For the first time since she was given the position, Crofte's office door was closed. It was not that she was meeting with someone, that would have been an expected closure. No, she had remained within for most of the morning and now all afternoon. The Squire in the hallway made his speech for the twentieth time to another initiate who was awaiting an audience.
"I am sorry, Ser Crofte is not seeing anyone today."
Behind the door she was only vaguely aware that someone had once again come seeking her, based on the muffled expletives that seeped around the hinges of the door. Coatleque sat quietly leaning forward over her desk. Her fingers were laced with her thumbs pressed to her lips in thought as she stared at the pearl laying before her. A thin haze had collected from an incense burner at the far corner.
"I never wanted this..."
For all of the morning she had sat and stewed over her thoughts. It was so much easier to push everything aside when in Jameson's presence, but now her doubts were returning.
"He will not come... I am not what holds his heart..."
Of all things she had remembered talking excitedly with Roen in the airship lounge so many moons ago. She had encouraged her friend that day to pursue her heart. Neither anticipated where it would eventually lead.
" Do you ever think of how little we think of her, to think she could only come to this conclusion because of some man?"
Verad's observation held painful truth. Since she knew of Roen everyone around the woman treated her as some naive little girl who was incapable of understanding the world at large. It was time for people to realize she was capable of making her own decisions. And mistakes.
"At least I did not say it was for your benefit..."
She sighed as she took up the pearl from her desk and rolled it between her fingers. Placing it in her ear she cleared her throat softly before activating it. "Mister Lazarov.", she intoned with as little emotion as possible.
Left in silence then her ear strained listfully for any sound from the pearl.
"Mister Lazarov. I have a message for you..."
After another moment she heard a muffled thump. She hesitated before continuing, unsure if anyone was listening.
"Mister Lazarov, this is Ser Crofte. I doubt you remember me."
More silence.
"We have Roen, Mister Lazarov. Or more specifically, she is the honored guest of Master Taeros. She is not proving amenable to polite conversation lately. Perhaps you could do with some yourself?"
"I am sorry, Ser Crofte is not seeing anyone today."
Behind the door she was only vaguely aware that someone had once again come seeking her, based on the muffled expletives that seeped around the hinges of the door. Coatleque sat quietly leaning forward over her desk. Her fingers were laced with her thumbs pressed to her lips in thought as she stared at the pearl laying before her. A thin haze had collected from an incense burner at the far corner.
"I never wanted this..."
For all of the morning she had sat and stewed over her thoughts. It was so much easier to push everything aside when in Jameson's presence, but now her doubts were returning.
"He will not come... I am not what holds his heart..."
Of all things she had remembered talking excitedly with Roen in the airship lounge so many moons ago. She had encouraged her friend that day to pursue her heart. Neither anticipated where it would eventually lead.
" Do you ever think of how little we think of her, to think she could only come to this conclusion because of some man?"
Verad's observation held painful truth. Since she knew of Roen everyone around the woman treated her as some naive little girl who was incapable of understanding the world at large. It was time for people to realize she was capable of making her own decisions. And mistakes.
"At least I did not say it was for your benefit..."
She sighed as she took up the pearl from her desk and rolled it between her fingers. Placing it in her ear she cleared her throat softly before activating it. "Mister Lazarov.", she intoned with as little emotion as possible.
Left in silence then her ear strained listfully for any sound from the pearl.
"Mister Lazarov. I have a message for you..."
After another moment she heard a muffled thump. She hesitated before continuing, unsure if anyone was listening.
"Mister Lazarov, this is Ser Crofte. I doubt you remember me."
More silence.
"We have Roen, Mister Lazarov. Or more specifically, she is the honored guest of Master Taeros. She is not proving amenable to polite conversation lately. Perhaps you could do with some yourself?"
