by R. M Garino
“Thank you,” Arielle said, after swallowing to find her voice. Her eyes flicked to her parents and back to Angus’ grandfather. Brocco’s gregarious nature helped to take the edge off a tense situation. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”
“Stop the nonsense, child” Brocco said. “There’s no one here but family. We do not stand on such formality.”
“Father,” Chrysies said, still kneeling by her mother’s chair, “you forget yourself.”
Brocco smiled at his daughter, though she could not see him. “Impossible,” he said. “Your mother reminds me of who I am on a daily basis.”
Turning to Arielle, he added in a feigned whisper, “Sometimes several times a day.”
Chrysies ignored her father, and searched her mother’s face. “The children are here, Mother,” she said. “You wanted them to stay?”
Thenaria did not respond, but continued to stare. Her upper lip trembled.
“Well, this is getting us nowhere,” Brocco said. He took hold of Chrysies’ elbow and induced her to stand. “See to the children.”
Kneeling beside Thenaria, he pressed his forehead against hers. Melinah stayed behind Thenaria’s chair, stealing occasional glances at her brother and Arielle.
“What’s going on?” Angus said.
“I do not know,” Chrysies said, crossing her arms, but not taking her gaze from her mother. “I’ve never seen her like this.”
Angus could feel Arielle’s unease, almost as if it were his own. It was separate from his, but just as sharp, and just as queasy. He gave her what reassurance he could.
“We had planned to make the formal introductions tonight with dinner, Arielle.” Talon tucked his thumbs behind his sword belt and gave Dugal a nod. “My apologies for such an abrupt change of plans.”
“There’s no need to apologize, Elc’atar,” Arielle said. “I truly am honored to be here.”
“Well, sit,” Talon said. “We might as well be comfortable while we wait.”
Angus pulled out a chair and held it for Arielle. He let go as she sat, catching an approving glance from Dugal, and moved to a chair of his own.
Thenaria sat up as soon as their hands disengaged.
“Come here, boy,” Thenaria said. Angus jumped at the command. Glancing at his mother’s surprised face, he went to stand before his grandmother. Brocco moved a wary step toward his grandson.
All trace of her stupor had vanished. It was replaced by her usual stern expression, and she sat straighter in her chair. The hummingbird settled for a moment on the top of it, as if it too were watching him. Angus forced himself to square his shoulders. Thenaria beckoned him closer by crooking her finger at him. She waved him on as he hesitated. He could not remember her ever touching him, even in passing. She grasped his hand. The contact was alien and strange, her flesh warm and dry. She placed her other hand over his, and bent her head over it. She studied his face with her sightless eyes. Angus could read the confusion in her sin’del, which quivered and spiked at random intervals.
“Come here, child,” Thenaria said to Arielle, beckoning her over while still holding onto Angus.
Arielle was even more hesitant than Angus, but made a better show of covering it. She walked straight to the Matriarch, and offered her hand.
The moment Thenaria touched her, Angus’ world was engulfed in a blinding whiteness. The roar of rushing air filled his ears, and he felt as if he were rising far above where he stood. His thoughts froze in place, somewhere between wonder and dread, and time disappeared from his awareness.
Reality returned in a rush, and he stumbled backward with the impact of sensory information. Everyone stood in the exact position they had, but each face was alight with awe. No one spoke. Arielle stumbled back a moment later, and he steadied her.
Thenaria sat back in her chair, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was smiling, however, and her sin’del was ablaze with pure joy. Angus had never seen her radiate such happiness. She rose from her seat and hugged him.
“Thank you, child,” she whispered to him, pressing her face against his. She kissed his forehead and moved to hug Arielle. She repeated her whisper, and the lingering kiss. She searched the family that surrounded her. Her gaze alighted upon Brocco, and she collapsed into his arms, sobs shaking her shoulders despite the joy that continued to emanate from her. Brocco held her, his hand cradling the back of her head.
Chrysies ushered her husband and daughter away, gathering Angus, Arielle and Arielle’s family in her wake, leaving her parents alone.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Cannot Proceed
“There was a nimbus of light that surrounded the three of you,” Chrysies said as she set down her cup of tea. The family had moved to Trenton’s atrium, and sat at his garden table, taking advantage of their host’s generosity. As it was past midday, Talon had a quick word with the Master of the Gates. He arranged not only for sustenance, but also for Angus and Arielle to be relieved of duty for the day. The word had been spread that the Matriarch was indisposed, and the Conclave postponed.
“I could not see any of you,” Chrysies said. “It did not last long. A few moments at best. But even my higher mind could not see what was happening.”
“I saw something,” Melinah said, as she pushed her fruit around her plate with a fork. Her voice was soft and far away, as if the memory troubled her. “I saw grandma. She was speaking to a little girl. And it didn’t take a few moments. They talked for almost an hour.”
“What do you mean?” Chrysies said. “The sun barely moved in the sky.”
Melinah struggled with her explanation. It was plain that she had a different interpretation of what transpired, but she could not reconcile it with everyone else’s.
“Time slowed when she touched you,” she said to Angus and Arielle. “It was like there were two different times. The one our bodies experience, and the one our minds experience. I saw them both. It’s very confusing.”
Chrysies seemed troubled by her daughter’s account. Talon met her gaze across the table, and his sin’del bent toward his wife in silent communication. As one, they shifted their attention to Arielle’s parents.
“What you describe,” Chrysies said, though the hesitation was evident in her voice, “it is what happened when I spoke with the Lo’ademn Thelas in Reven Marthal. Your father swears I was in the chamber for less than an hour, but I am convinced it was a dozen.”
“I had the same experience,” Arrolyn said.
“And I,” said Dugal.
“And I as well,” said Shane.
“So,” Angus said, “Arielle and I are Lo’ademn?”
Shane gave a nervous chuckle, though no one else joined him. Arielle did not think it was the time for humor. Out of all the possible scenarios she’d imagined for meeting the Matriarch, she had not been prepared for what had taken place.
“Technically, yes,” Talon said. “We all are. A Lo’ademn is an Aesari, just as we once were. The only difference is that they are still complete, while we are fragmented. And they are determined to destroy us.”
“Wow, that does not help,” Angus said to his father. “Not at all.”
“Speculation is useless,” Chrysies said. “We will not know what happened until Mother shares it with us. Until then, we serve no purpose in chasing shadows.”
“True,” Arrolyn said. “So, let us move on to more immediate problems. You two.”
Arielle and Angus glanced at each other, and then back to her mother.
“What’d I do this time?” Angus said.
“It is nothing that you did,” Chrysies said, giving Angus a scowl for his attempt at humor. “It is what you are doing.”
“Hey, hold on,” Angus said. “Father and I have already had the talk. Besides, Melinah’s present.”
Arielle buried her face to hide her embarrassment.
Shane, however, slapped Angus on the back of the head, hard enough to elicit a grunt. “What, exactly, are you doing with my sister?” he s
aid.
“Studying,” Angus said. “Lots and lots of studying, just as your father wished.”
“Angus, can you please stop?” Chrysies said. “This is all difficult enough as it is without your foolishness. I was speaking of your relationship in a broader sense.”
Arielle peeked out from behind her fingers.
“My apologies, Regent,” Arielle said. “I am not sure I understand.”
“First of all, my dear, you can stop calling me Regent. Chrysies will do just fine for now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Arielle said, unsure that she could jump so far above protocol.
“You two have been a problem for us in the past,” Chrysies said, as if choosing her words with care. “When you were younger, you became very close.”
“We all felt it would be best to separate you for a time,” Arrolyn said.
“Now, however, it looks as if you have picked up where you left off. That leaves us with the same problem.”
“Okay, I’m lost,” Angus said, throwing up his hands.
“So be patient and listen,” Talon said. “Your mother is trying to be delicate with an awkward situation.”
“How is this awkward?” Angus said.
“Mind your temper, lad,” Talon said. “And listen.”
Angus drew a breath, trying to follow his father’s advice. Arielle transferred her gaze from his parents to her own. All were uncomfortable, and for the life of her, she could not understand why.
“I remember when we were younger,” Arielle said. “I was little, and did not know what was going on. But I do remember that there was a certain tension in the air. I felt it from my parents, and I felt it from you.”
“You are quite right, my dear,” Chrysies said. “Tension is a good way to put it.”
“A light way to put it,” Dugal said. “I’m sure they’ll be better off if we do not coat the issue with niceties.”
“I think ‘tension’ suffices,” Arrolyn said, siding with Angus’ mother. “For now.”
“Anyone can see how besotted with each other you two are,” Chrysies said, without acknowledging the commentary. “Your sin’dels track each other like the sun chasing the moons. But before we go much further, I fear I have to be indelicate. I have to ask, Arielle, where does your relationship with Logan Fel’Mekrin stand? There was talk of an engagement, if I am not mistaken.”
“That is beside the point!” Dugal said, standing from his chair, voice raised. “Indelicate, indeed!”
“Dugal,” Arrolyn said, touching her husband’s arm. “Sit down, please.”
“I will not!” he said. “She is all but accusing our daughter of harlotry with such a question. I will not be seated.”
“The question was not meant to offend.” Chrysies touched her husband’s arm as Talon also began to rise. “And, I do believe that it is germane to the topic. Given the situation, should we not be concerned if there existed another suit? Would you not be concerned if the roles were reversed?”
Dugal glared at Chrysies, and at Talon, as if daring him to stand so he would not have to answer the Regent’s question.
The question stunned Arielle, coming from such an unexpected direction. It had the same effect it always did, regardless of the source. Her chin lifted in response. Angus placed his hand on top of hers. She could feel his surging fury, and her own became more pronounced as they touched.
“Remove your hand, Angus,” Shane said. It was not a threat, but the edge of command was present. “You’re not helping.”
Angus complied, his rage stalling from the unexpected comment. As they broke contact, Arielle’s ire diminished.
“You were feeding off each other,” Shane said. “For now, keep your hands to yourselves, please.”
Arielle did not want to talk about Logan. Not here, and not with either family, but especially with Angus’ parents. The very idea was a violation, an admission of some sort of guilt. She dropped her gaze to the table. She knew the request was valid and that it was asked not out of malice, but out of concern for their son.
“The talk of an engagement never got beyond talk,” she said. “And that was mostly between Logan and my father. I have no relationship with him now, and I have not for some time.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Chrysies said. “It will make a complicated situation less so.”
“Please get to the point,” Angus said, after sparing a glance at Dugal. He forestalled Talon’s comment. “I’m sorry for my tone, and I’m not trying to be rude, Father, but I’ve been hearing these half-veiled comments for months now, and I can’t take much more.”
“Apology accepted,” Talon said. He squinted at his wife as if asking her opinion. She made no move to indicate her position. He shrugged, and focused his attention to Angus and Arielle.
“When you were little, a unity formed between you,” Talon said. Arielle felt her eyes widen at the revelation, and disparate pieces of memory fitting together. “You were both five. Far too young to be connected. It was a scandal that neither family wanted to accept. So we separated you. We took Angus back with us to Reven Marthal, and you remained at the Vaults.”
“It formed on its own,” Arrolyn said. “It is a natural outgrowth of who you are. Each of you is drawn to the other, and your sin’dels connect of their own accord. The E’ine pronounced you both a True Soul when we brought the matter to their attention. We knew that should you meet again the process would repeat itself. We had hoped, however, that you would be older when it happened.”
Arielle could not separate her gaze from her mother. She could feel how stunned Angus was, and could hear the buzz of his thoughts slowing as he tried to process the information.
For her own part, Arielle realized that she was not shaken by the revelation. It made a particular sense to her, and it fit with her memories. It explained a great deal about what she was experiencing now, and the apparent absence of emotion in her during her time with Logan, with whom she’d shown a complete lack of initiative. She was filled with a sense of regret as a result. For her, their time together had been a hollow pantomime, she acting the way she was expected to, but failing to follow her own desires. Beyond Logan’s behavior and possessiveness, her lack of connection to him had been her motivation to end their relationship. And now, she knew why. He was not Angus, and that connection could not exist with another. In a way, she felt as if she’d always known the truth of the situation, but had not understood enough to communicate that understanding.
Angus faced her, and she smiled at how bright his sin’del pulsed. She took his hand, reveling in how her own elation surged. Her doubts bled away, and she allowed herself to simply enjoy her happiness.
“As it is,” Talon said, interrupting their moment, “you are both still very young.”
“Agreed,” Dugal said. “Your youth would still cause gossip and speculation.”
Angus frowned at his father. “You’re worried about a scandal?” he said.
“You are a member of the royal family, my son,” Chrysies said. “And Arielle is a member of the noble House of the Areth’kon. There are certain considerations to be had.”
“That’s why I’m not allowed out without a dozen chaperons,” Melinah said, a touch of bitter irony in her voice. She was seated with her legs tucked under her, and her head propped up. Her eyes were downcast, the same blue gray as Angus’, but without the trace of mischief his possessed.
“They’re there to protect everyone else from you, darling,” Talon said. “Not the other way around.”
“So what are you telling us?” Angus said, ignoring his sister’s comment. He held Arielle a little tighter, as if afraid to let go of her. She squeezed his hand in return.
“We are discussing options,” Arrolyn said, “not coming to conclusions. This is not a discussion that will be very short, unfortunately.”
“Do we have a say?” Arielle said. She knew that regardless of the answer, she and Angus would proceed as they saw fit. He had been taken from her o
nce, and she would not let that happen again.
“Yes, you have a say,” Dugal said.
“Aye,” Talon said, “that you do.”
“Good. Then I say we leave things just as they are,” Angus said. Arielle shifted her chair closer to show her support.
An approaching sin’del caught everyone’s attention, and all faced the gravel path that wound through the garden beds. Brocco approached, whistling as he walked. Chrysies and Talon stood, eager for news. Brocco waved them back to their seats.
“She’s fine,” he said. He pulled out a chair and sat. “She’s sleeping now.”
“What happened?” Chrysies said as she followed her father’s progress.
Brocco shrugged. “She did not say. But I will tell you that I have never seen her so blissful. Whatever it is you two did, you have all my blessings and thanks for doing it.”
“I’ve never seen my mother cry,” Chrysies said. “It was a bit disconcerting. You’re sure she’s fine?”
“Yes. She is,” Brocco said as he helped himself to a ladle of diced fruit and herbs. “I’ve never seen her cry, either. So I understand your concern. Be at ease. She is more than fine.”
The families considered his words in silence, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.
“What have I missed?” Brocco said.
“We were discussing what to do with the children,” Chrysies said, though she did not seem to pay the matter her full mind.
Brocco harrumphed and gave a dismissive shake of his head.
“What would you say, Consort?” Arrolyn said.
Brocco’s face radiated calm understanding as he considered Arielle’s mother. “It’s funny how you make that sound like a slur,” he said with another shake of his head. “If we’re going to be formal, Field Marshal, I must insist on my proper title.”
“And that might be?” Dugal said.
“Father, no,” Chrysies said, sitting up straighter, her attention back on the conversation.
