The palace was clearing out at last. Finally you could think without being distracted. Not that the guests had only had downsides. After making heart eyes at one of the visiting politicians at a soiree, they'd stolen away to a hidden corner for a nice make out session.
Many of the Cinean guests had decided to stay a while longer, including Cassian Bay. Last she'd heard, he was trying to figure out how to go about his business in the future. The religious and political conflict between Avi and Cines meant that many foreign businessmen didn't wish to invest in the company of somebody who was so closely tied to an Eseterrian. That meant Emris and Lilith would be staying for a while longer. Merari didn't know whether to celebrate or cry. She settled on trying to do both simultaneously, but that resembled happy crying too much for her taste.
Grand plié, tendu, grand port de bras, port de bras, devenu plié, ronde en l'air, tendu... Merari went through the adagio, keeping her stomach tensed up and making sure not to hunch up her shoulders. Arcane was pulling up her shoulders. Merari couldn't help but grin.
Predictably, the ballet mistress corrected her with a sharp tap on the shoulders. Arcane jolted in surprise and Merari observed the back of her neck going slightly red. Something was distracting Arcane and Merari was eagerly anticipating discovering what it was.
Half an hour later, they'd switched their leotards and pointe shoes for gowns and fur-lined boots. Paths had been cleared in the snow, though they were wet. Spring had returned a day or two after the blizzard, making it all seem rather surreal. As if to enforce this, birds sang songs of springtime.
As they strolled back to the palace, they were trailed by guards—one of the extra security measures that had been in place since the death of the Ocùl. Arcane was still entangled in thoughts. It was hard to tell the nature of them since Arcane had her courtier's face on, although she was absent-mindedly tugging at her gloves.
'Boo!'
Once again, the Eseterrian jolted and this time almost fell into the snow. Merari cackled.
'Could you not?' Arcane muttered.
'It's you're own fault if you're distracted,' said Merari. 'What exactly has the graceful Miss Bay failing to do a perfect triple pirouette?'
Arcane frowned. 'I'm an Eseterrian. I always have a lot on my mind.'
'My ass.' She knew her best friend, she enjoyed the attention and power Gadeden's blessing gave her. Merari wanted to push further, but Arcane's eyes hinted towards the guards and Merari gave the tiniest nod of her head.
'You better not think of any lies though,' she hissed under her breath.
Upon returning to the palace, Merari was left disappointed. A little welcoming squad was waiting, armed with tea cups. At least Arcane was also startled, this didn't seem to have been a calculated move.
'What's going on?' asked Merari.
'Oh, didn't Miss Bay tell you? We're here for afternoon tea and—if Ponyéva wishes to—a lyre performance,' spoke a petite girl. She looked like a fifteen year old wearing her mother's clothes.
Arcane suppressed a sigh with a cordial expression and led them to the seats. Merari sobbed into her Battenberg cake. It was the only way of coping with these girls babbling on about marriage prospects, especially when they were fantasising about romantic proposals. It just made Merari feel really uncomfortable. If someone ever asked for her hand—which wasn't really part of her life plan—could they just give her some nice food and promise her to co-parent all the pets she could want with her? That sounded better than a bouquet and declarations of love.
Arcane stirred her tea, making 'mhm' noises at the appropriate times, but barely speaking herself. Only Merari picked up on her boredom, the way her eyes wistfully glanced at the door. After all, Merari was wistfully staring at Arcane in the hope that she'd release them.
'Ponyéva, is it true that nobody knows where the fifth Eseterrian is?'
Merari clenched her fork tightly and stabbed her cake a bit more bloodthistily than usual. Arcane remained unfazed though.
'As we speak, Leere are searching all the villages for clues,' Arcane responded.
A redhead spoke up, 'But don't they just detect powers?'
'Powers are taken from the spirits. Eseterrians can sometimes be found by similar traces.' Arcane put her saucer down beside her. 'Speaking of which, as lovely as your company was, I need to prepare for a trip to Gadeden's chamber in the aedrum. I too must play my part in trying to find our lost sister.'
The guests nodded, slowly collecting up their tea cups and leaving. Merari overheard some disappointed whispers about there not having been a lyre performance. At least they admired Arcane for her skill as well as her divine role.
Arcane made no move to leave the room. She slouched back on the sofa, fingers practicing strumming patterns on her lower abdomen. The other hand rubbed the back of her neck tiredly.
'Was that a lie?'
Arcane shrugged. 'I haven't decided yet. Though I don't really fancy Gadeden lecturing me on how I should tell the Chèr about you.'
'You can't. Sorita said not to.'
'And has Sorita spoken to you since?'
Merari cast her gaze downwards. She hadn't seen Sorita since that one fateful night. So far she'd made no progress regarding what she was meant to be doing. The result being her just carrying on as usual.
Arcane massaged her temple tiredly. Ever since she'd spoken to her father, she seemed aged and different. Her mind wandered regularly and she was quieter. Maybe it wasn't her father. Perhaps the increased security measures had reminded her of the danger she was in?
Slowly, Arcane asked 'Why can't we just tell the Chèr? What harm can it do?'
'I'm sorry, but I don't exactly think now's the best time to be uncovered as an Eseterrian. Imagine if an assassin just strolled in and killed me. No thanks.' Merari popped a left over piece of cake in her mouth.
'Medea and the Chèr are constantly arguing over what steps to take. The whole political situation isn't helping either. Can't we just make things easier for him?'
No. No way. Merari gaped at her. Arcane flushed slightly and gulped, then tried to play it off by stroking the sofa so that the fur went in one direction. It was too late.
'Arcane... Do you actually like the Chèr?'
'No! I mean... I don't like like him, like, you know, but... He's not quite as bad as I thought.'
Merari gasped. 'Arcane Astra Bay, how dare you? That man is a megalomaniac!'
'He's not a—'
'Oh Ellux, you're defending him.' Merari let herself collapse on a chair. 'It's my fault. I should have raised you better.'
'I still have a coconut whirl. I will toss it at you.'
'You wouldn't dare. This dress is imported.'
'Try me.'
'No.' Merari knew better than that. Arcane had once pushed her into the mud on her birthday. In hindsight, Merari was glad. She'd been being insufferable that day, her head had needed deflating. Arcane had come to the rescue.
A few seconds passed, then the giggling commenced. It lasted about a minute because they kept starting again. Once it was over, Arcane decided to fill her in.
'Look, I still think the Chèr's a little prick, but, I mean, you're a prick too.'
'Awww, you're one too,' cooed Merari.
'The thing is, he reminds me of... Well, me.'
'Yeah, I see the resemblance. You both are—'
'Not another word,' Arcane snarled. She laughed quietly, then continued, 'Look, I think he's just under a lot of pressure and can't handle it as well as I can.'
'I couldn't either with his hair. You know, one of the Leere insulted it and he reacted like a little offended puppy,' Merari recalled.
'Really? I would—' Arcane broke herself off. Not long after, she inquired 'Do you know what was up with the old Chèr? 'Cause he definitely gives me daddy issue vibes.'
'Well, officially, the Chèr took this one in, but general consensus is the old Chèr couldn't keep it in his pants. Thing is, he kept the kid off on a private estate, so nobody cared. Especially because he had the kid before he was Chèr, which is technically allowed,' explained Merari. 'I really need to stop letting people talk me into going to social events, I just get religious talk thanks to you.'
'You're welcome.' Arcane pinched her. After a few moments, she mumbled, 'Could we maybe—'
'No. I kept your secret, you keep mine. If if helps, I'll find you am excuse not to go to Gadeden.'
'Deal.'
With that, all conflict was over. Arcane conjured her lyre, then played a little. Merari relaxed and closed her eyes, oddly at peace. However, all to soon, Arcane had to go off on some errand and Merari was forced to leave. That was the downside of not being an Eseterrian. There always came an end to their day, where Merari had to leave. One day, she reassured herself.
It was the afternoon, not long before dinner. As usual at that time, you could hear the Minka residence from miles away. Merari pushed the door open and wanted to cry at the sight before her. Arcane was right, her siblings had a skill for making messes. There were clothes everywhere as well as little toys. Books covered tables, crumbs the floors. Every hair on her body stood up.
She crouched in front of Lilith. 'How in Goece's name did you manage that?'
'Emris and I were trying to annoy Anise.'
Immediately, Lilith was forgiven. 'Good work, keep it up.' This was perfect revenge for Anise having "lost" Merari's pet.
Merari left them in the family's receiving area and headed through to the private space. If anything, that was more chaotic than the area before, though in a different way. The Minka children were frantically searching for different possessions. Isadore was struggling to understand colour theory and crying over not knowing which colour shoes to wear to dinner. Anise was sat in the corner, seemingly untouched by this, but although she pretended to be engrossed in a book, Merari could tell from her irritated scowl that it wasn't quite working out.
'Merari? Can you spare a minute please?'
Obediently, Merari followed Eula Minka into her room. The flat consisted of two bedrooms and all the children shared, which was an absolute disaster. However, Eula and her husband refused to share with any of their kids, so when they were at court, things were pretty crowded. Fortunately, Anise would return to her studies abroad soon and Everett and Luella would return to the estate. Merari couldn't help but count the hours.
At her mother's command, Merari took a seat on the pretty bed. The duvet had a dark rose pattern, the bed's frame was intricately carved. A sweet smell of perfume hung in the air. Of course the one room that was usually out of bounds to her was the tidiest.
'What's the matter?' Merari blinked up expectantly.
'Now, Merari, you know I've always been... Rather patient with you.'
That wasn't exactly true, her mother had just completely given up on her a few years ago. It happened with most of the children eventually. Anise had been the first disappointment when she'd said she wanted to continue her studies rather than just being a trophy wife, which Eula regarded as the ultimate aim in life. Merari had been the opposite, dropping out of school early. Not long after, Eula's matchmaking attempts had begun, but the 16 year old girl had managed to chase off all the guys. She'd also eventually ruined herself in her mother's eyes by getting too intimate with some of her male friends. Back then, Everett had been held over Anise and Merari's heads, the eldest son who was dedicated to maintaining the estate and being the perfect lord. Yet by the time Luella had proven herself to be the clumsiest being alive, Eula had given up.
Eula took a deep breath, then said, 'I know you've never been particularly interested in marriage, but I think now might be a good time to give courtship another go.'
Merari wrinkled her nose. 'Why? Nothing's changed.'
'But that's where you're wrong. Your station has changed. Before you were a Minka, now you are both a Minka and the closest associate of an Eseterrian.'
'I don't know, that sounds like using my position in unethical ways,' Merari feebly claimed.
'Not at all,' snapped Eula. 'Women do it all the time.'
Merari caressed the fabric of her gown awkwardly. 'Mother... You know I'm not that fussed about all that stuff.'
'I know but... A marriage doesn't have to be about romance, in fact, it seldomly is in well-to-do families. No, if people have any sense, they marry somebody who's wealthy. That is all I suggest you do. Find somebody well off, somebody you can handle, and you'll be provided for for the rest of your days. I'll even get you new gowns.'
Merari stared at her feet. When she was an Eseterrian, she wouldn't need a husband to pay her way, she'd have the palace coffers for that. Not just that, but she also wasn't ready to settle down. However, she wasn't in the mood to disappoint her mother right now. So she said she'd think about it.
Eula sighed. Chance had it, she hadn't expected anything more. Yet to Merari's astonishment, her mother kissed her forehead. Merari wanted to ask her why, but settled to just enjoy it. If she overanalysed it, her mother may well return to abstaining from doing so.
♤ ♤ ♤
Some days it felt like Merari was already a known Eseterrian. The five Eseterrians and Medea sat at the dinner table, cheerfully eating. They usually refused to have servants there, preferring to serve themselves. After all, Arcane and Merari were the only ones from a wealthy background and Arcane had spent most of her childhood feeding herself.
However, before the dinner, something strange had happened. As they'd been entering, the dining room, Medea had grabbed Merari by the arm and pulled her aside.
'I'm hungry,' Merari had sulked.
'I know that you're an Eseterrian.'
Instantaneously, Merari had pulled herself together. With an unconvincing pretense of shock, she'd said, 'What? No, I'm not—'
'Sorita came to you. But it's fine, I'm not going to tell the Chèr.'
'Thanks, I guess?' Actually, Merari was starting to wish she could be a known Eseterrian to spare her the secrecy.
'I have a favour to ask from you.' Medea had checked nobody was in earshot, then had said, 'I want you to try to get answers. You can move around freely.'
Merari's face had scrunched up slightly. 'What answers?'
'You'll know what to look for soon enough.'
Now they were passing serving dishes round the table, and the water jug travelled around until each glass was generosity filled. Each person's serving size fitted their preferences and seconds were not frowned upon at their shared table. Merari tucked into her herby lamb without anyone scolding her due to the miniscule portions of vegetables. She drank as much wine as she pleased since only she and Emilee indulged in it.
'So, I have a question...' began Sabrina.
'Welcome to Sabrina asks, day four,' joked Medea, drowning her food in a mysterious sauce. She was the only one who ever touched it and nobody knew what it contained.
'Actually, today's question is aimed at you. So, you're the seer, right?' Sabrina checked.
'That is correct, though the preferred term is Voire.'
'What do you actually, uh, do?'
'She means aside from argue with the Chèr,' Arcane interjected.
'Like an old married couple,' Merari helpfully added.
'Well, I receive visions. Some I get through methods, for example, there are tricks to encouraging visions that reveal Eseterrians' identities. Others are sent to me from spirits. Also, the spirits have an inconsiderate habit of intruding on my dreams.'
'I see... And what happens?'
'You mean, what do I do with the information?' The Voire waited until Sabrina had confirmed it to continue, 'That all depends on the information. Some I can simply share without any risk. Other times I have to essentially play chess with all you guys. It's awfully tiring. I don't even get paid.'
Sabrina prodded at her food, trying to decide whether to ask another question.
'Ask. It's better you find out from us than through a mistake.'
'Well, seeing like you do... There's a certain element of magic involved. The Leere too, the ability to take away powers could be regarded as a power in itself. What makes yours okay?'
Medea put down her fork. 'Religion is based on power, just the power that suits those in charge. The spirits endorse these roles—genuinely—where as they do not support other powers. As it is, some Leere get... Fixed, that is, if there is already a sufficient number. If it were down to the spirits, your healing abilities would have been snatched away too.'
Sabrina shuddered. After a short while thinking, she asked, 'But isn't it down to the spirits?'
'Yes. But we speak for them.' With a sly smirk, Medea returned to the task of eating.
A few minutes passed with just the clinking of cutlery, then Emilee spoke up, 'Medea...?'
'Yes?'
'Lavia and I... Can Lavia join us for food more often?'
Medea frowned. 'I'm not the one in charge here. Ask the others, maybe check with the Chèr as well.'
Before Emilee could respond, a woman pushed open the doors. Instantaneously, guards caught up with her and grabbed her hands and knocked her to her knees.
Her skin was two different colours, affected by some skin condition. Her eyes were dark, as was her hair, though it was mostly hidden beneath a cloth. She wore a plain cream dress that loosely hung around her form. She clearly wasn't a noblewoman, nor was she a servant.
'Sorry, ma'am, we don't know how she got through without being caught.'
'It's because she knows the secret paths to the Chèr's quarters. Hello, Nancy.'
After a hand gesture by Medea, she was released. The woman returned to her feet and met Medea's eyes. 'Baubeš, do you know why I'm here?'
'Yes.'
It happened incredibly quickly. The woman soared through the room and leapt at Medea, wrestling her down. The guards were quick and grabbed the woman again. Medea returned to her feet calmly and dusted off her dress. Her hair was escaping its braid.
'Why didn't you say anything?' screeched the woman. 'You knew yet—'
'Trust me, I have a lot on my conscience. Yet Gadeden said I must wait for you and Sorita warned me of your temper. Is that why the old man loved you?'
'What exactly is going on here?' asked Arcane.
'I think she's trying to give Sabrina a demonstration,' Merari said.
'Emilee, fetch the Chèr. I think she has something to say that everyone will want to hear.'
At first, Emilee hesitated, but then she did as was told. Merari decided to finish her food before it went cold in the meantime. She didn't get much time. The Chèr marched in and grimaced at the lump on the floor.
'Good evening, Nancy. I don't appreciate you attacking my Voire.'
'She knew.'
'It is not for you to judge her. My Voire is perfectly capable, thank you.'
'I'm sorry, but who is this?' checked Merari.
The Chèr looked at her intently. 'My father's... Little "charity" project.' His eyes seemed to flash for a moment.
Still being held by the guards, Nancy struggled up onto her feet. Already, her dark hair had escape the cloth. Dark waves tumbled past her shoulders.
'I've come here to confess. Avi is not to blame for the death of the old Chèr. He never went to the vendor's stall because he was with me.' She paused, then repeated, 'Avi is innocent.'
♤ ♤ ♤
A/N: Heyo, it's me. Uh, anyway, I just wanted to explain something about perspectives. You see, we've got three books and each has a different focus. This one is mainly focused on Arcane and Kaya, hence why they'll probably have the most chapters overall. Sabrina won't have any chapters this book because of reasons that will become clear later on.
Anyway, I hope you're all having a lovely day!