Glassmage

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Setting the paper carton on the small table, Eadwynn looked at her sister and smiled. “Go ahead,” she said, “It’s quite remarkable.”

Deorwynn, still shocked to be entertaining her sister at such a late hour, reached over and unlaced the thin, white string around the package. Inside was a small cake, frosted over with a thick, snowy sugar.

“Marinelle’s sixteenth birthday is still months away, but I wanted to start planning for it early. Your friend, Feydren, came up with this amazing confection. You must try it.”

Wary, but curious, Deorwynn found a spoon and scooped out a small piece.

“Oh, don’t be so suspicious,” Eadwynn sighed. “I’m not trying to poison you or anything.”

Deorwynn bit into it. The slightly crisp outside gave way to a moist interior. The cake was honey flavored and offered a bit of some kind of berry. It was wonderful.

“You love it, don’t you?” her sister asked.

About the only thing more incredible than the cake was Eadwynn’s good mood.

“I can trust you’ll keep the cake a secret the next time you and my daughter have your little practice on the beach?”

And there it was, just the way she liked it. First, sweeten you up, then deliver the stinger. Except this time, the Queen of Kell laughed.

“I’m not angry with you, Deorwynn. Well, I was at first, but I gave myself time to think on it. Although you were not able to teach me, I am more than happy that you have helped Marinelle to learn the magic art.”

Deorwynn explained that she expected Marinelle to become the finest Glassmage in Kell. On the day her daughter took the throne, her abilities would be announced before the entire kingdom, dispelling the common wisdom that such gifts were available only to men.

Deorwynn did not speak to Marinelle of Eadwynn’s visit or the revelation that she knew about their relationship. She supposed it was mostly selfishness, for she did not want to ruin what they had. Still, she did not like keeping things from her.

Life continued as it was for a while. Marinelle and Deorwynn met nearly every morning and experimented with glass and light. An interesting thing they soon discovered was that the duration their glassworks skipped forward through time was related to size. Small sculptures, like their rings, moved only a minute or so. Larger constructions, such as an oval the size of a coach, actually took nearly three hours to reappear.

Days flowed into weeks and before long, the grand birthday celebration was upon them. The royal Glassmages were busy at work adding new and decorative touches to the castle. New rooms were added using newly discovered techniques and Eadwynn was the perfect image of a happy mother. Aydis was seen little and rumored to be spending much time in the west with his parents.

There were two important things that happened three days before the party. The first was related to Eadwynn’s secret gift to her daughter. She had managed to keep knowledge of it hidden from everyone, which was a considerable achievement considering the size of the gift. The second item of importance was far less joyful, but unfortunately known to no one in Kell. If someone had known, then half the kingdom might not have died.