Silver & Wine

Chapter Two: Bormul House

—chapter two: bormul house

Aemry woke to a throbbing headache. Maybe twelve pints wasn't a good idea for her first experience with alcohol. No matter, she could stop into the Infirmary on her way to breakfast with her parents. She climbed out of her bed, until she realised it wasn't her bed. She also wasn't wearing clothes and quickly snatched the bed sheet to cover herself.

Aemry was meant to return home with Ola before sunrise. Seeing as she was alone in a curtained room with rays of sunlight trying to peak in, she knew she had failed. Her parents would be furious, and the ton would have a field day gossiping about her late night antics. She groaned and slapped her forehead, making the pain in her head worse.

She scanned the room, seeing nothing but her own clothes scattered across the floor. Astarion was nowhere to be seen, he'd gotten his night with Aemry and vanished. But his disappearance wasn't what upset her, it was the fact she couldn't remember anything about their time together. She had shared a bed with the most attractive man she had ever seen, but she could not remember anything about it. It infuriated her.

There was a knock at the door and Aemry froze. She wasn't expecting anyone, but maybe Astarion had come back. He could refresh her memory of what she imagined was the most depraved, carnal, lustful night of her existence. But then she stopped herself. Was it rude to ask someone about a night of sex you couldn't remember? The last thing Aemry wanted to do was insult him.

Another vigorous knock came and pulled Aemry from her thoughts. She yelled to the visitor that she would answer in a moment and swiftly changed into her clothes. She threw her cloak over her shoulders and put the hood up before opening the door.

"Hello, my Lady."

Her smile dropped. "Sir Haryk," she greeted one of her father's many Knights.

"I am here to escort you back to Bormul House," he informed her, stepping to the side. "After you."

"How did you find me?"

"Miss Forshine said Filthy Hog Inn was the last place she saw you. She's very distraught," Sir Haryk explained, walking a safe distance behind her.

Aemry cursed. She forgot to tell Ola what room she was going to. Then again, Aemry hadn't planned on staying in Astarion's room overnight. How tired could she have been to pass out so easily, and to sleep through the entire morning too?

Thanks to her cloak, Aemry wasn't recognised by many on their walk. But people were definitely suspicious to see a Knight of Bormul House escorting a hooded figure. When they arrived at the tall gates of her home, her eyes widened at the sight. They had been destroyed beyond measure, and where there was once two doors was only half of one. The remaining hinges were trying their best to hold onto what was left of this half door, which was nothing but splinters and oozing acid.

"What in the Nine Hells happened here?!" Aemry screeched, rushing inside to find her family.

She darted in and out of every bedroom, finding no one. She even checked every bathroom at the risk of seeing an indecent family member. Indecency didn't matter to her right now, she just needed to see someone. However, when she burst through the doors to the dining hall, she found her family eating breakfast like normal.

"Hello?" Aemry said, cautiously.

"Good morning, dear," Lady Amisra, her mother, greeted her.