Cylus 25, Arc 718
Tristan hated travelling by boat (which was unfortunately his only way of reaching Rynmere until he managed to acquire a dragon), but he absolutely loved travelling in a carriage. His was sky blue, and it had benches with plush pillows and a small folding table inside, and above his head was a place where he could safely store his wine bottles and his cat. Mistral travelled with him sometimes. This time he had only taken his daughter with him though. Ayla was not even an arc old yet, but she looked like she was almost three arcs old. She was wearing a blue silk dress (blue was in fashion that season) and a blue wool coat with a fur collar, and she had a doll on her lap. It was a cute doll, and it had three eyes and a tail because Tristan wanted to foster his daughter’s creativity from an early age on, besides, he thought that normal dolls were boring.
The little girl was hardly paying attention to her doll though. Instead she was looking out of the window and excitedly pointing at things. “Look, daddy, a dog!” she exclaimed when she saw a man taking a huge, black canine for a walk. “And there’s a horse! Can I have a horse, daddy?” Before Tristan could reply, Ayla suddenly frowned. They had just left the settlement they had been travelling through and that had been rather brightly lit. Twilight surrounded them now. Lianne, Tristan’s bodyguard and occasional lover who sat in the carriage with them (the other guards were outside, in the cold), reached for her weapons, but fortunately nothing happened.
“Daddy, where’s the light gone again?” Ayla wanted to know, and Tristan desperately tried to remember why it was always dark in Cylus. He was pretty sure he had learned it in school – but that had been over a decade before, and he had not always paid attention to what the teacher had been saying. “I think the moon’s blocking the sun, and there are no street lamps here either”, he finally replied, and Ayla immediately launched another barrage of questions.
By the time they reached Oliver’s home, Ayla had finally fallen asleep. Tristan stroke her gently in order to wake her again, and the little girl yawned and rubbed her eyes. “We are here”, he told her. “Your uncle Oliver is probably already waiting for us. I bet he’s looking forward to finally getting to know you!” In truth Oliver was of course only his cousin, but his only brother had killed himself, so he’d decided that Oliver and Andráska were going to be Ayla’s uncles, no matter whether they wanted to or not. He also wasn’t sure if Oliver was really looking forward to getting to know Ayla because she was an illegitimate child, but if wasn’t looking forward to it now, then he would make him!
Once he had helped Ayla and Lianne out of the carriage, Tristan (who was wearing a fancy blue suit and a brocade coat of the same color), walked up to the door and addressed the guard, “Could you please inform Lord Venora that his cousin, Duke Tristan of Oakleigh and his daughter Ayla have arrived?” Oliver had invited him for tea, and Tristan had gladly accepted the invitation, not only because he enjoyed being with his family, but also because he hoped to talk to Oliver about certain recent developments.
Tristan hated travelling by boat (which was unfortunately his only way of reaching Rynmere until he managed to acquire a dragon), but he absolutely loved travelling in a carriage. His was sky blue, and it had benches with plush pillows and a small folding table inside, and above his head was a place where he could safely store his wine bottles and his cat. Mistral travelled with him sometimes. This time he had only taken his daughter with him though. Ayla was not even an arc old yet, but she looked like she was almost three arcs old. She was wearing a blue silk dress (blue was in fashion that season) and a blue wool coat with a fur collar, and she had a doll on her lap. It was a cute doll, and it had three eyes and a tail because Tristan wanted to foster his daughter’s creativity from an early age on, besides, he thought that normal dolls were boring.
The little girl was hardly paying attention to her doll though. Instead she was looking out of the window and excitedly pointing at things. “Look, daddy, a dog!” she exclaimed when she saw a man taking a huge, black canine for a walk. “And there’s a horse! Can I have a horse, daddy?” Before Tristan could reply, Ayla suddenly frowned. They had just left the settlement they had been travelling through and that had been rather brightly lit. Twilight surrounded them now. Lianne, Tristan’s bodyguard and occasional lover who sat in the carriage with them (the other guards were outside, in the cold), reached for her weapons, but fortunately nothing happened.
“Daddy, where’s the light gone again?” Ayla wanted to know, and Tristan desperately tried to remember why it was always dark in Cylus. He was pretty sure he had learned it in school – but that had been over a decade before, and he had not always paid attention to what the teacher had been saying. “I think the moon’s blocking the sun, and there are no street lamps here either”, he finally replied, and Ayla immediately launched another barrage of questions.
By the time they reached Oliver’s home, Ayla had finally fallen asleep. Tristan stroke her gently in order to wake her again, and the little girl yawned and rubbed her eyes. “We are here”, he told her. “Your uncle Oliver is probably already waiting for us. I bet he’s looking forward to finally getting to know you!” In truth Oliver was of course only his cousin, but his only brother had killed himself, so he’d decided that Oliver and Andráska were going to be Ayla’s uncles, no matter whether they wanted to or not. He also wasn’t sure if Oliver was really looking forward to getting to know Ayla because she was an illegitimate child, but if wasn’t looking forward to it now, then he would make him!
Once he had helped Ayla and Lianne out of the carriage, Tristan (who was wearing a fancy blue suit and a brocade coat of the same color), walked up to the door and addressed the guard, “Could you please inform Lord Venora that his cousin, Duke Tristan of Oakleigh and his daughter Ayla have arrived?” Oliver had invited him for tea, and Tristan had gladly accepted the invitation, not only because he enjoyed being with his family, but also because he hoped to talk to Oliver about certain recent developments.