Kings and Queens/Carson I

Carson

C arson watched patiently as Sirius readied his bow arm. For a boy of only five and ten, he was a good shot. He just couldn't manage his nerves.
 * "Calm your arm, young lord. Steady your breathing and when you see it, let it go." Carson spoke softly, assuring the boy.

Sirius nodded and did so. After calming his arm, he took in some air, drew it from his lips and let the arrow go. It made a swift noise as it flew from the bow, landing perfectly in the middle of target. A loud cheer erupted from the on-lookers, Carson himself clapped loudly, but did not cheer with them. The boy is good, but there is something he is missing. Ser Alistair Connell thought the same as Carson, as he whistled to silent the on-lookers. Sirius turned to Ser Alistair, who nodded towards the young lord.
 * "That was an excellent shot, little lord. You are good with your bow, but you must be better than good to win over House Stalli." Ser Alistair spoke with his usual droning and leading voice.

If Young Lord Sirius Messer was upset by Ser Alistair's comment, he didn't show it. Instead he decided to show the Knight courtesy.
 * "I thank you for your honesty, ser. I will focus my thoughts on improving my goodness of the sport." Sirius was not very good at giving noble courtesies, the way he spoke, most people assumed he was being sarcastic most of the time. Unfortunately, he got that trait from his namesake, Uncle Sirius, who he was most much like.

Ser Alistair nodded curtly, and was about to respond, most likely going to command him to notch another arrow, but the crowd's attention, along with Sirius' and Carson's, turned to Gerard Weaver, who was running towards the Young Lord.
 * Gerard had been cursed with a bulging body, although it would have helped if he didn't scoff pastries left, right and center. With sun-licked, bright orange spiky short hair and blue eyes, Gerard came into serving the House of Messer a few months ago, when it was discovered that one of the local entertaining ladies had been sheltering him in secret. In truth, the young woman gave birth to him several years ago, him being a baseborn son of the lady and a Knight who passed through Byde a while back. Fortunately, Lord Helix Messer spared the young woman, sending her to Lord Keaton Winchester and taking Gerard as a ward, much to Lady Delena's dismay. However, Gerard showed a greater interest in the magics of Maesters, and became a somewhat apprentice to Maester Mance, the Maester of Byde Castle.

Huffing and puffing, the boy spoke. "Siri... Lord Siri... us. Ma... ester Mance..." The boy continued to huff and puff, breathing quite loudly.
 * Carson rolled his eyes and forced to the boy to stand properly. "Let the air through your lungs, lad, and speak accordingly." Gerard nodded and began to steady his breathing. Within a couple of minutes, his breathing was back to ordinary, steady and slow. He swallowed some more air before speaking.

"Lord Sirius, Maester Mance would like to see you as soon as possible, my lord." Gerard spoke with a thick accent from anyone of The Farmlands had.
 * Sirius bit his lip and turned to look at Carson. Not long after his lord father, lady mother and three siblings left for Woesien, Sirius had been in charge of Byde, although he disliked it to a great certainty. He told Carson that himself. "I hate this, Ser Perry. I'm supposed to lead, but I can't and don't want to. I'm supposed to go to the Brotherhood of Arms." That last part was sadly true. Being the second born son of a Lord who only held one land, Sirius would be sent to the Brotherhood, which he was happy with. He was even looking forward to it. Lord Charon would get Byde, a wife and many sons when his father died. Lady Esmeralda was on her way to getting married and would most likely be with child in a few moon cycles. And little Anabel, well, she would most likely be betrothed to someone in a year, but would not be married for another six or seven. And that left young Sirius, who was more than happy to joining the Brotherhood. Nevertheless, when he told Carson his worries, Carson simply told him to give him a small look whenever he was worried about a summons or some other lordly business, and Carson would either nod or shake his head. So Carson gave his response. He nodded, a small and simple little nod. Sirius smiled slightly and turned his head to face Gerard, who was awaiting his reply.

"Tell Maester Mance that I will be with him now. Ser Carson, you will come with me." Sirius handed his bow and quiver to Ser Alistair, who had moved closer to him, as Gerard began running back to Glenda's Tower where the Maester's office and bedchambers were situated.
 * It was a short walk to Glenda's Tower from where they stood. The courtyard of the castle stood in the center, with the castle buildings surrounding it. The castle lay straight north of the courtyard, almost atop the courtyard. Glenda's Tower lay south east, next to the Holdings, where prisoners were held. There was also the Suppers, which is where the Knights of the Messer Army ate and slumbered. As for the other workers of Byde Castle, they would simply have to walk down the binding low-hill paving to the town, where a small, shivering lake ran around it. The lake led nowhere, simply obtaining its water from the sky above. As Byde was the capital of the Farmlands, they also owned several acres of land where crops for the city and other crops for neighboring towns and villages were grown.

They reached Glenda's Tower, and began climbing the twenty seven steps up to the Maester's office. Sirius forgot Carson for a few seconds, running up the steps quickly. When Carson caught up to him, Sirius apologised and the pair walked up the remaining steps together. When they entered the Maester's office, Carson took in the office.
 * Fenny Mance has been serving as the Maester of the Kingdom of Byde for seventeen years now. He came to the Messer's as a new Maester. Byde had originally followed having Magister's serve under them, but Lady Delena was born and raised of House Laurel, therefore she believed in newer medicine rituals, alongside other rituals, thus, managing to convince Lord Helix to take Maester Mance under their rule. Carson himself would have preferred to be working alongside a Magister, but alas, he had no say in the matter. He enjoyed the company Maester Mance, both being similar ages. Fenny Mance was dark skinned, with brown hair matching the colour of his eyes and dark brown lips matching the colour of his skin. He was quite skinny, but it was most likely due to him walking up and down the steps of Glenda's Tower many times a day. Upon their entrance, Maester Mance was reading a scroll, while his apprentice, Gerard, was placing books back onto the wooden shelves they belonged to. At the sound of their footsteps, Maester Mance turned to face at them, greeting them with a polite nod.

"Young Lord Sirius, glad to see you have arrived. Ser Carson, I see that you have decided to join us too, excellent." He spoke with a voice from the Summer Isles. During one of their earliest conversations, Mance had told Carson that he was born and raised in Poro, a small village several leagues away from the ancient City of Bellatoma. He was a son of a woman from the Ice Lands, who died during his early years of life. He almost felt sorry for Mance, but he didn't say so.
 * Carson nodded. "The young lord asked me attend him, so I came with him, Maester." The Maester nodded, politely. Sirius made a clicking noise with his tongue and sighed out loud.

"I want to get back to my target practice. What's the news, Maester Mance? Has a letter came from my father?" Sirius had been expecting a letter from his Lord Father since they left. On the first two days, he continuously looked up to the sky, watching for birds.
 * Maester Mance smiled, politely. "Two birds came today. One from House Stalli, that was the first one to arrive, and the second was from your father, which arrived while you were practicing your targets, my young lord."

Sirius beamed, delighted. Carson could tell that he wanted to hear his Lord Father's letter first. Carson had been serving the Messer's for twenty five years, being present through all four of the children's births, and knew each of their tells. Charon's left eyebrow would twitch, while his right would lay still. Esmeralda would begin to tap her left arm against her left knee, rather impatiently. As for the younger children, both would grin, but young Anabel would jump up and down. Carson truly hoped that Sirius and Anabel's tells would change as they grew older. Forgetting himself again, Sirius calmed himself and motioned to Maester Mance to inform him of the details that were in the letters. "Lord Igor Stalli, the Head of the House, finds it regretfully sad that your lord and lady parents would not be joining them for their visit, but is looking forward to meeting you. He also requests that we collect some flowers that represent House Stalli, for his wife, Lady Patora Stalli. If it pleases you, my young lord, I have some young recruits for your father's army, out now, collecting Dandelions for Lady Patora." The Maester licked his lips, taking a few seconds to recollect his thoughts, before speaking once more.
 * "Your Lord Father, your Lady Mother and three siblings have arrived on time and are now enjoying the pleasantries of Woesien. He apologises for sending a letter too late, but yesterday, they were greeted with a large feast. Your sister, Lady Esmeralda, appears to be more than happy with the Cunningham's, and will be spending most of her time with them, as expected of her. Your Lord and Lady parents are enjoying the company of King Maurice, along with old friends. Your young sister, Anabel, is happy playing with Princess Jewel, and Lord Charon is bonding with Lord Cletus Minney, a member of the Watchers, who guards the King. Your Lord Father wishes you luck in your meeting and hosting of House Stalli and hopes to see you as soon as Lady Esmeralda's wedding to Lord Wilbert Cunningham is over." And with that done, Maester Mance took a drink of water. It was clear as there was no smell coming from it.

Carson looked across to Sirius, who should have been happy, but looked sad. He's missing out on too much, poor lad. Ser Carson wished he knew how he felt but he didn't. Carson was the older brother of a sister, who died during her fifth year, of an incurable flu. He wanted to make the Young Lord Sirius feel better, but he had no idea how to. ''Old man, you are a simple Knight, his own guard. He wants his father, his mother and three siblings''. Sirius broke out of his sadness. He coughed and turned to face Ser Carson. "I no longer have need for you, Ser Carson. You may go back to the castle and visit your daughter, she must miss you dearly. I will send for you during the evening to help me respond to the letters." Sirius spoke sharply, with a tone of anger in his voice.
 * "I thank you, my young lord. Until the next time." Carson did his normal Knightly routine; taking the attention stance, bowing to the Young Lord, and taking his leave. He quickly walked down the steps of Glenda's Tower. My daughter, Alysane, how I miss you. Upon exiting the tower, he veered a hard right and follow the stone path back to the castle. As a daughter of a high Knight, Alysane had her own room in the castle, serving as one of the cleaning girls. She wanted to be a handmaiden for Lady Esmeralda, but Esme refused her. Unlike her siblings, Esme was cautious of who she had serving with her. She didn't take any of her handmaidens with her, wanting to obtain new ones when she arrived in Woesien. She also wanted twenty Knights from her father's service to go with her, but her father hesitated on it, until Carson convinced him to allow her. "You don't trust the Cunningham's, my lord, that is common knowledge. Perhaps if Lady Esmeralda had some of your men by her side, you would then have trust in them." That's what made Lord Helix change his mind on the matter. Carson himself had no trust in the Cunningham Clan, but he had a lot of trust in Esme.

As he entered the castle, his thoughts rushed back to his daughter. She had no mother, she was a baseborn, a baseborn child of a former serving wench and a Knight, but Carson loved her dearly. Her mother left him with her, and Carson named her for his sister who he missed dearly. He climbed up the serving stairs, still thinking about his daughter. When he reached her bedchambers door, he smiled and opened the door.
 * At first, she was surprised to see him. But, then Alysane smiled her beautiful small smile and ran to her father, hugging him deeply. Carson laughed heartedly and took her smell in. She always smelled of peach soap water, she had obviously been cleaning recently, as was her job. Her cut short brown hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and her brown eyes twinkled, filled with her young age. She was in her raggy clothes, the clothing she wore to do her work. She slipped out of his embrace and beamed up to him. She had lost a couple of teeth recently, so her smile had some small gaps.

"Oh father, I have missed you. Sirius has been keeping you away from me, and that makes me sad. Are you mine, for now at least?"
 * Carson smiled kindly down to his daughter. "I'm always yours, pet. Young Lord Sirius is just lonely, tis all. But, yes, I am yours. Your father wants to take you out for food. Put something ragless on, and we'll head into the town."

Alysane beamed, and rushed to her trunk below the window. Carson half laughed as she began furiously looking for a nice dress to don for their dinner. My darling daughter, he thought to himself.

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