40. Chapter 40
Loamil Manor buzzed with energy as the days went by.
They all started the same, with us discussing the prophecy—their theories of who the Sun Killer was and if it meant the end of the Endromeon line.
Sury was on higher alert than usual, sticking to my sister like her permanent shadow.
I couldn’t tell if she was annoyed that she couldn’t breathe her own air or if she enjoyed the constant doting and attention, but wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter.
We fell into the routine of training our bodies with swords and magic.
Ora and I practiced refracting, starting at smaller distances before attempting longer ones, growing less nauseous with each jump.
We began practicing with others and quickly found that as mighty as Uriah liked to pretend, his stomach was anything but.
Poor Sury found this out firsthand as Uriah emptied his belly upon Sury’s boots.
Peiro encouraged us to practice with swords to prepare for the possibility of our magic becoming useless, and to learn to rely on our own strengths.
As we wielded our blades, Sury worked double time to prove that even someone non-magical was a force to be reckoned with.
Fyom joined, although a bit reluctantly, due to his son’s insistent requests to train.
After a few sessions, it looked like Fyom had rarely missed a day with a sword.
It began to irk me how he was seemingly good at just about everything, except Feodean translations.
I could understand why Paige frequently reminded him of this feat and couldn’t stop the smirk on my face.
“Where did you learn to fight like that, Fyom?” Ora called, her face dripping in sweat from the summer’s heat.
“He won’t say.” Uriah spoke before his father could. “I’ve asked him for years and all he’ll tell me is that he dabbled here and there, but enjoys Wielding his Healing more. Isn’t that right, Pa?”
Fyom lunged toward the unsuspecting Uriah, freeing him instantly of his sword before standing straight and adjusting his tunic. “I prefer the heart of mending over the art of war.”
That was all he would say on the matter before returning to the study, where he and Paige would scour every book she had. Apparently she had given a servant the task of asking someone within Loamil for copies of strange texts she didn’t have on hand, only growing their piles of research.
Since this path was set for us, I’d become quite impressed how my body moved and adjusted to training, not just with my blade but with magic.
My Celestial Wielding felt like an old friend who knew me better than I knew myself.
Even during a new moon I still felt Nyska’s power strongly in my hand and body.
It was silly, really, to think I had all of this power my entire life but never felt it. How mighty even the wrong words could be to one’s mind, lessening our true potential.
As the others continued sparring, I decided on a small break and strolled around the manor’s garden. I let the pebbled path guide me to numerous blooms and fountains as I found myself winding toward the front of the manor. It was simple to lose oneself amongst the florals and shrubs.
The chatter from children came from the front stone steps, a little ways from where I was smelling an interesting yellow blossom.
Curious, I peeked around the corner, finding a handful of children, all varying in age, playing up and down the driving path as servants unloaded large boxes from an open cart near the stables.
A moderately dressed man spoke to John-Carl erratically, using his hands.
I couldn’t tell what he was saying but I made out the words “priceless” and “Simret owes me.”
I shrugged and turned my attention back to the children, all giggling as they chased one another.
I placed my hand on my stomach and gasped as I watched a small girl stumble against the rocks and almost fall just as a young boy, who shared the same dark curly hair, caught her.
They all continued playing like nothing had ever happened and no danger lurked nearby.
“They’re quite jovial.” Peiro had crept up quietly beside me.
His attention focused on the children frolicking about, who were now pretending to be various land animals.
I looked up at Peiro’s features, his tunic sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair tied out of his eyes from training.
His expression held longing and sadness.
I turned back to watch the children once more. “They do. My sister was always like that little one there, chasing anyone who would play with her.”
“And let me guess—you were like that one there, off to the side observing.” He smirked.
I couldn’t even act astounded because he was indeed correct. Instead, I hummed in agreement. “I was typically more…cautious…than my sister.”
“Right.” Peiro chuckled. “And look there, that must be a young Sury, forcing you to play, like that one is pulling the observant one into a game of chase.”
I laughed because he was indeed correct again, and elbowed him in the side.
“And which one would be young Peiro? Let me guess—the boisterous one who is in desperate need of attention, like that young fellow who is about to jump off the ledge of that statue? Yep, I see it now. Even John-Carl is on his way to reprimand the boy.” My smile widened at the sight of the young tike zipping through the carriages, giving the poor man an undeserved game of cat and mouse.
The smile that took up Peiro’s face was bright and reached the corners of his eyes. “There was a time I was like that young chap, yes. Matter of fact, I remember there was a time that Brehm gave me a run for my money when she…”
He rarely spoke of his children. I waited for him to continue telling the story of his oldest daughter, but the excitement in my chest dwindled as I studied his expression. The beam on Peiro’s face dropped a fraction, turning forced, and the spark in his eyes extinguished.
“I’d love to know more about her. About them all.” I grabbed his hand in mine and squeezed. Instead of continuing his happy memory, he simply smiled and continued to watch the children play with sorrow in his gaze once more.
A few heartbeats of silence went by. “She was like her mother.” I stood there, keeping my eyes on the younglings playing for fear my gaze would cause Peiro’s momentary courage to wilt.
“She was a fierce thing. Most girls receive a new doll at their eighth year celebrations, but I gave her a blade. It was a fine piece I had obtained during one of the scouting parties King Jaris ordered my men to take. She wielded it beautifully. Better than most of the older boys who were trying to grow their first chin hairs.” The spark in his voice grew with every word.
His fingers wrapped tightly around mine, with me giving him a small squeeze to continue.
“Thea was smarter than me in her young age. It’s truly no surprise that she became a lady and owned the land where Fyom lives.
Her wits, her mannerisms…Paige actually reminds me so much of her.
Quips and all. She and her sister loved their brother so fiercely, too.
He might have looked like me, but he had the compassion of his mother…
” Peiro trailed off. From the corner of my eye, I glanced in his direction and found him grinning at a lost memory.
“And Talia?” He looked down at me and the corner of his mouth fell a fraction.
“She would have liked you. I had a dream about her a few days ago, but it felt more than a dream…just in the way of two old friends saying goodbye. I haven’t dreamt of my family in years.”
“You can talk about it, you know. I’m not… I won’t…” I tried and failed to put into words that he could share his past life with me without my envy or resentment.
Peiro squeezed my hand harder, silently understanding what I was trying to convey.
“The dream was of peace. For so long I carried the weight of what I’ve done, regardless of whether my hands were bound to a puppetmaster.
But in the end, I felt her forgiveness. That she understood.
Knew it wasn’t me who…” He stopped, his eyes glistening.
“So much weight was lifted within that dream. Even if it was my own mind scheming.”
I wound my arm around his middle and buried my face into the cloth of his tunic as his arm lay heavily across my shoulders. I knew he was talking about the freedom you felt not when others forgave you, but when you finally forgave yourself.
“Your mind isn’t scheming. It’s merely the beginning of your redemption story,” I mused.
Our attention was quickly drawn back to the children playing. Their laughter and squealing could be heard even from where we stood.
“Speaking of those adolescents who behave like Ora and Sury—when this is all said and done, I’m very curious about what their little prince or princess would be like.
Will they have bright blonde hair like their mother?
A serious scowl like their father?” I laughed as I continued.
“Or, my personal favorite, a child who looks identical to Sury but acts identical to Ora. Oh my giants, could you imagine?”
Peiro looked down at me with a small wink. “Having two Oras is more than Sury can handle. Giants.” He scoffed. “I don’t even think this kingdom could handle two of your sister.”
The grin on my face grew just a little more but quickly saddened as the name Sun Killer crossed my mind. I shook my head, putting my thoughts back on the young lives before us.
“Yes, well, having a little one run around the castle might not be all that bad. It could liven up the new court Ora’s gaining along the way.”
“That’s her future. What about yours?” Peiro asked as he softly squeezed my arm. “When all is said and done, would you want your own little Phe paddling around?”