Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

Faith loved it here.

Scalvoris, generally, was a place which she called home and loved living. But this place, particularly, the Scholars' Nook, was delightful to her. It served cake, tea and it was full of books. Those were three of her favourite things and the young woman had used to spend quite a lot of time here. Used to being operative words. Because now, she had twins and they took all her spare time and focus. Especially at the moment, with Padraig still away on the expedition which he'd been on since the end of last season. She was busy and tired and she missed her husband so she hadn't been here for quite some time. However, this afternoon her father-in-law, Cyrus, had taken matters into his own hands and he'd told her that Katie and he were taking the babies out for the afternoon. So, their house was empty, since Luna had gone too, and Faith had thought that she'd take the time to catch up on some work.

But it was a conspiracy, it seemed. Trudi had told her very clearly that they didn't need her this afternoon and had more or less thrown her out, which Faith found a little offputting since it was her business. But when Trudi did it, she made a point which Faith couldn't argue with. "When Cyrus asks you what you did with your time, how much pleasure do you think he'll get from hearing you had a nice afternoon, Faith? Go and relax, for the love of all the Immortals!" Faith had to acknowledge that Trudi was right about Cyrus, so she somewhat begrudgingly made her way to the Nook. There, at least, she could sit and cake and drink tea and read. It would be like she was working, almost, but equally when she told Cyrus, he'd be pleased.

"Fine! I'll go and eat cake in the Nook," she'd grumbled and then made her way. She had to it admit, it was a nice feeling. So, she sat in her favourite window seat and kicked her shoes off under the table, enjoying the feeling of freedom in her feet and making fists with her toes in the deep rug. She had a cup of tea, a pile of books on medicine, and three quarters of a slice of chocolate cake uneaten. She had never built her appetite to the point of a normal persons but she very much enjoyed what she ate.

Leaving the cake and tea behind for a moment, Faith made her way to the shelf with the medicine books. There, with her back to the rest of the room, she spied a book on - of course - the top shelf which she wanted. She reached and then tried to jump but neither of them gave her the height she needed and she pursed her lips. "Pick on the short woman, why don't you," she muttered to the book and then stepped backwards with the intention of getting one of the many step ladders in the place. As she stepped, she bumped into someone walking past her, or standing behind her or even, she supposed, reaching for the book she'd been after.

She looked up to apologise and then she caught sight of who it was and Faith stopped dead. "Tristan?" Faith's silver eyes looked up at him, but they had changed. No longer just silver now, but tinged with a deep ruby red colour and her face burst into a smile. "Tristan, what are you doing here? Oh it is so good to see you!" Her first and immediate reaction was to hug him, delight on her face. "How are you? How are things?" She beamed at him "Oh hello!"

No matter what happened in her life, no matter where she went or what she achieved, Faith would always love Tristan Venora. She was sure of it because he was the first person to be truly kind to her. Padraig found it hard to understand, she knew - and she in turn understood why he felt that way, but he had not known her when first she had approached Tristan in the grounds outside the University. Her freedom began the moment he bought her, Faith knew. And so, she beamed with delight to see him and there was nothing except delight for a few trill. However, then she looked at him and a slight frown crossed her face. "You look tired," she said, her voice quiet and, as always, more suited to a library than anywhere else. "But by every Immortal, it is good to see you, Tristan."

He had run away? "I hope that if ever you need to run away, you run to where I am. I promise you, I would do the same." Not that Faith could imagine having to run away ever, but if they ever did then as much as Tristan didn't like Padraig - and as entirely reciprocated as that was, Faith knew that should they ever turn up at Tristan's door, they would be safe. Without question. She smiled up at him and answered "I'm good. The babies are beautiful, truly beautiful. I'm so.. I'm so in love with them, Tristan. Padraig is away, on an expedition." She missed him so much there was a hole in her chest.

The man with Tristan nudged him and asked if she was the Faith and she smiled slightly. "I might be simply a Faith. But Faith is my name. It's nice to meet you," she said, offering her hand. Then, to Tristan, she could not help it. "Tristan, they sell such wonderful cakes here! And I have learned to make chocolate and I make chocolate orange cake and think of you every time. Come, will you and your friend have some cake with me?" Putting her arm in his, Faith smiled. "And then, I'd love to show you where we live and you meet the children. Is Ayla with you?" Or had he left his daughter back in Andaris? "How's Mistral?"

He'd watched people burn alive? Faith looked at him and, unthinkingly and unconsciously, she put her hand on his cheek. "I'm so sorry you experienced that." Faith had no doubt that it would have been awful for him and she frowned as she considered it. When she had witnessed it, a person being burnt alive, it had been the smell which had been overwhelming, but then she had been very young and maybe that was why. But his cousin was a ruthless murdered? "Which one?!" Ayla was still aging and he had been... sea sick? Perhaps that last one wasn't quite as bad as the others, Faith thought but did not say. "Did you climb up to the Crows Nest?" Faith asked, looking at him with serious ruby and silver eyes. He would remember, no doubt.

They had been together, sitting in the crows nest of U'frek's ship when she had wondered, just for a moment, whether she and he could ever be anything other than slave and owner. They had shared a moment, she supposed. But then, there had been more than one of those and she remembered the Burhan ball and those awful shoes. And the look of eagerness on his face when he told her that they were going to walk there. Her grin was genuine when he said that he had run away to Scalvoris and she nodded. At his words, though, she looked utterly serious. He would confront the Immortals for her? "I know." Faith replied and she said no more than that, because no more needed saying. She would do the same for him. In a heartbeat.

"Noah and Madison," she said and she grinned at him. "I can't wait for you to meet them. You'll come see them, won't you? After cake, of course." She chuckled. slightly "We live in a house with a turret, on an outcropping of rock over a wooden bridge. It's wonderful there." It was, there was no doubting it. "But a little scary getting across," she admitted, honestly. "Padraig's grandfather and his wife live with us. And our friend, Luna." She was excited to introduce him to them, she said, genuinely and she absolutely meant it.

To Brandon, though, she smiled and shook his hand. "Well, I look forward to hearing what he's had to say," she said with a smile. "Oh, I'm glad, Tristan! I would love Noah and Madison to meet Ayla. That sounds wonderful." It did and she promised that she would cook them all a meal, whilst they were here. "You should come to the restaurant, too. Cally's."

Once they got settled down, Faith asked Caz, the owner, for a selection of cake and the woman was happy to oblige. Chocolate cake was a specialty here, Faith said and slid her half-slice over to Tristan without pause while they waited. She'd ordered herself some vanilla cake and she certainly wouldn't eat it if she finished the chocolate cake.

"So, what plans do you have while you're here? I'd be so happy to show you around," she said, genuinely delighted at the prospect. "It would be a pleasure. Have you got any specifics about the place you'd like to visit or... how much do you know about the locality?" That was probably a good place to start, she thought, as she grinned at the arrival of the cake. Caz couldn't help but look at Tristan with interest, wondering who this man was. Faith smiled to the owner, who also happened to be her friend and explained. "This is my friend, Tristan, and his friend Brandon. This is Caz." Greeting were exchanged and then Faith turned excited eyes to Tristan to hear his response.

"Darcy's sister," Faith said and nodded. Who was Darcy? Presumably Pythera's sibling, but other than that, who knew? Certainly not her. But then he spoke about Alistair saying that Tristan should be king and a deep frown crossed Faith's face. It was nothing to do with her, she reminded herself. Alistair was Tristan's cousin and she'd seen him here, not so long ago. But that was part of the problem. "Hmm." Faith said, and Tristan knew her too well to think there was no opinion there. But, like him, she was of the opinion that it was probably not the time and place to discuss it.

That they hadn't let him climb up in the crow's nest caused her to raise an eyebrow. "That is because you did not have me there to tell them that they must," she said with a grin. They'd gone up there because he'd decided it had been a good plan - although to this trial there were few words she regretted more than suggesting that he got further up that fateful journey. Still. On the subject of alchemy, she nodded. "You mentioned it," more than once, "briefly." His kitchen had been entirely reworked the last time she'd visited him, he might recall. Faith didn't ask him what it was that had caused him to start learning alchemy, she was moderately sure that she understood exactly. "Are you going to continue your study here at the University?" Faith wondered. He might not want to if he thought Padraig would be his tutor, so she added. "I am a professor of medicine there, Padraig of physics. He has his Charter in Physics with a specialism in astrophysics and a Diploma in Chemistry too." Pride shone from her and then she smiled at him as she realised who she was talking to. "But not alchemy."

Tristan answered her question, yes, he was taking some classes and then he spoke about the island. Brandon spoke up and Faith shook her head. "There is no need on my account. Whatever is easiest and most comfortable for you. Both." Either way, she said, she would be happy to take some time to explore Scalvoris with them. "The sands are astonishing. There is orange sand which is always warm and green which is always cool. There are flying rabbits called Flunnies and the mice are the size of small dogs. There's a volcano on a small island with a resort there, ice caves and a jungle. So many wonderful things." She grinned at him, although Faith was tired, there was no doubting it. "My restaurant is flourishing. Oh there are so many things I'd like to show you."

Very genuinely, she told him that she would love to see those things with him to spend time with Ayla. It was just good to spend some time with him. "I hope Ayla and the twins will get on well. " Though, she did have work at the University, in the Council, the restaurant and the associated businesses with that, "we've opened an orphanage, a soup kitchen and a mental wellness clinic. There's also a village of around one hundred people, all of who have jobs now, because of the work." She was enthusiastic, there was no doubt. But Faith was also tired. So very tired. Red eyes looked at him, though, with genuine enthusiasm as she asked. "Where would you like to start?"

When he was so graceful, so gracious about Padraig Faith smiled at Tristan. "They are," she said and her eyes met his for a moment, sure that he would understand her next two words and exactly what they meant. "Thank you." He and Padraig might never be friends, might well never get on but the simple truth of it was that Faith loved them both. Not in the same way, not at all and her heart belonged to Padraig completely. But this man sitting opposite her had told her that she was a person, that she had a right to have the feelings she did. He had held the door open for her to be ready to realise what she felt when Padraig came into her life and for that, she would always be grateful.

She smiled when he said congratulations on becoming a professor, but she wasn't sure that it was worthy of such. Mostly she was just too tired and overworked and stressed to think it was a good thing, but then she knew herself well enough to know that she wasn't quite her usual self at the moment. With a grin at his enthusiasm, though, she shook her head. "It's all sorts of colours. There is this rainbow sand which is quite astonishing. Many colours, like a rainbow, but no matter how small a piece you have, even one grain. It's all the colours."

His enthusiasm was as contagious as ever and she nodded. "We can go to the beach, yes. And to the restaurant. Anywhere you like." He said she looked tired, though and she stopped and looked at him. How did that happen, she wondered? She'd come back from going to bring back Elyna Burhan, exhausted and having not slept for trials, and he hadn't noticed then. Yet there was no doubting it, the man in front of her had changed and grown. He was a different one than the man she had known, which made sense. And yet, some things were true and always had been for them.

One of which was that Faith could not lie to the man she had once called 'Master'.

"I am tired." Faith said and she smiled at him slightly. "Padraig is away, I have too much to do. Some time off spent with you will be just what the doctor ordered." To Brandon then, she shrugged slightly. "I really don't know, to be honest." she replied. "It is many different colours in different places. This place is a very odd, quirky one." To Tristan she added, with a smile. "I think you're going to love it."

She would wait then, until he was ready and then, suggest that they came to her house, met the twins and joined her for dinner. Then, tomorrow, they could explore?

But only, of course, after they'd finished their cake.