by Ian Gregoire
Fay appeared to be scrutinising her very closely.
“I would love to know what Master Ari said to you while the two of you were away. I can see that something within you has changed—it’s evident. You no longer appear…burdened. It’s as though a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders.”
It pleased Kayden that Fay had noticed the fundamental change in her psyche.
“That’s an apt way to put it, Master” she replied, “but it isn’t so much the result of anything Master Ari said to me. I owe more to what I was shown. My eyes were opened up to something I was blind to before: a struggle within myself, between the person I am meant to be, and the person I don’t ever want to become.” To her mind the words sounded silly, but it was the only way she could describe it. “But that struggle is finally over. I can now focus on being who I really am—the person I was always meant to be. And I know I have you to thank for that, Master.”
Fay said nothing in response. But if Kayden was reading her correctly, there was no need to say anything. The subtle smile, coupled with the emotion in Fay’s eyes, told her everything she needed to know. Fay was feeling contentment and relief. She had accomplished what she set out to do, by saving a wayward apprentice in her charge, having doubted it could be done.
Kayden quickly fell into step alongside Fay as they left the flower garden. Somehow, this scenario seemed so surreal. Just a day earlier she would never have believed she would be in Temis Rulan, walking the grounds of the headquarters of the Order with Fay Annis for company. And the notion of she and Fay being on good terms, having mended fences, would have been inconceivable. Yet, unless she was dreaming, this was exactly what was transpiring.
While the pair marched side-by-side in silence, following the grey brick path leading towards the northern entrance of Kassani House, Kayden noticed a young male Sanatsai to her right, rushing to intercept them where his path intersected with the path they were walking.
“Danai Annis!” called out the Sanatsai. “Danai Annis!”
Fay brought the duo to a halt at the intersection to wait for the Sanatsai to reach them. Moments later the excited looking young man stopped before Fay, standing to attention.
“Danai Annis, I’m glad I caught you,” said the Sanatsai.
Kayden would have felt slighted by the way the newcomer not only failed to acknowledge her, but also seemed completely oblivious to her presence, had she not noticed the reason why. He was clearly smitten with Fay—it was written all over his face. She could not recall a time when another female overshadowed her when it came to attracting the attention of the opposite gender. Obviously, it was something she might have to get used to when in Fay’s company, she realised. There was no question Fay was a beautiful woman.
“Kai Darbandian, what can I do for you?” said Fay formally.
“Danai Annis, I just wanted to let you know that…” The Sanatsai paused momentarily. It was as though he had just remembered something vitally important. “May I call you Fay?” Perhaps not so important after all.
Kayden almost laughed out loud seeing Fay’s reaction. The frown on her face was presumably meant to convey how much she did not appreciate the young man’s attempt at over-familiarity.
“No, Kai Darbandian,” retorted Fay, “you may not.” Her tone of voice seemed to indicate displeasure, but then Kayden realised from the subtle smile that followed the words, Fay was just teasing her subordinate. “At least, not yet,” she appended. “Now, what did you want to tell me?”
“When we arrived back this morning, I requested an assignment outside Temis Rulan. My timing couldn’t have been any more perfect because—as luck would have it—the Council has sanctioned the deployment of an additional three thousand men to Yaristana, to discourage any intervention by Randissar on behalf of the separatists. I just wanted you to know that I will be among the ranks of those being deployed. We leave this afternoon.”
Kayden couldn’t work out why Kai Darbandian sounded so excited and pleased with himself. Despite his apparent young age and low rank, this surely couldn’t be his first mission for the Order, and even if it was, he’d likely have nothing to do once there. Hostilities in Yaristana’s Mattis province had already ceased thanks to intervention by the Order, and the deployment of additional manpower more or less ensured Randissar wouldn’t attempt to openly annex the province. Without continued outside support, there was very little chance of the separatist rebels resuming their insurrection.
Fay smiled at her male counterpart.
“Good for you,” she declared. “From what I have heard, the situation in Mattis at present probably means you won’t see any action—unless the rebels do something stupid. But if the worst should happen, I have no doubt you will acquit yourself admirably.” Finally, Kayden’s presence was remembered. “While you’re still here, allow me to introduce you to one of my young charges from Antaris campus. Kenit, meet Kayden Jayta, the most promising apprentice in the Nine Kingdoms; Kayden, this is Master Kenit Darbandian.”
Kenit extended a hand to her. “Greetings, it’s a pleasure to meet you Kayden,” he said formally.
“It’s nice to meet you, Master Kenit,” she replied, clasping his forearm in greeting.
“So,” drawled Kenit, “you’re the apprentice everyone seems to be talking about at the moment. I’ve heard some…interesting things about you.”
She could discern from Kenit’s tone, and the look upon his face, the nature of the ‘interesting’ stories he was referring to.
“I wouldn’t put much stock in the things you have heard, Master Kenit,” she replied, releasing her grip of his forearm. “I’m well aware of the kind of rumours circulating among the gossip-mongers here, and I can assure you they are way off the mark.”
She noted, with some amusement, the obvious relief on Kenit’s face once she’d said that. Clearly he didn’t welcome any competition for Fay’s affections.
“Kai Darbandian, if there’s nothing else,” interjected Fay, “Kayden and I really must be going.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” There was no concealing Kenit’s disappointment at effectively being dismissed. “Please don’t let me hold you up, Danai.” He stood aside to allow the pair to continue on their way.
Kayden fell into step alongside Fay, once more, as they departed, leaving Kenit behind. She briefly glanced back over her shoulder to see him forlornly staring after them—or more precisely, after Fay. In that moment she felt a twinge of pity for the young Sanatsai. Master Fay was clearly so far out of his league, he could be the last man in the world, and still he would never win her heart.
Once they had moved far enough away from Kenit, not to be overheard, she turned to Fay. “Master, forgive me for pointing this out,” she said, “but Master Kenit likes you, and not just in a ‘lay with you all night’ kind of way.”
“He’ll get over it.”
Smiling at the matter-of-fact tone she’d become so accustomed to hearing, she realised, then, that Fay was above toying with someone’s emotions. It was safe to assume Kenit had already been made aware of where he stood. No one would ever be able to accuse Fay of leading the younger man on.
As they approached the steps leading up to the northern entrance to Kassani House, Fay asked Kayden, “Have you left anything in my quarters?”
“No Master.”
A moment later she stopped abruptly at the foot of the stairs. She remembered something she wished she hadn’t.
“What’s the matter, Kayden?” asked Fay.
Kayden was sure her guilt must be written all over her face. She had no experience covering it up, given that—until very recently—she had never felt truly guilty about anything she’d ever said or done.
“Master Fay,” she said, “I have a confession to make.” She read Fay’s silent gesture to proceed. “Um… Yesterday evening…when you left me alone in your quarters…”
“You went through my belongings,” Fay finished for her.
Kayden felt nauseous. �
�Yes, Master,” she confirmed. “I’m sorry.”
“Did you find what you were looking?”
She was simultaneously relieved and disappointed that Fay was able to remain calm, rather than fly off the handle at her; the woman certainly had every right to be furious at the invasion of privacy.
“Well I…” An image of the phallic-shaped, marble sculpture she found in one of Fay’s drawers flashed briefly in her mind. She shrugged it off just as quickly. “Uh…actually, Master, I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, though I did find a box under your bed containing several letters and other writings. I realise now that I shouldn’t have done, but I read some of them.”
After a fraught silence, Fay said, “I see.”
“Is that all you have to say?” Kayden just couldn’t keep the exasperation from her voice. “Why aren’t you angry? Goodness knows I’ve given you many reasons to be furious with me on numerous occasions, yet you never get mad. Why won’t you yell at me, or punch me in the face? No one would blame, not even me; I deserve it.”
Fay looked intently at her before replying.
“Kayden, if experience has taught me anything, it’s that nothing good can come from allowing anger to dictate one’s actions. Besides, no harm has been done. I accept your apology.”
Kayden felt certain she was witnessing the first crack in Fay’s normally inscrutable demeanour, so the reassurance did not make her feel better about potentially upsetting Fay, especially in light of the change in their relationship. She couldn’t be sure if it was the invasion of privacy or something else that had unsettled Fay, but whatever it was, she knew she wanted to say something to assuage her master before they entered Kassani House.
“Master, I had no idea that you had ever been married,” she said, “or that you’re now a widow.”
“It was a long time ago, Kayden.”
“Well, at the risk of further intruding where I have no right to,” she continued. “I think I can say—having read the love letters he wrote to you—how very apparent it is just how much your husband loved you.”
“More than I deserved.”
Kayden suspected her attempt at comforting Fay was failing. Everything she was saying seemed to be stirring heart-rending memories for her master. But she could relate to how Fay was feeling. Maybe the best way to comfort Fay was to convey her understanding of the heartache caused by the loss of a loved one.
“Master, I know what it’s like to have the person who means the world to you, snatched away. It’s like an open wound that never fully heals. I’ve recently come to realise, the best way to cope with loss is to be grateful for the time we had with our loved ones. We will always have our memories of those good times, and we can prevent them from being snatched away from us.”
A half-smile curled Fay’s lips as she gazed at Kayden. “We did have nine good years together,” she said, wistfully. “And you’re right, no one can ever take that away from me.”
Hesitantly, she reached out, placing a hand on Fay’s upper arm. It was a gesture she would never have contemplated a day earlier. “Shall we continue on our way, Master?” she said, gently stroking Fay’s arm. She couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Fay silently patted the back of Kayden’s hand, then proceeded to ascend the steps up to the entrance of Kassani House.
Once indoors, Kayden was surprised when Fay led her down to a portal chamber deep beneath the building. If she remembered correctly, during their journey to the city, Fay had said there was no portal in Temis Rulan—which clearly wasn’t the case. But unlike the large cavern that was home to the portal chamber she now knew to be hidden beneath the Antaris campus, the chamber underneath the headquarters of the Order was not a natural formation at all; it was clearly man-made. Though not nearly as expansive as the portal chamber back at Antaris—as there was no need to conceal the presence of hundreds of Sanatsai—she could only imagine how long it had taken to excavate.
“Master, I could have sworn you said Temis Rulan has no portal,” she said, casting her eyes around the vast chamber brightly lit by a network of illumination orbs, and heavily peopled with scores of Jaymidari, and even more Sanatsai.
Fay led Kayden towards the swirling portal located upon a dais at the centre of the artificial chamber.
“Actually,” she said. “I believe what I said was, ‘no portals open directly into Temis Rulan’—or anywhere else on the island, for that matter—for security reasons. However, as you can see, there is a portal here that can transport us to any of the dozens of facilities run by the Order and the Sisterhood throughout the Nine Kingdoms.”
That made more sense, Kayden realised, taking in the sights and sounds of the portal chamber as she continued to walk at Fay’s side. The location was obviously a busy hub, if the number of individuals waiting in line to use the portal was any indication. Evidently, there was a steady flow of people leaving Temis Rulan at any given moment, and it wasn’t long before she and Fay were joining the queue of Sanatsai preparing to depart the home of the Order.
“Wait here for me,” Fay instructed. “I need to inform the Sisters of our destination.” She departed to the right, towards the small group of Jaymidari situated nearby.
While Kayden watched Fay march towards the Sisters, she found herself excited by the prospect of leaving Temis Rulan—not because she was eager to get away from the place as quickly as possible, but because once she emerged on the other side of the portal, she would have Master Fay all to herself as they made their way back to campus. For reasons she could not yet explain, she was anxious to narrate the, hitherto, defining moment of her short life to Fay as she had done for Master Ari, the day before. She felt positive that willingly sharing this with Fay would go a long way to bringing the two of them closer.
But seeking an improvement in her relationship with Fay wasn’t the sole reason why she had requested time alone for the two of them to talk. Her experience the night before had left her with a host of unanswered questions. The kind of questions she suspected only Fay could provide answers to.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Master And The Apprentice
Kayden walked side-by-side with Fay as they headed due north, through sparse woodlands, en route back to Antaris campus. She was surprised at how natural it felt to be walking alongside the woman she once considered a foe. But there was no longer anything adversarial about their relationship. She felt wholly relaxed with this brand new status quo. It was actually easy being alone in the company of her master—for that was what Fay indisputably was to her now. Her master. And she was unequivocally Fay’s apprentice. The rumours circulating around campus that she was the favoured apprentice of Master Fay suddenly seemed entirely plausible.
It had been a quarter of an hour since they departed the Sisterhood seminary together, having arrived there via the portal in Temis Rulan. Kayden used that time to narrate the circumstances that led to her birth in the Kingdom of Astana: how her mother had raised her alone, from the age of two after her father had abandoned them both, to return to Zenosha; and how her mother, later, remarried a man who would eventually kill her in a fit of anger.
For some reason, telling Fay about the death of her beloved mother was significantly easier than telling Master Ari had been. Though still upsetting, she shed no tears—all the while keeping her anger at bay.
“I’m so sorry to hear about your loss, Kayden,” commiserated Fay. “I had no idea.”
“For a long time it was something I couldn’t talk about,” she replied. “Not until you brought me to see Master Ari.”
“Now I finally understand where the anger and bitterness I could see in you was coming from, though you always did cover it up well.” Fay’s claimed ability to read her provoked a twinge of envy in Kayden. She hoped one day, soon, she’d be able to read her master just as well. “Your desire to avenge your mother’s death was also understandable,” continued Fay, “though I’m pleased you’ve come to realise what a dangerous motive
revenge can be.”
Fay fell silent for a moment, prompting Kayden to glance at her. She found Fay gazing back at her with a knowing look in her eyes.
“Although you have abandoned your quest for vengeance, Kayden,” said Fay, “don’t give up on justice for your mother. Maybe you will have it sooner than you think.”
Kayden wanted to dismiss out of hand the idea of her stepfather paying the price for killing her mother, but seeing the expression on Fay’s face made that impossible. Clearly her master was more than just implying justice was a possibility; Fay was indicating her expectation that justice would be done imminently. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to get her hopes up. The Order would never countenance sending an assassin on her behalf to take out her stepfather. But there was no doubt the Order did have the requisite clout with authorities in the Nine Kingdoms to ensure that her mother’s death—and the subsequent cover-up—was properly investigated. Only time would tell if Fay was correct in her assertion.
“I hope you’re right, Master Fay.”
Fay smiled at her then returned her gaze to the trail ahead as she continued to navigate the woodlands.
“It seems to me your mother was a very courageous woman, Kayden,” she commented. “She made many sacrifices for you—including the ultimate sacrifice. You should be immensely proud of her, as I assume she would be of you if she could see you now.”
“Thank you, Master.”
She was gratified to hear such praise for her mother from a woman like Fay Annis. It suddenly made her wonder about the woman who had given birth to someone as extraordinary as her master.