A Matter of Form

[Dhugal]

The man had been waiting outside his office
door when the clerk arrived early in the day.
He seemed respectable,dressed in sober brown
and wearing a faded grey greatcloak.

"I'm not open yet." the clerk said, turning
key in doorlock and pulling on the door handle.

"I'll wait." The stranger smiled pleasantly
and leaned against the wall outside until at
last the clerk waved him within.

"Alright.State your business."

"I'm here to pick up divorce papers for a
friend. Whatever forms he might need to file
to end the marriage and lay claim to half of
his wife's property as his right in regards
her dowry."

"I see. A friend,eh?" The clerk snorted to
himself as he reached for the appropriate pile.
Most like this was the husband himself,too
embarassed to admit the failure of his marriage.
"What claims does he need?"

The fellow scratched lazily at his chin,a slight
grin on his face."Well,she's a merchant,and
gentry, so I imagine Tyralor would need them. RoseJustice is a big estate isn't it?"

"RoseJusctice?" An incredulous lift of voice
matched the look given the visitor.

"Why yes,that is what she calls it,isn't it?"

"There must be some mistake.LadyAlexiRose is
married to another man..Rico something or other."

"What!Are you sure,man? This will break poor
McDougal's heart!" Black-gloved hand fluttered
in seeming shock."Are you sure?"

"Aye,it's in the records about here somewhere."

"And the marriage to McDougal? Have you any
record of that?"

The scribe spent several moments looking,then
shook his head."Not here, but the flood damaged
some of the more recent forms."

The dark-haired stranger looked distressed.
"If this is so,either AlexiRose was living in
sin with my friend,or is a bigamist.And what of
the children? Who sired them?"

"I'm sure I don't know.Are you sure you have
the right names?"

"Well, I..assumed..he's kept the identity of his
wife secret,but they make such a lovely couple.
I ...I...please..don't mention this to anyone.
I'd hate to have the lady's name sullied until
I am certain I have the right name.Please,not a word to a single soul!"

With that the man turned, walking out of the office swiftly,the sword strapped across his
back jouncing with each step.

The clerk didn't breath a word of such juicy
gossip to a soul.

Until the next person walked in.

[gothicwords]

She marched through the market towards the office. Summer had come and it was as bloody hot as any day she could remember. The fan flashed frantic across pretty features. Yet it would not stop the small beads of sweat that trickled down her temples and caused curls to dampen into tight ringlets.

The tink of bells made quite the clammer of noise against the glass pane when she pulled the door open.

"Excuse me Sir." The clerk poked his head up from under the desk where he had been busy with a pile of papers, rumaging through them.

"M'Lady Rose." He explained with a sudden nervous twitch. Clearing his throat he forced a questionable smile, much to big to be real.

"What can I do for you Madame?" He rocked back in the seat.

The woman set her arms flat, palm down on his desk and leaned forward , impossing on the clerks already strange countence.

"I don't suppose my husband has been in recently?" A sly smile wedged up the right side of her mouth.

"Um. Your, your husband? Um.. " The scribe blinked. Damnit, he realized he's fallen himself for a few of the rumors spreading around town.

"M'lady, which husband would that be?" He asked with a small cringe of laughter.

"WHICH HUSBAND?" Rose yelled across the desk in a fury.

"You know damn well I only have one husband. Rico. Rico Pryce. "

The clerk leaned foward to come eye to hairy eyebrow with the Lady. "Are you "sure? From what I've been hearing you've gone and married Tyralor and those are his children in your womb. "

Alexi's hand went across her belly, looking down, and then up to the clerk. Her eyes wide, lip pressed. The stone cold set of her features revealed how utterly disturbed she was by this.

"You shouldn't listen to everything you "hear". Once my husband catches word of this he's going to put all you gossiping nay sayers in your rightful place. You should be Ashamed! of yourself. "

She had pulled open the door and was strutting out in to the public street before she had to hear the clerk say another horrid thing.

"Two can play at this game." She whispered while a bustled bottom found comfort in the plush seat of her stage coach.