Page 39 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

“Do you have children?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it. I bit my lip. Was it too rude to ask?

To my relief, Kanbor didn’t seem offended.

“No. I’m ataurean. Brebie is anarien. Children aren’t possible between us. But love doesn’t know limits, does it?” He grinned again.

The pure happiness with which he spoke about his wife left no doubts he loved her. He also seemed to enjoy talking about her. The initial awkwardness disappeared from his demeanor. He chatted freely.

“Brebie started out as a chambermaid, but it wasn’t her purpose. She’s much better at leading and organizing than cleaning. Thankfully, High General Voron remembered her from when she worked for his mother. How long has it been now?” He scratched his chin as we arrived on the ground floor. “About a hundred and eighty years ago. Almost two centuries now. Time flies.” He heaved a sigh, holding the heavy palace door open for me. “When the High General returned to Sky Kingdom, he allowed Brebie to come back to work in his family estate in Vensari. She’s been running his household ever since.”

“So, Brebie is not part of the royal staff, then?”

“No. I am, but she isn’t. She moved here with the High General and is working for him, not the king.”

I lived in the king’s palace, but it was Voron’s housekeeper who looked after me.

“They’ve known each other for a long time, then. How old is Voron?”

“Well, Brebie started working for his mother when he was a baby. So, he’d be about a hundred and eighty years old or so.”

I exhaled a brief laugh in surprise. “He doesn’t look that old.”

“Compared to humans, maybe? Fae don't age until we’re close to the end of our lives. How long is your lifespan?”

I sighed. “Less than a hundred years.”

Compassion floated in his large brown eyes. “That’s not long at all. You’ll have to make sure to enjoy every year of it.”

I smiled. “I’ll try.”

We walked across a large mosaic patio, then down a few wide steps to a stone path that ran between flowerbeds. Shrubs with luscious white and blue flowers grew in the middle of the flowerbeds, surrounded by short blooming plants arranged in an intricate pattern.

“This is so pretty.” I appreciated the work that went into the design and maintenance of the neat, well-kept gardens.

“Thank you,” Kanbor replied with pride. “They are a handful. King Tiane loves the most exotic, capricious plants. But the results are worth it.”

“They certainly are.”

Kanbor glanced up at the sky, then turned around slowly, studying the cobblestones under our feet.

“Is something wrong?” I asked as his forehead furrowed.

“There are no shadows at all again today,” he muttered.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No shadows mean there is no sun. The plants need sunshine to thrive.”

He looked upset, and I felt the urge to comfort him.

“It’s spring right now, isn’t it? Summer is coming. The wind has calmed down already. I’m sure the sun will come out soon, too.”

He heaved a heavy breath. “We haven’t had a full day of sunshine in many decades. I phased out all the sun-loving plants from the gardens long ago.” He waved his hand at the closest flowerbed. “These here tolerate shade well. But even they need sunshine once in a while.”

We strolled along the path, then under arches of pale-gray vines with silver flowers that grew in clusters, like grapes.

Kanbor seemed distracted, lost in thought. He must have work to do. These gardens needed him more than I did.

“You can go,” I told him. “I’ll find my way back.”

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