#earthrunes

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"Why were you spying on my knight?" Nelson interogates his prisoner

The prisoner, a girl, glares at him

"his painting projects are to be hidden to all but his lady" Nelson paces, "Yet you were watching him while he painted. Who do you work for?"

She lifts her little chin.

"Fine," the boy says. "I didn't want to do this, but, it's time to begin the torture." A sigh "My house is ruthless, you see?" The Eiluned begins to pour tea into a cup. Beautiful glorious tea.

The little girl sniffs the air

The tiny room they are in is but one of the many spare rooms the hold has. This one near the art gallery. Meant to be for storage, it's being used as an office.

one neglected.

"Tea," he says "Such fine tea. Not enough sugar in it for me." he mixes some in, "But... I warned you, did I not? I must keep my knight safe from unauthorized prying eyes."

And.. he begins to sip the tea!

She scoffs, "if you think me watching others drink tea while I do not get some is a torture, you underestimate my tolenerence" She uses BIG words for her age to show he is outmatched

Nelson smiles wickedly, and the sip turns into a slurp!

She is aghast! Firstly, the sound is like nails on chalkboard, but more importtantly, he's abusing the tea!

But she resolves. She will tell him nothing!

Then he visiibly and audibly swishes the tea from cheek to cheek

And her eyes bug out, her resolve cracking.

Then, he begins to GARGLE the tea!

"you monster" she hisses

A big gulp "Not even done with this cup" He says, preparing to pour more into it to make a show "Your name? or shall I swill again?"

"Yours first" she insists. She almost breaks, but she must get something.

"Oh sure, I'm Nelson" he says, "I'm Sir Earl's squire," he explains "I thought that was clear?"

"I get the squire part," She says a bit huffy, she's NOT stupid, thank you, "But you never said your name was Nelson."

"oh," He says, pondering this "Oops .I got carried away with the chance to do dark deeds to serve my liege behind his back."

Lily ponders this, "I guess you have to have a chance to do dark deeds, or what's the point of serving a lord? You are excused for forgetting your name"

He beams, then blinks, "Hey, you still haven't given your name."

She smiles smugly at him "No I haven't"

"Well played," Nelson says after a moment, then pours more tea into his cup "But if I must..."

She sighs "Lily. My name is Lily."

He sets the tea down "And why were you spying on my liege?"

"That's my business," She hurumphs

A frown crosses the boy's features, "Sir Earl and Miss Zara listened to me when no one else would. Sir Earl took me as his squire even though his family doesn't like sidhe. I will slurp and gargle tea until I puke if I have to for his sake. Just because I'm of a sneaky prying deceitful house doesn't mean I'm not loyal in my way"

Lily looks surprised at this declaration, then impressed, despite the horror of lost tea.

Then he adds, "Also I kind of NEED to know, it's killing me not knowing?"

Lily scoffs, then looks curious herself, and holds up a finger as if interjecting a point of order "How long ?"

"How long what?" He asks.

"How long before not knowing is done killing you?" Lily inquires most interested, "Are we talking hours, or will I have to come back in a week?"

The little boy gives her a sour look, and takes the tea and starts to slurp again.

Lily winces and thinks Boys are jerks

Slurping, and gargling. The tea grows cold but still the introgation continues. The squire fears he may indeed get sick, so stubborn is the girl, but finally, he gets another idea

"I wonder what tea is like if you mix some Koolaid powder in it?" he eyes the pot dramatically

"This." the girl says witth a glare "is now a war crime."

"Why you spying on my lord... " He says "And I'm thinking orange Koolaid. Garsih bright, sunny"

Lily hisses "I miss my brother. I wanted Sir Earl to make a painting of him for me. Happy?"

A look of relief falls over the boy. "That's it?"

"yes," she grumbles "but I didn't know how to ask him. and I wanted to hone my snooping too."

"Well, now I feel a bit guilty about the torture" He admits

"you should, you hurt tea" she mmphs!

He rolls his eyes, then says "Fine. We'll, we're done here."

"We are not," She says affronted