Erin was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door.
“That must be Arturyn,” Kirchel said, standing up and starting back inside. “I don’t think Nirayls knock on doors. They probably think it’s uncivilized or something.”
Erin followed her back into the bedroom. Kirchel went over to the door and opened it, and Arturyn came in. He was still looking drawn and tired, but he smiled when he saw them.
“What do you think?” he asked, gesturing broadly at the room.
“I like the overall aesthetic,” Kirchel said. “But I don’t think I’m going to bother redecorating my house to match it. I’d rather have my furniture out where I can see it—I guess that’s my human side.” She glanced briefly around the room and then looked back at Arturyn. “By the way, they don’t have these rooms bugged, do they?”
“I don’t think so,” Arturyn said. “From what I understand, the king—and only the king—has the ability to listen in on any of the guest rooms if he wants to, but I don’t think Seiyan would do that unless he had a very good reason to. And I don’t see why he has any reason to be suspicious of us. He probably already knows who you are. And I’m sure he has quite enough to deal with right at the moment without worrying about spying on guests, anyway.” He let out a long sigh. “If the experience I had when my father died is any indication, Seiyan’s probably got all he can do just to keep his sanity until the fuss dies down.”
“That's true. You were pretty much a basket case...” Kirchel said. “I wasn’t sure you were going to make it through for a while.”
“I don’t think I could have if you hadn’t been there,” Arturyn said quietly.
They looked at each other for a long moment. Then Kirchel turned away, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“Well...how about some lunch?” Arturyn said, looking awkward.
He turned to the wall on the left side of the door, where the painting showed a deer-like animal grazing. Stepping up to the wall, he touched it lightly, and a section slid to the side to reveal an alcove containing a table piled high with food in a buffet-like arrangement.
“Nirayl cuisine is a little on the exotic side, but it’s quite good once you get used to it.”
They took dishes from a shelf set into the side of the alcove and filled them with food, then settled down on the cushions in the middle of the room to eat. The food seemed to be mostly vegetarian, although Erin wasn’t sure she could have recognized the meat of Raylmiyr animals even if there were any.
She was starting to get tired of so many unfamiliar tastes. Arturyn was right in saying the food was good. But she couldn’t help wishing for a nice, boring sandwich for a change....
None of them talked much while they ate. Kirchel and Arturyn both seemed tense, and Erin knew they were nervous about seeing Nievar that afternoon. She couldn’t blame them, but it made the atmosphere of the room rather gloomy, in spite of the bright sunshine coming in from the garden.
“Why do they have the wall just open like that?” she asked Arturyn, trying to give them something to think about besides the impending interview with Kirchel’s grandfather. “I mean, it’s nice right now, but what happens when it rains? Is there some magic on it that lets you close it off or something?”
“Not exactly.” Arturyn said, looking up from his plate. “The garden itself is enchanted to keep rain and cold from getting in. And then the opening in the wall is enchanted to keep dirt and insects from coming into the room. So you don’t really need to close it off.”
“Well, couldn’t someone climb over the wall and get into your room?”
Arturyn shook his head. “Palace security is tight,” he said simply. “You don’t have to worry about anyone breaking in.”
“Oh.”
Erin couldn’t think of anything else to say, and the three of them lapsed into silence again.
A short time later, Erin was startled to hear a sudden chirping sound, rather like a bird call, coming from near the door.
Kirchel, who had taken their empty plates and was carrying them back to the food alcove, turned to exchange a silent and rather anxious look with Arturyn. Then she hurried over to the alcove to put down the plates and pull the curtain back across, while he stood up and went to the door. Erin stood up, too, but stayed where she was, watching Arturyn open the door.
From where she was standing, she couldn’t see who was on the other side, but she heard Arturyn say something in Silmarith in a surprised tone and saw Kirchel give a slight start. And as Arturyn moved aside, Erin understood why.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Seiyan said as he stepped into the room.
He looked a little less intimidating away from the throne room, especially since he had removed his circlet and formal robes and was now wearing pants and a loose shirt that was open at the back to let his wings through. But there was still something of a noble air about him.
Arturyn said something in Silmarith, shaking his head.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Good.” Seiyan looked at Erin and smiled faintly. “You’re welcome to speak in human tongue if you like. I can tell your little friend doesn’t understand Silmarith, and I assure you I will take no offense.”
“Thank you,” Arturyn said in English, also glancing at Erin. “I’m sure she will appreciate that.”
Seiyan turned to Kirchel, and they regarded each other for a long moment. Kirchel’s face had gone a shade paler, and she looked rather wary.
“Your father told me you were coming,” Seiyan said. He was still speaking in the same quiet, tired voice as he had earlier, but his tone became gentler as he addressed Kirchel. “I, too, want your mother to be restored to her title and family, and I'll do what I can to help you both. But I can’t pretend that there is much hope. My father is firm in his prejudices, and he still feels very bitter about Kiari’s marriage.” He smiled kindly at Kirchel, who was biting her lower lip and looking worried. “But there will be no harm in trying.”
Kirchel nodded, still biting her lip. “Thank you,” she said, her voice unsteady.
“I think you should spend a little time with your parents before you see your grandfather,” Seiyan went on. “Speaking with them will help you to understand the situation better and to know how best to present your case. Kiari is also very anxious to see you,” he added with a smile. “I promised her I would bring you to them as soon as I could.”
“Where are they, exactly?” Kirchel asked.
“In the far north,” Seiyan said. “But never mind the distance. I can get you there very quickly. We can go now, if you’re ready.”
“Oh.” Kirchel looked slightly flustered. “Well, I...I suppose I could go now. What about Arturyn and Erin?”
“They can come with us. It would be best if Emperor Isáran is there to speak to your parents with you, and your cousin can stay with them while you see your grandfather.” Seiyan turned to Erin. “I’m sorry. I mean you no offense. But I can’t let you go with them. My father would regard a visit from a human child as a great insult, and we need to keep him in as good a humor as possible to have any chance of him granting Kirchel’s request. I hope you can understand.”
Erin nodded. She couldn’t help feeling a little affronted, but Seiyan seemed sincerely apologetic. And she didn’t want to do anything that would keep Nievar from readopting Kirchel and her mother.
“Very well,” Seiyan said, glancing around at them. “Before we go, I need to remove your tracking rings. The monitors will be in an uproar if they see you suddenly jump halfway across the kingdom.”
He turned to Arturyn, who was nearest to him. Arturyn held out the arm he was wearing his silver ring on. Seiyan touched the ring with his finger, and it split apart into two separate rings. He pulled one of them off Arturyn’s wrist, stretching it like a rubber band. Then, with a flick of his hand, he sent it flying across the room to rest on one of the cushions.
Kirchel and Erin exchanged a brief look and then both moved closer to Seiyan so that he could remove their tracking rings as well.
“That should keep anyone from noticing that you’ve left the palace,” Seiyan said when all three tracking rings were lying on separate cushions. “Now, all of you will need to hold onto me. You don't need to grip tightly. Just remain in contact until we arrive at our destination.”
He held his hands out in front of him. Kirchel took his left hand, and Erin took his right. Arturyn took hold of his right forearm.
“Good,” Seiyan said, nodding. “Remember, don’t let go until I tell you to.”
He unfolded his large jade wings. Their strange, fiery glow seemed to grow and spread outward, enveloping them all.
Then, with a swift, strong movement, Seiyan beat his wings against the air, and Erin felt her feet lift from the ground. Startled, she tightened her grip on his hand. The room around them slid away as they soared upward. Light and colors streaked past. It looked like they were moving incredibly fast, but all Erin felt was a gentle lightness, as though they were simply hovering a few inches off the ground.
After a moment, the swirling colors slowed, and the world came back into shape. Erin felt her feet touch the ground again.
“You can let go,” Seiyan said.
Erin released her hold on his hand and looked around, blinking.
They were standing on the edge of a lake, in front of a small cottage covered in ivy and climbing roses. There were flower beds surrounding the front of the house and what looked like an herb and vegetable garden to one side. To the right, beyond the garden, was a line of thick forest.
Seiyan led the way along a narrow stone path through the flowers and toward the door of the cottage. Before they had reached it, the door opened, and Edward appeared. He smiled when he saw them and came forward to give Kirchel a brief hug.
“I’m glad you made it.” He looked at Seiyan. “Thank you for bringing them.”
“It was no trouble,” Seiyan said, shaking his head. “I only wish there were more I could do to help.” He sighed. “And I must admit, I was glad to have an excuse to leave the palace for a while.”
“Well, come in,” Edward said, gesturing back toward the open door. “Kiari’s inside.”
They followed him into the house. The front door led into what looked like a kind of living room, with a fireplace set into the wall opposite the door. A comfortable-looking sofa stood in front of it, flanked by two small tables. The room was full of bright, cheerful flowers poking out of vases and baskets. It reminded Erin strongly of Kirchel’s house. Two doorways led off from the room on either side of the fireplace.
“Kiari?” Edward called, taking a few steps toward the doorway on the right. “They’re here.”
There was a brief pause, and then a woman appeared in the doorway. She stepped into the room and then hesitated, looking around timidly. It was clear that she wasn’t used to having company.
Her eyes came to rest on Kirchel, and for a long moment, the two women simply stared at each other.
Kirchel had obviously inherited her dark hair from her father, because the braided coils of hair on Kiari’s head were blonde. But both of the pale faces had the same nose and chin, the same cheekbones, and the same shape of eyes. Even their ears looked the same, since Kiari was in Silmarith form.
Edward stepped forward and put an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Come on, now. Don’t be shy,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile. “You two have met before, even if it’s been a long time.”
She came closer, though she still seemed hesitant. Erin couldn’t blame her. Meeting a daughter you hadn’t seen for half a century couldn’t be easy.
Both Kiari and Kirchel looked awkward, as though they didn’t quite know what to do or how to react. They just looked at each other, both white-faced and trembling.
After a minute or two, Erin saw tears start to slide down Kiari’s face. Kirchel must have seen them, too, because she finally unfroze enough to give her mother a timid smile.
Then, at the same moment, they both moved forward, and a second later they were hugging and crying together.
“Kirchel…my little girl…” Kiari whispered, her words distorted by tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so very, very sorry….”