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

Marcello Ridenow: Marcello Bellavista; Cristilyn Aillard: Cristilyn Lawton)

Letter from Anya Lindir, Lindirsholme, to Rafael Lindir, regent of Aldaran...

Rafe was in his room at Castle Aldaran, still thinking about his conversation with his cousin, when a manservant knocked at the door.

"Come in, Caradoc."

"There's a letter for you, vai dom. I think it's from home." A smile enlighted the old man's face. He blinked "Our little lady's missing her big brother, I think"

"Anya? Is it from her? Oh, thank you Caradoc. Would you like to stay here to hear the news?" Rafe knew how much Caradoc, one of the few servants he had brought with him from Lindirsholme, loved his little sister.

But Caradoc declined politely - he would knew soon anyway, if he knew his young lord- he bowed and exited the room.

Rafe opened the letter, and smiled and smiled at his sister's uncertain writing:

*Poor Hecuba!* thought Rafe *She must be frightened by all this...it's been so long since she last was in a tower with other leroni. I agree with my mother, Anya does need a tower...maybe Myria...*

*Of course they will, chiya!! Or do you think they're going to imprison you? I don't know about the animals though...*

Rafael couldn't help bursting into laughters. "As long as I'm tied" really!! He had forgot her sister sense of humour!

*My mother did the right thing, I was sure Myria was the better choice.

Also, it would be good for both of the girls to have around someone of the same age, more or less...no matter what Anya thinks of this...I'm sure Mabry and her will like each other soon.* thought Rafe.

Rafe smiled again. He had kind of already heard this sort of plea, but things weren't going to be different, this time. He took a sheet, and his pen, and began to write:

Learn more about Anya and read further correspondance with her elder brother in Anya's off to Neskaya.

Rafael was having some jaco in the main living room, when Caradoc came in.

"Anya is fine. She was just trying to convince me that she doesn't need her tower training, 'Doc." Rafe said sipping his hot drink.

Caradoc bowed. "I'm happy to learn this piece of news, Rafito- I mean milord." Both men smiled to each other. "But I was actually looking for your Uncle...I can't find him anywhere"

"Oh, he's off for a ride with my cousin. They won't be here anytime soon I think. Problems?"

"Not really. It seems that two very important people from Thendara highest nobility have come to pay a visit to the Regent to Aldaran"

"CO- regent" pointed out Rafe, with a smile. "Who are they, 'Doc?"

"Lady Cristilyn Aillard and Lord Marcello Ridenow, milord. May I invite them in?"

Rafe stared at Caradoc, an incredulous look in his eyes "You don't mean you've left them standing in the hall, do you?"

Caradoc dried some sweat from his forehead, with an apparently immense handkerchief, and murmured "I'm afraid I did. Panic, I suppose. I didn't expect such important people to present themselves so suddenly"

"My, Caradoc.. I can't believe you did this" Rafe slapped his forehead.

"Run now! Take them here immediately, and tell to the cook to prepare some more jaco, and some terran tea as well!"

"Sure milord, I'm going" Caradoc ran out.

A few istants later, a beautiful woman, showing her pregnancy as a trophy, came in, followed by an imposing man with a black lionmane.

Rafe bowed to them, and said "Please do accept my apologies for your waiting dom, domna. Would you honour this living room, by sitting by my fire?"

"Thank you, Dom Rafael," I said as I took a seat. "It has been a long time indeed since I had decent lodgings. We have just come from Castle Storn, and that Diego is just awful! He harassed poor Marcello terribly, and then frightened him so badly he fled, and nearly froze to death. It is good to be once again with people one can trust."

Rafael looked puzzled for not more than an istant, and murmured something polite about Diego being really weird, getting enthusiastic nods as an answer form both his guests.

In the meanwhile he couldn't help wondering if Diego had gone completely nuts-he had some problems with his Aldaran gift, but still...-or if dom Ridenow (who was famous for this), and Lady Cristilyn (who, after all, was pregnant-and we all know how pregnant women's mind works) were simply overreacting to Diego strangeness...

Aloud he said: "This surprise me...I can't imagine a reason why Diego Storn could be enemy with dom Ridenow" Rafe spied Marcello, who seemed to be boiling "and from my experience he wouldn't harm anyone. But then maybe I don't know him enough." Marcello looked calmer, and Cristilyn was holding his hand.

"Please, do tell me more, milady"

"Can we please postpone our story until after we have rested, bathed and properly fed, dom Lindir?" Marcello intervened. "We both are really tired and the Lady of Aillard needs peace and quiet in her delicate condition. Say, will Regis be back soon? I'd really love to chat a bit with him..."

"Of course, milord. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. The dinner will be ready soon, and in the meanwhile I had some hot drinks to be prepared." While Rafe was saying this, Caradoc came in bringing two bricks, one filled with jaco and the other filled with tea, and three fine porcelain cups.

"Anyway, if you wish to take a bath before anything else, you can go upstairs, where two apartments were prepared expressely for you, vai dom, and for Lady Cristilyn. I'm afraid I can't tell you when my uncle will be back. He's off with his son, and for what I know they may stay out also for the night. But please, my house is yours. Take your rest, and we'll have plenty of time to talk at dinner."

Marcello gladly took some tea, then thanked profusely the co-regent and went taking a hot, relaxing bath.

When he got down, he had changed using the clothes Rafael had made available to him. They didn't suit perfectly his style, but - then again - that was no easy feat! He coudn't wait to go to Thendara in order to settle those hateful rumors on him.

He was hoping Regis had returned: he was missing his friend and would gladly chat a bit with him.

There was a knock on the door. "Pleasure to see you, my friend, and welcome. I just got back from riding and heard from Rafael that you and Domna Cristilyn had come here. He also mentioned some kind of trouble with Diego Storn...?"

"Oh, hi, Regis! I'm so glad to meet a civilized individual after all this time!" Marcello was beaming.

"I was minding my business at Serrais when Congratulatia summoned me back to Thendara for not so clear reasons, and who did she send to summon me? Emelda Lanart-Hastur, whom I cannot stand, as everybody on Darkover knows. I really don't know what passes through Tula's mind sometimes... Anyway, as Emelda arrived, so did her stupid daughter Gwenneth fleeing from her Drytowner husband. And, in the meantime, an unknown distant relative of mine surfaced at Serrais. Then, the Drytowner, Rakhail, came for a business deal. Amidst all this, an extremely vulgar being, a Terranan named Frank Barber, arrived at Serrais. I don't remember the details, but the bastard kidnapped me and brought me on his airplane. We crash-landed in the mountains where Diego's dogs found us and brought us at High Windward. There, Diego tried to secretly poison me, I sent out a mental cry for help,

Cristilyn arrived just in time, just as I had discovered a torture chamber being set up! Cristilyn and I left, but Diego - self-righteous as can be - played the offended part. That [censored] constantly manages to escape justice, damn it!!

"Since both Cristilyn and I were tired and hungry, we decide to take a detour here before heading back to Thendara. I hope you don't mind having us here for a couple of days..."

Regis shook his head. "I must say I do not know what to say...I can understand that Terranans do things just to cause trouble, but why did Diego try to poison you? Is he just insane as always, or did he have any substantial reason?"

"He's not at all insane, never has! Oh, he does pledge insanity to try escaping all the wrong-doings he just loves to perpetrate, but he's as sane as can be: he's merely evil. He takes delight in what he does. I don't know exactly why he loves torturing me specifically, I just know that he does."

Regis said "And of course you can stay here until you are refreshed enough to continue to Thendara. Congratulatia visited us some days ago too. She was rather horrified that her weddings with Jorik may not happen after all..."

"WHAT?!? After all the money I spent for her off-world education so she could be the right queen for Jorik? She's not the type to grow horrified for nothing: please, tell me _why_ she was horrified! I'm afraid I'll have to reach Thendara sooner than I thought..."

"Haven't you heard? Jorik did propose Mabry while they were running around the countryside. I do not know fully if it merely was folly of a moment, but anyway that proposal has dire consequences. As far as I know, they are planning to marry right after Mabry's training in Neskaya ends."

"AAGGHH!!" Marcello shouted as he brought his hand on his heart.

"Regis, a bit of tact, if you don't mind! Were I been a feeble-hearted individual, I'd have had a heartstroke by now! Has Jorik gone out of his mind, curse him?!? How can he propose to that blasted Harpy? I trust you are NOT favorable, are you?"

"So you have not heard. And at least I will discuss this lengthily with Mabry, and preferably Jorik. Naturally I am against this, for its political effects are truly horrible. They obviously did not stop to think even for a moment. Heir of Hastur absolutely cannot marry Lady of Aldaran, and that is that. It is impossible."

"HA!" Marcello shouted at the top of his lungs.

"What a wise man you are, Regis! This conversation caused my hunger to grow more and more. Shall we join my darling Cristilyn and your nephew for dinner? I'll leave tomorrow morning for Thendara. Things need to be taken care of immediately."

"I hope you can talk some sense to Jorik. At least he must wait for next Council season before he and Mabry do anything rash. And then, well, hopefully the council will understand the consequences and forbid their marriage."

Marcello burst up in laughter. "Talk some sense into him? Nobody can do that: he's as stubborn as can get, unfortunately. This is all the more reason why I need to get to Thendara as soon as possible. Sometimes plotting behind the scenes is the best solution... I trust I can count on your support if the need arises to ask for your help..."

Rafael had listened silently to the entire conversation. He was way too angry to speak a single word without seeming very ill-mannered.

He swore to himself that he would do anything he could to help his lady and her still unacknoledged bethroted, dom Jorik Hastur.

Regis continued: "But my appetite has grown too, and dinner must be ready. Hopefully Domna Cristilyn is ready to join us."

Lady Cristilyn! That was the answer!

Rafe felt somehow that a sensitive -and sensible- woman like the Head of the Aillard Domain would understand better Mabry and Jorik's position, and feelings. He would talk to her as soon as possible.

"If my lords allow me, I will go personally to call the vai domna for dinner"

He bowed to the two men, surprised by his sudden speaking, and exited the living room.

Regis looked at the door. "So he listened what we were saying...I wonder what he will do." Marcello looked at him, puzzled, and Regis explained to him: "I am afraid he does not agree with us on this marriage...we have been arguing about it for a couple of days. Youth of these days..."

Marcello threw daggers at Rafito with his eyes, smiled to Regis in agreement and went looking for Cristilyn to warn her he had to leave the morning after.

Having enjoyed a long hot bath, Cristilyn had just finished dressing for dinner when she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to find Dom Rafael, looking quite disturbed.

"Vai Dom, whatever is the matter?" Cristilyn asked.

He told her of Regis and Marcello's plotting against Jorik and Mabry. She shook her head sadly.

"Dom Rafael, Marci is a good man, but I do not always agree with his idea of what is right. Congratulatia would make a very bad Queen, and a very bad wife for Jorik. I would try to convince Marci of this, but I fear he would not listen. He has invested too much in insuring that Congra become Queen. Perhaps you and I should come up with a plot of our own, one to keep Jorik and Mabry together!"

Rafael grinned amicably. He didn't expect his task to be so easy, even if he had liked Lady Cristilyn immediately, and he had somehow known that she woud react this way.

"Milady, this is just what I hoped to hear from you. You're know better our fellow Comyn, and you've been on the Council for longer than me...and you're a woman, and I trust you can be twice as subtle as my uncle and his friend, your daughter's father..."

Cristilyn burst in a delightful laughter.

"No need to flatter me, Rafe. I was going to help you anyway!"

The young man blushed a little "But I did mean it, Cristilyn" he blushed even more "May I call you so, milady?"

Cristilyn nodded, her eyes still laughing.

"Have you already some idea, or should we think of something together?" asked Rafe.

"No," I answered. "I have no ideas, except perhaps having them run away together, and that's hardly likely with Mabry in Neskaya under Myria's watchful eye. Hmm, perhaps we could arrange for Congra to be caught with a lover. It's hardly an unlikely scenario, and it would render her unsuitable to be Jorik's wife. Or have you any ideas, Rafe?"

"Uhm. How well do you know the Captain of the Guard, dom Eduin?" Rafe mumbled.

"He would make the perfect bait for Congratulatia, if I remember well about all the gossip. For what I recall, anyway, he's far too in love with his delightful wife, to be a willing collaborator..."

Shortly after his conversation with Cristilyn, Rafe went to Tramontana, in order to send a message to his Lady: read it, and Mabry's answer, in the end of At Neskaya-Part II

Marcello had already decide to leave early in the morning, but then he realized he wouldn't be properly dressed, so he called for Regis' personal tailor to come to the castle and sew a traditional-looking darkovan dress in the flashing Ridenow colours.

He would have liked an eccentric cut, but the tailor wasn't accustomed to Marcello's peculiar style, so The Ridenow opted for something more traditional. What counted was the he could be immediately recognized as The Ridenow, after all.

His hair was almost back to its natural colour, so he would look flashy even in a traditional-looking dress thanks to the colours of his Domain.

He was irritated at having to postpone his travel, but he was glad he could be able to spend some more time with Regis and Cristilyn. He didn't like what he perceived from Rafito, so he tried to avoid him as much as possible.

Since Tramontana Tower was quite near, he took this chance to pay a visit to Aidan and send a message to Myria of Neskaya.

Even though they had been friends for years, Marcello usually didn't use such a confidential tone with Myria in deference to her high station. He would resort to such confidentiality only when matters were urgent. Myria was a particularly cunning lady, so he trusted she'd grasp that the matter was not only urgent, but also personal.

Waiting for his new clothes to be manufactured, Marcello wrote a letter to Fianna, who was guarding the fort at Serrais.

Marcello was walking back and forth in Regis' hallroom, waiting for his host in order to have a last chat before leaving. How free could he be to speak? Would that eavesdropping Rafito be around?

He was certain about one thing: if Jorik had indeed betrayed his trust by choosing the Harpy over Congratulatia, he would in turn betray Jorik's trust in him and, hopefully, ruin his so-called 'love' (duh!) for the Harpy once and for all.

Thinking in a mean way always gave him a certain thrust. Excellent. He needed it in order to settle things in Thendara with Elorie, just to name one.

He wondered where Gabriel were. He could use an innocent-looking ally right now...

After breakfast, dressed in a bright yellow and emerald green, traditional Darkovan-style suit, Marcello left Regis' castle, after thanking him profusely for his help, his kindness and his friendship.

A special greeting was dedicated to Cristilyn. He kissed her tenderly and expressed his hope to see her again soon in Thendara.

He greeted in a formal and cold way Rafito.

Then, with Aphros, he left, headed for Neskaya.

Read more about Marcello in Neskaya gets crowded

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