[Potironette]

((I'm super happy to let someone find them x'D))

The warm sunshine and Jei's soft breathing lulled Kellan into a sleep. In the overgrown patch, the two made a delicate picture. In the spring of their youth and the autumn of the garden, each holding onto the other. Their faces serene to the casual observer.

When the sun was high in the sky, one such casual observer came walking on by. He had on the starched shirt which every servant wore, only his sleeves and trousers were rolled up unlike any servant of the house. It was the stable master surveying the grounds. He did so each month to make sure the ground was alright for the horses, for horses were his one true love.

Seeing the figures in the distance, the stable master laughed at first, thinking it was two young lovers. Perhaps Master Kellan had finally taken a liking to a girl. Or maybe Serra had caught to eye of some young lad.

Walking closer (he walked closer for his care of horses outweighed any thoughts of propriety or privacy), he noticed with a sudden start that it was the two young masters. He walked up to the overgrown garden and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Of course, this could simply be a display of brotherly affection, the stable master thought, but Master Kellan and Master Jei had never displayed affection for any lady before.

The stable master stepped forwards, rustling fallen leaves, then quickly stepped backwards. He was stuck, caught in the indecision of parting or staying. For the first time, he felt what young ladies of the time sometimes felt, "quite scandalized."

[Kitarun]

Jei stirred at the sudden rustling of leaves, lifting his head and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He felt rested, so much more than he could ever remember feeling. Looking around for what had woken him, he froze when he caught sight of the stable master.

They shared a look, each feeling the same, before Jei broke from his stupor and turned in Kellan's lap, giving his shoulder a shake. "Kell, we've been spotted..."

[Potironette]

Kellan blinked open his eyes slowly. The sun filtered through his eyes and framed Jei's face, falling delicately on his lashes.

As he registered what Jei said, his face remained calm from the after effects of sleep.
Ruffling Jei's hair, Kellan glanced over to the stable master and gave the man a bleary smile, before noting the look of scandal on the man's face.

His heart thumped.

"Good day, sir. Surveying the grounds today?" Kellan asked.

The stable master shifted on his feet, "Y-yeah. Yes I am, young master Kellan. And young master Jei. I don't mind leaving this area for later." The stable master looked at Kellan in a way that indicated that actually, he did indeed mind.

[Kitarun]

Jei flushed slightly, swatting Kellan's hand away and making an indignant sound as his hair was ruffled. He shifted iut of Kellan's lap, biting his lip a moment as he thought of something to say. "Good morning stable-master..." He said, giving the man a nervous smile. He had no idea what the man would do, having caught him and Kellan in a compromising position... Though they were just sleeping, his mind rationalized. You go ahead with your surveying, then... Do you happen to know what time it is?" He asked, standing and stretching a bit, surprised at how good he felt.

[Potironette]

The stable master fidgeted uncomfortably again. "Good morning. The sun's quite high. It's a few minutes past noon, I'll say." He wrung his hands impatiently, "I'm surveying for the horses, if you don't mind." Obviously, he wanted to survey in peace.

Kellan raised an eyebrow with a twinkle in his eye. The stable master's attitude when it came to horses always amused him. He smiled and asked, "I'm a little curious, how do you survey anyway?"

The stable master twitched his eyebrows in annoyance, "Leave before I start accepting bribes from the mistress." The stable master was one of the few servants who refused to deliver messages of any sort for bribes. He was much too occupied with horses, he said, whenever a lady or man asked if he would search someone for them. Regardless, he never got fired for his ability.

Kellan laughed, "Alright." He stood up and smoothed down clothes. Nodding to Jei and the stable master, he walked slowly towards the direction of the house. It seemed to him, as he left, that the atmosphere had gotten chillier, even though the sun was higher in the sky.

[Kitarun]

Jei frowned, but also got up to leave. "You'd do well to remember who's who next you speak, stablemaster... This is our property, and we were here first. You've no right telling us what to do or where to go." He said, sending a glare at the older man, following his brother back to the house.

[Potironette]

The stable master gaped as watched Jei's departing back, quite dumbstruck. Rarely did people of the household assert their authority over him, particularly not the young master Jei. He wondered briefly if his adamant insistence over their departure somehow struck a nerve in the young master. The stable master shook his head as he turned to the garden, there wasn't any time for thinking of that now. The horses might be in danger, especially from who-knows-what grew in the garden. Speaking of which, how did he miss the overgrown garden before?

After walking around the brambles, which the stable master identified as being blackberry, and surveying the few oak trees, the stable master sat on the bench where the young masters had sat on previously. There wasn't anything dangerous, except a few destroying angel mushrooms. They looked harmless but really were deathly. He knew that most horses wouldn't eat mushrooms, but young Suzy might. She had a penchant for nibbling on things she shouldn't.

Glancing down at the white mushrooms in his hands, the stable master wondered where he could dispose of them without some idiot chef seeing them and demanding to cook them.

--------------------------

Kellan opened the great doors of the house and gave a little sigh. Back inside, was it? He turned to Jei behind him and smiled, before turning back. He wondered what he would have to do that day, the thought making his posture a little straighter, a little neater, a little more prim and dignified. The jovial crinkle around his eyes faded, so that his face became a practiced mask.

[Kitarun]

Returning his brothers smile, it faded once more when hos brother turned back around, as Jei saw the mask fall back into place. Gone was Kell, his brother. Before him now was Lord Kellan. Frowning for a moment as he thought of aomething he could do with his brother... "Kell, I would appreciate some help with my studies, if you don't have something else to do..?" He asked, goving Kellan a chance to get away from his Lord duties, since the servants and their mother wouldn't try looking for either of them in the library, since Jei didn't have lessons that day.

[Potironette]

Kellan's impassive face flickered away for a moment as he considered. Certainly, not servant had found him yet. As the head of the household, the "Lord" as others would call him, he didn't really have anything to do outside of fulfilling their mother's wishes. Since no servant had come to give him orders yet, he was essentially free, he reasoned.

"Alright." Kellan responded lightly. He walked breezily towards the library while casting a curious sidelong glance glance behind him. Kellan ignored the terrible clicking of the marble foyer underneath his shoes.

[Kitarun]

Jei headed for the library with Kellan, smiling softly when the mask fell feom his brothers face. He definitely preferred 'Kell' over 'Lord'.

When they reached the library, he headed for the little room at the back that hos tutors used for their lessons with him and his siblings, to get his books, while he let Kellan go find them somewhere to sit.

[Potironette]

Kellan looked around the library, smiling as he remembered his younger days. Back then, he'd plague his tutors whenever they came. He was a difficult child, he thought, reflecting fondly back on the memory.

Kellan walked to a spot by the windows where the high sun caught on little dust flecks as they fell in throes in the empty air. Pulling out a chair, he sat, waiting for Jei to get his books. He wondered curiously what subjects they'd be.

[Kitarun]

Kellan wasn't left waiting long, asJei came scurrying around the corner shortly after he sat. in his arms were his politics and history books- two of the most boring subjects imaginable.

It used to be only the eldest son needed to study politics thoroughly... But after what had happened to their father and brother, their mum and tutors had agreed it best for all the children to be taught everything, instead of just the basics.

[Potironette]

History, and politics. Kellan grinned. It was nice not being the only one who had to suffer through those topics. His smile grew slightly morose as he thought about how the two eldest males of the family had died. Well, Kellan thought, Serra was probably happy about learning everything.

Kellan waited for Jei to sit down, wondering how he could make history and politics interesting.

[Kitarun]

Setting hos books down between then, Jei took the chair next to Kellan. "Nothing's making any sense..." He whined, giving his brother the puppydog eyes and pout, begging him to explain it. Kellan had a gift for simplifying all the information into a way for Jei to better remember it.

[Potironette]

Kellan laughed, then looked at the overwhelming stack of books in front of him. "Well," he said, "How about we start with what you do know, then build off from there?"

[Kitarun]

"Um..." He flushed slightly, lifting a hand to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "Maybe we better start at the beginning, then..?" He suggested, not really wanting to admit that he didn't pay much attention to these two particular subjects.