Dragon Age: Chapter Two - Paved in Good Intentions

The Hall where lunch was being served was one of the smaller dining areas within the keep. "Small" however, might be a misnomer for the room. In the center of the hall, a circular dining table had been arranged with proper place settings, glass ware, and decor. Around the edges of the room, tables offered a look at the meal which was going to be served. Fine drinks, meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, and desserts all ringed the room, being guarded silently by a staff of caterers, butlers, and attendees.

The food is not meant to be eaten buffet style, but is there for perusal by the guests so they can select what they would like to eat before sitting down. Already in the room are both Shanen and Lyra. Shanen is standing, per custom, to meet the guests as they arrive. Lyra is already seated in one of the chairs, flanked by two large, well armed guards. Lyra is stripped of her weapons for the event, and dressed in a simple gown, owing to the request to arrive "In Style".

Sunlight poured through the windows of Hamelton's Keep, signaling to those inside that it was time to wake up. The air was filled with sounds of life. The birds sung in the air. Villagers were trading at the morning market. Horses and carriages entered and exited the village and Keep. Everything was operating within Hamelton's domain as it should be.

Except that there was a demon running on the loose within the domain.

Alaric's eyes snapped open. His hazel eyes stared vacantly forward for a few minutes, devoid of life. He took a few shallow breaths. Other than that, he laid perfectly still. A caricature of repose. Alaric's attention was not on the physical world. Rather, it was focused on the metaphysical world; the world beyond the realm of mortal senses. The realm of the mystical arts. His otherworldly senses reached out from his center and flowed through his room; his place of power. Alaric was checking on the hundreds of spells he had hung to ensure they were undisturbed. He meticulously examined every spell, searching for any sign of imperfection.

Alaric left his bed, confident that his spells remained undisturbed. All weavers of the craft had their own place of power. Alaric's room was his place. He spent well over a hundred years preparing every spell that he could even need. Very little could stand against the White Necromancer here. As he reached for his robe and bathing utensils by his washing basin, he spotted something out of place here out of the corner of his eye. That was when he noticed the gentle amaranth scent.

Amuria.

She was sleeping next to his bed, curled up on his reading chair. Her hair spilled over her ceremonial outfit from the night before. She possessed a subtle beauty behind her lascivious body that he admired. Though now was not the time. Fabian always claimed her as his own. Such bonds should never be tampered with. Alaric knew he had to hurry and bathe. She may awaken at any time. So he did just that. He washed his body and hair at the basin and dried himself, donning a silver robe. His dark hair was pushed back so that his handsome, still unshaven, face was visible.

He walked over to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder, careful to pull back his own aura so not to damage her.

"Amuria," he whispered in his preternaturally calm voice. "Amuria, it is time to awaken."

The night before ...

Amuria wrapped a piece of cloth around her hand before anyone could see the mark, she knew many would feel uneasy at the fact she had a Demon eye on her left hand. She watched as Fabian ran over the hill to the ceremonial ground, guards following behind.

When they had managed to get Alaric back to his room, Amuria told Fabian she was staying to make sure Alaric would be alright. Fabian protested, but trusted her, and left for their room. Amuria took a seat in the chair and quickly curled up and fell asleep.

Amuria's dreams ...

Demon, Demon... She could hear people screaming. She didn't understand why they were running away from her, a tiny elf, who would be afraid of Amuria? Then she caught a glimpse of herself in a shop mirror. Her skin was black, her eyes were a bloody orange, her hair had turned a dark red. She jumped back from her own reflection, then stood around in the rubble, the hell she had created. Her, Amuria, probably the purest soul anyone could ever meet, had become a hellish monster. A Demon.

And Now ...

"Amuria,", A Soft voice called her from her dreams, her eyelids began to flutter open. "Amuria, it is time to awaken." She sat up as she felt a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. She rubbed her eyes and looked up from her chair. "Alaric!", She said, with a bit of surprise. "You're awake ... Are you feeling well?", She stood, brushing her fingers through her hair.

Alaric examined Amuria's face, looking for any sign of distress as she awoke from slumber. She looked a little disorientated, though nothing unusual.

"Alaric!", Amuria's voice was a mixture of surprise and song to Alaric. "You're awake ... Are you feeling well?" Alaric took a step back and extended his hand, assisting her as she rose to her feet. She ran her fingers through his stood, brushing her fingers through her tresses. Alaric released her hand.

"I am feel well," Alaric replied to her, casting his gaze towards the window. "Though my health is not my primary concern. Something...." Alaric's voice dropped an octive, emphasizing the importance of his words. "Something happened which caused the Ritual of the Harvest Moon to let something into this world that should not be. I need to know what happened during the ritual that caused it to break." His gaze moved from the window to his staff and wand, both next to his bed. He reached for them and took a hold of his equipment while listening to her response.

"Something broke the ritual ... That I know.", Amuria looked down at her hand, which was still wrapped in cloth as she remembered the dreams she had from the night before. "I ... do not know what caused it to break.", She replied, honestly not remembering what caused her focus to break. She bit her lip a moment and began unraveling the cloth on her hand. "That spirit ... That demon ... It did this to me.", She fought to keep herself from crying, though she obviously was upset.

There on the top of her left hand, Alaric could clearly see an eyelid. Though, it lacked eyelashes, it was clear what it was. Burnt in was a symbol, not a pentagram or anything evil, but a lotus shaped burn surrounding the eye. She could hardly look at it, it made her sick to think some demon had been able to easily do this to her. She was a very powerful Mage, she hated to think that she couldn't have stopped it. But most of all, her good heart did not want her dreams to come true. She didn't want to turn into a demon. She didn't want to be evil, that much was clear. She looked up at Alaric, searching his expression and waiting on a reply.

Fabian walked down the hall, he had been pacing in his room all night, sharpening his knives and daggers. He felt uneasy, like this was somehow his fault. He had stopped for but a moment to check himself and adjust his posture and compose himself. He breathed deeply at the door.
"okay....calm."
His heavy hand fell short off the door and simply fell by his side again.
"i can't do this...not after last night."
Fabian turned and headed back down the halls, taking the winding stairs back towards the courtyards.

Alaric took a couple of steps to his left to grab a leather pouch for his wand. His eyes were locked on Amuria, listening to her explain what occurred.

"Something broke the ritual ... That I know." He tied the pouch to his right side and slid the wand into it. Amuria's eyes no longer met his. She looked down at her hand, wrapped in a cloth bandage. Alaric followed her gaze down to a cloth bandage wrapped around her hand. It was not tight enough to assist with any healing. It was there to obscure. "I ... do not know what caused it to break."

Alaric showed no reaction as Amuria unwrapped the bandage from her hand. "That spirit ... That demon ... It did this to me." Her eyes welled up with tears, though none escaped. She held up her left hand, revealing an eyelid surrounded by a lotus. His face was a mask of indifference. Alaric extended his arm, pointing at a table on the far end of his room while giving her a slight bow. The table was under a window overlooking the Keep's courtyard. The sunlight was illuminating everything on the table. Test tubes, a magnifying glass, chemicals, and an assortment of other strange devices littered the table.

"With your permission, Amuria. I would like a chance to examine this infliction." Amuria agreed and both of them went to the table Alaric gestured to. He had her lay her hand on the table and gave her strict instructions not to move her hand under any circumstances. He carried out a series of tests on her hand, some of them magical while others mundane. Alaric took very careful notes at the conclusion of each test.

An hour passed.

Alaric stood up from his seat and glided to the door, opening it up. He summoned a servant and made an odd request. A pair of white silk gloves. The servant rushes off. Alaric returned to Amuria's side. He moved the chair so that it would be facing her and st down on it. He took her hand into his and stared down at it, waiting for the eye to open. He measured his words carefully.

"There are several possibilities for what may have happened to you," Alaric spoke calmly to Amuria and squeezed her hand in an attempt to be reassuring. "This may be a sign of a curse. Or it could be forced shape shifting. Maybe the demon planted an egg within you and this is how it will manifest before hatching. There is a chance the demon may have accidentally left something within you, infecting you somehow."

Alaric looked up at her, staring into her eyes. His thumb sliding across her hand. Alaric's voice softens. "We will find the solution to this, Amuria. I promise you that." Alaric looked down and realized what he was doing. He released her hand just before they heard a knock at the door. Alaric sprinted to the door and flung it open. It was the servant, holding an open box with a pair of white silk gloves within it. Alaric snatched it and closed the door, returning to his chair. He presented the box to her.

"I believe these gloves will be far more befitting of a lady of your status," Alaric said to her. "It will hide the infection from prying eyes....."

His words trailed off, looking out the window at the sun.

"Though we should be off soon. You must seek out Fabian to prepare for the meal His Eternal Grace invited us to. I must make preparations too....."

"This may be a sign of a curse. Or it could be forced shape shifting. Maybe the demon planted an egg within you and this is how it will manifest before hatching. There is a chance the demon may have accidentally left something within you, infecting you somehow."

Amuria gasped, her eyes widening into saucers. "A-A... A D-Demon spawn? Ins-side me?", That was nearly enough to make her faint, though she knew in the back of her head how unlikely it was. She shook her head, trying not to freak out. Then she felt Alaric's thumb slide across her hand, that was immediately enough to snap her out of it. For a moment she caught his gaze, before blushing as he realized what he was doing. He quickly got up and sprinted to the door. While his back was turned, Amuria smiled a little and bit her lip, regaining her composure before he came back.

"I believe these gloves will be far more befitting of a lady of your status," Alaric said to her. "It will hide the infection from prying eyes....."

"Oh, Alaric ...", She said, running her fingertips over the gloves. "They're beautiful. I cannot thank you enough.", She smiled softly.

"Though we should be off soon. You must seek out Fabian to prepare for the meal His Eternal Grace invited us to. I must make preparations too....."

"Yes, I suppose I should find something more suitable to wear. Lord Teryn is quite kind to invite us to such an elaborate meal."

Alaric stood silently at the doorway, one hand grasping the door, watching Amuria walk down the hall after she exited his private chambers. He had suspicions on her affliction, but he did not see the need to alert her to it. Most magical ailments were exacerbated by the belief victims had in it. Preventing her from truly knowing what it was may help stave off the effects of the worst of it and allow her own magical defenses to protect her. Alaric did not know for sure. There were too many unknowns. What was that demon? How did it arrive? Who broke the ritual? Why did it leave?

Alaric frowned and shut the door. It slammed closed with a satisfying thud. He had little time to waste. The Hamelton meal was imminent. He slid the heavy latch on his door to lock it. Alaric did not want to be disturbed for those few minutes while he confirmed a suspicion he had. While Alaric was weaving spells to examine Amuria, he felt a weakness within him.

Alaric hastily moved to his herb supply cabinet and opened it. Hundreds of herbs, flower petals, seeds, roots, and other assortments of greenery were stored in perfectly organized vials. He reached for a vial of euphorbia, pulling it off the rack. He brought it close to his hazel eyes to examine it. It appears to be the right amount, he thought to himself. Alaric grasped the vial in his right hand, closing the cabinet with his left, and walked to the adjacent cabinet. He need a blue aventurine quartz for the next part. It was known for balancing energy. It would detect any form of instability. That is what concerned Alaric. He opened the cabinet and grabbed what he needed, closing it.

Alaric walked swiftly to his examination table, robes flowing freely behind him. He placed his right hand down onto the table and got to work. He brought the vial to his mouth and pulled the cork out with his teeth. Alaric took a deep breath and poured the content of the vial onto his hand. The euphorbia drizzled down on his hand, covering it in interesting patterns. Following this, Alaric set the vial down onto the table and grabbed the blue aventurine quartz, holding it parallel over his hand. Alaric began slowly moving the quartz in a small circular pattern, muttering "Jano kimya naing aung san ba" over and over again.

Some of the euphorbia shifted on Alaric's hand on its own, confirming his suspicions. He damaged his own soul while channeling raw necromantic energies. It was healing, but it would take time. Alaric could not safely weave his craft until he was whole. The euphorbia showed he should be complete in a day. He hoped he would be able to accomplish his task of protecting his master's favored son.

So Alaric placed the quartz on the table and wiped his hand clean on the towel he kept next to him. He walked to the door, tossing the used towel onto his nightstand, and unlocked his door. Alaric grabbed his white dragonbone staff, heading off to the meal.

Alaric stood outside the door, waiting for Lord Shanen to announce his entrance. It seemed appropriate for the Court Mage to enter at the beckoning of his master.

Amuria walked down the hallway, the small piece of cloth wrapped over the mark as she did not want to dirty the gloves before she had bathed. She knocked on the door to her and Fabian's room, the door creaked open slowly, revealing an empty room. "Fabian?...", She said, in a sing-song tone, closing the door behind her and locking it. He was nowhere o be found.

With the security that he wasn't around, Amuria began stripping and carefully putting her ceremonial garb into a chair to be washed later. She loaded the water basin with fresh water, steaming and enticing her to cleanse herself. She began washing herself off, cleansing her hair and every inch of her flesh, before drying off with a towel and spritzing her skin with the scent of champagne and lilacs.

She styled her hair in a braided updo, that took the form of a flower on top of her head. With little butterfly looking braids leading up to it. She primped herself, then began hunting for a suitable dress.

"Ancestors, I have nothing to wear ...", She said, digging into her bag. Then at the very bottom, she spied a beautiful dark blue dress with sequins. It looked like the night sky with stars. It was long, with a slit up the side and a corset back. She hadn't meant to bring it, but she was glad she had.

Amuria slid her petite but womanly frame into the dress, careful not to rip or nick a bit of fabric. She pulled the ties, securing it. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but blush. A shy smile crossed her lips as she slid her hands down her curves. Secure in the fact that she looked gorgeous, she reached for the white silk gloves and put them on. She truly felt like a lady.

But now, She had to find Fabian and dress him. She sighed, hoping he would return soon so she wouldn't have to go out and fetch him.

Fabian napped under the tree in the yard, the gaurds and servants scampering about preparing things for the evening meal, to which he seemed oblivious to. His mind was clouded and hazy with the bleak images of his coming to the clan scattered throughout. there where wolves everywhere, screams of pure pain and terror as his mother clutched him in her arms, panting heavily ash she ran from the place they once called home. they were pursued, the wolves seemingly larger and more limber than the usual dogs that hunted in the area, they scared him. the Wet drool flinging from their lips as they ran.
"sir!" fabian awoke to a guard kicking his foot "the feast is soon and i suggest you get a move on and prepare, they'll not wait for the likes of a knife ear."
Fabian glared at the man with a menacing smirk across his face, showing more teeth than lip as he stood.
"but of course. Would hate to keep the meal waiting."
He strode off towards the keep and ascended the staircase to his room, cracking his neck as he stood by the door. he placed his hand on the handle and entered, stunned slightly that Amuria was already inside and waiting.
"my my, don't we look ravishing? I really don't see why me must attend this shems little meal. it's clear to me at least that he doesn't look favorably towards us." Fabian threw his coat over a chair and removed his shirt, his back turned to Amuria as he dug through the drawers in the room for a slightly more formal attire.

Amuria looked up as she saw the door open, Fabian shockingly acknowledged her appearance. "my my, don't we look ravishing? I really don't see why me must attend this shems little meal. it's clear to me at least that he doesn't look favorably towards us."

"I must disagree, dear. I have been treated quite kindly.", She said, looking over at what he was picking out. "Do try to wear your best. I want to make a good impression. We are basically the 'Royalty' of our clan, we must act as such."

Lyra had an elbow on the table, and her chin resting on her fist. She looked mildly bored at the proceedings, and none to pleased to be back in a simple gown. Her eyes flicked upward as Alaric was announced. She stared at him as he walked through the doors and into the room. Innately distrustful of the man, her eyes narrowed lightly as he approached the table. She raised her chin from her hand, and lowered her arm fully to the table, her fingertips dangling off the edge easily.

"You would be the first to arrive." Lyra said, muttering mildly. "At least the thief and the warrior might be a good time..."

Amuria and Fabian arrived at the hall, not quite stepping into the room yet when Amuria just stopped walking. Fabian felt the dead weight on his arm and turned around to look at her.

"What is it?", He asked.

Amuria's cheeks were a bright red and her eyes were widened. "I-I... I'm embarrassed. Idon'twannagoIdon'twannagoIdon'twannago.", She said, shutting her eyes tight and shaking her head.

"Why are you embarrassed, My love. You look ...", He paused for a moment, eying her over. "...Stunning.", He added.

That only made her blush more, Fabian never complemented her like that. He put his hand on his hip and looked at her. "But, great, I didn't want to take part in the Shem's meal anyway.", He huffed. "We can leave if you like."

"It's just ... After what happened last night ... And the way I look. I-I......I am shy.", She said, looking down.

"...After what happened last night.", After that Fabian blacked out, he didn't hear anymore. He just kept repeating what happened in his head.

"...Let us go.", She said, taking Fabian's arm as she started into the meal hall. This time, it was her that felt Fabian's dead weight on her arm.

"Go without me, Amuria. I'll be right in.", He said, his voice shaking. "But Fabia-", She protested. "Please, Amuria. I feel sick. I do not wish for you to see me like this. Just allow me some air." With that, she nodded and headed in. Fabian stared off into space, thinking about the previous night's events.

Amuria walked into the meal hall, she just stood at the door a moment thinking about running. She had intended on hiding behind Fabian. Again, she blushed and looked out of place, yet absolutely beautiful with her long Amaranth hair up in the intricate design. And her deep blue dress with the sequins that fell like stars and hung beautifully on her womanly curves. She didn't know where to sit, so she just slowly started walking to the table, nervously.

The tapping of a his staff proceeded Alaric's entrance into the dining hall. He slowly walked into the room, staring blankly forward. His dark embroidered robes flowed around his body from the currents of mana naturally sweeping past him. He gave a slight bow to Lord Shanen and entered into the dining hall, using his staff as support. His unnaturally cold presence filled the room, chilling all it touched.

He saw the Bandit Queen out of the corner of his eye sitting at the table. Her existence owed to His Eternal Grace's mercy. She showed no deference to anyone here. Rather, she spoke to Alaric. Her words sounded like poison to his ears. "You would be the first to arrive. At least the thief and the warrior might be a good time..."

Alaric merely bowed his head as a sign of greeting while never taking his icy hazel gaze from her. Even his words carried a chill. "My presence here has little to do with your entertainment, my Queen. I am a humble servant. If it is entertainment that you seek, the court jester can be summoned to perform for your personal amusement."

Another presence entered the room. Alaric's head snapped towards the door to see who it was. His dark hair whipped around his face before falling limply. It was Amuria, coming toward the table..appearing....nervous?

"Lady Amuria," Alaric spoke quietly. The guards and servants close to Alaric did a collective double-take. None of them knew Alaric could sound like this. His voice was often described as the voice of the dead. "You appear troubled. Did something happen to your betrothed? Or did someone here fail to treat you with respect? I shall see to their punishment personally."

Alaric moved to intercept Amuria and reached for her gloved hand. He took it and brought it to his lips, kissing it as a form of respect.

"My presence here has little to do with your entertainment, my Queen. I am a humble servant. If it is entertainment that you seek, the court jester can be summoned to perform for your personal amusement." Alaric said, icily. Lyra smirked.

"Well, well - the Ghoul does have a sense of humor." She replied, her tone somewhat sing song - mostly in an effort to annoy Alaric.

The elven... noble woman? Lyra wasn't quite sure what she was... she and her counterpart had come out of nowhere. Well anyway, The Princess approached next - looking somewhat shaken, despite her gorgeous attire, and perfectly collected accessories.

"Lady Amuria," Alaric's voice actually warmed. The guards and Lyra had matching expressions of incredulity. "You appear troubled. Did something happen to your betrothed? Or did someone here fail to treat you with respect? I shall see to their punishment personally." He kissed her hand, watching her carefully.

Oh my, it appears I was mistaken. This little love triangle might be amusing indeed. Lyra thought, smirking boldly - she really didn't care if the others read the amusement in her eyes. She flicked her eyes to Shanen to see if he had an opinion on the topic. She studied his expression a moment, her eyes lingering, before she looked back to the drama unfolding before her between the Ghoul and the Princess.

Kethrii stirred in her sleep, wanting to snuggle deeper into her pillow, but something was doing its best job to tickle her nose. She groaned, fidgiting, trying to brush it away, but it was of no use.

Her eyes opened, squinting in the overly bright light around her and she wondered for a moment if she'd forgotten to close the curtains last night, when she fully realized what exactly it was that had been tickling her.

Nestled dead-center on her chest was none other than a rather plump, white, chicken. The bird tilted its combed head at her, giving her a questioning cluck as Kethrii stared at it in confusion.

Coming to, she struggled to remember what had happened last night and where she was when her hands grasped straw beneath her. It wasn't the sort of neatly arranged straw that comes woven for a bed, but the sort of haphazard heap of the stuff that can only be found in a pile of hay.

Grabbing the rather round chicken on either side of its body, she lifted it off her, which it did not seem to appreciate, and sat up with a groan. Her eyes scanned the area - she had indeed fallen asleep in a heap of hay, but she wasn't entirely sure where or why. Her brain felt muddled, and the lack of anyone beside her certainly didn't help jog her memory.

That was when her eyes landed on Kell. The warrior was also asleep in a rather uncomfortable looking position a few feet away. It seemed as if he had fallen, butt-first into a large barrel and decided it wasn't worth the trouble of getting back out before taking a nap. His armor and overall bulk was doing a fair job of keeping him from slipping farther into the barrel, but she was willing to bet he'd have a few cramped muscles when he awoke.

Her mouth quirked into a grin as the evening slowly came back to her - their night of cards and drinking to simply get out of the keep for little while to kill time before the luncheon.

The luncheon.

Panic welled up inside her as she tilted her head upward, struggling to see where exactly the sun was through the rotted wood slats in the overhang above. Looking up proved to be a terrible idea as a wave of dizziness washed over her, but she tried to shrug it off, strambling to her feet as she staggered over to Kell, swearing in elvish all the while. She grabbed his shoulder, shaking it for all she was worth until the warrior finally roused from his heavy sleep.

"Kell!!" she shouted at him, as he seemed rather wont to roll over and go back to sleep, despite the difficulty of doing so while stuck into the top of a barrell. "The luncheon! We're going to be late!!" Her hands battered his armored shoulder as he seemed to slowly snap out of his drink-induced slumber.

His eyes blinked several times before they widened, the same note of panic that had just struck her now crossing his face as well. She tugged his large arm, pulling him forward to tip the barrell over as he landed shakily on his feet.

"C'mon!!!" she shouted, not waiting for his response as she dashed off in what she hoped was the direction of the keep, the wind blowing feathers and bits of straw from her red hair.

"Lady Amuria,", She heard Alaric speak her name in a gentle tone, the guards seemed surprised that his voice could hit that tone. Thank the ancestors. She thought, relieved that he noticed her. "You appear troubled. Did something happen to your betrothed? Or did someone here fail to treat you with respect? I shall see to their punishment personally." Alaric spoke before taking her hand and kissing it gently. She returned the gesture by pulling at the side of her dress, putting one heel behind the other, and dipping into a curtsy.

"I-It's several things. And N-No ... The guards, the staff, everyone has been very kind. I'm just ... Not accustom to formal events. I've been to a few, but they were all inside my own clan. Where I knew everyone. I'm not too ... Social.", She said, but smiled softly anyway. "Also Fabian is acting ... Strange. He said he was sick, told me to come in without him. But, I am sure he is fine."

Fabian wandered the upper halls, stopping and leaning on a window. he peered out among the light glows over the hills. the fires of the darkspawn were easy to spot at night.
We should have left with the clan....i'v made her miserable.
Fabian felt quite ill at the thought that he had dragged his betrothed off to follow his own path and not hers. He wondered how she was getting on at the diner and decided to head back. he Cracked the door open a touch and caught a glimps of the mage holding Amurias hand. his eyes narrowed and he placed a hand on his blade as he witnessed him place a soft kiss on her glove. pure anger filled him and he turned and left the halls, back down to the courtyard to which he had become familiar with.

Alaric stood stoically while Amuria's curtsied. It would be unthinkable to react to it in any way, as it would give the impression of intimacy. Her virtue was at stake, and Alaric refused to sully it. His eyes were locked on her, though his damaged mind and soul were elsewhere. Alaric could not sense with any degree of accuracy currently, but he thought he felt burning loathing and murderous rage coming from behind the entrance door.

Amuria's lyrical, yet timid, murmur brought his attention back on her. He noticed she did not carry herself with the poise and dignity she had earlier. "I-It's several things. And N-No ... The guards, the staff, everyone has been very kind. I'm just ... Not accustom to formal events. I've been to a few, but they were all inside my own clan. Where I knew everyone. I'm not too ... Social."

A soft smile formed on her lips. Alaric knew she was thinking of Fabian. His thoughts were confirmed almost immediately.

"Also Fabian is acting ... Strange. He said he was sick, told me to come in without him. But, I am sure he is fine."

Alaric gestured toward the seat next to where he would be sitting. "If it pleases you," he softly spoke. "You can sit next to me during the gathering. While I may not be from your clan, I am someone familiar to you. It is not much, though it is all I can offer."

Alaric leaned over and plucked a wine glass by its stem, handing it to Amuria. He took another one from the table for himself. He did not drink it yet. Rather, he continued to speak.

"I can not believe Fabian would say something intentionally false to you, Amuria. He worships you. Perhaps last night's unfortunate situation afflicted his sensibilities. If you wish, I can examine your betrothed for possible ailments. Besides being Court Mage and Adviser, I am the Keep's and village's apothecary. His Eternal Grace, in his kindness, will surely cover all expenses for the treatment."