It had begun to rain. That seemed about right. Tiberius stood just within the columbarium, a slightly squashed bouquet of embrium in hand. It was late afternoon and dark had come early but there was nothing frightening about these empty halls. The only host a demon might find here was him.
And his was pleased indeed, glutted on its namesake. It brought to mind a nice, fat leech – attached where? Mouth? Heart? Belly button, perhaps. Tiberius shouldered through the heavy door and trailed his bare fingers down the orderly rows. Bronze plaques dark with age, engraved names and epithets. Very tidy, for the most part. Runs of plagues and disasters and family names. Jumbled near the end, as he turned toward the newest chamber. Of course, with the darkspawn besieging the city, loved ones now had less recourse. No one was being shipped home to ancestral estates.
Still, there had been only so many highborn deaths. He found what he was looking for by touch, though he hadn’t visited in more than a season. A personal failing, that. He conjured an orb of light into his empty hand, casting half a dozen shadows.
The engraving was so short, one wondered if they were charged by the letter. Just her name and dates.
“Mélodie, I –” He swallowed, tipped his head forward, chin to chest to hold back his grief. Slow count in his head, breathing coming back under control. There was a bench against the wall and he sat down, hunching over to place the flowers carefully down. “I wanted to tell you: I’m going home very soon. They say that damn wall’s fallen down.
“Your parents have been … Well, ever themselves. They want me to marry your sister.” The Nicolliers would be pleased and – most importantly – Grandfather wouldn’t throw him out of the House for coming home with nothing to show for six years gone. “I’m sorry. I know that it’s shit. But it seems as though I should go along.” He’d been unforgivably rude this morning, as good as calling the girl’s parents liars.
“It’s the fastest way home.”
And his was pleased indeed, glutted on its namesake. It brought to mind a nice, fat leech – attached where? Mouth? Heart? Belly button, perhaps. Tiberius shouldered through the heavy door and trailed his bare fingers down the orderly rows. Bronze plaques dark with age, engraved names and epithets. Very tidy, for the most part. Runs of plagues and disasters and family names. Jumbled near the end, as he turned toward the newest chamber. Of course, with the darkspawn besieging the city, loved ones now had less recourse. No one was being shipped home to ancestral estates.
Still, there had been only so many highborn deaths. He found what he was looking for by touch, though he hadn’t visited in more than a season. A personal failing, that. He conjured an orb of light into his empty hand, casting half a dozen shadows.
The engraving was so short, one wondered if they were charged by the letter. Just her name and dates.
“Mélodie, I –” He swallowed, tipped his head forward, chin to chest to hold back his grief. Slow count in his head, breathing coming back under control. There was a bench against the wall and he sat down, hunching over to place the flowers carefully down. “I wanted to tell you: I’m going home very soon. They say that damn wall’s fallen down.
“Your parents have been … Well, ever themselves. They want me to marry your sister.” The Nicolliers would be pleased and – most importantly – Grandfather wouldn’t throw him out of the House for coming home with nothing to show for six years gone. “I’m sorry. I know that it’s shit. But it seems as though I should go along.” He’d been unforgivably rude this morning, as good as calling the girl’s parents liars.
“It’s the fastest way home.”
04-01-2024, 03:12 PM
