Anne’s orders.
“You have the advantage, my lady,” he said, resigning himself to the moment. “What do you plan to do with it?”
“I belong to one of Misthalin’s wealthiest families, Theodore,” the young woman said, her lips uncomfortably close to his ear. “My ailing father lives in the country halfway to Lumbridge, mymother is dead due to circumstances that even today make some suspicious, and I have no brothers. Like William, I am the last of my line.”
“Then perhaps you should marry him ?” Theodore suggested, trying to sound glib.
“William?” she replied scornfully, then adjusting her tone. “I think not. He is a good man, in his own limited way, but he is no knight. He does not have the respect of the court in any meaningful way. No, Lady Caroline is the very best he can hope for. Trust me Theodore, they are a good match, and I know that she harbours a genuine affection for him. Truly, there actually is a possibility of a wedding.
“Ah, Lady Caroline,” she continued with a dramatic wave of her hand, “my meek little lamb.” She glanced at Theodore. “Although I’ve known many lambs who were considerably less meek.”
“You mock too much, my lady,” he responded. “Is there anything you take seriously?”
“Of course. But if I were to confide that to you, then you would only laugh. You have a heart of stone, Theodore. Incorruptible, yes, and I fear incapable of love, as well.”
She stopped, removed her arm from his, and very slowly walked around to face him. For a long moment she said nothing. The daylight shining through the windows fell upon her face. Her eyes sparkled.
Was that a tear I saw?
“Am I so wicked Theodore?” she asked, and the words sounded earnest. “Am I so detestable that you cannot even be civil to me? Is it because of the rumours of my mother, of her sympathy for Zamorak’s worshippers, whom she protected from persecution?”
Her voice rose in barely restrained anger, causing him to respond.
“No, Lady Anne,” he sighed, “I don’t believe you are wicked atall. And you are certainly not detestable. And it’s got nothing to do with your mother’s history. It’s just...”
It’s Kara , he finished silently. If anything happened between us, I would have betrayed her.
“I am a Knight of Falador, Lady Anne. My love is duty. I can have no other.”
“But you have not denied me either, Theodore. Because of that, I have refused the Kandarin ambassador’s son tonight, so I think I deserve an answer.”
Suddenly she curtseyed, and remained in that position before Theodore’s startled gaze.
“Don’t make me beg, Theodore,” she whispered. Her voice cracked slightly. “Please don’t make me beg.”
The woman is impossible . His thoughts were in chaos. And she is beautiful.
He gazed down at Lady Anne for several seconds. Her blonde hair was plaited down her back in Varrock’s fashion. She wore a diamond ferronnière upon her forehead, which complemented her perfect blue eyes. Her smooth skin was deliciously pale. He remembered a romantic verse he had once heard where a maiden’s skin had been described as being like shards of captured moonlight.
Was that what the bard had been singing about? he wondered. It can’t have been too different.
“Very well, Lady Anne,” he conceded. “You shall have your dance.”
I have waited for you Kara, and you didn’t even write to me.
Her blue eyes fastened onto his. He had expected them to possess a triumphant shine, but there was nothing save honest relief.
“Thank you, Theodore,” she said humbly. “Thank you.”
She rose slowly and looked to the nearest of the pictures on display.
“I understand that this afternoon you and your men are to beinvolved in a mélèe?” she asked.
Theodore nodded.
“We are. Against the finest knights of Varrock.”
“You are aware that Lord Hyett will be fighting against you?”
Theodore caught his breath. Lord Hyett, known as the Black Boar due to the
“You have the advantage, my lady,” he said, resigning himself to the moment. “What do you plan to do with it?”
“I belong to one of Misthalin’s wealthiest families, Theodore,” the young woman said, her lips uncomfortably close to his ear. “My ailing father lives in the country halfway to Lumbridge, mymother is dead due to circumstances that even today make some suspicious, and I have no brothers. Like William, I am the last of my line.”
“Then perhaps you should marry him ?” Theodore suggested, trying to sound glib.
“William?” she replied scornfully, then adjusting her tone. “I think not. He is a good man, in his own limited way, but he is no knight. He does not have the respect of the court in any meaningful way. No, Lady Caroline is the very best he can hope for. Trust me Theodore, they are a good match, and I know that she harbours a genuine affection for him. Truly, there actually is a possibility of a wedding.
“Ah, Lady Caroline,” she continued with a dramatic wave of her hand, “my meek little lamb.” She glanced at Theodore. “Although I’ve known many lambs who were considerably less meek.”
“You mock too much, my lady,” he responded. “Is there anything you take seriously?”
“Of course. But if I were to confide that to you, then you would only laugh. You have a heart of stone, Theodore. Incorruptible, yes, and I fear incapable of love, as well.”
She stopped, removed her arm from his, and very slowly walked around to face him. For a long moment she said nothing. The daylight shining through the windows fell upon her face. Her eyes sparkled.
Was that a tear I saw?
“Am I so wicked Theodore?” she asked, and the words sounded earnest. “Am I so detestable that you cannot even be civil to me? Is it because of the rumours of my mother, of her sympathy for Zamorak’s worshippers, whom she protected from persecution?”
Her voice rose in barely restrained anger, causing him to respond.
“No, Lady Anne,” he sighed, “I don’t believe you are wicked atall. And you are certainly not detestable. And it’s got nothing to do with your mother’s history. It’s just...”
It’s Kara , he finished silently. If anything happened between us, I would have betrayed her.
“I am a Knight of Falador, Lady Anne. My love is duty. I can have no other.”
“But you have not denied me either, Theodore. Because of that, I have refused the Kandarin ambassador’s son tonight, so I think I deserve an answer.”
Suddenly she curtseyed, and remained in that position before Theodore’s startled gaze.
“Don’t make me beg, Theodore,” she whispered. Her voice cracked slightly. “Please don’t make me beg.”
The woman is impossible . His thoughts were in chaos. And she is beautiful.
He gazed down at Lady Anne for several seconds. Her blonde hair was plaited down her back in Varrock’s fashion. She wore a diamond ferronnière upon her forehead, which complemented her perfect blue eyes. Her smooth skin was deliciously pale. He remembered a romantic verse he had once heard where a maiden’s skin had been described as being like shards of captured moonlight.
Was that what the bard had been singing about? he wondered. It can’t have been too different.
“Very well, Lady Anne,” he conceded. “You shall have your dance.”
I have waited for you Kara, and you didn’t even write to me.
Her blue eyes fastened onto his. He had expected them to possess a triumphant shine, but there was nothing save honest relief.
“Thank you, Theodore,” she said humbly. “Thank you.”
She rose slowly and looked to the nearest of the pictures on display.
“I understand that this afternoon you and your men are to beinvolved in a mélèe?” she asked.
Theodore nodded.
“We are. Against the finest knights of Varrock.”
“You are aware that Lord Hyett will be fighting against you?”
Theodore caught his breath. Lord Hyett, known as the Black Boar due to the
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