Chapter 30
T he three of us sat in the parlor of Cinderwood Manor, Briar, Wrenley, and myself. Tea and cookies were sitting on the glass table between us, carefully around a delicate tea set.
Wrenley and I had just finished filling Briar in on all that had recently transpired: our experiences in Lamida, Wrenley's romance with King Asmond, along with a brief mention of my flirtation with Rowan, how well Wrenley had done in xer primamusa conduction, and how I (somewhat) overcame my fear of heights. Finally, I told them both about the fight with Adora that had resulted in me moving into Soren's guest flat.
“I don’t see you for a few weeks, and everything changes,” Briar said, her blue eyes wide. “Wren found true love, and Izzy moved out.”
“Izzy moving out from Adora’s is a long time coming,” Wrenley said, steering the conversation away from xerself. Xe still seemed as happy and wistful as when I saw xer last, but xe always got a little squeamish with sentimentality and romance.
“Do you think that you will move back?” Briar asked me.
“Why would she?” Wrenley answered on my behalf. “She’s finally free.”
“She’s still her mother, Wren,” Briar argued. “That makes everything more complicated.”
“I don’t know what will happen with me and Adora, but I don’t have the energy to worry about it right now,” I said. “I have too much to do before Samonend.”
“No kidding. I only have a few weeks to master aerial silks, thanks to you two hotshots,” Briar teased,
As the Warlock to the Queen, Herve Chaunter was set upon doing an aerial performance to rival the one in Lamida. The issue was that I was already working with Soren, and Wrenley had declined. Xe also hated Herve and hoped to get word from Asmond soon, so xe didn't want to make any significant commitments.
Briar had some experience with silks, and she was a talented muse and fast learner. Plus, she was beautiful and from a great family, so casting her as the primamusa in Herve’s Samonend had been an easy choice.
I'm not sure if Herve ever took magik from her, the way he had with me because that wasn't something I talked about ever. Not even with my closest friends. But I had always hoped that no one ever did, that her name and lineage protected her in a way that my lack of had left me vulnerable. I also knew that Briar was kind and always stood up for others. She wouldn't tolerate Herve hurting others.
“What are you and Soren planning?” Wrenley asked me.
"I'm not sure yet," I said, hoping I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.
It had been two days since I had been staying with Soren, and he was still insisting that I rest and recharge. He was clearly working on something, spending his days bouncing back and forth between his library and his workshop.
For my part, I spent most of my time reading in the library or resting in my flat. He would stop and chat with me if I was around, but he refused to answer any questions about our Samonend conduction until I was fully rested.
“And when will you be fully rested?” Wrenley echoed my own thoughts.
“Tomorrow, I think,” I said, but that might only be wishful thinking. “Soren can’t give a definitive answer until he sees how I am in the morning.”
“He’s been treating you well?” Briar asked. “He’s being kind and behaving appropriately?”
“He has been the very definition of a gentleman,” I said.
Wrenley chuckled at that. “You sound disappointed.”
"No, I'm not." I blushed and shook my head. "Things are how they are supposed to be." Then I deflected back to xer, "What do your parents think of King Asmond?"
"Nothing yet because I haven't told them anything," xe admitted. "I am waiting until I hear from him before I start making things official."
Xe lounged back on the loveseat, wearing a semi-sheer blouse and wide-leg trousers. Xe toyed absently at xer wild hair and struggled to keep xer expression neutral.
“I’m not exactly monarch material, and there’s a good chance that Asmond will be blocked from seeing me at all. So I don’t want to get my parents all worked up for nothing,” Wrenley explained.
“That’s nonsense!” Briar argued. “You are clever and charming with a good family name, and you’ve received your share of accolades as a muse. What more could a King want?”
“A better family name, a bigger dowry, someone more traditional,” Wrenley replied dismally.
“Yes, because Lamida is such a traditional kingdom,” I said sarcastically, and xe smirked. “That place was perfect for you.”
“I know,” xe admitted. “That’s why I don’t want to get my hopes up. It all seems too perfect.”
“There’s no such thing as ‘too perfect,’” Briar insisted. “Everyone deserves a happily ever after.”
“Maybe they do, but not everybody gets one,” xe grumbled.
"Oh, speaking of unhappy endings." Briar's blue eyes bounced to me, and they turned apologetic. "Izzy, I wanted to forewarn you. Baxley Cole will be performing in the conduction with me. I know the two of you had a difficult relationship, and I wanted to let you know that you'll likely see him on Samonend."
"Oh, um, thanks," I stammered and averted my gaze. "It was a long time ago, and I can handle seeing him. But thank you for giving me a chance to prepare myself."
Our relationship had come to its rather abrupt end three years ago, and we hadn't spoken or interacted since. He tended to get far more prestigious placements than me, so avoiding him had been easy.
But I had known that I would likely run into him again someday. I still appreciated that Briar had given me a warning because I needed all the preparation I could. The Samonend was stressful enough, and I'd need extra steel in my spine to face Baxley, too.