The Crossing (Book One)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Home

"We're home." His answer was elusive.

"Will your cousin be here?" Her voice barely contained her excitement.

Valdor smiled widely. "That is something I hope to find out myself. For now I wish to take you to the guest quarters."

Guest quarters? Lily decided to take it all in stride. "Thank you. I don't mean to be so forward."

He led her down a marbled hall with high ceilings and polished floors. "It's understandable. Besides I doubt you could ever be all that forward. You are too gentle." He considered his words a moment. She may be gentle on the surface, but her core was evidently made of the hardest steel known. How else could she withstand what she had and still come out so untouched.

"I'm blunt. Ro, always says I should be more tactful. Maybe one of these days it'll happen."

They continued to walk down the hall. A couple of servants passed by them, then quickly vanished as he dismissed them with a fierce shake of his head. Word would soon spread like wildfire that he was back after his long absence. He wondered how long he had. But first he had to get her out of sight. Coming down the hall he saw someone that would be of invaluable assistance to Lily. He motioned for her to stop before them.

"Lily, there is someone here I need you to meet. This is Mauvis, head of the household. She will guide you to your room and take care of you." Mauvis appraised the ragged appearance of the visitor then noticed how he held her at the waist and lifted her eyebrow a mere minuscule.

Lily reached out her hand in greeting, and Mauvis took it awkwardly. "It is a pleasure to meet you." She bowed slightly, though the sound of her voice seemed to choke at the comment.

"Oh, please just call me Lily."

"No, mistress." She was curt. "I cannot."

Valdor smiled weakly and leaned into Lily, "She warms up." 

 Valdor directed himself to Mauvis, "Take the lady to one of the guest quarters. See to it she has whatever she needs." 

He turned to Lily, "Mauvis will take excellent care of you. There are a few things I need to take care of myself now that I'm home. I'll see you in the evening and we can dine together." He raised her hand to his lips. "Until then."

"My lord," Mauvis bowed respectfully as she watched him leave then turned her attention to her new charge.

Lily picked up quickly to the title and was left to wonder. "Nim was definitely right about him." She sighed heavily and shook her head to clear her mood.

Mauvis assessed her closely, this one was different. And human. She could already hear the uproar. "Take my hand lady and I shall guide you to your chambers." Lily reached out, but made sure she did not use her Sight. She had no intention of offending anyone, least of all without them knowing what she was capable of doing.

As Lily walked off with Mauvis, Valdor rushed to his chambers in search of privacy. There would be plenty of time to answer stares and questions later. He opened the door, closed it, and found everything as he had left it. Placing his bow and quivers aside, he walked across the wide anteroom to the spacious balcony and gazed out onto the bustling city far below.

He was back, but he felt no true relief. There was still a lot that had to be done. His eyes went up to the sky peppered with drifting cobble stoned clouds. For a long moment he searched for answers among them, but found none. Tired, he closed his eyes and breathed loudly with his head hung down.

"Who is she?"

He spun around and his gaze came upon his younger sister. She had a talent for sneaking up on people. She'd make a wonderful spy. He could probably place her---Stop it, he scolded himself. At some point the scheming had to stop. "What about a welcome home hug first, Thia?"

"I should be angry at you. You left so suddenly you did not even say goodbye." She rolled her eyes, opened her arms and walked to him. "Fine. There. Now who is she?" Her face beamed at him expectantly.

"I have no clue what you are talking about." His face was blank.

"You know exactly of whom I speak. Do not even bother to pretend otherwise. All the servants are whispering about her."

He felt a headache coming on. "Are they?"

"You know how quickly word spreads here." Thia shrugged unperturbed. Yes, he did know. He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, wondering why he had returned. "So who is she?"

He peered down into sea blue eyes, hair a shade brighter than his, and every impish feature of their race culminated in her face. She never questioned where he went or why. Or even when he would return. She simply accepted his absences as part of who he was. It was an unconditional love.

Perhaps that was why he had sheltered her so much. In truth she was spoiled, but she was so easy to love it was hard not to smile as he was spoiling her. To Thia there was no bigger world or troubles beyond the city walls.

She maneuvered well within the politics of the royal household and court society. But not once in her life had she been beyond the borders of the kingdom. He sighed deeply. This was her world, not his.

He took her hand in his and appraised her dressed in a lavender gown flowing like petals of a flower. "You look lovely."

"True, but you're not changing the subject. Who is she? I hear she is human. Is it true? Does she wear your crest?" Her voice rang with excitement at all the possibilities.

"What?!" His voice spiked several octaves. "No! No. No." He shook the idea off, but then another replaced it. One that would be to his advantage.

"Then who is she? You've never done anything like this before. Mother will certainly not approve of this. Not that she approves of much of your behavior." She swung their arms about childishly.

"Only you, my dearest Thia, can insult me with such charm."

"And you are stalling." Sometimes she was as singled minded as he. "You have maidens flocking to your feet and you pay them no mind. She must be very special." She wiggled her eyebrows, a mirror image of his habit.

"Those maidens you speak of are not interested in me, only in what I can give them." As he'd found out so cruelly years before. "But she is special. Nim wanted me to meet her." He almost choked on his name.

"Wanted? Does he not wish it still? Where is he? I have not seen the old goat in over a year." She let her brother guide her to a cushioned chair.

He hated darkening her mood. "My dearest, Thia. Nim's gone."

A thousand thoughts sped through her head, but one kept insisting itself above the rest. "Does Jarvis know?"

Her affection for Jarvis, one of Nim's twin sons, had never been a secret. Her infatuation with him began when she was a small child chasing after him for attention. Years ago, for their own reasons Jarvis and his twin, Jarl, left the city sending only infrequent messages to their elder sister but no hints to their whereabouts.

Now as a woman grown she portrayed the image of having out-grown her childish crush. Valdor had his doubts. He shook his head in answer. "You have to find them. Jarvis--- I mean, they must know." She rose and paced the room.

"I will."

She searched his face and came to an unwanted realization. "You know where they are. You've always known." Thia pushed away from him, hurt and angry. "All this time."

Valdor remained silent and did not try to stop her as she turned on her heel and ran out crying. He winced when he heard the doors slam shut. For a moment he thought of running after her, but knew she would not listen to him.