Ewan Carmine - Tumblr Posts

“She is sunshine and grace!” he called to the other room, throwing his clothes into a duffle bag. “You just don’t understand, Jules!”

The russet-haired woman in the front room rolled her eyes as she gently petted one of her summoned creatures, a tiny bone minion with skin made of translucent green ooze, surprisingly dry to the touch. “She sounds horrid!” she called back. “And I’m horrid, I should know!”

“You’re not horrid,” Ewan chuckled as he came into the room. “And neither is Isidora. She’s just young and inexperienced. She needs someone to guide her understanding.”

“And you think you’re the one to do that?” Jules shook her head and took Ewan’s arm, pulling him toward the small window in his apartment. “You’ve barely been outside the ‘Reach yourself! She has plenty of guards and tutors to guide her.” She turned him to face her, looking down at him as she held both his shoulders. “I talked to Evelynn about her. And I talked to other people as well. You should get out of that job, Ewan. Lady Isidora is a spoiled child. She’ll get you killed pursuing some insane dream or other!”

Ewan struggled away from her grip, his expression hurt. “She may be doted on, but she’s not spoiled. And she’s certainly not a child. Just because she doesn’t want what you want--”

“What I want is you to be happy, Ewan!” she pleaded. “And following after this girl like a lost puppy isn’t going to make you happy!”

“Well I notice sleeping with every noblewoman you can lay your talons on hasn’t made you happy, either, Jules,” he whirled away from her and grabbed up his belongings. He didn’t have much and he needed to return to the Castillo manor house soon. “So I suppose we’ll just have to try different ways and see what works best.”

He moved to the door and stopped, unable to stay mad at her for too long. She’d been his friend as long as he could remember. “Just come by and meet her sometime,” he said gently. “But don’t bring your pets. Her father hates necromancers.”

“Such a charming family,” she muttered with a frown, but nodded at him. Their friendship ran deep and in both directions. “I’ll see you soon, Ewan. Take care of yourself.”

“I will, love,” he said, and headed toward his destiny.

Ewan looked at the book happily, cracking it open to flip through a few pages. It was a travel guide for parts of Elona long since forgotten. He’d paid handsomely for the copy Evelynn found him in the Priory. The wages he was making from the Castillo family ensured that he could afford it.

He hurried to her study, wrapping the book in a dark pink ribbon. When she untied it, magical butterflies would hover for a moment along with the scent of jasmine. Lord Castillo was keeping him busy, though, so he couldn’t hover long. Ewan just hoped Isidora would return from her errand for her wayward staff soon. He missed her already.

@thefreelanceangel

Really hoping to get a copy of this book some day

A letter arrived from Kessex, Ewan and Lord Castillo not even two days gone. It was written in Ewan’s straight, concise hand and addressed to Lady Isidora Castillo. An oak leaf was pressed between the pages of the letter along with a small yellow wildflower. When opened, the scent of grass and the woodlands drifted through the room for a few moments.

Dearest Isidora,

I have received word through your father that your visit with the healer has proven fruitful and you are moving about well on your own now. This is heartening news and I greatly look forward to walking with you to the Priory library when I return. If your father will grant us leave, perhaps we can visit Lion’s Arch for a few days so you can stretch your legs and relieve what I can only imagine to be the incredible doldrums of monotony that Divinity’s Reach has become. 

But I write to you because I saw a rainbow this morning, a lovely cascade of color through the trees. It was beauty in its purest, most natural form. And of course, my mind turned to you. I apologize if I am being too bold. Your heart aches, I know, and I would do anything to help you mend it. Beauty such as yours should not be left to languish in a cage, even if it is a cage of your own design. You wanted to see the world. Now you can. I want to be there to help you do it, even if only as your guardian and friend.

I am looking after your father as best I can. He sleeps rather early these days and still seems tired. I am worried for his health and I will insist on him seeing the physician when we return. Perhaps if we both press him on this he will concede. He works so hard for your family and I admit I admire him greatly. He loves you so fiercely. It does my heart good to see a father with such devotion.

There are no books or other trinkets that I could purchase for you here, so I sought instead to slip a piece of the world beyond Divinity’s Reach back into your hands. Please take care of yourself. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Yours,

Ewan

@thefreelanceangel

Tag Meme; Ewan Carmine

Full Name: 

Ewan Phillip Carmine

Gender and Sexuality: Male | Heterosexual

Pronouns: He/Him

Ethnicity/Species: Elonian/Krytan | Human

Birthplace and Birthdate:

Day 39 of the Zephyr (22 years ago) | Shaemoor, Queensdale

Guilty Pleasures:   Buying gifts for Isidora, writing letters to Isidora, daydreaming of Isidora, playing cards with his friend Jules and losing all his money to her.

Phobias: Being poor and destitute, unable to care for the woman he loves

What They Would Be Famous For: He’s been a quiet, shy kid all his life, only really breaking out of the Priory and his mother’s influences when he was hired as a bodyguard and accompaniment for Isidora Castillo. He did once hunt down Ashlan Kent at a charity ball and then zealously bid for an afternoon with the man in order to give it to Isidora. The date never took place as Isidora no longer wanted anything to do with Ashlan.

What Have They / Would They Gotten Arrested For: Ewan might have gotten arrested with Jules, a childhood friend and confidant, for stealing candies or other small trinkets, except he generally waited nervously for her on the sidewalk outside. Evan since then he has been very cautious to stay clear of the wrong side of the law, knowing he has no noble name or money to keep him from suffering in jail.

OC You Ship Them With: He is desperately in love with Isidora Castillo, has put her on a pedestal, and worships her from afar. Ewan isn’t really aware of how transparent he is.

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: For a time, it was Ashlan Kent’s fiance, Aurora Glass, who he outbid at the charity auction. Now it would probably be Isidora because he wouldn’t stop bothering her.

Favorite Book Genre: Historical and archaeological research.

Least Favorite Book Cliche: The love triangle where the bad boy wins out over the good man.

Talents and/or Powers: Ewan is a trained mesmer and competent combatant. Though not a soldier by any means, Ewan can defend himself with his sword and his magic and has worked as a bodyguard for nobility before. His mesmeric magic is focused mostly in illusions and mantras, allowing him to heal his charges and himself while quickly moving them away from the fighting.

Ewan studied in the Priory before his current position as aide to Lord Castillo. He maintains a relationship with the Priory library in Divinity’s Reach through previous relationships for his own enjoyment and Isidora’s. He’s an avid reader. His friend Jules is the person who knows him best and if he calls for her, the necromancer will be at his side to aid him, even if she thinks he’s being an idiot or naive. And she’ll be sure to call him on that.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Ewan is honest and hard-working, with a good attitude and a pleasant demeanor. He is polite and well-mannered, intelligent if not particularly creative. He seizes upon an idea and follows it to its conclusion. This includes love, which occasionally borders on obsession.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: It’s that obsession where things get sticky. Ewan’s understanding of romantic norms have come mostly from the worst kind of romance novels, where the man pines for the woman from afar until she miraculously notices him. Then they fall in love and live happily ever after. He has that kind of relationship with Isidora right now. Whether or not she will ever notice him is unknown. But he talks of her constantly and pines for her openly. He can be more than a little annoying about the subject of his dearest Isidora.

How They Change: Ewan started out as a joke companion for Isidora. As she obsessed over Ashlan Kent, Ewan obsessed over her. But he is devoted to her and that hasn’t changed. Recently he became her father’s aide and is learning how to run their household and funds. Ewan thinks this means he is also being groomed to be Isidora’s husband and is fantastically pleased at this tacit approval from her father. The truth of that is unclear, but Ewan will continue to be at Isidora’s side indefinitely. He wears rose-colored glasses where she is concerned and has attempted to aid her in securing her own romantic obsession in the past. What he will do when she actually finds someone to love other than him will be very interesting.

Why You Love Them: I love to make Ewan suffer. He’s so good at being quietly sad and angry, then picking himself up and doing his job anyway. He’s got a good heart, but his devotions are just a tad misplaced. But he has potential to grow and become either a good man or a really bad one, depending on what Isidora requires of him. And you better believe what she asks, he provides.

For Ewan Carmine: O. Where I'd like to travel

Ewan brightened at the question, giving it serious thought. “I’d love to go visit Ascalon. So much rich history there. And perhaps Orr for the same reason. Though I realize safety is a concern. But I wouldn’t travel alone.” His cheeks flushed as his thoughts drifted to one traveling companion in particular. “I think taking someone with me would make it an even more enjoyable experience. Because then we could learn about it all together. I think she-- um, I’m certain that we would both learn a lot from an expeditionary trip,” he finished awkwardly.

@clockwork-kisses said: ✘ Ewan and Isidora just cuz he needs to be tortured.

Tagged by: @thefreelanceangel

Ewan Carmine

PLACE IN SOCIETY ♦ Financial : wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty. ♦ Medical : fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged. ♦ Class or Caste :upper / middle / working / slave / unsure. ♦ Education : qualified / unqualified / studying. ♦ Criminal Record : yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet.

FAMILY ♦ Marital status : married - happily / married - unhappily / engaged or betrothed/ partnered / single / divorced / separated / widowed ♦ Children : has a child or children / has no children / wants children.   ♦ Relationship with Family : close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings /sibling(s) is deceased / complicated ♦ Filiation : orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent(s).

TRAITS + TENDENCIES ♦ extroverted / introverted / in between. ♦ disorganized / organized / in between. ♦ close minded / open-minded  / in between. ♦ calm / anxious / in between. ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between. ♦ cautious / reckless / in between. ♦ patient / impatient / in between. ♦ outspoken / reserved / in between. ♦ leader / follower / in between. ♦ empathetic / unemphatic / in between. ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between. ♦ traditional / modern / in between. ♦ hard-working / lazy / in between. ♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown. ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown. ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown.

BELIEFS ♦ Faith : monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic. ♦ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ♦ Belief in an Afterlife : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ♦ Belief in Reincarnation : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ♦ Belief in Aliens : yes / no / don’t know / don’t care. ♦ Religious : orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious. ♦ Philosophical : yes / no.

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ♦ Sexuality : heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual. ♦ Sex : sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favourable. ♦ Romance : romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favourable. ♦ Sexually : adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious. ♦ Potential Sexual Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all. ♦ Potential Romantic Partners : male / female / agender / other / none / all.

ABILITIES ♦ Combat Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none. ♦ Literacy Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ♦ Artistic Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ♦ Technical Skills : excellent / good / moderate / poor / none.

HABITS ♦ Drinking Alcohol : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♦ Smoking : trying to quit / never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♦ Other Narcotics : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♦ Medicinal Drugs : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♦ Indulgent Food : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♦ Splurge Spending : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess. ♦ Gambling : never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

Tagging: If you’re reading this, you’re tagged. It’s automatic. Look at yourself! There, see? Tagged!

The house was quiet when they came in the front door. Ewan looked up the stairs eagerly, watching for her appearance, waiting for Isidora to come down the stairs. She would greet her father first, of course, but then maybe she would look at him and smile. Thank him for the gifts and the correspondence.

He was half a dozen steps away from Lord Raul when the servants rushed in to help the man and attend the baggage. There were whispers behind him and then the lord’s sudden outburst. 

“What?! Where is she?”

Ewan turned, his smile sliding off his face like a plate from a tilted table. The crash in his soul felt similar. “Isidora?” he asked.

But Lord Raul was already heading to his study, his face far more flushed than was healthy for him, giving orders to footmen and sending for the Seraph. Ewan felt helpless as he followed in the older man’s wake, with nothing to offer save his own fear for the safety of the woman he loved. 

“I don’t care what you do, but find her!”

Lord Raul Castillo’s voice had driven them from the room, a pair of investigators, a former Seraph, and Ewan tasked with the same thing: find Isidora Castillo and bring her home. 

There was little to go on. She’d taken her belongings and left the house. Where she went after that, no one was sure. Lord Raul had already put out a reward for her safe return. 

The investigators and the Seraph knew people, knew how to follow clues. Ewan felt helpless. Useless. No wonder Isidora hadn’t even spared him a glance after Ashlan Kent broke her heart. But he shook off his self-pity. He had a job to do.

He knew people in his old neighborhood, children who had too much time and not enough money. Working for Lord Raul had given him plenty of the latter. 

A trio of copper coins was placed into each grubby hand. “I’ll give you the same in silver if you find anything of use,” Ewan said, looking at the children arrayed around him. “Her name is Isidora Castillo. She’s a fine lady, long brown hair, hazel eyes, young but still an adult. She might have a bit of a limp. She likes books. Find her.” 

He tried not to make that last sound like a plea.

“No, first you will sit and eat. You look horrible, Ewan, and that’s saying something.” Jules Eberhardt settled Ewan on her couch and rang for tea.

Ewan sat quietly, staring at his hands while waiting, Jules shooing her pair of pet shadow fiends out of the room so they wouldn’t suck the heat from it. Then she sat down beside him just as the maid brought the caddy with the sandwiches and desserts. A pair of glasses of sparkling wine followed, but Jules didn’t touch hers for once. She placed her hands on Ewan’s arm.

“Eat something,” she encouraged softly.

Ewan took a cucumber sandwich and chewed it mechanically, his gaze still very far away. Then, to her surprise, he downed a whole glass of wine. Jules didn’t pour more. Drunken Ewan was the last thing she needed.

“Alright, now start from the beginning. I got your letters. It sounds like your apprenticeship with Lord Raul was going splendidly.”

“It was,” Ewan said dully. “Then we got home and Isidora was gone. No one knows where.” He looked up at her, panic in his face. “You haven’t seen her, have you?”

The fact that she’d only seen the girl from afar hadn’t occurred to him and Jules wasn’t about to make him more frantic. “No,” she shook her head. “I haven’t. I would have told you if I had. Ewan, is this a kidnapping? Has there been a ransom?”

He shook his head. “No word from her or any captor. But she...she hasn’t spent money from her accounts. Her father checked. Nothing since she left. He’s got people scouring the whole of the ‘Reach and...” A horrified look came upon him. “You don’t think she’s left the city, do you?”

It was, in fact, exactly what Jules had been thinking. If she wanted to get away from her father so completely, that was the easiest way. “Perhaps she went to Lion’s Arch,” Jules suggested gently. “I know a few ladies there--”

“You know ladies everywhere,” Ewan wrinkled his nose.

Jules slapped him. Hard.

“If you’re going to imply I’m a whore for sleeping with people I find enjoyable, I will ask you to leave my house and know that you will receive no more help from me, Ewan Carmine!” The color had risen in her cheeks. She hated when men were jealous that she slept with more women than they did. But she hadn’t expected it from her oldest friend.

Ewan stared at her, mouth agape and glasses askew. Then he shook his head, tilting the frames back properly on his face. “No, no, I’m sorry Jules. I’m just tired. And upset. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Jules narrowed her eyes at him. “Then keep your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself,” she snapped. “I’ll ask around for her. And Ewan? If you’re so jealous of my love life, maybe you should consider why your own is so barren.”

Jules stood and walked from the room, leaving Ewan to find his own way out.

How he’d lost so much weight in just a week, Ewan couldn’t say, but Lord Raul looked gaunt now, laying in bed, sick with worry. The physician gave Ewan a worried look and shook his head gently. Not a good sign.

Ewan moved to grasp the old man’s hand. “I’ve got lots of people searching for her,” he sat on the bed. “But you have to keep up your strength, your hope. She’s out there waiting for you. If she comes back and you’re gone, I don’t know that she would make it.”

Lord Raul chuckled, a weak sound. “She’ll get along just fine without me, my boy. But I’m afraid I won’t get on well without her.” He squeezed Ewan’s hand, dragged the young man closer with strength that surprised Ewan. “Find her!” he hissed. “Do what you need to, use whatever magic is in your power, but damn you find my daughter! I need my precious Isidora.”

Worn out from the outburst, Lord Raul laid back against his pillows, releasing Ewan’s hand. 

“I-I will, my lord,” Ewan hastened to stand and left the room. If there was a magical way to find her, the Priory would have information on it. He just had to figure out where.

The old woman was known in the Western Commons as a source of magical goods and services. The kind young girls went to for love potions as often as married women went to for getting rid of unwanted pregnancies. She served them all. Grenth treated everyone the same.

So when Ewan walked into the shop, a priory tome in hand, he did so without concern. This wasn’t a place that discriminated against poor boys who’d made good. He’d just be charged a bit more.

He wandered the shop a bit, looking at the strange bits of feathers and crystals stirring in a breeze he couldn’t feel. He was about to call out when a voice at his elbow said, “And what have we here, young hound?”

She had pulled the tome from his grip before he even noticed and was walking away.

“Wait, ma’am, that’s a Priory book. I have to return it,” he said hastily, hopping around the side of her to keep from knocking over a pile of bones strung together by twine.

“I know, young man. Give me a moment.” She flipped right to the page. The one he’d found only after hours of scouring the book, cross-referencing the index, and finally having to ask the librarian to help make out what was written under a century of fingerprints and grime. “Dangerous spell, this,” she glanced up at him with knowing grey eyes. “Are you prepared to do what’s necessary to find your treasure?”

Ewan swallowed, knowing he was. “Yes, ma’am,” he nodded. 

“Good.” She closed the book and walked back to the counter and produced a small green bottle from behind it. “This is what you need from me.”

Ewan blinked at her, following quickly. “Are-are you sure? It’s a very precise ritual. If I don’t get it exactly right--”

“Do I look like this is my first time ‘round the boneyard?” she cackled. “I saw you coming in yesterday morning’s tea. Plenty of time to get this ready for you, my boy. Now it’ll be three gold coins and something you value.”

His hand was already reaching for his pocket when he stopped. “Something I value?”

“Yes, a bauble or a rare gift. Something you wouldn’t give up unless it was truly important.” The old woman eased herself onto her stool and leaned against the counter, gnarled fingers curling lightly around the green bottle. “Unless this isn’t as important as you thought?”

Ewan’s mind raced as he tried to think of something he could get rid of that was important. He never carried much as a general rule, just his sword, his coin purse, and--

No, not that.

Yes. That.

Hesitantly he brought the necklace up from beneath his shirt. A small gold band swung from the end. It had been his father’s, given to him by his mother. For luck, she said, and for use if things ever got so bad that he needed to eat. She had laughed when she said that, but that didn’t make it any less true. His mother understood the practicalities of life.

This wasn’t food, but it was still necessary. Isidora was necessary.

Ewan handed the woman the necklace and the coins. His eyes didn’t leave it and she was kind enough not to stash it beneath the counter while she outlined what he should do with the ritual. He asked a few questions, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. A combination of illusionary and necromantic magics. He wouldn’t have dared try it upon Lord Raul’s daughter...except he had no other way to find her.

Just before he left, Ewan looked back at the ring on the counter. It shimmered in the light as he opened the door, then it was gone as the old woman swept it off the counter. 

He turned and strode back into the street. That was the past. He had to remain in the present now. Look to the future.

Magic Circle: Fire by zepher234

The book had not seen the light of day in a very long time. It’s binding crackled each time he turned a page. But he had to get this perfectly right, and if it meant some of the pages came loose, so be it. 

Ewan carefully went over the ingredients again, making sure he had everything. The lock of hair he’d retrieved from an old brush. Her great treasure was a locket given to her by her mother that had been left in the family vault. The traveling clothes had been harder to find, though he’d managed a pair of her old boots from the back of her wardrobe and a cloak she’d hung up but never sent out to be cleaned.

Finally, the blood. The hound he’d bought had been old, sick, and dying. His master had been glad to be getting money for an animal he’d have to put down anyway. But Ewan had had to be the one to slit its throat, watch as it gulped in his last, panting breaths before the light went out of its eyes. 

Afterward, Ewan had sat with the corpse for nearly an hour, crying over the life he’d taken. Killing wasn’t new, but this felt...wrong. Necromancy often used blood -- he knew that from Jules -- but usually the blood of the caster. But this spell called for hound’s blood specifically. He was opening himself up to darker things that he wasn’t sure he could handle. That he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with. 

But it was for Isidora. Even if she was fine, her father needed her. And he respected and cared about the old lord enough to want to make sure he had his daughter with him at the end of his life. 

The blood had stained his hands, gotten deep under his fingernails. Even now he thought he could feel it in the creases of his knuckles. 

With great precision he marked out the magic circle in the middle of Isidora’s room where he’d pulled away all her rugs. The blood dried a rusty red on the hardwood. Once he was done, he wiped his hands on the cloth he’d brought with him. More blood to be removed. Hopefully the last.

The items were placed in a bowl in the center of the circle, then he stepped back, opening the book. He read the incantation aloud, enunciating distinctly. The green potion bottle the old woman had given him flared to life, the cork whizzing away into the corner of the room. The metal bowl began to spin in the center of the circle. The hair fizzled into little sparks. Then the cloak and shoes rose and formed a sort of square shape, floating just above the floor. The locket rose and floated around the ‘neck’ of the square. Then the blood burned bright, searing the green light to red. 

Before him stood a spectral outline of the bloodhound, the cloak and boots having become its body, the blood bringing it to life. The locket hung around its neck and the hair floated before it. The hound sniffed the hair, absorbing it into itself. Without hesitation, the hound bounded from the room in pursuit of its quarry.

Unprepared, Ewan scrambled after it, leaving behind the remains of the spell. Little more than 20 minutes later, one of the servants found the room a shambles, the bloody mark upon the floor. Of Ewan there was no trace at all.

The rain seemed to start the moment he left the Castillo estate, chilling but not soaking. His feet splashed through the puddles as he ran after the illusionary hound. Where it was leading him, he wasn’t sure, but in his heart he knew Isidora would be at the end.

They pounded through the lower city to an apartment in the Eastern Commons. The hound disappeared through the door and Ewan stopped, leaning on his knees. “I can’t...” He stopped, realizing how ridiculous it was to try to talk to a spell.

But before he could figure out what to do next, another image emerged through the door. It was Isidora, or her spectral counterpart. Ewan followed her. For a moment, the image bent down and a cat curled into being, made of the same soft purple magic as Isidora. Her fingers stroked the cat gently. Ewan smiled despite himself, watching her care for the small creature.

Then something changed. The spell burst and shifted, the image lost as flares of chaos erupted around him before it coalesced into the hound once more. Ewan was moving the moment the hound took off again, Isidora’s locket still hanging from its neck.

Again he moved without thinking, without looking for a weapon or defense. He wanted to find Isidora. That was his only desire. And so when Ewan came up before the gates of the house in the Ossan Quarter, he was utterly alone. The hound barked once, turned in a circle, laid down, and vanished. Only the shine of the locket on the ground remained and Ewan swept that up into his pocket immediately. 

If she was in there, he would find her. Tell her about her father. And hopefully convince her to come home. Lord Raul needed her. 

It was hard to gauge how large the house was, with all the houses around it and the twisting roads of Ossan. He didn’t see her at the windows, but they were all closed, shuttered against the rain and chill. Ewan found the bellpull to beg entrance and tugged it gently. He didn’t hear anything from inside, but the servants might be at the back. So he waited until the door opened.

Putting a bright smile on his face, Ewan pushed up his glasses. He was soaking wet, but he didn’t let that stop him. “Hello. I’m looking for Lady Isidora Castillo. I’ve come from her father. He’s returned home and is rather desperate to talk to her. Please tell her my name is Ewan Carmine.” 

His hands worked over and over themselves in nervousness. What if she refused to see him? Could he hire a sedan chair to bring her father here and let Lord Raul make the demand himself? It might be the only way to lure her out if she was being stubborn. Ewan waited anxiously for the servant’s answer.

@typhonius-amrata, @thefreelanceangel

Ewan nodded to the old man, then realized his folly. The blind man wouldn’t be able to see it. “Oh, yes. Um. Thank you.” The thought of Isidora being some man’s escort was disturbing, but perhaps she was just using his library and accompanying him to parties. The last time he’d spoken with her, she had been adamantly against love in any form. It would please her father if she had come to such an idea on her own. It showed problem-solving skills and thoughtfulness. And Ewan, despite it all, still held out hope that he might one day be able to charm his beloved lady.

He followed Riad down the hallway to the sitting room. His eyes roamed the bright colors and plush fabrics, the loveliness of the place. This was what Isidora deserved. He couldn’t deny that. 

Then he realized he was dripping water everywhere. He turned, but the servant had left.

Careful to stay clear of the rugs and furniture, Ewan made his way toward the archway that led to the garden. He peered out at the windows facing the courtyard, looking for Isidora, while casting occasional glances at the door for his host. 

photo by Michal Huniewicz

Several long moments stretched past before the rap of wood on tile could be heard through the door, followed in due time by the clatter and clang of bolts and chains, until at last the blind old steward Riad stood before Ewan, cane in hand.

“Ahai, young man. Such inclement weather we’re having today. This must be a very important matter to draw you out. A Lady Isidora…hmm…”

He pulled at the neck of his djellaba with careful hands as if each movement was precious, muttering the name quietly as he did so, and then seemed to brighten a bit as he said,

“Ah, yes, a young lady by that name did visit this house some time ago. But the master…”

Coughing as disapproving elders tend to when faced with the debauchery of the young, he added,

“Well it’s not my place to go into details but I will say that he is never without an escort and I do not keep track of them all. But perhaps he will know something of your missing lady.”

Riad turned slowly to allow Ewan enough space to step inside the entrance foyer, then let the heavy door swing shut on its own before bothering with the bolts and latches. Only when the door was secure did he start down the long hallway. Coloured mosaic lanterns lit the way, casting fantastic light on bright woven rugs, Kournan and Vabbian artifacts, and potted Krytan plants. Through a curtain of dark faceted beads he led Ewan into a sunken room with a few of the rear gardens where a tiled fountain glittered defiantly in the rain.

“Sit, please. I will summon the master, and something warm for you to drink.”

Ewan startled at Tiersa’s entrance, then smiled at her. “Oh, hello. I’m Ewan. Do you know Lady Isidora?” 

By her motions and her silence it quickly became apparent that the girl wouldn’t -- or couldn’t -- speak to him. Ewan frowned. What sort of man would take on a speechless girl for a maid? He hoped a good one. A kind one.

He took the towel from her and did his best to dry himself. His clothes would undoubtedly remain wet, but at least he no longer looked like a drowned rat. After rubbing his hair dry and cleaning his glasses, he folded the towel and sat on it on the couch beside the tea service. “Thank you,” he nodded to her. Then he went about making himself a cup of tea. Though the room was warm, he knew he would be returning to the chilly rain again soon enough. There was no reason to risk a cold if he could help it.

Before Tiersa left, he asked her quickly, “Please let the lord of the house know I’m here? And if Lady Isidora is here, please let her know as well?” 

Morocco

Ewan didn’t quite understand the mute girl’s bright smiles or what they might mean. He was still too confused, anxious, and befuddled by the magic he’d used to truly figure out what might be happening behind the calm tiles and rich fabrics of this home. 

“Yes,” he swallowed his tea quickly as the steward came to see her. “I do apologize about the mess. It wasn’t raining when I set out. But she’s seen to tea and a towel. I am most grateful, thanks.”

Alone again, Ewan went over in his head what he would say to the man of the house. Isidora needed to see her father. He was ill. If he could get the man to repeat only that to her, Ewan was sure Isidora would come home. And maybe...maybe then she would stay. Ewan held onto hope like a drowning man to a spar of wood.

The abrupt rush of hot air nearly made him upend his cup of tea. He set it down quickly and stood when the lord of the manor entered. Then he seated himself once more. 

“Oh, um, Lady Isidora’s father is ill. We have just returned from Kessex -- I’m, I’m his steward -- and I wanted to see if Isidora -- Lady Isidora, I mean -- would come and see her father. He is really in quite poor health and I think seeing her again would help him tremendously.” Ewan rubbed his hands on his pants, realized they were wet, and then awkwardly wiped them on the towel he was sitting on. “If you could let me see her, give her the message, that would be most kind, Lord...?” He suddenly realized he had been rude.

“I apologize. I haven’t properly introduced myself,” he stood extending his hand. “I’m Ewan Carmine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The man who stepped through to face Ewan wore the expression of a predator that had been roused earlier than preferred and was still debating how to respond to this…unexpected intrusion. His smile was polite and perfunctory, as was the gesture towards the sofas which ringed the room.

“Please. Sit. Enjoy your tea. Warm yourself.”

He plucked a glass of tea for himself then took a seat opposite his guest, and made no effort to soften his expression as he asked,

“Riad tells me that you are looking for Isidora Castillo, but he could not tell me why you would come to my home in your search…Mister Ewan Carmine. Perhaps you could enlighten me?”

Have & Have Not: Ewan Carmine

Tagged by @rising-ember

broken a bone | gotten stitches | had a near death experience | killed someone | tried and failed to kill someone | invented something | been hung over | kissed someone | slow-danced | been in a long-term relationship | had sex | had sex and regretted it | had a one-night stand | had a threesome | experimented with their sexuality | had a kid | gotten married | self-harmed | traveled to another country | been in a play | received an inheritance | been in a wreck | lost a loved one | been dumped | dumped someone | smoked | gotten high | been slipped something in their food/drink  | won a contest | won an election | joined a sports team | gone skydiving | gone hunting | been in a band | had a job | been fired | been in a wedding party | owned a pet | seen a ghost | skipped class/work | learned an instrument | gotten a noticeable scar|sued someone | been robbed | been mugged | been kidnapped | been sexually assaulted | been brainwashed/hypnotized | gone more than one day without eating | had a recurring nightmare | been bullied | bullied someone | seen someone die | attempted suicide | been tied/chained up | shot someone| stabbed someone | saved someone’s life | cheated on someone | been cheated on | had a stalker | been betrayed | been in a fight | been arrested | been to a funeral | had surgery | broken someone’s trust | gotten a piercing | gotten a tattoo | used a fake name | been tortured | been abused | been blackmailed | had an attempt on their life | gotten away with a crime | gone on a road trip | been in love 

That’s an awful lot of unbolded stuff there, Ewan! Better get on that! Actually, I think he’s working on the kidnapped thing right now. Possibly the tied/chained as well. He’s not in a good place.

Tagging: @vincasownwords, @typhonius-amrata, @thefreelanceangel (specifically for Isidora, but feel free to do whoever!), @luxelen, @eumehshirosake, and anyone else who wants to do it! :)

Ewan blinked several times, realizing his mistake and getting perhaps an inkling of the trouble he might be in. 

“I-I’m sorry, Lord Amrata. It’s been a very hectic day,” he smoothed back his hair and adjusted his glasses to give himself time to think. “Lord Castillo sent people looking for her when we returned and one came today to say she had been seen in your company here,” he lied. “If she has gone elsewhere, maybe you could let me know where? Probably a book store.” Ewan tried to laugh it off, looking away from the man. “She does love her books.”

His eyes darted again to the garden, wondering if Isidora was still staying here. If the spell had worked, she was here. And if it hadn’t, he would be left with nothing. His hands clenched at that thought. 

He turned back to Typhonius quickly and smiled. “I’m not trying to take her from your company. If she’s found someplace she’s happy, I’m glad for her. I just want to bring her to her father so she can see him. It would be a shame if he died before she could see him again.”

One raven brow arched as the young man ignored the question posed to him in order to ramble on in a very…disconcerting manner. Typhonius nevertheless managed another polite upward curve of his mouth and accepted the offered hand in a stony grip.

“Typhonius Amrata. And as I said Riad told me your name when he told me that you are looking for Isidora Castillo…”

Now his lips pulled away from his teeth with a flash of white enamel as he said,

“But again, he could not tell me why you are looking for her here, in my home. To hear you speak one would think you believe her to be here, yet you offer no explanation as to why you have such a belief.”

typhonius-amrata:

“I see.”

Seating himself a bit more comfortably, he eased back against the cushions and took a leisurely sip of his tea. He was careful about his activities and thus was fairly sure that Isidora had not been seen in his company since he returned her walking stick, which meant this bleating lamb had found her through other means. And that was…troubling.

“Such a devoted father he is, to be so ardently searching for his daughter…”

Proud, arrogant, violent…but not stupid. Typhonius did not take unnecessary risks, and the more Ewan talked, the more furtive glances he made about the room, out the window towards the gardens, the more this one seemed to be such a risk.

“Who am I to come between their reunion?”

He smiled again, even managed a light chuckle as he said,

“Go now, tell your master that the flower of his heart will be returned to him before sunset. I would say that she could travel with you but I need time to hire an appropriate litter. Common born though I am, I could not allow a lady like Isidora to be exposed to the cold rain. Surely you agree?”

Ewan’s face lit up like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. He bobbled his tea cup a bit and then set it on the table so as not to spill or break it. 

“Oh, thank you, my lord,” Ewan said, voice filled with obvious relief. “And certainly she requires a litter. I don’t want her to get soaked, as well.” He tried a bit of a laugh. It came out uneasy.

“Do you...do you think you could send for her? I’d like to tell her about her father’s condition myself.” The young man’s desire to see Isidora clearly came from devotion rather than any sense that Amrata might be lying. 

His quest was successful. He’d found her and would bring her to her father. She would see the care he had for them both. Perhaps...perhaps she would stay. Even if she returned to this man eventually, a few days to bask in Isidora’s presence would be like rain after a drought. Ewan smoothed his hair back once more. Isidora would disapprove of how scraggly he looked, no doubt, but at least he could see her. How he had missed her.