Let us see what the Magistricia has for Reglin...

4th Litordae, 25th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

Reglin entered the library and looked around at the shelves and shelves of old books. This place was a sanctuary of sorts for him during his adolescence and early teen years. The smells were just like he remembered it. That smell of paper was so distinctive, it instantly brought back all kinds of memories that seemed so long ago, but truthfully most were within the last decade. Sure, that was just a little less than half of his life, but still...

It was here that Magistricia Fulton decided to do a country yokel of a boy a huge favor and teach him how to read. And that was just for starters. She gave him lessons in reason, philosophy, various religions, history, and arcane theory. It was those last two that Tabitha Fulton was enamored by, and by extension, those predilections were carried over to Reglin.

Growing up among those of the most impoverished, Reglin always felt he was in need to prove himself. Whether it was the running of simple errands such as the ones that he started with in his youth, to the memorization of complex messages for those that brooked no mistakes in their dealings. Mistakes on the streets often meant beatings. And beatings would mean cuts and bruises. It was those kinds of things that Reglin’s parents feared for him. If they saw them it was very likely that they would relegate him back to the farm fields, toiling as most of his family did.

So, when Magistricia Fulton offered this boy who came from nothing something that some of the wealthiest would never know, it felt it was once again his responsibility to excel above and beyond however he could. This attitude of his endeared him to the main Librarian. In doing so, it gave Reglin a safehaven of sorts from those that would never see him as anything other than a hay-haired bumpkin that had no place in polite society. For this, Reglin would be eternally grateful.

But Magistricia Fulton was also not terribly excited about Reglin enlisting into the ranks of the Polivandrian military. They had quite a row regarding that. But Reglin was also incredibly mule-headed when he had made up his mind about something. So, in the end, Magistricia Fulton conceded her argument to the Reglin and the night before his departure, she gave him a chained necklace and pendant in the shape of the Polivander Bear. Once she lay the necklace around his neck, she commanded with as much authority as she could muster that he was always to wear it. And the Magistricia could command a great deal of authority when she wished it. Only once he agreed to her demand did she smile ever-s0-slightly with a small nod. Then Reglin was truly shocked. This woman that he so revered and held up as bastion of all that was good leaned into him and gave the most chaste of kisses on his lips. Reglin could only have imagined how poleaxed he must have looked. There were no romance or intimate intentions in the kiss. If fact, the kiss almost felt sorrowful in a sense. But regardless of her intentions, it did change how a 16-year old boy looked at this woman. When she pulled back from the lightest of touches of their lips, she patted the pendant on his chest and said, “Return to me, Reglin.” And then turned and headed back to her offices in the library.

All these memories swarmed back to Reglin as he stood just within the library’s entrance. He had to shake himself from his revelries and proceed further in search of his old mentor.

His first inclination was to head back to her offices where she was often reading essays on various topics or providing her unique input in advising King Oren. Not surprising it was here that he found the Magistricia, sitting in her high-backed padded chair behind a massive wooden desk that was almost always covered in tomes and scrolls in his memory. Those habits still held true five years later.

Reglin smiled to himself as he briefly watched his former mentor read over a scroll, slightly nodding as she read. Her head was lowered so he could not make out the features he knew so well from his youth and visited him in his dreams, much to his embarrassment. Her honey blonde hair drawn back in an intricate braid was what stood out most to him from this vantage.

It would be rude to just stand and stare, so Reglin reached over and gave a knock on the open door, rapping loud enough to startle the woman.

Her head jolting upright and her eyes bulging, she gave an audible gasp in her fright. “My Gods! Do not do that to me!” as she looked at Reglin. Instantly, her eyes narrowed, as to try and solve a problem. Finally, after a few moments she spoke, “Reglin? Is that you?” She stood with alacrity and came around her giant desk toward him.

It was all Reglin could do but smile at her reactions. And once she came around the desks, he could not help but take the complete form of her in. She wore her usual long dresses of her station. These dresses were at least in the royal crimson and hung loosely to cover her feet. The bodice was modest and looked restrictive, giving the barest hints of her bosom. Her arms were sleeved in the crimson fabric past the wrists with a small frill of black lack coming out at the ends. He always thought she was on the slight side of build, but an extremely narrow waist gave her a look of being curvier than she may be. But she looked lovely to him and she approached him a vigor that excited the young man. Her smile looked so genuinely happy to see him, his own smile could not help but nearly split his face in half in response.

She barreled into Reglin with her arms flung wide and embracing him. The impact was enough that it actually rocked Reglin back slightly before he responded by encompassing her with his own arms, hugging her tightly. He was not used to such brash displays of affection from the woman. She had always been affectionate to him, but in a very reserved way. This was in no way reserved. Reglin’s reminiscent mind could not help but wonder if this was a continuation of their last encounter all those years ago.

After several long moments of holding herself tight to Reglin and squeezing for all her slender arms’ worth. She then gave one last pronounced squeeze and pulled back to look at him. Look up at him, Reglin realized. He must have grown more then her realized in those years. When he left, they were of a height, being able to look straight into one another’s eyes. But now the willowy woman stood no more than shoulder’s height to him. And it appeared that she took notice of this as well.

“Dear Gods, but you have grown, bo- oops! Young man.” Her arms that were just around his waist made their way to his arms and rubbed them in appreciation. “Indeed, you have filled out in your time way…” And in a lower volume she said, “Perhaps the military was not such a bad option for you after all…” After a moment, it was her turn to shake herself. “It seems the life agrees with you.”

Reglin was willing to let the woman expound further on her thoughts but gave a nod at the last, “Indeed, Magistricia. I have been able to thrive to some extent in its ranks.”

At that title, the woman’s brows furrowed, a sternness that was adorable to Reglin, “You will cease that this minute, young man. You will refer to me as you always have. It is Tabitha.”

The severity in her voice made Reglin lessen his smile in a mock attempt at seriousness as he gave a solemn nod, “At once, Magistricia. I will refer to you as Tabitha from now on.”

Tabitha retained her stern countenance, but gave his arm a playful slap, “I mean it, Reg. No more prim and proper out of you. I get more than enough of that from the rest of the court. If there was anything, I missed more than anything in your absence, it was the ability for us to be at ease with one another.”

Reglin’s smile returned in full earnestness. He could not act worth beans. But it didn’t matter, “Ok Tabitha, I promise. We can interact as we once did if that is your wish.”

Tabitha gave slight shake of her hair as a small, rueful smile came to her lips, “No, my dear Reg. I do not think we can act as we once did. You are no longer the youth I once mentored. You have struck out into the world and had yourself adventures and returned to us here a grizzled warrior with many experiences under your belt, I’m sure.”

At those last words, a heat came into Reglin’s cheeks. He knew he was blushing, but he muttered lower than normal, “Not all that much more experienced…”

The ageless beauty in front of him raised a brow at that, “Oh no? I would have been sure that the army life would have all but you into quite a number of situations you had never experienced. With the threat of life lost, the adrenalin coursing through your system, I would be surprised if you had not gotten the most out of the situation. Are you intimating that you never once found yourself a camp follower after one of those many battles and relished in the fact that you survived?” Her voice was almost incredulous.

If there wasn’t any redness in his cheeks before, there had to have been now. They felt as if they were on fire, “… No… I-I… never did... I don’t know. It just felt wrong to me for some reason.” His eyes were lowered to the floor in his embarrassment. He obviously did this whole soldiering thing wrong.

Soft and delicate hands came to his face and cupped his cheeks softly. They felt so cool in contrast to the heat in his face. The hands lifted his head and him to look into Tabitha’s face. Her rueful smile had turned to one of just warmth and caring.

Tabitha spoke softly, “I knew you had a caring heart. There is nothing to ashamed of, my dear Reglin. You should not be embarrassed if you wanted your first time to mean more than rutting with a stranger. I can understand that.”

Even as she tried to console him, her words did little to lessen the embarrassment. It was all he could do but look her in the eyes. Words eluded him completely. In those years since he had departed, he realized that he carried an infatuation that was perhaps not healthy for woman in front of him. And to hear her speak as she did, he realized it really was just a boy’s dream.

Tabitha’s right hand gave his cheek the lightest of taps as her smile widened, “Come now, Reglin. I did not insist on you coming here first thing in the morning for only greetings. There is something more important to tend to.” And with those words, she turned and headed back behind her desks and to a bookshelf against the backwall.

Even with her body obstructing his view, Reglin could see the Magistricia pick up a finely crafted scroll case. This was all a bit bemusing to him. All her could do was wait as she turned back around to face him.

With her eyes on the case as she turned around, they then came up to meet his once more, “Dear Reg, I came across this shortly after you had left. I truly wish I had been able to give it to you before that day. I wish to have seen what may have happened.” With those words, she offers Reglin the scroll case to him with both hands holding it delicately and with what could only be seen as reverence.

The confusion only intensified in Reglin now, his eyes squinted, and brows furrowed as he looked from Tabitha’s face to the case, and back to her face. Finally, after a few moments, he reached up and took the case, “I don’t understand what this is all about, Tabitha. Is there any way you can enlighten me?”

Her hands empty now, she only gave a small shrug and a chagrined smile, “Of that, I do not know. Perhaps. Perhaps not.”

She was admitting to ignorance on some subject. This was not like her at all. Even if she did not know something well and true in the past, she would reason it out and still be able to speak and ask questions intelligently. “I assume there is a scroll inside and that it says something. Is it some sort of riddle?” That made no sense. She would not act as she did if it were something so mundane as that. The cryptic answer meant something different.

A slight shake of her head again and an ethereal smile on her lips, “No, I’m afraid I do not know what is on the scroll inside. For, it was not meant for my eyes…”

Even more confusion grew in Reglin at that, “But apparently it is meant for me, you think.”

“I do think so, yes.” She said with a nod, “I believe you are meant to have it. You can take it with you and open it at your leisure. If you have any question pertaining to it, you can always seek me out at a later time. Or, you could also just open it here and now?…” That last pseudo-question hung there, an obvious statement of her own preference.