Her resonance just dies away...

[Anonymous]

It was not very hot in House Stone, but even the slightest bit of sun irritated High Lord Rhys Stone's delicate skin. Summer was his least favorite season because of this – it was the time when that arrogant sun pulled back its cloudy curtains to overwhelm the world with its fiery, overbearing presence. The High Lord, with a hand fan in his grasp, thought that nothing good should come from these sovereign sunny days – but he had been mistaken.

After what had seemed like ages (which had only been a few weeks, really), House Stone had found a new therapist for dear Hearth, and here he was, at their door, on this very same sunny day! Suddenly, the sun did not seem so hot anymore – or it was bearable, at the very least – and Rhys, excited and amicable, ushered the man inside, all smiles and optimism. "Come in, come in!" He ushered, placing a hand on his shoulder, as if they were old friends. "I am honored to see you, here at House Stone, Sir Atrasan. Surely, this is a gift from Kia himself!"

Servants rushed to close the door behind him, before letting too much of the summer heat into the House. Rhys, beckoning him with a wave of his hand fan, urged the man to follow him, into the depths of House Stone. "Hearth is not too far – she is a walk away, but you must be dying to meet her, hm? A tour of the House should be given, I suppose... but oh, that can wait!"

He had said she was not far off, but really, that was something of a lie. Rhys lead him through twists and turns of the House, and finally, up a tall, spiral staircase. Should one have looked upward, one would've gawked at how tall the staircase was. Still, Rhys started up the stairs without a beat, obviously still very excited about the man's arrival. Along the way, he chattered casually, still fluttering that hand fan.

"This problem – her stutter – has persisted for a little over a year now – and still, it hasn't shown any signs of going away. That last speech therapist we had – well, things just weren't working out. He and Hearth – well, he was so imposing, and Hearth, she's such a small thing. Easily frightened. Easily overwhelmed. I had to let him go."

It probably wasn't a good idea to speak about past employees to a new employee, but Rhys was too excited to bother about formalities. So excited was he that he didn't even notice how long they'd been walking up the stairs – it had been at least a good ten minutes or so now, and there was no sign of Rhys stopping, or of them even coming close to Hearth's quarters. Rhys chattered on, as if such a workout was nothing.

"While you're working here, House Stone's doors are always open for you. Later, let Hearth show you to your quarters – we've prepared a spacious room for you, should you wish to work and live on site. Our servants are at your beck and call – if you need anything from them, they will serve you as if you were a Stone yourself."

The windows, at least, provided a fine view of Fallial as they trekked up the staircase – of merchants and peddlers pushing their wares to the people down below. Rhys would flutter his fan faster whenever the sun hit his skin, and it was only then that he noticed how much of a pain this flight of stairs must be.

"I do apologize for the long walk. Hearth loves holing herself up in the tower, for whatever reason. I've told the girl that it'd be better to have her lessons in the lower levels of the house, but she feels more comfortable up here. Only Kia knows why."

Finally, the end was in sight – a door could be seen, down a short hallway. It was the only door in the hallway, and the space between the door and the stairs seemed to act as a protective barrier, a ward for the girl who lurked inside. Just the location where Hearth spent most of her time spoke millions about her character.

Rhys, clearing the last stair, fluttered his fan and looked towards Tievios, giving him a cordial smile.

"Have you any questions, Sir Atrasan, before I leave you to your work?"

[Anonymous]

Tievios could do little more than stare with his mouth open slightly. But only slightly. Honored? The High Lord was honored? Tievios blinked his big red eyes and cleared his throat before smiling politely, not really sure what else he could do. He could only nod and follow along and listen quietly. It was a relief to know the girl was only a walk away.

He'd come into the job blindly, of course he knew what he was getting himself into but being little more than a tutor to get by before he'd gotten this job. Language was his forte, but it seemed like an interesting job. Tievios himself spoke as fluent Old Serenian as anyone could, not that it was very useful.

There was a constant smile on his face from how airy the High Lord seemed. Tievios had been expecting someone tough, rough and tumble and there was a man flitting around a fan and leading him around in circles and was that a giant spiral staircase? Yes it was.

The man must have been a liar, the girl was no where near them if they were going up that beast. Tievios listened when Rhys gave him information about the girls stutter, and he tilted his head, one long braid falling over his shoulder and resting against his chest. He was dressed in his finest, and he was almost sad to see he looked poor and threadbare beside the High lord. He'd have to get better clothing if he wanted to fit in at all.

The stairs were awful and Tievios grew to hate them by the time Rhys got to speaking of his accommodations and he smiled politely. "Of course, High Lord." He nodded his head forward, " I'd likely stay, I imagine Lady Hearth will be taking up a fair amount of my time and it would be much easier to travel up these stairs if I don't have to come from town to do so." Tievios smiled at his 'joke' before he shook his head and caught the view from the window, he stared out of it while Rhys told him of Hearths like of the place.

He could see why.

"Oh no.  I'd much rather her be comfortable, I am a guest here and it would be imposing of me to demand she come downstairs to save myself a walk." A walk that Tievos was surprised the High Lord could make. Tievos wasn't winded, but his legs hurt a little and he was almost ashamed of the fact that a flight of stairs had beat him down. The door was a surprise and he wasn't sure if he should knock on it or not so instead he just climbed the rest of the stairs and was glad to be off of them. He'd worry about going back down later.

"Ah, no,  High Lord. I can't think of any, if I do I'll tell you when we're finished the first lesson when I'm back down the stairs. I can't imagine climbing down there for just a single question." Tievios smiled and then looked towards the door before he walked towards it almost cautiously and knocked.

[Anonymous]

Employing new people was a very stressful task for the High Lord, one that he normally left to his wife, but in this matter, he was glad that he had seen the hiring Sir Atrasan himself. The man seemed amicable and accommodating, and so easy to talk to as well! So unlike the other therapist, who Rhys didn't even like speaking to, much less Hearth. He fluttered his fan once more, with easy flicks of his wrist, and smiled gently when Tievios assured to let Rhys know later if he had any questions. It would be a pain, to walk down so many stairs just for one inquiry!

Rhys laughed a little, a small, amused laugh, and the fan fluttered again. "Then I bid you farewell," he said, and with a swish of his robe, he was gone, down the massive spiral staircase. He was gone – in a flurry of purple – wishing that he could see Hearth's first interaction with her speech therapist. Ah, but it would be rude and invasive, he knew, to stand watch while the man did his job. He was a professional, was he not? And so, Rhys was not needed, and besides, there were other matters to attend to! At the thought of them – at the thought of a certain provincial law that he needed to look at later – he groaned a little, shaking his head, suddenly irritable again...

[center:2swsljxv]__________[/center:2swsljxv]

At the sound of knock – despite how small and unassuming the knock had been – Hearth jumped. Her hand, which had been firmly gripping a wooden paintbrush, flew up and over the canvas, ruining her painting. She frowned a little, taking a moment to look at the work she had disturbed, and tried to tell herself that it wouldn't have turned out any good anyway.

It was a portrait of a girl she had seen at the bazaar yesterday, one with sunny yellow hair and cute freckles that dotted her face. Now, a streak of yellow smeared the image – it was an irreversible mistake, novice in nature. Hearth, biting her lip, set the canvas to the side, gripping it with small, delicate fingers, hoping such a faulty portrait would not be seen by whoever was knocking.

Perhaps it was Gemini, come to bother her again for his own self portrait? Or her father, with more of his insistences that she get out of the room, and get some fresh air? There was fresh air in this room to be had – for the whole back wall was not a wall, but a window, one that looked out at the province of Fallial. It was cracked slightly now, letting in a gentle breeze through the room, one that ruffled her plum purple hair and toyed with the hem of her bonny blue dress. The breeze nipped and played with her room, which was otherwise neat, tidy, and trim. Her bed made, her paints put away, except for the portrait that stood to the side; it was the cleanest it had been in a while.

Hearth, with wide, curious eyes, slowly pulled open the door, peeking out from behind it cautiously. In the smallest of voices, she asked, as she opened the door a little wider, "H-Hello?" Her eyes grew wider – if such a thing was possible – after noticing the unfamiliar face at the door, totally unprepared.

Oh! And what a time to remember that Father had decided to hire a new speech therapist, but heavens, she didn't know he'd be coming today! Or perhaps Father did tell her, but she just forgot... Nevertheless, Hearth stood, wide-eyed, a stone stature, staring at him blankly. Her hands fidgeted a little, and she thought she might forget how to breathe – she wasn't prepared to have a new one! She didn't know how to handle this!

So she shut the door, breathing heavily, as if she had just been chased by a murderer.

She took a few moments to catch her breath, pressing her hand over her heart, listening to it slowly calm down. Calmer now, more collected now (which wasn't saying much), Hearth realized she had been incredibly rude, and rushed to open the door again, this time opening it wide, inviting him inside. She shook her head at herself, pressing her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment at her own nervousness.

"I-I'm sorry! P-Please forgive me, I-I had no idea you were coming and you... I was j-just really scared, is all..." Her voice trailed off, and as she spoke, she, as usually, did not make eye contact. "I-I really do apologize... P-Please, c-come in." Hearth wondered if she should offer him a chair, one of the many that sat around her rather spacious room, or if he would take it himself. Should she curtsy, as a way of recognizing her own disrespect, or should a simple apology do? Already she had managed to make a fool out of herself – and in record time, too!

[Anonymous]

The look on his face would have made him laugh if he could see it. The door slamming was a shock and his mouth fell open, his hand was at his side and he stood there pondering over just what happened when the door opened again and a short adorable girl stood and invited him in. He watched her and gave a polite nod.

"Ah, thank you Little Miss." Tievios smiled and entered her room, looking around and finding it odd for a room that belonged to a young lady. He felt like it should have been filled with more doo-dads and girly things. It was very ... Clean, he thought. "It's no problem." Tievios said, smiling. "I had thought your father would give you warning, otherwise I'd have provided you with the information of me coming here. It's unfortunate that your first meeting with me has you so anxious."

Tievios gave her a formal bow, this was the High Lords daughter! It wouldn't do well to treat her like a little kid when she was very obviously not one. "Now. We're going to set up some rules, I've noticed your stutter. We're not going to do anything you don't like, of course besides having a speech therapist but you can't help that. So we're going to make this as painless as possible." Tievios smiled and pushed one of his braids over his shoulder before he tilted his head and looked around the room.

"We're going to talk. A lot. I'll teach you some pronunciation exercises and we'll figure out why you stutter."  Tievios smiled again before he placed his hands on his knees, before he looked off to the side and smiled brightly for a moment, "Oh dear, I was so excited about meeting you I was rude myself!"

He reached out a hand, a friendly handshake, he would be ready to take it back provided she didn't shake it. " I am Tievios Atrasan, I'm going to be your new talking partner. You may call me Tievios or Atrasan or anything you're most comfortable with."

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately for her, Rhys Stone was the kind of man who was constantly preoccupied with beauty. Like a magpie in a mound of diamonds, Rhys' preoccupation usually denied her the small rights Hearth felt she deserved in life, like being forewarned of an important visitor calling on her in her room, for instance. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault why she was so anxious, but couldn't find the words to express how she felt. But that was normal – her wanting to talk but in the end, staying silent, out of her inability to string words together properly.

He was very proper, this new speech therapist – but he was also very polite and easygoing. One could say he was the complete opposite of Hearth's old therapist, who had been an imposing, large man with beady eyes and a long beard – perhaps the old one had worsened her condition, instead of helping her out.

This one promised that he wouldn't have her do anything she didn't like, which was a relief – one that she almost didn't believe. A therapist who wasn't a total bully, who seemed almost... patient? It was a little too good to be true, but Hearth did not get her hopes up just yet. She had been disappointed before by her father's hasty decisions when it came to employees, so it was normal for her to be on her toes, anxious.

When he offered out his hand, Hearth sucked in her breath, afraid to touch him – he seemed very regal and personable, but shaking his hand... she wasn't sure if she could do it! But it would be rude, wouldn't it, if she didn't. And Rhys Stone did not raise rude children. Shyly, she drew up her hand, shaking a little, before finally grasping his hand in hers, her grip light, if it could even be called a grip at all. She wanted to look up at him, which she did for a split second, but it was hard for Hearth to keep eye contact very long.

"I-it's nice to meet you, T-T..." She wanted to call him by his first name – but couldn't bring herself to do it. It was too bold of a move, to call someone you had just met by their first name, wasn't it? Her other therapist hadn't liked it when she'd done that, but maybe he would be different? He said she could call him anything, but it was best to be sure... "A-Atrasan," she substituted instead, relieved to have finally called him something. "I-It's very n-nice to m-meet you." She wanted say that he seemed like a nice person, nicer than her previous therapist, but decided it was better to stay quiet, least she trip over her words again.

Oh, but she needed to introduce herself as well, didn't she? She didn't want to be rude – that was the last thing she wanted. Suddenly, the youngest Stone exclaimed, "Oh, and I'm Hearth!" But then realized that obviously her father would've told him her name, before he came. She shook her head, twiddled her fingers, looking back down toward the floor. "B-But you a-already k-knew that, o-obviously..." This 'talking a lot' thing they'd be doing – it definitely would not be easy...

[Anonymous]

Adorable! Tievios smiled and watched her, all flustered. He didn't want to have made her flustered but she seemed to fall into that state easily. He was new and unfamiliar. "It's really, truly a pleasure to meet you, Hearth." Hoping he wasn't too forward would it be strange for him to call her by her fist name without a tacked on lady? Maybe he should do that now, he wouldn't want to offend anyone and even if the High Lord was strange he didn't seem like the kind of man you could piss off and get away with it.

He hadn't sat down, instead he wandered over to a painting and examined it closely. Did she paint it? He noticed the paints, so she obviously painted, but this one? It looked wonderful to him, but his straight lines always managed to have curves in strange places. So, an item looking like it was supposed to was quite the feat it seemed to him. Tievios looked around some more and pushed one long thick braid over his shoulder after it fell back.

"What do you love doing? More than anything? Can you show me?"

[Anonymous]

What did she love doing – more than anything?

She fiddled with her hands a little, looking towards the canvas she had shoved to the side earlier. "P-Painting," she answered, nodding a little, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to show him. The canvas though, the lone canvas that she had tucked away in the corner – it wouldn't do, to use that lone painting to represent her work. "I-I'll show you, if you w-want to see," Hearth obliged, and turned towards the far end of the room, to the wall opposite of the room's large window.

This wall, like the opposite wall, was not a wall, but a closet – a large one, one that she stored all of her canvases and easels in, her unfinished projects. It was a ridiculously large closet, one that stretched from each side of her room, but there was really no other place to put them. If she showed them to her father, he might want to display them around the house, and doing such a thing would only embarrass her. She didn't want to brag, after all...

Hearth clutched the door of the closet and slid it open. The door did not open outwards, no, it slid across, like a secret compartment in a hidden cabinent. Hearth, walking from one end of the room to the next, finally managed to open the storage for her easels – unveiling her hidden storage of paintings. While there were many easels there – small ones, tall ones, large ones – the largest of them all stood at the front, proud and bold. She clutched onto the side of this easel and brought it out of the closet, so that the other easels would not block or obstruct this special painting.

The painting was nearly as large as the room, and when Hearth lined up with the window – as she was doing now – it seemed to mirror the view of Fallial, from this tower, from this very window. The square of Lindolen, great Fallial's capital, was what hearth seemed to be capturing in the shot. The painting was detailed, painstakingly so, to the point where windows and cobblestones were outlined, and perhaps it was that detail that made it feel more real. However, the painting was obviously not done – only one fourth of it seemed to be finished.

"T-This is my favorite p-painting," Hearth introduced, and she smiled a little, as she gestured towards it. "I-It's n-n-nothing special, I k-know, but I-I'm fond of it." She twiddled with her hands again, wanting to say something, and struggled with the decision of whether or not to keep talking. In the end, she took a breath, continued on. "M-My father wants to have me e-e-..." The word was hard for her to say. "...E-E-Engaged... So I'm p-p-painting this picture, to give to whoever f-f-father deems s-suitable for me."

Her voice was noticeable more nervous when she spoke of the engagement, and she bit her lip, looking up at Tievios, wondering what he thought of it. She wanted to tell him more, about how painting relaxed her, about how it made her feel at ease with the world, but she couldn't get out the words. It was a miracle she had spoken so much to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Tievios couldn't help but smile. She was charming, he'd give her that. The stutter was a little distracting but nothing he couldn't help with. He was curious when she went to the closet and his mouth dropped open slightly at the painting. He was... Amazed, to say the least. He listened to her story and was disappointed when it was meant for her potential fiancee.

That was too pretty for someone she didn't want. Or didn't seem to want. "You're a wonderful artst Hearth." Tievios smiled and moved closer, his footsteps quiet and his head tilted to the side. "Wonderful." He stared and then turned to Hearth. "Why give it to your suitor? Why not keep it for yourself or give it to someone else you might..." He looked around for a moment before his eyebrows drew together in thought. She was young. Shy. "Potentially love." She could go out and meet a cute city boy.

[Anonymous]

At Sir Atrasan's compliment – that she was a wonderful artist – her cheeks flushed a bright red in color. She never knew the proper way to accept such compliments, so she clasped her hands behind her back, and stared fixtatedly at her feet, so that he would (hopefully) not see the embarrassment that painted itself on her cheeks. "T-Thank you..." she replied softly, eventually working up the courage to look in his general direction again. He was a very nice man, Hearth finally decided – he was not demanding, or strict, and he talked in a soft voice, unlike her other speech therapist, who was loud and demanded that she should talk loudly as well. Sir Atrasan was a breath of fresh air.

He suggested, however, that she should give it to someone else, someone she might... potentially love. Hearth's eyes went wide at the idea, and her eyes grew wide, as if confused. "Potentially... love?" she asked, and shook her head. "N-No, I d-don't t-think... I don't t-think I am a-allowed t-to love someone who i-isn't my s-suitor," Hearth mumbled, gently shaking her head. She bit her lip gently, before continuing on, "I-I'm not e-even s-sure I k-know w-what l-love is," she confessed, in a quieter tone than usual. "I'm s-sure... t-that f-father w-will find s-someone f-for me to l-love, o-one d-day."

She turned to the painting, and was suddenly sad to look at it. "It's i-important th-that I give my s-suitor this, so that h-he m-might love me as w-well." She feared that, without some sort of show of her talents, that whatever suitor father picked out for her would deem her as uninteresting, and too timid to make a good wife. At least the painting showed that she had some skill in something, and maybe someone could love her for that. She wasn't sure why else someone would take up a wife like her – a malleable, quiet stutterer.

[Anonymous]

He saw and he found her all the more endearing. He would enjoy helping her speak, it seemed like she was socially awkward, so maybe he'd even request her take walks with him so they could chat. She spoke fine, but the stutter seemed to be situational. Tievios smiled at her and wanted to pat her on the head, plant more strange ideas into it but that would probably be strange to anyone else. He'd have to admit to himself he'd never met such a protected young lady in his life.

Didn't even know what love was. Tievios simply smiled at her and decided agreement was the best answer. "I'm sure your father will find someone, he seems to be a wonderful father who only wants to have the very best for you." Tievios had only ever spoken to him going up the hundred flights of stairs, but Hearth was young and the man wasn't comfortable voicing his real opinions. They weren't mean but they weren't flowering acceptance either.

He still wanted to pat her head but instead he smiled and then moved closer. "Besides all that, you truely are a wonderful artist." Tievios moved his hands to his hips and shifted his weight, looking around. "I myself can only play a guitar, it's not a very fashionable instrument but I enjoy the music it makes." There was only so much he could talk about that might interest her, art seemed to. Well, it didn't seem to, it obviously interested her very much, so that was a topic. Hm. He'd have to figure it out later. "Do you enjoy reading, Lady Hearth?"

[Anonymous]

That's what Hearth had always figured – that father wanted the best for her, but Gemini, he had always said the opposite. Father, Gemini said, didn't understand what was best for her. The two conflicting opinions had always clashed in her head, but at the end of the day, she had decided to take the passive route, which was the more peaceful way to go about doing things.

Why fight her inevitable engagement? It was better this way, was it not? And perhaps father was right, and it would make her happy, in the end. She could only stay positive, and hope for the best. "I...b-believe so as w-well," Hearth agreed, nodding, clasping her hands towards her chest. "F-Father... h-he always k-knows b-best." And if she could not believe that, then she could not believe anything.

Thankfully, he had changed the subject – Hearth wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about her pending engagement, especially when she wasn't sure about her feelings towards it herself. At his question, if she enjoyed reading, she nodded, smiling a little. "I d-do," she told him softly, "I o-only r-read h-history b-books though... My eldest b-brother s-says I'm w-w-wasting my t-time with t-them, b-but I l-love r-reading about a-art h-h-history."

She smiled a little – the House did hold a library in the lower quarters – it was a quiet space, where she loved spending her time. "I d-don't l-like r-reading s-stories though – I t-think a g-good s-story is b-better t-told t-through word of m-mouth..." It had always intrigued her – storytellers and bards. There was something about stories told through oral tradition, it just made the tale all the better. Perhaps she just loved to hear the storyteller speak so eloquently, and weave tales in ways she could never hope to do.

Oh, but he played guitar! "I-I've n-never h-heard a g-guitar before," she confessed, suddenly very curious. "D-Do you t-think..." She wanted to ask him if he would perhaps play for her, but was very nervous to do so – after all, what if he hadn't played in a while, or what if he only played for people who he cared about, or something? Or what if he didn't have a guitar! She seemed to struggle for a moment, wondering if it was worth asking, until finally blurting out, "D-Do you t-think I-I-I-I..." She seemed trapped on the 'I's for an excruciating moment, for stopping, taking a breath, and resuming, "...D-Do you t-think I could h-hear y-you p-play it, one day?"

Adrastia above, what a hurdle that question was! Her cheeks flushed red, still nervous about his answer, and she looked down at her shoes again, biting her lip, hoping to the gods that she hadn't come across as stupid or immature.

[Anonymous]

Well, she had no trouble reading. For that, Tievios was glad. He smiled at her and listened before he stood up and dusted off the front of his pants. "Maybe I'll tell you a story if you tell me a story." He smiled again before he moved closer to gaze at her paintings. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Never heard a guitar? Ever?" Tievios wasn't surprised, it wasn't exactly an elegant instrument, not like a harp or a piano. Though he found the music from guitar to be a little nicer and possibly more lively than a harp. He'd never play it at a wedding. He was surprised when Hearth asked him if she could hear it. It showed on his face.

"Of course." He smiled then and gently tapped her nose "But, only if you hum along or we write words for it and you try to sing. You have a lovely speaking voice, despite the stutter and you're my first student, so we're going to try all sorts of things, even if it's just once and if you don't like it after we try it once we'll never do it again." Tievios offered her his elbow, "Lady Hearth, I would graciously ask you t show me around your beautiful home and tell me about it. I'm afraid your home is rather large and I don't remember what's down the staircase."

[Anonymous]

Thank goodness for Tievios' patience! He hadn't even blinked at how long Hearth had taken to get her question out – which made her sigh softly, a breath of relief. The old therapist would've taken a moment to admonish her, and have her repeat her stammered sentence over and over, until her words had lost all meaning in the first place. But Tievios was patient, and didn't seem to be in a hurry – unlike most other members of House Stone. It was a breath of fresh air for young Hearth, to feel as if she had finally gotten away from the fast-paced lifestyle that she constantly had to deal with, just because it was expected of her, as a member of House Stone.

At his suggestion, that perhaps they should swap stories, Hearth smiled brightly. Did he really mean it – that they could do such a thing? In her spare time, she had imagined up many stories, but had stored them away in the back of her head, for she had never imagined that she should ever be able to find use for them someday. But what really brightened her smile was Tievios' other suggestion – that he would indeed play a guitar for her, but only if she would write words and sing along to his music.

She grinned, but after thinking more about it, her smile dimmed, and she bit her lip, worried. It was the offer of a lifetime, she knew – being asked to sing, one of her favorite passions in life... But she had never had anyone listen to her sing at all; for the longest time, her singing had been a secret she had kept to herself... What if she ended up being no good at it? Wouldn't it be embarrassing, for her to sing horribly in front of him? She looked up at Tievios, but, despite her worry, she nodded firmly. "I... I w-would like t-that," she decided, and realized it was the truth – she would like, if not love a chance to sing in front of someone. "I... I-I'm willing to t-t-t-try anything, if you b-believe it w-will help me, S-Sir A-Atrasan."

Oh, but where were her manners! It was only polite to show him around, wasn't it? Especially since Father had offered him a rather large living quarters for him to stay in – it would only make sense for him to become acquainted with the House. Hearth nodded once more, seizing up at her own rudeness – she should've offered to show him around a while ago, instead of making him have to suggest it. Was she a lot, or wasn't she? "O-Of c-course!" she stammered, and almost didn't notice that Tievios held out his elbow for her to latch onto. She looked at him for a moment, but eventually, tenderly, slipped her hand through, smiling a little. "The staircase i-is r-rather i-i-intimidating..." she admitted. "B-But I w-would be g-glad to s-show y-you a-around. I-I sh-should've offered t-to do so e-earlier..." Clearing the long staircase would be the first hurdle, but after that had been breached, Hearth was sure she could be a decent tour guide... couldn't she? This was her own home, after all...

[Anonymous]

"Anything to get you to open your mouth and use your lovely voice is a good idea, My dear Lady Hearth." Tevios smiled at her, noting the slight hesitation of her using his arm. Maybe he was being impolite? He was just a teacher, and while he figured it was the gentleman thing to do to offer her his arm, maybe it wasn't correct? Of course, then she took his elbow and he smiled at her while she stumbled through her words.

He was patient. He could wait for her to catch her words and put them back together the way she wanted them, at long as she spoke. Quiet was never going to be a good thing for someone with a speech impediment, it would make her ashamed of it and besides. Even if she never lost it her family and future husband would have to get used to being patient with her.

Tievios gently pat his hand against hers and smiled. The staircase was, well, amazing. Scary and indimitating and amazing. "So, this can be the first day of our classes together. I won't make you do much, and if you ever feel you're too nervous or afraid we'll take a moment to calm down." A smile and he politely opened the door for them while they walked, after they finally began to decend the stairs he pursed his lips.

"Sometimes, a stutter is caused by feelings. And then sometimes, it's because you get stuck on a sound." Tievios smiled, "And sometimes, it's  because that's just how we work." He didn't pause his steps, and he placed his hand on top of hers, "I'm not going to try to fix you Lady Hearth, because there's nothing to fix, do you undersand? Your stutter is nothing to be ashamed about because you're an extremely talented young lady." And she was. Maybe because of her stutter.

[Anonymous]

The staircase was amazing, but that's what Hearth loved about it. To find her, one had to be diligent, patient, and unyielding – such traits were needed, to ascend it, and to climb down its spiraling depths. Hearth liked to believe that the staircase acted as a barrier, something that could protect her from the outside world and its hustle and bustle. There, atop the very House itself, was her safe place – one where she could be herself without fear of what everyone thought.

Perhaps it was fitting then, that she should leave her room with her speech therapist in tow. Outside of her room – that was where her safety ended, and where the real world began. True, this was her House – this was her home. But it was home to many others as well – servants, some who were patient and some who were not, her Father, who, despite all the love for her that he held, could not see his daughter clearly, her and all the things she was scared of.

Tievios promised that he wouldn't do anything that she wasn't comfortable with though, which made her smile a little, which made her trust him a little more. Tievios – he was patient and kind, wasn't he? Maybe, maybe with him by her side, she could finally get over this stifling impediment.

When he placed his hand atop of hers, she looked up at him, curious. Nothing to fix? "B-But..." she began, shaking her head. "A-Aren't I... b-broken?" she asked, because that was what she always believed. "I c-c-can't talk... l-l-like everyone e-e-else... I-I a-always th-thought..." The idea that there was nothing to fix, that there was nothing to be ashamed of – it was a new concept for Hearth, one that was hard for her to swallow.

They had finally reached the end of the stairwell, which made Hearth both a little grateful and a little scared. Noticeably, she stopped in her tracks as they reached the end of it, her cornflower blue eyes darting around the main room, taking a deep breath. Despite how big this House was, there were always people to contend with – she took in a deep breath, to tell herself it was okay. "Y-Your r-r-room is th-this way, Sir A-Atrasan," she directed, her voice audibly softer than before. She pulled him along, down the hallway, her pace steady, somehow able to guide him while looking down at the floor.