by Deirdra Eden
“Auriella, come with me. I need to speak with you,” Lady Hannah commanded.
I lowered my head and followed Lady Hannah to the east wing of the manor. What if they accused me of witchcraft and tried to burn me to death? Once my skin wouldn’t burn, they would know my secret. I was doomed. There were too many witnesses. I couldn’t hide and this problem wasn’t going to disappear. I fidgeted with the rainbow ring on my hand. I won’t run, I decided. I deserved whatever punishment Hannah sentenced me to.
We entered the vast private family library. The room was as tall as three houses, and as long as a small pasture. Bookshelves lined the walls. Four massive, stained glass windows hung like lighted artwork, shooting rainbow light throughout the room. I forgot my fears and took in the splendor of the library.
Lady Hannah glided to a big table piled with papers and sat in a large, plush chair. Her cheeks were full of color. Her blue eyes were clear and bright.
My fingers trembled as I smoothed out my dress. Lady Hannah obviously had something important to say, but she just stared at me. I mustered the courage to break the silence with the truth. “The necklace is magical. I only wanted to help. I didn’t mean for it to—”
"The ruby necklace has healed me.” Lady Hannah wiped her eyes and touched the necklace. “The necklace is truly a gift. I feel like dancing and running.” Lady Hannah grasped my hands. “You have been such a blessing to this family, and the manor staff adores you. I have thought about your situation and what I could do to reward you for all the good you have done.”
Lady Hannah paused and sighed. "I remembered you have no family and only a little education. I have given you a job and a place to stay, but you have given me a new life. Now I want to offer you a new life as well.”
I tried to digest the information. So far, all I understood was that she wasn’t mad and I wasn’t going to be executed.
“I want to adopt you,” Lady Hannah said. “You will be a legal heir with my sons and have a noble title."
I gasped. “You mean, you will be my mother now?”
Lady Hannah nodded. “I will be the closest thing to a mother the law will allow.” I sat in silence, stunned by what Lady Hannah offered. Lady Hannah continued, “Now, Lady Auriella, you must remember that with a title comes leadership and responsibility. I cannot have you running around the estate uneducated. You will have tutors to teach you grammar, the arts, and etiquette.”
My heart pounded inside my chest and pulsed in my ears. My throat caught so I couldn’t speak. Lady Hannah was offering me a part of her estate, and, yet it was all a mistake. I wasn’t worthy. I hadn’t done anything to deserve this. It was a mistake.
“I have spent the morning preparing the papers to make it proper and legal for you to be a joint heir with my sons. Once they are signed, I will send them to London where the king will mark them with his seal.”
I put one hand on my forehead. I wiped my clammy hands on my skirt. King Henry, himself, would approve this? I blinked hard several times to be sure I was actually awake.
“As you get older, you will fully understand the meaning of this gift. Will this be all right with you?” Lady Hannah smiled and patted my hand.
"Oh, yes, yes, yes!" I answered. I would become a lady and have a noble title. Most of all, I would have someone who would be like a real mother to me.
Lady Hannah clapped her hands three times, and her sons entered the room. Apparently, the servants had called for them earlier and had given them instructions to come in their best clothing. I blushed deeply when Lucas entered wearing the dashing formal tunic he wore only for special occasions. Each of the boys’ faces filled with surprise when they saw their mother. They hadn’t seen her out of her bed for months, and probably not as youthful since they were toddlers.
“Mother?” Alwaien asked. “What …” His mouth hung open, frozen in speech.
Lady Hannah held up her hand. Delight rang clear in her youthful voice. “I’m sure you want to know why I have called this family meeting. It is the blessing of Heaven that my health has improved drastically during the night. I would like you to meet the angel who has helped me—a new member of our family, Lady Auriella.”
I slumped like a guilty bandit who had just been caught. I hoped my name wouldn’t be associated at all with her healing. I certainly didn’t want anyone thinking I’d done something magical.
Lady Hannah didn’t seem to notice my panic. She continued her explanation to her sons. “Documents have been prepared to ensure she will receive her noble title. I will need each of you to sign the papers as witnesses.”
“Noble title?” Alwaien protested. “But she is a servant! There is not one drop of noble blood in her. She’s an orphan.”
“I’m her new mother,” Hannah said. Her eyes were bright, but they took on a stare as fierce as that of a lioness.
“But, you’re not her real mother?” Lucas asked in a small voice. “I mean, she won’t be my sister. Will she?” He looked terrified, and I wanted to cry. Why was he taking the same side as Alwaien? Why was he resisting having me as a part of his family?
“She will be a joint heir,” Hannah explained.
Lucas exhaled deeply and smiled at me. “That will be wonderful.”
Alwaien glared at me as if I had stolen something from him. Fredrick was relaxed and nonchalant about the whole issue and Lucas seemed to be going along with this willingly, now that he knew I wouldn’t be his “real sister.”
Lady Hannah lifted a long, feathered pen and reached for her magnifying glass. She looked through the glass, laughed, and tossed it aside. “I don’t need this anymore.” Lady Hannah signed, then handed the pen to me. “You need to sign as well.”
I held the feather quill awkwardly in my hand. I hesitated and felt a warm blush rising on my cheeks. I whispered, wishing that Lady Hannah was the only one who could hear my confession. “I don’t know how to write.”
Lady Hannah nodded. “Just do your best.”
I marked the parchment with several loops for my signature.
I was still in too much shock to feel any emotion, but, as soon as I saw tears glistening in Hannah’s eyes, I broke down in tears too. She held me in a strong, comforting hug. “Welcome to our family, Lady Auriella.”
Things were different after that day. Despite my new duties and hours of schooling, I continued to rise early and secretly practice sword fighting with Lucas. Both of us were strong and clever with the sword. Lucas assured me our relationship wouldn’t change just because I was a Lady and joint heir now. Secretly, I hoped my new title and status put me on even grounds with the other eligible noble maidens.
I loved my new classes. I spent hours studying how to behave like a lady as well as both modern and ancient art and the history of the world. What excited me most was that I finally learned to read and write. I stayed up at night, pouring over books in the family library until the candles were nothing but pools of wax. I read about religion, geography, history, and government.
My cozy new room was next to the library. A beautiful mahogany-framed mirror hung on the wall and a warm fire blazed in the fireplace next to the balcony. A wardrobe burst with fine gowns and slippers.
Like most autumn evenings, Cassi and Ruburt joined me in my room after supper. Cassi sat on the dresser and played with my jewelry. I lay on the scarlet rug carpeting my floor, while Ruburt tinkered with a metal trap.
“I haven’t been able to get all my work done during daylight hours.” Ruburt looked at Cassi and scowled. “That pixie is always pulling me away from my duties and having me chase after squirrels and phantoms.”
Cassi placed a ring on her head like a crown and blew a raspberry at him. Ruburt pointed to one of his tools. I stood and retrieved it for him. He adjusted the trap door and groaned. “Cassi thinks she’s seeing Shadow Wolves in the woods again.”
“What?” I almost shouted. “They wouldn’t come this close to the manor, would they?”
“If there’s something they wan
t, they will,” Ruburt said.
I tightened my jaw. “I haven’t created fire in over a year. I’m human now, Ruburt.”My voice quivered. I hoped Ruburt didn’t sense my own misgivings. I wanted my words to be true. I wanted to be human, and I wasn’t about to tell Ruburt about the many close calls of fire bursting from my hands, especially when Lucas was around.
Ruburt shook his head. “You don’t suddenly turn into a human.”
“How do you know?” I tried not to sound defensive, but I had a wonderful life, and I would do anything to protect it. I twisted the rainbow ring on my finger.
“There’s only one way to know for sure. You need to go to the Neviahan stone circle and summon Woldor in the morning. It’s time.”
He was right. It was time. The days and months had passed. I had tried to put that task out of my mind. With the Shadow Legion still looking for me, I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I hesitated. What if Woldor said I was a Neviahan? Would I have to leave my home and all my new friends? I thought quickly. “I can’t go. I have sword practice with Lucas in the morning. He will worry for me.”
Ruburt looked away and mumbled, “That boy is always looking for excuses to be with you. I think he’s in love with you.”
“Oh no, not Lucas. We are just friends. If he was in love with me, I’d know.” I unsuccessfully tried to hold back a smile from spreading across my face. I secretly wished Lucas was in love with me.
Ruburt laughed and continued to work on the trap door of the cage. “Suit yourself.”
A faint knock came on the door. I jumped. Every time the subject of the Shadow Legion came up it put me on edge for days. I rose to answer the door. A warm light from a lamp lit Lucas’s smiling face. My heart raced. What did he have to say that couldn’t wait until practice tomorrow morning?
“Hello.” Lucas shuffled his feet and looked at the ground.
“Good evening,” I replied with a curtsy. Why did he come here and why was he whispering? Something must be terribly wrong. “Are you all right? Please, come in.” I tried to sound calm.
“No, thank you.” He lifted his eyes and smiled, melting away my fear. “There is something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” I asked. Lucas was always full of surprises and new adventures. Maybe he discovered a new way to disarm people. What if one of the cows gave birth to a new calf? What if—?
Lucas reached out, grabbed my waist, and pulled me to him. His lips pressed against mine.
My eyes stayed wide open in amazement. My knees weakened, my hands shook, but the rest of my body froze. I stood like a statue, not knowing what to say or think, not daring to pull away. In those a few seconds, my wonderful relationship with Lucas evolved into something deeper and more complex.
Lucas stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. Without saying another word, he turned and fled down the hallway like a thief. His footfalls resonated loud at first, and then the sound faded away. I closed my eyes and exhaled quietly.
Cassi buzzed around the room and laughed. She flew to me and giggled. “Kissy! Kissy!” I ignored her and stared down the hall. My cheeks ached from the intense smile that spread across my face.
Ruburt shook me. “Auriella, are you all right?”
I blushed. “What just happened?” Did Lucas really just steal a kiss? “I think he might be in love with me.” I fell onto the bed.
“Humph!” Ruburt declared. “Of course he is. And, the way those cooks gossip, the whole manor knows he’s in love with you.”
“What? Everyone knows?” I gripped the end of my bed. “How could’ve everyone known but me?” I leapt off the bed and stood as regally as I could. “That’s fine. I don’t care if they know.” I tried to sound like I didn’t care, but my new romantic secret had already been exposed. My tough façade melted away. I giggled and danced around the room with my arms outstretched. “You know what? I think I might be in love with him too.”
Cassi cheered and danced in the air above me. Pixie dust showered down on me as I pirouetted in the sparkling gold flakes.
Ruburt sighed, shrugged his stocky shoulders, and shook his head. “Young’uns and pixies.”
I awoke the next morning and put my fingers to my lips. I couldn’t believe Lucas had kissed me. I savored the memory before I finally arose, floated to the balcony doors, and pushed them opened. The dawn soaked me in warmth. My skin shimmered and scattered the light like the sun hitting a thousand mirrors.
The golden and scarlet leaves of the trees fell to the earth and carpeted my balcony. There was something magical about the seasons changing, and I couldn’t help but feel a wonderful change was about to happen in my own life.
With the coming of autumn, also came the harvest festival. People from all over the country traveled to Oswestry to trade and sell their produce, crafts, and livestock. Traveling troubadours and mercenaries visited the festival with songs and stories of knights and distant kingdoms.
This year, Lady Hannah dedicated the celebration in honor of the bounteous blessings which had come to the manor. To the amazement of the staff, Lady Hannah seemed to age backward. She appeared younger every day. When she was with her eldest son, Lord Alwaien, his friends often asked him to introduce them to his new lady.
From my window, I watched the riders and horses warming up in the jousting arena. This year’s jousting events were special. Lady Hannah’s son, Frederick, would be knighted and would participate in his first joust.
A knock fell on my door, interrupting my thoughts. “Lucas,” I whispered. A thrill raced through me. I tossed on a dress, darted to the mirror, brushed back my hair, then dashed to the door. I composed myself, then pulled it open.
My shoulders dropped. “Oh, it’s only you, Ruburt.”
Ruburt looked at me with a scowl. “Who were you expecting? Your knight in shining armor?”
“Well, yes. Lucas and I are going to practice this morning.”
Ruburt shook his head. “You’re the most distracted girl I’ve ever met. You can’t keep avoiding Woldor forever. Remember what the fairy queen told you? Remember that ‘em Shadow Wolves are still hunting you. I know you want to be normal, Auriella, but the truth is, you’re not.”
I took a deep breath. It was true. Whatever Woldor said couldn’t be good news. My head spun. It was only a matter of time before the Shadow Wolves returned. This time, Shadow Lords and maybe the Shadow King, Erebus, could be with them. Hazella was probably searching for me too.
“Ruburt,” my voice broke with emotion, “I’m afraid.”
Ruburt’s face softened.
“I’m afraid of who I am.” The tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around my waist. What if I was the Lady of Neviah? What would that mean? Would I still get to stay at the manor with Lady Hannah and Lucas, or would I have to return to The Great Kingdom of Neviah? Would my new family still love me if I wasn’t human?
I once would have given anything to leave Earth and go to a magic kingdom, but now that things were easy in my life, I wanted to stay. I had a noble title, lived in a manor, wore nice clothes, and had respect from the community. Everything was perfect.
If the Shadow Legion came looking for me in Oswestry, would the manor guard be able to defend us? I doubted all the armies of England could stand against such a force. Ruburt once said I could destroy the Rebellion, that I must stop them.
I fell onto my bed and buried my face in the pillow.
I felt Ruburt’s hand on my back. “There’s only one way to know for sure. Woldor will tell you who you are. It’s better to know than to wonder. Maybe he’ll tell you what to do and how to protect the manor. What if you are stronger than the greatest knight in England?”
I turned my head and met Ruburt’s eyes. “Ruburt, I’m afraid of how strong I am. Did you see what I did to that Shadow Wolf? Did you see the shadow fiend writhing in the flames? It was awful. What if I lost control and accidently did that to someone I love?”
Ruburt looked thoughtful. �
��The more you learn about your power the less afraid you’ll be. You need to be prepared, so the next time there’s an attack, you won’t faint in the middle of battle.”
I sat up, brushed my hair back, and looked at Ruburt. “Promise me that no matter what Woldor says, you will still be my friend.”
“Of course,” Ruburt said.
