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| Publication Date: | August 9, 2022 | ||
Lady Lissa,
Have you seen him? The new mage bouncing around Castle Mornard? I think Count Mornard is considering offering him a position as the new court mage. His name is Dhulef and you simply must burn this letter after reading it. Regardless, I had to get this out. I had to tell someone. He's so handsome! And not in the way that's typical of Castle Mornard—no perfumed silks or uptight smiles when it comes to this man. He's full of wide grins and he refuses to wear whatever the latest fashions are. He dresses for practicality and yet somehow makes it look divine! Have you ever seen such a thing?
He used to be a pirate! An actual pirate, not just one of those lazy common dockhands that move Mornard goods across the archipelago and pretend to be salt-worn and hardy. He's been all over Tamriel and tells all kinds of stories! Most of his tales are unfit for court, mind you. Those are usually my favorite, and he's not shy about sharing them with whoever wants to listen. The other night over a bit of wine, he told me a harrowing tale about a shark with a belly full of ears! All types of ears, too! It made me shudder with horror, but the notes of his low, velvety voice made me shudder with something else entirely.
He has a wonderful laugh. It booms in the halls like claps of thunder. This place could use more noise like that. And more men like Dhulef! He doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks about him. I know some people whisper about how an ex-pirate shouldn't be allowed at court. They think it's unbecoming. Apparently, Dhulef was a pirate for most of his life before becoming a mage. He's a member of the Mages Guild, you know! His past life as a pirate is totally transparent, but I don't mean that in a disparaging way! He has a roguishness that's so starkly different from the blandness of court existence. You can tell he's lived a rich life full of adventure and danger, what with all those delicious scars. And he walks the halls as if they're the decks of a ship. Such confidence! Such swagger!
But there's a softness to him that I've noticed. I've had the pleasure of talking to him not just about his hair-raising stories, but about his love of magic, too. He's so passionate. Once, he even got a bit emotional when telling me how he was saved by the Stonelore druids. Apparently, that experience is what made him decide to study magic in the first place. He left his life of piracy behind because he was so entranced by the way magic could alter the world around him. He said something about likening it to the sea and loving how unpredictable and utterly powerful such a force could be. He has such a brilliant, fascinating mind. I can't decide if I want him to read to me from a tome of spells or take me out on a boat and—hmm, perhaps I'll leave those particular musings for my diary.
I must tell Count Mornard that I totally approve of the decision to appoint him to the court, and that he must do so at once! Dhulef mentioned to me the last time we talked that he was off to help some druid named Laurel. I don't know what I'm feeling about that, but it could be jealousy. He did assure me he would be back soon. He even hinted that he and the count had something to discuss upon his return. I hope his absence doesn't go on too long.
Did I mention he's handsome? Gorgeous, even. His dark hair is gorgeous, his piercing jeweled eyes are gorgeous, his chiseled jaw is gorgeous. Even his weathered face is gorgeous! I think I'm in love. I don't think he's ever been married, but I haven't had the courage to ask. He doesn't seem very interested in romance, sad to say. But that doesn't prevent me from looking! You must tell me if you get a chance to see him. I simply must know if it's just me or if everyone is captivated by him.
Remember his name. Dhulef. I expect great things from this man. For Galen, for House Mornard, and, dare I write it, for me!
Lady Lynielle