Post by tovaana on Jul 13, 2021 0:18:11 GMT -5
Orintek Age 20 to Present
Orintek;
“It’s a boy, it’s a boy!”
Until that moment, he had only been excited for another baby to enter their family. Even then, he was still happy…but he had recently realized that he was the only boy, that his uncle hadn’t had a boy yet. He’d been tailing his uncle, like a shadow, learning what it took to be Lord Holder, taking responsibilities and helping him out. He’d even started thinking about courting a daughter of a major hold, to find someone who would bring more union for the hold when he was Lord Holder. Yeah, he’d been doing a lot for his uncle, a son wouldn’t change that… It was just a baby, it couldn’t do anything, not like he could.
He left before seeing the baby, even though he’d talked himself into a better head-place. There were lots of people who wanted to see the baby and congratulate the mother, besides – what Vellatu needed was rest, not more visitors. He’d be sure to visit with a gift.
Orintek went out and rode on his runner – it was one of the nicer ones. Was it even his anymore? For his son, though he had never called him that, it had felt implied. It’d never really been a gift, Zorontin wasn’t touchy feely like that, but he had taught him how to ride and the runner had been presented to him around the time he turned 16. As he came back in he let a stable hand put the black and white stallion away.
A few weeks passed, and nothing was very noticeable – other than his uncle’s mood had changed. He was more cheerful and generous…and yet more distant, and it was hard for him to reach him. Orintek tried to shrug it off, what could a baby provide for his uncle than he couldn’t? He couldn’t bring himself to be around the boy as he grew, not more than required. He loved children, especially young ones, but he it was like he could see the love sapped from himself and given to the child. His uncle didn’t have to tell him that his chances of being heir had been thrown out the window, especially as the turns ticked by. It also became apparent that if he was going to get his uncle affection back, he’d need to do more than help with the Hold.
The news of Mavros Weyrhold looking for an official Lord Holder came around and he knew immediately it was his chance. The next moment he caught his uncle as he came from a meeting to another task.
“Sir, I’d like a word, if I may.”
“Go on, I haven’t all day.”
“I’m going to Mavros, I’m going to be Lord Holder there.” He knew how his uncle liked initiative and confidence, but there was more anxiety at the thought of leaving all he knew in Southern, especially since he claimed he would be Mavros' Lord Holder – when nothing was certain. His uncle just looked at him with a scrutinizing look and nodded. That was the end of that. He made his preparations and left on the next ship to Mavros. But first, he gave a visit to the runner, the one he had ridden on the day his cousin had been born and had ruined his future… both his job and place in a family that had practically adopted him. He took one last ride on the beach, right up until it was time to load onto the ship, having someone return his runner for him. He waited though, watching the runner disappear among the fronds of the palm trees, the last bit of his past leaving as he went out to face his future.
