by L. M. Roth
“Why look, Charis!” she exclaimed. “It is your cousin, the one you have not seen for so long. How long has it been?”
She asked this last as she put an arm around Maelys and drew back the hood of her cloak, exposing the crop of copper curls. Just then one of the men loading the dock passed by and stopped when he beheld Maelys’ flaming crown of glory. He let out a low whistle and Maelys made haste to get away from him. The older woman took the hint and led her away from the dock to where her husband still stood waiting for the signal to embark.
She presented Maelys to him, and he openly stared at the sight of the strange young woman whom his wife had taken under her wing. Maelys felt shy under the examination; she had never left the confines of her village, and the sight of people from a culture so different from her own made her feel like an ignorant country girl who knew nothing of the world.
Now that they were out of earshot of the sailors, the older woman introduced herself and her family.
“I am Thais Archippos, and this is my husband Herakleios. You have already met our daughter Charis. We have been on an errand in Valerium and are enroute to Lycenium, our home. And you?”
Maelys hastened to return the woman’s gracious kindliness with a friendly greeting of her own.
“I am Maelys Adalbart. I am from Eirinia and I am also bound for Lycenium,” she answered with a grateful smile.
“Well, Maelys,” the woman answered with a voice so warm and gentle that it nearly reduced Maelys to tears of relief, “you shall travel with us, for your own protection. It is not wise for a young woman, especially one as comely as yourself, to travel alone.”
She said this with a little frown, but whether one of sternness or puzzlement Maelys was not certain. In exchange for their generous offer of protection she felt the need to be honest in regards to her circumstances.
“I do realize that, but am forced by necessity to travel alone and disguised as a boy,” she explained. “I seek news of my father who left on an errand of importance several weeks ago. My mother has young children at home and cannot leave them. I insisted on going in search of him, although she warned me that my disguise would fool no one.”
And here she sighed ruefully and shook her curls in frustration. Thais burst out laughing and impulsively hugged Maelys about the shoulders. Then she sobered and did a curious thing.
She glanced about her furtively from the corners of her eyes and fumbled in the sleeve of her cloak with a casual air. From her sleeve she extracted a small object, which she briefly displayed to Maelys, so briefly that at first she wasn’t sure whether she had truly seen what she thought she had. That the object was of some importance was evident by the sudden tension in Thais’ manner, and the intensity of the gaze she cast on Maelys.
The small object was a pearl. Somewhere in her memory there lurked a tale her father had once told her when she was a small child. She grasped for it, certain that it had some bearing on the present situation. Then she remembered.
“Oh!” she gasped, and regarded Thais with widened eyes. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
Thais visibly relaxed.
“At first, I thought that was perhaps the reason for your attempt at a disguise, that you were in danger in Valerium and needed to hide your identity.”
Thais drew closer to the girl and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“But no Alexandrian is safe in Valerium any more. The Emperor is punishing all those who call on Dominio, and the sooner we leave for home the better.”
The days passed quickly and pleasantly at sea. Maelys was surprised and pleased at how quickly the Archippos family put her at her ease. She soon ceased to see the difference between their attire and her own, as she became aware of the deeper refinement of their natures. True Alexandrians they were, and as Judoc had once remarked, in Alexandros there was no difference between rich and poor, Valerian or Eirini, but they were all one family of believers.
But Judoc had said that based on her own experiences with Dag and his friends in the days of their youth when she had known these people from different lands and cultures. For her daughter, the only people she had met from distant lands were her sisters-in-law, one whom she loved, and the other whom she despised. It was a new and rewarding experience as she bonded with these strangers, understanding fully what it meant to be one family, and in one accord.
It was almost too soon before they came to Lycenium, the fabled city where East meets West, as Cort had told her. She bounded on deck the morning of their arrival, eager to see the place which according to legend, Lysandros had built to win the hand of his true love. It was now October, and the cold crisp air of the elevation of this mountain metropolis was invigorating as it stirred her blood and brightened her eyes.
As their ship passed slowly down the river and into port, Maelys savored the glimpses of bustling activity that she spied from her place onboard. Never had she seen so many people, all engaged in some pursuit, whether of business or pleasure she could not tell at this distance. But the sounds and sights thrilled her. At last she was going to see a real city!
She took leave of the Archippos family with genuine reluctance. She had so enjoyed their company and realized she would miss them greatly. To her surprise, however, she would not be parted from them for long.
“Oh, you seek the Maximus family, do you?” Thais exclaimed. “Well, we can take you to them, for they are some of our dearest friends in the city. But first, come home with us and we will send a message of your arrival to Tullia.”
And that was how Maelys came to the home of Marcus Maximus, which would prove to be a providential meeting for her. Very providential indeed.
Chapter XIX
Of Mystics and Diviners
Felicia was so overjoyed that she rushed to embrace her, flinging all decorum aside, just as she had done in the days of freedom in Solone.
Kyrene had just arrived at the House of Hadrianus, and at the first sight of her former mentor the pupil forgot her newfound dignity as a matron of Lycenium. She besieged Kyrene with kisses and a warm hug, before drawing back to look at her.
Kyrene returned the embrace, but remembering the circumstances under which they had parted, she felt an impulse to tease the daughter of her old friends.
“Well, young lady,” she said as she pulled a stern face, “what have you to say for the manner in which you left my school?”
She frowned on Felicia, who had the grace to blush and stammered slightly before she detected the faint twinkle in Kyrene’s eye.
“Oh, I am so sorry at the way I left you! But I was upset with my mother and wished to run away from the life she would have had me live in Lycenium. It was only later that I thought of how my behavior impacted you.”
She took Kyrene’s hand in hers and placed it against her own cheek.
“Please forgive me for my thoughtlessness,” she whispered softly, as a shimmer of tears shone in her blue eyes.
It was not in Kyrene’s nature to stay angry for long, and she patted Felicia’s other cheek with her free hand. Then she smiled at her and all was forgiven and forgotten as they embraced once more. They linked arms together and strolled casually through the atrium and out to the grounds.
Here they stopped briefly as they surveyed the spacious gardens and extensive surroundings.
“Do you see?” Felicia queried. “This would be an excellent setting for a school. There are many rooms in the villa, and so much space outside where pupils could walk and enjoy nature. Just think: you could mentor your own students here as well as train believers in Lycenium!”
Kyrene looked about her, but not with the enthusiasm that Felicia felt. She had never been comfortable in such a setting, recalling her stay with the aunt of Felix in her fine villa long ago. And its purpose the pursuit by herself, Felix, and Marcus Maximus of the very man who owned this estate that her pupil now displayed with such pardonable pride.
The thought made her shudder in horror, remembering the outcome of their hunt…
> To Felicia, however, she merely turned a noncommittal smile, and attempted to find words that would alleviate the refusal that she knew she must give her. For Kyrene had traveled to Lycenium not to accept Felicia’s offer, but simply to see her once more and make peace with her. And with Tullia, whom she both longed and dreaded to see, certain that her old friend blamed her for her daughter’s escape from the school.
At the moment, she preferred to congratulate Felicia on her marriage, a marriage that astounded her. Not only had Felicia resisted with all of her will a marriage to anyone at such a young age before she had experienced adventure and freedom; the identity of the groom had shocked Kyrene so greatly that she found sleep a difficulty for several days after she received the news of it.
“I must say that I was surprised at hearing the news of your marriage,” she said. “For the last time I saw you that was the last tie that you wished to bind yourself to, as I recall.”
She merely smiled at Felicia, but waited with an anxiety she tried to conceal for the girl’s reply to her observation.
Her unspoken question was answered with a burst of laughter that transformed Felicia’s face, bathing it in a glow that seemed to radiate from a joy somewhere deep within.
“Oh, I know; that was the reason I ran away from the school was to avoid being sent to Lycenium to seek a husband. But almost from the moment I met Antonius I loved him. He is so kind and gentle, truly he is. I have never met anyone more loving and thoughtful of others. How could I not love one so fine as him? He was impossible to resist!”
She sighed and her eyes looked back at Kyrene with such a dreamy expression that Kyrene was satisfied that it was a true love match. And that Felicia had not an inkling about the tumultuous history of her father-in-law with her own parents…
“Well, you are to be congratulated then,” she said as she patted Felicia’s arm. “But about this other matter…”
She paused and stopped to consider her words. Kyrene felt a revulsion at even stepping foot on the property of the man who had killed her beloved Felix. How could she possibly take up residence in his house, even temporarily? The thought was too hideous to be borne!
“I do not feel that is the will of Dominio,” she at last replied. “I have my roots in Solone, and the pupils there depend on me. And they would feel out of place in Lycenium. You recall how simple is their mode of living: can you truly picture any one of them as a guest in your fine villa?”
Felicia appeared genuinely surprised: she had been certain that Kyrene would be delighted to accept her offer. She would be living in gracious surroundings, close to her old friends. The pupils would be exposed to a mode of living that was wholly new to them, as well as have access to the refinements of Lycenium culture that all the wealthy parents of the civilized world wanted their sons and daughters to experience.
And then Felicia realized how much she herself had changed since her return home and her subsequent marriage to Antonius.
For had she not gloried in the very freedom she had experienced in Solone, where the sea and the sky met with such a brilliant blaze of blue that one could not tell where the one began and the other ended? Was it not the very primitive quality of the landscape that had so entranced her, she who was accustomed to manicured lawns and formal gardens graced by sparkling fountains and sculpted statuary?
And the other students; she remembered suddenly their simple garments and rustic manners. How could she for a moment have imagined that they would feel at home in such a grand setting as the House of Hadrianus? And how could they not feel other than self-conscious among the elegant citizens of Lycenium itself?
She turned a rueful smile on Kyrene.
“I suppose you are right, Kyrene. In my eagerness to see you once again and continue my training I permitted my imagination to get carried away.
“But I do long to continue my training! While you are visiting, could you meet with me and teach me more, so that I may perfect my gift and be able to use it to its fullest extent?”
Kyrene nodded her head soberly as she looked at her former pupil with affection.
“Yes, we can do that. But I think it best that I stay with your parents and not here.”
She swayed on her feet for a moment, as she once again looked around the grounds and remembered the face of Decimus Hadrianus, and how enraged it had been just before…
She shook her head abruptly to shake off the memory. She became aware that Felicia was looking at her in concern. She turned a bright smile on her and took her by the arm to continue their walk.
“Yes, I think it best to stay with them. After all, you are a newly married bride, and it is best for you and your husband to have some time alone.”
They met every morning and strolled, not in the gardens of the House of Hadrianus as Felicia had imagined, but in her grandmother’s gardens instead. Kyrene had not been willing to meet her again in her home, although she did not say why. Or even imply it covertly. Yet Felicia felt the reluctance and wondered at it.
As they met Kyrene questioned Felicia on her experiences with dreams and visions. She asked her to interpret those she had, and then posed a few questions to her.
“You tell me you have had a few dreams that have come to pass even since leaving Solone, most noticeably the one that revealed the condition of your mother when your father went in search of her. I cannot really think that I have much left to teach you, in all honesty. You recall your dreams when you wake, and are remarkably accurate in their interpretation.
“All else is at the will of Dominio; as you draw close to Him and spend time in His presence listening to His voice, He will reveal what He desires you to know. The most important requirement for you is that you stay close to Dominio and that He remains first in your affections.”
Felicia stared at Kyrene in alarm, her heart beating rapidly as she felt her stomach suddenly sink within her. She had not expected such a response, feeling certain that she would enjoy the company of her mentor for some time to come. That this was not to be was soon made clear to her, although she was reluctant to hear it.
Kyrene was obdurate in her summation of Felicia’s progress and her own limitations in teaching her more. She had taught her all that she could. She had one bit of advice for her though, one that would prove invaluable in the time ahead.
“But there is one thing to be very careful of, Felicia,” she said in a voice so serious that it garnered Felicia’s full attention. “You must beware of counterfeits, those who have a gift that looks like yours, yet the source is not the same. For the Astra retained a great deal of power even after they fell. And they bestow their gifts on their servants, even as Dominio does on His own.”
Kyrene turned Felicia around to look at her, and placed both of her hands on the girl’s shoulders.
“Know this: there are those who can see ahead, just as you do also, they see the future. Yet they use it to gain power over those who seek them out so they may control them, and not in love to guide and warn as the servants of Dominio use it. They are mystics who garble strange gibberish that they pass off as knowledge, diviners who call on evil spirits that they may see what lies ahead.”
Kyrene peered into Felicia’s eyes so deeply that it seemed that they filled her entire vision as she looked at her mentor.
“Remember this, Felicia; you must show them no mercy, for they would use their gifts to ensnare those who are ignorant, and to enslave those who are arrogant in the pursuit of power. Cast them out when you encounter them and do not be afraid. For Dominio shall give you supremacy over them.”
Chapter XX
The Advent of Maelys
Tullia read with pleasure the message Otho had brought to her that morning. Thais Archippos had just returned from Lycenium and would like to call on her that afternoon. She would not be alone, but was bringing a young woman to call with her, Maelys Adalbart, the daughter of an old friend of the Maximus family.
How lovely! Tullia thought as she read. I have never met Da
g’s wife or children, as Judoc could not leave the younger ones and the older boys were always needed to help in the absence of Dag the few times he had visited them in Valerium. And what a pleasant surprise it will be for Marcus as well.
She hastily sent a note inviting Thais and Maelys, along with Charis, to call on her that afternoon. After considering the matter, she sent a message to her own daughter to join them. It would be nice for Felicia to meet the daughter of her father’s old friend, who was just about the same age, and would therefore be good company for the girl from Eirinia.
When Felicia arrived shortly after the noonday meal was past, however, Tullia was surprised to see that she was not alone. To her astonishment and joy she was accompanied by Kyrene. She leapt to her feet when she saw her and rushed to embrace her.
“Oh, Kyrene!” Tullia exclaimed. “I did not know you were in Lycenium. How wonderful to see you again!”
Kyrene returned the embrace warmly, but drew back slightly to look at Tullia with anxious eyes.
“I was not sure how I would be received,” she said with characteristic forthrightness. “After all, the last time you saw me I was entrusted to take care of your daughter; and we both know how that turned out.”
Felicia hung her head guiltily, and Tullia gave a rueful laugh as she stroked her daughter’s stubborn forelock that fell onto her brow from her otherwise immaculate coiffure.
“Now, Kyrene,” she soothed in an unexpectedly gentle voice, “you could hardly be blamed for that. I know how adamant my daughter is once her mind is made up. I doubt there was anything you could have done to prevent her from running away from the school.”
Kyrene bestowed a warm and grateful smile on her old friend, and they turned as one to look at Felicia. She shrugged her shoulders and importuned them both with raised eyebrows and a little grin that clearly begged for forgiveness. In spite of every attempt to be stern, Kyrene burst out laughing, joined by Tullia, and they simultaneously drew their arms through Felicia’s and the three of them adjourned to the family sitting room to await their visitors.
