Lunamae (11 page)

“Well you are only a servant,” I said coldly.
I instantly regretted it from the look he gave me. It made me want
to take back the words.
There goes my bluntness getting in the
way of me trying to be nice.
I hated when I did that. I thought
I was doing better now that Lunamae was around. I was trying to set
a good example. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You were right to say such things. I have
been lonely,” Theron said solemnly.

“Me too. I suppose that’s why I’ve been so
bitter,” I admitted.

“Let’s get you back. I’ll see if I can help
sweeten you later,” Theron said as he led me back to the
palace.

“I’d like that,” I said, a broad smile across
my face. We got nearer to the palace and my mother was running down
the stairs of the palace entrance, frantic.

“What on earth has happened to you? Your face
is all red,” she exclaimed, gently touching my face and hands. “You
are burning with fever!”

“I’m burning from the solis. It will heal. I
think,” I told her.

“What were you doing out of the palace? I
have been looking for you all over!” she shouted. She gave a wary
eye to my companion and said loathly, “Just who is this? A
servant
?”

“Didn’t anyone tell you that Theron was
taking me out to explore the city?” I wondered, puzzled.

“No and the king and queen have been worried
sick—thinking you had been napped and taken hostage for monetary
profit,” my mother said, her anger turning into concern. I looked
at Theron and shook my head. Why would he put me in all this
trouble? I felt betrayed.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I have to go.” I
watched as he left us there and ran away.

I turned to my mother. “He told me the king
and queen wanted him to keep me company. I believed him.”

“I cannot exactly say that I would not have
done the same thing. He
is
quite handsome. But he is also a
servant and you need to remember that. You can’t trust strangers.
This is a foreign land,” my mother warned.

“I know.
He
knows he is only a
servant,” I stated. Mother led me up the stairs to the palace. She
took me with her to her room in the royal apartments and grabbed
her herb chest.

“What do I need?” she asked herself. “We
don’t have burn issues in Feyris like that, and those who might
accidentally burn themselves on iron or while cooking know how to
mend it themselves.”

“I don’t know either. Not from your herbs.
Theron mentioned a grevo plant or something, but I wouldn’t know
how to prepare it. Perhaps we could ask him?” I said, my mouth
stinging from the burn as I spoke. My lips were chapped as
well.

“
We
are not talking to that man, and
not
you
especially,” she said, pointing at me.

“But Mother, I feel horrible. I mean not
emotionally—I’m mad that he did that—physically. I feel like I’m on
fire all over,” I moaned.

My mother nodded in understanding, though I
could tell she was upset and not at all wanting to find the
servant. She didn’t want to see me in pain, however, so she went
out to look for him—or at least someone who would know about the
plant. When she left I just sat perplexed, wondering why Theron
would lie to me and risk his position or life. It was very much
like napping. I didn’t understand the game he was playing at and
even if I did, I don’t think I would have liked it. My mother
returned with Theron in tow, rolling her eyes. I suppose there was
no one else who knew about the plant.

“Fix her,” she commanded coldly.

“The grevaro will do its work,” he said
softly.

The servant took out a pouch with long green
stalks that were in the shape of a very long triangle, a large
bottom stem that tapered to a tip. He broke the stalk in half and
juice started to ripple out. He applied the juice to my arm which
had a wonderful cooling sensation.

“Thank you.” I said quietly. I noticed him
putting his hand on my burns, although very gently and barely
noticeable so my mother didn’t go into hysteria. It also had a
similar affect to the grevaro. My burn lessened as the redness
started to fade a bit before he stopped. “What was that?”

“Keep it a secret,” he whispered, then dodged
my question, changing the subject. “I’m so very sorry for what
happened earlier. I couldn’t help myself.”

“No talking,” my mother demanded, overhearing
him. “Do what needs to be done and go. I will speak to the king and
queen about your little excursion with my daughter. I will ensure
you are properly reprimanded and prefer you be dismissed.”

Theron didn’t say anything but I could tell
in his eyes that he was hurt. He wanted to say something to me, I
was sure of it. I didn’t want to get him in any more trouble, but I
was still mad. He gave me some more stalks and told me to apply the
juice fresh as it would do more good and left me be as Mother
requested.

“We need to go to the evening meal. I do not
know how to explain how you look. I am sure they have seen it
before,” Mother said. I followed her quietly as she joined up with
my father and were led by one of the servants to the feasting area.
It was not at all like I was used to. There was only a small group
of people in the room around a table. It seemed very informal but
also inviting. The servant led us to our seats where I sat next to
Lunamae. The chief dame sat across from us, with the queen next to
her and the king next to the queen at the head of the table. Next
to Lunamae on her right was Alexo who she had just met there. To my
left was my mother, with Father taking the other end of the table.
It seemed odd that the chief dame was not on an end. I heard
Lunamae whisper to Alexo,

“Shouldn’t my mother be where my uncle
is?”

“No,” he whispered back. “The seats are
assigned by who will get along together the best.” That made some
sense to me. My aunt seemed to have no qualms. Perhaps she had
researched this custom before she came. She didn’t look insulted in
the least. I noticed Theron hiding in a corner behind a drape. I
hope my mother didn’t see him as well. It was the queen who
initiated conversation first, asking how we all fared. She noticed
my face and inquired about it.

“An unruly servant decided it would be a good
idea to show her about the city by himself,” my mother stated, a
tiny hint of restraint in her voice.

“Which unruly servant would that be? We have
several here,” Alexo said with a snicker.

“Theron. He was the one who served us
appetizers upon our arrival,” my mother told him.

“Theron was it?” the king said, concerned.
“Oh dear.” I could hear Alexo try to stifle a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” the chief dame inquired.
“I don’t see this as a laughing matter. Look at the woman’s face.
It’s been
tainted
.”

“Hardly,” Eirene said. “Your dear niece will
recover. We sometimes forget the travelers from outside our kingdom
are not used to the intensity of the solis rays from here.”

“Well will there not there be some discipline
involved?” my mother interjected. “Surely the man cannot get away
with this. My daughter is in extreme pain. Who knows what else that
servant could have done to her.” I caught the eye of Theron who
shuffled back into his hiding spot. Unfortunately he knocked over a
vase nearby.

“What was that?” the chief dame said, getting
up in defense.

“It was I,” Theron admitted, revealing
himself. “Theron. The ‘unruly servant’ mentioned. I didn’t do
anything to her but keep her company.”

“
You
!” My mother scowled.
“Eavesdropping on our conversation?”

“Perhaps it would be best if I excused myself
and had a talk with him,” King Cyrus said, getting up out of his
chair as well. The chief dame and my mother nodded. I saw the king
approach Theron and lead him out of the room, his arm at his back.
It seemed quite an affectionate gesture. I heard shouting and
yelling in Fanarion which was frustrating since I couldn’t
understand what they were saying. Alexo was practically giggling in
his chair and Lunamae cast death eyes on him which shut him up
abruptly. He quickly apologized and shifted uncomfortably. The king
returned without Theron with him and sat back down.

“All taken care of?” the queen asked
gently.

“Yes, my wife. Theron won’t trouble our
visitors again,” the king said, taking out a napkin and placing it
on his lap. “If you do not mind, I think it would be good to get
some food in our bellies. It has been quite a day.”

We were brought in loads of foods, many I had
not seen or tasted ever before. I was told that some had come from
the sea. Those would most likely spoil on the way to Feyris unless
they were packed in salt which was now quite a commodity here since
the sea was full of it. They had recently developed a way to
extrude the salt from the water. It had mixed results at their
first attempts but now they were quite superior at it. The king
told my aunt that anytime she wanted to trade for some of these
delicacies, to just send a caravan over. He would be more than
happy to part with it for some herbs that we had. My mother had
suggested buying some grevaro plants to take back but was told our
hostile environment would kill them—especially our winters.

After we were finished with the meal, the
king suggested that Alexo and Lunamae be allowed a more private
time together with me being the chaperone. It would be easier
without the older adults around, although I was an adult. I never
fully felt treated like one. I followed Alexo and Lunamae to a
secluded part of the palace. Nightfall was already upon us and I
could hear the faint loll of the waves and the sea birds over the
fabric ceiling.

“Lunamae, that’s a pretty name. How did you
get it?” Alexo asked. He had similar facial features to Theron, I
noticed. He looked much younger—perhaps ten or twelve years. He was
closer in age to Lunamae but from our dinner—so much less
mature.

“It’s how and when I was born,” she said
curtly. I don’t think she appreciated Alexo’s actions. I don’t know
what kind of person laughs at another’s demise.

The rest of the conversation was rather
boring. Alexo would try to get an interesting answer from Lunamae,
but she would simply shut him down with a few words in explanation.
At the end of the night Alexo and Lunamae separated and I walked
with her back to her room which was on the other end of the
apartment area. She was with her mother.

“I don’t like him,” she said plainly. “He’s
rude.”

“That’s what I first thought of Marcus. He’s
all right now. He grew up,” I told her. Perhaps she would realize
Alexo could do the same.

“I don’t think it’s possible for Alexo to,”
Lunamae told me. She quickly changed the subject. “Does your face
hurt?”

“Not so much now. Theron did something to me.
I can’t explain it.” I still felt the burning sensation but it was
much less than before. I could even see the redness on my arms
diminishing.

“Your face was much redder when you ate. I
think he healed you.” She nodded in agreement with herself. “That’s
an explanation.”

“That’s impossible,” I said. Lunamae was
certainly fantasizing about magic now.

“No more impossible than what the Guardian
did on our way here,” she alluded. I remembered how Toryn had made
an obstacle appear in front of the caravan but it wasn’t really
there—only an illusion she had generated. I suppose if someone
could do that, another could heal. But why was he only a servant? A
healer like that could live in the lap of luxury, being on-hand for
the royal family as a physician. I knew he said it was a secret,
but why hide it?

“Let’s go to bed. I’m sure they’ve got plans
for you and Alexo tomorrow,” I said, leading her to her room. She
opened the door and went in.

“I’m overjoyed,” she responded flatly. She
shut the door and I went back to my own room. I got in and got
undressed down to my underclothes and plopped into bed. I didn’t
want to go all bare because of the burns.

“Your mother doesn’t like me much,” I heard a
whisper from around me. I pulled the covers over my head.

“Who is there?” I asked, frightened.

“It’s Theron. Don’t worry, I won’t do
anything indecent and I didn’t watch you undress. I wanted to talk
to you again before you leave,” the voice replied. I took the
covers down to my neck, feeling completely vulnerable. I couldn’t
see anything since my eyes hadn’t adjusted to the lack of
light.

“What are you doing in here?!” I shouted in a
whisper. The last thing I needed was for my mother to discover he
was in here.

“I told you already,” he said plainly. I
could faintly make out his shape in the darkness.

“Yes but this is
my
bed chamber. It’s
improper for an unmarried man to be in an unmarried woman’s bed
chamber,” I stammered.

“There was no way else to talk to you. I
overheard you outside talking to Lunamae about my secret. It’s a
secret for a reason. You shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Since when do you get to tell me what to do?
Shouldn’t you be banished or something?” I questioned.

“The king likes me too much,” he replied
matter-of-factly.

“So why do you hide the fact that you have
healing powers?”

“Because I’m an untrained one. They have a
place for mages to learn here and I don’t want to. Not all the
mages in Fanarion had the choice to master their gifts. Those who
have a gift are sent there, typically without the ability to decide
whether they wanted to or not,” Theron explained.

“Oh,” I said, understanding his predicament.
It was much like my being entrusted with Lunamae without having a
choice.

Theron shifted, folding his arms. “Anyway,
the reason I came here was to ask if you could write me. You don’t
need to even label it to my name. You could address it to the
king’s favorite.”