A Complication
@quilleth
4 weeks before the arrival of the delegates, Jasper’s planning is disrupted. He handles it - because Jasper always handles it.
Jasper looked up from his book with a frown. It was early yet, and outside the world was a quiet torrent of rain. Most everyone, he thought, ought be in bed still, or at least no further out of it than it took to start waking up properly. Leavening himself out of bed, he eased open his door, surprised to be greeted by a fresh faced looking Greer.
“Good morning Greer,” he said.
“Good morning Jasper,” she replied, eyes sliding past his to focus on his ear briefly, then his nose. He supposed someone must have told her the staring was off putting. “The Matchmaker wants to see you, immediately.”
“I see, I will attend to her at once then,” he said, “thank you for the message.”
Greer just nodded, disappearing down the hall with heavy footsteps and the swish of her skirts. Quickly he got dressed, though not so quickly that he was not as neat and styled as he ever was. It did not do to let oneself grown complacent, especially not with the Summit looming. He had no doubt from her profile that Lady Jiyela would not be overly troublesome, by all accounts she was smart and social and perfectly acceptable, but that did not mean there would never be need to rouse at inopportune times.
Removed from the traditional confines of their societies and parents, almost anything could happen among the delegates.
This early the halls were quite staid, in a way they would not be for quite a while. Once the delegates were here, there would be an unsettled sort of feeling permeating the entire island. So Jasper enjoyed his short walk from his rooms in the servants halls, to the matchmaker’s room. He had only knocked once before her voice rang out.
“Come in dear boy, you know you’re expected.”
Easing open the door, Jasper bowed shallowly to the matchmaker, noting she had a generous breakfast laid out, and a second plate and cup of tea ready. “Politesse is also expected,” he said. The matchmaker smiled, simply fanning her hand in a sit down motion.
“Tea?” she asked.
“Thank you,” he said, accepting it once poured.
“Your assignment has changed,” the Matchmaker said instead of anything one might expect. “Your Lady Jiyela unexpectedly found a love match at home, and will not be joining us. Your replacement,” she slid a small packet of paper toward him, lips pursed.
“This happened four weeks before the Summit?” he asked.
“Five, apparently the mail was delayed,” she said, “I got this late last night. She was chosen because she is a cousin, and because her brother will be attending as well. It’s quite a family affair.”
“I see,” he flipped quickly through the little bundle of information, mind already racing. They had just over three weeks to change anything they needed to in their preparations.
“I am sorry, dear boy,” she said.
“We will handle it,” he said, “it won’t be a problem.”
“No,” she said, unwinding enough for a wry smile to crawl across her face. “I suppose you wouldn’t allow that, would you?” Jasper gave her a look, and she cackled. “Don’t look at me like that boy, I know about your tender pride.”
“It is not pride, it is expectation,” he said, feeling just a touch defensive about himself. “I don’t wish to be rude however-”
“Lady Elisabeth is not going to suddenly appear, and you will be hardly impacted by eating before you hare off to harass your staff,” she said. “Eat. And finish your tea.”
Jasper sighed, but set aside the papers, careful to keep them from the threat of food and tea. “Very well, matchmaker.”
The matchmaker just laughed.
Finding Sayra and Ria, once he was released from the matchmaker’s custody, was no great demand. Ria’s bright red hair was a beacon at the breakfast table. Jasper headed right for her, easily spotting the tall form of Sayra across her. As he approached, his eyes fell on a short haired brunette, seated next to Ria. When her eyes met his, her blue eyes went wide. It was, he was certain, quite comical to see her immediately skitter to the side, catching Ria’s attention and leading to half of the table staring him down.
Sadly, Jasper did not find himself in a good humour, too preoccupied with the head ache looming large.
“Good morning Ria, Sayra,” he said, nodding first to the two maids who would be serving their respective lady, and then to young Imogen, still looking a little perturbed. Clearly his reputation preceded him. Or Ria was telling horror stories. “Imogen.”
“Jasper, sir,” Imogen and Ria said in near unison. Sayra just gave him a deep nod.
“If you two are finished with breakfast, we will need to meet to discuss some changes,” he said.
“Changes sir?” Ria asked, green eyes wide. “What sort?”
“We’ve a new lady,” he said. Ria’s face went white.
“A new – what happened to lady Jiyela?”
“A whirlwind romance,” he said.
“We’re done, then,” Sayra said, standing and lifting her mostly cleared plate.
The profile on Lady Elisabeth was not any more worrying than any other delegates, and Jasper kept this in his mind as Ria, Sayra and himself studied and looked for any major differences they would have to keep an eye on. The only difference between her and any other delegate was the amount of time Jasper had to get to know her – or the her painted in reports.
“Oh,” Ria fluttered around him, hands clearly unsure of where to go. “Oh but she’s a different rank than Lady Jiyela!”
“I am perfectly confident in your ability to remember which curtsy to use, Ria,” Jasper said. “Until she is here, we don’t have much to change however, I simply wished to inform you.”
“Yes, it would be awful to call her the wrong name,” Sayra said, the tiniest touch of wryness in her tone. Ria nodded enthusiastically, clearly having missed it, distracted by her worrying.
“Indeed,” Jasper agreed, standing. “That is all for now, we will continue as we have been and so you are released to your current duties until tomorrow morning.”
“And you?” Sayra asked, dark eyes locked on him.
“I am also to attend to my current duties, as ever.”
                            *  *  *
Bravado aside, Jasper could not lie that a slight sense of anxiety settled over him as he eyed the room around them. The Arlish and Corvali delegations had arrived earlier in the morning, and now Skalt, Jiyel and Hise were descending on them all nearly simultaneously. The castle was primed, ready to intercede the moment the delegates feet hit land. In less than ten minutes their mysterious last-minute lady would be upon them. As if on cue, a sharp knock rapped on the door and even Sayra twitched slightly, looking up from the vanity she had been glaring down at while Ria compulsively soothed non-existant wrinkles from the bedding.
“Elisabeth of Jiyel’s room?” were the words that greeted Jasper, and a moment later the bag boy, Evin, looked up from his list and grinned. “Heya Jasper, got your lady’s trunks for you!” As he spoke the two even younger boys attending him pulled a set of sleek trunks from the top rack. Jasper wordlessly opened the door wider and stepped aside – the boys, despite their youth and silly grins, were quick to place them at the foot of bed.
“Thank you gentlemen,” Jasper said and the three boys beamed.
“No problem Jasper! Have fun!” Evin said, already consulting his list. “Next hall boys, we gotta duke!”
Jasper closed the door behind them and turned; Sayra swooped down on her offerings, the picture of furious focus as she gently removed reams of silk and chiffon from their prisons.
“Well,” she said, looking up after a moment. “She likes purple.”
“Purple’s a lovely colour,” Ria, clearly primed to be a very loyal lady’s maid indeed, said. “But oh look she has a few greens! And flowers, oh these are lovely.” She reached out as if to touch one of the gowns, and then paused, pulling back. Sayra eyed her briefly, and then nudged the second bag.
“Your stuff’s probably in there,” she said. Ria’s eyes lit up, and with that tactic permission she set to excavating for her own little treasures. Jasper took up his spot by the door, as if he were expecting their lady to pop in unannounced any second now, and tried to figure out how this collection of pastel fabrics, ribbons and oils fed into the puzzle that was Elisabeth of Jiyel.
Five minutes later and Sayra and Ria had packed away seven week’s worth of living materials, arranged the vanity and vanished the trunks to the top of the armoire. Two minutes after that, a knock, not as sharp as the bag boys’ had been, silenced the quiet chatter that had filled their space. Jasper gave the girls a second to arrange themselves before he opened the door, stepping outside. People were making their way to the front halls, and Jasper fell into step with a nearly green looking Orion.
“If I die, I’m giving you all my stuff Jasper,” Orion said without preamble. Jasper did not roll his eyes, but only because he was long out of the habit.
“You will be perfectly fine, you’ve always liked a challenge,” he said. “And the novel – surely a Skaltish priestess is both?”
“And probably armed,” Orion said, with a glumness that did not suit his voice nor his face. “Ah, well it could be worse. I’ve never much liked birds anyway.”
“Birds,” Jasper said.
“Sacrifice them don’t they? For rites and fortune telling.”
“I suppose you would know,” Jasper said. Orion flashed him a much more typical grin, before straightening to his full – and not inconsiderable – height as the doors to the entrance hall came into view. Jasper sped up just a touch, carefully arranging people as he went, nudging everyone into twin lines. Orion stayed at the back, looming over the rest of the party and Jasper studied everyone once, before he fell into a gap left for him closer the front. Immediately, the doors swung open.
The butlers filed in, and Jasper’s eyes were drawn to the General, one of the faces he knew for certain. A little septet of Jiyeli candidates lined up to his left. They were largely dark haired, and his eyes skipped over them, drawn instead to the two lighted haired delegates.
Checking one last time that his uniform was in the best condition it could be whilst also on a person, Jasper stepped forward, coming to a stop in front of the general first.
“Good evening sir,” he said with a bow.
“Evening,” General Falon said, brows pulled together sharply. “Which one?”
“I believe I already know sir,” Jasper said, “Lady Elisabeth.”
The General jerked his head toward the blonde woman – who was now openly and curiously watching them, eyes flitting between him, the General, and the two butlers now at Jasper’s back, waiting to make their own introductions.
“Good evening Lady Elisabeth,” Jasper said, stepping forward with a bow before looking to large blue eyes. “My name is Jasper, I will be your Butler for the next coming weeks.”
                             *  *  *
My apologies that this is two days late! Life - more notably the wifi - was not kind to me. Still, I hope you enjoy this little run up to Jasper and Elisabeth’s first meeting and had a VERY excellent Holiday, Quilleth!