![](http://cobalt-company.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/writing:2022-06-12-half-truths-with-a-whole-heart/style="margin:/medium.jpg) |
| Details |
| Author: | Pelican |
| Summary: | An afternoon at home for Lady Ambergris |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Chain: Prompt Responses
The hallway of the townhouse is cool as Zeldanna walks down it, flicking through a small pile of letters she holds in her hand. She’s frowning slightly as she does, the general content of her missives has changed dramatically since she handed control of the Ambergris estate over to her eldest.
She opens the next one, “Dear Lady Ambergris, You are cordially invited to high tea at the home of Lady…” She rolls her eyes and shuffles it to the bottom of the stack. If her life becomes nothing but tea with the older matrons of Stormwind society she is going to lose her mind.
She pauses and brings the letter back to the top, quietly chastising herself as she actually finishes reading it, there’s still power being brokered by those ‘old ladies’ so she shouldn’t dismiss them all. It’s just so… low stakes. She’s been running circles around these women for the last twenty years.
She moves on to the next letter, but she barely registers it. Her thoughts elsewhere, specifically on this Cobalt Company that’s been her focus of late. They are definitely not boring. She’d heard of them of course, everyone has for the most part, but she’d assumed they were simply a very effective mercenary company. But meeting Lord Colson had peaked her interest more, that young man is no ordinary sword for hire. She’d been making very very discreet inquiries since, and every new tidbit had only increased her intrigue.
When she had learned that they employed multiple warlocks, that had been when she’d started to really pay attention. Everytime she tried to picture Lord Colson and a Warlock, no matter how benign, in the same room it just never worked. And so she’d started to collect dossiers on the main players, and on every single warlock.
And then she had run into one of them, Lena Coit. It had truly been chance that they were both at the Cheese Shop the other day, but Zeldanna has never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Being able to establish contact with one of Cobalt’s warlocks in a neutral environment? She’d jumped on the opportunity. It hadn’t hurt that the girl was so very sweet, or seemed to be on the surface. (Zeldanna banks on people underestimating her, she tries very hard not to make the same mistake with anyone else)
Zeldanna, her mail completely forgotten, is contemplating the young warlock and quietly making a bet with herself on whether Lena will actually show up at the townhome. As she approaches the door to her private study. She has only just reached out, her fingertips brushing the door handle, when a loud bang followed by a clatter echoes from back the way she’d just come. Zeldanna, hand still outstretched, leans her head almost all the way back and takes a large deep breath that she slowly exhales through her nose. Before turning around and heading towards the origin of the sound. She knows exactly what caused it, but she really thought it had been getting better.
Back the way she had come and a little ways down a different hallway she arrives at another door, partially open, with the sound of grunts and the scraping of furniture coming from within it. She silently pushes the door open enough that she can stand leaning against the jam and observe the room. Inside, a young girl with bright strawberry blonde hair and pale skin in a simple green dress has her back to the door and is attempting to right one of two chairs in front of a large desk while also picking up a scattering of books and papers on the floor.
Behind the desk sits a young woman watching the girl struggle. Nearly white blond hair is braided over one shoulder. Her skin has a healthy tan and her warm brown eyes are in the process of rolling when she speaks, “Z, I can help you know. You don’t have to do everything yourself.”
The girl grunts again and the chair gives one last loud thump as it finally stands on all four feet, “But I don’t need help Hooey. Besides I’m basically done and if I can just grab these papers then Mother will never know I tipped the chair again.”
The blonde behind the desk looks up and makes eye contact with Zeldanna before smiling and saying, “Too late munchkin, you’re busted.”
Kneeling on the floor and gathering papers, the young girl freezes before slowly looking over her shoulder and sheepishly saying, “Oh. Hey Momma. Um I’m just cleaning up”
Zeldanna hums and pushes off the doorway to walk into the room, “I’m sorry to say Zoe, but I am well aware that you tipped the chair again. I heard the crash from my own office.” she takes a seat in the chair that hadn’t just been laying on the floor and says in a confused voice, “Although I could have sworn we’d talked about this, and someone had promised to not do it anymore”
Zoe finishes collecting the books and papers from the ground and stands hugging the pile to her chest, “I’m sorry Momma, I know I promised.” She looks up and her tone shifts to exasperation, either at the rule or at her own inability to follow it, it’s unclear, “But when I start reading and I get really sucked in I just.. Don’t realize I’m doing it.” She starts to walk towards Zeldanna rummaging through the pile in her arms, “And the book I just ordered arrived, it’s a preliminary compendium of some of the flora and fauna that’s been observed in Outland, and it’s just absolutely fascinating.” She hands a slim volume over to her mother.
Zeldanna accepts the book with a small sigh, “You are the oddest eight year old I swear,” she vaguely gestures at the other young woman in the room, “Why can’t you read about Dragons and Princesses like your sister did at your age? Instead of,” She opens the book in her hands to a random page, “Instead of Ravagers?! good grief those look terrifying.” She immediately closes the book and tucks it next to her in her chair, along with the smile pile of letters from earlier. “I think I’ll be holding on to this until tomorrow”
Zoe moves to protest and Zeldanna holds a hand up but she’s looking at her youngest with a smile, “I promise I will give it back to you. But one, I don’t want you having nightmares tonight when you inevitably take it to bed with you. Two, you did in fact tip a chair over again despite promising not to.” One eyebrow arches high, “and three, I am certain that you were already supposed to have headed upstairs for your afternoon session with Madame Pontielle. So tomorrow ok?”
The younger redhead starts to pout, “But Madame Pontielle is so boring and she smells like mothballs! I don’t want to spend my afternoon with her.”
Zeldanna lowers her hand and now it is entreating Zoe to come to her. The young girl shuffles closer and her mother reaches out and pulls her sideways into her lap. She smoothes some of her hair back while asking, “Zoe dear, do you think me and your sister like all the people we have to meet with, or spend our afternoons with while running the estate?” There’s a small sigh and a mumbled, “no” from the child in her lap.
“Correct, no we do not. But we have learned to get what we need from them anyways. And if getting that requires us to spend more time in the company of some folks than we’d prefer, that's a small price to pay.” She readjusts the girl slightly before she continues, “Now. Madam Pontielle is only here to tutor you in Alliance History and her tenure is just about over. How about you assist me with the hiring process for the next tutor, hmmm? It’s only fair you are involved in the choices about your own education, and maybe we can avoid this type of situation in the future. Does that sound good”
Zoe is now beaming at her mother, “Yes Momma, that sounds amazing. Thank you.” Zeldanna leans forward and gives her daughter a solid hug and a kiss on the cheek before sliding her off her lap. “You’re welcome dear, now up you go. And apologize to your tutor for being late.”
Zoe nods and straightens out the pile in her arms before she heads towards the door, “Ok Momma.” She waves over her shoulder at her sister, “See you at dinner Hooey”
The older girl who has been observing mother and child this whole time replies, “See you then Munchkin. Close the door behind you would ya?” The only response to the request is a quiet click as the door shuts behind the youngest Ambergris.
Hope looks at her mother with a wry smile, “She gets to pick her tutors now? You spoil her.”
Lady Zeldanna Ambergris proceeds to slump, eye’s closed, deeper into her chair and pinch the bridge of her nose. Before she almost groans, “She’s too smart, if I don’t get her to buy into it she’s just going to run circles around anyone we bring in.” She opens one eye to peer at her daughter, “Besides I’m not the only one that indulges her, you still let her call you Hooey like she’s four.”
Hope gives a quick shrug, “eh, keeps me humble.” She gestures at the pile of letters tucked next to Zeldanna, “Anything interesting today?”
The older woman frowns briefly at the ‘eh’ but lets it slide, “If there is anything in there that isn’t an invitation to tea I’ll eat… one of those ravagers from Zoe’s book”
Hope snorts at the statement but her face shifts into one of slight concern as she looks at her mother, “Is it really that terrible? You know I would welcome your help” she gestures at the desk in front of her, “with anything.” Zeldanna’s first response is a sigh before she speaks, “No, but thank you dear. You know that I am always here if you need advice, but you have to be in charge of everything. You’re so young, if it looks like I’m too involved anywhere it will be even harder for you to fully establish yourself.” Hope nods and both women sit there in silence for a brief moment, it’s clear this is not the first, and is unlikely to be the last, time this is discussed.
Hope briefly clears her throat, “Well, now that you have more free time what are you going to do? I can’t imagine you doing nothing, you’ll go crazy.” She pauses before powering on, “Maybe you could do something. Something just for yourself, that could make you happy.” she clears her throat again, “there are so many people in Stormwind, maybe you could make some new… friends?”
Zeldanna’s eyes have widened as Hope continues speaking, a look of complete shock and almost horror growing on her face, “By the light, please tell me you are not suggesting that your fifty year old mother should start dating?!”
Unfortunately for Zeldanna she has succeeded in raising a young woman who will ‘speak her mind’, and Hope powers through, “You know if you even hinted that you were interested in something that your invitations would be for things far more interesting than tea.”
Zeldanna scoffs, “And I would reject every one. The last thing I want is another Society Marriage
“Well it wouldn’t have to be…” Hope grimaces, “You know I was fifteen when father… passed. I knew that your relationship wasn’t, “ She is picking her words very carefully, “perhaps what you would have preferred.” She shrugs to try and ease any tension, “I just think you deserve to be happy.” She gives her mother a soft, slightly uncomfortable smile.
Zeldanna had stiffened slightly at the mention of her late husband, her ‘polite mask’ creeping across her face. But as Hope continues she reigns it in, she stays soft and present with her daughter. She lets out a long breath before responding.
“Hope dear, while it’s true your father was very, particular, about what he thought our roles should be in our relationship.” She pauses, “And they were not what I would have preferred. I was mostly content in our marriage.” There is nothing but sincerity in her face as she smiles at Hope, “Especially since it led to me being given the privilege of raising you.” She holds eye contact with the younger blonde as she finally rises out of her slump to sit properly in her chair again.
“Now, you know me” Zeldanna’s smile becomes just a little bit sly, “I’ve always got a couple irons in the fire” Her smirk deepens as she thinks about Cobalt Company.
Hope’s eyes narrow at the smirk, “What are you up to?”
Zeldanna gives no verbal response but adds a quick wink to the smirk before she gracefully rises from her chair (what slumping? There was no slumping), gathers her small pile of letters and the book, and walks around the desk towards her daughter. When she gets close she leans over and tenderly brushes a small piece of hair back towards Hope’s braid and gives her a kiss on her forehead. The motions are almost identical to the ones with Zoe, both women lean into it, clearly a familiar and comforting position.
As Zeldanna rises and starts to make her way out of the room, “Now, no more worrying about your poor old mother.” The snort Hope lets out is loud and anything but ladylike. Zeldanna continues, “Oh hush you, I’ll see you at dinner my dear.”
Hope shakes her head, “Ok Momma, have it your way.”
“I always do, dear, I always do” are Zeldanna’s last words as she disappears down the hall and towards her original destination.