• Closed • Tea for three

[Tristan Venora]

As Padraig replied, Tristan couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to imply that he was not clever and quick and couldn’t even wipe his own backside without help. He clenched his fists. Punching him had never seemed so appealing, but it would make Faith unhappy if he beat her tutor up. He wasn’t sure what she saw in the man – he was rude and somewhat plain - but he couldn’t make her unhappy, not even when she might have been lying to him all the time – although he was probably a fool for thinking like that.

“I have a university degree as well”, he informed Padraig coldly. “I’m more than just a leech that lives off his family’s money and fame. I was one of those bright and clever students you mentioned. I have been earning my own money since I was eighteen and bought everything you see here myself. So don’t talk about privilege to me.” Even as he said those words he wondered why he cared what that man thought of him and came to the conclusion that he didn’t. He just wanted Faith to understand.

“Then we agree at least on one thing”, he remarked as the conversation turned to the topic of getting along. “And I don’t really care what you think of my sculpture. I didn’t primarily make it to please people. I made it for myself because I like being creative. Do you ever do that? Be creative and invent new things rather than just studying what already exists?” The tone of his voice was harsh, and as he waited for the tutor’s answer he wondered if he should just grab the sculpture and hit him with it so that he would hate it even more, even if the guards would come to arrest him afterwards. He didn’t really care what happened to him anymore. He just wanted it to stop.

But then Faith looked at him with shock on her face, and (nearly) all thoughts about hurting Padraig disappeared. He looked at her in confusion. He didn’t understand what she was saying. Oh, he knew the words she was saying, but none of the accusations she threw at him made any sense. In that moment he wondered if it was even worth it. He loved her. He had given her the greatest gift that somebody could ever give another person, and the first thing she had done was go to another man. She had been so kind to him when he had freed her, so happy, and now she claimed that he had sent her to the brothel so that she could please him, implying that he had forced her? What was wrong with her? Why did she treat him like that? How long had she secretly been in love with Padraig?

“You told me that you would like to bring me pleasure and mentioned the possibility of training to me”, he reminded her. “We both decided to send you to the House of Roses. I would never even have touched you if I had known that you had a problem with it.” She had always seemed so happy when they had been together. Had she only slept with him because she had felt that it had been her duty? Had his touch in truth disgusted her? Did she secretly resent him because he had taken her virginity?

“And I only sent you to that man to be branded because it was the law, because they would have punished both of us if I had refused. Don’t you think I would have avoided it if there had been a chance? I’m not that cruel. I don’t enjoy causing others pain. You should know me better.” He broke off for a moment, and as he continued his voice trembled even though he was trying his hardest not to let them see how much her words affected him and how hurt he really was. He didn’t want Padraig to think him weak, not that man who had stolen her from him, as far as he was concerned.

“Does he really love you better?” he asked, very softly. “I would have given you the world, Faith, if you only you had given me a chance. I dressed you like a queen, in silk and velvet and took you to balls and the theatre. Please tell me, why him? What does he have that I don’t? And please … please tell me, could you have loved me if we hadn’t been master and slave, if things had happened differently?“

Had he made a mistake when he had agreed to let her have private lessons? She had only met Padraig because of him! But he couldn’t have said no, not even if he had known that she would eventually fall in love with her teacher and move in with him. He would never have denied her anything! Maybe, he thought bitterly, he was the biggest fool in Idalos. She insisted that she loved him and that she would always be grateful, but real love didn’t look like that.

As she informed him that they were going to leave, he was convinced that he was having some sort of nightmare. He desperately wished for it to be over and that he would wake up next to her in the morning again, that she would kiss him and they would eat breakfast together and just enjoy each other’s company. He had never been so happy as he had been with her. What would be left for him if she chose another man? A wife that his parents picked for him, backstabbers and lickspittles that were only nice to him because he was Duchess Ebony’s grandson? He didn’t want that kind of life!

“Please don’t go”, he begged her and positioned himself in front of the door so that they couldn’t just ignore him and would have to move past him if they wanted to go – although he would never force her to stay against her will. He wasn’t that kind of man. “Not like that. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted like that. It was unacceptable. I apologize – to both of you. Just don’t leave yet.” He didn’t only look at her, but at both of them as he said that.

She had promised him that she would come back every trial and help him, and he had believed her then, but now he was not sure if she wouldn’t break her promise. She had brought him here, told him to his face that she was in love with another man, and he feared that he would never see her again if he didn’t try to be polite to Padraig even if he wanted nothing more than for him to drop dead and for the pain to finally go away again.

In that moment he prayed to the Immortals, to any Immortal that was willing to listen, to show him the way and tell him that he had done the right thing, that he wasn’t just an idiot. He was completely lost and felt as if he was being punished for the first completely selfless thing he had done in his entire life. But he couldn’t have kept her as a slave forever, even if he had known what would happen because she deserved so much more than that.

[Padraig]

Clearly this man brought out the worst in him. A temper he hadn't quite realized he'd had, until now. The shot at the sculpture was unnecessary, and Padraig had known it. He still found it an abomination. But art was subjective, was it not?

However he didn't regret the part about Tristan's probable inability to lace his shoes on his own, or the inference that he could no more wash himself either without help. No. He'd meant that, and wasn't sorry. In truth, he didn't regret any of it much for what it might mean to the other man. It was Faith he didn't want to disappoint, hurt, or place in a difficult position. Her former master had lobbed one insult after another at him, from the time they'd first knocked on the door. And at other times talked past him. Padraig prided himself on being a man of reason.

And yet, so easily, this man had managed to provoke him. He wasn't proud of it, but wasn't prepared to apologize either. Which was why he'd like to have left then before the whole thing descended into a brawl.

But then instead, Faith spoke up, and he couldn't have been prouder of her. Even when she revealed what they'd agreed they wouldn't, he was prouder still and took her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. It was clear that she still cared about her former master. Padraig didn't like it, but he understood. In the scheme of things, Tristan had been kinder to her than anyone she'd been subjected to before. It made it difficult for her, he thought, to see the flaws in the treatment, and the aftermath of it.

He loved her all the more. But he had his own perspective, and it wasn't nearly as positive as hers. When Tristan spoke again, what Padraig saw before him was a master manipulator. If he'd been feeling more charitable, he'd have considered that perhaps, the man didn't realize, that he was simply a product of his own upbringing, his own ego, and had no idea the effect of his ways upon others. Perhaps it was a combination of both. But this was no child who could be excused for knowing no better. He was a grown man who ought to, but in Padraig's view, was playing on her sympathy and confusion for his own benefit. Maybe he even loved her, or believed that he did and feared he'd lose that connection. But what he was doing now, in Padraig's mind, was unforgivable.

If he'd pointed it out bluntly though, it would only cause Faith more pain. And it wouldn't reflect well on him either. "Not telling you we were involved was my idea. I thought it would be easier for everyone. In retrospect, it was a mistake, and I apologize for that." However, "But how would you know if you never asked, or even bothered to wonder, whether she wanted it or not?" he added, referring to them sleeping together. "Did it ever occur to you that for as long as she could remember, she was trained to please, to serve, to say yes...But never to say no? Did you care enough to ask her or did you only assume that your desires were also, by default, hers?"

"You dressed her in fine clothing, but you dressed her to please yourself and impress others. Did you ever ask her preference? Or consider that had she not been required to dress in that way, she might not have suffered the affects of a night in the cold and rain so much as she did, and become ill as a result? You branded her because it was the law," he agreed. "But did you ever stop to question that requirement, or consider using your name and connections to attempt to change the practice for someone you profess to love? Did you ever consider freeing her, and allowing her to choose on her own, to interact as equals, before someone else pressed you to do it?"

"I love her, and I have since before you freed her. I won't apologize for that," he said. "And I think that you believe you love her too. Maybe you do," he considered. "and I can hardly condemn you for that. But this?" He meant all of it, from start to finish and before that, from the time Tristan had purchased her. "Love ought not be a consideration of one person's needs and wants and not the other's. And it ought not be an attempt to shape the other's sympathy and affection through manipulation, whether you intend it or not." And it wasn't between master and slave, he implied, when the roles were played out not just in public, but in private as well.

He hoped Faith saw things clearly. Maybe she saw things as clearly as him, even if she didn't agree. But as much as he'd like it to be...that she'd seen things as he did, ultimately it was her choice, not his. And if he insisted, and they left outright, then he'd be no different than the man in front of them now. Maybe better he gave them time to speak without him present. It was a risk, he knew. But he loved her, and if he didn't allow her the room to see things clearly, her way, then he'd be a hypocrite of the highest order.

He turned to her then and squeezed her hand. "I think maybe the two of you have some things to sort out. And maybe it would be better, was I to wait outside?" It truly was a question. If she preferred it, then they'd leave together. Or they'd stay together. But if she wanted that private moment alone, to sort through this, to know how she felt and to speak her mind without worrying how he'd feel or what he'd think, then he'd excuse himself and wait outside for her. As long as it took.

[Faith Augustin]

She had spoken too quickly, too harshly and she regretted the words as soon as they were out. Tristan looked so hurt, so in pain by all of this and she knew that Padraig thought he was faking it, but Faith didn't believe that, not for a moment. They spoke, both of them and she did her best to get herself under control. Tristan moved to in front of them, Padraig replied and Faith looked between the two of them. Her eyes were wide, her emotions barely in check but they were, just about, there. She didn't answer either of them, not until Padraig offered to step outside. Then, she shook her head.

"No ... I need you both to hear, please. If you don't mind? I need you both to hear." Calm. She sounded calm, how interesting she thought. She didn't, of course, sound calm at all, but she was happily in the illusion that she did. She looked at Tristan and she looked at Padraig and she moved back over to the table, where she sat. "Please? Both of you" she gestured to the seats. With slow and deliberate movement, she pressed her hands together on the table, palm to palm and crossing the thumbs, one over the other. She lowered her head and looked at her hand as she spoke, not looking at either one of them.

"I think I'm not very good at it. Being free. Saying what I want to say, not what I should say. Please believe me that I have spoken nothing but truth to you. Both of you. I'm sorry." she bit her lip and continued "But there are things that I need you.. I want you both to understand. I believe you. I know you love me and I know you do it the best you can." She sighed a deep sigh, then continued " Tristan, I was terrified. I'd no idea what to expect, but you're right. I did speak first, offer myself. Jamal told me it would be expected. They were very kind there, but I was terrified. It was your right, though, and you were always gentle and kind and loving. I don't think a slave could ask for more than you gave." But a free person with the right to choose herself? That was a different matter "I told you the truth, Padraig and I aren't sleeping together. If and when we do, it will be on my terms, when I'm ready. I find that hard to grasp sometimes, and I'm struggling with it. But I guess that sums it up. The point I'm trying to make, I suppose."

She lifted her head and looked at Tristan and then Padraig, both slow glances and she sighed " But there's another side, too. Everything here was so much more than I believed or hoped. It prepared me. If I expressed a want, Tristan tried to meet it, to the very best he could. If he didn't, I'd never have started having lessons." Which was entirely true and worth saying. They'd never have met "I genuinely, absolutely believe that if I'd ever said that I wanted to be free", she looked at Tristan only then "Well, you'd have freed me, wouldn't you? But I couldn't say that. Even though, as I started to realise that I was falling in love, I started to think about what it would be like. Because your needs and wants and desires had to come first. I told you that, the very first trial, do you remember?" This was so hard and she just wanted to hide. She wanted to avoid the question but they deserved more than that, much more.

Both of them.

"I love you, Tristan. I can't be in love with you. But I tell you something and I want you to listen to me, both of you. Every ounce of love that I have learnt that I can give, every bit of me that is ready to be free is that way because of you, Tristan. I am sorry that I can't be in love with you, but your kindness made me realise that I can be in love. It is an enormous gift, to both of us", the last bit, she pointed out to Padraig as much as she did to Tristan. Because it needed saying. As she said that, though, she realised something and so said it to Tristan. "You are a kind and gentle man who has a lot to give. You love well, but you need to think about others now. You can do it, you did it with me. I think, if I'm entirely honest, you just never really understood what a slave is. I don't want to cry here, but Tristan, if I stayed with you, I'd hold you back too. You're freeing both of us, you know. Stop worrying so much about what others think and find a woman who you love for her and who loves you for you. Your choice. Not your family's, yours. She'll be difficult and impossible to understand, I think. Complex to the point of frustrating, but if you love her, truly love her, then she will complete you. That woman isn't me. If we'd met somewhere, a free man and a free woman, then maybe it would have been me. But I will always be the woman who used to be your slave and who you set free. And I will always, always, be your friend, no matter what. As long as you'll have me."

She sighed and lowered her head, then, looking back down at her hands together. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I am truly sorry. I would do anything rather than that, but I love Padraig in a way that I don't have words for. I told you I believe that if I had told you what I wanted, you'd have done anything? Right now, I want you to be happy for me. Just like I want you" she glanced at Padraig and smiled a soft smile "to understand that all the love I have to give you is because I learnt that I was capable of it here."

She breathed out a ragged, emotional breath, then fell silent and looked back down at her hands.

[Tristan Venora]

“Honesty would have been better”, Tristan replied coolly as Padraig informed him that not telling him that they were involved had been his idea. That revelation made him like the man even less, although he had apologized for his mistake. “I would have preferred to know the truth from the beginning. Maybe this here wouldn’t have happened then”, he continued although he wasn’t really sure about that. A part of him wished that they had never told him, that Faith had pretended that he would always be the only one for her and that Padraig was only a friend. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

Now though he couldn’t help but wonder if she had secretly been thinking of Padraig when she had been with him.

No, it had never occurred to him that Faith had been trained to always say yes, but never no, to please her master and put his desires before hers. Up until that point he had not realized how deeply ingrained the things that she had been taught were in her psyche. How could he have? He was one of the freest people in Idalos. He didn’t have to obey anybody. He could pretend to be the king and get away with it! The sudden realization made him feel quite miserable, but he’d be damned if he admitted it in front of Padraig!

“I didn’t only give her those clothes to please myself, but also so that she would feel more beautiful”, he retorted. “You have no idea what she looked like when I bought her. Jamal dressed her in rags, and she had to eat from a bowl on the floor like a dog! I thought she would just put on a different outfit if it was necessary! I had no idea that she would obey me even when she was away from me!”

He looked at Faith as he said this. “I’m sorry”, he said in barely more than a whisper. “If I had known, I would have worded my orders differently. I really had no idea …” He abruptly pulled his gaze away again. No, it had never occurred to her to question the law and use his connections to change things. He had been quite happy with the status quo. Seven, he hated that Padraig was right! He should have done something about it! But it was too late now. What had happened, had happened, and he would have to live with the consequences, and, Seven, he hated that! What was the point of realizing that you had made a mistake if you couldn’t undo it? Would he have to get a new house slave now so that he could do it the right way this time? That would be completely absurd!

“I didn’t free her because of Alistair’s letter!” he insisted. He wanted them to know that the letter hadn’t been the main reason for his decision, although it had certainly played a part. He had spent an entire night awake after he had received it, reconsidering his relationship with her and realized what he needed to do if he truly cared about her. It had nearly broken his heart because he hadn’t been sure if she would ever come back.

“I freed her because I love her, and I realized that you don’t keep the ones that you love as slaves. I don’t care what my cousin says at all!” The volume of his voice increased noticeably as he said that. Feking Alistair! The man had no business interfering with his life!

As Padraig called him manipulative, he was about to smile, but then he realized that the other man hadn’t meant it as a compliment, and he crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at him instead. He had not manipulated anybody on purpose! He’d just been … an idiot.

He was about to say more and had already opened his mouth to do so, but then Faith said that she needed both of them to hear, and he immediately closed it again. The fact that she called him kind and gentle and loving made him feel better - but only slightly. Maybe he thought, he should have questioned her more, tried to understand her more. But it had never occurred to him! What was wrong with him? What had he done to her?

“If you had asked me to free you”, he said and hoped that she was aware that he was speaking the truth. “I would have done so immediately. I would never have kept anybody as a slave against their will.” Was the fact that she had realized that she could be in love because of him supposed to make him better? He wanted to be happy for her, and he wanted to believe that he would eventually find another woman, but he found that hard to believe right now. He didn’t think that anybody short of an Immortal would ever be her match. Maybe, he thought, should just go back to the House of Roses, but the whores had stopped satisfying him completely after he had spent the better part of an arc with Faith (although he still went there occasionally, besides, some of the girls were his friends).

He wasn’t sure what he could say without making himself look like a fool again, so he simply looked at her for a while before he softly said, “I would love for us to be friends.” Being friends with her was better than not having her in his life at all, wasn’t it? He just wished that doing the right thing didn’t feel so bad. Why couldn’t he just turn those thoughts off again? “And I’ll try to be happy for you, although I don’t know how yet. Can you give me some time? I’ll try not to … dislike Padraig as much.” Although I can’t guarantee anything if I meet him in a dark alley, he thought bitterly.

[Golem]

Rewards

Name:

Faith

Knowledge:

Padraig: Can Act Polite
Padraig: His Patience has a Limit
Padraig: Loves You
Tristan: Slightly Self-Absorbed
Tristan: Desperately In Love with You
Tristan: Dislikes Padraig
Self: Old Habits Die Hard

Loot:

None

Injuries:

None

Fame:

None

Story:

5/5

Collaboration:

5/5

Structure:

5/5

- - -

Name:

Padraig

Knowledge:

Detection: Faith is More Nervous
Etiquette: Turn the Discussion to Others
Tristan: Shorter than You
Tristan: Possibly an Idiot
Tristan: Skilled but Immodest
Tristan: Different Ideas of Love
Faith: Nervous when talking to Tristan
Faith: Loves You

Loot:

None

Injuries:

None

Fame:

None

Story:

5/5

Collaboration:

5/5

Structure:

5/5

- - -

Name:

Tristan

Knowledge:

Padraig: Taller than You
Padraig: Common Man
Faith: In Love with Padraig
Faith: Did she Ever Want You?
Faith: Loves You

Loot:

None

Injuries:

None

Fame:

None

Story:

5/5

Collaboration:

5/5

Structure:

5/5

- - -

Comments:

Faith: No devotion for simply praying, but it will prevent devotion decay, should you not get any from other threads this season.

I also noticed this part in the thread, and considering how beautifully written the rest was, this part really stuck out.

Just at ankle height that beast was, she considered and, rather than making the tea, she just sat down.
In between the two of them and she folded her hands in her lap, fingers twisting around each other, tightening and relaxing.

For some reason this just strikes me as very awkward and I couldn’t figure out a way to say it that made it flow better.

"If it helps, look at me and ask me, if it helps?"

This part was odd too- not sure if you meant it to be weird- like she was struggling or babbling or not. As I read through the rest I noticed she did it several other times, but this time seemed…odd to me. Not a big thing, just thought it worth mentioning.

Padraig: Only One Etiquette knowledge for the same reason Tristan didn’t get any.

Tristan: Was going to give you some etiquette knowledge, but you already have 15, and there were no earthshattering knowledges I saw.

All of You:
Wow.

I don’t even know where to go from there. To say this is the best thread I’ve reviewed still doesn’t do it justice.

The way you all worked off each, and the way you all managed to spin things to your own characters perspective…I’m jealous of how well all of you write. The dialogue was dead on, the pace perfect and the interaction was gorgeous.

I’m in awe.

If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!