The Prince

Tyset II: Chapter 2

Chapter 2





Lady Mavigna returned after court had ended.  Her father eating lunch with his officials, he had ordered a plate sent to Tyset in her rooms.  Tyset could have been upset by this, could have been angry.  Instead, she just took it in stride.  Once she apologized everything would be alright again and she would be allowed back into the life of the barony.





Fidgeting in her anxiousness she barely ate any of the food put before her.  Lady Mavigna at the table with her, cool and distant now, she regarded her silently.  Plucking at her food Tyset kept her eyes lowered, not daring to meet the older woman’s.  Though she wanted it, needed it,  Tyset was still scared to actually go and apologize.





Tired of her food, she sighed and decided she couldn’t put it off any longer.  Sitting back in her chair she primly folded up her napkin and set it on the table.  Clasping her hands together in her lap Tyset met her governess’ gaze.











“I apologize, Father, for my behavior the other day.”





Baron Laurent didn’t even look up from the books he was working on.  “And what behavior was that, Tyset?”





“For embarrassing you at the Artist Parlor.”





“At which Artist’s Parlor?”





“Master Artist Jenier’s Parlor, Father.”  She surprised herself, delivering all these answers without choking.





He had not done this to her before, but she had stood at his side and watched it happen to others.  She knew how it went.  What was expected of her.  Why others always seemed to have problems answering him she had no idea.





“Thank you, Tyset.  Now, if that is all, I have much work to do today.”  Still he did not look up.





Tyset didn’t move.  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.  He—no, she wasn’t done yet.





“Father?”  Were the books really more important than her that he could not even look at her?  “Father?”





“I am busy, Tyset.”





“Father, did you mean what you said in the carriage?”





“About what?”





“About me taking on more responsibility?”





He pursed his lips.  “Yes,” he said after a moment.





Tyset paused, took a deep breath, and said, “Then I am ready, Father.”





“Ready for what?”





“For more responsibility.  To be Lady Meridian.”





His pen halted in its scrawl across the paper and looked up.  His lips slight parted, his head bowed over the books, he lifted his chin and looked up at her from under his dark brows.  “Tyset, I…”





“I’m ready, Father.  I want to have more responsibilities.  I want to be part of this house, part of this barony.”





“Well I am, I am just shocked, Tyset.  I…really don’t know what to…”





“But I can’t do that if I must wait on someone else.  Father, I need some control of my own life.  I need to be able to decide where I go and when I go there.  I need to be a part of this barony.”





Baron Laurent swallowed and sat up straighter.  Setting down his pen he clasped his hands together on the desk.  “I’m sorry, Father.  I don’t ever want to embarrass you again.”





He stared at her.  A long, hard stare.  Tyset forced herself not to lower her eyes, not to flinch.  He wouldn’t take her seriously if she did.





“You make a good point, Daughter,” he said after a minute.  “What was it you had in mind?”











She had gotten what she wanted.  And all because she had gotten over herself and apologized.  Because she had taken the initiative.





The entire time Lady Mavigna had stood at her shoulder, just as shocked as her father.  With the governess’ approval of her plan, once she had outlined it, and then recommendation to her father, Tyset had acquired the freedom she had been so desperately craving.  Ten gold a week was to be hers, to do with whatever she pleased.  She would be allowed to return to meals and morning court.  Between the two, however, she was to report to Chancellor Gerard from whom she would receive her day’s duties.  Were these duties not completed on any given day she would lose her allowance money for both the current week and the one immediately following.





But ten gold!  What would she do with it all?





With a smile on her face Tyset returned to her rooms.  Taking pen and paper she sat down at her small writing table and began to plan.  She should get a new dress for the one that had been ruined the other day.  Perhaps something not so black.  She was beginning to tire of the color after all.





A new dress meant new shoes.  And a new coat, she must have a new coat to match.  A cloak as well.  Oh, and gloves!  She must certainly get some new gloves.





Tyset wrote down each of these ideas in precise detail, outlining not only color but also style, fabric, and weave.  Including as well which shops she wanted to go to, she carefully marked out how much she thought each should cost her.  She was almost out of paper before remembering that she also wanted a tattoo.  Two, if she could.





Executing the mathematics for those items already listed, Tyset was shocked at the outcome.  She would not have enough for even one tattoo were she to acquire everything else on the list.





Obviously some things were going to have to wait.  But what?  Buying one part of an outfit demanded that the rest be bought as well.  And, as Baron Meridian’s daughter, she could only have the finest outfits, which came from the best shops.  Which, of course, charged the most.





Tyset sat there, debating for several minutes.  Once, twice, three times she went over her figures.  She had made no errors.  It looked like she would just have to save a while for the tattoos.