Night Terrors

6

Things changed at a slow, steady pace in Avalor over the next six months. Shuriki, surprisingly, didn't ban magic, dancing, or music as Esteban had expected. She'd agreed to let people keep their holidays and celebrations as long as they stayed away from the royal palace whilst doing so. She didn't want to hear the noise or see the nonsense if and when any of it happened.

She'd given Esteban and Isa permission to participate in the festivities as long as they both took time out for her and each other. Shuriki didn't seem to enjoy being separated from him or Isa for any length of time. If they were gone too long or out too late for Shuriki's liking, she'd quickly send out her guards to retrieve them, or go looking for them herself.

Either way, they'd be brought back to the palace, and kept there for a few days until she felt that it was safe for them to once again venture out into the city or villages. Sometimes she went with them, but those occasions were rather rare, as Shuriki believed the palace was both the safest and the most comfortable place to be.

Esteban was coming back from his office after a rough day of meetings and stacks of paperwork when he stepped into his private apartments to find all the rooms empty. He ran down the corridor over to Shuriki's apartment only to see servants placing his things in one of the two large private apartments adjoining hers. She was barking orders telling them where to put everything as Esteban stopped to catch his breath.

He was panting and dabbing his temples with a handkerchief when he noticed all of Isa's things being set up in the other apartment. "What's going on?"

One of the servants paused and turned to answer him. "La reina ordered us to move all your and la princesa's things into the apartments adjoining hers."

Shuriki appeared at his side as if merely speaking the witch's name or thinking it could summon her. She smiled and put a hand on his lower arm as if to comfort him. "Calm yourself, Esteban. I'm simply setting things in order."

Esteban frowned in confusion. "I...don't understand..."

"What's so difficult to understand? I'm your wife, Esteban. We're married now. It isn't proper for us to reside in separate parts of the palace."

"And Isabel?"

"She's family, and my ward, thus her place is here with us," Shuriki replied matter-of-factly.

Esteban couldn't help noticing the unusual, cheerful undertone in her voice as she took him into her own rooms where Isa and supper both awaited them.

Isabel looked up from what she'd been working on. "Hola, primo. How was your day?"

"It was fine," he replied finding it odd how normal their conversation was considering the circumstances. "And yours?"

Isabel shrugged. "Bueno. Shuriki made the guards help clean up my workshop. She's been assisting me with some of my latest inventions."

Esteban turned to Shuriki and raised an eyebrow. "You have?"

Shuriki smiled. "Not so much assisting as supervising to make sure Isa doesn't get hurt."

"Shuriki let me try out my inventions on her."

"Isabel's a genius," Shuriki declared. "I've already made arrangements for several of her best works to be put to use for the good of the kingdom. She even came up with new irrigation and sewer systems for the city and larger villages."

"I'm still working on ones that'll fit the outer villages better than those they already use," Isa added.

"You've been busy," Esteban noted.

"Which is why it's important for us to rest and replenish ourselves," Shuriki said, passing him a plate of reineta and a bowl of cazuela de llama with some hot pumpkin picarones.