A Single Spark

by Tayvia Pierce

  Brynmor’s jaw worked tightly, and he just gave me a shrug. “Better come up with something fast, Lady Carys, before she runs off and does something incredibly stupid.” He took the reins of our horses with less than his usual gentle hand, leading them quickly as he stalked off towards the stables. For someone who was typically so relaxed, this level of tension was strange, though I assumed it was the fear of Rhian coming to harm that was currently motivating him to behave like an overprotective guard dog.

  I entered the house, the door to our bedroom already closed and Father sitting on the couch, his hawk-like gaze fixed on me with a stern look. Madox was at the dining room table with a late dinner, giving me a little nod though he quickly looked down to his plate again, avoiding what was sure to be an awkward conversation with my father in attendance. I couldn’t blame him, and envied him his good fortune in not being in my position. The task of explaining my sister’s reprehensible behavior to Lord Llew of the House of Egon, an intimidating man at the best of times, was causing my stomach to flip flop.

  “Carys,” He began with an eerily calm tone. “Please tell me that my youngest daughter will not continue to defy the rules of this household and put herself in danger.” I knew that despite his outwardly calm tone, he was brimming with exasperation. “While I do not wish to treat Rhian like a prisoner in her own home, I would like to know that she will choose to take a guard with her next time. I will be speaking to her and to the guards on this matter as well, but my point is, she must not be be allowed to wander off alone.”

  I spoke quietly in case Rhian had an ear pressed to the door. “Her window is now nailed shut, so if she wants to sneak out, she will have to walk through this room and past the guard on duty and anyone else here. She won’t be a prisoner, it will just be harder for her to sneak off.”

  Father nodded slowly, his brow furrowing in thought. “Come, daughter. Sit with me and explain what my youngest child has been up to.” I grimaced, already feeling the strain of this conversation weighing on my shoulders as the desire to defend my sister went to war with my wanting her to behave like the proper noblewoman she was. She had a duty just as I did, and in a new and unfamiliar place, this was not the time to push the boundaries.

  I moved around the couch to sit on the chair across from Father, Llew already reaching to pour me a goblet of wine which I took gratefully. I smoothed my skirts over my lap absently, my words carefully considered as I explained the events of the evening as I knew them. Father’s forehead creased as I vaguely described the man Rhian had been with, the thought of him and my inability to see his face becoming more disconcerting the longer I dwelt on it. I told Father of this man’s story about searching for his master, and Father seemed nearly as doubtful as I did.

  His brow furrowed as deeply, fingers pressing into his temples and circling slowly as though warding off a headache by the time I finished my tale, my father grunting and shaking his head. “Your mother was always far too easy on Rhian. Letting the girl do whatever she liked and encouraging her in fanciful thinking.” He growled before taking a long drink of his wine. “She made her foolish, never teaching her about the dangers that lurk in the world and how to avoid them.” His anger melted in a split second, his face pinching in grief and pain. In that moment I knew the course of his thoughts.

  My own grief remained veiled, carefully masked with a compassionate look directed to Father. “It wasn’t your fault the Yehketim raided that village we were staying in, Father. It wasn’t your fault they took mother and killed her.” I reminded him softly, my dark blue eyes holding Father’s eyes as though by my look alone I could give him strength.

  Father slumped over, resting his elbows on his knees before he turned to meet my eyes. “Wasn’t it, though?” He asked bleakly. “It was my idea to go on that holiday and stop in that village. It was I who failed to protect her when the raiders showed, and it was I who was too slow to follow and could not catch up before they killed her. ” His fists clenched tightly in his anger and his guilt, but he took a deep breath and shook his head, releasing his fists in favor of reaching out to take my hand in his own. “I do not expect you to understand, Carys. You have never lost the one you loved because of your own actions.” He went silent and let go of my hand in favor of leaning his head back on the couch.

  I did not feel like filling the silence with pointless words, knowing my absolution would never be able to assuage Father’s guilt. He would always blame himself, and nothing I could say would help to change that. We sat in silence, the crackling of the fire comforting as the golden glow flickered to give this cottage the feeling of home. My thoughts drifted over many memories of my mother, the prevailing thought being that the gods were cruel sometimes.

  Father heaved a sigh across from me and his words pulled me from my thoughts. “I am not sure which was worse. Your mother going so easy on your brother and sister, or so hard on you. You weren’t one to bend to her will…you had a mind of your own and a stronger will than hers and it frustrated her. She and I had our differences of opinion, and there were days I wished I had not agreed to marry her.” He admitted softly. “But she was so beautiful and spirited, and even though our marriage was arranged, I grew to love her. And, she gave me you three.” He closed his eyes for a moment, his heartbreak written on his features. “Your sister is heedless when it comes to her own safety. I trust that you will manage to impress upon her the need to be guarded?” He finally spoke again.

  My mouth slowly worked to form words, speaking through the lump in my throat at Father’s admissions. “If she will listen to sense….I will do what I can.” A wave of weariness washed over me and my own eyes closed, knowing that Rhian was the last one to listen to sense, and getting her to think to her own safety might only serve to do the opposite out of spite. I rubbed my eyes for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts.

  Father spoke, breaking the silence as he shifted on the couch to look to our guard, “Madox, perhaps now would be a good time to patrol the yard.” He was still seated at the table, scraping the last particles of food from the plate though he looked up when addressed, blinking in surprise at the order. “My Lord?” Madox looked bewildered at the idea of patrolling a yard that you could view almost in its entirety from the windows of the house.

  Father gave him a mildly annoyed look, his voice gruff as he gave Madox a pointed look. “Yes, Madox. That is my way of telling you that I wish to speak to my daughter alone. Now go and make sure there are no burglars or murderers lurking about.” Madox caught on, his confused look turning to a vague understanding and rose quickly with a flat “Ah...yes, right.”

  I shot Father a curious look, eyes flicking back to Madox only a moment later as he grabbed his coat and weapons belt. I did my best to suppress a smirk as I saw the very faint roll of Madox’s eyes at Father’s rather flimsy excuse to send him off, but it was the fact that Father sent him out at all that nagged at me. The guards were privy to many private conversations in the course of their duty, so what could he possibly have to say that would require complete privacy even from those we trusted with our lives?

  Father was silent for awhile as he stared at the flickering flames, the room filled only with the light of the shifting embers and the crinkling of the wood as it burned, eventually speaking lowly to ensure that what was said remained between us and only us. “You are to be my heir, Carys.” He said softly. “I have arranged to have all of our family’s holdings and accounts transferred directly to you at the moment of my passing.” He took a small, rolled parchment from his robe and handed it to me to read.

  I stared, unable to do anything else, the thought of taking the parchment from him not even dawning on me. So great was my shock that I barely even noticed him holding it out to me, as my eyes were fixed on his. Me as the heir? How? Taurovan custom dictated it was always the Firstborn. Always. The very few times the Second born had inherited were the few times the Firstborn had passed already and left no family behind.

  I was speechless f
or a full minute, my eyes slowly drifting down to Father’s hand as he patiently held out the parchment. How can he do this? I cannot be the heir. At last I found words, though they barely passed through my lips, hoarse from my inability to breathe. My head shook in disbelief as I stumbled awkwardly over my words. “But Father...Iolyn….he is your heir. I am your Second born...” My mouth was as dry as the Yehketi Desert, but I did not even think to sip from the wine that was in my hand, though the sloshing crimson liquid showed the shaking of my hands.

  Father took the goblet gently from my hand before I could spill, setting the scroll in my palm in its place. “We are the House of Egon...the House of the Sword, Carys.” He said, the pride of our bloodline working its way into his voice. “You know our family history better than anyone else. Long have we fought the enemies that rise against our country to make our House greater with every generation, growing into a wealthy and powerful House. Our renown has been something to be proud of, each generation leaving a legacy greater than the one before it.”

  He gestured to the scroll, swallowing past the growing lump in his throat, trying to continue. “The legacy that I will leave...I have damaged our reputation, and I know that Iolyn will never be strong enough to bring our House back from my disgrace, only add to it further. I love my son, but I am not blind to his faults. He has made it abundantly clear that he wishes to have no part in leading our House, and I will not have him destroying our House with his laziness.” He said gruffly, shaking his head.

  His hand came out to cover mine as my fingers tightened around the parchment, his eyes remaining on mine even as I looked down. “I see you, Daughter. Truly see you, even when everyone else looks past you. You are the glue that holds this family together, and you are the only one strong enough to bear its burdens. Accept it, for you have no choice. It’s already done.”

  My brow furrowed at his words, already seeing the rifts this might cause in the family upon my father’s death. Perhaps Iolyn won’t argue this, even though it is his birthright. I was most thankful that Father was in good health and there was plenty of time before I would need to worry over it. I took a breath at last, staring at what was Father’s Last Will and Testament and the lawful gift that was now mine. I could not understand how he could go against our own customs so blatantly, and when he spoke, I realized I must have murmured that thought out loud.

  “We are not in Taurova anymore, Carys. We blaze a new trail now. Everything in Taurova is being liquidated, the funds will be sent to us here. Our land and Highbend Manor in the country will still be there, of course, under the care of my brother, Aneirin. Should you, or your children or your children’s children ever decide to return there, it is yours.”

  I snorted softly in my disbelief, still dumbfounded, and all I could do was shake my head before finally relenting. “Alright…” I let out a long sigh, already feeling the weight of this on my shoulders. If I hadn’t been tired before, I was utterly spent now. Every part of me ached with weariness, and all I wanted to do was sleep for a year. I rubbed at my eyes, murmuring. “I am suddenly very tired, Father. I am going to bed, if Rhian hasn’t locked me out of the room.”

  Father snorted softly and waved me off. “Of course, Carys...you shouldn’t worry overmuch. I will live a long time yet. But I wanted you to know.” He simply wants to make sure his family will be able to manage without him. I rose to my feet and Llew’s eyes followed mine. “Get some sleep, Little Dove.” He gave my hand a quick squeeze before releasing me, and with that I was dismissed to find the sleep that would not come.

  CHAPTER 18

  Rhian was furious when she discovered that the window had been securely nailed shut, and she fumed for days, alternating between snippy comments about how nobody trusted her and crying because everyone thought she was an oblivious fool. Nearly every one of us in the household lost our tempers with her at least once, and as we neared the end of the week, an abashed Rhian finally curbed her irritable attitude, becoming much like the girl we knew in Perinthas.

  Brynmor and I were preparing to head into Lund on a few errands one afternoon, and Rhian shyly asked to come along. I smiled at her as I pulled my wrap around my shoulders, relieved to see her finally asking instead of sneaking. I nodded approvingly, “Of course you can, Rhi. Get your things, we are leaving shortly.” Progress at last, it seems. She beamed and got her shawl, pausing for a moment to primp her hair and fasten a pendant around her neck. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes a little at her efforts to be pretty. She really didn’t have to try, she was beautiful even on her worst day.

  It was Pedr, not our stable hand, who came out with our horses , nodding politely to Brynmor and I before looking at Rhian with a growing smile. “If it isn’t too much trouble, I would like to join you in town today.” His beaming adoration was met with Rhian’s slightly pinched smile as she tried to be polite. “Of course...” She said, her voice strained as she clearly had other ideas on how she wanted to spend her afternoon, The man lavished her with attention, however, so I knew she would never turn him away. Just give him half a chance, Rhi. He’s not so bad.

  He was elated with her acceptance and gallantly rounded the horses to help her up into her saddle as Brynmor helped me up onto my horse, Ffion. Our guard and I shared a glance, knowing that the ride to Lund would be filled with Pedr’s stories about his heroic deeds, such as they were for a man of his young age. We weren’t wrong; Pedr’s tales causing Brynmor to roll his eyes so often that I was certain they would fall out of his head. But, to his credit, and out of respect for the noble who was clearly smitten with Rhi, he kept his sarcastic comments to himself.

  When we reached the city. Brynmor and I headed off to the market while Rhian and Pedr directed their horses towards the park. I suggested that we meet at the Stag for dinner, my sister brightening considerably as she bobbed her head in agreement. I suspected she hoped to run into that man again, and I stole a glance towards Pedr, relieved that he would stay at her side and deter her from trying to sneak off again.

  My faith in Pedr was misplaced, it would seem. An hour later, the young man rounded the corner of a shop to collide with Brynmor as we exited the store. There was no Rhian in sight and I frowned at Pedr. “Where is Rhian?” I asked, the iron tone of my displeasure seeping through. He blinked at me as though baffled by my obvious disapproval and he held up a basket as though its existence was explanation enough. “Lady Rhian longed for oranges so I went to fetch her some. It took me quite some time to find them, they are difficult to come by here, apparently.” He said oblivious to the fact that Rhian had just duped him.

  My jaw tightened as I knew exactly what Rhian had done. Her schemes were growing more clever, as it wasn’t so much sneaking off as it was sending Pedr on an impossible errand, using his desire to please to her advantage. I suspected how this might play out: She would leave the park while he searched for oranges, and then spend the afternoon looking all over the city by herself when she wasn’t there at his return. Later, she would lie, claiming she worried when he didn’t return and went looking for him. Meanwhile, she would spend her afternoon doing whatever she liked without supervision.

  “Where did you leave her?” I asked stiffly, trying not to snap at Pedr in my frustration. After all, it wasn’t his fault he was blinded by his attraction, nor was he at fault that Rhian manipulated him in order to wander around alone; I only hoped he learned from this experience.

  Brynmor growled under his breath and gave me a dark scowl. “It doesn’t matter where he left her, we know exactly where she will be.” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest impatiently.

  Pedr looked confused as he looked between Brynmor and I, not understanding what was happening. “I left her at the Stag. She told me since we were already planning to meet there for dinner, she would wait in the Stag while I found her oranges.” His bewilderment only grew as he looked back and forth, likely trying to understand how he had erred. “I thought she and I could enjoy a glass of wine and get to know each
other better while we waited for you two.”

  I was relieved to learn that my suspicions of her scheming were unfounded, but I still released a sigh at Pedr’s naivety. He might be as innocent as Rhian, and I grimaced a little as I told him what I suspected would be the truth. “I’m sure she is having that glass of wine and conversation, just not with you.” I shook my head as I turned on my heel, heading towards the tavern with Brynmor and Pedr following right behind.

  I pushed open the heavy oak door of the Silver Stag, the barkeep craning his neck as he wiped down the counter, giving me a pleasant smile in recognition before pointed over in the direction of the tables. Turning to look in the direction of Jack’s gesture, I caught sight of Rhian seated at a table with a man, presumably the one I had glimpsed days before. They were not in the shadows this time, but in full view of the common room and illuminated by the light of the hearth. With a sure step, I made my way towards them, eyes fixed solely on my sister as I came up behind her, though it was the man she was talking to who caught my attention as he lifted his eyes to meet mine, our eyes locking.