The Last Dunn

“That child isn't mine Thomas! She's a bastard born by a commoner! A nobody! And you demand I call her mine?” The fragile, yet determined voice of Lady Tia Howard came down hard on her surprised husband; Lord Thomas Howard had never in their ten year marriage heard a hard word from his wife against anyone and now, here he was fulfilling the demand hung over his head since they married, to produce an heir and his wife wouldn't agree to his terms for the small girl.

It was true, the girl was not Tia's. She was born of a very short lived affair with Clara Brook who had then died as the child was born and her only wish had been for Thomas to take the child in. He'd succumbed to her request, not because he loved the bastard child, but because its birth would remove a great burden from his shoulders. Two in fact. With it, he knew now that it was his wife who was to blame for the child they didn't have after ten years of marriage.

Thanks to Lady Tate, his wife was no longer a threat he would ever have to worry about in regards to the girl, Gracelin. Tia's mental state would simply deteriorate over the years, he had been assured and he wouldn't have to worry any more. Thank the Six for Lady Tate.

Now, almost twenty years later, Tia is finally dead, Gracelin married to Lord Dunn's eldest and Lord William the proper heir to the Howard family. Lord Howard felt no remorse, no regret, as his wife had been buried, nor did he know as work on his latest plan began to unravel.

It was unfortunate of course that Guardsman Wex had refused to work with him and more so Lord Madusan. It was unfortunate that Gracelin had received the letter meant for Lord Dunn, the foolish man had left permission for her to open all correspondence in his absence, which by the way had only become longer and longer. Most unfortunate of course, was that he had once again been forced to send for Lady Tate, as Gracelin refused to listen to his reason and threatened to reveal his plans unless he gave them up right away. Thank the Six for Lady Tate.

In the Howard estate on the top floor, in the same room which had held Lady Tia's sick-bed for so many years, sat a new woman. Scribbling words in her most faithful diary, in an almost tireless fashion, it was obvious by the few who were allowed to enter, that Lady Gracelin Dunn, was a mere shadow of her past self. Rumors amongst the nobles in Ebonhawke and Divinity's Reach were that the young woman had been with child, but much like her mother had succumbed to grief and mental instability at the loss of the unborn. No one had come asking for her, after all it was well known that the women in the Howard family were prone to mental illness, insanity, it was whispered.

Day after day as her condition worsened, the words written in her diary made less and less sense to any outside reader.


Day 1...

Dear Diary.

Something has happened and I barely dare write it down, I fear for my safety, my life even and the life of my husband. I fear for the safety of so many. I'll lose him now.

He says I'm not my father's daughter...

I'm dreaming, I lose focus. I want to write and moments later I forget.

I'm home again, unwell and in my father's care. Baloryn isn't here, maybe that is fortunate.

Father and Lady Aya told me I'd lost the baby, there was a baby. Baloryn's baby. But it makes no sense, I remember no bleeding, no pain. They say that is normal too, that I am reacting to the loss, this way. My mother did the same.

I found out what my father plans, I have to tell Lord M and Baloryn when I get out of here. They have to warn the Queen.


Day 5...

Dear Diary.

Aya says I have to rest. She says I'm sick, but I can't remember feeling unwell. She says there was a baby, but now it's gone. My poor husband, how can I ever face him again? Aya says I don't have to, she says she'll look after me. I can't sleep, I lay awake and wonder, I feel as if I have forgotten something, it's important and I know it. I wish I had written it down, but if I did it must be somewhere else. This book is new. Father gave it to me. Maybe it was something my father said I have to remember? Gods help me, I must remember. Baloryn, Lord M, they'd want me to remember.

Day 8...

Hi....

I dreamt about Mist, she was always so nice to me. I miss her. There was also Wex, but why he was wearing Lord M's clothes I don't know. Someone once told me Wex was born Nobel, it was one of the girls I share my room with. I don't like the redhead one, she keeps telling me I need to take my hair down and I don't want to.



Below the uneven words on the page is a childlike drawing of two girls holding hands.


Day 10...

Careful, we must be careful. They're coming! It's the walking machines who did it. I have to tell someone that the walking machines are coming for us.... I dreamt about Wex, he's a soldier. He'd know what to do! And the Raven soldier and his sister....

The walk was really long and cold, but I really liked it too. When I remember the forgotten, I want to go live somewhere where it's really cold and where you can walk really far. I don't want the red haired girl to come with us though, but don't tell her that....

I think she's trying to steal my clothes when I'm asleep.....


Lord Howard looked through the pages of the diary. Uneven letters, smeared words, ink stains and crude drawings. None of it made sense. For a moment he felt a hint of regret, his promising daughter who had done so much in a short time. Most of all he admired her for the Pilgrimage and for settling down in Ebonhawke with all the good intentions of rebuilding the city. He shook his head with a sigh and closed the book. Gracelin slept, uneasy and muttering in her sleep on the messy bed nearby. What a shame that her husband had brought this upon her by letting her open his mail, he should know better than to allow a woman so much freedom.

A knock on the front door drew his attention away from his daughter and the sound of raised voices below, demanding to see him soon after had him leave and lock the room once more.

The Seraph Captain was unimpressed by Lord Howard's cold reaction to the arrest and icy reassurance that once free, Lord Howard would make certain that he no longer was a captain in the city. He'd heard it all before.

When they arrested Lady Tate, the woman fought back with all the skills of a mesmer. It took more than one Seraph's life before the body of the late Lady Tate was carried from the Howard Manor.

The death of Lord Dunn was expected, for years the weak Lord had left all business of his house to his son and daughter in law, but now with his son missing and Gracelin's illness the final blow had come to his well-being and his final order to the old Housekeeper was clear.

“Take good care of my daughter in law and her child. See to it that House Dunn does not die with me”

The servants of House Dunn and the few that remained of Lord Howard's estate brought the weak frame that was Lady Dunn to Dunn Manor in Ebonhawke; together with a priest and a nurse they would do everything they could to save her life and the life growing inside her.

The last Dunn.