by D. E. Morris
“She only speaks Ibayish Gaelic,” said Badru.
“And she's blind,” Cavalon added.
If Ashlynn's heart could have gone out to the girl any more, it certainly did. “What's her name?”
“Rowan.”
Wetting her lips, Ashlynn thought carefully. Cailin taught her Ibayish Gaelic when she was young, but it had been many years since she'd spoken it or even had to use it. “Dia duit, Rowan. Ashlynn is ainm dom.”
Rowan turned her face toward Ashlynn and answered shyly, “Dia duit.”
“Ní baol duit in éineacht liomsa.” The little girl nodded and Ashlynn smiled sadly. “Poor thing. She looks and smells like she could use a bath and a good meal.”
“She didn't have any belongings,” said Cavalon. “It was terrible, Ashlynn. That this village even exists to begin with, but the conditions in which these people are kept. Rowan was stuffed in a hole in a building by an old woman who recognized she wasn't sick and tried to keep her safe.”
“Well we can be thankful for that at least. Will she come with me, do you think? I'll stay with her and find her something clean to wear.”
“Lord and Lady Grant arrived at court yesterday,” Mairead offered. “They have a daughter about the size of the girl.”
Ashlynn glanced over her shoulder. “Ask Lady Grant if she would mind lending us one of her dresses. We'll have a seamstress get to work in the meantime.” Her hopeful gaze fell upon Rowan again as Mairead left the room. “Ar mhaith leat folctha?” Again Rowan nodded. She unwound her arms from around Cavalon and waited until he set her down before reaching a hand for Ashlynn. The sad, somewhat frightened expression on her face nearly made Ashlynn pull her close and promise her safety as she had just done in Gaelic moments before. Ashlynn gave her hand a gentle squeeze, wishing she could make Rowan truly understand that there was nothing to fear. It would take time, of course, and she was more than willing to invest all she had to.
“What of her father?”
“We were told she was brought in with a cartload of people,” said Badru, “but that they had all perished. Rowan asked if we would find him so I assume they were not together.”
Looking down at the little girl standing patiently beside her, Ashlynn nodded. “I'll see what I can find out from her. though I may need a translator for bath time. Jaryn will be able to speak with her with more ease than I will; after she's clean and comfortable....”
“I'll find someone and send her up to you,” Jaryn promised. Ashlynn nodded, then left the throne room with Zarra and Lilia in her wake, leaving the men alone to speak.
With a questioning quirk of a brow, Cavalon asked, “Is Tasarin here yet?”
“He should be here by morning. There were storms at sea that held him up. How did things go with Jessiah's return?”
“Not good. We'll fill you in after we wash up as well.” Cavalon looked at his hands. “There's no telling what we could have brought back from Bás with us.”
Chapter Eighteen
Everyone was curious about the little girl in Ashlynn's care. Rumors quickly began to spread through the castle halls as to who she was and why the high queen had taken such a keen interest in her. One of the house girls, a young Ibayish woman, joined them in Ashlynn's quarters and set about getting a bath ready. With Ashlynn's permission, she chatted with Rowan in her familiar tongue, but the little girl sat stone still upon Ashlynn's lap as they waited. Lilia had gone to fetch some ribbons in which to tie up Rowan's long hair and returned at the same time Mairead returned, a lovely blue and white dress for Rowan in her possession.
“The poor thing looks exhausted,” said Lilia as she sat on the edge of Ashlynn's bed.
Ashlynn nodded in agreement, brushing hair from Rowan's face. “I can't even begin to imagine what she's been through.”
“Sounds like a lot,” Zarra said softly. When the others looked at her, she gave a small smile. “I know enough of their language for a basic understanding, but I can't speak it well myself.”
“She's been in Bás for some time, Your Majesty.” Ashlynn turned to the maid. “She was separated from her da the day she got the shakes.”
“That must have been the day Nealie died,” Mairead suggested.
“They were together in the town square when it happened - middle of the day. She said she felt the wind get sucked out of her and couldn't control her body. Then she was warm and tingly all over. Next thing she knew she was being hauled off by royal guards and thrown into a cart that was taking people away to Bás.”
“That's horrible!” exclaimed Lilia, disgust on her face. “In what kingdom is it perfectly fine to tear a child away from their parent and ship them off to be invisible and die alone?” Accusing eyes turned to Ashlynn. “Does Siness have a place like that?”
“Of course not.”
“Unfortunately,” Mairead injected somberly, “it is not an uncommon occurrence in history. The ill and the physically imperfect were oftentimes seen as a direct reflection upon the ruling family itself, an omen if you will. If there were diseases like that under their rule, surely the reigning king or queen were of impurity themselves and it was brought out as punishment upon their people.”
“Diseases,” spat Lilia. “They are human beings!”
“Many of the newer rulers agreed,” Mairead said with a nod. “Ways of thinking evolved and shifted. Most of the villages like Bás were destroyed. I would not be surprised if Siness had one at some point in time. Our nation's history is full of black moments.” She met Ashlynn's gaze. “As much as we love our country, we will not always love its past.”
Zarra frowned. “Especially those of us who hail from Caedia.”
Rowan said something and they all turned to the maid for a translation. “She said her father told her Caedia was the Great Dragon's land.” The maid's brows twitched together and she asked Rowan a question, to which the little girl nodded. “I believe she is much like Lady Zarra, Your Majesty. She can understand some of what you're saying but doesn't know how to rightly reply.” To lend credence to what the maid said, Rowan nodded again.
“Well that makes it a bit easier.” Ashlynn smiled down at the girl. “Ready for your bath then?”
Rowan nodded and rose from Ashlynn's lap but immediately slid her hand into Ashlynn's. She remained quiet as she was undressed, her cheeks coloring only slightly when she was picked up and set into the steaming water. In the very moment that Rowan's feet were submerged her eyes widened and a gasp passed her lips. Ashlynn noticed but continued to lower the girl into the water anyway, knowing it couldn't possibly be that hot.
“Ashlynn...” Lilia rose from where she sat and looked queerly at the girl.
Rowan's breathing was rapidly gaining speed and Ashlynn touched her arm. “Are you all right?”
“Is féidir liom a fheiceáil...”
“You can...see?”
“Is féidir liom a fheiceáil!”
Zarra reached out and grabbed Ashlynn's arm to pull her back, positioning herself between her queen and the tub, but Ashlynn was not easily protected. She grasped Zarra by the shoulders and moved her aside to return to Rowan as she was sinking deeper into the water. The housemaid rushed forward upon being beckoned and spoke quickly to Rowan. She was already up to her shoulders in the hot water, her chin just below the surface. An awed smile lifted the corners of her mouth and both women could see the way her fingers moved about in the water. All at once she completely submerged herself, her cheeks puffed with air as she swam around the bottom of the wooden tub. The three younger women rushed forward to watch as well and Lilia laughed.
“Look at her! She's like a little mermaid!”
Zarra practically squealed. “Or a water dragon!”
The statement made Ashlynn catch her breath and instantly pushed everyone back. If Rowan shifted there would be no telling how big she'd be or what her temperament would be like. They all watched and waited, pressed up against the far side of the wall. Rowan had been under the water for much lon
ger than any normal person would be able, but there was still splashing coming from the tub and every now and then they would see a hand, a flash of dark red hair, a foot as she flipped over. Then, without warning, her head popped up over the edge and she gave an exuberant laugh. Everyone let out a collective breath and Ashlynn hurried forward, unable to keep herself from smiling. Yet as soon as she was close, Rowan shot out her arms and took Ashlynn's face in her hands. They were warm, nearly hot to the touch from the water, but she didn't move as tiny soaking fingers explored her face.
Every few seconds Rowan would dip her hand in the water, then return to Ashlynn, making her wet in the process, but she dared not move and held a warning finger out behind her when she heard the girls drawing close.
“Álainn.”
A smile split Ashlynn's face and she reached up to cover one of Rowan's hands with her own. “You are the beautiful one, sweet girl.”
Rowan giggled and threw her arms around Ashlynn, not at all concerned with how wet she made the older woman in the process.
“I don't understand,” said Lilia. “I thought she was blind.”
“She is,” Ashlynn confirmed. She disentangled Rowan's arms from around her and let the girl go back under the water to swim around. The housemaid offered her a towel and she gladly accepted, chuckling. “But like all Elementals, she has a certain kinship to her specific Element. I remember when Elas was leading Kenayde and me through the tunnels under the monastery in Caedia...I always thought he simply knew the right ways to go, but perhaps the water let him see things we couldn't.”
Lilia shook her head. “I still don't understand.”
“Have you ever seen Elas in his shifted form?” Zarra asked. “He's got white eyes, remember?”
“White eyes,” muttered Lilia. “Is Elas blind when he's a dragon, then?”
It was not easy to make Ashlynn blush, but the inability to answer the question with a factual answer made her cheeks redden in embarrassment. “I honestly don't know.”
Lilia smirked. “The man is going to become your brother-in-law and you don't know whether or not he is blind when shifted?”
“I had other things on my mind!” Ashlynn handed the towel back to the housemaid and ran her hands over the skirt of her gown to flatten any invisible wrinkles. “The only times I saw him as a dragon were when we met and during the war. It was never a real concern of mine.”
“But wasn't one of his eyes white when he was human?” Mairead asked. Ashlynn shot her a look that spoke volumes. She expected teasing from Lilia because that was the type of relationship they had. Zarra joined in when the teasing wasn't over her head, but Mairead was supposed to be the one to always come to her defense. The young woman tried her best not to smile but it was hard not to under the betrayed stare of her queen.
“My point,” huffed Ashlynn, “is that Gaels have unique abilities according to their Element. As an Elemental, there are added and heightened abilities. The water must allow Rowan to see somehow. The way she kept wetting her hands and then touching me, it must act as some sort of second sight. I don't know that I truly understand it, but Cavalon or Badru may. If Rowan has this ability, I'm sure Nealie must have had it as well.”
Zarra was pensive. “Does that mean you can use the earth to see things? If we threw dirt on something and you closed your eyes, could you see it?”
The other two girls shared a smirk, but Ashlynn shook her head with carefully concealed amusement. “I don't think so. To be honest, I don't know very much about what I can and cannot do in my shifted form yet. Cavalon gave me and Luella a brief summary of what each Elemental was like and basic abilities, but from all the legends and songs I've heard of the Elementals, their gifts are many and quite powerful.”
“And you haven't explored that?” asked Lilia. “If I were an Elemental that's all I'd be doing.”
“Perhaps if I was not a high queen I would be.”
The answer shushed the younger woman and attention gradually drifted back to the splashing child in the tub. Her water must have been cold and quite dirty by now, but she hardly seemed to care. It didn't bother Ashlynn at all. As far as she was concerned, she would let the girl play as long as she wanted. After what she had been through, Rowan deserved to have a little fun.
“Have my supper brought up to me here. I'd like to spend some more time with Rowan on my own and get her dressed and settled in if I can.”
Mairead raised a brow. “What about the housemaid?”
“I'll make do. I know enough of her language to get by and if she can understand me she can certainly learn how to speak the words she is sure she knows.” She smiled at her ladies. “Go and enjoy your evening. I'll send for you if I need you.”
The housemaid left the room first, followed by Zarra and Mairead. Lilia, however, paused at the door and looked fondly at Ashlynn. “Be careful you don't fall in love. She may have family out there somewhere.”
“I make no promises.”
~*~*~*~
Jaryn couldn't believe what he was hearing. He paced around his desk and looked up at a large tapestry on the wall of all seven Celtique Nations, shaking his head. “So Donnchadh flipped on Jessiah just like that?” He turned around to look at Cavalon, Badru, and Wessely. “That doesn't make any sense.”
“No it does not,” agreed Wessely. “Donnchadh has always been a reasonable man, even before he was high king.”
Cavalon shrugged. “I don't know what to tell you. He was cold to us when we were before him the first time and when we went back it was like we were on top of his most hated list.”
“Something must have happened,” Wessely mused aloud. “Ibays is still a fairly weak nation and would not risk making enemies with anyone right now. They simply cannot afford it. Much of their land is still infertile. They assumed they would never get it back and because of their assumed defeat, they did everything they could to poison the land against Tadhg. They rely heavily upon trade with nearby nations, especially Lerranyth. They have a grand capital but only on the surface.”
Badru frowned. “Is it possible that he had no care about us because we are from so far away? Neither my country nor Cavalon's has any dealings with the Celtique lands. Perhaps he is cordial to those with whom he must bargain and takes out his frustrations upon those he has no fear of alienating.”
Jaryn shook his head again. “He knows you both. You're not mere travelers, you're Elementals. You hold more sway than kings and queens, according to some. I would think he would realize it is just as dangerous to make an enemy of you as it is of other nations.”
The heavy door to the library opened and Lilia entered, causing the men to look up with question. “Lady Lilia,” Wessely greeted, “to what do we owe this pleasure?”
“Forgive my interruption. I wanted to let you know that Rowan has discovered a new talent. At least it seemed new. Apparently she can see through the water. After she soaked Ashlynn's face it appeared she could actually see her.”
“Nealie had a similar gift,” said Badru. “Much like Cavalon sees better in the light and Luella sees better in the dark, the Water Elemental can use water to identify shapes and depths, in effect, to see where they normally cannot.”
Lilia smirked. “She was quite thrilled by it. You should have seen her splashing around and laughing. I won't be surprised if Ashlynn has a hard time getting her to dry off.”
Jaryn chuckled. “If that was the only way I could see, I'd feel the same way.”
Trying to be sly, Lilia's gaze dropped to Jaryn's desk in an effort to get an idea of what they were discussing. With nothing telling, she looked at Cavalon and Badru and asked, “When will Jessiah be returning?”
The two men glanced at each other, but Badru was the one to answer. “It is unlikely that he will be.”
Sensing something amiss, she looked around the room at all four men. “What happened?”
Badru turned to Jaryn for guidance and he nodded, and for the second time that night the story of their recent
trip to Ibays was told. Rather than looking feint, as most women would, an anger was sparked within Lilia and she looked to Jaryn as though he were not the king she served, but an equal.
“You can't let Donnchadh kill him!”
“I can, and as much as it sickens me, I must.” Lilia turned the full force of her angry gaze upon him, but years of having a similar smoldering glare cast his way by Ashlynn made him almost numb to it. “Jessiah is an Ibayish citizen who served Donnchadh in high court. On what grounds would anyone from Siness have to go there and demand he be turned over?”
“Royals, lords and ladies, men and women with and without power come to stay here at Sinessian court all the time. They are here now. Are they not under your rule as well as the kingdom from which they come?” Lilia looked around for support, but no one offered her an answer. “Well?”
“It is often a gray area,” Wessely supplied. “The severity of the crime holds weight, as does favor with the high court. Depending on the ruling king and queen, a crime committed may be dealt with in the convict's own kingdom with their king and queen deciding their fate, or the high king and queen may take matters into their own hands.”
Cavalon shook his head. “Not that it matters. Jessiah's from Ibays.”
“But he's not.” With all attention on her, Lilia's scowl deepened. “He's from Caedia originally. He was born in a small fishing village under the rule of a tiny kingdom Tadhg hardly noticed when he was on the throne. Not Nivar,” she added quickly as the others looked at Wessely, thinking of the fishing village Oceana sat high above. “No, this kingdom is even smaller than Oceana's reach. The castle isn't even really a castle, according to Jessiah.”
“What was it called?” asked Wessely.
“Redstone. Apparently it isn't there anymore.”
Wessely nodded and looked at Jaryn. “Redstone was destroyed only a year before Ashlynn returned to Siness. It was invaded by Whitepearl, a larger kingdom to the south.”
“He and his brother were taken from their parents and separated from each other,” Lilia continued, pleased Wessely could support some of her story. “They were fourteen and they never saw each other again.”