Chapter 12: 12- A thing of beauty....
In the Proudspire manor, days are pretty calm and monotonous in the passing. A stark contrast to the condition of its owners' affairs in the city of Solitude, where they are increasingly facing isolation, as both political and economic partners are bought off, as an all but invisible net seems to be tightening around the thane's family.
Starting from business partners suddenly stopping business at short to no notice, to caravans being looted, the fall in fortune of the owners was the talk of the town. It was a common gossip among the people that the Laruses have made enemies they can't afford.
Coupled with the fiery opposition of thane Ergnin and his youthful son Erakur, the people of solitude had all but confirmed in their tavern circles that the new thane's family had a year's time tops left before being forced out of Solitude, because any force that could make the greedy father son duo to act openly must have great influence and power to make the duo put aside their innate cowardice and show open enmity.
Yet, this morning about three hours before midday, shrill screams of laughter and joy could be heard from the grounds of the manor. The very same training grounds that had only heard the sound of the clash of swords, or voice of heavy iron boots marching laps around the ground, now had the sound of children playing and enjoying themselves sounding in it. Yeah multiple. Children.
In the middle of the training ground, Alva could be seen with around ten other girls who appeared similar to her in age, all about five or six years old, their new clean clothes doing a hard job portraying them as well-cared of children; as their thin, starved faces and wiry bodies kept touting out the fact that these children had been through much hardship in their life.
Yet they were happy; running around with genuine smiles on their faces and deep joy in their eyes, hiding from the one who had a blindfold as she tried to catch them, all but forgetting that their greatest worry only a couple weeks ago was to get enough food to be able to sleep, trying to wrap their bodies in the rags they called clothes in their attempts to keep out the vicious cold of the Skyrim weather.
"Ah children," lady Shay sighed. "How easy it is for them to adapt, to forget the worries of the past, the future. They do know how to enjoy life," she said to no one in particular, as despite the sigh there was a sunny smile adorning her graceful face. She had taken to watching the children from the balcony while they played around during their break, as Zin had called it, insisting that it be granted to the children studying a course he had drawn for them including etiquette, basic mathematics, literature, history and some geography.
"Yes milady, all children are so, except the Viscount Zin. His lordship has always been rather sensible for a kid right from his birth." One of lady Shay's companions replied, as the others nodded in affirmation. These lady companions had been with lady Shay since she had wed into the house Larus, and had been taught some restoration magic and exorcism by Vigilant Carcette.
Since being able to settle in Solitude, Lars had summoned his staff from Jehanna, as these people although were not very proficient in fighting, were the most loyal to his family, having served and lived in the castle at Jehanna for generations. As for Vigilant Carcette, she originally came with Shay to Jehanna, having learnt magic of the restoration school and other vigilant stuff from Shay's family in Dragonstar. After the Laruses left taking only the most core of their family, she had also started on her journey as a vigilant, ultimately settling in the vigilant hall of Skyrim, from where she had returned to the Larus family after learning that they had settled in Solitude.
Although Carcette had returned to the family, she had been bored, complaining how little effective she was being living in the manor, and so had taken upon herself as a duty to educate the new generation of girls adopted by lady Shay after learning the destitute state the orphans were living in after the war. She had taken an instant liking to Alva, who had been brought home by Elaine, Selene and Cynthia during their endeavor to bring home 'research supplies' for Zin.
"Of course he is much more mature! Don't you see who his mother is," lady Shay tilted her head with pride, though in her heart she was bleeding, as her smile vanished and her eyes grew sad, what with knowing that Zin had never had a childhood.
Seeing her sad, the ladies in waiting quickly interjected "Milady, it's not that his lordship is so because of you how you escaped from Jehanna. He was just a child then. See all children are easy to forget and fast to cheer up like the kids playing below. Instead, his lordship is too precocious…. Ahem, special, unlike normal kids. He is made for greatness, and can't be gauged by normal kids' standards."
"Yeah you are right, but still….." Shay sighed, her eyes dulling a bit, at last muttering almost to herself "at least maturing early will give him a better shot at life".
x.x.x
Zin had been content. Not because his problems had been solved or he had found a way to outrun the problems that had been bugging him, but rather that he had found a way to cope with the stress. And he was watching his teachers at stress relief at the moment with a pure natural smile gracing his cute little face.
Elaine, who was standing next to him was feeling deep curiosity. She felt perplexed when looking how Zin's always serious, almost expressionless face had relaxed into such a breezy smile. Not that any of the manor residents had made any less attempts to make him relax, but all their attempts had ended in vain. Zin had simply denied their attempts to make him acquiesce with the local Solitude children, calling them childish, politely declined games and other relaxing activities calling them a waste of time and resources. And yet here he was, showing the utmost heartfelt joy at some little orphan kids playing happily. And that too without joining them, just watching them from afar.
"How...." She began to ask, only to be interrupted by Cynthia, who too was watching from behind.
"Don't disturb him. Let him relax, he already has too much on his plate, let him relax his nerves a little," Cynthia instructed her in a hushed whisper.
"But why is he watching them? I mean, why is he just watching them instead of joining them if he so likes to watch them playing and enjoying them from afar? Seriously he isn't much older than them, he can integrate very well with them," Elaine couldn't help her curiosity about Zin.
"Hush. Can't you tell what his expression is saying looking at them? It isn't the look of a peer at fellow children – nay. It is the look of an old man looking at his grandchildren, or a druid who has saved a patch of woods for the wildlife. It is the joy of altruism he is showing on his face, not that of a child happily enjoying," Cynthia explained, a strange overtone audible even in her hushed tone, her face wearing a dumbfounded expression.
"Umm is it even possible at this age?"
"It isn't, and that's what makes it even stranger." Cynthia answered with a conflicted expression on her face.
They stood behind Zin, waiting for him as he continued watching the children playing and enjoying their break, only to be forced to return to their learning after Mistress Carcette announced an end to the break. Once the children returned, Zin also turned around still carrying the smile on his face, returning to his basement where he would continue tinkering with genetics, magic and the inter-relation and effect of the latter on the former as had been his routine over these years.
"Ha, let's go follow him. Let's see how his first attempt at gene modification acts out, as he tries to genetically modify plants. Although I do hope it is somehow successful, as the goals he set here are much nobler than his ultimate goals of tinkering in life code…" Cynthia trailed off as she followed Zin down the dungeon steps where different specimen plants were scattered around, along with different plants placed inside magical circles and hastily scribbled notes…..
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone