by S K Wee
“Don’t worry about Conny. I will talk to her, and I’m sure she will understand. You know how protective she is with those children. Don’t worry, dear; everything will work out fine. You get ready to take your children to Orion. I’ll take care of Dianna, and Twig can find out about Pip. It’s going to be okay.” Sophia managed to put a bit of a smile back on Frankie’s usually happy face.
While they were talking, Wagner left to find Finn. Both Finn and his wife Julianna were right behind him when he returned mere minutes later. Evidently, the two mages had not been too far away.
“Good, you’re both here. We’ll have need of you soon. Someone needs to go to Rambert and talk to them about Pip. Frankie would like to take him to Orion with her if that’s all right. We also need to get Dianna home to Briar before Conny has a fit. Frankie, why don’t you go with Finn to Rambert, and I’ll take Dianna to Briar with Jules?”
“Perfect, Aunt Sophia. We’ll meet back here and go from there.” Now that they had a plan, Frankie seemed ready to get everything settled.
*****
After the women left, Wagner sat for a couple of minutes before going up to the playroom where his son, Twig, was holding court with the other children. He stood by the door for some time watching the interactions between Twig and the little ones. He was so proud of his son. He was now a trainer at the Academy, an accomplished mage, a fantastic father to his four children, and a doting husband to his wife, Frankie. Who would have thought that the two of them would ever be here like this? Living lives that they couldn’t have dreamed possible. Wagner knew he had a wonderful life. He had the perfect wife—he loved Sophia beyond measure. Their only disappointment had been that they hadn’t conceived any children. Fortunately, everyone else could and their home seldom was without at least one or two running around.
Twig looked up and noticed him with a grin. “Amuse yourselves for a while. Pip, why don’t you read that storybook to your cousins?” Wagner had to smile when he saw Pip gladly take control of the others.
“He’s a born leader, that one.” Wagner nodded toward his oldest grandson.
“Yes, he hopefully won’t be as misguided as his father and grandfather. He already knows so much more about life than I did at that age. Where’s Frankie? I noticed Sophia come and get Dianna. Have they decided on anything?”
“Frankie went to Rambert with Finn to see if it would be all right to keep Pip for all the upcoming events. Sophia took Dianna with her to Briar and she will smooth things over with Conny, who is quite upset that Sylly went to Port Devdan with Kappy.”
“Conny’s upset? I should have gotten her approval before letting him go. She has always been a bit overprotective of those children. Not that she doesn’t have a good reason. They were kidnapped years ago, but she should certainly know that Frankie and I would never allow any harm come to him.”
“Don’t worry, if anyone can help, it’s Sophia. Conny always listens to her. Sophia was always like a mother to her, she’ll get through.” Sophia could calm a raging sea. She had certainly calmed him.
“You’re right, Father. I’m sure everything will turn out fine. I’m very happy that Frankie thought about keeping Pip with us. He’s old enough now to understand some of the things involved with ruling a nation. He’ll become a Duke one day and he still has much to learn. What else is going on?”
“Well, Sophia wants to go to Port Devdan to be there for Rose and she’s sure Arlie will go also. Frankie wants to take most of these brats to Orion. I’ll stay put until I get my orders, I guess, and I would suggest you do the same, Son.” They both chuckled at that. During stressful times like these, it was always best to stay put until told to do otherwise by their womenfolk. Now was not the time to make a wrong move.
“I’m right there with you on that, Father. I’ll wait to hear what I’m supposed to be doing. Frankie is the expert when it comes to dealing with emotional people. I do much better when I watch and learn from what she does. Wouldn’t it be nice if we were all blessed with seeing what someone else was feeling before we messed up and said the wrong thing? It’s no wonder everyone loves Frankie so much. How could she ever say the wrong thing when she knows exactly how to deal with them before she even speaks?”
“That’s very true. There have been many times I wished I could be privy to Sophia’s mood before I opened my mouth and said something I later regretted.” Though Wagner said the words with laughter, he had often felt the sting from saying the wrong thing.
“Yeah, it’s not fair to the rest of us normal folks. Especially around the women who can somehow hide their true feelings underneath their coy smiles. It’s not fair at all.”
“What’s not fair, my husband?” Frankie came up behind Twig and wrapped her arms around him. “What’s with the guilty colors? You were talking about me, weren’t you?” Though she was smiling, Wagner was sure that his son had better tread carefully.
Twig smiled innocently at his wife, but Wagner knew that Frankie would see right through that. “Just discussing how important you are to me, sweetheart. What did you find out in Rambert?”
“Well, I talked to Henny but Gavin was not home. She assured me that it would be fine if we kept Pip with us for now. I can send her a message through Floyd if need be. He is there with some of the Color Guard. Now, what were you really talking about?” Frankie still had a smile on her face, but Wagner was not taken in by it.
“Actually, we were just waiting to hear what our roles would be in regard to these arrangements. Did you want me to go to Orion with you or should I go back to the Academy? I’m quite sure if left to my own devices, I would certainly make the wrong assumption and go to the wrong place.” The truth won out.
“Ah, I see. You two were bemoaning the fact that your wives know more about how things should be accomplished than you do, and have finally come to the conclusion that it is best to wait for further instruction before making a wrong move.” Wagner was surprised that she had summed up everything so correctly. But then she did have the benefit of seeing exactly what they were feeling. Wagner suddenly felt sorry for his son, knowing what he had to live with every day. Never being able to hide anything at all from his wife.
Frankie looked over at him with a sly grin. “Don’t feel too sorry for him. He still can surprise me once in a while.” Frankie laughed. She saw right through him once again.
“Is Sophia back as well? At least I can hide things from her.” He thought he could anyhow. Not that he had anything to hide.
“Mmm . . . you really believe that, Wagner? Ha! Sophia lets you think so. She should be back by now. I’ll go find her.” Frankie turned and walked away and Wagner thought he had better follow.
Once downstairs again, Wagner noticed Emma flying one way and the other servants the other way. The whole castle seemed to be in an uproar. He wondered if he should have stayed upstairs with the children.
Sophia came out of the steward’s office with parchment in hand. “Good, you’re here, Jack. I made a list of people that should be contacted in town over the next couple of days. I don’t know if any will want to go to the funeral, but they should be notified. Emma is getting my clothes together but I will let you know if you need to bring anything else. I’ll contact you through our pendant later this evening. Otherwise, I am ready to go.”
“Did you talk to Conny? Is she upset with me?” Frankie asked.
“Yes, I did and no, I think Bolten may have exaggerated a little. She was upset about Sylly only because he didn’t talk to her first. She was upset with him and not you. She will talk to you soon and said to give you a great hug. So here it is.” Sophia hugged Frankie until she squealed.
“Okay, I believe you! I don’t think Conny has ever squeezed me that tightly. But I’m relieved that she is not upset with me, and I totally understand why she would be upset with Sylly. I know how close he and Kappy are but he still should have slipped home first. It only takes minutes to use the bridges Twig built.” Frankie looked relieved and much m
ore in control.
“She will certainly let him know about it when they get to Port Devdan. But for now, she was letting that go and getting the rest of the family ready to go to the funeral. I will let them know when a date and time has been set up for that.” Sophia gave Frankie another little squeeze before she let her go.
“I’m going to collect my family and leave. Thanks for everything, Sophia, and give my love to Rose when you get there, Kappy too. He is suffering also, that is why I’m so happy that Sylly is there with him.” They said their farewells to Frankie, Twig, and the children.
The castle seemed eerily quiet after nearly everyone left. Ulrik was the only one of the children who remained but would soon return to the castle in Qeeta. Wagner looked at his wife and suddenly realized that she would not be there for him to hold that evening. “I’m going to miss you. I never like to sleep alone anymore.”
“Me either, husband. It won’t be for long. Let me give my undivided attention to Rose for a couple of days, and you can get ready to join us. I love you.” Wagner gathered her into his arms. His beautiful wife meant the world to him. He kissed her long and hard and didn’t ever want to stop. But soon, way too soon, they heard someone snicker. Looking up, Wagner found the mage, Finn, leaning against the doorway with a silly grin on his face.
“Well, so much for privacy. You could have knocked or something.” Wagner was a bit upset at the intrusion.
“Huh? The door was wide open. What was I supposed to knock on? I certainly would have let you finish. If it had gone any further, I would have closed the door for you and left you alone for three or four minutes.”
“Three or four minutes? Trust me, if it had gone any further, you would need to wait until tomorrow to leave. Hmmph! Three or four minutes!” Wagner couldn’t believe the audacity of the mage.
“Now, now, you two. Finn, I am ready to leave. Emma has my baggage near the bridge if you could help us carry it over. Ulrik is the only child left and I’m sure that Vendan or Willow will send someone for him soon. I’ll talk to you later, husband.”
Chapter 3
Governor’s Mansion, City of Fulvia, Island of Orion
While watching his wife prepare to leave, Darby felt a moment of fear. He was going to be left in charge of their children. Lysette was now eleven and he wasn’t too worried about her, but her brother was only five and Darby wasn’t at all prepared to handle his rambunctious young son. Young Mitt had more energy than most young lads and sometimes it took the whole household to keep up with him.
“Arlie? I’m a little worried about Mitt. What if he gets into mischief? What if he runs off and I can’t find him? There are so many things he could get into.” Darby was pacing back and forth as his wife just smiled back at him.
“You’ll do just fine without me for a few days. Frankie is here and Twig will be arriving soon to help. Desta is staying behind also. You have all kinds of help for one little boy.”
“One little boy that can go from one disaster to the next within a split second. I have to admit that I feel my age trying to keep up with him. You’re right, though—I’ll just put Frankie in charge of him and let her worry about how fast he can destroy the manor. I will miss you but I know Rosie needs you now. Give her a hug from me and let us know if we can be of any help.” Darby felt a little better. Mitt was just one lad, after all, and he did have plenty of help to watch over him.
When they left their rooms, Darby helped with Arlie’s bags. Her maid, Desta, would be staying behind to watch over the children. They still had not decided who would go to the funeral and who would stay behind. Darby was perfectly happy staying behind and he knew Desta didn’t care for all the pomp associated with castles and palaces either. Darby’s manservant and Desta’s husband, Jeffro, was comfortable no matter where he went, and he seemed perfectly happy sticking around their simple island paradise.
When they reached the dining room it sounded like utter chaos. Frankie was yelling at her twin boys to settle down and he could hear the screams of his youngest son who didn’t sound at all happy. Though Darby would have loved to turn back around and head outside to the peaceful gardens, he put on his best ‘don’t mess with me’ look and entered the dining hall ready for battle.
“What’s all the racket? Frankie, can’t you control a couple of children?” Darby looked at his oldest daughter who was busy wiping up spilled milk while trying to placate his youngest and settle down her twin boys, who were wrestling on the floor with Pip.
“It’s about time you got down here, Papa. Arlie, you look lovely this morning, I wish I could go along with you and escape this madness. Please tell Kappy that I will be there soon.” Frankie had spent her early childhood at the palace in Port Devdan. Darby knew she was not looking forward to returning to it, but her half-brother, Kurush, needed her. Right now, though, Darby needed her more. There was no way he could handle all these children without her. As much as he loved his children and grandchildren, he had to admit that he wasn’t very good with small children or even older children. Come to think of it, he wasn’t good with people in general. Frankie was, though.
Desta arrived within a few minutes to take the boys outside. Her younger sons were both sick but Jeffro would take all but Mitt to his fishing hole. Mitt was still a bit young and way too adventurous to bring near the water. Darby could picture his young son being fished out of the water if he went. They would need to find something else to for him to do. He was already crying about being left behind. Darby could tell that Mitt really wanted to join the other boys with his usual playmates sick in bed. They would need to come up with something special to take his mind off the fishing expedition.
Once Desta left with the pouting Mitt, only the girls were left, and Darby could breathe a sigh of relief. “When is Twig coming? How come he went back to the Academy?”
“He will be here shortly and will escort Arlie to Port Devdan, Papa. He has been working with a small group of recruits. In fact, Sylly and Quin were part of that group. It was my idea to arrange a close-knit group for Kappy to bring to Port Devdan next year when he is crowned Amir. Unfortunately, his time came sooner than what we had planned. I know Sylly and Quin want to go with Kappy but we really didn’t know about the rest of them. They really didn’t have enough time to truly bond with each other. The plan was to form the team as his personal guard. Twig wanted to approach the others to see what they thought of the idea. The team was more than ready to be promoted, but they may choose a different path for themselves.”
“That sounds like a good plan. The death of Anduras was unexpected, but I believe Kappy has all the basics down and he still has Rose there to lead him the rest of the way. But yes, he will need protection and I know he formed close ties to many at the Academy.” Darby knew that Quin was an excellent choice for a personal guard, but he would miss him around the island.
“I know how important teamwork was when we originally formed the Color Guard. It was because of the strong bonds of my team that we were so successful. I had hoped that Kappy would find the same support network. But if anyone can convince the rest of the team to continue to support the soon-to-be Amir Kurush of Bhaelor, it is Twig. He has worked and trained this group for months and they respect him. I just don’t know if they respect Kappy as well. He made a few mistakes in judgment the last couple of months so I hope those will be overlooked.”
“It seems they can be, sweetheart,” Twig announced as he entered the hall. “The rest of the team is happy and excited to start their new duties in Bhaelor. I had to explain why they were never told who Kappy was but all is forgiven.” Twig went to Frankie’s side and gave her a lingering kiss before hugging his daughter, Ellinor. “Elly, why don’t you and Lysette go outdoors so we can talk. I’ll find you before I leave.” The girls had finished their breakfast and seemed happy to be excused.
“I’m ready to go whenever you are, Twig.” Arlie sat quietly, but Darby knew she was very anxious to see her sister.
Even though he w
asn’t ready to see his wife leave, he knew it was for the best. “Twig, why don’t you escort Arlie over and then we can sit and discuss this new team you have set up. We still need to talk to Desta about Quin. I know she misses him when he is gone, but he is nearly grown.” Twig could easily escort Arlie across the magical bridge and return within seconds, as long as someone else didn’t distract him.
“Sure, I can do that. Arlie, I’m sorry, I know how anxious you must be to see Rose. Make sure she knows that we are all thinking about her and if she needs anything at all, we are here for her.” Twig took Arlie’s arm and Darby barely had time to give his wife a farewell kiss before she was whisked away.
*****
The girls were giggling about something stupid once again. Quintus hid in the shadows, he really didn’t fit in with them and the other boys were so much younger, which was why he didn’t want to spend the day fishing with them either. Thus, he kept to the shadows and watched. This was something he was getting quite used to. Nobody could see him and he could bend the shadows around him and disappear from everyone’s sight. Everyone but Frankie, anyhow. She could still see his colors even though she couldn’t see him. Lately, he felt the most comfortable when he remained in the shadows, unseen.
As he left the silly girls, he wandered toward the stables, and that was where he found his mother with little Mitt. She was trying hard to get him interested in the new kittens that were born just days ago, but Mitt still had his heart set on fishing with the other boys and he wasn’t going to be easily appeased.
“Want some help, Mum?” Quin was getting used to the surprised looks he got when he dropped his shadows. “I could take him for a walk in town. He likes the marketplace and they should have the stalls still in place. I can find him some of that chewy candy he loves.” Quin had two small half-brothers who usually kept the lad occupied but they were both sick with colds and asleep inside.