Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (53 page)

Jeyn
’
s eyes widened.
“
They
’
re monsters? Like phantom cats, but not in animal form?
”

“
Impossible,
”
Chasa snapped.

“
Aage knows about monsters,
”
Jeyn insisted.

“
He knows about bending power,
”
her brother corrected her,
“
in places none of us can go. I know about monsters, the physical kind that Shapers kill with magic swords and spears. That we can only kill with magic-enhanced weapons. Abstainers don
’
t have anything to do with the Others. If they did, Felistinon
’
s arrows wouldn
’
t have helped against the band that attacked him and Dad and Feather.
”

“
That
’
s more or less what your father told Aage,
”
Ivey said.

Jeyn set her jaw stubbornly.
“
Aage wouldn
’
t suggest it if it wasn
’
t possible.
”

“
There
’
s possible, and there
’
s practical,
”
Chasa said.
“
Dreamers are not practical. They don
’
t have the same concerns as the rest of us. They don
’
t even see facts that are obvious to the rest of us.
”

Ivey looked from one tense twin to the other. He hated to see them fighting.
“
Of course Dreamers share our concerns.
”

The two blond heads turned toward him.

“
We
’
re all Children of the Rock,
”
Ivey continued.
“
We need each other. We need Aage
’
s vision, his wisdom. And he needs us
—
specifically, you two.
”
When they didn
’
t respond at once Ivey waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“
To do certain things with two certain Keepers.
”

It was the right thing to say. Jeyn made a very sour face and Chasa mirrored it.

“
Breeding stock,
”
Jeyn complained.

“
That
’
s us,
”
Chasa agreed.
“
I don
’
t mind, not really.
”

“
I do.
”

“
Feather doesn
’
t like me.
”

“
I wish that was my problem.
”

“
Ah. The fight was with Daav.
”

She blushed, as much with anger as with embarrassment.
“
The fight is always with Daav.
”
She swung her legs over the rail and got up to pace across the terrace.
“
I do not see what Father likes about that man!
”

When Chasa didn
’
t continue the conversation with his twin, Ivey said,
“
I thought he was chosen by Savyea.
”

“
Father approved it. Father can spend hours with him, walking around buildings and discussing stonework. I have no interest in stonework! I
’
m the one who would have to live with him, not Father!
”
She strode back toward Ivey and Chasa, hands gesturing widely.
“
He
’
s got bricks for brains, I
’
m sure of it. He
’
s not interested in a single thing I
’
m interested in. He doesn
’
t like horses, he doesn
’
t like music, he
’
s nervous around Aage, he falls asleep during Redmother stories. When I try to talk about running the country, he just stares at me!
”

“
So do I,
”
Chasa said.

“
Maybe he
’
s overwhelmed,
”
Ivey suggested.

“
Nonsense. He
’
s just an idiot,
”
she snapped.
“
What sort of Dreamers would a man like that father? Magic builders. Just what we need. A child who can make palaces appear out of thin air? Then where would all the carpenters and stonemasons and thatchers be, hmm?
”

Ivey caught one waving hand.
“
Jeyn. Calm down.
”

“
Easy for you to say. Nobody
’
s asking you to marry someone you don
’
t like.
”
She looked up into his face with a sudden, conspiratorial gleam in her.
“
You know what? No one
’
s going to make me do that, either.
”

“
Make you ask me to marry someone I don
’
t like?
”
he asked, stalling for time.

“
I don
’
t think I want to hear this.
”
Chasa gave a decisive nod.
“
In fact, I am not going to hear this.
”
Before Ivey could protest, the prince disappeared into the house.

Jeyn reclaimed his attention.
“
You know exactly what I meant!
”

“
You
’
re not marrying Daav.
”

“
Got it in one.
”

“
Does the king know this?
”

“
Not yet. But Daav does. I think that he
’
s the most important person to know it, don
’
t you? It is between us, after all. It
’
s not as if I won
’
t marry a Keeper. It
’
s just got to be the right Keeper.
”

“
Got anyone in mind?
”
He said it without thinking, then felt a hot flush spread up his neck. He dropped her hand and stepped quickly back.
“
No. That
’
s not a fair question. I apologize.
”

She smiled at him. The smile was pleasant, the tilt of her head decidedly speculative.
“
I was hoping for a bit of that overt flattery you mentioned earlier.
”

“
Maybe later.
”
He looked over his shoulder, craning his neck to glance at the westering sun.
“
Actually, I really have to practice. I
’
m supposed to play for dinner tonight.
”

“
Fine. I
’
ll see you then.
”
Still smiling, she picked up her book and moved toward the door into the house.
“
Thank you for listening to my problems.
”

“
You
’
re welcome, Your Highness.
”
She went into the house, and Ivey sat down heavily on the stone railing.

She likes me. I think I
’
m in trouble.
He picked up his guitar once more, and absently fingered a few chords. A little flirting was nothing to worry about. Neither he nor Jeyn had been serious. She was just bored with Daav. The builder was a good man, but deathly dull. Ivey wondered when Jeyn would gather the courage to tell her father that she could not accept Daav as her husband
—
and who she would find to replace him. Daav couldn
’
t be the only Sitrinian Keeper wort
hy of marrying the princess. To
win Jeyn, however, he would also have to be a man with wide interests and good taste.

Whoever he is, I wish him luck with the king.

Vray sat back on her heels and twisted her stiff back. Around her, hundreds of tiny plants poked through the brown soil of the garden in orderly rows. Vray removed her woven hat and fanned herself with it. With midsummer only two ninedays away, the morning sun was already hot.

Pepper, working at the other end of the row, stood up.
“
What
’
s the matter?
”

“
Nothing
’
s the matter,
”
Vray returned.
“
I
’
m just resting.
”

“
Then you
’
ll never finish.
”

“
Look at this,
”
Vray said, pointing down. The summons was enough to distract Pepper, at least for the moment. She hopped nimbly through the garden to Vray
’
s side.
“
What do you suppose that
’
s doing here?
”

Pepper peered obligingly at the little plant.
“
That
’
s a radish,
”
she announced with great authority.

“
I know it
’
s a radish.
”
Vray supposed she would never live down her initial inability to tell one tiny, two-leaved seedling from another.
“
These are supposed to be carrots.
”

“
Sometimes a few seeds get mixed up. Let
’
s move it where it belongs.
”
The girl dug around the seedling with her fingers and carefully uprooted it, then confided,
“
Mama would probably just throw it away, but I love radishes.
”

She straightened and looked beyond Vray, eyes widening.
“
Daddy!
”

Vray turned as Pepper dashed past her, abandoning the now unimportant seedling. The big bay mare was hauling the wagon up the hill, Jordy at her head. The carter looked up at Pepper
’
s squeal, smiled, and said something to her as she drew near. He waved to Vray.

Vray did not leave the safe, familiar haven of the garden. From there she watched Jordy maneuver the horse and wagon into the stable, listened to Pepper
’
s excited commentary, and saw Matti come careening out of the house, dragging her mother along by the hand. Vray resumed her weeding.

“
Where are you? Iris!
”

Pepper beckoned to her from the stable doorway. Vray got up and crossed the yard, self-consciously rubbing the dirt off her hands.

“
Hello, lassie,
”
Jordy said as soon as she entered the stable.
“
I brought something for the three of you. Pepper will show you which crate.
”

Vray obediently went to the back of the wagon, where Pepper and Matti crouched over one of the boxes. They watched eagerly as Vray pried up the lid.
“
Just the top package, mind,
”
the carter added.

“
What is it?
”
Matti demanded.

Pepper, more experienced, was already unwrapping the outer layer of brown paper. Inside nestled dozens of small, squarish objects, each within its own twist of the sort of smooth white paper Vray hadn
’
t seen since her last visit to the markets of Edian.

“
Taffy!
”
Pepper shouted.
“
Daddy, thank you!
”

“
Pecan taffy.
”
Jordy, who had begun to rub down the horse, put aside his cloth and came over to the wagon.
“
I expect you to make it last.
”

“
Can we have some now?
”
Matti asked.