Author's Note:
According to the poll I did previously, the overwhelming majority of people seem to like the idea of me sticking with "Winter's Tale", as told from Kyle's perspective, and it makes me quite happy to see that so many people have gotten invested with our main characters and are wanting to see how the story/plot progresses for them. Unfortunately for those readers, at this point, I'd rather take a bit to do some backtracking and fill in the blanks better for our other characters in Winter's Tale.
Lots of little interesting things have been going on in various places in Winter's Tale, and Kyle and his group have been at the fringes of it all, lost in their own little forgotten corner of the world. William has been meddling and causing his own brand of havoc. Jason has integrated himself into life in the dwarven capitol. Other things are moving, shaping, and taking place in the rest of the world, and I feel it's important to bring those events to light for the reader to fully understand more about what's going on and how/why it'll end up affecting Kyle and company later.
So, with no further ado, I present the start to "Jason's Tale". I don't know at this point how long it'll be -- whether just a few short chapters as an "interlude", or a whole novel itself -- but I want to take the time and effort to flesh it out fully, until I'm satisfied for myself that it's been done the justice it deserves. I hope everyone who's followed along this far continues to follow along with us as more and more of Winter's Tale presents itself to us, and will enjoy the ride as we shift focus on to a different character for a while. If not, I understand fully, and perhaps I'll see you guys again later once we get back to "Kyle's Tale" once more.
For now, all I can do is follow the story where it's telling me to take it, and right now that's "Jason's Tale".
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“Welcome home, Young Master Jason. Can I take your coat?” The maid that greeted him at the door today, like most other days, was Penny Wordsworth. An older woman, Penny was had several streaks of white in her long, carefully tended hair, and a perpetual scowl on her face. Even when she didn’t seem upset or angry over anything, the corners of her lips curled up slightly at the edges in a wrinkled snarl.
“It’s ok, Penny,” Jason told her, smiling wearily in her direction. “I’m tired. I’ll take it off when I get up to my room and then I’m going to lay down for a while.”
“Have you been taking your medicine properly?” Bending over, Penny stared directly into Jason’s eyes, intently watching for his answer.
“I have been,” he answered truthfully. “It’s just been a long day at school today and I’m tired.”
“Hmmpf!” Straightening up, Penny seemed to accept his answer at face value, before changing the subject and asking, “More trouble from those Braxton brats?”
“Just Mitch. I didn’t see Michael today,” Jason confessed. “It wasn’t anything big. He just harassed me for a bit about my weight and all, and then he took my books and hid them from me. I never did find my Literature book.”
“I’ll be certain to have another one fetched for you,” Penny promised as the corners of her mouth twitched up into an even harder snarl. “Young Master, you really should go to your father or mother and tell them about what’s been going on with those young hooligans. I’m certain one meeting with the young boy’s parents, or their parent’s lawyers, and the issue would quickly settle itself.”
“I’m not going to sue them,” Jason said, slowly shaking his head from side to side. “Father would claim it was harassment, hazing, a violation of human rights, discrimination against the disabled, and I don’t know what all. He’d turn the whole thing into some huge media campaign for the human rights movement, or some such crap, and I’d just end up being even more of a freak at school than I already am. No thanks.”
“But Young Master…”
“No buts!” Brushing past the older woman, Jason moodily stomped off to his room, leaving her behind to scowl as he slowly went down the hall.
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A slight rapping knocked at Jason’s door, and a vibrant, youthful voice called out, “Young Master, are you decent in there?”
“It’s fine. Come on in,” Jason replied, as he slumped down in the lush leather chair sitting in front of his desk.
Softly the door creaked ajar and a pretty young girl peeked her head inside the crack before finally pushing it fully open. Pam – Pamela was her real name, but everyone called her Pam for short – laughed lightly and then carefully eased into the room carrying a small silver tray. “Gran told me to bring this to you,” she said, smiling lightly. “Where do you want it?”
“Just over her on the desk somewhere,” Jason said listlessly, barely waving a hand back and forth. “Or over on the bed would be fine too. I’ll get to it in a bit.” Wearily, his head drifted down to rest against his chest as he closed his eyes to rest.
“I’ll sit it on the dresser here,” was the soft, almost gentle reply. A few moments later, the sound of the tray sliding gently across the desk gently drifted to Jason’s ear as he slowly began to nod off.
Honestly, he probably would have fallen asleep right then and there, if it wouldn’t have been for the feeling of someone pulling on tugging on his leg which aroused him. Glancing down, Pam was kneeling at the base of his seat, untying his shoes and trying to tug them off. Embarrassed, he half jerked backwards and slid the chair several feet back across the floor. “I... I can do that!”
“I’m certain you can,” Pam laughed, as she slowly eased up and ran a hand through her black, short-cropped hair. “You just seemed like you were going to sleep and I thought you’d rest a little better,” Pam explained, with slight dimples twitching across her face, causing Jason to blush slightly as he stared at her.
Pam wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, nor was she even the most beautiful girl his age that he knew, but there was simply something about her smiles and dimples that filled Jason with a warmth that always embarrassed him. If his father found out that he was the slightest bit attracted to the hired help, he’d fire her on the instant – and probably her grandmother Penny to boot! “I’ll… I’ll get it,” Jason stammered again, as he slowly tilted his head to the side to hide his reddening cheeks. “Are mother or father home yet?”, he asked to change the subject.
“I don’t think either is expected until late,” Pam told him gently, as she slowly turned and eased to the door. “From what gran was telling me, your father is in a meeting till late and your mother will be busy with some charity function. Neither are expected back for supper this evening.” Slowly turning to stare at her backside as she eased to the door, Jason had to admit to himself that he did appreciate the view of the way the white maid’s dress clung to her curves.
Stopping at the doorway, Pam gently asked, “Was there anything in particular that I should tell the chef to cook for you this evening?” For whatever reason, she didn’t turn around to look back at him, which allowed Jason a chance to stare just a moment longer. At first, he smiled softly to himself as he stared up and down at the soft feminine curves of her back, but then he blushed brightly, worried that perhaps she had somehow caught on to his shameless leering.
“It… It’s fine,” Jason stuttered. “Anything will be good. No need for him to go out of his way for me. I’ll eat anything.”
“I’ll tell him that.” Swiftly, Pam walked on out of the room and shut the door behind her.
“Dammit! I suck.” Slowly, Jason raised his hands to his head and rubbed his temples. “Congrats Jason boy, you just scored a creep factor of twelve.” Slowly, he slid his chair back up to the desk in front of him and lifted up the lid to the silver tray sitting there. Feeling tired and depressed again, he snaked on the carrot slices and finger sandwiches without half even noting them.
Once again, Jason was left all alone in the world.