Poisoned Well

Chapter 1.1: Damage

Skel held the babies up for the men to see, one in either ebony arm, the sheer blankets that Lianna had crocheted draping past her knees. The mage woman wore a simple linen dress under an apron tinged in red, comfortable and moving slightly in a breeze. Twine held her smooth black hair back in a thick braid.

"This one belongs to you," Skel handed Navieve to Canúden, "and this one to you." She handed Chadwick to Emick, whose heart beamed like the sunlight streaming through the sitting room's open window. A breeze fluttered in, bringing with it the fresh smell of forest and summer flowers to replace the dank smell of birth. It had been a simple labor with two talented mages assisting, but as Arie said, Labor is by nature laborious and we need to let dear Ophy rest.

Little Chadwick had a perfect little wrinkly face, a fuzz of dark brown hair on his head, fuzzy dark eyes, little blue fists gripping his blanket---

And then Emick's face tensed. "But he's... blue! Why is my son blue? He's... breathing all right, isn't he? Don't some babies come out blue because they don't breathe properly?"

"You heard his cry, yes?" said Skel, with her lilting, staccato accent. "This blue, it is a genetic characteristic. You have not any blue in your family, I take it?"

"Well, of course not! People aren't blue!" said Emick.

Canúden laughed, then touched his nose to his daughter's. Navieve squinted her black eyes at him.

"Gungalis from Turbia and Galia are not blue, you should say," Skel said with a chuckle. "That does not mean that people from other places follow your expectations."

"Well, all right then," said Emick. He peered at his son's wrinkled, purple-blue face. "But that witch wasn't blue either, so where did he get it?"

"Gizelle was blue," said Canúden, even as he stroked Navieve's red cheek.

"Who?"said Emick.

"An old lady friend of mine when I was a boy," said Canúden. "She grew up with Minara, they came from the same village. Cousins, even. I imagine someone as vain as Minara might want to get rid of anything connecting her to her past. Gizelle told me the village was pretty small and secluded. She must have found a way to change her skin color."

Emick clutched Chadwick to his chest, and his face reddened. "She was an awful person. I'm finding I know so little about her."

"All you need to know about her is wrapped up in our little man here. "Lianna strode in from the birth chamber, which was the spare room in Ophia and Canúden's home. She took Chadwick from his arms and pressed her cheek against the baby's. Chadwick gurgled, his arms and legs moved stiffly.

Skel smiled warmly, then folded her arms. "Lianna, I am so glad to hear you say that. Now, what are your plans for feeding this little gentleman? You are not relishing the idea of a royal wet nurse."

Lianna shrugged. "Ophia? She has already agreed. I'd trust her with my life."

"She is leaving very soon," said Skel. "You cannot ask her to postpone her journey for this, as much as she truly loves you. You must not ask your brother to stay, his presence here dangers the life of your yuki. If you love Galia, you must let Canúden go."

"Love Galia?" Lianna lowered Chadwick from her face and stared at Skel. "What do you mean?"

Skel straightened her back and clasped her hands together. She closed her eyes, opened them, and said, "There are currents flowing in Galia among the people. The new Kel has not yet proven himself and the people resent him for the lies and destruction of his former mistress. They will resent him for his firstborn and will seek another heir. Yours." She stared at Canúden and he gasped. Emick didn't wonder why, Skel's eyes seemed a bit intense, pools of midnight. "There are others who will seek their claim to the Robes. Canúden, if you choose to accept your place as Gallel's Heir and Kel of Galia, you will die and Galia will crumble. The world will be lost, for Hallel needs you. Far away from here." Skel shook her head, slowly. "Bah, such incomplete a prophecy."