Love's Mercy

4 Reminiscence

(sorry, the italics disappeared :[ )

"Pardon me," Maria had said as she rose from the table, and quietly left the inn in the minutes following the departure of the other two. Alfred wished to stand as she went, only he held himself still for he knew she needed no formalities. Rather, he looked to his remaining companions; nearly strangers. It had been too long since he had ever made the acquaintance of others. But... It was nice, he decided, to find the world still existed beyond his chambers in either a palace or a manse.

"My Lady," Daraen continued, "if Jareth does not know, then we might look to the archive. The town's archive, that is. In fact, it is here in this building!"

"And you've spared no thought to tell me until now?" Viehn accused.

Daraen's face flushed with an embarrassment. "Forgive me, I hadn't considered."

Of course he hadn't, Alfred thought, watching their exchange. The boy says his brother is the one to take after their books, their records and histories; I am certain this one has never even been there. He is throwing to you his guess, my Lady, so as not to meet your discerning eye. Ask him again, and he will give you whatever you mean to gain. One like him... He would not dare displease those above him.

"Thus you can bring me there now. Or rather, you should take us all; should you care to, Alfred?" Viehn's voice had come his way.

"Maria might prefer-"

"Certainly, I shall have my Lady's opinion on this as well. Only, I would hate to bother her with something so menial as a search."

"You see..." Daraen said. "There is a key to it that our father has, and father is in his meetings at the moment."

"Why ever aren't you as well?" Viehn questioned. "You are meant to be his successor. One should imagine you at his side in all manner of this village's affairs."

"He was gone fore I awoke, my Lady," Daraen answered, innocently, Alfred assumed.

"So it is," Viehn said. "When shall I have this key, then?"

"As quickly as I may afford, madam. I can go to find Jareth this very moment if-!"

"No, no." She waved her hand. "We are yet at our meal, sir, what a shame to run off before our guests return."

"Right." Daraen's hands nervously curled upon the fabric of his trousers, and he sat as if chained where he were.

"Right it is. Enough of our work, then... Alfred," Viehn said, once more in his direction. "Why do I feel I might place a title afore your name? I've the strangest sense that we must have met somewhere. Had you come from the kingdom?"

"One quite far from yours, my Lady. I would be fortunate to say I had made your acquaintance as some time, but... Being that I am of no present title, I cannot imagine we had," Alfred said, and wondered if it were the lies Giovanni told that had allowed his free as well.

"Truly? Whereof?" Daraen asked. "You must have traveled for weeks if not months to arrive here, of all places." Viehn only watched him as he spoke in such excitement, as if he were a child to entertain his elders. Alfred assumed she must have been nearer to his own age to allow for such a disconnect from his enthusiasm for something so mere as a visitor from afar.

"Yes, weeks. Months!" Alfred added. "I should not allow you to discount your town in that manner. It is lovely to be away from the road. Have you traveled, sir?"

"No, not at all," Daraen said. "Jareth and I have been no further than the forest in all our lives." He flushed once more. "And here I speak to those who have been all about roads that lead elsewhere and away... I must sound as a child does; wishing to live anywhere but the home they are perfectly safe in."