“As long as we can keep straight who’s leaking what to whom,” Merlin said dryly. “We’ve got quite a lot of irons in the fire in that regard already, you know.” He shrugged. “On the other hand, I don’t suppose one or two more will make it any worse!”
“In that case, we also need to get Nynian involved in this, because—”
FEBRUARY
YEAR OF GOD 898
.I.
St. Kahrmyncetah’s Abbey,
Talon Branch Mountains,
Green Tree Island,
Sea of Harchong.
“—So I don’t think there’s any need for long-term worry, My Lady,” the nun in the caduceus-badged green habit of a Pasqualte said. “Zhosifyn is a … sturdy little girl.” The nun smiled wryly. “In fact, I think I can safely say she’s going to be a right handful in nine or ten years! She reminds me quite a bit of me, in that respect. But as far as the dreams are concerned, I think they’ll pass. I’m no Bédardist and, unfortunately, we don’t have any Bédardists here on Green Tree, but Pasquale only knows how many children I’ve taught over the years!” She shook her head, brown eyes twinkling, but then her expression softened. “I know what she saw and heard aboard ship was ugly and terrifying, but this is a little girl who knows she’s deeply loved, who has her family around her, and knows she and that family are safe. It may take some time, but it’s been less than three months, and the dreams are already less frequent. In time, I’m confident they’ll fade completely.”
“Thank you, Sister Mahryssa,” Lady Stefyny Mahkswail said sincerely.
She rose from her rattan chair and walked to the edge of the shaded veranda. It was technically only spring, but Green Tree Island lay less than a thousand miles south of the equator—little further below it than the city of Gorath lay above it—and she was deeply grateful for the shade as she looked out across the peaceful garden at the small cluster of children busily spading what would eventually be a tomato patch. She smiled at all of them, although her eyes lingered longest on the fair-haired toddler gleefully flinging trowel loads of dirt in every direction as she “helped.” Then she looked back over her shoulder at the nun.
“I appreciate your taking the time to put my fears to rest,” she said, “and the truth is that I pretty much knew what you were going to say.” Her smile turned into something suspiciously like a grin. “God knows you’re absolutely right that she’s a ‘sturdy’ little girl, and I won’t have to wait any nine or ten years for her to turn into a handful, either!”
The nun chuckled, and Stefyny turned to face her squarely. She leaned a hip against the veranda’s waist-high stone wall, and her expression turned serious once more.
“We tried to protect her from … unpleasant realities back home,” she said, her tone somber. “It wasn’t the easiest thing to do—all of them are really smart kids, and Bédard knows they’re sensitive to emotions at that age. They couldn’t help knowing that all of us were worried as Shan-wei about their grandfather. And about what might happen to them, to be honest. And you’re right about what it was like aboard that ship.” She shuddered, chilled to the bone for a moment despite the sunlight and heat. “That was absolutely terrifying to me; God only knows how badly it frightened her! But I’m not surprised she feels safe here.”
“Because she is, My Lady,” Sister Mahryssa said firmly. “And so are you.”
“I certainly feel a lot closer to ‘safe’ than I did back in Gorath!” Stefyny snorted harshly. “It’d be hard not to. But I’m afraid I’ve learned just a little more than Lyzet has about how even the ‘safest’ place can turn out to be less safe than you thought. And in some ways, feeling safe myself only makes me worry more about … other people.”
“I’d be astonished if you felt any other way,” Sister Mahryssa said simply. “And what I just said about Lyzet’s true for you, too, My Lady. It hasn’t been three months yet. I’m sure you’re still processing what’s happened.”
“Oh, I think you could definitely put it that way!” Stefyny agreed. “On the other hand, I—”
“Excuse me, My Lady.”
Stefyny turned as another nun stepped onto the veranda.
“Yes, Sister Lytychya?”
“Mother Superior asked me to find you and tell you a messenger’s arrived with a letter for you.”
* * *
Sister Lytychya paused outside the study door and rapped gently.
“Enter,” a clear soprano called, and the nun smiled at Stefyny, opened the door, and waved for her to precede her.
A tall, red-haired man with a spade-shaped beard and dark blue eyes turned from his conversation with Mother Superior Ahlyssa as they entered the book-lined room. He bowed gracefully to Stefyny as she paused on the threshold, obviously surprised to see him. She stood for a moment, gazing at him, her eyes suddenly touched with a sharper anxiety. Then she gave herself an almost invisible shake and crossed the room to him, holding out one hand with an air of composure.
“Thank you for fetching Lady Stefyny so promptly, Sister,” Mother Ahlyssa said. “Now if you’d be so good as to go help Ahbnair rescue the kitchen garden from the children’s ministrations, the entire Abbey will be eternally in your debt!”
“Of course, Mother,” Lytychya agreed with a smile. “My Lady, Seijin Cleddyf.”
She inclined her head to each of the mother superior’s guests in turn, then withdrew and closed the door behind her, and Ahlyssa turned to Stefyny.
“As you can see,” she said with a smile, “there’s someone to see you, my dear.”
* * *
Cleddyf Cyfiawnder, who actually rather favored Merlin Athrawes around the nose and eyes, watched Stefyny Mahkswail’s face as the silver-haired mother superior smiled at her. Stefyny looked better than the last time he’d seen her with his own eyes, just before the boatswain’s chair lifted her to HMS Fleet Wing from the deck of the fishing boat he’d never gotten around to naming. This elegantly groomed, assured-looking young matron—at thirty-seven, she wasn’t quite thirty-three terrestrial years old—was a far cry from the frightened nightgown-clad mother trying desperately to reassure her terrified children that they were safe when she was far from certain of that herself.
“Lady Stefyny.” He took the hand she’d offered and bent from the waist to kiss its back. “It’s good to see you looking so well.”
“Mother Ahlyssa and the sisters couldn’t have been kinder or more attentive, Seijin Cleddyf,” she replied. “In fact,” she met his eyes levelly, “they’ve been everything you and Seijin Gwyliwr said they’d be. I’m glad to have this opportunity to thank you for our rescue in more … seemly fashion, but I must confess I’m also surprised to see you. Especially so soon.”
“My Lady,” Cyfiawnder said in his mellow tenor, “I promised you we’d get your message to your father as quickly as possible.”
“So you did, but I hardly expected a seijin to personally spend his time delivering my mail. I’m sure Emperor Cayleb and Empress Sharleyan have all sorts of other things they rather desperately need you to be doing at the moment. Besides, Green Tree Island’s almost six thousand miles by sea from Gorath, and I’m an admiral’s daughter.” Her smile was quite a bit tighter than it had been. “I also know the prevailing winds between here and Gorath. You’ve made what I could only describe as … miraculous time if you traveled all the way to Gorath with my letter before coming here.”