“Fix her,” she commanded coldly.
“The grevaro will do its work,” he said softly.
The servant took out a pouch with long green stalks that were in the shape of a very long triangle, a large bottom stem that tapered to a tip. He broke the stalk in half and juice started to ripple out. He applied the juice to my arm which had a wonderful cooling sensation.
“Thank you.” I said quietly. I noticed him putting his hand on my burns, although very gently and barely noticeable so my mother didn’t go into hysteria. It also had a similar affect to the grevaro. My burn lessened as the redness started to fade a bit before he stopped. “What was that?”
“Keep it a secret,” he whispered, then dodged my question, changing the subject. “I’m so very sorry for what happened earlier. I couldn’t help myself.”
“No talking,” my mother demanded, overhearing him. “Do what needs to be done and go. I will speak to the king and queen about your little excursion with my daughter. I will ensure you are properly reprimanded and prefer you be dismissed.”
Theron didn’t say anything but I could tell in his eyes that he was hurt. He wanted to say something to me, I was sure of it. I didn’t want to get him in any more trouble, but I was still mad. He gave me some more stalks and told me to apply the juice fresh as it would do more good and left me be as Mother requested.
“We need to go to the evening meal. I do not know how to explain how you look. I am sure they have seen it before,” Mother said. I followed her quietly as she joined up with my father and were led by one of the servants to the feasting area. It was not at all like I was used to. There was only a small group of people in the room around a table. It seemed very informal but also inviting. The servant led us to our seats where I sat next to Lunamae. The chief dame sat across from us, with the queen next to her and the king next to the queen at the head of the table. Next to Lunamae on her right was Alexo who she had just met there. To my left was my mother, with Father taking the other end of the table. It seemed odd that the chief dame was not on an end. I heard Lunamae whisper to Alexo,
“Shouldn’t my mother be where my uncle is?”
“No,” he whispered back. “The seats are assigned by who will get along together the best.” That made some sense to me. My aunt seemed to have no qualms. Perhaps she had researched this custom before she came. She didn’t look insulted in the least. I noticed Theron hiding in a corner behind a drape. I hope my mother didn’t see him as well. It was the queen who initiated conversation first, asking how we all fared. She noticed my face and inquired about it.
“An unruly servant decided it would be a good idea to show her about the city by himself,” my mother stated, a tiny hint of restraint in her voice.
“Which unruly servant would that be? We have several here,” Alexo said with a snicker.
“Theron. He was the one who served us appetizers upon our arrival,” my mother told him.
“Theron was it?” the king said, concerned. “Oh dear.” I could hear Alexo try to stifle a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” the chief dame inquired. “I don’t see this as a laughing matter. Look at the woman’s face. It’s been tainted.”
“Hardly,” Eirene said. “Your dear niece will recover. We sometimes forget the travelers from outside our kingdom are not used to the intensity of the solis rays from here.”
“Well will there not there be some discipline involved?” my mother interjected. “Surely the man cannot get away with this. My daughter is in extreme pain. Who knows what else that servant could have done to her.” I caught the eye of Theron who shuffled back into his hiding spot. Unfortunately he knocked over a vase nearby.
“What was that?” the chief dame said, getting up in defense.
“It was I,” Theron admitted, revealing himself. “Theron. The ‘unruly servant’ mentioned. I didn’t do anything to her but keep her company.”
“You!” My mother scowled. “Eavesdropping on our conversation?”
“Perhaps it would be best if I excused myself and had a talk with him,” King Cyrus said, getting up out of his chair as well. The chief dame and my mother nodded. I saw the king approach Theron and lead him out of the room, his arm at his back. It seemed quite an affectionate gesture. I heard shouting and yelling in Fanarion which was frustrating since I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Alexo was practically giggling in his chair and Lunamae cast death eyes on him which shut him up abruptly. He quickly apologized and shifted uncomfortably. The king returned without Theron with him and sat back down.
“All taken care of?” the queen asked gently.
“Yes, my wife. Theron won’t trouble our visitors again,” the king said, taking out a napkin and placing it on his lap. “If you do not mind, I think it would be good to get some food in our bellies. It has been quite a day.”
We were brought in loads of foods, many I had not seen or tasted ever before. I was told that some had come from the sea. Those would most likely spoil on the way to Feyris unless they were packed in salt which was now quite a commodity here since the sea was full of it. They had recently developed a way to extrude the salt from the water. It had mixed results at their first attempts but now they were quite superior at it. The king told my aunt that anytime she wanted to trade for some of these delicacies, to just send a caravan over. He would be more than happy to part with it for some herbs that we had. My mother had suggested buying some grevaro plants to take back but was told our hostile environment would kill them—especially our winters.
After we were finished with the meal, the king suggested that Alexo and Lunamae be allowed a more private time together with me being the chaperone. It would be easier without the older adults around, although I was an adult. I never fully felt treated like one. I followed Alexo and Lunamae to a secluded part of the palace. Nightfall was already upon us and I could hear the faint loll of the waves and the sea birds over the fabric ceiling.
“Lunamae, that’s a pretty name. How did you get it?” Alexo asked. He had similar facial features to Theron, I noticed. He looked much younger—perhaps ten or twelve years. He was closer in age to Lunamae but from our dinner—so much less mature.
“It’s how and when I was born,” she said curtly. I don’t think she appreciated Alexo’s actions. I don’t know what kind of person laughs at another’s demise.
The rest of the conversation was rather boring. Alexo would try to get an interesting answer from Lunamae, but she would simply shut him down with a few words in explanation. At the end of the night Alexo and Lunamae separated and I walked with her back to her room which was on the other end of the apartment area. She was with her mother.
“I don’t like him,” she said plainly. “He’s rude.”
“That’s what I first thought of Marcus. He’s all right now. He grew up,” I told her. Perhaps she would realize Alexo could do the same.
“I don’t think it’s possible for Alexo to,” Lunamae told me. She quickly changed the subject. “Does your face hurt?”
“Not so much now. Theron did something to me. I can’t explain it.” I still felt the burning sensation but it was much less than before. I could even see the redness on my arms diminishing.
“Your face was much redder when you ate. I think he healed you.” She nodded in agreement with herself. “That’s an explanation.”
“That’s impossible,” I said. Lunamae was certainly fantasizing about magic now.
“No more impossible than what the Guardian did on our way here,” she alluded. I remembered how Toryn had made an obstacle appear in front of the caravan but it wasn’t really there—only an illusion she had generated. I suppose if someone could do that, another could heal. But why was he only a servant? A healer like that could live in the lap of luxury, being on-hand for the royal family as a physician. I knew he said it was a secret, but why hide it?
“Let’s go to bed. I’m sure they’ve got plans for you and Alexo tomorrow,” I said, leading her to her room.
She opened the door and went in.
“I’m overjoyed,” she responded flatly. She shut the door and I went back to my own room. I got in and got undressed down to my underclothes and plopped into bed. I didn’t want to go all bare because of the burns.
“Your mother doesn’t like me much,” I heard a whisper from around me. I pulled the covers over my head.
“Who is there?” I asked, frightened.
“It’s Theron. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything indecent and I didn’t watch you undress. I wanted to talk to you again before you leave,” the voice replied. I took the covers down to my neck, feeling completely vulnerable. I couldn’t see anything since my eyes hadn’t adjusted to the lack of light.
“What are you doing in here?!” I shouted in a whisper. The last thing I needed was for my mother to discover he was in here.
“I told you already,” he said plainly. I could faintly make out his shape in the darkness.
“Yes but this is my bed chamber. It’s improper for an unmarried man to be in an unmarried woman’s bed chamber,” I stammered.
“There was no way else to talk to you. I overheard you outside talking to Lunamae about my secret. It’s a secret for a reason. You shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Since when do you get to tell me what to do? Shouldn’t you be banished or something?” I questioned.
“The king likes me too much,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“So why do you hide the fact that you have healing powers?”
“Because I’m an untrained one. They have a place for mages to learn here and I don’t want to. Not all the mages in Fanarion had the choice to master their gifts. Those who have a gift are sent there, typically without the ability to decide whether they wanted to or not,” Theron explained.
“Oh,” I said, understanding his predicament. It was much like my being entrusted with Lunamae without having a choice.
Theron shifted, folding his arms. “Anyway, the reason I came here was to ask if you could write me. You don’t need to even label it to my name. You could address it to the king’s favorite.”
“You are the king’s favorite—favorite servant?” I asked curiously.
Theron waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ll have to tell you later. There is too much commotion with Alexo and I don’t think it would be good to talk about it now. Will you write?”
“I think I can fit it into my very busy schedule,” I said sarcastically. I was feeling a little better now, not so awkward. “Lunamae will be leaving for another foster family so I will be quite alone. Writing would be a good way to pass the time and be less lonely. Assuming, that is, you write back.”
“I surely intend to. I have done some healing in secret and have managed to pull a good amount of money I can use for parchment and ink. Also, I have a present I will leave with the caravan leader. I hope it will keep you less lonely,” Theron said. He started toward the door and then stopped. “And there was something else I’d like to do.”
“What would that be?” I wondered. He walked to me, put his hand on my forehead which relieved all the pain in my face and then kissed my lips. The sensation was absolutely wonderful. Not only had I never been kissed before, neither had Lunamae. I had one up on her! It was as though static electricity had entered me—the kind you get when touching metal while wearing woolen clothes. I could feel it from my head to my toes.
He didn’t wait for me to respond to it, he just left. I touched my lips tenderly. They weren’t chapped anymore. They were smooth. My face wasn’t burning either, it felt normal. I wanted to look at my face but there wasn’t any way to at night so I decided instead to run to the door, lock it, and go back to bed. I didn’t trust him not to return later in the night and I didn’t want to be scared silly.
Finally, it was time to return home. I couldn’t say I didn’t miss it. Fanarion was fine and all but I missed my brother and Brynna. I missed the fog over the hills in the morning. I also missed, if you could believe it, the smell of woodsmoke.
I had gathered my leather pack, dressed in my Feyrisian attire, and ventured out into the apartment courtyard. Lunamae soon followed and then my father and mother, and finally the chief dame. I had kept my encounter with Theron a secret, not even telling Lunamae. I knew she’d probably let loose the secret eventually. I didn’t need the embarrassment. They wouldn’t believe we hadn’t done anything and then I would have to be checked to ensure I was still pure. A pure bride is required in an arranged marriage.
The king and queen followed us out to the coach to see us off. They were dressed in the usual robes, except I noticed gold trim on the bottom and they both had gold cord belts. They also wore their golden leaf crowns. The people walking around the palace stopped and bowed or curtsied when they saw them standing with us.
“Did you enjoy your trip?” Queen Eirene asked Lunamae after we were seated.
“Yes, indeed Your Grace. Thank you for asking,” she replied politely. The queen nodded and waved us off. The royals went back into the palace. I thought the caravan would be moving by then as the guards were all mounted up but it didn’t. I saw the caravan driver coming towards me with two small creatures in his hands.
“What is that?” Lunamae asked me. I shook my head, not knowing what it was. I heard barely audible cries coming from the creatures.
“For the ladies. I was told they are called ‘catlings’ and when they grow up they are ‘cats’. That’s what the king’s favorite said,” the caravan driver told us. I smiled, remembering Theron’s promise. The animals were very fluffy and looked adorable.
“What a nice gesture from Alexo. What are they used for?” my aunt inquired. I suddenly realized that Theron was quite ingenious for using the term “king’s favorite” because my aunt thought that meant Alexo—the king’s favorite son.
“I was told they are good for killing mice and other small vermin, although you can keep them for companionship. This one’s a boy and this one’s a girl. They were from different litters. Perhaps you can breed them later to populate the village. We have to get going but there is some meat they can eat later. They’ve already been fed this morning.” The driver gave one to me and one to Lunamae.
I assumed they didn’t have names so that would be the first task. I held the catling in my hands and looked him over. He was all black with a few patches of white on his paws and chest. He had blue eyes and a pink nose. He reminded me of when the luna covered the solis so I called him Eclipse. Lunamae’s female catling was solid white with a pink nose and green eyes. She decided to call her Flurry from when the winter snows come down in large flakes.
The catlings behaved well in our confined space which surprised me. They slept on our laps for the most part although when they woke up they occasionally mewed. We couldn’t nap this time because we didn’t want the catlings running off out of the coaches so we had to remain awake. When we made our next stop we got some of the meat to feed the little pets. The two catlings ate to their fill and then promptly fell asleep again.
“If you two would like to sleep, we can hold them. I would not mind,” Angharad said, offering her arms to Lunamae to gather up the fluffy animal. Lunamae reluctantly handed hers over and I gave Eclipse to my mother.
“Be careful,” Lunamae said strictly. Her mother laughed mildly and nodded. I couldn’t wait to see how my catling would react to my house when we let him in. We took our leave and both dozed off, oblivious to the rest of the journey.
Chapter 6
The Winter Feast
In honor of the birth of the Teacher, we all were in a hubbub of excitement readying the village for the Winter Feast in the colder month of Dagfyr. Eclipse followed me obediently out of my house so I could get the pine wreath on the front door. The village was all decorated with greenery. A tree was hung from inside the keep and it had silken drapes all around with gold glass bulbs imported from Fanarion. There wasn’t any way to fit a tree in our house so we just had pine garlands all around. What we did was take
woolen cords and broke off pieces of pine trees outside the village and stuffed them in the cords. It made the whole house smell wonderful.
Eclipse was getting bigger. We discovered that he liked milk as well as bacon scraps and chicken bones in addition to other meats. For some reason he also took a fancy to green beans. He did a wonderful job at reducing the village’s mouse population along with Flurry. We thought they might get into naughty mischief together and we weren’t ready to deal with a litter of them so I’d been keeping an eye on Eclipse and Lunamae on Flurry. Lunamae was now housed with Brynna and her family which was quite convenient since Logan was courting her. We were able to visit frequently during the week. Now that she was almost fourteen we did have a lot of chances to meet up in the village or the keep. She didn’t need supervision anymore. The only time I was certain to not let her wander alone was during the daily visits to the dungeon.
The Winter Feast was in a couple of days but many of the men were out hunting for it. My father had taken Logan with him. Even though Logan couldn’t shoot with a bow, he still liked participating as much as he could. They didn’t have much time because the snows were approaching. I was told that we might even have snowfall on the day of the feast. I was interested in seeing how the two catlings would react to snow.
I decided to go up to my loft space and dig up the parchment from Theron I had been hiding under my pallet. Since Lunamae no longer lived with us I could more easily sneak the letters in and out. I was afraid that if she saw them the way mine were addressed she would think I was going after Alexo—which was a disgusting thought to me. He was much too young and immature for me. I think that my aunt decided he wouldn’t be a good fit as well as she had addressed Alta’s clan chieftain which lived in a village near Pinor for interest in their son. The clan Cruacroi had written back, saying they would be visiting soon. That was a month ago. I had wondered if they were going to stop by any day now. At any rate, I knew that Alexo was not off the table yet. If the Fanarion king and queen wrote for consideration of an engagement, my aunt would probably readily accept because of the prosperity it would attain.
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