Denial of the Whisper

Chapter Thirty-Seven.

Chapter Thirty-Seven.

"I am no Lady", I said, after Rhydomir had taken the same dancing stance as Caaln had, and began to weave us into the mass of the other dancing couples. He had erected a shield around us. Sound-proof, I guessed. I'd almost missed it, but it was there, only a slight shimmer around us, the same, that Nyshard had used once.
"You are a high guest of High Ilryn, and therefore, you are called a Lady. And...", he smiled "... you really look like one, Adriyele."

Of course, I blushed, not being used to compliments, but I pushed it aside, and decided to take my chance to ask questions "My Lord, can I ask you something?"

"If you skip the title like I had told you to?", he asked back, but smiled leniently.

"Why did you put a shield around us?"

"So that we can speak in private."

"Do you fear to be overheard?"

"Why do you think so?", he asken back.

I looked at the great table and my eyes caught Caaln, sitting next to Nyshard, talking to him, while said Lord watched Rhydomir and me dance, his face holding a bored expression.

"Because you put a shield around us."

"Adriyele, not everyone is supposed to hear what we talk about. Especially not if you are going to ask me some questions, as Nyshard had warned me you would, when I told him I'd like to dance with you and get to know you better."

"To get know me better?", I asked. "Why?"

"Why not?", he replied, nonchalantly.

"Who am I, that the Lord of Wyntern Falls wants to dance with me?"

"You are Adriyele. The daughter of your mother, and the daughter of your father."

"I'm a bastard. And a half-breed", I said, somehow trying to provoke him.

"You are. Does that bother you?", he asked.

No one had ever asked me that, and I actually took a moment to decide "I don't know. I... I think I don't know. But maybe, that's just the cherry on top of it, you know? Sometimes, it's just like a never-ending circle of bad news."

"Bad news?"

Irritated, I looked up at him. "Yes."
"Are all of them bad news?", he inquired.

The song ended and we took a moment to catch a breath.

"Not... not all is bad."

"Tell me."

"Why?"

"Why not?", he said and grinned, when I rolled my eyes. I didn't know why, but talking with the Lord of Wyntern Falls was easy. Or, it was still my liquid courage.

"It's just that everything changed. My whole life, everything I had ever believed in... it was all a lie. I am not who I think I was, and everything here is just so... new and different."

"From what Nyshard told me, you grew up... secluded. And quite alone, ever since Kisandi is dead. My condolences, by the way."
"Thank you.", I replied, but put the unnecessary question about what else Nyshard had told him to the back of my mind, and asked something more important instead "Did you know my father?"

He was silent at first, but then he sighed "Straight to the point, hm?"

"Why dancing around the topic?"

He laughed at the ambiguity, and I grimaced inwardly about my own boldness, which I was again blaimn on the wine.

"Nyshard knew your father", he then said.