Ponderosa stood beside the window in her room that overlooked the courtyard. The sky had darkened quickly and only a few torches lit the cobblestones below. She had felt the magic stir in the room beside her. The feel of the magic resonated with her own almost perfectly. She was grateful they were in a part of the castle a good distance from the others, so Prince Kelton and Mȧthair could reconnect. However, as she watched the torchlight dance on the stones around the castle, Ponderosa spotted someone swing themself up onto a saddled horse.
Their clothing was plain. Their body language closed. They wasted no time in kicking the horse into a gallop. As they dashed out into the night, she furrowed her brow. Why would a servant be running off at this time of night? With everything the servants would have brought in to support Prince Kelton’s and Princess Iredys’ honeymoon, she wouldn’t have thought them to be negligent enough to have forgotten anything urgent. Her hand came up and played with Dagaz and the Pearl on her necklace. Did this mean that someone had learned about her magic? Or the magic that Mȧthair held? She reviewed the last three days and couldn’t think of a time that someone would have seen her necklace, no one aside from herself would have seen the stone and runes in Princess Iredys’ chest and, other than being an overly attentive animal, there was nothing magical about Mȧthair either.
Ponderosa tucked the necklace out of sight when she heard footsteps echo in the hall. A knock sounded on the door before Gailan stepped in.
“I asked Dawson to make you some soup,” he said. “I didn’t see you have anything after we arrived and thought you might be hungry.”
Ponderosa smiled sweetly and accepted the soup Gailan had brought.
The fluctuations of magic next door had almost stopped as she motioned to Gailan about bringing food to Prince Kelton and Mȧthair.
Gaian sighed. “I’ve left food for them in the sitting room, but with how quiet they are, I don’t know how much of it they will eat.”
Ponderosa nodded. She took a sip of the soup Gailan had brought her and set her hand against her mouth as she swallowed. Tears filled her eyes.
“Is something wrong with the soup?” Gailan asked worriedly.
Ponderosa shook her head. She motioned to the soup, to her mouth then tried to smile through her tears.
“Is it awful?”
She shook her head again. She lifted her thumb and moved her hand toward the ceiling.
“It’s… better?”
She nodded.
Gailan looked relieved. “Dawson will be happy to hear that. He’s a good cook.”
Ponderosa nodded in agreement.
“Is there anything you or Prince Nathaniel need tonight?” Gailan asked when she was finished.
She shook her head then gave Gailan a hug as thanks.
He stiffly patted her back then stepped away when she let go. He took the empty glass from her and left to take it back to the kitchen.
As soon as the door was closed, Nathaniel started to fuss. Ponderosa scooped him up so she could change him and feed him once more.
When morning came, Ponderosa took Nathaniel next door to see their Majesties. The sitting room was empty save the small fire that was going in the hearth. The many dishes that Gailan had brought up were empty, save the occasional bone or chunk of hard gristle. A soft trilling bark reached her ears and Ponderosa turned to see Mȧthair enter the sitting room. She shifted her head to indicate to Ponderosa to sit on the couch near the fire. Ponderosa did so and Mȧthair jumped up on the couch beside her.
Mȧthair laid down and Ponderosa set Nathaniel between her forelegs. Nathaniel whimpered and squirmed a little before he settled down with Mȧthair’s purring. Ponderosa could not help, but stroke Mȧthair’s silky ears.
‘Were you able to have a good night with Prince Kelton?’ she wondered.
‘Yes,’ Mȧthair replied. ‘Did you and Nathaniel not have a good night?’
‘It was fine. Still getting used to his feeding schedule.’
Mȧthair nodded before she pressed more of her head against Ponderosa’s hand. ‘Thank you for doing what I cannot.’
‘It is my pleasure, Mȧthair. I am glad you were able to return to your family as swiftly as you did.’
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‘This time at least,’ she replied, touching her nose ever so briefly against Nathaniel’s. ‘You still feel a bit unsettled. What’s on your mind?’
Ponderosa sighed. ‘I am worried that someone has discovered or detected the magic we hold.’
Mȧthair closed her eyes and was quiet for a while. She let out a long breath before opening her eyes. ‘Kenaz is refusing to show me anything right now. I will take that as a sign that we are not in any immediate danger and should still be okay. We’ll still want to keep a subtle watch even though we are away from the bulk of the servants.’
‘Alright,’ Ponderosa replied.
She nodded. ‘Something else on your mind?’
‘Are the runes visible now?’ Ponderosa asked, as she motioned to Mȧthair’s chest. ‘They weren’t yet visible when I prepared your other body for burning.’
Mȧthair nodded then sat up a little more so Ponderosa could look. Ponderosa touched each stone, running her finger over the engraved runes. The skin that had taken a long time to heal and finally finished doing so. Each rune was visible and small silver links connected them together. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that someone had put a very unique chain around Mȧthair’s neck.
Ponderosa’s stomach grumbled loudly.
Mȧthair laughed. ‘Why didn’t you eat something before you came over?’
‘I thought it best that Nathaniel be given to you and Prince Kelton first,’ Ponderosa replied with a soft smile.
‘Well, he’s here, so go eat. Kelton will be out shortly.’
Ponderosa nodded then excused herself for a short time. She did her best to draw peace from Mȧthair’s words of comfort, however, she struggled to set aside her unease knowing that she was going to be around so many people she was not familiar with.
By the time Ponderosa left her room to return to Prince Kelton’s chambers, Gailan and a few other servants were just coming up with breakfast for him and Mȧthair. She smiled and assisted with the door. Prince Kelton was dressed and holding Nathaniel, but he looked more worn out that she thought he would, especially given the fact that he had been able to spend much desired time with Mȧthair.
“Is there anything more I can get you, Prince Kelton?” Gailan asked as the other servants stepped out of the room.
“No, Gailan. Thank you.”
Gailan nodded then started to leave. He paused when Ponderosa didn’t follow. “Are you not eating, Ponderosa?” he wondered.
She motioned to him that she had eaten already.
He nodded then stepped out of the room.
Ponderosa then approached Prince Kelton so she could take Nathaniel from him.
“Thank you for taking care of him, Ponderosa,” Prince Kelton said, running his hand over his son’s head once she held him.
‘You are welcome, Prince Kelton,’ she replied in thought as she nodded before she walked over to the couch to hold Prince Nathaniel while she remained attentive to Their Majesties.
Prince Kelton’s brow furrowed and he turned to Mȧthair. “Did I just hear Ponderosa say ‘you’re welcome’?”
‘Her voice sounded a little muffled, didn’t it?’ Mȧthair replied.
“Yes?” More confusion filled his expression.
‘You are able to hear her thoughts because of the amplifying powers of several of the stones, now that we have been reunited.’
“So it wasn’t a dream,” he said as he looked nowhere in particular and covered his mouth with his hand. “I really….” Prince Kelton shuddered.
‘Very much so, my beloved Weredin,’ Mȧthair replied, leaning against him. ‘It was the only way to open up the channel of communication between us again.’
Prince Kelton shivered again before he brought his hand down to pet Mȧthair’s head. “I get the feeling that little things like this will need to happen each time your form differs from mine?”
Mȧthair turned her head to look up at him. ‘That I do not know. I don’t even know if the magic used last night changed the band that binds us together.’
Prince Kelton stopped petting her head and pulled the Garnet ring off his left ring finger. “The Diamond band has been reconnected by small lines of Alexandrite and Peridot, and there is a thin band of Aquamarine beneath it and a thin band of Jet above it,” he said softly.
‘So it is possible that I won’t need to change you into a Were-anything in the future,’ Mȧthair purred.
“If it means being with you, I’ll become a Were-anything anyday,” he said, massaging her left ear before he planted a kiss on her nose.
She licked his nose in return.
“We should eat now,” he smiled.
Mȧthair yipped in agreement then padded over to the bowls that had been placed on the floor for her and started to eat.
“Mȧthair,” Prince Kelton seemed to whine.
She turned to look at him.
“Can you not change and join me at the table?”
‘Dagaz refuses to stir when I try, Beloved,’ she replied. “I don’t know how soon it will do so.”
“Fine, then I’ll just….” Prince Kelton tensed as he got a constipated look on his face.
‘That will not work, Your Majesty,’ Ponderosa said.
Prince Kelton turned to face her. “So, how do I change?”
‘You won’t be able to until the next full moon.’
“But….” He motioned to her and Mȧthair.
‘We have been marked with a semi-precious stone and rune, Beloved,’ Mȧthair reminded him gently. ‘That magic allows us to change freely.’
Ponderosa nodded. ‘In my experience, whatever phase the moon is in, when one is marked, plays a part in when the next transformation can occur. Since your marking is different from ours, your ability to change will remain dormant until the next full moon.’
Prince Kelton sighed. “I don’t like it, but maybe it’s just as well. I don’t need my mother freaking out about yet another thing related to magic.”
Mȧthair and Ponderosa nodded at the same time.
Prince Kelton turned back toward his food and ate slowly. Mȧthair finished hers then sat beside him once more.