Page 33 of Oaths & Vengeance
“Now, get out. I’ll see you at dinner, and I expect Rynn to attend from now on since she has come into her magic,” he said as I headed for the door.
We’d had to tell him she recovered from the fever, but I’d been delaying her presence at meals. Sometimes, they were tolerable, but other times, they could be volatile. I wished I could protect her from all of it for longer. Once she came out in the open, she’d be another target for our uncle to berate and cousin to torture.
“We’ll both be there,” I promised, forcing myself to leave gracefully from the office.
Chapter 14
Aella
Mealtime the last two days had been tense as expected. Lord Morgunn had desperately wanted me to marry Baron Elgord, and the king blocking it must have ruined secret plans. Maybe because finding a suitable prospect who would do what my uncle wanted wasn't easy? I didn’t know.
He certainly wouldn’t want to suffer the loss of my portal opening capabilities. I’d always assumed that would keep me safe from marriage, but the Lord of Therress clearly thought to use me in another way now. Aside from the mines, which he could have taken from Elgord if he chose, what did the baron have that he needed? I couldn’t think of anything.
On the bright side, he hardly paid attention to Rynn at dinnertime when we all sat together. She’d taken my advice and only spoke if prompted. Ulmar tried to draw her into a verbal trap several times, but thankfully, our younger cousin didn’t fall for it.
Now, I crouched in my garden, pulling weeds. It needed to be done, but it also helped relax me. The sweet scent of flowers, musky odor of the carnivorous plants, and freshly turned soil brought me a measure of peace I couldn’t find anywhere else. Except for the cobbled walkway that ran down the middle, a variety of plants grew on either side at varying heights and colors. Each species hummed with the vibrancy of life in its unique way, spreading that sensation to me. They were mine, and I was theirs.
Being within the high ivory walls of my private sanctuary gave me a respite from the tension within the castle, which I desperately needed since my uncle’s servant, Parzival, seemed to be watching me extra closely. He reminded me of a bird of prey waiting for his chance to pounce.
Finished with weeding, I grabbed a set of thick gloves—enchanted for protection—and a basket from the supply cabinet at the far end of the garden. I moved to my four snapper berry bushes in the back corner, which were producing an impressive harvest this season. The plant was known for being finicky and had difficulty surviving to maturity. However, once it grew large enough, it could last decades with proper care.
The bushes produced some of the sweetest fruit in all the realm. My uncle dearly loved pies made with the luscious red berries, so I was determined to gather plenty for tonight’s dessert. Perhaps that would put him in a better mood. He would know I had a hand in it since no one else in the area could successfully grow them.
One of my secrets to keeping my garden flourishing was feeding the soil small tendrils of magic now and then to enrich it. My druid grandparents had taught me how to do that, but one needed to handle it precisely right, or the enrichment could go terribly wrong. Too much power would make them grow very fast and strong, rendering them aggressive and territorial. More than usual, anyway.
I started to pick berries when one of the yellow flowers with thick, curved petals snapped at my fingers. If not for my gloves, I would have lost a digit. Thankfully, I only felt the pressure.
“Stop it,” I said, swatting at it. “Try that again, and I’ll cut you off.”
It withdrew, the petals drooping a little in resignation. They could be so moody.
As I filled my basket, a sebeska flew into the garden. It landed on the nearby ivory-stone birdbath, taking a drink while waiting for me. I admired its cerulean feathers. This one had a black head and black-tipped wings, but otherwise, it was all blue on top. I could barely see the patch of white on its underbelly.
I went to it, removing my gloves and holding a palm under its beak. A small scroll fell into my hand. My heart thundered as I unrolled it and read the neatly written script. It was my husband, wishing to meet later tonight. He’d warned me he would request my services soon, and it looked like that time was upon me. We had made a deal, after all.
I moved to the chest where I kept my gardening supplies. Inside, I also kept parchment and a pen. I quickly wrote a reply letting Darrow know I’d see him at ten tonight, as requested.
The bird took the note and flew away. As for my husband’s note, I stuffed it inside a compost bin and buried it deep. Fire would have been better, but I didn’t have any immediately available, and I didn’t want to risk taking the message out of the garden. It was the only safe place where no one would enter, and even if they tried, they wouldn’t live long enough to do anything about it.
Putting my gloves back on, I returned to picking more of the red berries. Another bloom tested my patience, so I plucked it off and threw it toward one of my other carnivorous plants. It plucked the flower up, chewed it thoroughly before realizing it wasn’t tasty, and spat the pieces onto the walkway.
“Told you guys not to mess with me,” I said, wagging a finger at the bush, and then returned to picking again. The rest of the yellow blooms cowered away from my hands as I worked. Sometimes, one had to show tough love to their plants when they misbehaved.
“Aella,” a male voice called.
I turned and found Tadeus standing in the archway. He was just far enough back so the lavender crunchertrap flowers couldn’t reach him. There was a time long ago when he used to come in here, but that was before I acquired some of my people-eating flora. He looked past his shoulder nervously as if he worried about being seen.
“You’re back,” I said, hurrying toward him while pulling my gloves. At least he hadn’t shown up until I’d gathered plenty of berries, and he’d missed the messenger bird.
He ran a hand through his coppery-red hair. “Father summoned me.”
“Did you enjoy yourself while away?” I asked, giving him a brief hug.
The nervous look eased, and a grin slowly formed. “More than you want to know.”
“We all have needs.” I shrugged. “Glad you got some time away, especially while your father is in one of his moods.”
Tadeus nodded. “Is there a way I could come in? I’m not really comfortable standing out here and had hoped to speak privately.”
