Love and Sacrifice: Book Two of the Prophecy Series

by Tove Foss Ford

  “Well done,” he whispered, placing two clean handkerchiefs in her lap. Katrin smiled weakly.

  “Please go ahead,” she whispered, sipping water desperately. Her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. “I’d like to help with Flori’s security, if I can.”

  “I’d be most pleased, Willow,” Hemmett smiled.

  Kaymar looked stricken. He had not seen Katrin up close since he had asked Menders to reassign him. He and Ifor had spent the years gathering information in Surytam as well as acting as ambassadors to the Hetzophian court. He had written to Katrin a few times, but she never responded. Menders told him that she wrote to no-one.

  Seeing her now, overweight, haggard, the ravages of melancholia and drink destroying her uniquely beautiful face made his heart go slightly out of rhythm, sending a jab of pain down his right arm.

  Ifor sensed it and reached over, filling another glass from the pitcher. Kaymar surreptitiously slipped a small tin from his pocket and palmed a tablet into his mouth, following it with a hefty swig from the glass.

  “Let me catch you up with the discussion,” Menders said, as if Katrin attended meetings every day. “Hemmett’s townhouse is positioned between Kaymar’s and Villison’s, so that provides a great deal of built-in security that won’t be obvious or intrusive. Cook and Varnia found that Petra’s mother would love to be housekeeper for Hemmett and Flori now that she’s widowed, so she will be arriving next week. I can’t think of a scrappier, more powerful woman to preside. It gives her a chance to be near Petra and the grandchildren. She’s also a good shot and a wonderful cook.”

  “She larruped my backside with a razor strop once,” Hemmett said comically, looking downcast.

  “That was when you nearly got Petra and Artur drowned down at the stream when we were little, playing pirates,” Katrin said, managing a slight smile.

  Menders looked from one of them to the other.

  “Debriefing on the unreported near drowning will commence later, Captain Greinholz, Your Majesty,” he said sternly.

  Katrin laughed.

  The men froze again. They had not heard that sound in a very, very long time.

  “Please go on with your meeting,” Katrin said gently.

  “The question today is how much bodyguard coverage to give Flori,” Menders said after clearing his throat several times. “As you know, being continually watched is not an easy thing.”

  Katrin nodded agreement, feeling her heart fluttering with panic.

  “Deep breaths, Cuz,” Kaymar said suddenly. “Push your diaphragm right down.”

  Automatically, she obeyed him. The fluttering stopped as she drew in big daughts of air.

  “Don’t mind me,” she said. “Go on.”

  “I’ll be back on duty in two more weeks,” Hemmett said, taking the attention off Katrin’s struggles. “We need someone in place by then to escort her to Borsen’s and back or anywhere else she’d like to go. As her father and considering her age, I would like to avoid a handsome, young male bodyguard. Flori needs time to adjust to the changes she’s been through – we don’t need romantic complications at this time.”

  Katrin leaned toward Menders and murmured something. He nodded agreement.

  “Why don’t we see if Gladdas has a young lady who could do the job?” Menders said to the table at large.

  “Shame on me, I never thought of it,” Kaymar burst out. “That would work. It also wouldn’t be as obvious as having a fifteen-year-old girl going back and forth to Borsen’s with a man every day.”

  “It’s something we’ve never had to consider,” Menders replied. “Katrin’s situation was very different, as she was surrounded by security all the time and had you as an unobtrusive and vigilant bodyguard. But if Flori wants to shop for clothing or perfume, it would be awkward to have a man following her about. I know for a fact that Glad trains a wickedly good security ma… woman.”

  “I like the idea,” Hemmett agreed. “Good call, Katrin. Any other ideas?” He smiled at her.

  “How do you feel about owning a boarhound?” she said softly.

  “Fine. I never had one at The Shadows because Ma didn’t want one in the suite,” he replied. “I’m taking Flori over to The Shadows in the next couple of weeks. There are several boarhounds ready to go to new homes, so we’ll pick out a brace of them.”

  Katrin smiled again. Each time it was easier. She drew in a deep breath to control her fluttering heart.

  “Should I bring one back for you, my other self?” Hemmett asked, looking right into her eyes.

  “I’m not sure…” she whispered, looking down at the table top.

  Then she looked up at him.

  “Yes,” she said firmly.

  Hemmett smiled.

  ***

  Flori stood at the bottom of the massive Tower Stairwell and clapped her hands once. The sound carried upward in a bright spiral, resonating against the stone walls.

  “Papa, what a wonderful little concert hall this would make!” she cried enthusiastically. “The acoustics are perfect! You couldn’t squeeze a full orchestra in, but it would be lovely for chamber concerts.”

  Hemmett had given in to Flori’s repeated requests to see The Palace. The ancient building was far from inviting, other than Katrin’s suite and some of the galleries on the main floor. He hadn’t pressed for an invitation to visit from Katrin yet. He knew she cared about Flori and would ask her when she was able to provide a pleasant time.

  Flori, however, was fascinated by the great building. She would look at a room and then talk about how she would make it beautiful, describing draperies, furniture, carpets. Hemmett had always considered the place a ghastly mausoleum himself, but she sparked his imagination with her enthusiasm. She had already done wonders at their townhouse and she hadn’t been in Mordania for two weeks.

  “You would have room to put chairs in for a small audience,” he said, surveying the area with interest. “A food table could go over there.”

  “Oh Papa, your stomach! Imagine a flute concert or a choral group. A rug on the floor would make it a little less live, but otherwise, it would be just right.”

  “Just right for two cromars?” Hemmett said, looking at her out of the corners of his eyes.

  Flori smiled back. “I’ll beat you to the house!” she said, darting back out into the Courtyard. Hemmett was quite a runner, but it took some effort to keep up with her.

  Within fifteen minutes they were back, setting up two chairs and tuning their instruments. Flori preferred a small soprano cromar, similar to the child’s instrument Hemmett had given her when she was six. Hemmett cherished his huge, baritone cromar, which had traveled with him everywhere since he was ten years old. They had played together for years and could proudly boast an admirable degree of excellence as a musical duo.

  Hemmett counted off silently and they launched into their “bring down the house” piece, an arrangement of Samorsan dance tunes that required lightning fast runs and melody playing from Flori and precise rasgueado strumming and bass line picking from Hemmett.

  Their music soared up the Tower stairwell and echoed down the halls of the silent Palace. They were intent on their playing and did not see Menders, Kaymar and Ifor coming down one of the long hallways to listen. Menders covertly peered up the stairwell and then nodded to his companions.

  “A song, Papa!” Flori laughed as soon as the dance suite was done. They were off again, singing a complex Fambrian duet, switching off the melody lines, their fingers drawing a complex counterpoint from their instruments. They were so delighted with their performance that they laughed aloud after the final chorus.

  “And now, your Mama’s favorite, to finish,” Hemmett directed, launching into the accompaniment to Sweetheart, Kiss Me Tonight. “You sing it, daughter. I’ll cry if I do.”

  “Sweetheart, kiss me tonight,

  While the dew falls soft on the rose.

  Hold me close in your arms, dear

  While evening sunset lig
ht glows.

  Sweetheart, swear to be true,

  Though I must roam far from your side,

  Sweetheart, kiss me -

  And tell me you’ll miss me –

  Sweetheart, kiss me tonight.

  Oh love, I swear to be true,

  Though the war horn calls me away

  To shores uncharted and lonely

  Where Death’s battalion holds sway.

  If from this life I am called

  I will still be there at your side.

  Oh Sweetheart! Kiss me –

  And tell me you’ll miss me –

  Sweetheart, kiss me tonight.”

  Flori’s voice echoed up the stairwell, making the old soldier’s song into something sublime. She finished the performance with a climbing run to the highest notes of her cromar and then smiled at her father. He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, nodding.

  Menders, Kaymar and Ifor were just about to applaud when they heard clapping high above them. Menders looked upward again and saw Katrin standing on the landing below her floor, smiling down at Hemmett and Flori as she applauded.

  “Flori, would you like to come up for a visit?” Katrin invited. “Bring your Papa – I can’t manage coming all the way down there.”

  Menders closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel hope for the first time in years.

  Book Four

  Light Of The Winter Sun

  The Palace, Erdahn, Mordania

  1

  Sunny

  H

  emmett was true to his word and brought back a huge boarhound from The Shadows for Katrin, a golden male a bit older than the more rambunctious pups he had acquired for himself and Flori. Katrin instantly named him Sunrise because of his color – he was Sunny by the end of his first day at The Palace. The dog immediately sensed Katrin’s illness and was gently protective, never any further than an arm’s length from her side.

  The morning after Sunny’s arrival, Menders heard him whining somewhere in the Stairwell. The tone of alarm in the big dog’s voice made Menders rush upward.

  Katrin was cowering on the stairs between the fifth and fourth floors, the boarhound alternately licking her hands and whining.

  “Did you fall?” Menders asked, kneeling beside her.

  She was panting desperately, her eyes wide, streaming with tears. She couldn’t speak, but managed to shake her head. That was when he saw the leash in her hand, attached to Sunny’s collar.

  She had been trying to go down the stairs to take the dog outside. After four years of being unable to go more than one floor down from her Tower suite, she had come down three flights to try to care for her dog before she collapsed out of sheer terror.

  “I’m sorry,” Katrin finally gasped, desperately fighting for breath. “He needs to go out. I forgot all about that when I asked for him. I tried to take him down to the Courtyard – but I couldn’t! I couldn’t! I can’t go down those stairs!”

  Swift light footsteps climbed toward them and Villison appeared around the curve of the stairway.

  “Here, Katrin, I was just coming to take the perambulating carpet out,” he said, sounding chipper, as if he found her panicking on the stairs every day. “Let me have the big grundar. You let Menders help you back up to your suite. We’ll be up shortly once all business is properly attended to.” He whistled softly for Sunny’s attention and then trotted down the stairwell with the big dog pacing alongside.

  “Come along, my dear,” Menders urged gently, getting an arm around her and encouraging her to rise. “Let’s get you back upstairs. A facewash and cup of coffee will be just what you need.”

  Katrin shuddered and shivered but climbed the stairs with minimal assistance. She went to her washstand and bathed her face and streaming eyes, then sat at her table where Menders had poured out cups of coffee for them both. A neatly appointed kitchen was part of the suite, which saved endless trips up and down the stairwell.

  “I’m so sorry,” Katrin shuddered.

  “I’m proud of you,” Menders countered. “Here, have some of this coffee and let me fetch some food over. Have you eaten this morning?”

  “Not yet. I didn’t order breakfast last night – didn’t think of it, I was so excited over Sunny,” she replied, her teeth chattering.

  Menders went through the kitchen, pleased to see there was bread, butter, fruit and cheese available. It was evident that Katrin had been preparing snacks and meals for herself of late. He rapidly piled food on a platter, scrabbled up plates and cutlery and went back to the table, not wanting to lose the moment.

  Katrin’s breathing was less frantic and ragged. She picked up a slice of bread. Her hands shook so violently that Menders took it and buttered it before handing it back to her.

  Once she began to swallow, the rapid breathing and shivering started to abate. They ate and drank coffee without speaking.

  “That was a brave move on your part,” Menders finally said, when he saw that Katrin had calmed enough to pour out a second cup for herself. “It’s also a hopeful sign that you will be able to recover.”

  “I just wanted to take care of my dog,” she said softly.

  “The best of motivations,” Menders replied. “I have an idea. The rooftop garden here – we’ve not done much with it, but we could arrange a spot where Sunny can relieve himself when there is no-one available to take him outside. You’d have to clean up after him regularly, but that way you can take full care of him. The rooftop garden could use some work as well.”

  She smiled slightly and looked interested.

  “Would you like to go and see, once you’re finished eating?” he asked very gently.

  “I’ll try,” she replied. “It’s all I can do, but I will try.”

  “That’s good enough for me,” Menders answered.

  It was an early winter morning, but the sun was bright and still held some warmth. Katrin wrapped up warmly and then stood for several minutes in the doorway to the roof garden – part of the original design for her suite.

  “One step,” Menders said.

  Before she knew it, she closed her eyes and took a step past the doorway. Then another.

  “No further without opening your eyes, Katrin. We don’t need you falling,” Menders urged.

  She obeyed him automatically. She was so frightened she could barely see. She stood motionless, concentrating on Menders’ voice as he strode around, explaining how they could situate Sunny’s privy near a rain drain for cleanliness, keep water handy to wash his urine away and in the spring, provide a grassy area for him to use.

  “This will be an excellent solution to the problem, until you’re able to come downstairs again,” he said with a smile, turning toward her.

  Suddenly a rush of memories of The Shadows hit Katrin. Menders looked younger and happier than he had in years, occupied with solving a problem. She saw him as a young man, tossing her in the air and then catching her close for a hug, calling her by her baby nickname, Snowflower. She remembered talking to him, reading with him, riding…

  Katrin grimaced in sorrow and covered her face.

  “What is it, little princess?” Menders asked, moving rapidly to stand with her.

  “Taffy!” she gasped. “I told you to sell her. Oh, how could I do that? How could I have sold her?”

  “Now, now. That’s enough. Come right over here,” he said, pulling her toward the wall that surrounded the garden. She could see down into the Courtyard, where Hemmett was talking to Villison while Sunny sniffed the bushes, deciding just where he was going to do his business.

  Menders whistled to get their attention. They both looked up and gaped as they saw Katrin next to Menders, who gestured toward the stables. Then Hemmett grinned.

  “Want to see your other beast, oh Highest of Highnesses?” he shouted up impudently. He dashed away and within moments came back with Taffy, sleek and shining, prancing a bit at his side. She whickered at Sunny, who nosed curiously around her feet.

  �
��Can you call to her?” Menders urged. Katrin tried, but couldn’t manage. Menders whistled to make Taffy look up at them.

  “I’ve been exercising her and Borsen takes her out as well. A couple of Menders’ Men ride her too. She’s well, fat and sassy, Katrin. She’ll be very glad when you can come down and visit her. Now, let’s get you back inside. It’s not that warm.”

  Katrin was seated at the table again when Villison brought Sunny in. The big dog trotted right over to her and put his enormous head in her lap. Menders brought over a pan of warmed milk and poured it into a fresh cup, not wanting more coffee to give her the jitters.

  “Now then, my little princess, I have work I must get to,” he said after he was sure she was calm enough to be left alone. “If you need anything, I’ll be in my office.”

  Katrin smiled and nodded, then poured out a portion of milk in a saucer for Sunny.

  “We can go outside any time now,” he heard her saying softly to the big dog. “We have a lovely garden right outside the door there. You can widdle as much as you like and then when it’s spring, we might be able to manage the stairs.”

  Villison had been shamelessly eavesdropping at the suite door. He and Menders engaged in a wildly enthusiastic handshake, though Menders whispered, “Don’t spread the word, Vil. Let’s see what happens. I need to speak with Franz right away.”

  ***

  From Doctor Franz’s files:

  The recent improvement in Katrin’s condition has remained stable for several months now. Her empathy and concern for others, always the strongest aspects of her personality, are coming to the forefront, helping her in coping with her longterm melancholia.

  This is encouraging, but Katrin still suffers greatly. I have been administering a medication brought by Kaymar from Surytam which has been very effective in lessening his own mental symptoms. This is being done without Katrin’s knowledge, so she won’t try to please by reporting improvement that isn’t there. Beginning the use of this medication coincided with Hemmett returning from Samorsa with Flori and the gift he made to Katrin of her new boarhound. It’s possible that it will never be clear what led to her improvement.