For My Sister

Chapter 3

 We had plenty to do before the Festival of Zephyr and Ilsa. It all started with Jolene's face. Naturally Valentia came home with questions and they weren't the questions we expected to hear at first. Shralinda's father apparently got to Valentia first with stories about how Jolene had gotten into a fight with Shralinda and Shralinda was suffering from a broken nose. And then Valentia saw Jolene's face and asked for our story. So we got off the hook with Valentia but I'm afraid we've made an even worse enemy with Shralinda. So she became just another reason to want to get off of Millween as quickly as possible. And Jolene was careful to heal her face in the fastest way possible. She hated the idea of showing up at our parents' doorstep with a black eye and split lip. What would that say about me and Valentia?

Jolene and I had different ideas when it came to the best possible way of getting ourselves home to Millcou. I wanted to stow away on a ship that would take us straight to Millcou. But Jolene, insisted that we get our own boat because naturally the docks would be the first place Valentia would ask around in and in our own boat, we would have a better chance of making it to Millcou without being thrown in the dungeon for doing something illegal like stowing away. I then pointed out that anyone who would see two teens alone in a canoe would have questions anyways and would still probably arrest us. But Jolene insisted that could be easily used to our advantage and we could appeal for mercy that way. So in the end to make my sister happy, I went garbage diving and found an old fishing skiff to fix up and use to get us to Millcou. We wouldn't have to worry about maps or anything when we were on the water. Millcou was directly north and as long as we went by our compass and followed it directly north, we would be safely there in no time at all.

The Festival of Zephyr and Ilsa is strictly for Snow People only and runs for two weeks straight. It's typically held on the island of Batlo, the first island home of the Snow People, and since Jolene and I were basically forbidden from attending the festival since we're humans, we were typically left with Valentia's father, Lord Silvanus, who was too old to attend the festival anymore. The original plan was to simply leave him with everything to make him comfortable within his reach and then sneak off to go back home late one night towards the end the festival when he was sleeping. At least that was the plan until Valentia approached us.

"Jolene, Julian," she said shakily and a little sadly. "I know that you typically stay with my father during this festival, but...he's dying. He may only have a couple of months left to live and one of his last wishes is to attend the Festival of Zephyr and Ilsa one more time."

"I'm assuming that means Julian and I are staying home alone then?" Jolene asked trying not to look too excited. In her defense, she really was upset about Valentia's father.

"Actually, Lackamoran has graciously offered to take care of you two during those two weeks."

"Lackamoran!" I repeated as Jolene let out a groan. "You mean that creepy purple abominable snowman who's older than the wholly mammoths?"

"Julian, son of Rowan! That is no way to talk about your elders. Lackamoran is ninety-four, too old to be going to the festival, and is very kind to offer you two a place to stay."

"But Valentia, she hates us for simply being human. And she just hates kids in general."

"Jolene, you know that's not true."

"She's the reason Varett's huskie limps and has a bad jaw," I put in. "He got in her way about three years ago and she beat him up like nothing."

"Yeah, and Kikeera didn't really slip on the ice and break her wrist several years back. That was all Lackamoran beating her hand with a stick because Kikeera took some fresh snow from her yard for snow cream." Jolene joined.

"You're staying with Lackamoran and that's the end of it." Valentia said staring at us. I sulked. Jolene pouted. The doorman interrupted us to say that there was someone asking for Valentia. She didn't stop staring at us but only said, "Send them in."

A human man entered. He was broad shouldered and dressed in silk and dark fur. His hands were rough and hardened, like they had seen days of hard work and still got dirty every now and again. His face was noble and had rather well-groomed stubble but there was something sad in his eyes. He didn't look at Valentia. He looked at me and my sister. And as he looked at us, that sadness seemed to be replaced by joy and a smile started creeping on his face. I could swear I had seen that same smile before somewhere but I couldn't think of where. Before he had a chance to say anything, Valentia jumped up from her seat and started shouting, "What are you doing here?! Outside, right now! Do you hear me?! Gaurds, take him outside!"

"No, Valentia! Please, I can explain!" Despite his pleas he was forcefully taken outside with Valentia still yelling at him how he was never supposed to show his face here, leaving me and Jolene alone in the sitting room absolutely confused.

"Old lover, maybe?" Jolene asked.

"If they even had that kind of history, something went way wrong. Probably another woman. But he looks too young for her. Young enough to be her son in fact." I said already getting up and heading over to the window. With my sister's help, we were able to crack open the frozen window enough to eavesdrop on the conversation Valentia was having with this man.

"You had better have a good reason for showing up here. I have heard nothing of the witch being found and killed. So unless she has been and this is the first I'm hearing about it-"

"I'm afraid it has nothing to do with the witch. We've heard nothing of her. She's basically disappeared. I'm here not only for myself but also for Ana and Gina. Listen, Gina has a very rare form of degenerative cancer."

"What?" came Valentia's shocked voice. "Why doesn't the kingdom know? Have you made contact with the healers?"

"It was done as soon as we found out. This cancer is definitely not magical and the healers...cannot change a fate that is already set in stone."

"Oh, Rowan..."

Jolene gasped beside me. All I could think was, 'That...that's my father!'

"Gina wants the chance to know her heir before she dies, even though my wife will probably act as regent for a few years before Julian is old enough to take over."

"So he IS to be the next king?"

"We have little to no choice. Amy has only one child and that child is to be Bulfisa's ruler. Clair's children are so spoiled that Gina does not want to put the kingdom in their hands and let a bad chain start all over again. And...Bhavani did come back the day after we sent the twins away. Val, she took away Ana's ability to ever have children again. Don't you see now? All those years, we didn't choose to not have other children. We couldn't have any more children and it is destroying both of us. I miss my Ana. She has become a far cry from the woman I married, and the mother she was meant to be. She needs to have Julian and Jolene back again."

Jolene kept staring at our father with a frozen shocked expression and I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes. Mother and Father really, truly wanted us. We were the only kids that they would ever have any chance to know and already half of our lives were gone.

"Val, if you won't let me take the two of them back to the Ice Palace with me at least let me talk to them." Father pleaded looking like the definition of desperate at this point.

"You may have already drawn Bhavani here by even getting that one glimpse of them. Until we know for sure she is dead, I cannot let you talk to them. Guards, get him on a boat to Millcou and make sure he stays there." Valentia said turning her back on Father.

"No Valentia! Stop! VAL!" Father pleaded as they dragged him away. Every inch of my being wanted to run out there and beg them not to take my father away, not now that I knew he wanted me. But I stayed frozen in time. Jolene ran. Out the door. "Papa! Papa!"

My father fought his guards and my sister fought Valentia. At one point, he even managed to get one arm around her and she had her arms looped around his neck. But they were pried away from each other. He was dragged to the docks and she collapsed in a sobbing heap on the front steps. I let myself slide down the wall and sit on the floor and let myself cry. More than anything in the world, I wanted only one thing in that moment, my mother and father's love.