Visiting And Expressly Not Visiting

Originally, Tommard had planned to use the evening in his quarters at Storm’s End for some progress in regard to his work, the Disputes, a task that kept him occupied in the times he did not spend with either Ser Gyles, building a friendship for the future of the Stormlands, or with sweet Lady Meredyth, building a union for the future of their houses., but instead he was handed a letter that had come from Mistwood, and that he decided to imminently answer. Maester Willem, the young assistant that represented Maester Perwyn while the latter was away in King’s Landing, had with his message informed Tommard that in proximity to Mistwood the typhoid fever had broken out, and that the castle gates had been closed and that he would dehort Lord Mertyns from travelling southward before the situation had improved. Many other Lords would probably have been enraged about such young a maester’s overly-cautious presumption, yet Tommard on the contrary praised Maester Willem in his response for his prudence.

For the time he would return, he also saw a potential conflict looming, though a minor one compared to the hardships the Realm was about to suffer in the worst case, or to the fate of those lying sick: Apparently, his sister Shireen had insisted to help the Maester with the potions, something to which the Dowager Lady had strictly objected. Tommard could imagine her consternation very well – most certainly she would not let her daughter add an occupation to her childhood, which Lady Mertyns believed to be reserved for ‘becoming a proper Lady’, which in her opinion ideally meant as little occupation as possible. Since Tommard was his father’s son, as well, though, he however instructed Maester Willem to let Shireen assist him, under the mere condition that he would not put her in any position to get infected.

Once the letter was sent, with the information of the notification concerning the prospective prolonged stay in Storm’s End, and finished with the wishes for best health of all inhabitants of the castle, especially Ser Cleyton, who allegedly had appeared weaker than before, after he had established the provisional infirmary to shelter the smallfolk that had arrived at the gates requesting treatment, and who had providently been quarantined, Tommard placed his quills upon the desk in his quarters in a position he had already chosen for them during his earlier writing sessions, and, after having put the papers for his book together, arose from his place and went to leave his quarters.

Nodding to a guard, he closed the wooden door from the outside and went across the hallway to approach Lady Meredyth’s quarters. After another nod to the guard in front of that room, he knocked thrice on the door, waiting for Lady Meredyth, or the maid of whose presence the guard had inormed him, to open.