Asselyana Thorel

ASSELYANA THOREL / peggy nesbit

Isoldehad no idea what was in store when she had first decided to spend the preciousmoments of free time she had that day in the kitchens with Thomas Reston. Notthat she had in so many words even realized that such a thing was her intent—shewas certain that she was coming to visit with Annie—and yet all thoughts of acasual quiet early morning of conversation flew out of her mind the moment hereyes fell upon the scene in the kitchens.

A screamfell from the woman’s mouth and the basket of fresh-picked apples she had beencarrying clattered to the floor as she took in the terrifying vision of TomReston leaning heavily upon the table in the center of the kitchens, the entireright side of his usually pristine shirt stained a deep and terrible red. In apace she rushed over to the man, terror in her eyes as fluttering hands touchedat his face, his chest, hoping to the gods above that he was not dying beforeher eyes.

“MisterReston!” She exclaimed as his eyes opened and gazed upon her with some mixbetween relief and guilt. “Whatever has happened to you?! Was there anaccident? Were you attacked? Shall I call for the guards?”

Tomsomehow managed to still flush a soft pink even with how pale his face hadbecome, fumbling about for some vague noises of explanation. Yet before hecould manage to put together a single thought, Annie burst in, nearly out ofbreath for how she had been running.

“He’srun off into the woods, Mister Reston—Oh… Hello Aunt Isolde.”

Thewoman slowly looked between Tom and her niece, feeling the blood rushing fromher face as well. “Who has run off, Annie? And what was he running from?”

“Now,Miss Martel, I don’t—“

Isoldecut Tom off with a look before turning her uncharacteristically intense gazeupon Annie. “Who, Annie?”

“D—DanylReston, Aunt Isolde…” Annie said quietly, tucking a lock of hair behind herear. “Mister Reston challenged him to a duel and the two of them fought at dawnthis morning. Oh, Mister Reston was very noble about it, I promise! Heperformed splendidly—“

“Aduel?!” Isolde turned back to Tom with fire in her eyes and fear sending herheart pounding at a thousand beats a second. “You challenged Danyl Reston, aknown scoundrel who certainly must know how to win any fight he finds himselfin at any cost, to a duel. And here I thought you were a man of some sense! Notone who would so recklessly have his arm near cleaved in half on a whim!”

“Ah!Miss—Miss Martel!” Tom reached out towards her with a gentle hand. “No need toworry! It’s just a cut, really. Nothing to be concerned about. I shall be wellsoon enough.”

“It’snot just a cut, Thomas!” Isolde saidin a frightened and stern tone she had once reserved only for Annie andBaldwin. She hardly even noticed that this was the first time she’d trulyaddressed him by his first name. After all, if she had, Isolde would haveclammed up immediately, far too embarrassed by her familiarity. “You’rebleeding everywhere! What if Danyl had done more than just graze you? Cousin ornot, dueling is a silly and idiotic thing and he could have killed you!” Her eyes were wide as shestared at the man before her, watching the blood rolling down his arm from thelong jagged wound that ran from his shoulder to his elbow.

Andsuddenly Isolde Martel knew that nothing in this world would ever terrify heragain as much as the thought of how close she had become to losing ThomasReston. Nor was she about to let him out of her sight for one more minute.

“It—It doesn’tmatter now, I suppose. You did not kill each other, and that is what’simportant.” She muttered with a shake of her head before stepping to Tom in apace. “Come here and sit down so I can have a look at it.”

Withoutanother word the young woman dragged him by the elbow to the chair he had sorecently deemed as her own and sat him down next to the fire. She knelt on thefloor next to him and tore off a strip of muslin from the hem of her gown, blueeyes like flint staring up at Tom the second her made a noise of protestation. “I have other dresses. You do not have another arm. Do notpress me about it. I’d much rather you are well.” She said with an air like it wassomething she’d said many times before as she tore open the sleeve of his shirtand wrapped the cloth around his arm.

Gentlyshe pressed her fingers around the rudimentary bandage, the other hand comingup to hold his hand softly as she did so—under the guise of keeping his armstill of course. “Annie, fetch me a bowl of fresh water and the herbs I keep onhand back at the cottage to sooth Baldwin’s scrapes after he falls out of theapple trees.” She called over her shoulder to her niece without ever looking upfrom the slowly darkening dressing she had placed upon him.

“Silly, sillyman…” Isolde muttered as soon as Annie was out of earshot, tears pricking atthe corners of her eyes. “Why would you everchallenge Danyl like that?”

“Becausehe hurt you, Miss Martel…” Tom’s reply was quiet and almost embarrassed. Aflush colored his cheeks gently. “He broke your heart and I promised you Iwouldn’t let anyone hurt you. I promised…”

“So youdecided to challenge him to a duel?” Isolde snapped back at Tom, finallylifting her gaze back up to capture his own. “My honor isn’t worth dying over,Tom. I—I cannot bear to think of what I would do if he had killed you. I thankyou for your concern, for your steadfast nature, it is much appreciated, Iassure you, but I would not have you put yourself in harm’s way for my sake. Ilo—” She swallowed back the lump beginning to form in her throat and reachedout for the bowl Annie had set beside her before retreating, instead focusing ongently cleaning the wound with the poultice instead of the words that hadstalled upon her tongue. (Perhaps for the best, so that she had not noticed thesmall twinkling smile that rested upon her dear niece’s lips as she watched heraunt and the cook sitting together so closely.)

He wouldnot want those words now. She did not deserve him. He was too good, too kind,too chivalrous. Besides, she was still so certain that he must be married witha wife and child somewhere. Such a good man could not be alone after so long.Someone had to have approached him long ago.

Shecould never hope to be good enough to earn more than the gentlest affectionsfrom someone like Tom Reston.

Silencesettled between them for a few minutes as Isolde washed and re-dressed hiswound with gentle fingers. Focusing on the task at hand instead of the swirlingemotions that were creating such a storm inside of her.

“Willyou tell me what you were going to say, Miss Martel? A moment ago?”

Isoldelooked up once more. Tom’s stare was soft and gentle as he looked down at him.Perhaps… Perhaps even a little nervous and frightened himself. As if he knewwhat she had been about to say and found himself wishing desperately one way oranother that his guess was true.

Either way, obv Dom has never been around her when Dom isn’t around, so he’s probs never noticed the difference in her hahahaha so he’s like, “Oh, that’s just Annie…” basically whenever she acts weird, essentially bc he has no clue the problem is HIM  And I facepalm bc he’s like always trying to do little things for the Thorels to make their lives easier and I feel like he’s one of those guests that just swings by the Thorel place at, like, any old hour, unannounced and uninvited bc he basically has a standing invitation (at least from her dad) and he feels v at home there and he’ll just hang out for awhile hahahah

Hmmmm, I feel like Dom is pr quiet and kind to most ppl, (unless you’ve crossed the line in which case he’s tooootally different, bc he hardcore believes in justice) so I’m thinking if you don’t know him well, it’s probs not obv, but I also think it may be to ppl he ~does know well (which makes me sad bc I feel like the Thorels know him better than most).  At least, I think Warin suspects, at any rate.  (He’s like, “…Well, that’s not good,” basically bc like hell that’ll ever work out.)

I mean, I’d say there’s some level of potential there, on his end, like he’s just kind of an idiot with his head in the sand and still thinks of her as a kid, but she’s close to NOT being one anymore and so yeah I mean, I feel like it’d take something to show him she’s not a kid anymore and then some time after that, sort of getting to know ~adult Annie~ and thinking of her in adult terms instead, but I don’t think it’s completely outside the realm of possibility on his end.  Something would just need to change for it to work out, if that makes sense?  The irony is, by the time he notices she’s not a kid, she’ll probs have moved on HAHAHHA

And I think she probably knows taht Dom sees her as a kid and probs always will and I feel like she’d try to seem more grown up around him, but her trying to seem more grown up probably makes her seem less so and #fail

but yeah, I don’t imagine that her brother does tease her in front of dom haha

(Annie is like GDI dom you can’t just show up here w/o warning like I’m a mess i need to brush my hair don’t look at me ;DDD) But no I think she’s actually v happy that he stops by so often b/c obviously she really likes being around him. 

yeah that makes sense. and i think that annie might be able to pick up on it? or suspect, just b/c she def she’s v interested in who dom likes haha. and she’s like i ship it but i don’t 

“And hello to you as well Sam.” Isolde nodded to the other kitchen assistant, smiling brightly before brushing locks of hair away from Annie’s face. She was so beautiful, her little niece.  Though perhaps not so little anymore, truly, Isolde would only ever see her as the small child who raised her arms up to be held.

“As for the Lady in question…” She continued, ushering Annie back to her work as Isolde herself picked up an extra dish rag and began helping wipe down the kitchens. “She is very beautiful–much as everyone suspected she would be. She also dresses in the finest silks I’ve ever seen, much in the fashion of the Capitol, as apparently she is close friends with the Lady Lynessa Beaumont, and the two of them often share dressmakers.” Isolde grinned widely at her niece, unsure exactly how else to paint the Lady of the West who had come to roost in their wintry halls.

“But there is kindness in her, I can see it. Kindness and strength and determination to survive, so I do not think we shall have to worry overmuch for Lady Vipont.” Isolde paused then, twisting the dish rag in her hands ever so slightly. “I worry more for Lady Alia, truly. What shall happen to her when Rowlin married and becoming Warden in the North in more than name? He shall have no more use of her, and I fear she shall be tossed off to some far-flung place, married to a man she’s never met and could never grow to love.”

The young woman blinked away a few concerned tears that had bubbled up of their own accord, swallowing once and shaking her head. “But that is still far-off, and certainly not something you have cause to worry over, my love.” Isolde said with a smile, coming to wrap an arm around Annie and press another gentle kiss to her brow. After all, such a fate she knew would never come to her niece. Much like her mother, Annie would marry for love some day and grow to have a lovely family with many children that Isolde would watch over just as she had done for Annie before them.

She listened to her aunt tell her about Emylyna Vipont as she scrubbed the last of the dirty dishes. “Really? I hope to see her at the ball,” She said, “Especially if she is wearing one of her silk gowns,” She said, grinning, “Goodness! Sharing a dressmaker with Lynessa Beaumont! I heard that she sets the fashions in the capital, itself and then, I suppose, for all of Aragoth.” 

For all of the talk of the gowns, however, she was much more glad to hear her aunt tell her what she thought of Lady Vipont’s person. “Good, that’s ... good. Lord Stafford can be ... well, you know better than I.” She didn’t like to say out loud: it was rare that someone from the family came downstairs but she had seen Lucian Moran himself there once or twice to speak with Tom Reston, and she wouldn’t want to be overheard. But she needn’t say anything. Her aunt knew. 

Annie didn’t know Alia Stafford well -- or at all really. She caught glances of her now and again, but she felt as though she knew her from all that she had heard from her aunt. And she knew that she did not deserve the life she had. How horrible to have grown up with Rowlin as a brother? With Lucian and Renfry for uncles? To have little or no memory of your parents? “Perhaps Lady Vipont ... perhaps she will be able to help her find a good match?” That was all she could hope for, really. But she worried about that, too. What if she was married to a lord in the west? Or the south? Would she take Isolde there with her? 

Annie had been trying to prove to her aunt that she did not need her to worry about them anymore: she could take care of her brother and father and their house and manage her job, here. She didn’t want Isolde to stop living her own life, but that didn’t mean she wanted her to leave, either. 

She didn’t voice any of this to her aunt, but when she came and gave her a hug, Annie held on to her tightly for a moment before going back to the dishes. 

Ok, so as I said, I don’t think Dom has any worldly idea that Annie is ~interested in him and, if he did, I think it’d blow his mind and he’d act differently hahahaha but as it is, I def think he does care for her a lot just not necessarily in that way and I CRY  But I think he’s v protective of her and her entire family and it just never ~occurred to him really that anyone would really look twice at him to be perfectly honest.  Not to mention he’s got his head turned, I think, by Amia…

Um, but yeah I think the fact that he is such a nice guy and obvi loves their family and is protective over them and everything is basically why Annie likes him like WHY IS HE PERFECT?!?!?! Also she’s just swooning whenever he does something for her and icry she’s such a mess. 

Also, do you think it’s obvious that Dom likes Amia?? I mean, obviously Amia will be pretty clueless, but I wonder if Annie will know?? If she does, she’ll be sooo torn b/c she really likes Amia and basically wants both Amia and Dom to be happy??? And she’d def know that Amia isn’t thinking about Dom that way and she’s like ~i should feel happy but I’m not b/c Dom isn’t happy~ and basically “I don’t want my feelings anymore, can I sell them on ebay??”

Although, tbh I don’t think that Annie could ever legit see her and Dom getting together?? Like she’s got a hardcore crush on him and really cares about him and def daydreams about him sometimes, but i think she does know that he doesn’t think of her like that and probs never will. 

Diccon lifted a brow at her as she fell silent, waiting for her to continue. He walked towards her, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against one of the stable doors. He grinned amusedly at her reasoning, offering a bit of a shrug. “Well, we know how Tom thinks of her,” he said, laughing a bit. “She’d not have to worry about that. And I doubt either of us would run to Tom to tell him if Isolde loved him or not–especially if she didn’t.” Diccon didn’t think Tom’s heart could take it. “Truthfully, I don’t know what Aunt Isolde thinks of Tom. She spends so much time in that castle with the Lady Alia that I don’t think she thinks much of her own future.” He wanted to change that; he didn’t want Isolde to spend the rest of her days caring for a high lady. She deserved a life of happiness all to herself.

“No, I would never tell him -- either way. That would be for her to do,” She agreed, “But you are right! And that is why I worry. Do you think she might not even know her own heart?” And maybe it wasn’t Tom she loved or would grow to love, but Isolde deserved to settle down and have a family of her own with someone she loved. And who wouldn’t love Isolde in return? Annie knew her aunt well enough to know that she wanted one and she only hoped and prayed that she would not pass up the opportunity if it ever came her way. She hoped that she hadn’t already lost it.

But, yeah, I think she’d just kinda shrug it off tbh??? And until she realizes that he’s hurting/messing with people she really loves, he won’t really bother her and just thinks he’s harmless and shakes her head like “lol but no you are really wasting your time with me i am a child”

worrieD THAT HE MIGHT MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEAR (where’s the lie tho?? i mean if it isn’t warin, then it’s greshilda or tom or like anYONe else). 

She paused, “I won’t ask her because ... “ Her voice drifted. Truly she always wondered if Isolde had remained unmarried so long because of her and her brother. She had been like a mother to them for as long as Annie could remember and even though Annie was old enough to do most everything around the house herself, even with her job at the castle, she knew that her aunt still worried. And she still thought about everyone but herself. 

Would her aunt admit if she was in love to Annie? Would she admit it to herself?