To Tell A Lie: Hua Mulan Retold (ONC 2020)

Part Seven

Daphne escorted her to a tavern a few streets from the inn. She had instructed Meryn not to speak to anyone, look at anyone too closely, or steal anything without her permission. Meryn agreed to appease the girl. In reality, she was not going to let a wealthy country girl get in her way of finding her brother.

Jacob's was one of the first faces she saw once they were inside. He recognized Meryn from across the room and grinned. Did he know Meryn had followed him? Or did he think Daphne had brought her along?

"What can I get ya?" a surly barkeep asked. Meryn blanched.

"Um . . ."

"Two ales," Daphne told him, "with a little something extra in mind."

The man went to work immediately. Meryn glanced at her.

She hissed, "There is no way I am drinking here. I need my wits now more than ever."

"You do not have to, but if you just sit around watching everyone, someone is going to get suspicious. A man needs a drink in his hand in a tavern."

More of Nate's advice, no doubt.

"Why did Nathaniel teach you so much about this?"

The barkeep set their drinks down in front of them. Daphne murmured her thanks and took a sip. Her eyes scanned the room.

"I imagine he was trying to get close to me at first," she admitted. "He was a spy, after all. He showed me a few moves with a sword, just showing off. After a soldier in town was getting a little too suggestive about me one night, he gave me a dagger and taught me how to use it. We both hoped I would not have to, but I did. I suppose Nate was worried that, due to my uncle's connection with the rebels, a dead soldier would be really suspicious. He reported it as a random killing, perhaps the result of a drunken brawl.

"On his fifth visit, I caught him going through Jacob's desk. He told me that he was not just another soldier, but a spy. I promised not to tell my family if he taught me how to do it."

Oh goodness. Meryn stared at the girl, who was running her finger along the rim of her drink with one hand and clutching the Cade ring in the other. She knew the look on Daphne's face. She recognized the tone of voice as she spoke of Nate.

She was in love with him. And he loved her. Otherwise, he would not have noticed the soldier harassing her or worked so hard to get her to trust him. Daphne was not some fling or fancy. They cared about each other. When Daphne claimed the rebels would never hurt him, this was why. Jacob would never let them, because he knew how much Nate meant to his niece.

"How long have you two been betrothed?" Meryn asked. Daphne coughed. Meryn reached forward to help but the girl waved her away.

"Betrothed?"

"You are wearing the family ring on your neck. When you stole it last night, you could have—should have—hidden it. You chose to wear it, though. You consider it yours, not just Nate's." Meryn revealed her own betrothal ring on its chain.

"This is my . . . finance's ring. We exchanged betrothal rings before I left, so we would have something of each other with us."

"I thought Meryn was betrothed to Major Hale."

Meryn blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"You wore the Cade family ring, which Meryn gave to you. Your finance also gave you a token. Unless you are betraying her, which, as Nate's finance, I would have to inform her of, you are engaged to her. How does Major Hale feel about you pursuing his prize?"

Clenching her fists, Meryn snapped, "I am not . . . she is not his prize! They love each other. She's . . . she's like a sister to me. I would never betray her, and I would never pursue her like that either."

"Oh."

Meryn grabbed her drink and stalked away from the bar. How dare Daphne judge her? She was not Everett's or anyone's prize? Everett had given her a choice. He always gave her a choice. He was the first person she met who truly cared what she thought or wanted. She adored loved her parents deeply, but they had been willing to marry her off to any lord with enough money to help save the family. She would have done it, but Everett asked. Never insisted. Never ordered. Even his missions were options.

Nate clearly did not trust or value her. She'd seen him several times in the past few years. Never—ever—did he mention Daphne or the Waynes. Now he was missing and she had struggled so hard to find him because he kept so many secrets.

"Merrick!"

Jacob's voice cut through the storm of her thoughts and the voices around her. She whirled towards where she had last seen him. He sat at a table playing cards with a group of other relatively young gentleman.

"Jacob, what is it?" she called back. He waved for her to come over.

"Merrick, I would like for you to meet someone, now that Daphne has made you one of us."

"I am not one of—" Meryn tried to protest. Jacob had already stood and started walking over. He clamped her on the back and steered her to the table.

"Merrick," he said, "I would like for you to meet Nathaniel Cade."

Meryn's glass slipped from her hand. It shattered on the ground. When Jacob let go of her to look down at it, she turned and tore away from him. She ran out of the tavern and into the street. It was not possible. It could not be possible. She glanced back inside. Through the window, she saw someone had joined Jacob. When he turned his head, she gasped.

It was him. His grey eyes were just like hers and their mothers'. He had the same light brown hair and charming smile. There was a cut on his face, a cut she suspected came from his supposed run in with the rebels. Otherwise, he was unharmed. He was alive.

She should have been overjoyed. She should have been delighted to have found him at last. But she wasn't.

She was furious.

A plan formed in her head before she had turned away. It was becoming clearer now. She marched over to a street vendor. The woman was selling fresh fruits. Meryn scanned the items until she found what she was looking for. Then she saw it. Feruscha berries. The hot pink fruit was beautiful and delicious, but forbidden for Meryn. In addition to grey eyes and a porcelain complexion, Meryn had inherited from her mother a severe allergy to the berries. Nothing lethal, but one taste would make her face swell and turn slightly red.

She tossed the woman a single ven, then bit into the fruit.

Meryn walked back into the tavern. No one glanced at her, no one realized that anything had changed. The amulet ensured most people would still see her exactly as she had designed her façade. She had checked her reflection in a window, though, and knew that her real face was significantly changed. Her cheeks were thicker and her jaw appeared wider. Her forehead had expanded as well. It was nothing permanent, just a temporary solution until she could find a stronger magic to add to the amulet, something that would fool anyone, not just strangers.

"Merrick, what happened?" Jacob asked when she reached him.

"Bad reaction to the drink," she replied, "but I'm better now."

She turned to her brother, the traitor who had lied to her and betrayed her, in addition to her entire kingdom. She would get the answers she needed, but it would not be that day, and it wouldn't be as his older sister.

Meryn extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Nathaniel. I'm Merrick."

A/N: To Tell A Lie is complete (for now) at 20,006 words. I hope you enjoyed it!