His Hand In The Shadows

Chapter 18: Sixty Days

She sat in the garden looking over the letter her son had written her, 'Mother, I shall return home two months late. Worry not of it as I am with friends. Zayd.' It was his handwriting and his words. It was not the first time he had 'left with friends' and he had been good during the semester. She had not appreciated him fighting her on the release of the peasant woman, or that he was working with the royal she-demon, Lady Nas, to achieve said release, but what did make her accept his request, was that he had worked with Lady Sonali to do it. Sonali had informed Lady Cormill that her son was treating her well. Sonali had no complaints about Zayd and his grades were almost perfect, even in his lectures. Zayd had insisted that Reyes aided him when their schedules made room for it and it seemed his help was paying off. She now knew she had chosen right in allowing Zayd to keep him.

Lady Cormill knew why Zayd was upset with her. All the Houses opted to participate in the exchange program while she remained skeptical and forbade Zayd from going anywhere near Arcus' borders. There could be no other reason why he would be so furious with her as to not notify her in person beforehand or keep contact with her while away. So that must have been the reason; that, and he would have to return so suddenly from months at the academy, only to be dragged around the country on another venture with Sir Cormill for the entire summer. She knew he did not want to go with his father for months on end and would only run off again and she could not bear it.

Her heart could not take it when Zayd would disappear. It was his go-to when frustrated instead of arguing with her. She respected that he wouldn't raise his voice toward her or push topics she was not comfortable discussing, so she had definitely felt that dagger he turned in her stomach when he spoken about how delighted she must feel that she got a few more moments with her husband due to Zayd's disappearance and that he cared about his first heir over her or his daughter. She hoped never to hear such honesty from her son again. He had made her question her motivations. The honesty that asked her to choose between money and blood. Such brutal honesty. Luckily his latest conquest had ended and he had parted ways with the Belcrest girl. He was now on the right path— minus his involvement with Lady Nas that she would have to deal with later— and he deserved to be rewarded for it.

In a few days, he would return and she was anxious to know he was okay. She had tried having the servants contact him when he wouldn't accept her line, but he was too smart. All he had left was the letter and she tried her hardest to do what it said and not worry. He would be leading the House soon, he could handle two months without his mother by his side before he would have to give up all personal desires for his House. Afterall, his father ensured that Zayd could protect himself.

Zoelle would talk in her room alone during the nights, but Lady Cormill knew if she asked her daughter who she was speaking with, she would deny it all. For peace of mind, she listened in on their conversations from outside the door and it kept her from contacting every friend he had.

Like the House of Euleus was known for its flexible fighting art and graceful women who were tied near birth, and the House of Agris was known for its hereditary female Head of House; the House of Cormill was known for its revered fencing abilities, extravagant birthday parties and punctuality. His sixty days were up. Servants prepared a special meal for Zayd's return. The guards were told to alert their Lady at first sight of him. She planned to celebrate his return first, then scream at him later.

Lady Cormill waited in the garden reading, while Zoelle practiced her fencing in the courtyard with her instructor. When the sun began to dim and her book ended, she went for a stroll around the garden with Zoelle.

Having walked the garden then the entire Cormill grounds, stopping at each mansion, Zoelle then asked her mother, "May we eat now?"

Starving, she replied, "We shall."