Page 55 of The Goddesses' Gifts

EPILOGUE

FAMILY TIES

LHORIS

I’d never been to the marshal’s office in the months we’d been living at the chateau. Whenever I’d consulted with Marshal Guille Granat and Duke Nicolas, they held meetings in Nicolas’ study at the map table. Guille’s office was, dare I say it, cramped. It hardly struck me as an appropriate space for the marshal and his handful of administrative staff.

Guille sat at a desk that was far too small for his large frame. He appeared to be opening mail from one stack, reading it, marking a ledger, and then setting the open letter on top of a stack of other open letters.

He glanced up and did a double take before greeting me. “Lhoris, good afternoon.”

My hand trembled as I offered a letter to Guille.

“What’s wrong?” Guille asked.

I stuffed my nervous hands into my pockets and said, “I’m informing my foster family about my circumstances here,” I nodded at the letter in Guille’s hand. “I need my sister to come visit. Oz’s pregnancy is a bit more complicated than Clovis can manage.”

Guille’s mouth dropped open. His wife, Eve, was expecting twins as well, and I saw the sympathetic fear in the man’s eyes. “What? Lhoris, sit down. Tell me what’s happening?” He gestured across his messy, paper strewn desk to the chair across from him.

I plopped down in the rickety chair and took a shaky breath. I’d been training with the chateau physician, Clovis, for months now. The old healer knew he was going to need help delivering all the incident babies in a couple of months and I had more experience than most as a medicinal apprentice. I’d attended many deliveries with Clovis and learned much, but it wasn’t until the day before that I’d learned that humans don’t gestate as long as elves.

“Elves carry their pregnancies for ten months and humans for nine,” I started.

Guille uttered a curse. “And twins come early.”

I nodded. “Oz’s babies are going to be more elf than human … what if Oz can’t carry them long enough? There’s no knowing how her mixed heritage will impact that.” I rubbed my face with both hands and leaned back in the chair.

“So, what can your sister do about it?”

“She is a physician. One that can offer care for babies born too early. Care that isn’t available without magic.” I frowned. Clovis explained that there wasn’t anything he knew of on the human side of the continent that could offer the support such early births might need. “I’m not entirely sure how the news will be received, or if they’ll accept my invitation to come visit. Especially since I’ve waited these months to inform them that I am safe and out of Dulanzo’s debit.”

Guille winced. “I doubt they’ll receive the news of your starting a family poorly, but surely your sister will come through for the babies,” he reassured me. “Though waiting to tell them you are alive and safe … you’re in for a devil of a tongue lashing if your parents come.” He shook his head at my stupidity.

“I suspect you’re right about all of that,” I cringed. “We wanted to be sure the babies would survive the early stages of pregnancy before telling them. But how could I tell them about my safety and not Oz?” I knew it was stupid to wait this long, though. “There had just been so much going on here that I lost track of the days. Next thing I know Oz tells me her days as Emmelina’s personal guard were approaching their end and I realized my folly.”

I glanced over the contents of the marshal’s office again and my confidence in Guille’s ability to see the letter delivered wavered. There was mail everywhere, on every horizontal surface aside from the chairs we sat upon. I wondered if my letter would even make it out of the room. “I see you’re still working out how to do the job?”

Guille sighed and looked around the room. “It’s hard when there’s nobody to show you the ropes, but the new clerks and I are working out a system that agrees with us.” He frowned at the mess on his desk. “Mostly. I assure you that running the military aspect of this job is much easier.” The position was supposed to have been a temporary one for the young man, but there wasn’t anybody more senior than him left after the incident. The old guard were either killed or decided it was time to hang up their swords. He’d kept things running as best he could with all the new staff. I was confident he’d manage … eventually.

“How is Eve?” I asked.

“Fair,” Guille sighed. “Getting huge and uncomfortable. I wish I’d had the sense to send a letter to my parents before I married her. Not that I regret marrying her.” He smiled for a moment, as if considering his wife, then his expression shifted over to something a little melancholy. “My father wrote back to inform me that my mother was very upset and not speaking to me until the babies are born. They live in the capital, so I really should have made sure they were here for the wedding. Lucky you didn’t marry Ozanna before telling your family.”

“It’s not customary in my culture,” I explained, somewhat relieved to know I wasn't the only one suffering for his own stupidity. “I suspect they’ll be disappointed enough that I waited so long to tell them I have a mate.” I got to my feet. “It was good to speak with you, Guille. That letter is important. Handle it with care?” I asked, giving the office one last look of concern.

Guille smiled reassuringly and said, “I’ll get it delivered. On my Honor.”

Roughly two weeks later, I was preparing pain relieving poultice ingredients for Clovis. The expectant mothers were starting to come to us more often for back pain and such treatments were gentle enough to use in their condition. We went through the supply faster than I could prepare it and Clovis often joked I could assemble it in my sleep. I was grinding dried dandelion root with pestle and mortar when Guille entered the apothecary. Initially I greeted him with a smile and started to ask what he might need but froze when I saw the letter in his hand.

“Delivered by Marshal Granet himself,” I said, trying to force some cheer into my words. I set aside the herbs and brushed the dust off my hands. “Is it…?”

“Yes,” Guille said, handing it over, “it’s for you. And I suspect it’s from the elves because it appeared out of a paper butterfly.” He said it with humor and awe. “Damndest thing I’ve ever seen. Almost had to change my underwear when it landed on my desk and popped open.”

I examined the folded paper with its wax seal. If I looked hard enough, I could make out the lines where it had once been folded into the aforementioned butterfly. I sighed deeply and said, “Thank you for handling this carefully.”

Guille leaned across the counter and clapped me on the shoulder fondly. “Good luck, friend,” he said and left to attend to his other duties.

Clovis knew I was expecting an important letter and offered no objection when I asked to take a break. The possible contents of the letter had weighed on my mind for too long to wait. I left to find Oz in the courtyard, where she was every afternoon with Oshruli, my palms sweating with apprehension.

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