The Vixen Trials

Spawn of the Traitors

"Not fun, village girl. 
Brutal would be a better word.
Such is the way of the Fox"

Keilah

On hearing that the Hattavah would soon be visiting her chambers, Keilah sought out Silsa. She found her languishing on a pile of cushions in a dark corner of the library. She was not reading however, but sucking her hand. Keilah suppressed a giggle. "Where can I get some delicious cakes? Something special?"

Silsa looked thoughtful. "There's a shop not far from here, in fact just around the corner that sells the most delectable cakes and tarts. You just want to eat and eat and eat them."

"Can you take me to it Friday morning?" Keilah asked. She wanted them fresh.

Silsa shook her head. "We're forbidden to leave here. You could send your girl."

"If it's just around the corner how dangerous can it be? I'd like to pick the cakes myself." The idea of a shop filled with sweet treats was too enticing to fob off onto Alyssia who would have no idea what would please Dakkoul the most. Keilah wanted to smooth the way for her apology. Not that she needed to apologize exactly, of course she had the right to pursue the Prince, but it seemed disrespectful somehow to have behaved so wantonly while Dakkoul was watching, like she did not value his kiss at all.

Silsa let out a soft sigh. "It's a delightful shop. I'd like to go there again too."

"We could sneak out together like a game. We'd be back before they'd know."

Silsa looked doubtful but a sly grin crept up onto her mouth. "Why not? It's not far. I'm tired of being good. I'll arrange it all." Lady Silsa gave her a fierce hug before leaving and an unexpected warmth trickled through Keilah. Silsa seemed to genuinely care for her despite her father's hostility. Her own growing affection for Silsa was clouded by wariness. Was it possible for Silsa not to resent being displaced as the heir? Keilah was afraid to ask.

On the Friday morning, Keilah, Lady Silsa and her maid Rennie, Jalen and Alyssia went to out to the front gardens near to the entrance gates.

"I've arranged a diversion and bribed the gate guards." Silsa said with a smirk.

Keilah's eyes widened. If Silsa had done that she was much more competent and clever than she seemed.

A loud crash sounded outside the gate.

In all the ensuing commotion, they snuck out. It was only a short walk around the corner to large wooden building with a wide open door. Inside well-dressed lords and ladies and the occasional slave milled around admiring and purchasing tall multi-colored cakes layered with cream and topped with all manner of fruit; persimmon dotted slices; mandarin and avocado tarts and most popular of all fox-biscuits with raisin eyes and feet dipped in strawberry to represent blood.

"Not the biscuits, I think," Keilah said. "They don't seem quite appropriate. But a large strawberry and lemon cream cake and a mixed assortment of those tarts should do, don't you think?"

As the man behind the counter got them ready, two elegantly dressed ladies entered the shop. One was Fox-fair with pale blonde hair and a pointed nose dashed with large brown freckles. The other girl's hair seemed to have a lot of whitening powder on her face as if to make up for the yellowness of her hair.

They gave Silsa a cool kiss in reponse to her enthusiastic greeting.

"This is Lady Tynie," Silsa said, pointing to the Fox-fair one, "And this is Lady Blyne. How delightful we could meet before Saturday. You mustn't tell anyone you saw us. It's a secret," and she jogged Lady Blyne's arm. Lady Blyne jerked it away.