Lunamae (13 page)

I found another piece of parchment that I
folded into an envelope and put the letter inside. I knew that I
needed to seal it so the other day I went to the candlemakers shop
for some wax. I heated the wax and let it drop on the envelope,
making a seal. I took some twigs and used them to make an “m” in
the seal. I put it down on the loft so it could dry and went down
the stairs to the main floor. Then I wanted to smack myself for not
answering the offer of more catlings.

Eclipse started crying for me at the door and
I asked him what was wrong. He jumped up into the windowsill and
looked out to the Humble Bridge. Now, of course, my catling could
easily jump out into the village from the ledge since it was
open-aired but he was a good boy and always waited for me.

I looked to see what the catling was looking
at. An entourage was arriving from over the bridge. I noticed Friar
Barri, a few other Bexweth monks, and a pennant of the Cruacroi
clan of Alta with some people behind them, and one who I assumed
was the chieftain.

“What on this blessèd earth?” I wondered, my
jaw dropping. I knew why the Cruacroi clan was here, but not the
monks. It didn’t make any sense. I looked over at Eclipse who
caught my eye and mewed. “Let’s go see what they are doing
here.”

I went out the door, with the catling
following me, and picked him up as the group got closer. He didn’t
seem to mind and purred happily. My aunt exited the keep, guards at
the ready behind her, and met up with me. She was outfitted in a
long wool dress with a fur overcoat. The overcoat was similar to
the one I had seen when she met up with the Kyrians, only made of
heavier materials to keep out the cold. Her long golden hair was
plaited on her head and cascaded in curls behind her and she wore a
simple crown on top.

“Chieftain Enrik, so good to see you this
day,” Angharad said warmly, addressing the clan leader and walking
up to him to extend the hand of welcome. He took it and
returned,

“Chief Dame Angharad, what a pleasure again
it is to see you as well. The last I saw you, Chieftain Leofric was
just seated as leader,” the chieftain answered. He was dressed also
in wool garments and a fur cloak which was connected with a brooch.
I could see a torc around his neck as well. I looked over at Barri
and the monks with him, dressed in brown wool with purple sashes.
Each person had their hands gathered to form a triangle as they
stood in silent meditation with their eyes closed.

“So you have come to discuss your son, then?”
the chief dame asked.

Enrik replied, a bit trodden, “Not exactly.
We have other matters we need to speak of that still involve your
daughter. Would it be possible to discuss them while all together
during the Winter Feast? If we were to travel back tomorrow we
would most likely miss it. The people of Aelisonia advised us there
will be snows coming shortly.”

“That would be possible, I suppose. We will
have to make provisions for you in the keep. If you do not mind
waiting in the hall of duty until room are made available,”
Angharad told the chieftain who nodded and walked into the keep
with his few men.

The monks opened their eyes as Angharad
addressed them. “So what brings you here, Barri? We still have
ample supply of the beer you provided last month.”

“We come here for the same reason that the
Cruacroi do,” Barri said.

“That is a bit puzzling. I don’t suppose you
will tell me what that reason is?” Angharad prodded.

“We think it best to wait until Chieftain
Enrik breaches the subject, due to how you regard the matter. We
would like to discuss the chapel you had mentioned earlier,” Barri
said to Angharad who smiled warmly.

“Indeed,” the chief dame stated with curious
interest. “Tell me more.”

“Yes, we have considered it and decided it
would be very appropriate at such a time, if all goes well with our
discussion, to build one on your village premises. Perhaps even I
could stay here to lead. We have a brother at the abbey who is more
than capable of taking over there,” the monk said.

“This discussion must be important then,” I
interjected. At my age and status I was allowed to speak in matters
of government, although the chief dame always initiated
conversation.

“Yes, it would be quite important for peace,
and for all of us in these territories,” Barri said, his response
vague. My aunt led the monks into the keep and instructed them to
wait with the Alta people in the hall of duty. She left and
motioned me to come with her out of the hall.

“So you’ve made up your mind about being a
maiden? I’ve had to let some go to start families of their own to
help repopulate the village. I am in need of company,” my aunt
asked.

“Yes, assuming Eclipse can stay with me,” I
said in response.

“Your catling would be most welcome. The
women would like to see him rather than a mouse,” Angharad said to
me. I went up to the sewing room with Eclipse pattering behind. I
decided it would be as good a time as any to finish my present for
my mother. During the Winter Feast, it is customary to give and
receive presents so I was making an embroidered wreath with her and
my father’s names there with their wedding date. They had been
married over thirty years now. I had considered waiting until their
actual anniversary but I couldn’t keep the secret. I still had
problems with that, except for the secret between Theron. Eclipse
decided it would be an opportune time to nap so he curled up near
my feet and fell asleep while I worked.

Lunamae arrived in the room with Flurry
beside her as I started on the bow on the wreath. She was dressed
in warm woolen clothes—a dress, shawl, and hat. She took off the
hat since there was a fireplace in the room, and like most rooms in
the keep in winter, it was lit. She sat down next to me and didn’t
do anything.

“Don’t you have something to be working on?”
I asked, pulling the thread taut through the fabric.

“Always,” she said, lifting up her catling
and placing the animal on her lap. Flurry purred happily. Eclipse
didn’t even wake up. “I wanted to see how you were doing with your
mother’s gift. I also wanted to ask about this.” I saw her pull a
letter from her pocket, addressed from the king’s favorite.

“Uh …,” I stammered, not sure exactly what to
say. That was the letter I had read earlier in the day.

“I went to your house to see if you were
there and I found it on the floor. I assumed it fell between the
boards in the loft. Obviously I thought it was from Alexo and you
were going to give it to me later but I saw it was opened so I read
it,” she said coolly. “You couldn’t trust me?”

“I know how you forget,” I stated calmly. The
last thing I wanted to do was provoke her.

“I thought I was your friend,” she said, a
look of hurt in her eyes. “You made such a big deal over my
involvement with Marcus yet you are having a secret relationship
with a
servant
! What is worse? At least Marcus is a Dominar
Delegate’s son. There is
some
status there.” I sat there,
downtrodden. I couldn’t sew anymore, I could barely even
breathe.

“It’s not a real relationship. I am just
leading him on rather than hurting his feelings,” I said. She
looked at me closely, as if she was inspecting my face.

Lunamae rolled her eyes at me. “You are such
a liar. Besides, lying is something you don’t do. It’s against the
Text of Illumination.” Now that I thought about it, she was right.
I didn’t lie very well. Yes, maybe I had first thought about this
as a game with Theron but the last month it had changed. I felt
close to him, there was a connection I couldn’t explain.

“So what should I do?” I asked Lunamae who
pondered it for a moment.

“I think you should either tell him the truth
that you really like him but it wouldn’t work and that you need to
stop writing letters, or you should leave here and go see him in
Fanarion,” she said. The latter was impossible to do and she knew
it. Additionally, I couldn’t even bear the thought of not reading
his words. I was a maiden now and if I left, Angharad would seek to
kill me for being a traitor.

“Good grief. Why do feelings and emotions
have to be so difficult to deal with?” I asked Lunamae, not exactly
expecting a reply. She understood though and hugged me. Then I
started to cry which is another thing I didn’t do.

“Let’s just get downstairs for the lighting
of the advent wreath,” she said, putting Flurry down so she could
help me up. I wiped my eyes so they wouldn’t show tears. We had
five candles in the wreath and every week until the Winter Feast we
would light one. It symbolized the arrival of the Teacher and our
patient waiting for him.

I left the sewing room with Eclipse in my
arms because otherwise he’d chase after Flurry. They were quite
fond of each other. We walked down the staircase and saw everyone
gathered—including the Cruacroi clan. Friar Barri brought forth a
lit candle lighter which was all metal except for the wick. He
touched the tops of all the candles except the one that would be
lit during the Winter Feast.

The friar read a verse from the Text of
Illumination and then we all left to go about our business for the
rest of the day. I wanted the day to be over and go back to my loft
and contemplate. I’d already written my letter to Theron and sealed
it. I didn’t want to send two, it would look odd. I decided to go
back to working on my present for Mother. As I sat and stitched, I
couldn’t help but wonder what the discussion between the monks and
the clan would be about.

The day of the Winter Feast had finally come
and Angharad was quick to make sure the cook house had its fires
started bright and early, before anyone else had awakened. I could
already smell cinnamon emanating from the keep fireplaces. Angharad
must have been awake and issuing commands. I’m sure she couldn’t
sleep well thinking about what the chieftain had planned on
bringing up at dinner.

I noticed it was snowing outside so I made
sure to put on extra warm clothes and heavy leather boots. Logan
had been busy because of the snowfall as many of the village folk
had worn their boots and snowshoes out to the point that they were
no longer repairable by the cobbler. He made the boots I wore and
they were very comfortable. My old pair pinched my toes.

I headed over to the keep with my catling to
attend to the chief dame as one of my duties was to help prepare
for the day. It was no less difficult than getting Lunamae dressed
when I was her charge. Before entering, I dropped off my letter to
one of the messengers to take to Fanarion.

Once I got into the keep I went to my aunt’s
room. I had never been in there before so I was a little nervous on
what to expect. It was not customary for anyone but the maidens to
enter. I knocked on the door and was told to come in.

“You are just in time,” Angharad said with a
smile. I noticed there were a few other women in the room as well.
Tegan had been combing out her long golden hair, Brynna was pouring
water for a bath, and yet another, Morwenna, had pulled out two
woolen dresses from an armoire. The chief dame pointed to the
dresses and looked back at me. “Which one should I wear, the green
or the red? I am concerned that if I wear the green one I might
blend in too much with the decorations and not be noticeable. If I
wear the red I might conflict too much with the Chieftain of Alta.”
I looked at her contemplating. It was odd to see her acting so
feminine. She always had a rather rough exterior.

“Do you have anything in blue?” I wondered.
Blue was still used at this time and it was more neutral. One of
the maidens shuffled through the armoire and brought out a bright
blue dress made of brocade with silver flowers embroidered on it.
There was a woolen shift for underneath and then a softer chemise
under that. It would be quite heavy, but very warm, perhaps a bit
too warm. Angharad looked at it in acceptance but told Morwenna to
remove the woolen shift and replace it with a soft satin one used
in spring. She would be inside all day and with all the fires
burning, it would be fine.

We spent most of the morning in the sewing
room as many of the women had the same idea as I did for presents.
I knew that Brynna had decided to enlist my father to make Logan a
new set of tools. Tegan decided to knit a scarf and hat for her
nephew and Morwenna was doing needlework similar to mine. Angharad
decided she would take care of Eclipse so she had him in her lap
while she read a book.

When the time approached two in the
afternoon, we all got up to go to the feast, although I left
Eclipse behind. He was too small to attend with us and I didn’t
want him wandering around and getting into mischief. I arranged
with a servant that an area would be reserved in the room for him
to do his business and I would go back to clean up.