Father Paschal celebrated the Requiem Mass the next morning, after which Keryell was laid to rest beneath the floor of the castle's private chapel, directly before the altar. Duke Richard lent an extra dignity to the affair by his mere presence, and let it be known how much his brother esteemed the sacrifice made by the late earl — and spoke, as well, of the courage and honor of the new one.
Ahern bore up manfully throughout, allowing himself to be carried to the church in a litter; but from there, for the interment, he hobbled the distance between church and chapel on his crutches, though the effort exhausted him. Keryell's widow made much of her rights and prerogatives, so his daughters were mostly ignored.
That night, when the castle at last settled into sleep, the two sisters retired wearily to the chamber that been Alyce's in childhood, bundling up in fur-lined cloaks as they huddled on a pile of sheepskins spread before the fire. Picking up a stick of kindling, Marie began poking among the embers.
«So», she said. «Our father is dead and buried. And what shall become of us now?»
Alyce slowly shook her head. «Who can know? In the short term, I suppose we go back to Rhemuth after Christmas and Twelfth Night».
«I wish we could stay with Ahern», Marie muttered mutinously.
«You know we can't». After a moment, Alyce gave a heavy sigh, clasping her arms around her knees to rest her chin on one forearm.
«This doesn't much change our situation, you know», she said. «Until and unless Ahern has children, preferably sons, we're still only heartbeats away from the succession of a dukedom and an earldom».
«You're only heartbeats away», Marie replied. «You're the oldest».
«Yes, but if I die without heirs, you're the heir».
Her sister did not look up from her prodding of the fire.
«What if I don't want to be the heir? she muttered.
Alyce smiled bleakly and reached across to clasp her sister's hand.
«Then, pray for our brother's health — and mine», she said.
* * *
Ahern mostly slept for the first few days after his father's burial, leaving Duke Richard to begin shaping the council that would assist the new earl as he began taking up the reins of his new rank. Virtually everyone interesting was involved in the process, even Father Paschal, so Alyce and Marie spent the first few days re-exploring their favorite childhood haunts — and avoiding Lady Rosmerta. Which was not difficult, because the widow mainly kept to her own rooms.
But each evening, as the newcomers relaxed into the resuming pace of life at Castle Cynfyn, the sad castle hall slowly began to regain a softer air, as the gentle sounds of lyre and harp and occasional sweet voices were heard increasingly during supper, slowly lifting spirits into the hopefulness of the Advent season. Most of Ahern's council were older, and preferred Duke Richard's company to that of mere adolescents, but Se and Jovett made certain that the new earl's sisters did not lack for company.
Sometimes, on bright, clear mornings when the sun set the snow all aglitter, the four of them would venture out on brief, brisk rides through the surrounding hills, though always attended by at least half a dozen other knights. As Christmas approached, Alyce began to notice that her sister was often in Se's company, and almost always managed to ride beside him when they went on their outings.
But the two young knights were not often available in the daytime, and the weather was gradually worsening as Christmas approached. It was on a cold, blustery day that kept everyone inside, a few days before the Christmas Vigil, that Alyce found herself recruited with her sister to decorate the castle chapel for the solemnities of Christmas Eve, for the coming of the Holy Child was still an occasion for rejoicing, even if hearts still were heavy with Keryell's passing.
«I think this needs more holly», Marie said, though with little enthusiasm. «What do you think?»
They were huddled on a bench at the rear of the chapel with a firepot at their feet, surrounded by evergreen boughs and runners of bright ivy and sprigs of red-berried holly. They had already plaited the first half of a garland intended to adorn the altar rail, and Alyce was laying out the framework for the other half.
She glanced at her sister's work and reached for another trailer of ivy.
«It looks all right to me».
Marie gave a sigh and tucked in another sprig of holly anyway.
«I still wish we could stay here with Ahern».
«Don't you mean with Se?» Alyce replied, arching a delicate eyebrow at her sister.
Marie blushed furiously and ducked her head closer to her work.
«Don't try to deny it», Alyce said. «I've seen the two of you, making eyes at one another».
Marie glanced sidelong at her sister, trying unsuccessfully to control a grin. «Are you going to tease me forever, now that you've guessed?»
«Well, maybe not forever». Alyce smiled. «But don't get your hopes up, Mares. I suspect that the king has someone more lofty in mind for you than a simple knight».
«He is hardly simple!» Marie said indignantly.
«Not in the sense I know you mean», Alyce agreed. «But marriage with him would not advance any of the king's concerns. Unfortunately, that's what our marriages are for».
«What if we ran away?» Marie said.
«And do what? Get married anyway? They'd catch you, Mares. And then they'd annul you, and probably lock you up in a convent somewhere until they married you by force to someone else. And Se would be disgraced — maybe even found out».
«You're so mean! It isn't fair!»
«Fair has nothing to do with it. I'm reminding you of realities».
«Fah! for realities», Marie muttered. «I want him, Alyce».
«And I want lots of things, dear sister, but merely wanting is not necessarily enough».
The sound of approaching footsteps stayed her from saying more, and she fell silent, glancing up distractedly as someone in a flash of saffron-colored skirts and a cloak of forest green came in and deposited an armload of scarlet ribbons and pine cones at their feet.
«I'm so glad you've used mostly pine and ivy instead of holly», said a low, musical voice. «The pine has a much nicer smell. But I thought you might like to work some color in with it. Besides, I'm avoiding Lady Rosmerta».
Both sisters broke into appreciative grins. In the months following Keryell’s remarriage, Vera Howard had been one of several well-born girls fostered to the household of his new countess — much to the indignation, at first, of Marie, who had tearfully suggested that perhaps their father's motives had been more self-serving than altruistic, by installing half a dozen nubile young women in the very accessible context of his new wife's boudoir…
«That sounds like jealousy to me, Mares», Alyce had declared, trying to cajole her sister out of her mood. «I know you're angry with Father, for sending us away; and I know you don't much like the Lady Rosmerta — I don't, either. But by that reasoning, we were living in the queen's household for the convenience of the king — and you know that isn't true!»
Marie had humphed at that, and flounced around the room for several minutes, but finally had agreed, albeit grudgingly, that Alyce was probably right. When, a few months later, the two of them had actually met some of their stepmother's fosterlings, in conjunction with a brief visit by their father and stepmother en route to Twelfth Night court in Rhemuth, even Marie had actually liked the other girls.
They especially had liked Vera Howard, the one who had just joined them: a lively, well-spoken lass with honey-brown hair falling straight to her hips and gray-green eyes that recalled the luminance of sunlight on a tranquil sea. Vera's father was Sir Orban Howard, a knight with lands not far from Castle Cynfyn, and her mother and theirs had been close friends.
«I've given up working with holly», Alyce informed the newcomer. «It prickles your fingers to death — though it does have nice color. But the ribbons will be just what's needed. I don't suppose you'd like to give us a hand?»
«Actually, I did come to offer a bit of help», Vera replied, «though not with pine boughs». She quirked them a guileless smile and turned briefly to pull the chapel door closed, then sank down beside Alyce on the bench. As she stretched one hand before them and opened it, a spark of greenish light flared in her palm and quickly took on the shape of a winged gryphon less than a hand-span high.
The apparition turned its head as if to look at both of them; then, as it spread its wings, seemed to fold in on itself before disappearing with a faint pop that was more felt than heard.
«Who are you?» Alyce demanded, though instinctively she kept her query to a whisper, for it was clear that Vera was Deryni like herself. Marie merely stared at the other girl in wonder.
Vera ventured another tentative smile. «Your father told me that I am your sister».
«What?» Marie blurted.
Shaking her head, Vera laid one finger across her lips in an urgent sign for silence, cutting her off in mid-word.
«I promise you, it isn't what you're maybe thinking», she whispered, humor crinkling at the corners of her eyes, «though our sire was quite the ladies' man. Actually, you and I are twins», she said to Alyce. «Fortunately, not identical, though I would love to have had hair like yours». She nodded toward Alyce's pale braid. «But if we'd been identical, our parents never would have been able to carry off the deception».
«But — how is that possible?» Alyce whispered, stunned.
Again glancing toward the door, Vera delved into the bodice of her gown and withdrew a folded piece of parchment, well sealed with green wax.
«This is for you», she said, holding it up so that the seal was visible.
The familiar imprint on the seal showed the Corwyn gryphon as an escutcheon of pretense over the arms of Lendour, as Keryell had used them in his capacity as Earl of Lendour and one of Corwyn's regents.
«I see that you recognize the seal», Vera went on. «Before Father left on this last Mearan expedition, he asked me to keep this for you, in case anything ever happened to him. He said I was to make certain you read it in a safe place, where you wouldn't be disturbed, because it can only be read once».
At Alyce's look of bewilderment, Vera shook her head. «Don't ask me more until you've read it — and I trust you've been Truth-Reading me while I'm telling you this. I know you can do that».
As Alyce slowly nodded, Vera turned the packet of parchment to display writing on the side without the wax seals.
«You recognize the hand?» she asked, as Marie crowded closer to see it as well.
Alyce swallowed audibly and nodded.
«All right, here's what you need to do». Vera placed the packet in Alyce's free hand and closed the fingers around it.
«Take this up to the altar rail, as close as possible to Father's grave. That way, if anyone should come in while we're doing this, they'll think you're simply praying. Marie and I will continue making garlands, and if necessary, I'll fend off intruders».
«What if it's Father Paschal?» Marie asked. «He could come through the sacristy».
«It's all right. He knows about this».
«Father Paschal knows about you?» Alyce broke in.
«Well, of course. Who do you think trained me?»
«But… he never mentioned…»
«No, and he hasn't told me much about you», Vera countered. «That was to protect all of us. Especially in your case, he was somewhat concerned that Father had given Lady Jessamy access to some of your training triggers».
«She's rarely used them», Alyce murmured, stunned. «We've not spent that much time at court».
«Would you necessarily know if she'd used them?» Vera replied. «She did come occasionally to Arc-en-Ciel, didn't she?»
«Well, yes — but Jessilde was usually with us then».
«Jessilde — who is Jessamy's daughter. It isn't likely, Alyce, but they could have been working together, to check on you occasionally, if only to see how Paschal's training was progressing. Now does it become clear why Father felt the need to be so careful?»
«But, she would never…»
«Alyce, we don't know what she would never do», Vera pointed out. «Have you forgotten who her father was?»
«I — hadn't thought about that», Alyce admitted.
«I didn't think you had. And I believe that Paschal has avoided reminding you, for fear of planting an idea in your mind that Jessamy might discover, if she did try to abuse the trust she was given».
Alyce found herself shivering at the idea that Jessamy might have been doing just that, without her knowledge. Marie's eyes were huge with wonder.
«If that's a real concern», Alyce whispered, «what happens when we go back to court? For the next few years, we're going to be there all the time, now that Father is gone».
«Father Paschal intends to modify your triggers before you leave — though I don't think he intends that Lady Jessamy should know. And he certainly doesn't intend that she should know about me. Ahern, of course, doesn't know anything about any of this, except that I've been fostered here for the past three or four years».
After a few seconds to digest what Vera had just revealed, Alyce said dazedly, «I had no idea about any of this…».
«Which was the purpose of the exercise», Vera replied. «But right now, you need to deal with what Father left for you. Before you break the seal, kiss it — and make sure that your tongue touches the wax. That's part of the means by which the spell is activated for you, personally — I knew you were about to ask», she added with a grin.
Despite her mixture of surprise, curiosity, and annoyance that their father had not better prepared her for this, Alyce managed a tentative smile.
«If we really are twins, I suppose there'll be no keeping any of my secrets from you in the future», she said.
Vera grinned. «Father Paschal has always warned me that there are disadvantages as well as advantages to being Deryni». She brushed her hand over Alyce's, closed around the parchment packet.
«Now, there will be two messages inside. I'm told that the visible one is a simple bequest of some items of jewelry — which is all anyone else would see, if they opened it. The other message is for you alone, written between the lines of the first one. When you open the letter, that second message will glow slightly, so you needn't worry about having enough light to read it. Make certain you read it through slowly, because you only get one chance; the writing will disappear after you've read it».
Alyce swallowed down the lump that was rising in her throat.
«I — believe you», she whispered. «It's all just so… so…»
«…unbelievable. Yes, I know». Vera smiled faintly. «It's so audacious, I still hardly know whether to love him or damn him», she confessed. «But I truly believe that he loved us — enough to do what he had to do, to give at least one of us the chance to develop our gifts away from public scrutiny, without having to contend with — well, with people knowing what we are». She glanced away briefly before continuing.
«I'd known him all my life, though I didn't know who he really was until I came here. So far as I or my 'parents' knew, he was simply my godfather, just as he was godfather to many other children of his vassals — though there weren't any others exactly like me», she added, with a quick smile at Alyce. «He had me fostered here after he sent the two of you to court and Arc-en-Ciel — which he felt was the safest place he could send you, while he began bringing me into the family picture and started my training — and yes, I do have quite a lot of training now. Fortunately, Lady Rosmerta is not Deryni, and hadn't a clue what he was up to — silly cow!»
Marie gave a nervous snicker. «We must be sisters. Alyce and I don't like her either».
«I don't suppose she's all that bad», Vera replied. «You might even spare her a little pity. She knew she wasn't barren, because she has a grown daughter by her first marriage, but Father wouldn't give her any more children. He needed a wife, so that he could bring me into the picture, bu
t he didn't want to complicate the succession. In hindsight, I think he gambled quite a lot on Ahern — an unfortunate wager, as it happens, given his injury — but he may be able to overcome it. And meanwhile, he had us». She cocked her head at the parchment in Alyce's hand. «You must be bursting to read that. Have you done this before?»
Alyce shook her head. She had been numbly Truth-Reading everything Vera said, and had no doubt that everything was true. Truth-Reading was among the rudimentary skills that their father and then Father Paschal had taught her and Marie — and Ahern — during their early years: a particularly useful survival skill for any Deryni, as was the ability to block pain and to induce sleep — skills she had used in easing her brother's discomfort en route here.
The procedure to which Vera was referring was simple enough on the receiving end; it would not have been so simple for their father, in the setting up. But now she was eager to learn what instructions their father had left her.
«I know the theory», she whispered. «I can do it. And you'll keep a lookout?» she added, glancing at the chapel door.
«We shall be the perfect decoys, if anyone should come», Vera said with a grin. «Now, Marie, we still have a lot to do. You might at least try to look like you're enjoying plaiting evergreen garlands».
Her ready smile brought a smile to Marie's lips as well, and the other girl re-applied herself to the task as Alyce rose and headed toward the altar. Vera took up a position just inside the door, which she pulled slightly ajar.
Alyce could feel her heart hammering as she padded softly down the chapel's short nave, the parchment packet closed tightly between her cupped hands. Three days before, at her father's interment, the air had been redolent of fine incense and the more cloying perfume of floral tributes. Her stomach stirred a little queasily as she skirted the slab under which Keryell lay, doing her best to recall the incense rather than any faint charnel scent she might imagine in this part of the chapel.
Steadying herself against the altar rail, she genuflected to the Presence signified by the lamp burning above the tabernacle, then eased to her knees, stretching one foot behind her, under her cloak, so that it touched the corner of the grave slab under which her father lay. Then, after mouthing a brief prayer, both for the occupant's soul and her own blessing, she dipped her head briefly to kiss the seal as she had been instructed — and hesitantly swept it with her tongue.
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