buckles he has to handle with his armour, he is struggling here.
I giggle quietly as he shakes a smirk at me.
"Come on you, stay in that bed there until a full week has gone by." he urges as I slowly slip into the bed. Diving under the covers, I awkwardly put my head up on the pillows as he untucks my hair out of the decorative metal. Pulling it out along with the pins, he places them down on a nearby tabletop before ensuring my quit is firmly snuggled up.
"Joastelan..."
"My Lady Bosphama?"
"Please stay until I fall asleep... Please?" I beg as my eyes start to water some more. Somehow, I still have tears to let out nowadays.
"Of course." he smiles as he places a hand against my arm through the cover.
"We will be able to help her, won't we...? You believe we can help my daughter?" I want to know, to hear...
"Even if we can't, My Lady Bosphama... She's your daughter, she will keep on going until she can't no more. A bit like you right now." he explains as he squeezes my arm gently.
"Seems quite easy to stop me from doing anything, right now..." I remark quietly as I push myself into the pillow slightly.
"You have done nothing but work since word came in about the Lady-Heir. You may be completely drained of every bit of effort within you, but I will earn the Housekeeper's envy and her staff will admire me for getting you in this room for any period of time." he says down to me as he starts to pat my arm.
Pulling the quilt closer to my lips, I rub the soft cloth along them and breathe softly. Closing my eyes, I try to keep them that way as my castellan continues to reassure me with his touch. One though dominates me incomprehensibly so, my daughter. She is back in our homeland after so many years away from it for the sake of her safety.
She's in danger and I need to protect her... My daughter, my little wonder of the world.
"Einervaene, mother is coming for you..." I mutter as I tighten my grip on the quilt.