The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3)

by Mackenzie Morgan

  “It can’t be …” Yani’s face lost most of its expression as her eyes shifted back to Serra and glazed back over.

  Carrie stepped up with a cup of tea and a small plate of pastries. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “I’m not sure,” Theresa said softly. “She’s a bit confused. Maybe we better take her to the chapel and let her rest a bit. I think she’s one of the ones staying there anyway, but I’d like for you to check with Joan and be sure. Her name’s Yani, Thanzer’s wife, of Lochland. And would you tell Joan we’ll need a buggy back here? I’m not sure she should try to walk around front right now.”

  Carrie nodded and took off again.

  “Yani, I want you to drink this tea.” Theresa put the cup in the woman’s hand and helped her lift it towards her lips. “Just take a few sips.”

  While Theresa was helping Yani drink the tea, Carrie was in Joan’s office explaining about Yani. When Petri heard what Carrie said, he offered to get a buggy and drive Yani down himself. After he left for the stable, Joan looked Yani up in the housing list. When she found the woman’s name, she nodded. “Theresa’s right. She’s staying at the chapel, so her clothes will be there. She can change into something more comfortable. Did Theresa say what’s wrong?”

  Carrie shook her head no. “All I know is she looks like she’ll pass out if she stands up. I have no idea what’s causing it, and from what Theresa said, I don’t think she does either.”

  Joan nodded. “The chapel’s the best place for her. Would you get one of the guards to ride down and let Sister Agnes know she has a patient on the way?”

  Carried nodded. “Anything else?”

  “Find out whether or not Theresa’s going with her and let me know.”

  Carrie was heading out the door when Joan added, “And Carrie?”

  Carrie turned back towards Joan, eyebrows raised.

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter 52

  The Reception

  Around 12:30, Serra turned the playground over to one of the mothers who helped with afternoon supervision so she could take Caitlyn home for a nap. The little girl had had a busy morning entertaining the wives, and even though the excitement of being the center of attention was still bright in her eyes, her eyelids were beginning to droop. Serra had barely gotten the child in bed before Caitlyn’s eyelids closed and her breathing settled into the soft whispers of sleep.

  Allisandra, Danyelle, and Gracie had spent most of the morning preparing for the reception. The entrance hall was set up for refreshments. One table held a variety of finger sandwiches, cheese trays, bread baskets, and plates of fruits and vegetables cut in bite size pieces. A second table held cakes, platters of cookies, brownies, and fruit tarts. A smaller third table had cups, saucers, mugs, dessert plates, and eating utensils, and a final table held pitchers of water, tea, coffee, and scog.

  Each table had a small centerpiece made from Allisandra’s flowers, but the main flower arrangements were in the sitting room where everyone would gather. The women had removed all but one of the armchairs and brought in two more couches, giving them four in all. Then they added a dozen small straight back chairs and two long benches. In the far corner, they had two tables, one against each of the walls, with the armchair between them. They planned to have Laryn sit there to receive her gifts.

  Danyelle grinned as Allisandra put the finishing touches on Laryn’s chair. “You know she’s going to hate it, right?”

  Allisandra laughed. “I know. It’s way too fussy for her. She’d rather have one of the kitchen chairs, but this isn’t for her, it’s for the wives. Wait until you see the crown of flowers I made for her to wear.”

  “She’s going to kill you!”

  “No she won’t,” Allisandra said, rubbing her belly. “I’m eight months pregnant. Do you know how easy it is for me to tear up right now? She’ll do it.”

  Danyelle shook her head. “It’s not fair to use that against her, Alli. And Laryn has a long memory.”

  “I’ll take my chances.”

  “Do you think she’ll wear a dress this afternoon?”

  “That’s Cryslyn’s department. We picked one out last night and Cryslyn guaranteed me she’d get her in it. It’ll look great with the flowers in her crown.”

  “Well, we’ll see, but if she’s in a tunic and leggings, that crown’s going to look awfully silly.”

  Allisandra shook her head. “You’ll see. She’ll not only have on a dress, she’ll have on the perfect dress.”

  While they’d been talking, Allisandra had been fussing with the arrangements around the room. Finally she turned around in a full circle looking at the overall effect. “That’ll do. When are they supposed to start getting here?”

  “Any minute,” Joan answered from the sitting room door. She glanced around the room and let out a low whistle. “This is amazing. You two do good work.”

  “Thank you, but this was my part,” Allisandra said. “Danyelle’s starts now.” She turned to her sister. “Where’s your flute?”

  Danyelle pulled it out of a pocket in her skirt and turned to Joan. “Where would you like for me to sit? In here? In the entrance way? On the stairs?”

  “I’m not sure,” Joan said as she looked around.

  “First things first,” Allisandra interrupted. “Are you going to join her? We hear you play the harp, but I don’t see it around here anywhere.”

  “I do, but not today. There are too many things I need to keep an eye on. Maybe later, while the women are waiting for their rides, but not now.”

  “All right,” Danyelle said. “Why don’t I sit on the stairs for now and find a spot in here near the back after everyone gets a plate?” When Joan nodded, Danyelle turned to Allisandra. “Make sure I have a place to sit.”

  Allisandra nodded, turned one of the straight back chairs in the back row sideways, sat down, and put her feet up in the one next to her. “What do you want to bet no one asks me to move my feet?”

  “You’re milking this pregnancy for all it’s worth,” Danyelle said.

  “You better believe it. Now scoot. You’ve got music to play and I want a quick nap.”

  Danyelle settled at the top of the stairs and played her flute as the guests arrived and mingled. The music danced around the room, playful and lively, soft enough not to interfere with conversation, but loud enough to be heard without straining.

  Joan stood back and watched as platters of food were whisked away and replaced with fresh ones. The servers were so quiet and efficient none of the guests seemed to notice their existence. When they were first planning this reception, Gracie had told her to leave the servers to her, so she had. She wasn’t sure who the servers were or where they’d come from, but they were as good as any she’d ever seen on Earth.

  A few minutes later, Laryn arrived, in one of the most beautiful dresses Joan had ever seen. It was deep blue, and the way the fabric flowed with her every move, it gave the illusion of multiple shades. Her thick black hair was loose and fell in soft waves past her shoulders. Laryn looked distinctly uncomfortable and beautiful at the same time.

  Before Laryn made it through the door, Allisandra rushed over and took charge, pointing to the seat of honor in the corner between the two tables that were already piled high with presents. As they crossed the room, Allisandra explained the order of events for the afternoon. Then she brought out the crown. What she saw in Laryn’s eyes wasn’t gratitude. It wasn’t even pleasure. It was complete and total horror.

  “You expect me to wear that?” Laryn gasped.

  Allisandra put her hand on her belly and started to tear up. “I spent hours making this crown for you to wear today. It’s the perfect accessory for that dress.”

  Laryn’s whole body tensed up, ready to run, but just as she started to shake her head no, a tear slipped out of Allisandra’s eye and made its way down her cheek. When Laryn saw that tear, all the fight went out of her. Her shoulders fell and a look of resignation settled on her face. “Wel
l, since you made it …”

  With a look of pure triumph, Allisandra set the crown of flowers on her sister’s head. She stepped back, nodded, and went back to her seat. She propped her feet up in Danyelle’s chair and settled back to watch Laryn deal with all of this. Her older sister was so very competent in so many things it did Allisandra’s heart good to watch her squirm.

  While the women were serving their plates, movement at the top of the stairs caught Joan’s attention. Serra and Caitlyn were standing at the railing watching the scene below. Joan nodded and Serra took Caitlyn’s hand and started down the steps. As they descended, one of the women leaned towards Joan and asked, “Yours?”

  “No, but I’m looking after her.”

  “She’s precious,” the other woman said. “Did you see her in the sandbox today? She was adorable!”

  Joan shook her head. “I was in the office this morning. What happened?”

  “She showed us her toys and made a sandcastle for us. She even put in a little river so it would be just like ‘her castle’. It was the cutest thing. Does she live at the castle with her mother?”

  By this time, several more women had noticed Caitlyn and walked over to join the group around Joan.

  Joan shook her head. “Her mother’s not here. She was captured by slavers.” Then she told them about the raid in Syrando, how the slavers struck in the middle of the night and jerked people out of their beds. When she told them Caitlyn’s father had been killed trying to save his pregnant sister-in-law, several of the women looked a bit sick. “Caitlyn and her brother, Corey, were the only ones left in the village. They’re staying with us until we can locate their mother.”

  “What are the chances you’ll be able to do that?” one of the women asked.

  Joan shrugged and glanced towards Caitlyn. “I don’t know. Gen. Crandal and Myron had soldiers waiting near the mouth of the Kivee in case they headed out to sea, and Karl went to the auction in Glenarbour to see if any of the captives showed up there, but so far, we haven’t had any luck.”

  “Such a shame,” another woman said, shaking her head.

  Then one of the women said what many of them were thinking, “I hate it happened, but let’s be honest, their parents shouldn’t have lived on the Kivee. Everyone knows the risks of being captured along that river.”

  Joan turned to the woman who had spoken. “They didn’t live on the Kivee. They lived several miles inland, right outside Ashmont. I’d have thought they’d be safe from slavers there, wouldn’t you?”

  Before the conversation could go any further, Caitlyn caught Joan’s eye and motioned her over.

  “Excuse me,” Joan said with a smile, “but Caitlyn’s calling.”

  As the women walked towards the sitting room, Joan overheard one of them say she planned to have a talk with her husband. Someone had to do something about these raids. Before long, no one would be safe.

  Joan grinned as she walked across the room towards Caitlyn. She couldn’t have asked for that to have gone any better.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  The banquet was to begin at 7:00, but by 6:00 the castle was crawling with guests. Kevin wanted to open the doors to the dining room just to have someplace for all these people to go, but Miranda was determined to keep the doors closed until 7:00.

  He’d expected the women to be in the same clothes they’d worn to the brunch. He was wrong. The dresses they were wearing to the banquet were several steps up from the ones they’d worn that morning. He didn’t see how they’d packed all those flowing skirts, wraps, and hats, without ruining them, but it did explain all the luggage they’d had with them.

  The men had managed to get the house framed by sunset, but barely. They’d changed into clean clothes, but there hadn’t been much time for washing up. At least everyone looked nice as they milled around the castle, waiting for the doors to open.

  Laryn’s family was supposed to meet in the reception area of Kevin’s office. His aunts were in the dining room, helping Miranda put the finishing touches on the decorations while his uncles were upstairs, supposedly getting cleaned up and dressed.

  Steve’s “family” gathered in the Governor’s Office with Joan and Karl. Joan had on a dress Gracie had made for her and Theresa had borrowed a formal dress from one of the women in town, but finding something to wear on formal occasions was no problem for Karl and Darrell. They had official uniforms to wear, same as Kevin and Chris.

  Laryn and Steve were hiding in Kevin’s office. Laryn had had all the socializing she could take for one day. As far as she was concerned, the only good thing about the banquet was she would be seated with family. She’d made all the small talk she could handle for a while.

  Kevin had sent Ariel to the dining room before the guests had started arriving with instructions to stay put until Miranda was ready for the family to be seated. He’d also told Ariel to shut the office down after the family went in, that he and Chris would handle anything that came up later, but he’d gotten the impression Ariel wasn’t too sure about that.

  Right before seven, Miranda took one last look around her dining room and told Kevin’s aunts it was time for them to join their husbands. She gave them a few minutes to get ready, and then nodded to Ariel to bring the family in.

  After everyone from both families had gathered in Kevin’s reception area, Shadron stepped in front of the door and whistled to get everyone’s attention. “All right. Everyone’s hungry so let’s get this over with. Line up, husband and wife. And Brandt, escort your sister.”

  “Ahem,” Kyle said loudly. “And those of us without a wife? Where do you want us?”

  Theresa spoke up. “Would you mind escorting me?”

  “It would be my pleasure,” Kyle answered with a bit of a bow and a big grin.

  Then Darrell spoke up. “I think Myron should lead and Chris and I should bring up the end.”

  “Any objections?” Shadron asked.

  “I think Laryn and Steve should be in front. After all, the banquet’s for them,” Kevin said.

  Laryn shook her head. “No, this is your castle. You’re the host now. I played hostess long enough. You lead. Now, does anyone have any other problems?”

  When no one said anything, Shadron said, “Then what are you waiting for? Get in line. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I worked hard today. I’m hungry.”

  Half an hour later, all the guests were seated in the dining room. After Kevin welcomed everyone to the banquet and Shadron gave a quick speech welcoming Steve to the House of Nordin, dinner was served.

  While the plates and glasses were being filled, conversation was light and jovial, but soon a few of the conversations around the room turned serious, especially as far as the women were concerned, and as one group of women turned serious, so did the rest. It rippled across the room like the water of a pond after a stone was dropped in.

  Chris looked at Kevin. “Did we miss something?”

  Kevin gave a faint shrug. “I don’t know.”

  Darrell glanced around. “Something must have happened somewhere today. Ask Joan.”

  Chris, who was seated closer to Joan than the other two, leaned towards her. “Did something happen at the reception we need to know about?”

  Joan frowned. “Nothing other than what we planned. I said Caitlyn and Corey were staying with us until we could find their mother, and I told the ladies around me about the raid, but that’s all as far as I know. Do you think that’s what this is about?”

  “If it is, I’d say the raid struck home,” Karl said. “Some of those wives look angry.”

  A couple of minutes later, Joan asked Theresa what had happened with Yani.

  “I’m not sure. I tried to get her to talk after we got back to the chapel, but all she wanted to do was lie down. Sister Agnes told me she didn’t get back up until time to dress for the banquet. She’s over there.” Theresa tilted her head in Yani’s direction. “The one in the dark blue dress with the puffy sleeves. I assume that’s her husb
and beside her. I’ve been watching them. She hasn’t eaten much, just picked at her food, and the two of them have been involved in some intense conversation. I haven’t seen either of them so much as acknowledge the others at their table.”

  “Wonder what that’s all about?”

  “All I know is she was asking about Serra, and mumbling something about how it can’t be, but I was more concerned with how pale her face was and how unfocused her eyes were. I wasn’t really listening to what she was saying. Do you think it matters?”

  Joan shrugged. “If it does, we’ll hear about it.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Dinner went on for another hour before Laryn whispered to Kevin that no one was eating anymore, and if he would get up, the others could, too. Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen staff had removed all the dishes.

  Cryslyn had arranged for music in the entrance hall for those who wanted to dance. For those who preferred the outdoors, the outside patio was set up with chairs, small tables, and candles. Glowstone torches had been set along the paths in the gardens for anyone who wanted an after-dinner walk, and for those who wanted to chat inside, sitting areas were soon set up in the dining room.

  Kevin made the rounds, and then slipped away to his office, where he found Ariel still manning the front desk. Kevin shook his head as he walked through the reception area, went into his office, and shut his door. He sat down, leaned back, and stretched out his legs. A knock on his door brought him right back up.

  Ariel opened it and stepped inside. “I hate to bother you, but Thanzer, the minister of Lochland, insists he must speak with you this evening.”

  Kevin nodded. “Let him in.”

  Thanzer was only in his mid-forties, but the gray that had invaded his brown hair made him look older, not distinguished. His shoulders drooped like he had been carrying too much weight for too long.

  “I’m sorry to bother you tonight,” he said as he sat down, “but I was afraid if I didn’t speak to you tonight, I wouldn’t get a chance at all, and there’ll be no living with Yani unless I get some answers.”

  Kevin nodded again.