applepie

[I]I'm not too sure what chapter this is. I've restructured everthing so that there are only nine chapters now. This is in addition to the last chapter that I wrote, so I guess it will be part of chapter 9 when I finish getting all of my file updated. I may go through here and update with the changes as well just so everything is uniform. I'll be starting on the latest chapter today if I have time.

Enjoy,
Meg[/I]

Allarick stood in his room with a dumbfounded look on his face. In his memory he didn’t remember anyone speaking to him in the manner that Arabella had. Philomina rarely had reason to bear the wrath of his temper, and she never scolded him back when she did spur him to yelling. To make matters worse, if the amusement on his face was any indication, Nechemya had been privy to the entire conversation. There would be no stopping news of the argument form getting back to Mina, and Allarick knew he was sure to be scolded by her for yelling at their guest.

With a sigh, Allarick wondered when he had started to lose control of his own household and life. He was not the type of man to overreact to someone going for a ride without telling anyone. He couldn’t understand why he had been so furious over Arabella’s absence. It wasn’t as if she had been doing anything which she was not allowed to do. His only excuse was that he had been worried sick when they could not find her. Then to be approached by Phelon with news of her whereabouts had pushed him over the edge. He would have to talk with Arabella about the danger that Phelon posed. He knew the lord was angry with him, and he didn’t wish for Arabella to be the one who he took that anger out on.


Allarick thought back to Arabella. Her eyes had lost some of the vibrancy that had characterized their first meeting, and there was a look of defeat and pain that even their fighting had not chased away. He hadn’t noticed how thin and weary she was starting to look. Granted, he had been trying to avoid her so there was little opportunity to see the changes, but Mina should have at least said something. He would have to find some way to help pull her from her melancholy. He would not watch her waste away while she was living in his home and under his protection. First he figured that he must apologize for his treatment of her this afternoon. He had been much to harsh on her when she had only left the palace for some solitude. He couldn’t fault her for wanting to be away from everything for a while. At least Tamarin was with her. Allarick knew that he could trust the stable master to keep her safe when she was with him. Maybe he would go and speak to him first about adding on a new duty. Tamarin could help to watch Arabella and keep her safe when she was outside of the palace.

* * * * * * * * * *

Tamarin was still grooming the lorelilla that they had taken out for a ride when Allarick entered the stable. He looked up to see who was coming in, and a look of wariness entered his eyes when he saw that it was his Syine. Tam hadn’t missed the anger radiating off of the Syine when he collected Arabella, and he only hoped that she had not been punished. Hoping to diffuse some of Allarick’s anger at the lady he immediately offered his apologies.

“My Syine, I am sorry to have kept your guest so long. It was not her fault that she missed her lunch. I will take any punishment you choose as long as you do not blame Arabella for something that was not her fault.”

Allarick gave him a thoughtful look and then asked, “You are very protective a woman that you have just met. What has she done to earn such loyalty from you so quickly?”

“She is kind to those around her, and she defended me today when I needed it. I can only offer her my loyalty for such treatment. You have not punished her for leaving the palace? I did not know that you did not wish for her to leave,”

“She has not been punished and neither shall you. I confess it was worry that caused me to react with such anger. I fear that there is one within the palace that would wish to harm Arabella. I’m not sure if he would go so far as to injure her within my walls, but I would not be surprised for him to try and do so outside them. I ask that you add protecting Arabella when she is outside to your duties. I know you are busy here in the stable, but there is no one else that I would trust with this task. Nechemya watches her within the palace, but she would immediately notice him following her outside. She will not find it as odd if you are keeping watch when she is exploring the grounds.”

“Is it the lord Phelon who would wish her harm?”

“That is who I am worried about. I’ve angered him with my ruling in the court, and I know he is looking for ways to punish me. I would not have either Arabella or my sister used against me. How did you come to know who it is that is a threat to our lady? Has something happened that I should know about?”

“I would have told you earlier, my Syine, but he approached her in the stables. I had gone to saddle the lorelilla for our use, and when I returned he was holding Arabella with her arm pulled up behind her back. She was released when I appeared, but Lord Phelon was angered at being interrupted. He would have struck me if not for Arabella’s intervention. She stood between the two of us and upbraided the lord for his treatment of those weaker than he. The lord left, but I fear she has made an enemy of him.”

“She stood up to Phelon and kept him from hitting you,” Allarick let out a little bark of laughter, “It seems that my lady is not only willing to stand up to me about our customs.” The endearment slipped out as Allarick spoke, but Tamarin did not miss it. Whether the two of them would admit it or not, it seemed that the Syine cared more than he let on.

“He was very angry to be thwarted by a woman, and I do not think he will forget her tongue lashing anytime soon. She may have only given him another reason to wish her harm. I shall do as you have asked and protect her. While she is a strong lady, I do not think that she could withstand Lord Phelon if he were to come upon her alone. I’ve no wish to see her harmed when some of his anger is because of Arabella’s defense of me.”

“Thank you Tamarin. I shall be in your debt for this,” Allarick clasped hands with his stable master and turned to head back to the palace. He still had to apologize to Arabella, but he relaxed some to know that Tamarin would keep watch over his charge when she was out of the palace. He knew that she was not likely to be pleased that he had set someone to watch her, but that is why he would not tell her the truth. She had not yet discovered that Nechemya was tracking her in the palace, and hopefully she would not discover that Tamarin was watching her outside.