Chapter Seventeen - Beyond the Veil #3
He nodded mournfully as he sunk down into a seat at the table next to Rosamund, “there wasn’t any time, we were late as it was.”
The white-haired woman, Margot, tutted and turned back to the shop as the father continued to try and sooth the crying child. Gnash clasped his hands over his ears, but Rosamund watched them with a fond smile.
“So sorry about this,” said the father as he gently rocked the young girl.
“Not a problem,” said Rosamund gently.
The young girl looked over at her, Rosamund stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes.
The little girl hiccuped a watery laugh.
When it looked like she might start crying again Rosamund puffed up her cheeks blew a raspberry which sent the girl into giggles instead.
The father looked round with a relieved smile as the little girl began to settle, “what magic was that?”
“Always worked on my little brother,” said Rosamund and found that the sadness didn’t hit her quite as hard, “he had bad colic when he was younger. So I’d hang over his crib and make silly faces until he laughed.”
“Meredith is the same,” said the dark-skinned man, “with the colic that is,” he laughed, “I guess with the faces too.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“Thank you,” he said proudly, “she is.”
He held the girl with one arm and held his free hand out to her, “Hugo.”
She panicked, her mind racing and as she shook his hand blurted, “Rosie.”
She ignored Gnash’s raised eyebrow at her.
“I haven’t seen you here before,” he said, turning towards her slightly as Gnash took up the ‘silly face’ duty.
“I’m new, just arrived,” she clasped her hands tightly under the table, “this place is…beautiful.”
“Yeah,” said Hugo in agreement as he looked up at the glass canopy, “and don’t worry, you get used to the rain. Get yourself a decent pair of boots and you’ll be fine.”
Margot returned with the apple juice and a steaming cup of tea for Hugo, “you’re a life saver Margot.”
“I know,” she said haughtily, before she turned to Rosamund, “your food is just coming hen,” she gestured to the tables, “I’ll put these together. You can fill…” she looked at Rosamund expectantly.
“Rosie.”
“You can fill Rosie in on everything she needs to know,” said Margot as she moved forward to pull the tables together, Hugo helping her with his free hand.
“Gladly,” he said with an excited smile to Rosamund.
“Hugo’s husband is a foreman in the West Mine,” said Margot proudly, “there’s always jobs going there if you don’t mind hard work.”
“That’s true,” said Hugo as Margot headed back inside, “it’s not easy work, but it’s a good placeholder until you find something else. It’s not for everyone, mind you. Not everybody are moles like Anders and I, but it’s a steady income to get you on your feet.”
“Isn’t it…dangerous?” asked Rosamund with a frown.
“It can be,” he conceded, “but the Wardstones keep the tunnels from collapsing, and as long as you have your Puritystone on you then you don’t need to worry about dust.”
Wardstones. Puritystones. He said these things like they were common. Nothing more than another household tool. At her confused expression he leaned in and said, “oh don’t worry, they give you them when you start. Dorian makes sure we’re well stocked.”
“The Prince?” she said again in disbelief.
He nodded, “he makes the bulk of them. You can get others from the Crystal Guild of course, but they’re not as good.”
“The what?”
“Sorry,” he said apologetically, “I forgot. You’re new.
These,” he gestured to the amber stone on the table, “were likely made by Crystal Guild. The master’s there have spent years studying Inscription to create the magic that fills the gemstones which gives them their properties.
They’ll maybe last a few years, but eventually the magic will fade away.
But the ones Dorian makes are permanent. ”
“So wait,” she said with a frown, “how do the master’s do it without magic?”
Hugo looked at her for a long moment and then smiled, “what makes you think they don’t have magic?”
Rosamund sat back in her chair, her mouth open as Hugo regarded her with an amused, but slightly wary look.
“And the Prince knows,” she said in a hushed whisper.
“Who do you think taught them?” said Hugo as Margot returned with a tray.
“A good thing too,” said Margot firmly, “the man was exhausting himself trying to do all that himself. Just like his mother.”
Rosamund looked round at Margot, “his mother?”
Margot and Hugo shared a look, before Hugo explained, “she had a similar kind of magic.”
“But…it’s illegal for a woman to learn magic, it’s…” she quietly whispered, “heresy.”
She was taken aback when the two of them chuckled, at her surprised face Margot raised a placating hand and said, “here in The Veil, it’s a gift.”
Dorian’s mother had magic. She looked at the fountain in the centre of the square, the flowing water from her hands. She recalled the determined look in her eye in the portrait in the gallery. The defiance.
“How,” she asked with a breathy whisper, “how did she learn?”
Margot laughed brightly, “Roderic Valehart, of course.