A Work of Art [Open]

[Keann]

Tranquility. This seemed to be the state of mind Keann favored. And it was just what he felt on that day. No huge pack of customers. he was not so surprised, after all, he heard nothing about an upcoming party at some noble's house. And with the constant war, pretty jewels seemed not the priority to most. In fact, he bought silverware more than he sold anything that day. He didn't mind much though. Could use it for his work if not sell it like that.

The calm atmosphere of the shop allowed him to work on a necklace, an order from a wealthy woman. Using a lens to enlarge the small disc of silver, he was working delicately to create the pattern he had sketched previously to use as a model. Selling jewels was easy. And even if he was a shy guy, Keann was very good at it too. But the real work of a goldsmith like him was creating, designing all those necklaces, glasses, earrings and so on. It was making his day much more than when he was selling something. The simply words it is so beautiful, a true piece of art was making his day more than anything else. Well, perhaps not everything else...

As he thought so, his mind drifted off to Arien. He thought once again at the attack by lady Miriel on her. he had been of such little help. He felt pathetic. And that other girl who came, she said she knew him but he could not remember her face. And with her clothes, he doubted she'd be wasting money on expensive accessories or silverware. Was Arien the one who talked of him to her? Something in that girl, Gilwen, made him a little uneasy. like she was able to read right through him. But then again, by the way he acted, he was certain all of those in the shop had noticed. Noticed he had feelings for the dressmaker. He was so ashamed of it. Ashamed for he knew he was aiming too high. Sure she was not noble but still. She was so joyful, independent and strong while he was a pathetically shy poor jeweler. He couldn't even place two words straight without stuttering in front of her. yes, he definitely was aiming too high.

Now these thoughts depressed him and he put down his tools. He didn't have the heart to finish the necklace anymore. Sighing, he stood from his stool and went back to the shop portion and started cleaning and replacing the many items all around, in hope he would forget about all of this and go back to work.

[Calon]

Calon had just returned from the market with the herbs and spices that his grandmother had desired, as well as the receipt of purchase of the batch of lumber for his grandfather. He was smiling quite brightly, having just had the most exhilarating time on his chore. And all because of a large white hen.

"Grandmother," he called as he closed the door behind him seeking to relinquish his basket.

"She is in the kitchen." A voice answered back. It was strong, deep but friendly, and belonged to an elderly man with a full beard and sparkling blue eyes. "But do not go to her," he added quietly. He stepped forward lightly, and quickly. His long legs taking him to his grandson quite quickly and taking the basket from him. "I need you to run an errand for me, now." He added with a smile.

Calon laughed quietly, his own blue eyes dancing a bit from curiosity. "And what might that errand be, Grandfather?"

"The jeweler. I have ordered a piece to be made for your grandmother for her birthday." The man replied softly, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure his wife was nowhere near to overhear the secret.

"Oh, that is entirely unfair." The man jested crossing his arms. "How am I supposed to compete with such a gift?" The two men laughed heartily, and then Grandfather gave him a bit of a shove toward the door.

"You are not supposed to." He replied laughingly. "And do order a set of clasps for your dress tunic for the ball. Yours are in quite a state of disrepair." The old man raised his eyebrows pointedly as his grandson turned an worked his way back to the door.

"Yes, Grandfather." Calon replied, and instantly ducked back out onto the streets. His tunic had taken quite the beating the last time it was worn. The fabrics had washed clean just fine--but the clasps that had held it together from his neck to mid-chest had been smashed by horse hooves. Thank goodness he had not been wearing it at the time! Still, the Midsummer's Ball was quickly coming, and while Calon did not think her would find himself wishing to go, his grandparents would hardly stand for such a thing!

Oh, and they would want him to find a nice young lady to take. Calon frowned. He did not even know any ladies. He worked in the stables, and no women were allowed to work with the creatures. With a merry outward laugh he thought of the woman that he had met that morning in the market. Perhaps he should ask her. That way, if a hen happened to escape the kitchens they had two experienced hen-herders.

The jesting thought was enough to break Calon of his frown, so that when he finally reached the doorway to the jewelry shop in front of the bakery, a grand and cheery smile was adorned on his face. "Master Keann?" He asked, as if to make sure this was the proper shop. However, before the man had a moment to really acknowledge if it was indeed Master Keann that he addressed, the man had moved on.

"My grandfather, Tunir, had ordered a jewel here. I am here to see if it is ready to be picked up?"

Indeed, he was in the right shop. And a few months ago Tunir had come to this man seeking a necklace of silver with a lovely sapphire in the center, to match the color of his beloved's eyes.

"Also, I am here to place an order on four sets of clasps for a tunic." He added brightly.

[Princess Miroesa]

Miroesa sighed as she was still laying into her bed for an other day. It was the first time she was this depressed and her state wasn’t getting better- worrying everyone in the palace while doing so. She didn’t see why they were all worrying that much anyways, it wasn’t like she wasn’t eating; she even showed up when it was time to eat, whenever! She just wanted more often, than she would usually used to be alone and spend some time with her horse Moonlight.

A small smile formed onto her lips at the thought, maybe she should return to the stable today again. Although, her thoughts were interrupted as a lord knocked onto her door. “Princess, you should go shop and see the sun a little, why not walk around town with one or two of your servants?” [/i]he proposed to her. She paused at the suggestion, why not! She was more eager to do that today than if they would’ve proposed it to her before.

She jumped onto her feet, fixed her hair a little and walked towards the door, opening it before nodding. Still, she wasn’t that much talkative, although, she did speak more than when she had first arrive. This one had came out with a fun suggestion- getting out of the castle! That would be nice to spend some time with the people of this famous town.

Soon enough, two servants came by her side, one giving her, her cloak so she wouldn’t get cold and the other one holding two baskets, just in case Miroesa would want something in the shops. The lord smiled at her and gave her some money. “Treat yourself.” He said with a small laugh before walking off, lifting his hand to her as a goodbye.

The two servants bowed slightly at her saying. “ Me Lady…” she nodded and started to walk out of the palace, followed by a guard- looks like they had planned that she would like to do so, although, the guard wasn’t necessary to join the group, but she figured that not everyone was nice to a princess, and that she knew it well. She decided to just ignore him and do as if he didn’t exist.

Her mood soon lightened up as the castle gates opened to let her walk out. She was wearing an emerald green dress that would match her eyes, so was what everyone told her. She began walking down the streets, getting stares from everyone and bows as well, polite greetings and all the rest of the things that came along in a princess’ world. She sighed a little, but respectively bowed back at them, and smiled a little. She could hear whispers in her back, but she didn’t pay attention to those.

It didn’t take long before the princess spotted a jewellery shop; Faramir had told her that there were pretty stuff out there, as well as in the clothes shop that was beside it. She might go check it after that. She decided she would go see the jeweller first then the dressmaker. She was about to push the door but one of the two servants quickly went up and opened it for her annoying the princess a little but she only thanked the lady in return- it was their jobs after all, she wasn’t the one to critic what was good to do or not. Even if people thought she should, she would never do so.

There weren’t many people in the shop, only two men with one she vaguely recognized. He seemed to be so familiar…she stared at him for a few moments, blinking before she went up to some jewels that were already made for the public to see. She would wait, she could wait. The bodyguard was waiting at the door, staring at every people that were inside, just in case someone would want to harm her or anything, he would be there to defend the princess’ honour. She was impressed seeing the necklaces, wondering about how much time it took the man to do such beautiful jewellery as this. That lord was right; maybe she would end up finding something that suited her tastes.

[Keann]

Keann was saved from his mind when a customer entered. He nodded to the young lad as he called his name. A quick look at the man told Keann he certainly was not the kind to buy jewelry much. But he was not making only necklaces and rings. But then again, he doubted the boy would be buying a silver mug. He was young, probably the same age as himself. His rough, used clothes showed he was a hard-worker. A glance through the man's eyes made Keann feel he may be trustworthy. But then again, Keann had always been naive..

As the lad explained his reason to be here, Keann nodded and went to the counter. He looked through the orders he got, trying to find that Tunir's name. "A silver necklace with a sapphire." he said, reading what the order was. Moving quickly while not even stumbling one time, Keann took out a small bag and placed it on the counter. He took from it the necklace he had made so the young man could look at the work and demand things to be fixed if something had to. "Your grandfather paid half, you wish to pay the rest now or to take a credit?" he asked. It was amazing to see him turning into this so different person. When he was his real self, he was shy, stuttering, stumbling, unable to look at people. But as a goldsmith, a jeweler, Keann was looking professional and confident. No one could be making him buy fake stones, he was able to put a right price on everything. So not like his usual self...

"For the clasps, I need to know for which tunic and on what material you want it." he said. He wasn't able to imagine this man buying silver but if his grandfather manage to get the money for such a necklace, perhaps could he be wanting some luxury. Then again, basic metallic clasps were doing a very good job.

The door opened once more. Being polite, Keann simply looked, not wanting to leave the man like this. Besides, he could just try to steal the necklace, some were able to do so. A woman, obviously a servant, opened the door to a lady. The young lady - for she was young- had olden hair that seemed even brighter with the emerald color of her dress. A wealthy woman. Keann gulped slightly, trying to ignore the guard that was following her. A guard could only mean one thing: royalty. Even if he was professional, being around a royal member - earl, duchess, countess etc - always made him nervous. You had to say just one wrong word and you could be executed. He tried to chase away that scary thought and focus on the young man, waiting for his answer.

[Calon]

It pleased Calon to no end that he had found the right jeweler, and Keann seemed friendly enough, that was certain. He turned, and the young man assumed that it would be to go fetch the order, or at least the receipt to see if it had been finished. Calon himself was curious; for the necklace was at the moment just as much of a surprise as it would be for grandmother later, and he awaited anxiously to hear what his grandfather had ordered. "A silver necklace with a sapphire."

Calon's smile widened at the words. His grandfather, despite his strength, was a secret romantic; sapphire would certainly bring out his dear grandmother's blue eyes. It would not have been the stablehand's approach by any means, but it always warmed his heart to know of the great love two people shared. It was a beautiful thing; though in Calon's mind it did not always have to mean a great love poem or jeweled gift or even poetic words. He was by no means against such classic displays of care, and he fancied that someday if the time came, he would gladly partake of them at times. Still, the light-hearted boy would much rather have someone who would laugh with him, and shared a bit of his playful side.

Keann returned and displayed the piece. And Calon's eyes sparkled. "Oh, Grandmother will love this. Look at the details on the silver!" He was a bit awed, perhaps, at the loveliness. It was surprising how often it slipped someone's mind about credit. Of course jewels would not make themselves; nor would their details come about on there own. He raised his own blue eyes to smile at the jeweler. "And Grandfather will be pleased with this," he added.

"Your grandfather paid half, you wish to pay the rest now or to take a credit?"

"Oh, I will go ahead and pay the rest now," Calon hummed aloud, reaching down to grasp the coin purse that his Tunir had slipped him as he walked out the door. If he knew his Grandfather, and Calon certainly did, the contents of the little thing should equal exactly the remaining pay, as well as a little extra for the hard work Master Keann had obviously put into his work. So, without a second of hesitation, Calon extended the entire pouch to him.

"For the clasps, I need to know for which tunic and on what material you want it."

Now, Calon frowned lightly, and crossed his arms. It as by no means an upset gesture, but one of a bit of thought and concentration. This young man prided himself on being a manly-man. He hunted, laughed, and went to the tavern with some of the other men of the city, and while he never let himself drink too much, it did well to keep his reputation as it was: a man, through and through. This, of course, did not include fabric types.

Velvet? That must have been what it was. Logically weren't all fancy garments made of such things? Well, at least for men's tunics. He opened his mouth and turned his attention back to the man behind the counter only to find his attention elsewhere. He took a quick glance over his shoulder just in time to see a flaxen-haired young woman enter the shop in a stunning emerald gown to match her eyes.

Matched her eyes. Must be something women tried to do often, Calon mused to himself. But still he studied her a moment. She looked familiar; and suddenly he realized why. Quickly he turned to her and bowed respectably, but said no words. She was the Princess that had come over from Dol Amroth; she had been in the stables a few times since her arrival.

Still, even then he felt he knew her from somewhere before. Was it proper to speak to a princess? He took a glance at the guard. A right tall fellow he was, and strong too. Best not to provoke something. So he kept his mouth shut and turned back to the man. "Velvet, I do believe. And as long as you promise not to tell my grandfather; I would much like metal clasps. They look just as nice, and I truly am not trying to impress anybody," he added with a grin.

They would do the job fine; and, if he happened to go riding with his tunic stuffed away in a satchel again, he wouldn't feel so horrible at them being trodden on. He flashed the princess another glance out of the corner of his eye. It seemed today was the day to run into interesting people on seemingly normal chores!

[Princess Miroesa]

Miroesa stared at Keann once again, wondering about why he seemed so nervous…must be the guard. She hated it when they followed her inside a shop because whenever she walked in, attention was all drawn on her. It was a good thing that he returned his attention to the one who seemed to be strangely familiar to her. Now where could she have seen this other man?

She smiled a little as the man bowed at her and nodded at him. She hoped to find a way to have a conversation with him, just to figure out why he seemed to be so familiar. Maybe he came from Belfalas too. She just wanted to know his name but she preferred to let him do whatever he had to do before questioning him. Maybe she should be finding a way to get rid of her guard just for the time she was in that shop.

She glanced at the man pausing for a few seconds before smirking a little. “My dear guard, I don’t think I’ll have any arm in this shop. Could you wait outside?” she asked batting her eyelashes while asking him. She almost called him by his real name, just to add more effect into her request but decided not to. She could hear the man sigh but nodded at her request before going outside, waiting at the door instead. The servants didn’t bother her but they still could spread rumours about her so she let them go around the shop, as freely as they wanted, making them happy to do so in the process. She smirked at her small victory before returning her attention back to the necklace.

She also glanced back at the blonde man and gave him an other small smile. She was curious, too curious to know who he really was and if she really knew him. Sure curiosity killed the cat, but she wasn’t one…what was the harm in that mh? Quickly her smile formed a smirk at the though, and she decided to go over to the rings, even though she knew she would only choose a necklace. But not one of the fanciest ones-those were the ones being stolen most of the time. She wouldn’t want that to happen.

[Keann]

Keann opened the purse the young lad handed over. He counted the money. More than it was necessary, but he was used to be given a certain extra money when a customer liked his work. Hopefully for the man, that amount was covering easily the clasps. He wouldn't even have to throw more money in his pocket, unless of course he wanted to. But Keann was a very honest person and would not try to steal someone, even in his shop. Once the matter of the jewel over, Keann waited patiently for him to answer about the clasps. He looked over the lady every now and then. He knew the nobles could be the biggest thieves sometimes. And even if he didn't want to accuse her, he was still keeping a watch.

Keann decided to look at the man and guess. He was young, just like himself. But trained. Must be doing manual labor for sure. Someone manly, no doubt about it. But if he was indeed doing chores, silver clasps would certainly not be his choice. Too expensive for nothing. He was brought back to reality as the man spoke. "Velvet, I do believe. And as long as you promise not to tell my grandfather; I would much like metal clasps. They look just as nice, and I truly am not trying to impress anybody," Keann smiled at it. As he guessed. He nodded and looked over for some metal clasps. Once the compartment opened, he picked them and placed them on the counter. He showed them to Calon. "Would you like something carved on them?" he asked. It was very popular. Nobles were carving their family crest, others preferred something simple. He didn't think the man was the kind to bother how his clasps could look like, but you never know.

Keann startles slightly when the lady talked to her guard. He watched the scene. Oh yes, if he could just leave. Even if the young woman was to do the trouble, keann knew that guard would attack him instead of pulling her out. And that was making him a little nervous. He was tall but not muscular, he was no match. He sighed as he watched the huge man leave and stay at the door. Keann watched the servants. Them too could be a plague sometimes. Most of what he was selling they could never afford, therefor they sometimes end up having a ring or a necklace slipping into their pocket. He didn't like to see that many people. He nearly thought about asking his father to come down and help him. His father was not unable to work, he just had bad eyesight. As long as it is for him to stay in the shop and take orders, there were no problem. However, he couldn't make any more jewels or silverware. This was precisely because he made too many, with the light of a candle only and that until very late in the night.

"I will be at your service in a minute my lady." he said to the blond girl. Like this, she could keep looking while he'll be taking care of Calon. His business was nearly done.

[Calon]

Calon was normally quite carefree, but respectful. But even his boyish smiles and grins had felt strained since the massive guard entered. He could feel his eyes on him; that was certain. Sizing him up as a threat, perhaps. Nonetheless, the man was quite subdued by his sheer presence. Still, he did need to take care of the business he had started before anything else. His grandfather would not be very happy if he returned home with the jewel but no clasps.

The clasps! The jeweler had found a pair of precisely what he was looking for in the counter. They seemed perfect the way they were, though he inquired as to engraving. That could, possibly be well. Still, Calon was a man of simple tastes. Something audacious was not necessary in his wardrobe.

Fleetingly he heard his grandmother’s voice in his mind. She would certainly want something dressier for his robes, he was certain. If he returned home with something that was completely plain, in both metal choice and absence of etchings, she would be quite distraught and make him return to have them etched with something. He frowned a bit in thought. He did not wish to spend his own wages to have them etched. They would do their task well enough without flourish.

His fabrics were dressy anyway; they did not need much help from clasps. And he did not wish to present himself as overly wealthy. He was not. Calon finally offered Master Keann a grin and shook his head. “No embellishment, please. I do believe my dress tunic will be fine without such detail.” He laughed slightly.

Calon was not one to dress up. Unless he was forced to. And even then, he cut as many corners as he could. Clasps happened to be one of them this time.

She could see the Princess moving over to the rings from the corner of his eye. He had always thought the nobles had things delivered to them. That dealers brought their best merchandise and displayed it to them upon a golden tray, and let them pick what it was they desired. Apparently he was wrong. Indeed, he did not know where such notions came from. He, of course, had never interacted with royalty before.

He should probably hurry his business along to let her speak with the Shopkeeper. Surely it was more important to serve her. So, he once more leaned against the counter casually. “How much will I owe you, Master Keann?”

[Princess Miroesa]

Maybe she would get herself a necklace; she always loved to have those things. She didn’t like much rings because they were sort of annoying and bugging her around; she didn’t like to have things trapped in her fingers and making them move troublesomely. Besides, the more she looked at that necklace, the more she wanted it. She would only have to wait for the jeweller to be done with his customer that had caught her curiosity.

"I will be at your service in a minute my lady." She turned her head around, as the dark haired boy man spoke to her and nodded slightly. “Take all the time you need my Lord.” she replied. “I’m in no hurry.” she added with a soft voice. Well, at least, she was more talkative than she used to be. Being with the people made her change her mood too, in a good way.

She always liked playing with kids at some games or just chatting around with people of her age; which she hadn’t found yet. She remembered of that servant girl, maybe she could get her something as a gift…but, would she take it in a good way or in a bad one? She paused, deciding she would wait to know what she really wanted before buying something for the lovely woman.

She would have to try to socialize with her more too, it seemed that she was too shy and almost looked afraid, in Miro’s point of view to talk to a princess. Well if that was the problem, she would have to dress herself like an everyday person, just like she did when she was a kid-it was so much fun to disguise yourself, making a false name and identity.

She giggled softly to herself as she remembered this fun time of her life. But that wouldn’t stop her for trying to do those sort of things again. After all, getting her back to her own mood meant getting her back to her mischievous personality.