Private Tales The Tiger Teaches the Young

[Sung Chei]

"Very good for you Sir Titus. It seems that you might just be a very good candidate for knighthood after what I have witnessed here today. I'll see to it that no bandits follow us. You see the stablehands and the horses back to the manor, I'll be rejoining you soon to accept responsibility for my failure." He says to him before going around and checking the dead bandits for any sign of life, some of those barely alive were quickly slain.

Sung would arrive about half an hour after Titus returned with the horses. He kept his word, and returned to accept responsibility for how he had failed to be rid of the bandits completely to begin with.

 

[Titus Phane]

Titus could only nod in response to the easterners words. His training as a knight was kept secret, especially from the other noble families who would surely question such a thing.

By the time Sung returned Titus was about finished stalling the horses and speaking with the servants. There would be a funeral for the two who didn't make it in the morning after the bodies have been prepared.
Titus was about to go into the manor to report to his mistress when Sung Chei rode up. A servant took his horse and Titus opened the door for him.

"I suppose we shall make our report to mistress Bochanan together then. Though I do ask that you allow me to tell her of Beralt and Innian… I feel such news would be more appropriate coming from me."

He ushered Sung inside and then inquired of a maid as to where they can find Myrcella Bochanan. They were led to the upstairs reading room. Titus gave his gentle knock before opening the door for Sung and then entering himself.

 

[Sung Chei]

Sung responded to his request with agreement, he didn't want to come between the mistress and her butler by reporting the deaths of those they both knew. He followed Titus into the reading room and stood behind him, his head bowed. He waited for Titus to finish his report before speaking.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Did Myrcella wait patiently? Not so much. She paced back and forth near one of the estate's many windows and kept looking out every time she changed direction. One of the maids had given her a cup of tea after it was clear that she was too full of anxiety to even paint.

She hoped that Titus Phane and Sung Chei weren't having too much trouble. It seemed as though they'd be capable, but who knew how many enemies were out there? Myrcella was relatively safe in and around her family's property. But with the death of her Father, it seemed as though some were trying to take advantage of her family's weakness.

Hopefully her brother would return from wherever he went soon. And hopefully her Mother would move past her grief. The Bochanan family shouldn't be allowed to wither away.

 

[Sung Chei]

It would be some time, longer than it should have been, before she could see the servants guiding the herd on the horizon. She'd see the herd coming back, but two of the saddled horses were without their riders, and the easterner wasn't with them, this could easily tell her that something was wrong.

 

[Titus Phane]

(Sorry for the delay)
Titus approached Myrcella Bochanan. She was stressed out and he wanted to tend to her, but right now was a time for strength.

He stepped forward to make his report.
"Mistress Bochanan... We were successful in retrieving the stolen horses, however... We were ambushed and we lost Beralt and Innian..."
He took a deep breath, staving off tears.
"There will be a funeral tomorrow morning..."

His report made and duties done he stood to the side, returning to her service.

 

[Sung Chei]

(Don't worry about it. It happens.)

Immediately after he was done speaking Sung Chei knelt in front of her with his head bowed. "The responsibility for their deaths is mine. I failed to dispatch of the bandits when I told you that I had. The two lives you have lost today we're lost because of me and my carelessness. I will accept any concequences that you deem fitting without complaint."

He then laid his weapon in front of her and awaited her judgement.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

(Sorry. This is a watched thread...yet it didn't tell me there were posts!)

Myrcella quit pacing once she saw that the horses and staff were returning. With her tea set down on a table, she hurried out of the room and down the hall, grabbing the folds of her skirt to prevent herself from tripping. Her ladies followed along with her, the door opening for her by the footmen as she made her way outside.

Her eyes spotted Titus Phane straight away. Her brows furrowed with concern as she saw the emotions that he gave. Oh how she wanted to hold him and console him. But she couldn't.

Her head dipped in sorrow at the loss of two of their own. "I'll be there for their funerals. Their families will be compensated...I promise."

And then her attention turned to Sung Chei as he approached, placing the blame on himself. But could anyone predict everything? She looked down to the weapon, now realizing that she was still gripping the fabric of her skirts. What would her Father do in this situation? Would be punish the man? It just didn't seem right to her.

Myrcella picked up his weapon and studied it for a moment in silence before coming to a decision. "Without you, we'd of lost all the horses and perhaps even more men. So...we are grateful for your service. Thank you."

 

[Titus Phane]

Titus watched her actions, wondering what she would do. These were big shoes for her to fill and he knew how much that weighed on her. But he couldn't interfere, only advise. But as he watched she picked up the sword and forgave the man, a call that Titus saw as the right one.

Titus still couldn't quite relax. That was the first time he actually had to use his skills in earnest and it felt unreal to him. But he kept his posture as a butler and did what any good Butler would do. He straightened and went to the kitchen to make them a fresh pot of tea, excusing himself with a bow.

 

[Sung Chei]

Sung Chei bowed even deeper at her words saying, "your forgiveness shan't go forgotten or unthanked. In exchange I offer you my services however they may be of assistance, be it as a guard, a patrolman or a servant I will serve you as best I am able."

With this he stood up and began to speak again. "If it is not out of place, I would commend your butler on his bravery and skill. I hadn't expected him to be so well trained in the martial arts that he could take a few bandits out of commission while unarmed and unaided. If my experience is any indication, I'd say that he would make a strong warrior if given proper tutelage."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella nodded to Titus Phane as he left. She wasn't quite sure if what he was up to, but there was much to prepare for the funerals she was certain. They'd be smaller affairs than that of her late Father, but important nonetheless.

Her attention returned to Sung Chei as he spoke once more. As he dedicated himself to the Estate in service, Myrcella's brows raised slightly. What could she have him do? Patrolling would be useful but...

Myrcella's thoughts were cut off as he complimented Titus. She smiled a little, pleased that he was doing well. That would only help them gain the life together that they both wanted. "Would you be so kind as to help him learn more? That is if he accepts. And perhaps I could learn a few skills myself? Ones that I could use to protect myself should I get attacked or captured by outlaws."

 

[Sung Chei]

He was surprised at her request, but he had pledged his service to her and her family and he would keep to his promise. He looked her in the eye and replied, "I will teach you as best I am able as I promised. I will teach you and any you ask me to teach without question. If you will allow me to retrieve my manuals from the inn, I will return with them and see to it that I use the knowledge within them to better you and your family."

He said all of this with a bow. He had stayed in the local Inn the night before he set out, and he had left all of the many, many scrolls that his master had given him in his pack back at it in the room he had stayed in. These manuals held fighting techniques both the basic and advanced, and a few even held instructions for crafting weapons and armour from his homeland, written in his home tongue of course. He'd see that he translated them into the common tongue as soon as possible.

 

[Titus Phane]

While Titus was in the kitchen, one of the younger stable hands came in seeking him.
"Mr Phane, sir. We've tied up the three thieves you captured, they are at the tethering post. What should we do about them?"

Titus held the prepared tea pot on a tray with two cups. He turned his attention to the stable hand and considered for a moment... This was an unsavory descision to be made, one he would rather deal with himself than bother the mistress over. But in the end it still wasn't his place to decide the fates of those three men.
"I must bring this matter before the Mistress... Hold them for her descision."

The stable hand nodded and left while Titus turned and brought the tea to Myrcella and Sung.
He poured the tea for them and then turned his attention to Myrcella.
"Mistress... There were three thieves that survived. They are in our custody and awaiting your judgement. We can deal with them ourselves or give them to the village constable to deal with. Since we of house Bochanan have captured them, we are not required to turn them over to the village guards."

This was a big descision for her to make and his eyes would tell her that he wished it wasn't on her shoulders to decide the fate of other men's lives.
That was a terrible power to have... As head of the household.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella nodded as Sung Chei asked to retrieve his manuals. "You may do so, of course. And you can have a room here in the Estate if you'd like. It might make training a little easier." And it'd give more time for him to do it too. Hopefully everyone would be okay with it.

As Titus Phane returned, she took the tea gratefully. However what he had informed her of was not what she had been prepared to hear. "Oh..." Myrcella shifted her weight on her feet. The burden was on her shoulders. Never had she held the lives of anyone in her hands. Her Father probably would have had them killed. An eye for an eye. However she wasn't so certain that she could put anyone to death.

She could take them to the village, but something that Titus said made her think otherwise. Maybe he was leaning on them deciding the fate of those men themselves. "I'm going to need a bit of time to decide. Just keep them in our custody in the meantime." Stalling was okay, right? Myrcella needed that time. This wasn't a decision to be made lightly.

 

[Titus Phane]

He bowed his head, "Of course, Mistress. We will make a place in the unused western cistern for them while you make your decision."
When he raised his head he had one of his slight smiles, "And please, Mistress, I advise that you take all the time you need to weigh your options."
Perhaps he was a bit of an optimist, but he did feel slightly responsible for them since it was his mercy that left them unconscious and captured. In a way, he may have saved the lives of those men from the unrelenting blade of the eastern warrior.

He had initially seen this as a test fated for Myrcella. If she would make the right decision, to remove them as a threat to anything and anyone... or the good choice, to spare them and save herself from the moral responsibility over their lives... Or maybe even something else...?
But perhaps it was for him as well. He didn't yet have it in him to take another life, and maybe by taking them in he shall pay or reap the rewards of his decision and shoulder the responsibility himself.

He refilled the tea cups as needed until they were satisfied, then he returned to his duty which meant to continue waiting on his Mistress and her needs.
"Is there anything else you require, my Mistress?"

 

[Sung Chei]

Sung Chei bowed to Myrcella before briefly departing from the estate to retrieve his manuals. Many of which held secrets that he hadn't yet learned. They had been gifted to him so that he could complete his training without his master's presence, and he had been slow and cautious about his approach to this knowledge, baking certain that he was ready for the next phase of his learning before he even thought of taking the next step. As a result, he didn't progress as quickly as he could, but his knowledge was set far firmer in his mind thanks to his careful and considered approach.

He returned with a very large pack of scrolls on his back. These scrolls all had cases to protect them from harsh weather and other damaging happenings. He returned to the mistress of the house just as he heard her and Titus speak of the fate of the captured bandits. He set the large sack aside and approached Myrcella, putting his right fist into his left palm and bowing, he spoke. "I would offer you my council, Lady Bochanon."

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella sipped her tea. She couldn't decide on this right away. That was true. And when Titus Phane suggested as much, she nodded in agreement. "Make sure that they are secured and guarded in the meantime. It wouldn't do so well for us if they are to escape." But what to do with them in the end, she wasn't sure.

Sung Chei returned with a much larger number of scrolls than she had imagined. Did he always carry them with him wherever he went? That could be dangerous as so many different things could happen that could have them lost or damaged.

"And what is your council?" She was curious as to what the easterner had in mind. If only her Father was still alive to help to guide her.

 

[Sung Chei]

"Concerning the fate of the brigands. The understood law of deciding another's fate, in particular execution, it is this 'if one is unwilling to take another's life, they should not decide another's life to be taken'. In other words, do not condemn them to death, unless you yourself are willing and able to deliver the blow." He says to her. "This is something that I at first knew nothing of, and I failed to take care in my decisions, I urge you not to make the same mistake."

 

[Sung Chei]

He patiently waited for her response.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella's brows furrowed as she contemplated the counsel that Sung Chei was giving her. Of course she had never taken a life before, nor did she ever think that she would. Yet these people had taken the lives of some of her staff. Justice needed to be served.

But how?

"Thank you. That is good advice." She sipped her tea and then allowed Titus Phane to top up her cup. "I will probably have a decision after breakfast tomorrow." Myrcella needed to try to speak to her Mother about thus to see what she would do. But if her Mother still wasn't well, then she had to think on what to do on her own.

Hopefully the right response would come to her.

"Titus? Could you prepare a room for our guest? He'll be staying with us for a while." She then turned to Sung. "Your scrolls will be safe there."

 

[Titus Phane]

Titus nodded, "Yes Mistress. I will prepare the guest room."
He had his own opinion on Sung's advice that went unspoken. But it wasn't his place to speak.
Such advice may be well and good for men who lead, a man may be expected to shoulder that burden when the time comes. But a woman? who on earth could expect a woman of nobility to pass judgement with her own hand? It was improper, unthinkable. The hands of the noble woman should never be sullied like that, and she is still to pass judgement when the time comes.

He kept his thoughts to himself. But he had to stop himself from chastising their guest for suggesting such a thing must fall on her. A man may be expected to bear the weight of another's life on his shoulders, but such a thing couldn't be expected of Myrcella.

He set down the tea and tray and took his leave once more to prepare the guest room.

 

[Sung Chei]

The way he saw it, was that she may be a woman, but there was no other to lead the house. So when she decided, he simply wanted her to fully understand the gravity of such a decision. To him, it mattered little that she was a woman, what mattered was that her decision was not one to be underestimated in any way. He said these words to counsel her into understanding exactly what the weight of control was, he once cared nothing for it, and he made grave mistakes because of it. And because he was now her teacher, he would teach her to avoid the many mistakes that he had made in his earlier years.

He followed the butler to the guest room. He'd have desired no more than a broom closet with a bed, that would have been good enough.

 

[Titus Phane]

Titus led Sung through the mansion to the upstairs guestroom. The mansion was huge and richly decorated and had many guestrooms that were allotted their own wing of the mansion and took up two floors with the exception of the ground and attic floors.
Expensive paintings and artwork decorated the walls as they walked. Some aquired by the family, but most were originals done by Myrcella Bochanan herself.

When they arrived at the guestroom Titus produced a ring of keys and unlocked the door, ushering him inside.
The furniture was covered in white dust canvases and the fireplace was cold. Titus went about the room, opening the curtains to allow the evening sun to shed it's last illuminations in the room. He rang the service bell and then put some fuel in the fireplace. He turned to Sung to give him the guest pitch.

"A servant will be up soon to finish preparing your room and provide you with the guest key. Morning meals are served at eight o'clock which you may take in your room or in the dinning hall. You are free to roam the mansion and the grounds at your leisure, except where doors are locked.
If you require anything just ring the service bell to alert the staff and a servant will be up to attend you. Whenever Mistress Bochanan requests your presence a servant will inform you."

As he spoke there was a light tapping on the door and a servant girl just a little older than Titus entered the room. Titus turned to her.
"This is Sung Chei. He will be our guest for the foreseeable future. Please see to it that his room is prepared and his needs are met."

He turned back to Sung, "This is Hailey Atrius, she will be the servant tending to you for the remainder of the month."
With that he turned to the door while Hailey bowed her head to Sung and began clearing away the dust clothes.

 

[Myrcella Bochanan]

Myrcella had another sip of her tea as Titus Phane led Sung Chei off to his room. Her thoughts dwelled on them for but a moment before they drifted to the matter at hand. What was she to do? It wasn't as though either of them had asked for thus. She didn't blame anyone but the horse thieves themselves. Two of her own staff had lost their lives. Most wouldn't care about such a thing, but she did. They were like soldiers protecting what belonged to her family.

She let out a sigh as she sat herself down in one of the chairs, cradling her cup in her hands while she stared at nothing in particular. This was not what she had expected to face for a long time. And even then, she didn't expect to have to go through it alone. Their fate was in her hands.

Myrcella just sat there wondering what her Father would have done. Right now she had to try to think like him. And that was difficult. She didn't have the life experiences that he did. And right now she wished that she had, for it might make this all the easier.

 

[Sung Chei]

He bowed his head in thanks to Titus Phane. When he had left the room he spoke to the servant. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Atrius."

As he spoke he set his weapon against the wall and assisted her with the preparation of his guest room. He removed the canvases and got the heavy lifting done where it was needed then assisted her with whatever else she did for the preparations.