Timeless

5

"I can't go to the great hall like this Grey. My dress is all wrinkled and my hair is a mess." Ariele is horrified when Grey tells her that they aren't eating in the room that night.

"Your dress isn't appropriate for dining anyway. I made you a new one it's hanging in the wardrobe. As for your hair, I'm no lady's maid but I can help you with that. But this isn't up for debate Ariele. We have to go to the great hall for dinner. Anna sent her request while you were sleeping. We'll have to stop by my room so that I can change before we get to her apartment. She wishes to enter the great hall with us at her side. She gets a bit fanciful sometimes. But she's the boss and we have to do what she wants." He'd managed to keep the bitterness out until that last but then his words drip with it.

"Listen, Grey I'll talk to her. I'll get her to change her mind." Ariele doesn't like the rift that is developing between the two cousins.

"No, it's too late. She's already invited Sheila and Sheila was more than happy to accept." Grey is unable to hold back his anger anymore.

Ariele takes a step back from him. "I'm so, so sorry. This is all my fault." She can't stop the tears from sounding in her voice although there is no evidence of them on her face.

"How do you do that? Sound as if you're in a middle of a storm of tears yet no sign of them shows on your face. It's fascinating. But in this case you're wrong. You had nothing to do with it. It was my cousin that ordered me to be with Sheila not you. I wouldn't do it if it had been you." Grey says going from intrigued to resigned.

"But it is my fault. I told her about how much I teased you last night, unintentionally and how hard it was on you. And then you got so angry in her apartment before you stormed out." Ariele looks down in shame and this time the tears show.

"I wish you hadn't told her. My actions last night were less than gentlemanly, but I guess she has the right to know. When all this is over I'm resigning as Captain Commander. I'll let Taren take over, he's more than fit."

"He should be, seeing as how he's your brother and you've trained him all these years." Ariele says just wishing to change the subject.

"What do you mean? My mother only had me and a sister that died in infancy. I don't have any brothers." Grey doesn't pay much attention to her words as he tries to figure out how best to do her hair.

Ariele feels that she's just stepped in it again. Her words are soft and barely audible to Grey who is standing right next to her. "Oh. I thought since he looks just like you that you were brothers. I'm sorry."

Grey stops brushing her hair as he thinks about Taren. "He doesn't look anything like me." He finally says and starts brushing her hair again.

Ariele doesn't say anything and when Grey finishes she wishes that she could just leave. To her the two couldn't look any more alike, they could be identical twins.

She gasps when Grey holds out the mirror for her to see. "You put roses in my hair. Ones that I've never seen before."

"I made them to match your dress. You need no other ornamentation, but since the old biddies will be bedecked with all their wealth I can't have you going without some finery of your own. Get dressed and then we need to go to my room. Hurry, we don't have much time left." Grey urges her to move it but would rather urge her to stay in his arms.

Ariele isn't happy about going. She's always on the fringe for these big events and doesn't see this one as any better than the others. Although she has someone that will talk with her and stay by her side in this one. And most important of all to protect her from others that would do her harm.