Prophecy, Child of Earth (84 page)

'I had no control over it then. My dragon nature didn't come out until much later, when the piece of the star was sewn into my chest. It was my first time, too—

I was utterly lost to you, even then. So for all I knew, when I left you, you were with child. The thought of it almost killed me, imagining you alone and vulnerable, probably disgraced, in pain and frightened, with my daughter or son who I would never know. It was as if, in addition to the loss of the love of my life, my soulmate, I'd lost that child, too." The hand that caressed her cheek trembled slightly.

Rhapsody took his hand in hers and kissed it. "There was no child. Gods, Sam, I wished for so long that there had been, but it didn't come to pass."

His eyes sparkled sapphire-blue in the firelight. "I'm happy to hear you say that you wished for a child, because I very much look forward to granting that wish someday, when the land is safe and the F'dor is destroyed. I dream of it, in fact, and have, even before you gifted me with your love again. And you needn't worry about your fecundity; it is I who have withheld progeny from you, not the other way around. It's not a reflection on you, or your fertility, in any way. In fact, my senses say you're fine."

Relief broke over Rhapsody's face in the form of a heart-stealing smile. A moment later, she looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm very glad to hear it. Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"

'If you want to tell me."

'It gets easier from here. After a few years, a kind man took an interest in me; an older man. He seemed as interested in my mind as he was in, well, other things; probably more, really. He set me up in my own house, and encouraged my desire to learn. He made sure I had the very finest instruction in music, and art, and other scholarly pursuits."

'All the things you told me you wanted to do that night in Merryfield."

'Yes. He set me up with the greatest Lirin Namer in all of Serendair, a man named Heiles, to learn the ancient arts, but not long after I had finished my training as a Singer and was just about to achieve Namer status, Heiles disappeared. To my knowledge he was never found. I was close to fully trained by then. I had to study on my own for about a year. I was just beginning to figure out the science of Naming when my benefactor died.

'Soon after that, a beast who had taken a fancy to me sent one of his henchmen after me, to collect me for some private entertainment. I refused. I was rather brash about it, and it turned out to be a serious mistake. And things became, well, let's just say the situation was pretty ugly when I ran into Ach-med and Grunthor. They rescued me and helped me escape. They were on the run themselves, and together we got out of Easton and made for Sagia; do you know of it?"

Ashe thought for a moment. "Yes, the Oak of Deep Roots. It was a root-twin to the Great White Tree."

'Yes. The Axis Mundi, the line through the center of the earth, runs along that root as well. We went in through Sagia—I'm still not exactly sure how—and crawled along the Root, forever it seems. That's when we changed, absorbing the powers of the Earth, of Fire, of Time. We passed through a great wall of flame at what must have been the center. I believe we actually were immolated, but the song of our essence went on, reforming us on the other side when our bodies burned away. And all the old scars, all the old wounds, were gone." Gently Ashe stroked her wrist with his thumb, the place that had once borne the scar he remembered so vividly. "We were made new; that's why when you met me your dragon sense thought I was a virgin." "That's not why. I told you long ago why."

She kissed his cheek and slid out of his arms, sitting beside him on the sofa again. "The trip seemed like it would never end. It must have taken centuries, because when finally we came out we were here, and everything, everyone we had known had vanished ages before into the sea. In fact, everyone I had loved was probably gone long before that; I didn't know how many generations had passed before the Cymrians set sail, how many it had been since they arrived. "So, I suppose Anwyn didn't really lie to you. We didn't land; we never did set foot on any of the Cymrian ships, we never sailed. We left before those generations were born, we arrived long after the war. So, in fact, her answer to you was truthful."

Ashe laughed bitterly, and stared into the fire. "Technically, anyway. But Anwyn knew, Emily. She knew that you had left, that you were on your way, crawling along the Root. She chose to keep it hidden; instead all she said was that you hadn't arrived, that you never set foot on the ships that left the old world in time. It was like dying then, Aria. She watched me dissolve into anguish beyond measure, and she just stood there silently. This is my grandmother, Rhapsody, my own grandmother. Do you think my happiness, my sanity, means anything to her?"

He looked back at her. The sympathy in her eyes went straight to his heart, bringing with it warmth and consolation. "I guess not, Sam; I'm sorry," she said, resting her hand lightly on his face. "Do you have any idea why? Why would she do this?"

'Power. Power over me. They are all like that; Anwyn, my father, all of them.

Now can you understand why I don't care a fig for the lot of them? Why I'm willing, even now, to turn my back on them, to give you back the memory? You are the only person who has ever really cared about me, despite my illustrious lineage, the only person who ever really loved me. I owe you everything; I owe them nothing. Yet you always seem to end up with the chaff while they get the wheat."

Rhapsody laughed, and leaned her head back against his shoulder as he put his arm around her. "What interesting imagery. Now, which of us is the farm child?

Wheat is only good if you need food, Sam. Chaff works very well to make a soft bed. Generally we spend more time there than at the table, anyway." Her eyes sparkled humorously, and he laughed with her, hugging her tighter. "And chaff makes a tremendous bonfire. Don't discount the value of chaff, Sam. It will be our turn for bread eventually."

Ashe sighed deeply and stroked her hair. They watched the fire for a long time, curled around each other in comfortable familiarity, as the flames changed colors, twisting in a quiet dance. Finally, he spoke. "I have a question." "Oh, good. So do I." "You first." "No, go ahead."

'All right," he said, enjoying the banality of their exchange, "why did you start calling yourself Rhapsody?"

She laughed. "Nana thought my real name was too ordinary. It was prim-sounding, not a good name for, well, for my new line of work." "Emily is a beautiful name."

'

'Emily' is only an abbreviation of my real name. It's actually my nickname."

Interest brightened Ashe's face. "Really? I didn't know that. What is your real name?"

Rhapsody turned red, and she looked away, although her eyes still smiled.

"Come on," he cajoled, grabbing her around the waist, laughing as she squirmed away. "You're going to marry me; I should at least get to know what your real name is. Gods, you know every permutation of mine." "I don't know why you call yourself Ashe."

'Because 'Gwydion' would get me killed. Stop stalling. What is it?" "Be careful, Sam," she said seriously. "A name is very powerful. My old name has never been spoken in this world. When that happens it should be in a special ceremony, something that will surround it with power, so it won't be vulnerable to the old world demons. Like a wedding, for instance."

He nodded, his playfulness subsiding. Rhapsody sensed his mood shift, and she climbed back into his lap.

'But," she said, eyes sparkling with mischief, "if I told it to you in
pieces
, it probably would be all right." "Only if—"

'

'Rhapsody' really is my middle name," she interrupted before he could finish.

"My mother was a skysinger; her name was Allegra."

'Beautiful."

'It would be a good name for a daughter, wouldn't it?"

He smiled at her tenderly. "Yes; yes it would."

'Anyway, my father named me after his mother, and Mama was not thrilled with the name. She thought it was staid and boring. I know because she told me once, in front of the fire, when we were alone, brushing my hair. She wanted to name me something Lirin, something with music in it, because she believed it would give me a musical soul."

'She was a wise woman."

'So that's where 'Rhapsody' came from. Besides being a musical term, it denotes unpredictability, and passion, and wild romance. She hoped those things would counteract my first name."

He kissed her forehead. "It suits you perfectly."

'Thank you—I think."

'So," he said, wicked mirth in his own eyes, "what was your grandmother's name?"

'Elienne."

'Not the Lirin one, you brat. What was your father's mother's name?"

Rhapsody's face grew rosier still, either from embarrassment or laughter.

"Amelia."

'Amelia? I like Amelia. Emily, short for Amelia. Has a nice ring to it."

'My family called me Emmy," she said. "My friends called me Emily. The only one who called me Amelia was—"

'Let me guess: your grandmother?"

Rhapsody laughed again. "How did you know?"

'And what last name, what patronymic, did the farm families in your village generally have?"

She played along. "Well, the one I knew best was Turner, as in Earth-turner. It signified that they were planters, and raised crops from the ground. Nice people; I was very fond of all of them. Now, if we're done with the ancient history lesson, is it my turn? Do I get to ask my question now?"

'Certainly. Ask away."

'I want to know who this other woman was that you were going to search out and marry; the one you discovered after the ring came into full power."

'There never was another woman, Rhapsody; I was talking about you."

Rhapsody shook her head in disagreement. "When you said you now knew who the right woman was, this Cymrian woman you became aware of, and certain of, to be the Lady—"

'You."

'I see. And the woman you told me you were in love with, in the forest when we—"

'Also you."

'What about—"

'You, Rhapsody. There is, and never has been, anyone in my life but you. Until tonight I thought that constituted two, but, in actuality, since you and Emily are one and the same, it makes it astonishingly simple. I loved you then as Emily; I love you now, again, as Rhapsody, both very different and yet still the same. You are the only woman I have ever touched, ever kissed, ever loved. Just you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's keep it that way," she whispered, smiling with him. "Is that selfish enough for you?"

His answer was lost in the kiss that followed; he cradled her face as their lips met, breathing her in like a spring wind, filling his soul with her essence. His hands slid up her back, his fingers caressing the crinkly silk of the dress, and carefully began to unbutton it.

Rhapsody pulled away gently "Sam, please don't."

'What's the matter?"

She took a deep breath, then looked at him steadily. "Perhaps, given that I won't have any memory of this tomorrow, it's a bad idea to become engaged tonight."

Ashe's face fell. "Emily—"

'Let me finish. There's no point in making a promise to marry. Those are promises easily broken, and without the knowledge that it was made, there really is no point in it. After everything you've heard, do you still want to marry me?"

His heart was in his eyes. "More than ever."

'And given the choice, assuming all other things are unimportant, would you rather leave here tomorrow as my fiance—or as my husband?"

Understanding began to dawn on him, and Ashe started to smile. "As your husband—no question."

Her eyes mirrored his. "Then marry me, Sam. Marry me tonight." cXhapsody awoke the next morning as the light began to filter through the curtains. She stretched in luxurious warmth and rolled over in her bed, coming face-to-face with the sleeping Ashe. She started, and her movement caused him to wake and open his eyes.

'Good morning," he said softly, smiling at her. There was a happiness in his eyes the like of which she had never seen.

'Good morning," she answered drowsily, returning his smile wanly and yawning. "I have to say I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you planned to be gone before I awoke." As her awareness began to return, she realized in embarrassment that they were naked beneath the sheets.

'We talked late into the night. Do you remember anything?"

Rhapsody turned the thought over in her mind. "No," she said, a trace of sadness in her voice. "Not after we went into the gazebo—that's my last memory. It went well, then?"

His smile broadened, and he reached out and drew a lock of her hair across his throat. "Very well."

Rhapsody's face grew solemn, returning to her melancholy thoughts of the night before. "Why did you stay, really?"

Ashe looked at her seriously. "We wanted to spend as much time together as we could before I left. You agreed; honestly you did."

Rhapsody sat up and saw her silk dress crumpled in a heap on the floor at the foot of the bed, his mariner's clothes scattered across the room. Color rose in her cheeks as she lay back under the blankets once more and looked at him again.

'We made love, then?" she asked quietly.

'Yes. Oh, yes."

Rhapsody looked uncomfortable. "You—you did want to, didn't you? I didn't make you feel guilty or beg you, did I?"

Ashe laughed. "Not at all. As if you would ever need to."

She turned away from him so he could not see the sorrow in her eyes. "I wish I could remember," she said sadly.

Ashe took her carefully by the shoulders and turned her to face him, kissing her gently. "You will, one day," he said. "I am holding the memory for you, Aria. One day it will be ours to share again."

Tears began to form in the emerald eyes. "No," she whispered. "It may be mine to keep someday, but it's time for you to begin making memories with someone else."

Ashe pulled her closer so she could not see him smile. "Tomorrow," he said.

"Today I am still here with you. Perhaps there is a way to make up for the loss until the memory is yours once more." He laid her back down on the pillow and kissed her again, his hands caressing her breasts lovingly.