Every New Beginning is Another Beginning's End. (Iussi)

[Telcia]

The city of Ebou Dar buzzed with life and energy that was familiar to Telcia. She’d seen the city as a girl, it’s harbor full of illuminator’s lights casting a rainbow glow down upon her and her first love and now… her she was, with Iussi.

 

The children had long ago exhausted themselves watching out the windows as the world rolled by and now slept peacefully, each with a head on their mother and father’s laps respectively. Quietly they road, Telcia’s fingers playing listlessly in Jamal’s hair as he slept, both their minds wandering to what they would find at Iussi’s home.

 

She hated to admit it but she had a fair amount of worry of this meeting too. What if Iussi’s father was dead? What if the Tower had kept him from being able to make amends with the man who had meant so much to Iussi all these years that the scar he was able to leave on his heart was so deep… Iussi, who was so resilient to all things, seemed alone hurt by his Father’s actions most.

 

Then there was Livia. Who knew what this old woman would be like; would she approve of the union or fear for Iussi because he’d married an Aes Sedai?

 

But even with all of these worries, all the concerns for settling down and the children and even with the haunting bleak musings on the Black Ajah in the Tower… there remained the pain she couldn’t seem to ignore no matter how she distracted herself. In a way, she admitted to herself, she was jealous of Iussi in this moment when most of all she should not have been. After all, what sort of wife feels like that when her husband’s only family in the whole world was facing meeting The Creator?

 

Yet… she’d loved her own Father and even with all he’d done, all she’d seen; she never accepted that he was Shadowtaken… just confused. Her family loved her. She’d loved them. Yet, her last memories of all of them were of fear and hate.

 

Leaning down she pressed her lips to Jamal’s forehead and smiled through misty eyes imagining just how she'd feel even if... the Light forbid... she discovered her son to be a Channeler. I will never hate you, never turn from you… always stand with you no matter the price to myself. No one, no force in this entire world could take you from me again. I promise my little one. I promise.

 

The carriage began up the drive to a moderately wealthy looking house and grounds and it was at this point that Telcia finally looked to Iussi and broke the silence. “We’re with you.” She said gently and for once, she was at a loss to find anything further to share other than a look of love.

[Arette]

After seven years, Iussi Dyfelle was finally home. He peered eagerly outside the carriage pointing out familiar sites to Telcia and breathing deeply the salty sea air. It was warm at last, Tar Valon's summers were just pale and meager comparison to what they had in south and the winters had been hell. Unless he had the most wonderful woman in the whole world in the bed beside him of course. He turned to grin at Telcia and kiss her briefly. He didn't want to get too excited which in case happened unfortunately often and sometimes just when he thought of her and they shouldn't wake up the children. But he had been happy in Tar Valon because Telc had been there. Still he couldn't deny that he was especially thrilled to be back in Ebou Dar again. This was where his roots were... in good and bad.

 

He sobered when he remembered his father. Was he even alive anymore with the time it had taken them to make it here? He didn't know if he would really regret it. It felt kind of strange to rush to him now when he hadn't even made the move of reconciliation himself. The man had ignored and avoided him all these years and now he thought he could make it all go away just because he was old and dying. It was quite sad what could have been, but he wasn't someone who stuck on it and let old wounds fester. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel willed and he lived with what it gave to him always gazing forward.

 

The carriage was turning and slowing down and they were soon at the house. Telcia spoke, expressing her support and Iussi squeezed her hand thankfully. "I thank the Light every day that I have you three with me now. It will be fine." Then the front door opened and an older woman stepped outside. Iussi's face split on a wide beam and he removed Jelane's head from his lap carefully. When she was secure, he opened the door of still moving carriage and jumped out with a hoot. The old woman planted her fists on her hips as if angry, but Iussi could see that her lips were twitching. He ran to her and scooped her up under her arm pits so generously available and after a resounding kiss whirled her around a couple of times laughing.

 

When he finally let her land, Livia adjusted her hair and dress and gave him a scathing glare before taking a hold of his ear firmly with practiced ease. The amusement was definately twinking there too. "You may have grown a beard and fathered children, Iussi Dyfelle, but you are still a brat who needs some lessons in manners." Iussi was merely grinning sheepishly.

 

The carriage had stopped and Telcia stepped out. Livia turned her attention to her and walked Iussi to her by the ear. "Livia, let me introduce you to my wife Telcia Nalemar Alainin Dyfelle who must have have been temporarily out of her mind to marry me. She is a jewel among all women." Her grip of his ear sharpened for a moment and he grimaced in pain realizing his mistake. "Telcia, this esteemed woman beside me is Livia Messala who raised me from a wee baby and who has been more than a mother to me. I love her dearly and would defend her honour any day with my dagger." Livia finally released him muttering under her breath about tongue dripping honey and too glib for his brain to stay on track. Her eyes traveled to Telcia's bosom where his mother's marriage dagger nestled and the two women measured each others for a moment. Finally Livia nodded approvingly.

 

"I am glad to meet you finally, Telcia. I hope that you have put Valeria's dagger to good use as this rascal needs it more than most. I welcome you both." Livia gazed at the carriage for an instant and Iussi knew she wanted to see the children. Iussi moved to stand beside his wife and took her hand to his own. "She took an instant liking to you", he whispered. "The children..."

 

Iussi Dyfelle

Uncurable

[Telcia]

Iussi leapt from the carriage and Telcia pulled aside the curtain to look in on his life as it moved without her for a moment. His laughter echoed over the rumbling carriage which was slowing. Jelene & Jamal just becoming aware of a change in their environment, as if instinct alone told them their father had left.

 

Her fingers lingered on the glass for a moment as in her mind’s eye she could see herself running at that age in a banded dress towards her own family half-laughing & half-weeping for joy. Only… she knew that had never happened, and never would.

 

Closing her eyes the bright sun looked like fire on the inside of her eyelids, and the screams of Arad Doman’s sons dying echoed in her ears just above the remembered din of combat. The faces of her brothers accusing her from behind a table, the world between them, a heavy shawl on her shoulders; opening her eyes she broke away from the nightmare of her memories and watched with her children as Iussi whirled around the woman who was a mother to him.

 

“Gramma?” Jelene asked from her perch on the bench across from where she was seated with Jamal. Her daughter’s tiny fingers gripped the window sill and she peaked out at the scene as if she too meant to leap from the carriage. Telcia tensed a bit and little Jamal, in his fantastically compassionate and empathic way, took his mother’s finger into his grip. Looking down to her son she smiled softly to hide the pain.

 

“No dear.” She whispered. “Auntie Livia.”

 

“Liva?” Jamal questioned.

 

“Yes.” She chuckled in spite of her somber mood and fears. “Livia. Come now children, let’s say hello just like I showed you both.” Smoothly she stepped out onto the ground just in time to see the woman dragging her full grown, adult husband by his ear towards her. Shock and outrage filled her for a brief instant. Looking around quickly she tried to assure herself that no one saw her husband’s humiliation. After all, if they were going to live in the area they couldn’t have the neighbors thinking her husband was weak willed. Surely Iussi would be crushed. Men’s egos were fragile things and she wouldn’t let some slip of a woman destroy his no matter who she was!

 

Looking back at her husband’s face she found herself unable to speak though, the fool was actually happy. Sighing she knew then that this was, perhaps, just her way of showing displeasure in a playful manner to remind him of his youth at her apron strings; surely this would never happen again.

 

Smiling now she let the woman say her greeting and was nearly taken aback at the woman’s insistence that she might have actually cut her husband… she was joking wasn’t she? Shaking off the surprise she returned with, “It’s a real treat to meet you Mistress Livia. Iussi speaks very fondly of you; it’s a pleasure to be here. And have no fear, I’m sure I’ve cut him just as often and deeply as he’s required.” Telcia smiled smartly, a twinkle of her own mischief in her eyes at the idea she’d avoided the truth carefully.

 

Iussi was quick to step out of the way though and take his wife’s hand. Telcia stepped nearer to her as Jamal climbed out of the carriage first. His small body toddled and wobbled as he tried his best to look like his mother had coming out of the coach; a perfect gentlemen of the stately age of two summers. Telcia couldn’t help but smile proudly but then quickly took hold of Saidar as just behind him Jelene leapt from the inside of the carriage down to the hardened earth, quicker than Telcia could weave a hand of air to break her fall.

 

Telcia gasped and moved to check her health and kiss her bruises away, only to stop when Jelene laughed brightly. Her squeal of joy echoed sharply as she hopped up from the place where she’d plopped unceremoniously down onto her bottom; her tiny button nose twitching in just the same way that her father’s sometimes did when he was up to no good.

 

“Jelene Melanie Dyfelle…ugh!” Telcia tsk’d as she said her daughter’s name with disappointment. “Just look at your pretty dress... your father spent too much on this for you to play this way, you could have been hurt!” Letting go of Iussi’s hand she knelt down to dust off her little girl while behind her Jamal waved shyly at Livia and stepped closer to his mother.

 

To her left she could feel the woman, Livia, staring at her and she wonder if it was because she felt that Telcia was unable to be a good mother. Maybe this display proved an Aes Sedai just didn’t have the skills to do anything half so well as meddling in the affairs of state & courtly intrigues.

 

“She’s not always like this…” Telcia protested half over her shoulder to Iussi and Livia. “She just likes to show off for new people I think. It’s the excitement of it all.” Well, it wasn’t a lie really; she wasn’t ALWAYS like this… just most of the time. Telcia hadn’t felt so nervous in a very long time.

 

A large lump of worry grew in the pit of her belly. Surely her short comings were the reason why she suddenly had a very strange feeling about Livia; she only hoped she’d have further chances to redeem herself as a mother in the eyes of this woman, who had already raise such a wonderful son, before the woman began critiquing her own parenting skills.

[Arette]

The children didn't need to be helped out the carriage and they might have even insisted on doing it themselves, they were not babies after all. Iussi watched smiling as Jamal tried to imitate his mother. The proud beam changed into a wide grin when Jelene jumped off not so unlike Iussi himself a moment earlier. She couldn't have possibly see him do so since she had been still asleep. Still he would probably hear a few selected words from Telcia for showing reckless example to the children. He would have to remember to be more careful in the future. The children didn't have yet quite the coordination of a grown up yet. They had already established a bit of roles that Iussi hoped wouldn't stick too deeply, Jamal was mommy's boy and Jelene daddy's girl. Of course Iussi loved Jamal too and showed him affection and accepted him just as he was, a bit shy and careful before jumping into things. It just came so much easier for him to play with Jelene with whom he didn't have to be quite as careful. Equality was important as a parent and he tried to follow it strictly with time spent one on one with both, but equality didn't mean similarity and he and Jamal had their own things they enjoyed doing together.

 

Iussi eyed Telcia wonderingly when she started explaining and justifying Jelene's behaviour. He hadn't seen her nervous in a long time and she didn't need to feel that way about Livia. She wasn't being judged here. Hoping that he wouldn't contradict Telcia's authority in front of the children and Livia, he still wanted to make sure Jelene wouldn't feel like she needed to be a dainty little princess. "Dresses can be washed and repaired, but bruises take a bit longer to be mended, so do be careful with those. Still, bravely done little warrior-woman." He wrapped his arm around Jelene's waist and lifted her unceremoniously to his hip and she squealed happily and kicked and flailed as was the idea of the game. Patting Jamal on shoulder and smiling down on him, he remarked how he was the perfect courtier in making and Telcia would better be wary or he would outshine her within few years. Iussi offered his son his hand that he took and smiled at his wife and Livia. "Shall we go inside then?"

 

Livia who had been following the children's emergence fondly turned severe. "You made it in time, Iussi. Your father is still alive but he will be sheltering on the Creator's palm any day now. I'm afraid that I need to be impolite and not let you refresh but take you straight to him. I'm certain that he would like to see his grandchildren too." But she cast a questioning look at Telcia who nodded. The old woman let out a breath she had been holding and led them in to the house.

 

The house had two floors and the entrace hall was dominated by a large marble stairway that looked quite fancy but wasn't very practical since it took alot of space. Iussi explained that it had been made at the insistance of his great great grandmother when the house had been built. Dyfelle family had never had proclivity for huge swarms of children because the men tended to marry late. His father had been past fifty when her mother had decided that they were going to become a couple. So Iussi was quite an exception in his family but of course nothing else could be expected from such an extraordinary personae. That earned him an amused snort from both Telcia and Livia who exchanged a very feminine and understanding glance. They both also knew that the purpose of the banter was trying to hide how difficult it was to go to his father after all these years. He didn't want to focus on it unless he absolutely had to.

 

He let Jelene go before they begun to climb the stairs and he was happy that she wasn't old enough to discover yet the nice wide marble railings. Iussi was quite certain that there had been some years in his life when he had never walked the stairs down. He told for Telcia's benefit of some of his pranks regarding the stairs, such as piling all the pillows in the house under the railings and causing a massive feather explosion and ruining Livia's best silver tray by using it to slide down the stairs. Ah, the whole house was full of memories and it felt good to be home again.

 

But then they were before his father's door and Iussi's chattering quieted. Livia went inside first and woke up the old man in the bed gently and arranged the pillows behind his back. Iussi had seen his father last time almost ten years ago before he left to the Tower even though the man had always refused to speak to him. The change in him had been shocking and Iussi wasn't sure if he would have recognized him if he hadn't known who it was. He looked ten years older than his already advanced age and he seemed so small and frail enough to break if someone touched him.

 

"Father, you wanted to see me." He could have as well said out loud the unspoken 'finally'. There was no trace of the usual mirth and lightness in his voice. "I have returned with my wife Telcia and our children Jamal and Jelene." He would have taken both the children to his arms and shown them at the old man since he didn't seem to see too well, but Jamal clung to his mother. Iussi had no desire to cause a scene, his father wasn't worth it so he just moved closer with Jelene. The girl looked at the man in bed curiously tilting her head like a little bird. She turned to her mother and pointed at the bed declaring in her clear child's voice and wriggling her fingers and then touching her face "Look mama! Bath tingies. Many." Iussi and Telcia both frowned in confusion until he realized what she had to mean. He felt like guffawing but managed to control himself and explain with only his lips twitching that Jelene thought that Donal had been bathing so much that he was really wrinkly. Jelene was nodding self-importantly wondering how adults could be so silly that her daddy had to explain them what she had just said. Of course she had seen old people before but never anyone like him.

 

The old man laughed also silently until he wheezed. Then he had a coughing spell and they all hovered around the bed worriedly. But Donal recovered and he waved Livia away impatiently gesturing toward Iussi and Telcia. Livia took the cue and bent to Jamal and Jelene and told them that she had chocolate cookies for special children and even adults in the kitchen and after that they were both quite eager to go with her and help her fetch them, even Jamal. Once the children were gone the man spoke in a voice that barely above whisper. "Lovely children. Thank you for coming. I'm glad to see you. Telcia, you are good for him." Then he had to already rest for a bit and catch his breath. "Iussi, I am sorry. So many lost years. I have no excuse. I was a fool. Please forgive me."

 

Iussi had expected this but the pain and anger at his father refusing to acknowledge his existance for so long time could not be switched off that easily. If he had really wanted the reconciliation, he could have sent for him earlier, much earlier. But he wasn't cruel enough to not give the old man the absolution he seemed to need. Maybe later he could actually find it in his heart to give up the feelings of hurt. "I forgive you", he declared in his best lying voice that had been practiced until it sounded rock-solid. The man who had never known him could not see through the smoke and leaned back against the pillows limply with relief. "Valeria, you will gut me still. Valeria...." That was the last thing he said before his eyes rolled and consciousness fled.

 

Iussi just stared at his hands that were shaking and felt like he needed a drink badly now. He didn't want to think or feel and the Spring couldn't help him to reach that state. Telcia had tried the old man's pulse and said softly that he was still alive but might not never wake up again. Iussi merely shrugged and allowed her to pull him up and guide him somewhere.

[Telcia]

***

 

Cool breezes off the ocean made the sun lit day that Iussi's father left the world seem like a gleeman's tale made real.

 

Telcia had purchased a long white dress with a neckline that showed her marriage dagger off nicely, but had long sleeves and hem, for herself and a similar dress for Jelene.

 

Jamal wore a white shirt and tiny black pants with a pair of leather boots that she'd managed to talk a vendor down on because of weak eyelets.

 

They stood in the expanse of the family's backlot placing flowers on the wooden coffin in a way that felt new; as a family. Iussi had been coping with his father's death and had, thankfully, had a few more quiet moments with him before he'd passed. The man had even had a short talk late one night with Telcia when she found herself unable to sleep.

 

Iussi and his father, she had decided, had their problems because they were from the same tree. If they had been the same age and brothers they would have been the closest friends. In a way, helping Iussi's father pass from the world, helped her. It was death in a way she'd never seen it before... peaceful, purposeful, timely. His suffering was short and while she couldn't say it out loud because she wasn't sure it was truth... she was sure he passed with a smile on his lips.

 

The day was sad.

The day was full of memories.

The day was a day for reflection on self & future.

In this: it was a perfect day.

Donal's last gift to his family.

 

With a weave of earth Telcia etched a stone with the man's name to place beside that of his wife, forever uniting their hollow empty forms side by side; just as their souls would ever be.

 

***

 

"Like this..." Telcia sat straighter and smiled with her hands folded in her lap. "See, mommy is taller. Mommy's face doesn't look fat."

 

Jelene laughed at her mother as she sat comfortably on a pile of pillows in a chair placed at the table that Telcia had put outside for breaking fast in the fresh sea air. Distantly, she could still hear Jamal laughing at a duck he'd been chasing since he'd finished his eggs.

 

"Go on now..." Telcia urged. Jelene didn't know it but these were the founding stones for an education in how to deal with men and merchants for many long years to come. What was a game now would be a way of life for her someday.

 

Jelene smiled a goofy unpracticed smile and pulled herself up to her full height. Telcia clapped lightly. "Very good for a first try!"

 

Jelene looked quickly to the duck and her brother for the fifth or sixth time in several moments. It was difficult to get a child of her age to focus for long and so Telcia sighed. "You are excused from the table."

 

Jelene squeeled bringing Iussi's face popping out from the window a floor above them where he'd been working in his fathers... er... his office for days now. Telcia was terribly proud of how he'd taken to working numbers and taking inventory of the stock houses. He seemed so happy every time she came to see him, truly he seemed to love the work. On the other hand...

 

"Mistress Dyfelle," Telcia barely avoided cringing when Livia called to her.

 

"Yes, Livia?" Telcia looked to her children's nursemaid questioningly as she exited the house.

 

"Well, I know how you must dislike a disorderly household ..." Telcia braced herself. "...and so I was wondering if you needed me to tend to the dishes?"

 

Need? Telcia wanted to crawl under a rock. An Aes Sedai didn't NEED anyone's help doing anything. Not really. She'd just ... put it off was all.

 

"It's no trouble if you wish to stay with the children." Livia quickly added.

 

"No... no, of course you're right." She rose smoothly as if she had intended to do this all along. "Children, you be good for Livia and Jamal... don't hold the duck by it's wings he'll snap at you!"

 

"Now don't be silly Mistress, I've been tending children for a long time now. I think I can curb their urges for mischief."

 

"Like you did Iussi..." she muttered under her breath, certain the woman wouldn't hear. After all, it was *her* not the old hen who had helped Iussi to settling down into the responsible, happy, and productive husband he'd become.

 

Glancing up at the window one last time she dreamed for a moment what it would be like to get back into the passion and excitement of merchanting... but as Iussi (who must have felt her stare) broke away from his hard work to spare her a smile; she pushed the thought away & smiled the most perfect and beautiful "happy/content woman" smile she could muster from centuries of practice.

 

He was so completely and utterly happy... and as she looked at the kitchen full of dirty pots and pans (a sight she vaguely could recall dealing with in her earliest years at the Tower), she just wished there was some weave that could force her to be so too.

[Arette]

It was a few days after Iussi's fathers funeral and he looked despairingly at the pile of account books and bills in front of him. After his father's passing he had busied himself in the office and tried to get a grasp of the family business, his business now. He wasn't stupid and he had head for counting and he knew the rudiments of accounting, but still making heads and tails of it was hard. He hoped he had paid better attention to Master Lucano's lessons in his youth instead of sneaking out to drink, gamble and race with his mates. Stab his liver, he hadn't even let them know that he was back yet. He wanted to very much renew the old friendship and even though they were likely all respectable family men like himself, they could still go watching the races together and maybe go for a few drinks afterwards. But he had let his train of thought to slip again from the wretched numbers. He had to focus now since Telcia and the children and Livia relied on him now to bring them bread to the table and if they wanted to hire servants again, he would have to reach good profit from his bargains.

 

It was quite strange that Telc hadn't already hired more staff. Most of the servants in the house had been quite elderly by the time he had left to the Tower and with his father's ailing health he hadn't had much social life and thus need for large household. When the aged maids, the cook and butler and valets had passed away, they hadn't been replaced with new ones and most of the rooms in the house had been abandoned. They still hadn't taken off the sheets from all the furniture since Jelene and Jamal loved playing hide and seek with them and there hadn't been need. Regardless the house had been kept spotlessly clean. Livia said she had had friends to help her with that.

 

Telcia seemed to love the role of a housewife and busied herself with all the chores with zeal. She had always practically beamed when Iussi had sneaked to the kitchen to steal some kisses and cookies. She had never had the chance to do such things herself since it would have been unseemly in the Tower and in Arad Doman their family had always had a horde of servants to do everything for her. Iussi was glad that he could have given her the chance to fulfill that urge. He just wished that he could ask her some pointers about trading since that was what she had been raised to do since childhood. In few days he would have meetings with his father's business partners and he would have to negotiate a deal of the next shipments. He was very much afraid he would not be getting as good bargains as his father had and Telcia's expertise would have helped out there. But alas, no. Iussi would have to learn the ropes of this and let Telcia be happy with what she was doing. He had to finally take responsibility. But if Telcia would only hire servants and help him with merchantly things, he could focus on his training and make sure that no one would ever harm Jelene and Jamal.

 

Sighing he realized that he had been staring the same page for over an hour. Hearing Jelene's excited voice, he moved to the window where he could spy on Telcia and the kids having a pleasurable moment after the breakfast. He very much wanted to be there with them right then but with a sigh he focused back on the accounts. It lasted only few moments until he couldn't help but glance at Telcia and smile at her before she headed back inside to do something important in the kitchen likely. He wished that she would come and interrupt him soon again. More gazing at the papers and numbers danced in his eyes and refused to make sense. He closed the book angrily and strode at the stairs. He looked around circumspectly and could still hear the children's happy voices from outside which meant that Livia was there too and by the rattling of porcelain, Telcia was washing dishes. He aired some frustrations by sliding down the railing and the small rebellious act made him feel instantly better.

 

He had made a decision and as the head of the house he hoped that Telcia would listen to him and agree. Slipping into the kitchen he wound his arms around Telcia from behind and kissed her neck and then nibbled her ear. Maybe his brilliant plan could wait for a bit longer, he thought with a toothy grin. Telcia however smacked him with the drying cloth which smashed that idea albeit her smile told him that she couldn't really be angry. "Love, I know that we both have important things to do but we've been working so hard already that I think we deserve a little reward. Not that the work itself isn't rewarding", he added thinking that he was supposed to say so. "Anyway, I know that you have done some shopping already but you haven't gotten to see the places yet. And I would like to introduce you to people who were my friends before I left. I'm sure that they are also married already so you might like their wives. I thought that you might appreciate some female company and if they have children, Jelane and Jamal would have others to play with."

 

"Oh and Telc... could you please consider wearing blue?" He thread hesitantly here since Telcia had told him something of the rivalry between the Red and Blue Ajahs and her Ajah's traditions. "You don't have to of course, but it would be good if you could avoid white, green and red while in public." He puffed his chest remembering his glorious days as a racer. "It's a faction thing, you see, politics. I used to race for the Blue faction, the Queen's faction and Livia told me that the rivalry has intensified." He sounded a bit hurt since Livia had also advised him sternly to not get involved.

 

Iussi Dyfelle

Wanna-be trader but bad at it

Married to Telcia Sedai of the Red Ajah

Father of Jelene and Jamal

Former Tower Guard and a Gentled male channeler

 

OOC: Move us forward as much as you want, Dee. I haven't decided anything about the friends yet so if you want to dwell on the visits, feel free to make up something and I will play with it :) If not, we can do just sightseeing and I'll cover the mates when Iussi goes to have a boys' night out *g*

 

And me and James just cooked up the factions today. I will email you what I have written of them so far :) We chose Blue just so Telcia could wear the colour with a good reason *g*

[Telcia]

Light but she HATED pots. She thought for a moment about using the One Power to wash them all but no... she was a housewife now. She had to get use to that. She wrinkled her nose and rubbed the bridge between her eyes only to get soap on her face.

 

"Burn me!" She cursed softly as she tried to blink away the stinging sensation.

 

Iussi's entrance caught her off guard and she nearly scowled instead of smiled. But then she relaxed. His visit meant time to stop worrying about last night's dinner on the fine china plates.

 

He rambled on about a trip into town and her heart soared. In the next room she could see Livia 'not listening' and she sighed. The woman would think she was abandoning her duties. Burn her to ash!

 

Then he started on the clothing issue. Blue of all things. Light but she did love blue before being raised to the red. She use to wear it all the time as a girl as it looked quite stunning on her. But there were traditions and rules and one didn't scoff at those. Still, Iussi was of the Queen's faction. Could she ignore her husband's loyalties now that he was who she'd chosen to be loyal to?

 

She bit her lip consideringly. "Iussi I..." She swallowed. Why did this, more than riding away from Tar Valon, feel like the deciding moment of who she was? It was just faberic. Right?

 

Swallowing and rasing her chin just a bit she forced a smile. "I've always been fond of Navy." She says gently. "A lucky thing I just happen to have one... if it still fits. I wore it the day I arrived at the Tower actually. It's the only blue I own. Though it's not seen the light of day since I first put on Novice white." She looked at her husband's shocked look. She was galled. Did he think she wouldn't do this for him?!?

 

"Well don't stand there like a wool-headed fool! I've got to get ready. Go tend to the children and see to the carriage. I won't wander into town like I were some vagabond. I'm the wife of Iussi Dyfelle after all!" She pecked him on the cheek and climbed the stairs slowly. Something turned in the pit of her stomach as she went. It felt like doom.

 

"Lady Dyfelle?" A voice came soft behind her as she realized she was walking unusually slow.

 

She sighed. "Yes Livia?"

 

"I've been known to sew a stitch or two in my day. Light knows children change the hips. If you like I could help you with that gown I heard you mentioning."

 

She turns to look at her abruptly. "Firstly, you don't need to be listening in doorways. If you must go on listening to my husband and I speak like I'm going to strike him with a lightening bolt when you're not looking... you might as well come in and join us. Secondly, I am NOT fat & YES I WILLfinish the dishes when I return! GAH!"

 

Telcia stormed off then leaving Livia exasperatedly exclaiming, "Why I never!"

 

Inside the room Telcia muttered and grumbled as she tore through the crate that the Tower servants had been kind enough to ship to Ebou Dar. Inside, beneath a sea of red fabrics, in a dark bag sealed without air... a small Navy dress trimmed tiny sea pearls & delicate lace.

 

Landon had picked the dress out for her to wear in Cairhien with Edmond. His name ... Edmond. I'm not too old. He said it was so pretty that he was bound to ask her to wed when she put it on. Ironically, the brigands had hit two days out of Tar Valon. He died in sight of the White Tower.

 

Pulling on the dress was something like sticking a pig into a blanket. She hopped and flopped, sucked and pinched... eventually she even resorted to the One Power but she couldn't button the button around... My hips. Bloody Ashes!

 

"Everything alright in there Telc?" Iussi knew better than to come in when she was audibly in fits. She'd given him an earful about seeing her like this even for a romantic purpose just two days ago. He's ears were red all day though she seriously doubted he mourned the scolding and more the denial of his advances.

 

"Um... Ya... Almost ... Ready..." She was ready to cry. She hated to admit defeat, especially after the harsh words but what could she do now? "Could you send in Livia please?" She asked regretably and sure enough, a moment later... there she was with needles and thread.

 

She worked silently. She never met Telcia's eyes and for that she felt ashamed. She made the dress fit as good as the day she'd bought it and before Telcia could thank her... like a good servant... Livia disappeared.

 

She must think me an encouragable snob...

 

Down the stairs she went and into the carriage with Iussi and the children. The whole time she couldn't help lamenting how she'd treated Livia and barely gave a second thought to the blue she was dressed in so lavishly.

 

ooc: I wanted to put a short bit of Livia and me in this, hope you don't mind? Are you free for this sunday? I'd love to chat! *hugs*