(Regis & Robardin di Asturien: Reijo Perlman; Rafael Lindir: Laura Lulli;

Congratulatia Elhalyn y Ridenow: Marcello Bellavista)

The road to Caer Donn seemed to be quiet.

"I shouldn't think this" Rafael said aloud, speaking to his horse. "Last time I did, we met that strange dwarf..."

There ought to be more than the dwarf, puzzled Rafe. He was sure that something else had happened...he shook his head. Enough daydreaming for today.

Alone on the road again, time didn't really seem to pass, and the young man find himself missing his lady. She was hard to cope with, sometimes, but she could be so nice, and so smart, that talking to her was a real pleasure.

Rafael wondered what Mabry was doing then. Was her training begun? And how was Myria treating her?

Rafael found himself thinking he was glad not to be there, facing the fight that Mabry was probably putting on.

As the hours passed, though, he was surprised to see that he was enjoying the trip to Aldaran, even after all those days, and after all the events.

Did Uncle Regis know that his nephew was about to arrive, and take his tasks?

Free from any other thoughts but arriving to Caer Donn (actually, his mind travelled to Dalereuth, but this is another story...), Rafael spurred his horse. Myria's training was indeed working, he grinned inside. There weren't any clouds or sign of snow in the sky. The Hellers seemed to be nearer and nearer.

After one more night spent in a traveller shelter, and few more hours of hard riding, and Rafael was awarded by the sight of Castle Aldaran. It was imposing as ever, and he thought back of the time he had come there to be invested as regent....

*I'll be there in the evening...will Regis be happy to see me again?"

"It had been long - too long - since I have seen last time this place", Rafael thought as he arrived to Castle.

As gates were opened and he finally got inside...home, he was directed to study where Regis were. When he opened the door of the study, a thrown book hit his head.

"Oh, sorry...Rafi! Good to see you! You finally could come here!" said Regis and embraced his kinsman.

"I missed you, uncle Regis. I wished you could be there with me in a couple of occasions...coping with our Lady can be very tiring, you know!" Rafe grinned, while he was massaging his forehead.

Rafi looked at the book his uncle had thrown. "Your...biography?"

"Yes, I was skimming through it. I cannot believe how can anyone get away with such malignant lies. Of course name of the writer is not mentioned anywhere. I couldn't guess you were to arrive here now."

"Oh, no permanent damage."

"Now, you must be starving. I shall get us a dinner and you will tell what is this nonsense about Mabry marrying Dom Jorik."

"Dinner is a wonderful idea, uncle...I haven't been having any decent food for ages, if you don't count the small interval in Neskaya! Regarding Mabry and Jorik...I'm afraid it's not nonsense. I saw the two of them very near to each other, if I didn't heard them speaking of marriage. Oh, I forgot to tell you" Rafe added, seeing his uncle puzzled face. "I reached her at Corandolis, where she was with Diego Storn" Rafe couldn't help hitting repeatedly his forehead with his finger "they were looking for the Evanda Talisman, Aldones know for which reason!"

Regis seemed very interested "Go on, my nephew, go on!"

"Well, we headed to Neskaya to bring that huge matrix to Myria, but we fell in with Jorik Hastur and his group, who were going to the Yellow Forest (have you ever heard it mentioned??) to solve a problem, which nature I don't know. Mabry wasn't feeling right, then...she was showing severe symptoms of treshold sickness, and her Rockraven gift was causing troubles. You won't believe this, uncle!! Everything stopped when she met Jorik!!"

Regis lifted his eyebrow.

"I know it sounds absurd, but this is what happened. Anyway, she rested in Jorik arms for most of the time we spent with his group, except for the time she zapped a Terranan."

"She did WHAT to WHOM???" Regis was nearly shouting. Rafe blushed.

"Sorry, uncle. I'm afraid I unwillingly omitted something important!"

"You bet, you silly kid!"

"We were attacked...I bet they were Terranan and they had blasters! Mabry try to zap one of them and hit a tree instead, which fell on one of the attackers. We tried to question him, later on, but he didn't tell us

anything... I followed the rest of them through the woods, but they shot me...no need to worry, the chieri that was traveling with Jorik healed me."

"Sounds like you had plenty of adventures, chiyu"

"I did, indeed!! And I haven't told you all! Jorik acted as the centre of a newly formed circle, and built a shield around the group, in order to protect it...I don't know much about laran, but I'm sure that it takes quite a lot to make a tenerezu out of a man! Then he decided that he had risked Mabry's life enough, and asked me formally to bring his "beloved" -yes, don't make that face! These were almost the exact words- to Neskaya! I agreed - actually this was precisely what I was going to do, as we both know- and off we went, again."

"Did you reach Neskaya easily?"

"Actually, no. We met a trailman, which sort of menaced us...." Rafe stopped. If only he could remember!! "..and I know no more, uncle" His sad sigh induced Regis to pat him on his shoulder "really! Mabry and I found ourselves alone in a clearing, and there were no traces of any trailman!

Anyway, from then on the trip was quiet, and we were able to reach the tower."

"Was Myria happy to meet her pupil?" asked Regis.

"Well, you know...Myria is not exactly what I call a warm woman. She had us waiting for quite a while, and she hardly spoke at dinner."

"She was probably a bit upset for Mabry's behaviour"

"Quite fair. But what was wrong with me? She didn't even let me speak, and sent me off the following morning..."

"I'm sure she had a precise reason for what she did.... I wonder how the two of them are doing now!" Regis grinned.

"The only thing I can say is that I'm happy to be here and not at Neskaya, uncle!" laughed Rafe. "So...how is my little cousin? It's been ages since when I last saw him, he ought to be a giant, now!! And what are the rumours about Congratulatia I heard from the servants?"

She arrived, grandiose, as she was gently fanning herself, all dressed in Elhalyn blue and silver.

*She's not lost her taste for dresses* sighed Rafe, silently.

"The rumors, for once, are true, dear regent. I am so glad to meet you again..."

She smiled at him then approached Regis. She had noticed the book on the floor.

"Dom Di Asturien, saying that I am scandalised is an euphemism: I cannot believe how they can get away when they publish such garbage about a man as refined and well-mannered as you are."

Regis nodded. He couldn't believe as well...

"That's true also for me, vai domna" Rafael bowed on Congratulatia's hand, laying a small kiss on it.

She then turned once more her attention towards Rafael.

"Dear regent, did you manage to find the Lady Mabry? We were all oh so worried about her after her sudden escape from Thendara..."

*Yeah, and Zandru's hells are hot!* thought Rafe.

"If you had arrived some 30 seconds ago, you'd have listened to the report I made to Uncle Regis...I'm sorry you missed it" smiled Rafael.

"Anyway, my lady is fine, and is now starting her training at Neskaya, under Myria Lanart" he concluded.

"Oh, what a most delightful piece of information, dear regent!" Congratulatia's fanning intensified a bit.

"The Lady Myria is such an excellent woman; I am most certain she will take good care of your young charge."

"Yes, I do think the same, milady. When we discussed about Mabry's training we agreed about her being the best choice for our lady...didn't we uncle?" said Rafe, looking at Regis, who said: "Definitely. She's the only person who can tame Mabry" A little laughter followed this sentence.

Congratulatia reprised: "While returning to Thendara I was already thinking of making a deviation and head for Neskaya to personally invite the Lady Myria to my nuptials with Jorik."

Rafael choked, and cast a puzzled glance to his uncle, who merely lifted his eyes to the ceiling, trying to ignore the mute question in his nephew eyes.

*I wonder why Jorik didn't seem to be aware of his betrothed future project. Or maybe he was and he was simply playing with my lady's feeling? I'll kill him if this is true!!!* Rafael fought to stay silent. *Thinking better, though...I trust Jorik, and he seemed sincere...* the young regent was really puzzled.

"…I will take that chance to have with the Lady Mabry that cup of tea we could not have together after the Midsummer's Ball due to her grave and grivieous illness..."

*Could it be....maybe Mabry is in danger!! I need to talk to Regis alone!* thought Rafe.

"Will the both of you be present at my nuptials? Of course, you will." She giggled.

"Of course we will" the two regents answered simultaneously, both of them hoping for a private talk, later.

"Particularly you, dom Di Asturien, you would bring that air of gentlemanness and correctness which would contribute to the prestige of the wedding. Please, say you will come!"

She took his hand in her hands and, with a thespian gesture, brought it on her heart (secretly hoping he would sensually touch her perfect breasts).

Regis blushed slightly (but only Rafe seemed to notice, and was very amused), and took his hand from Tula.

"Rest assured of my presence, milady. I wouldn't miss this mundane occasion for nothing in the world"

After a few more days spent at Castle Aldaran, Congratulatia decides to leave, and to reach Neskaya as soon as possible. Read more about her in: At Neskaya- Part II

Robardin knocked on the Rafael's door. "Hello, cousin."

"Oh, good to see you too", answered Rafael.

"I heard you arguing with father and came to see you."

"We were not arguing. We were having perfectly civilized conversation", Rafael said imitating Regis's voice, then reverting back to his own, "which just happened to include shouting, accusations and general bad temper. Merciful gods, sometimes that man can be so...", then falling silent, remembering who he was talking to.

"I know perfectly well. However, father will eventually give in. If it is for him to choose, Domna Mabry and and Dom Jorik will marry."

"You sound sure of yourself. But we were not arguing about that, as you might have noted while eavesdropping", Rafael said, sounding sarcastic.

"Oh, Eliadha. That is much more difficult."

Rafael was surprised. "I did not know you knew her name. Or your father either."

"Oh, word gets around..."

"Oh, indeed!" Rafael laughed wholeheartedly -while Robardin was blushing slightly- and he ruffled his young cousin hair.

"And since you're so up-to-date...have you ever had the chance to meet Eli…Eliadha?" Rafael corrected himself after a unperceivable hesitation. It was better not to use her nickname...he sighed. "I mean...have you a personal opinion about her?"

For a moment, Rafe saw the boy in his serious cousin's eyes. And some envy as well, for Rafe's "adventure"-*this kid miss a bigger brother* thought Rafe *and I bet he's looking up at me....I guess I'll have to be careful with him, or Uncle Regis is going to KILL me!*

But then Robardin was calm again "Uhm. I've never seen her, but I've heard she's very beautiful. About her temper I wouldn't know...but if I remember correctly, you like a woman to be quite independent, and I'm sure she is - after all she IS a Renunciate, isn't it?" the boy concluded, staring at his right hand nails with a certain carelessness.

On his side, Rafe choked. *You like a woman to be quite independent*, really! He definitely had to be REALLY careful....

Continues in Life at Aldaran

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