Acceptance

After Faye is brought to the Jade Garden, Duhnen decides to bring Faye to the arena to make her feel a bit better.

Faye Zahir slowly walks to follow Duhnen into the gigantic construction as she looks around, and turns her eyes at Duhnen as she speaks, "It is very big, milord. Where is here?" Her eyes are filled with curiosity as she looks around at the doors, stone pillars, and walls.

"Well, it's for running horses about, and also we can have races here, if we so choose," Duhnen explains to Faye, keeping her close to him, almost protectively. He gestures to the pasture off to the side. "We can raise our own horses here as well."

Faye Zahir slowly walks to the pasture as she peers inside, "It would be really nice, milord, seeing a lot of horses running in the field." She slowly turns back as she speaks, "I've learned a little about horseriding, but I guess I would be better just watching it."

"Well, you're welcome to watch of course," Duhnen tells her, smiling. "But we'll also give you practice with it, if you wish. I think you'd enjoy it, after all."

Faye Zahir bites her lip as she speaks, "You and lady Gabriella are so kind to me. I don't know how I can repay your kindness, milord." She sighs a bit as she speaks, "I don't know even if I am that worthy, anyway."

"You're worthy because we say you are," Duhnen says to her, rubbing her shoulder and looking about. "Besides, everyone deserves a family they can trust, Faye."

Faye Zahir bites her lip as she looks up at you, staring at you for a while before she blushes a bit, "T...thank you, milord. I will try my best to be worthy enough for all your trust and kindness."

"Just worry about living, and being happy," Duhnen says to her, looking down and smiling gently. "That's all you need to concern yourself with, Faye, so long as you're with us."

Faye Zahir bites her lip, still not so used to such kind treatments that she would never thought of having one by herself. "Thank...you, milord." She nods her head in gratitude. "I never thought someone would eager to care for me for nothing. I believed it would never happen, because I am......" she sighs deeply, "....ugly."

"You're not ugly," Duhnen replies with a snort, as if the idea is ridiculous. "I've never seen such hair as yours, before, nor eyes, but it's not ugly."

Faye Zahir bites her lip, "My older siblings always called me a ugly freak, and they said that I am a changeling, not a real Zahir." She sighs a bit as she speaks, "I wanted to be born like that. I wanted to be like others, having reddish brown hair and brown eyes like my father. Instead.....I look like a freak."

"Being different isn't always a bad thing," Duhnen insists, starting to turn her about to bring her back towards the Keep. "It can be quite a beautiful thing, really, at times."

Gabriella rides Buster in from Galloping Fields. Gabriella dismounts from Buster. Gabriella has arrived.

Faye Zahir bites her lip, "But people say being born like me is a sign of shadow-tainted, don't they, milord?" She sighs a bit as she bites her lip, "I don't know what is being a shadow-touched like, but I.....I am scared if I am really one of them."

"Do you really think you're shadow-touched, Faye?" Duhnen asks her, glancing down curiously at the girl as he leads her back towards the keep. "I really don't think you believe you are."

Ah, but in the path of the keep stands Gabriella Seamel, a bundle of packages filling her arms as she peers through the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pair said by keep staff to be out here. "Duhnen?" she calls merrily. "Faye? Anyone? I've brought things!"

Faye Zahir sighs as she shakes her head, "I do not think so, milord. But......I am still wor....." She stops, and turns her eyes at Gabriella as she quickly moves to her and tries to help her, "Hello, lady Gabriella." She nods politely at her as she looks at the saddle to see what she should help her with.

"Gabby?" Duhnen asks, moving forward to his wife as well, and offering a hand. "What have you brought?" he asks, a curious smile coming to his face.

Oh, any nobleman would recognize /those/ packages. Soft, flat items wrapped up in market paper.. clothes. Gabby's gone and bought clothes. There seems to be two separate items in her arms, and a pair of leather boots slung over Buster's back. "Well, I thought if Faye were to be staying with us.. we'd best prepare her for a good day's work. Aaand.. you can't do field work in a skirt, can you?"

Faye Zahir looks at the clothes as she blushes a bit, and she slowly turns her eyes at Gabriella, "So I will be helping you to work in the field, mliady?" She slowly looks down at her hands as she speaks, "I've never done a farm work before, but I'll try my best to learn as fast as I can, milady."

"Take it from me, if you pretend you don't know what you're doing, and intentionally make lots of mistakes? She'll shoo you away back to the keep, and you can go back to bed," Duhnen says teasingly to Faye, grinning over to Gabby and winking.

"Oooh, no," Gabriella laughs before shifting her arms and tugging on one of the strings holding the packages closed. "You won't get away with it, I assure you, Faye. You'll learn quickly enough. Here.." As the paper falls away, a deco grey cloak and grey cotton gloves are revealed. "I know cotton might seem a bit.. ah, well, foreign to you. I would advise against a corset as well. They only cause trouble, I assure you. The cotton comes clean, and you don't have to worry about its value so much. You'll get used to it."

Faye Zahir slowly raises her hands to hold the clothes as she nods at Gabriella in gratitude, "I always wore the cotton clothes when I was living in my house, milady." She looks down at the clothes as she speaks, "In my house, the servants and maids got better treatment than me. This clothes....." she slowly looks down at her silk clothes as she says, "it was a gift from my uncle, but I was never allowed to wear it while I was in my home."

Duhnen looks up to Gabriella sadly, resting a hand on Faye's back. "It's alright," he says to the girl. "You can wear whatever you wish here, Faye. I promise."

Anger flashes through Gabriella's features at this, and she glances to her husband. "Of course. We shall buy you some fine silk dresses, as well, and you may take your choice of them. You will never be restricted here, Faye. That, I swear. Anyways, they're all grey.. I thought it might help keep your skin. We'll start with the stalls, tomorrow."

Faye Zahir slowly turns her eyes at Gabriella as she speaks, "Thank you, milady. But I am more used to wear cotton clothes, and I would be comfortable in that way." She slightly smiles at you as she speaks, "I can wash clothes or clean house, too, and I'd like to work rather than just sitting down and doing nothing."

"You'll do just fine here," Duhnen says to Faye, chuckling. He grins to Gabby and nods towards the keep. "Looks like we have yet another family member, Gabby. We just keep growing larger."

"Please, for Light's sake.. Gabby," Gabriella laughs, reaching out to put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "And I'm always happy to have another family member. You don't have to worry about finding work.. I'll find it for you. There's enough idleness in Seamel keeps.." Dancing eyes glance towards Duhnen. "There's no need for more of it."

Faye Zahir bites her lip as she slowly turns her eyes at her new cotton clothes again, and she turns to look back at Duhnen and Gabriella as she asks, "Then what will I do in the farm?"

"The same thing as I. The season for planting, weeding, and harvesting is over.. and that means the season for butters and cheeses has come. There's also the stalls to take care of, yearlings to start training.. shodding to supervise.." Gabriella says happily, looking rather pleased with all that stands before her. "I'll teach you how to manage a small farm.. and perhaps, in time, you can help me with Aerie Fields. Light knows with all the children, I have enough on my hands."

Faye Zahir makes out a slight smile on her lips as Gabriella speaks, "I haven't ever been in the fields before. Although my family told me to work with the servants, they never allowed me to go out of my house." She bites her lip as she says, "I am inexpernenced and I might do some mistakes at first, but I promise that I'll try my best to learn it as fast as I can."

Gabriella gives a bright laugh at this and shakes her head, glancing to her husband. "Master Snow could have had me lashed for all the damage I did to Arturo's fields," she teases playfully. "We all have to learn somehow, hmm? Leyor'll adore having you about, I think. Katya, too." There's a pause, and the woman grows a bit more solemn. "At some time, Faye, we all have to escape the prisons we're built into, no? Yours and mine.. they were for different reasons, but in the end, they were the same. Trust me.. you will never find yourself in one again, on my life."

Faye Zahir 's eyes saddened as she looks down, staring at no particular point as she speaks, "I.....really hoped such words from my own family." A tear rolls down over her pale cheek, and she raises her hand to wipe it off, "I.....I am sorry, milady. I know how you two care for me, and I am really happy to be with you, but......" she sighs a bit as she closes her eyes, "Even if they hated me so much, I can't just forget about my own family yet. I am sorry."

Gabriella grins at this and shakes her head quickly. "You think we expect you to forget your family? No, that is not the way of it. I never forgot my own brother, even when he struck my name from his memory. You will always have your own family, of course. I believe there are many, many sorts of family.. and we are slowly creating a very unique one, here at Jade Gardens. They will say, centuries after we have passed into the Light.. there lived a family of families, people who could not be bound by class nor name. They never forgot their loyalties.. but they were not afraid to forge new ones. Now, cheer up. Let's think more about the cheese, and less about the sad things, hmm?"

Faye Zahir wipes her tear from her eyes, and smiles brightly at Gabriella, "Th..thank you, milady." she slowly turns her eyes at Duhnen as she smiles at him too, before she turns her eyes back at Gab, "When will I going to work, milady? I want to learn many things. I always wanted to be going out of my house and see and learn everything in the outside."

Gabriella grins at this and pats at the girl's shoulder. "Tomorrow. We'll start tomorrow? Its a bit late to begin tonite, although I suppose I could show you some things in the office. I will try to teach you all that I know.. perhaps Duhnen can teach you a way to defend yourself, or I. Perhaps I can teach you to use my old sling, hmm? Its never wise to find yourself cornered, and without the faintest clue how to fight your way out of it."

Faye Zahir blinks her eyes as she speaks, "You mean, learning about how to fight?" She bites her lip anxiously as she speaks, "I....don't know about that part. I....." she hesitates for a while before she speaks, "....I don't want to hurt others."

Gabriella shrugs her shoulders at this and moves to settle the packages on Buster's back. "Sometimes.. we have no choice," the woman informs with a faint smile. "I hope you will at least learn how to throw a few punches. A girl.. such as yourself ought to know how to get herself out of a tight spot.. you ought to agree to that much."

Faye Zahir looks down as she sighs, "I.....I know how much it is painful when I am hurt. In my home, my brothers and sisters often fought each other to become the superior of each other, sometimes by physical fighting, sometimes by lies. And......I wasn't out of their target, although I was the youngest and had no allies among my own family." She sighs a bit as she says, "I couldn't fight them back. I know how much it hurts when I don't fight back, but....." She closes her eyes as she slightly trembles, "I know the pain, and I didn't want others feel the same. I couldn't."

Gabriella considers this and nods her head, tightening the ties that hold the packages to Buster's back. "It is your decision, and.. I have said you will not be forced into anything. It is my desire that those who wish to know how to fight know, that is all. It was denied to me, and I give what I could not. My daughters will learn.. but perhaps they will have their mother's fighting spirit, no?" A bright grin is given at this. "You will see that Jade Gardens is a place like no other, Faye."

Faye Zahir slowly raises her head to look at Gabriella and smiles, "This place is really beautiful and peaceful. I will be enjoying living in here, I'm sure. Thank you for bringing me here, milady."

"Gabby, for Light's sake," Gabriella answers with a groan, dropping her head against her saddle. "Please, Faye, if you call me milady once more I'll be forced to drink clear into the night.. and then you'll have Duhnen all upset. I /detest/ the title."

Faye Zahir bites her lip anxiously as her cheeks turned to bright red, "I.....I am sorry. Then how should I address you?" She looks somewhat confused. "In my home, I had to address even my own father as 'milord', so I thought it was normal." She mumbles in her lips, depressed.

"Gabby'll do just fine," Gabriella answers, reaching to adjust Buster's back cinch. "Duhnen'll prefer to be called Duhnen, I imagine. I'm no better than you, and you're no less than I. Why should we not call each other by our names? You'll find me called Bee and "the woman who feeds the crying children" around here.. but Gabby'll work just fine."

Faye Zahir walks to Gabby to help adjusting the cinch as she speaks, "I will then, Gabby." She blushes a bit as she speaks, "I am really happy to be live with you."

"Say that after a long day's work in the fields," Gabriella answers with a laugh before dusting her hands off on her pants. "There's a chemise, some gloves, a tunic.. and the boots. I hope they fit. You are such a small thing.. but then, so was I. We'll be peas in a pod. I'm convinced Katya'll outgrow me by her third birthday."

Faye Zahir smiles as she looks down at the bag full of her clothes, "I'll like it, I'm sure. Besides, I was really tired to wear the heavy clothes to cover my whole body all the time." She raises a hand on the horse as she pats its neck softly, "To care for animals, and to work in the farm. I think I'll like it."

Gabriella shakes her head and turns to wink at the girl. "I suggest you be careful with the stablehands," she teases. "Those trousers'll catch their eye. Let them have it, I tell you. That's the last thing you need."

Faye Zahir blinks as she looks at Gabriella, confused. "What do they do with my trousers? I don't think they will going to wear them."

Gabriella shakes her head and laughs at this, pulling herself up onto Buster. "Oh," she answers with a grin. "You most certainly are /not/ a Lomasa, are you? Never mind, you lucky child. I'll tell you some other time."

Faye Zahir looks still confused, however she give up keep asking and nods at Gabriella politely, "See you later, Gabby." She smiles a bit at her as she speaks, "I'll be looking around the arena with him for a while."

Gabriella raises an eyebrow in Duhnen's direction before considering the situation briefly. "If it pleases you," she answers with a smile. "I suppose I ought to go get the children to bed, hmm? You two join me as soon as possible? I'll scrape up some supper."

Faye Zahir turns her eyes back at Gabriella as she speaks, "I can't cook, but I can do some dish cleaning and stuffs. Do you need my help?" She smiles a bit at her as she speaks, "I would really like to do some work for you, and probably, I would like to learn how to cook, too."

Gabriella laughs at this. "You want to learn to cook, from me?" she asks. "No, Faye.. I don't think that's possible. Of all the things I do for myself.. cooking is not one. I grow the grain, I milk the cows.. and someone else makes it all taste good. I apologize if I disappoint."

Faye Zahir shakes her head as she speaks, "You still have some skills to teach me, like growing the grain and milking the cows. It sounds like magic." She smiles at her as she speaks, "Maybe there would be some other people who can teach me how to cook, I'm sure."

One hand waves over Gabriella's mouth, and her usually playful eyes grow dark. "Hush, child," she murmurs beneath her breath, glancing up towards the sky. "Magic is not something tobe spoken of, not in the dark.. and not with someone to overhear."

Faye Zahir 's eyes filled with confusion for a short while, before she recognized what she just said. "I.....I am sorry, I just meant....." She bites her lip as she looks down, holding her skirt tightly as she says, depressed, "I.....I am sorry."

Gabriella shakes her head quickly and gathers up the reins. "I am not angry," she murmurs gently, her tone changed. "But these are dangerous times.. and to be saying such things.. it could ruin a life, no? Say only pious things, when people might overhear you."

Faye Zahir bites her lip painfully as she just nods, not saying any word, and just staying at down depressingly.

Gabriella considers this and lowers her voice to a whisper, her violet eyes watching her husband carefully. "Walls of the mind are as terrible as walls of the flesh, no? But we must learn to live within them, and only fly when we might not be seen. Otherwise, if we let them bother us always.. we will never have time to live. I learned this from an old friend, a good friend. Let his advice do you good?"

Faye Zahir slowly raises her eyes to meet Gabriella's own, and she slowly nods as she slightly opens her lips, "I understand. And...I am sorry to say about such things."

Gabriella shakes her head and waves her hand. "Apologize no more, and feel no more regret. Its done, and no harm came of it. You've learned your lesson, I think."

Faye Zahir slightly nods as she looks up, "I will not say such....dark things again. I promise." She slightly smiles at you. "Thank you for all your advice."

Gabriella nods her head and pats lightly at Buster's neck. "You will not always find it so helpful," the woman grins. "Nor logical. Ask my husband. He's suffered the worst of it."

Faye Zahir turns her eyes at Duhnen, and looks back at Gabriella as she asks, "Worst of it?" She looks at her with puzzled eyes before she finally asks, "What happened?"

Gabriella laughs at this before shaking her head. "Oh, nothing, dear," she answers with a grin, settling on hand on her thigh. "Duhnen there has experienced all the worst qualities of a Lomasa, Nillu bride, I assure you that."

Faye Zahir raises an eyebrow, with puzzled eyes she tries to understand what all Lomasa and Nillu are wrong with.

Gabriella leans over the pommel of her saddle to whisper, "The Lomasas are cursed, Faye." There's some humor in her eyes.. but a strange sort of seriousness, as well. "We're meant to fade into the dark with no heirs, no bloodline. We can fight it.. but how far we'll get is unknown, as of yet. We are evil-tempered creatures, angry and drunk. Nillus are greedy, selfish, tiny things."

Faye Zahir blinks at Gabriella and looking for her for a while, before she speaks, "Um, more than Zahirs?" She tilts her head slightly to the side.

"Zahirs have their own troubles," Gabriella laughs before sitting back in her saddle and stretching. "Quite a few of their own troubles, actually. I don't know if they can be compared to that of the Lomasas, or Nillus.. but they are certainly not trivial."

Faye Zahir smiles a bit at Gabriella as she speaks, "Then we all have their own troubles, right? Now we know we have trouble, so all thing we have to do is to fix them."

"Fix them, or learn to live with them," Gabriella grants with a nod, her eyes flicking over the landscape once more. "Life without trouble, I think, would be terribly, awfully boring."

Faye Zahir slowly turns her eyes at the direction Gabriella is watching, and speaks, "But if we are not going to do anything to fix them, soon the troubles will be flooded and choke us." She smiles a bit as she speaks, "I guess we should at least try to make it fewer."