A Moment of Rest

[Margrave]

Brisbane, Hanseatic Commonwealth

One would usually find the young, grave Keeper of the Marchar busy amongst stacks of paper-work, or addressing his agents and officers, or simply pacing in his office as he debated with himself the great matters of running a state within a state. The Marchar had grown in the last three years, and with them had come a truly deep sense of responsibility, one being a Noble's son in Old Camberlain hadn't prepared him for. His strength had grown deeper and deeper with every passing day as he had continued to uphold the burden of the Marchar upon his shoulders, promising never to fail his people

But sometimes it was simply too much. And so, tonight found him sitting in the backroom of his personal suite in the Grand Hall, hands clasped to his head. As the moonlight filtered through the window, he muttered to himself...lost in thoughts, in memories...the War, still fresh in his mind, had been haunting him recently, his memory of the Marchar dead wounding his spirit. So much had been lost....their home-place, Camberlain...and more personal losses. Luis had lost all contact with any relations during the European Conflict, and after that, he had simply given up on finding survivors. Grief ocean's deep had assaulted him in the depths of the night as he held all the sadness and longing of his people in his soul. He WAS the Marchar; their Keeper and their guiding light. If he was not strong, how could they stand? But how could he be strong when the world brought nothing but sadness to his doors?

He'd made sure his door was locked, of course...fortunately for him, he had dropped his key, which remained outside, waiting for someone to spot it. Whoever was to find him might here him speaking softly in a foreign tongue, but whatever could he be saying with such grief and sorrow in his voice?

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah wondered down the hallways of the Diet House like a zombie most nights, she felt bad to do it, she felt bad that she couldn't be home with Larsa or off with some of her friends to the conservatories or theaters to take in some entertainment. No, she hadn't had time to relax at all recently, especially with the recent addition of Valkurheim to the Commonwealth, now she had to add the problems of Europe to her plate. As she walked down, heading back to her office after taking a quick blast of fresh air in the gardens outside in from of the Hall, she paused for a moment as she passed Luis' office. The first think that had caught her eye was the small golden key that lay on the floor, directly underneath the key hole, as if the gentleman had not the strength to return the key to his pocket.

Kneeling down, Sarah picked up the key and turned towards the door and listened for any sounds coming from the other side of the room. It sounded depressing, true grief as the young man spoke in the Marchar tongue with tears in the back of his voice. Holding her hand against her heart, Sarah tapped gently on the door, though loud enough for Luis to hear her. "Lord De Luit? Luis? You dropped your key outside? Is everything okay?"

[Margrave]

The Keeper had, in turns, appealed to Almighty God on bended knee, and bent over in his chair, the grief, the uncertainty of his people becoming focused within him. Fear of extinction, fear of wandering again, the intense longing to be "One People with One Land"...the weight of responsibility was crushing. A society of Oaths, the Oath he and his people had taken to ensure the eternal survival of the Lady and the Hanseatic race was a daunting one, against all the coming ages of Man, and in this modern era, the chances of long-term success eventually found its way to Zero.

As he spoke, he switched languages, speaking in the stark northern tongues which he'd learned so well during his life in Germany after the fall of Nordland: "Gott, gib mir licht durch der dunkel nacht der seele" [i"God, give me light in the dark night of the soul"][/i], he intoned. "Komm, Vater. Komm." "Come Father, Come." he begged as he folded his hands together.

He would hear the Lady's voice and be brought out of his mourning by the voice of the Lady, piercing through the shadows. He very quickly wiped his, attempting to smarten himself up within the precious few moments he had before she would see his disgrace and his emotional distraught features. "Yes, M'lady", he said, his voice still cracking slightly, attempting to mask it before she woul notice.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah stood outside the door, with the key in the keyhole wondering if she should come in. She checked the knob, it was locked and not wishing to disturb her best military commander's privacy waited for another moment. "Luis, I have your key. Do you mind if I come in? I thought I heard you crying. Are you sure that everything is okay?" She couldn't bear to hear the man in sorrow at anything, one of her most dearest servants and commanders.

She waited at the door with her hand on the knob waiting for the young general to grant her entry.

[Margrave]

Sarah stood outside the door, with the key in the keyhole wondering if she should come in. She checked the knob, it was locked and not wishing to disturb her best military commander's privacy waited for another moment. "Luis, I have your key. Do you mind if I come in? I thought I heard you crying. Are you sure that everything is okay?" She couldn't bear to hear the man in sorrow at anything, one of her most dearest servants and commanders.

She waited at the door with her hand on the knob waiting for the young general to grant her entry.

Dumbfounded by his own inability to keep things private, he nodded to himself...very well. "Come in", he said gravely.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Dumbfounded by his own inability to keep things private, he nodded to himself...very well. "Come in", he said gravely.

Sarah turned the key hole and opened the door in the Luis' quarters. The room was small, but quaint and there was a homely feel to it, it actually sort of reminded her of her own office. She saw him sitting near his desk, his face blistered from his recent out burst and she walked over to him calmly and laid her hands on his back. "Luis are you all right? I've never seen you like this before, so stressed and strained. Its not like you." She knelt down next to him and rubbed her hand against his face. "Are you sure everything is all right?"