10-04-2020, 12:17 AM
As was his life in the Arad Doman court, he mostly waited around in case something bad happened that required the intervention of a ghastly, terrifying channeler. He was no warder, so the pace he took when generally following the king around was one of boredom rather than that of high alert. Trista filled that role enough for the both of them. She was good enough to look at, Jai thought as he glanced upward. She seemed to know that he was looking, because she glanced such a glare over her shoulder back at him, that he whistled and looked innocently elsewhere. It didn’t fool her, nor did he try to, but she still didn’t laugh. Bloody women. So her looks definitely made up for her chill nature, and it fanned the flames of the rumors about the king’s personal relationships. When he announced that he lost an unknown child and an unknown love of his life, the court became a kicked ant hill, and Trista the next choice meat they might devour. Jai was content to throw her to their gnashing teeth because it took the heat off him.
They were all wrong, though. When Daryen was around Trista, affection bloomed, but Jai felt no heat akin to longing. Trista and he shared some intimate evenings, but when she stayed in the king’s chamber, she went nowhere near his bed. Jai didn’t exactly spend every single night there just to confirm it, but he was around often enough to know that if they were entangled, it wasn’t physical.
Along those lines, he watched Trista and Daryen escape to somewhere private to discuss whatever it was they talked about. Jai wasn’t exactly invited, but when he was around, the topic of conversation changed, sometimes flat out disappeared. As much nervous energy as was pent up inside, he finally opted to go his own way and let the rumor mill have its food for fodder.
The room claimed for his own was ghastly gaudy. At first he refused the space, but once it was pointed out that the humble accommodations were quite the walk from the king’s private quarters, he begrudgingly accepted them, but only on the requirement that all the gaudy shit that wasn’t nailed down had to be taken out. Hell, he’d strip off the wallpaper if he didn’t infuriate Yuri the housekeeper too badly.
He was just about to reach for the knob, knots of wards presently being disentangled, when the clearing of a throat caught his attention.
He looked up just in time to witness the approach of one of the king’s dinner guests: one of the two Aes Sedai. He grumbled to himself. Outwardly, a brilliant smile brightened his expression. His elaborate bow was probably going to be taken for mockery, but for the right woman, may be found charming. It was a gamble either way.
She was ageless as they all were. No white touched her hair, so she had to be at least less than middling age for such women. Her hair was an ash blonde and she was dressed in a pale green dressed slashed with yellow in the style favored by Aes Sedai. Her hair was styled neatly, but not ornately. She was unlikely to be of noble origin, then. Simple jewelry dangled from her neck, but the cut of her collar was too high to show off any bosom, if she had one. Her expression was absolutely serene, which Jai hated. It gave him nothing to go from.
“Aes Sedai, I prefer to be bought a drink first, but if you’re in a hurry, I probably have some fine spirits left that we can share, unless wine is more your taste,” he said suggestively. It usually flickered some sort of response from even the most composed sister, and if she were a Green, then he may have a shot of a good time. If not, well the response was always amusing.
Unfortunately, she was one of the middle road Sisters, who neither took the bait nor was disarmed by it. He could have tsked with disappointment.
Instead, she paused several steps away from him, and that horrible feeling of being dissected sent a chill down his spine.
“How can I help you, Sister?” he asked, carelessly laying his arm on the pommel of the new sword. If she knew about the M’Hael’s punishment, and Jai assumed they all knew, she may find the posture notable. Then at least he knew what he was dealing with.
“You’re Asha’man Kojima,” she said.
Jai blinked, “If not, then I’m going into the wrong room,” he replied.
“I have a letter for you,” she said, reaching around into her pocket. After a moment, a confused look took over her expression as her hand produced nothing but emptiness. “I seem to have left it in my room.”
Jai’s look was flat. Aes Sedai didn’t accidentally leave letters behind. “In that case, please let me walk with you. No need to traipse all the way back here again, especially after having had all evening to give it to me at dinner,” he said. “Who is it from?” but she didn’t answer.
While they walked, he listed all the people that may have an Aes Sedai deliver a letter. It must have originated in Tar Valon. He knew no one in the other major cities, none that a Brother may not have had reason to deliver himself. His family would be unlikely to enlist the help of the tower to send anything, nor would they know his location at all. It must be from within the Tower itself, and he was not so ignorant as to hope that Nythadri wrote. That left one plausible option.
The Sister strolled effortlessly, while Jai dragged his feet. He’d slept poorly the night before and trained hard before sunrise. Despite his reputation, he wouldn’t mind turning in. The Sister wanted to chat, though.
“So far from the White Tower, news of the happenings must be slow to reach Bandar Eban,” she said.
“Sometimes. I’m sure the king is well-informed, though.”
“His sister the Brown, you mean?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Sure. Besides, when is there never not any news from either Tower? I’m not interested,” he said, wondering how far her quarters were.
“That’s a good point. Gossip isn’t to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, news does travel swiftly in the opposite direction. The king’s position on the seanchan, for instance, is hardly gossip. It’s safe to assume kings and their sisters are of similar mind on important matters.”
Jai frowned, but he didn’t look over. He towered above the Sister’s shoulder, but he didn’t like looking down on women like that. Whatever she was getting at, he wished she’d be about it and get it over with. Maybe a letter wasn’t worth the trouble.
“Sometimes even siblings live on vastly different worlds. Look, Sister. I’m just a pretty face here to make sure the king isn’t stabbed in the back. I don’t really think Browns are too interested in seanchan politics except to transcribe it.” Hopefully that would convince her that he had no clue what was going on.
She paused at a door, unlocking it and inviting him in. He declined having found his mood soured. He wished for Nythadri’s presence to interpret whatever the hell was going on. The Sister shrugged and on short order returned with an envelope, sealed and otherwise seemingly untampered. His name was on the front. The script was certainly feminine.
He thanked her and was several steps away when he opened it.
They were all wrong, though. When Daryen was around Trista, affection bloomed, but Jai felt no heat akin to longing. Trista and he shared some intimate evenings, but when she stayed in the king’s chamber, she went nowhere near his bed. Jai didn’t exactly spend every single night there just to confirm it, but he was around often enough to know that if they were entangled, it wasn’t physical.
Along those lines, he watched Trista and Daryen escape to somewhere private to discuss whatever it was they talked about. Jai wasn’t exactly invited, but when he was around, the topic of conversation changed, sometimes flat out disappeared. As much nervous energy as was pent up inside, he finally opted to go his own way and let the rumor mill have its food for fodder.
The room claimed for his own was ghastly gaudy. At first he refused the space, but once it was pointed out that the humble accommodations were quite the walk from the king’s private quarters, he begrudgingly accepted them, but only on the requirement that all the gaudy shit that wasn’t nailed down had to be taken out. Hell, he’d strip off the wallpaper if he didn’t infuriate Yuri the housekeeper too badly.
He was just about to reach for the knob, knots of wards presently being disentangled, when the clearing of a throat caught his attention.
He looked up just in time to witness the approach of one of the king’s dinner guests: one of the two Aes Sedai. He grumbled to himself. Outwardly, a brilliant smile brightened his expression. His elaborate bow was probably going to be taken for mockery, but for the right woman, may be found charming. It was a gamble either way.
She was ageless as they all were. No white touched her hair, so she had to be at least less than middling age for such women. Her hair was an ash blonde and she was dressed in a pale green dressed slashed with yellow in the style favored by Aes Sedai. Her hair was styled neatly, but not ornately. She was unlikely to be of noble origin, then. Simple jewelry dangled from her neck, but the cut of her collar was too high to show off any bosom, if she had one. Her expression was absolutely serene, which Jai hated. It gave him nothing to go from.
“Aes Sedai, I prefer to be bought a drink first, but if you’re in a hurry, I probably have some fine spirits left that we can share, unless wine is more your taste,” he said suggestively. It usually flickered some sort of response from even the most composed sister, and if she were a Green, then he may have a shot of a good time. If not, well the response was always amusing.
Unfortunately, she was one of the middle road Sisters, who neither took the bait nor was disarmed by it. He could have tsked with disappointment.
Instead, she paused several steps away from him, and that horrible feeling of being dissected sent a chill down his spine.
“How can I help you, Sister?” he asked, carelessly laying his arm on the pommel of the new sword. If she knew about the M’Hael’s punishment, and Jai assumed they all knew, she may find the posture notable. Then at least he knew what he was dealing with.
“You’re Asha’man Kojima,” she said.
Jai blinked, “If not, then I’m going into the wrong room,” he replied.
“I have a letter for you,” she said, reaching around into her pocket. After a moment, a confused look took over her expression as her hand produced nothing but emptiness. “I seem to have left it in my room.”
Jai’s look was flat. Aes Sedai didn’t accidentally leave letters behind. “In that case, please let me walk with you. No need to traipse all the way back here again, especially after having had all evening to give it to me at dinner,” he said. “Who is it from?” but she didn’t answer.
While they walked, he listed all the people that may have an Aes Sedai deliver a letter. It must have originated in Tar Valon. He knew no one in the other major cities, none that a Brother may not have had reason to deliver himself. His family would be unlikely to enlist the help of the tower to send anything, nor would they know his location at all. It must be from within the Tower itself, and he was not so ignorant as to hope that Nythadri wrote. That left one plausible option.
The Sister strolled effortlessly, while Jai dragged his feet. He’d slept poorly the night before and trained hard before sunrise. Despite his reputation, he wouldn’t mind turning in. The Sister wanted to chat, though.
“So far from the White Tower, news of the happenings must be slow to reach Bandar Eban,” she said.
“Sometimes. I’m sure the king is well-informed, though.”
“His sister the Brown, you mean?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Sure. Besides, when is there never not any news from either Tower? I’m not interested,” he said, wondering how far her quarters were.
“That’s a good point. Gossip isn’t to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, news does travel swiftly in the opposite direction. The king’s position on the seanchan, for instance, is hardly gossip. It’s safe to assume kings and their sisters are of similar mind on important matters.”
Jai frowned, but he didn’t look over. He towered above the Sister’s shoulder, but he didn’t like looking down on women like that. Whatever she was getting at, he wished she’d be about it and get it over with. Maybe a letter wasn’t worth the trouble.
“Sometimes even siblings live on vastly different worlds. Look, Sister. I’m just a pretty face here to make sure the king isn’t stabbed in the back. I don’t really think Browns are too interested in seanchan politics except to transcribe it.” Hopefully that would convince her that he had no clue what was going on.
She paused at a door, unlocking it and inviting him in. He declined having found his mood soured. He wished for Nythadri’s presence to interpret whatever the hell was going on. The Sister shrugged and on short order returned with an envelope, sealed and otherwise seemingly untampered. His name was on the front. The script was certainly feminine.
He thanked her and was several steps away when he opened it.
Only darkness shows you the light.