Duty And Loyalty

Participants:

Andi.jpg Merendezen.jpg

Date: July 14, 2010
Location: Eastern Weyr: Baths
Synopsis: The truth about marriage, and questions about if duty and loyalty are worth it.
Rating: PG
Logger: Andi

Eastern Weyr: Baths
Underneath the upper set of hatching sands, this cavern is fairly large in size, though it is dwarfed in comparison to others nearby. A natural hot spring, the steamy water has been diverted into one large pool - capable of holding about twenty odd people - and several smaller ones around the edges. Shelves have been set up along the northern wall, lined with different scents of bathing salts, sweetsands and oils. Under the shelves are benches where folk can dress and undress. Even given the tropical nature of the climate, this is still one of the most popular places in the weyr.


Its a nervous, mincing Andi that makes her way into the Baths of the weyr, pink before she even hits the heat of the room, and giving those already gathered a long look, she's hesitating. Once she's sure that they're all quite distracted, and looking somewhere else, she's hurrying around the edge, picking a small pool, clothes left in a pile near the edge before she slips into the water, sinking down hurriedly. And then, with a squeak, she's quickly popping back up as soon as she realizes that there's someone else in the pool.

Merendezen opens his eyes at the sound of someone entering the water, for the noise it makes and then the squeak that follows. Brows lift and he casts the nervous woman a look, staring for a moment before eyes close and he heaves a sigh of dismay. "Am I so ugly that you feel that you must run from me whenever you see me, little one?"

Andi is hurriedly scooting backwards, around the edge of the pool in such a way to put as much water between the pair of them as possible. At his question, she's stammering, shaking her head them. "No… Noo, I.." And she blushes across her shoulders darkly. "I didn't.. I just didn't see you." She squeaks finally, hurriedly turning her eyes away.

Merendezen opens a single eye this time, tilting his head to better watch her and brows lift. "And yet, you hurry away. Little one, what are you so afraid of?" There's a chuckle before he pushes from the edge of the pool, closer to her but not within touching distance. "You are welcome to join me, sit and enjoy yourself. There's nothing to fear, I would not touch a woman who is so overly opposed to me."

"I just.." She shakes her head and stays close to the wall as he moves closer, biting her lip as he does so, eyes darting back to him at his question. "You…" And she shakes her head, again, sinking down to her nose, though this time her eyes linger on him, taking a long look, a look which causes her to squeak loudly when she realizes it.

"What? You just… What?" Zen lifts a brow, remaining with an expression that lingers in unamused or concern. And when she sinks down, he settles to her right, closer than before. "Merendezen. Zen, if you will. Why are you so skittish?" Or, maybe he just likes teasing shy girls.

"I…" And she drops her voice a little. "I'm still getting used to the Weyr." She says softly, barely above a whisper, even as she drops her mouth back under the water, shoulders tensing just a little bit as he settles next to her. A hesitant glance sideways, at his shoulder, she's looking quickly back to the water infront of her.

Merendezen leans in as she drops her voice, luckily managing to catch the whisper before he shrugs. "It doesn't seem like there is much to get used to, little one. Is this why you seem to look so nervous? I am quite relieved that you are not on the run." A grin is flashed and he rolls his shoulders. "You may look if you are so curious, darling."

"Father… I…" And she shakes her head, fingers slipping out of the water, waving a little bit. "We.. weren't allowed to… be alone." She offers, and its another stolen glance sideways at him, though this one lasts a little longer, the girl studying him a little more fully.

"Aaah. My poor little sweetroll." Yes, he did call her a sweetroll. "And why do you listen to your father so? He's not here, is he? He should have no control over what you do." Zen waves his hand, dismissive of the woman's father. "You should do what pleases you."

"Because… Because he could decide I'm not going to be here anymore. Or…" She squeaks a little bit, and waves a hand at him, trying to shush him as he talks so dismissively about her father. "I mean.. He.." And she sticks her nose up in the air a little bit, hurriedly looking away.

"But, is he here? Who is to know what you do? Only yourself, it's not as if you must tell your father everything you've done in your life." Zen eyes her as she tries to quiet him and he rolls his shoulders once more, closing his eyes. "You fear a man who is not near you and therefore has no control over your actions."

"I.. I can't… I can't let him down." She says all in a spurt, shaking her head a little more, sinking lower again in the water, flicking her fingers at him again. A soft sigh, and she tilts her head back against the edge of the wall.

"Let him down with what?" Zen presses, still eyeing the woman. His gaze is unwavering, bordering intense. "What's so important?"

"Everything. A-Anything." She sighs softly, shaking her head. "Lord Holders don't like to be disappointed." Andromeda shifts a little in the water, pulling her feet up underneath her, though careful maenuvering makes sure she never pops out of the water.

Merendezen lifts a brow, "you can't be perfect in everything, dear." But then there's a wave of his hand. "Why would a Lord Holder send his daughter here, alone? That is simply asking for something to happen."

"But.. You… You have to try. To.. To just give in and not try." She shakes her head, the thought totally unthinkable to her, trained as she has been to be completely and totally loyal to her leaders. "To.." And after a moment, she scrambles for what sounds like a logical excuse, "To learned more about record keeping and… And those things. For… For when I'm to be married." She shakes her head and sighs softly, sinking bakc into the water.

"Try to be perfect? Not possible dear, no matter how hard you try or how much you bend over backwards, you aren't going to be perfect." Zen rolls his eyes and drops his head back, suddenly completely uninterested. "Marriage isn't that great, I hear. Your husband is going to have a bunch of mistresses and treat them better than he treats you, favoring them with gifts and not you. I heard this from a Lady Holder, actually."

Andi sighs softly then, turning hurriedly away from him as he speaks of mistresses and the gifts given to them, shifting to put her back to him, her arms crossing daintily across her chest, hugging herself gently as her eyes close. "Shh.." She tries to dissuade him from saying anything else, though it continues for another long moment, and she just shakes her head a little more.

"Darling, it's not best to hide from the truth that you may end up facing in your marriage, since you're so intent on following whatever your father says." Zen peeks at her, opening a single eye. "You could run away from that."

"It's how it works." She says softly, and sighs a little, shaking her head. A shrug of her shoulders and she doesn't even make a look over at him, before she's swallowing. "Do.. Do you mind?" She asks softly, hoping for her own sake that he's turned away as she scrambles out of her clothes and for a robe and a towel, hurriedly covering herself up.

"Then why subject yourself to that? It's pointless." Zen rolls his head back, eyes closed and he's not even bothering to peek. "I'm not going to look at you, or anyone who willingly subjects themselves into a fate decided by others. Maybe when you decide what you want for yourself."

"Duty… Loyalty…" She says with a shrug, shaking her head and gathering her clothes up, though his parting comment is enough to set her to tears and she's hurrying away, desperate for some place to hide and cry herself out.

"Mean shit in the end when your life is miserable." This is his final comment, though if she hears or not, Zen doesn't seem to care. His lounging continues until he's pruned,



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