food police. (heritable) wrote in emillion, |
It was rare for Zacheus to feel relaxed at a celebration of any kind, especially one with so many people. Fortunately, the Harvest Festival had always been one of his favorite holidays; he was willing to put up with a great deal. His sister and father were both small and slight, and could weave in and out of the bustling crowd with ease. Broad-shouldered and barrel-chested Zacheus, on the other hand, couldn’t help bumping into strangers, mumbling hurried apologies as he tried to keep up with the rest of his family. He didn’t want to lose them in the crowd. And then he saw someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. He caught sight of her hair first, long and dark. The pale skin was vaguely familiar, the round face — Zacheus had already run into a more than a handful of people from the Outlands, it was no surprise to see them here during the festival. He wasn’t sure if it was her, though, and he couldn’t be sure until he saw the eyes— Strikingly blue. “Morgayne?” There was only a hint of hesitation in his voice. A tentative hand went out to touch the girl’s shoulder. She’d been with Juliette in the morning, but Morgayne had excused herself around noon, looking to give her friend and her sister—a brief pang in her heart, quickly quashed—some time without her hanging around as the third wheel. And she was honestly famished. So she was loitering around the many food stalls, weighing her choices for lunch, when she heard her name. She turned just as the hand brushed her shoulder. The smile blooming on her face froze instantly, as she met the eyes of someone she’d done her best to avoid for well over a year. The ranger who knew too much. “Oh!” Morgayne replied, doing her best to recover even as her mind raced. “Hello, Sir Aleyne. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Should she lie? Claim she was still living in the Outlands, had just ventured to the city for the festival? But if he’d been past the house, he would know. He might even have seen the body. But if she admitted to being a squire, he might ask around. And he was sharp enough to notice where her story strayed. Morgayne was immediately met with silence. The corners of Zacheus’ mouth turned downward as he knit his brow in confusion. “I didn’t expect to see you here, either,” he said slowly, his eyes fixed on the brunette’s face. He couldn’t remember the surname she’d given, but he knew it wasn’t true. However, he could remember the grim expressions of the Rangers that discovered Gareth Vhawl’s body with perfect clarity. “Are you…” Faram, he wasn’t even sure what to say. “Are you well? Staying in the city?” “Yes,” she decided. “I’ve enlisted as a squire, actually.” The truth would out, whether Morgayne revealed this information or not. Better to be forthright now; she had plenty of loose ends she needed to tie up as it was. Smiling, her eyes skimmed the crowd, looking for someone she knew. The sooner she cut this conversation short, the better. A squire? He fought to hide his surprise. “That’s good to hear,” he replied. It was a genuine response. “Have you been assigned to someone?” Zacheus wondered if it was someone he knew. Not that he had any idea what to do if she was squiring for someone in his acquaintance. He didn’t feel it was his place to broach the subject with anyone, but not saying anything felt—uncomfortable. “Ah—I have been,” Morgayne replied reluctantly. "We started just last week." She pointedly did not mention Lady Marcos. There were a dozen questions on the tip of his tongue, but Zacheus couldn’t bring himself to articulate any of them. “I see.” He tilted his head slightly and stared down at her with an unreadable expression, quietly assessing and cataloguing the moment. The sound of Lille’s voice interrupted him from his thoughts. There wasn’t much he could do at the moment--not yet. “I’ll let you get back to the festivities. Good luck with your squiring.” A beat, then: “I’m certain we’ll see each other again.” Ajora, she hoped not. “Right,” Morgayne said with a small smile, “I’m sure.” And with that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. |