I ducked through the tent flaps, having walked through yet more confusion here on “my” shared estate, weary after the long day.   I think I had spotted all of Alagos’s new guards, but the estate house itself had been relatively empty as I traipsed through it.  One had stepped around the edge of the tent at my approach, just enough to be seen before stepping back into the lengthening shadows of the day’s end.  The Domina may trust everyone here in this small tent village, but I did not.  In the weeks I had been gone, Alagos had performed superbly in his mission of modifying the brute force approach of my inherited employees, and they grew more like those at home, although still with a unique approach.  Graceful, bright in the colors of Zephyrias, but quiet and unobtrusive.  More at ease perhaps in their position than the normal status driven El Kevarkian way, or so it seemed to me. 

 The interior of the tent was….unique.  As is she, in my experience.  Riotous colors, and of course a “bar” where she serves her concoctions.  I know there is another, more intimate tent accessible through a short canvas tunnel, but she preferred to be out here, hosting the desert people and traders that had traveled with her from Vinba for succor at the Temple of Healing after the attacks of the Fate of Vengeance.  She looked up as I entered through the pinned and open flaps, before returning to talking to someone reclining next to the low table. 

My eyes adjusted quickly to the low light, and I smiled wearily.  Her beauty shines regardless of the light, and her natural silvery white hair stands out, but the colored streaks change regularly, and while she favors a pale luminescent green, my smile recognizes that they have been joined by the glowing purple of the Zephyrias beetles and the sea blue of the Windstar clan. 

With a nod of my head, a request which she acknowledged with a brief smile, I moved towards the short canvas hallway back to the ‘bedroom.’

---

 

I smiled as she entered the bedchamber of the tent, hesitantly, perhaps as I was unsure of where to begin.  Our brief relationship before the betrothal had given me no indication of the fiery nature of her mood swings.  I could understand her desire to protect Vinba, to restore it, but……the duties and facades we needed to wear to succeed she did not appreciate.  Her actions while I was gone had negated my planning, and, combined with the news Adar had brought of Valerus, and the news Valerus had revealed to us herself through the dream casting had left me….irritable at best.  I did not understand….well, I could not understand much about her at all. Perhaps Valerus had been right when she recommended against the betrothal, regardless of what connections it brought us.  Yet, I found her beautiful, and we needed a land base if we were to be successful at all in our duty to the Marquise, and last but certainly not least, as a Duskstrike, even if a distant relative, the potential long term benefits were vast, as were the dangers of course.  I had been unaware the Marquise had any remaining relatives, but surely she would be pleased to discover some family.

All of this flashed through my mind as she smiled in return, and I smiled again, “My lady,” I began….

“So formal, my lord?” and her sarcasm is clear, but her smile dimmed, and the light in her eyes faded a touch, and to me it is as if a shadow has crossed the sun.

I smile, running a hand through my platinum hair, “Sorry, Khepri, I have some news, both good and ill, I believe.”

I paused, “Perhaps a drink, to lighten my heart?”

She smiled, “I have just the thing, my lord,” and this time her sarcasm was more jocund.

It gave me a few moments to think more, something I have been doing too much of without result lately, as she poured something from a bottle that smells of fruit and light.

“I do not know how to begin, my dear.”

“Then let us speak of the ill, so that we can celebrate the good.”

“Very well,” and then I told her of the predicament in which Valerus resided.  I could not find it in my heart to keep such a secret much longer, the need to return to el-Kevrat, but only after hopefully getting the cure to the Onyx Drought.  I had already told her some of it, but not all that Valerus had revealed, including her thoughts that the Illustrae Cadre were suspicious of my aunt for some reason.  Which made absolutely no sense and angered me as I spoke, until she moved closer, reaching out to calm me with a touch. 

I told her of the dream prophecies I suffered within the temple, how ominous and dark the feelings as a result, the projections of death for both her and Valerus, if I made the wrong choices, without even knowing the question asked.  How horrified I was at the thought of her death, that she must remain vigilant, to allow Alagos to protect her, to be attentive to possible threats until I could return.  I told her of the dream of our return to Karendar, the joy that it brought me, the birth of a child and heir, and how the Stormbreaker ship arrived, attacking us for no apparent reason, and the death of my wife whom I had grown to love and our child due to an errant bolt. 

As I summed up all the darkness that I carried with me the last few weeks, the tears of fear running down my face, I finished by saying, “Let there be no secrets of note between us, my betrothed.”  In later years, perhaps, the phrase ‘of note’ would prove too undefined.  Nonetheless, perhaps shockingly, she listened intently, asking questions, before attempting to ease my burdens with her words.

“We must indeed be cautious, Tolaryian, as I have learned to my sorrow, that the Fates intervene in the affairs of the world more often than the people truly expect, if not to the degree that my sister became warped by Vengeance.   Perhaps the link between us does grow stronger, and you sensed the difficulty of pregnancy that overcame me while you were away.”

“What?  You are pregnant?” and I smiled in shocked disbelief but happiness.

Before I could fully even begin to move closer to her, “I was, my husband to be.  I am no longer.”

Stunned happiness turned quickly into ash.

“Do not be aggrieved, Tolaryian, I know I speak to you no new knowledge that it is quite common for such events amongst our people, while perhaps it is of passing sorrow, we must of course not linger long on such tragedy.”  Even with her matter of fact tone, I remained unsteady to hear the news, while listening to her continue, “It is likely only the intervention of Creation in her ascendance in Bhem Halem that even provided for such fertility in such a rapid passing of time since our betrothal ceremony, and your absences.”

My hand trembled as I raised the fruity beverage to gulp more quickly than I intended.  “I….am sorrowful that my lady had to experience such an event while I was away,” and even I know my words sounded trite as I retreated into more formality to cover my shock.

“It will not be the first, I am sure, Tolaryian.  These matters are a simple fact of life for our people, but our long life also does give us the time to try again, and again, and again,’ as she moved forward and kissed me lightly on the lips, although the kiss turned much more passionate as I gripped her in my sorrow.  

Later, as we lay upon the pillowed ground, “We did not finish all of our discussions my dear, before we became, distracted.”

“You have more news?”

“Yes, but first, how can you be so sure that the prophetic dreams were not more, shall we say, directly predictive, the Stormbreakers attacking us in our estates in Karendar as an example.”

“Because Tolaryian, I will never return to Karendar, for any reason, so it is not possible for the dreams to be accurate in that sense.”

“Return? I thought during the betrothal negotiations, that you had said you had never been,” and I feel her pull away from my embrace, to rise and head towards the small cabinet that contained her beverages.

“Did I?  I must have misspoke, or you misheard, my dear, I have been to Karendar, long ago, I just desire never to return. It is not part of my life nor will it be.  I thought I had made that clear.”

Suspicious, but thinking myself overly paranoid, “Yes, your statements on the likelihood of your return to Karendar have always been clear, however, my hope that you will eventually modify such remains steadfast.”

When I don’t push her for more details, she seems to relax further.  “Perhaps, your dreams signal some dire event with the Stormbreakers more than it does other news.”

“Possible, but other than the knowledge that their ships are slower, and less profitable than ours, I have not dealt much with their clan in the past.  We are not friendly, but outright attacks on Valerus for no apparent reason trouble me.  Added to the suspicious treatment Valerus sensed from the Illustrae Cadre in El Kevrat in the days she has been trapped there, there has to be some connection.”

“Worrying over prophetic dreams can become a full-time delusion, Tolaryian.  You must take note, and be alert for similarities, but you cannot let it overtake your life.  Now, enough dreariness, you spoke of good news.”

“What? Oh, yes.  I have been working with the Lady Artemesia on efforts to get your restrictions lifted.  And while we have not fully completed everything to allow your immediate return to Vinba, I am positive that when I return after rescuing Valerus, that the next stage will allow us to finish the process.  We made great progress today, and, given your concurrence last night, Artemesia has found a candidate for Curator that will be much more suited to our….special……needs.”

“Special circumstances?” and I realized I have erred again.

“Do not take offense, my dear, I am not finished, quite yet, and I only meant that she has one that will more fully merge your desires for less formality where possible with the traditions expected of a house of the Familia Consulate.” While she only appears slightly mollified, I rush on, “I thought, that to perhaps pass the time, you might use your talents to build a different, uhm, product line, for eventual sale for the profit of our house.”

“I am listening,” she replies, although her tone remains cool.

“Well, while we must need rebuild the dye making efforts that the scarabs provide, as they are quite profitable, the new curator can perhaps cover most of that management effort.  I thought, just perhaps, that you might wish to develop a more limited, shall we say, elite product line, of, well, potions, vials, drinks that could be sold at higher prices even.  I am not even sure what types of brews, oils, salves, or other alchemical delights you…….”

She catches me by surprise as she swings back, dancing into my arms, to grab my shoulders and kiss me in a far more fiery act than the one earlier.  “Truly, truly?  We could, I could do that? That would not offend our fellow houses?”

“Well, you have a special talent, and we must use all of our gifts if Zephyrias is to grow strong. I am sure the curator can assist in the more practical matters of such a shop, but the creations would be yours. I see many reasons how that could prove more beneficial than any false probity concocted by those Consulate members who stand may stand against us.”

She hands me a goblet of wine, and I drink deeply before continuing, “However, we will need to do something in regards to the tent city village that has sprung up here.”  As her face begins to cloud, “Please, hear me out, we need workers, those that wish to stay and assist you in the care of the beetles, in the dye-making, even in your shop if you need it.  But, I had hoped that the rest could return to Vinba in a couple of weeks.”

“To starve?  You want me to force them out after my sister fouled the springs?”

“No, of course not, I know how you care for them, and they follow your leadership, and appear to love you greatly.  We would be poor leaders to remove succor previously offered. What I mean is, I have saved what news I thought you would love best for the last.  The savants of Glory and Charm have agreed to jointly use their acolytes and their powers to cleans the springs.  They depart on the morrow.  Negotiations proved difficult, and we, I, and my brothers, owe them certain debts, but Vinba will be restored.”

“I had not thought you would achieve this so quickly, Tolaryian,” she replied as she let the robes she had donned drop to the floor.   Handing me yet another glass as I gazed upon her beauty, “Drink, and let us celebrate all the good that has befallen us today, to push the pain and darkness away before you depart yet again in the morn.”

And so it was that I allowed my betrothed to banish for a short time the pain and fear o becoming the heir, and inheritance I feared may come too soon, and losing an heir I had never met.