Authors: L. M. Roth
She must obey
the calling which Dominio had placed on her heart. Of that she was sure,
Felicia said to herself. But how to make her mother see that also? And was that
possible at all?
The more she
considered the matter, the more determined she became to follow the cry of her
heart. Not for her the empty social round of the wealthy matrons of Valerium
and Lycenium. True, her father gave a great deal of money to the poor and
relieved their suffering somewhat, but the typical lifestyle of the rich was
one that Felicia rebelled against more and more. She simply could not see
herself filling her days in the manner in which her mother did: picking flowers
to decorate the rooms of the villa with, issuing orders to servants to ensure
the efficient running of the estate, calling on friends and whiling away the
idle hours in empty talk, then spending the evening with friends and
acquaintances at the night’s banquet or dance.
Not for her!
Never for her! She must find a way to escape such a fate, but how?
As the spring
days grew longer and warmer, it became a problem that Felicia gnawed on more
and more in her effort to find a solution. It was now April; in three months
her mother would arrive to take her to Lycenium. And from there it would be
impossible to escape the net that would be thrown around her to imprison her
forever in a life of gilded futility. Escape…
An idea came
to her mind. No, it was not possible. But, if she could find a way to make it
possible…what then?
Kyrene stood
before her pupils and studied them intently. Felicia no longer stood out among
them like a cuckoo in the nest. She had packed away her robes of fine linen and
acquired some simpler attire in the marketplace and had adopted the kerchief
that the other girls wore to wind around their heads, permitting their curls
and waves to cascade down their backs in a demure fashion. No longer did she
wear the jeweled combs and silk bandeaus that her mother had considered proper
adornment for a young lady of her social station. Felicia now looked like a
native of Solone, and even more, attempted to blend in and act like one.
It was a
matter that both pleased and concerned Kyrene. She was glad that there was no
snobbery in Felicia, but how would Tullia react when she saw the transformation
in her daughter when she came to collect her and take her to Lycenium? She
might well think that the year in Solone would only make her task in Lycenium
all the harder, for Felicia no longer looked like a fine young lady from a
family of good quality. And that would never do in Tullia’s eyes…
Kyrene also
became aware of a new sense of furtiveness in Felicia. Always the girl had been
open and honest, with no secrets to hide. But lately she surprised the girl
looking off into space as though daydreaming, and blushing when Kyrene called
her back to reality. The fact that she seemed flustered caused Kyrene to wonder
if her daydreams were entirely innocent. What did she think about, she
wondered, when her mind wandered like that? And was it something that she
should concern herself with as her temporary guardian?
“Alright class,”
Kyrene said as she focused her attention back on her pupils. “Who would like to
prophesy first?”
“I will,”
Xanthe raised her hand.
She came
forward to stand next to Kyrene, and one of the girls, named Phoebe, came up to
her. Xanthe turned to face her, and closed her eyes for a moment in prayer. At
last she was ready.
“Phoebe, the
winter was long for you and full of confusion; you felt as if you were walking
in the darkness. But now as the spring days lengthen, you will become aware of
a new path you are to take. Dominio will make it clear to you, only trust and
believe.”
Phoebe smiled
gratefully at Xanthe and gave her a warm hug. Both of the girls returned to
their seats, and Felicia came forward. A girl named Hypatia came forward to be
prophesied over by Felicia.
Felicia closed
her eyes and inhaled deeply. Hypatia waited patiently as Felicia took longer
than Xanthe had before speaking. Felicia’s brow furrowed, and she shook her
head as if clearing it of cobwebs. She opened her eyes and looked at Hypatia as
though seeing right through her. It was a long moment before she spoke.
“Hypatia,” she
said in a voice barely above a whisper, “a time of testing is coming on you.
There are other forces at war for your heart, and you do not always choose
wisely. Do not fear when the fire falls, do not look around and ask why, why?
But look to Dominio, allow Him to guide you and lead you. Do not choose the
easy solution, but look to Him for His will. If you trust Him to take care of
you, He shall do so. If you do not, but choose another way, you shall stray
from the path of life and your life shall be hard.”
Hypatia did
not embrace Felicia as Phoebe had hugged Xanthe. This was not a comforting
word. There was utter silence in the room. Even Kyrene paused to think before speaking.
“What Felicia
said was a hard word, but remember, every word is to be tested. If it is not a
true word, it shall not come to pass. If it comes to pass, then you Hypatia
must remember to choose wisely, even as was said in the prophecy.”
No one else
came forward so she dismissed the class for the day. She had to admit that the
word given by Felicia was akin to throwing a cold bucket of water over a
blazing fire: no one wanted her to speak over them after a prophecy like
that
one!
The next
morning when the girls returned to school Hypatia was missing. Kyrene feared
for a moment that she had been so offended by Felicia’s prophecy that she
decided not to come back. What the other pupils told her, however, was even
worse than she feared.
“Well,” Phoebe
drawled as if unsure how to proceed, “last night Hypatia’s house burned to the
ground. According to her sister Timo, their mother forgot to put out the
brazier and their cat knocked it over and scattered the flaming coals
everywhere. A tapestry was hanging close by and went up in a blaze that swept
through the house. Both Hypatia’s father and mother perished. Hypatia was not
at home when it happened and returned to find it afire with the neighbors
attempting to put it out. She was not at home because she was out walking with
Simonides, that worthless, shiftless, lazy creature! And what do you think? We
discovered this morning from Timo that she has run away with him!”
Kyrene turned
her attention away from Phoebe, and glanced to the back of the room where
Felicia was seated attentively on her stool. As if pulled by one string the
other students turned also to stare at her with wide eyes and mouths opened in
awe.
But Felicia
merely bowed her head and cupped her face between her hands, and wept bitterly.
It was Siv’s
idea to return. Cort thought he would never see Eirinia again, but his wife
insisted that he go back.
“Do you mean
to say that you will let your brother determine what you do?” she asked
incredulously. “Is not Eirinia just as much your home as his? And is it not
you
that helps your father with the work, rather than Brenus? And from what you
have told me, it would seem that neither Dag nor Judoc are very fond of his
wife. Perhaps it would be best for
them
to leave, if she is not
welcome!”
Cort looked in
amazement at his intended. Why had he not seen it thus for himself? She was
right: why should
he
be the one to run away? After all, it was he, Cort,
whom Dag depended on in the work of the farm, not Brenus! Always he had reacted
emotionally and acted hastily! But Siv’s cool head saw clearly the truth of the
situation. Was it possible that Dominio knew that he
needed
Siv and sent
him to Trekur Lende to find her?
They had not
lingered in his village long; just long enough for Cort to contact his mother.
He learned that his father had died one winter when the snow was deep and had
stayed long, died of a cough that refused to depart from him, racking him until
he had no longer any strength to fight it. It was with mixed feelings that he
received this news. He had never felt the bond with his real father that he had
with Dag, but in his heart he had secretly cherished a hope that one day they
would meet and there would be a meeting of hearts as well. Now that hope was
gone.
It was Lis who
contacted his mother, Brit. As he was still under the sentence of death, the
meeting was arranged secretly. Brit was to come one day and visit her good
friend Lis, who had failed to tell her that she had a visitor.
Cort would
never forget the look on his mother’s face when he entered the main room where
the two women sat talking together. It must be true then, that he resembled
Brit’s brother Bent, for she had known him at once. Brit was facing the doorway
and when a shadow fell across it she glanced up and saw the face of her son
whom she had not seen since he was nine years old. She sat stunned for a
moment, and then clapped a hand to her mouth and burst into tears. She leapt to
her feet and ran to Cort, pulling him into her arms and smothering his face
with kisses. He wept also, and held her close and soothed her with words of
comfort.
“Oh, my son,
my son! I never thought to see your dear face again in this world!” she
exclaimed, then began kissing his face all over again.
At last Cort
laughed and drew back from her. For a moment his mother just devoured his face
with her eyes as if to memorize every feature. Then he took her gently by the
arm and led her back to her chair.
“Mother, you
know I can not stay here. I am under sentence of death still, and Trekur Lende
can not be my home. But I longed to see you once more. How have the years
treated you, Mother? Have they been hard?”
Brit wiped her
eyes and patted Cort’s cheek. She smiled through her tears and placed the back
of his hand against her cheek while continuing to stroke his cheek with her
other hand.
“It was never
my idea,” she began, “to sell you to the Hoffingi. That was your father’s
notion, and it was only because he was desperate. I would never have been
willing to sell my boy; you must believe that.”
Cort did. It
was always his mother who had shown tender feeling to him. His father had
always been too tired, too worn down from his cares to do more than give him
perfunctory attention. But his mother had cherished his random gifts of
wildflowers, had told him stories of their people, always had time to listen to
his dreams and ideas. And it was she that he favored, having inherited her
blond hair and blue eyes. How good it was to see her again!
Brit came
daily to visit Cort in secret. Nothing strange was thought of it in the village
as Brit and Lis had always been friends, and in the dead of winter the women
frequently gathered to pass the time. But the presence of the stranger was kept
hidden and none were the wiser.
The day came
when Cort decided it was time for him and Siv to leave. But a dilemma presented
itself. They were not yet wed, there being no one of the Alexandrian faith in
Trekur Lende to marry them, and he could not travel with her alone for fear of
ruining her reputation. It was Brit who provided the solution to their problem.
“May I come
with you?” she asked almost shyly. “I would love to spend some more time with
you, my son. And it would still the gossiping tongues who would speak ill of
Siv.”
Cort was
delighted, and Siv thought it an excellent plan. Cort discussed it with his
intended, and they decided together that Brit would be welcome to not just
travel with them, but make her home with them if she chose. Cort’s only sister
had married and moved further south in Trekur Lende, and Brit rarely saw her or
her family. She had become a lonely woman, and Cort and Siv felt that it would
be a benefit for all of them to make her part of their family.
So it was
decided, and they made haste to bid good-bye to Stig and Lis, although it was
with tears and gratitude that they did so. Cort made them promise to meet them
in the borders of Valerium sometime, which was halfway between Trekur Lende and
Eirinia. The promise was made and Cort and his family set off one day in the
middle of January when a thaw had come and the air was milder. He did not take
them back by the route he came, which would still see the harsh bitterness of
winter, but took them south to the trading post, where they stayed only a few
days before boarding a ship that would take them to Gaudereaux where they would
pass the remainder of February.
Cort felt that
in the milder climate of Gaudereaux they could rest and refresh their weary
bodies before finishing the journey to Eirinia. They would book passage on
another ship that would take them by the sea route to Eirinia. But a strange
thing happened while they stayed in Gaudereaux.
For it was
there that Cort realized why Melisande seemed so familiar to him, and her voice
invoked memories of another.
“Of course!”
he rebuked himself. “Why did I not see it? That is why she never would reveal
anything about herself or her people. How could I have been so blind!”
And even as he
realized who Melisande was, he knew also that Dag was in terrible danger.