Delights and Diversions, by Charles Matthias

Story name: Delights and Diversions
Author: Charles Matthias
Publication date: January 20, 1999

Date: mid-June 706 CR, one week before Summer Solstice
Location: Metamor Keep

Overview

Charles tries to spend a day with Kimberly, but he is interrupted by other business.

+ Story info (Spoilers!)

Summary

Charles and Kimberly watch from a field in the castle as the tents are being set up for the Summer Solstice festival in one week's time. Garigan interrupts their moment, having finished cleaning Charles's apartments. Kimberly leaves to wait by the fountain. Charles is disappointed that Garigan did not practice meditation while cleaning, and instructs him to practice meditating while running around the Keep.

Charles rejoins Kimberly at the fountain, but Saulius comes up and greets them, to their embarrassment. Saulius asks Charles if he would like to be his squire for the jousting tournament. Charles is so shocked that he agrees, and Saulius insists that they start training immediately. Kimberly leaves him once again as Saulius leads Charles away.

That evening, Charles is sore from learning how to ride a pony. Kimberly greets him and asks how his training went. Garigan arrives soon afterwards, who is sore from running but surprised at how fast time went. Charles hides his surprise on hearing the progress Garigan is making, and fetches some warm blankets. He smiles; even though he didn't spend much time with Kimberly, the time he did spend was all the more special.

Characters

Main characters:

• Charles Matthias: A headmaster of the Writer's Guild. He receives a new brocade with Saulius's crest to wear during the tournament.

Supporting:

• Kimberly: Charles's beloved. Charles wishes to spend the day with her.
• Garigan: Charles's new pupil of the Sondeck. He has been tasked with mundane chores and exercises that are slowly pushing him towards opening his mind. As he is running around the Keep, he feels time going by quickly, a Sondeck ability that very few have.
• Saulius: Charles's friend and fellow rat. He has decided to participate in the Summer Solstice jousting tournament, and has picked Charles to be his squire.

Referenced:

• Channing: A former Headmaster of the Writer's Guild, who has left the Keep.
• Zhypar: A kangaroo morph, who will replace Dr Channing as Headmaster of the Writer's Guild. He is still recovering from a fight.
• Bernadette: Kimberly's friend and fellow maid.

Locations

• There is a flower garden in Metamor Keep, with a marble fountain in the center. Four waterspouts are carved from the mouths of marble horses, rearing from the outer circle.
• A marble quarry lies to the south.

Story Connections

• The fight that Zhypar is recovering from was his fight with Rickkter, in A Place Where There Is No Darkness.
• Channing's departure was covered in Decisions.

Points of Interest

• Due to the work load, the writing contest for the Summer Solstice is cancelled; it is postponed until the Autumnal Equinox.

< First Cycle	Matthias's Second Cycle	Third Cycle >
Stories	Stories in yellow are not part of the cycle proper, but give important context for other stories.
	Winds of Destiny · Fetish · Admissions and Applications · Arduous Tasks · Attacking Cossack · Awake · Colors · Battling a Tree · Best Friend's Burden · Bonds · Keeping the Lamp Lit · A Long Patrol · Busy Schedule · Casting · Clothing · Conquering a Dead Man · A Place Where There Is No Darkness · A Shoving Match · Dancing with Shadows · Decisions · Declarations of Allegiance · Picnic · Delights and Diversions · Dialogues · Diplomacy
Characters	Charles Matthias · Kimberly · Misha Brightleaf · Dr Channing · Elliot · Garigan · Goldmark · Gornul · Hector · Father Hough · Julian · Lindsey · Loriod · Michael · Nahum · Phil · Rickkter · Saulius · Tallis · Chief Tathom · Thalberg · Duke Thomas · Wessex · Zhypar Habakkuk