A visit from my daughters

After a couple of days of illness and after it had seemed like Dymas had took a turn to the worst, i finally looked like he was seeing once again the light at the end of the tunnel. Under the master's cures and Eire's tender attentions, Dymas was finally starting to feel better. Sure, he still wasn't feeling quite fine, but i was safe to say now that the worst was gone. When the master had believed that he wouldn't make it, he had warned his daughters, letting them at least know the risk their father was going through, but he had forbid them to see him, fearing they could get ill as well. Now that he was recovering, though, he could allow a brief visit, but he insisted on the fact they shouldn't get close to him.
Now Dymas was lying in his bed, entertained, as often during those days, by Eire's voice, when a servant announced the arrival of his younger daughter.

Eire was only glad to see her master improve in health. She had brought him something light to eat so he could start getting his strength back.
Singing his favorite song again to help him to enjoy his meal.

Ìrima waited till the servant announced her and then walked slowly into the room. She didn't knew if she was allowed to come closer, though it bothered her to see her fathers personal servant so close to him. She wanted to hug him too, damnit!

Írima stood a few steps away from the bed and bit her lower lip. Her gouvernante would scold her for this, but since her father got ill... She wasn't fully there at her lessons. Eventhough she would never admit in public, that she worried about her father, deep inside her she did. He was all she had after her mother died.

Lily walked along the hallways. Haven just dressed herself. Her father was well enough to reach them again. It was nice to know he was doing better. This also meant she had to sent her lovers away. They couldn't stay too long for she wanted to see her father. Much to their dismay. Lily walked in unannounced. The servants tried to stop her but she didn't care. Raising her eyebrow when she saw the servant girl so close to their father. Lily looked at her little sister. Before she bowed to her father. "I hear you're doing well father.. What wonderfull news.." She said with a smile. Taking a step towards him.

Dymas observed with a smile his younger daughter approach him: she always was so cold and so strict, but he knew that it was mainly a facade. He couldn't blame her, though: loosing her mother at such a young age surely had been hard for her... and now he was making her worry for him too... before he could greet Irima, Lily-Rose bursted in the room, making him chuckle a bit, amused. His daughters's education was a problem the governesses had to deal with, not him, so he could afford laughing at his lack of manners. He smiled at Lily's words, but immediately stopped her as she tried to get close "I'm feeling better, Lily, but not good enough for you to be safe to approach me." he talked with urgency in his voice, even though he wished he could hug his daughters, he just didn't want to give them unnecessary risks. "I hope the master didn't worry you two too much, I'll be fine..."

Eire stood up as the daughters arrived. Bowing to them politely. Taking her harp and placing it on the counter nearby so she could continue when she was required to.
Setting three glasses on a tray and pouring fresh water from a pitcher to the glasses. Serving to the young ladies first. Then intending to serve the master last since the daughters were visiting in a manner, so they were supposed to be served first.

Ìrima hesitated a moment before she took the glass from Eire. She gave her big sister a short glance and pressed her lips together. She indeed loved her sister but her manners where unbelievable sometimes.

Ìrima gave Eire a small smile and places the glass on a small table a few steps away from her. She layed her hands on the table and sighed. It wasn't Eire's fault she didn't needed a drink. Ìrima straightened her back and turned around to her father giving him a sweet smile. "I'm glad you're feeling better father.", her words were rather emotionless and sounded bitter in her ears. No, it was just not fair that this servant girl was allowed to be at her fathers side when she had to be out of his way.

"And she can be close to you?" Lily-Rose asked. Raising her eyebrow.As she motioned at the servant girl. "Why is it alright for the servants and the masters to be close to you and not us? If they get infected they can infect us eventually and we'll all meet in the grave father.." Lily-Rose said obviously feeling a bit jealous. "I'm sorry nothing against you my dear.." She said to the servant girl.

Dymas smiled to Irima, immediately understanding that the child had something going trough her head... it wasn't time, though, to talk about it: he would ask her better once he felt good enough to have a chat, only the two of them. "Lily..." he scolded mildly his daughter, unsure wether to be upset of amused "Lily, both Eire here and the master re risking their lives to take care of me... I don't want you and your sister to go through such a risk" he explained tenderly, knowing his daughters were stubborn and hard to convince, but it was for their own good, he didn't want to risk to lose them... Sure, he knew it wasn't nice to implicitly say that the slave and the master where 'expendable', but they both were quite aware of that. As Eire approached him once again, passing him the glss of water, he thanked her with a nod and a smile before he took a sip from it. He wasn't thirsty at all, but the master had said he needed to drink a lot...

Eire blushed deep red when her master just so casually used her name in front of his daughters. Handing him the drink before hastily turning away to hide her face from the royal family.
"A-a servants life is nowhere near as valuable as the young ladies..." She replied to Lady Lily-Rose.

Ìrima looked a bit surprised at her sister by her words and then chuckled. She hastly hold her hand before her mouth and blushed lightly red. "I apologize for my manners, but I have to admit well said sister.", her voice was polite and calm. She took the glass back into her hand and finally took a sip. No, there were a lot of times she wasn't the same opinion as her sister but this time, she had to admit Lily was right.

She felt offended that her father felt the need to scold her for that she did nothing wrong. She only stated the obvious. Lily frowned. "And what are we suppose to do when you're dead?" She asked not hiding her angry tone. "We've already lost mother. You rather have us become orphans?!" She said upset.

Dymas sighed: Lily was surely quite a wild thing... Reth wouldn't have let her talk to him like that, but hi nephew wasn't here and he never managed to be harsh or strict on his daughters. That was the main reason he preferred to let others handle their education... but he knew that Lily's governesses had quite a hard time with her. He didn't mind her attitude, though: she was strong and fierce, he appreciated that. And he appreciated as well Irima's glacial politeness, her perfect manners wrapped in that cold appearance... It was incredible how they both took a side of their mother, he could see so much of her in both of them.

"Eire, my girl, you can go for now. I'm sure you need some rest, I'll send to call you when my daughters will leave" he talked first to the servant girl, knowing that her presence was upsetting his daughters: on one side, he didn't want his daughters to resent him for such a petty thing, on the other he wanted to protect the poor girl as well, she was so kind and really didn't deserve to be mistreated. With a smile he dismissed the girl before he turned to look again at his daughters

"Lily, I'm not going to die so don't worry. Beside, you'll always have Reth to take care of you" that was true, Reth loved his younger cousins like sisters and even more, he acted like and over-protective parents toward them, he was often strict but he did that only out of love. Letting out a new sigh, he continue "come forward if you want, the master said it should be fine..." he knew he was being overly worried about this, but if one of his daughters could fall ill because og him, he would never forget himself. "but you'll go to him to take a remedy as soon as you leave me, just in case. I don't want you two to run pointless risks."

Eire couldn't agree more. She did feel the tension in the room between the daughters and herself. Bowing to the lord and the daughters and excusing herself from the room.
Feeling oh so relieved to do so.

Ìrima watched Eire leaving the room, but instead of going to her father and hugging him now, like she wanted before, she stood where she was. No, she really wasn't in the mood now. She looked around and then decided to sit down in an armchair a bit closer to her father. Remaining silent, her head turned to her glass, looking at the smooth surface.

The upcoming silence sounded loud in her ears, but she had nothing to say nor did she want to be the first to break it. She knew her sister would make her proud in breaking it with her unladylike words. No, sometimes no words hurt the same. Ìrima had a good teacher in behavior.

My girl? Lily raised her eyebrow. Before she moved closer to her father. Seating herself on the edge of the bed. " 'my girl' ?" She asked immitating him. "Father.. I do not believe it is appropriate to call your servant like that.." She said conserned. Taking hold of his hand. "And Reth is not you. We might aswell be orphans when you die.. I am most certain Reth won't have time for us."

"I'm fine now, my dear, so there is no need to worry. But you should know Reth would always find time for you two, he loves you as I do" he smiled to her, weakly holding back her hand. He purposely jumped the part concerning Eire, he didn't want to explain himself and neither he wanted to dwell over it. Sometimes he couldn't help but agree with Reth: he gave his daughters too much freedom and too much power over him... He sighed, shaking the thought away "Let's not dwell over it anymore, please. Why don't you tell me what you've been doing in the past days?"

Írima looked at her hands. What she did while he was ill? While she couldn't see him? She lifted her head and looked at her father. Mostly the same she always did. Spending most of the time with her governess and studying. A lot of new and interesting things but at the same times a lot of boring things, she added to her knowledge.

Her father knew she was learning. Why should she bother with that fact?