Cerenae sighed as she looked out the window at the approaching carriage and its advance of four mounted guards. Everyone had stepped up security since the "breach". The servants had told her that people in the city were terrified, that the fact that someone so close to the crown could be magical had them frightened and worried about retaliation. Cerenae was sick with all the talk, and now not even a day after the service for Tenur they were all to be subject to magic testing.
Cerenae swept her hair back over her shoulder and turned to head down the stairs to greet the team of testers at the front door. She sighed again as she passed the shady reconstruction of the damaged walls from Cienn's outbreak. The footmen had done all they could, but they couldn't hire a contractor to fix the damages because no one would work for a family that might be magical. She kept her anger in check as she walked down the broad flight of steps into the main entryway and put on a smile as the footmen answered the door.
"Gentlemen, lady, please come in! Welcome to our home." She said as she swept forward to greet the two men and one woman who would test their minds for magic. The woman smiled but the two men only nodded. The older one, apparently the leader, came up to take her hand and bow.
"Baron Alderic van'Dessan my lady. And these are my assistants, Jeorgh Faller and Neea bo'Italle." Alderic introduced them all with a flourish. Cerenae gave polite nods to the other two people and then gestured they follow her into the formal parlor.
"Please excuse the mess, it's impossible to find someone who will work with a suspected magician." She turned back to the magic testers and smiled. "But you're all here to fix that of course." She led them into the parlor where the rest of her family waited. Tassa was curled up in one of the large armchairs, reading. Cerenae crumpled her nose at the thought of the wrinkles she was making in her dress but said nothing. Canasena sat quietly on one of the couches, young Tenatur on her lap, yawning into his tiny boy hand. A slew of discarded toys lay at his mother's feet.
"I wouldn't wear that much longer." The woman, Neea, said as she sat without any further announcement and grabbed a scone from a nearby side table. "The rumors say the court is about to banish mourning dress, something about the King thinking it belittles the One to be sad when she takes someone to her palace." She continued in her nasally voice, leaning in as if she were about to share a very special secret with the 'Orater family. "That and the new queen looks absolutely awful in black." She sat back with a smug smile and Cerenae wondered whom she heard that from to make her feel so accomplished.
"I doubt that this country will ever be so brash as to refuse me the mourning of my husband." Canasena said haughtily as she put Tenatur down next to her and rose, brushing the creases from her rich black gown. "I wouldn't like to put this off any longer than I must. Shall we?" she asked, looking to Alderic. The head tester coughed and rose, followed quickly by his assistants.
"I shall take Her Grace into the main office for testing, Mr. Faller will take the lady Tassena and Mrs. Neea will take the young duke." He bowed to Tenatur, which gave the boy a sad giggle being bowed at by someone so much older and more important looking then himself. Alderic smiled back then looked to Cerenae, his face once more serious. "Lady Cerenae will wait and go last." Cerenae cocked an eyebrow at his comments but merely nodded in assent. Without further wait Alderic led Canasena into the main office and Tassena lifted herself from her chair and followed Jeorgh into the room next to it.
"Come along Your Grace." Neea said, offering her short, pudgy hand to the young duke. Once they had all gone Cerenae stood and walked over to the front wall of the parlor. It was made mostly of glass and looked out over the northern gardens. There was a small man made stream and pond, both full and gushing with all the rain from the last few days. Winter was coming Cerenae could feel it. She put her hand out to the window and bit her lower lip as she looked out at the cold grey sky. What was Cienn doing in weather like this? Was he cold? Had he found shelter? It wasn't like they had gotten significant training in surviving on their own through out their lives, though admittedly Cienn had a better chance than she herself did. At least he was trained in sword play and other somewhat useful survival methods. All she knew how to do was flirt and wave a fan, at least officially anyways.
She turned away from the windows and trailed her hand along a table in the room as she went back to her seat, forlornly tracing the edge as she walked. At the end of the table sat one of Cienn's old journals. With all the strange dreams he always had he had gotten into the habit of writing them down. That was probably a form of his magic, she thought as she reached out to it, hoping to maybe feel a little safer about the fate of her twin brother. As her fingers touched the book she gasped and her vision blacked out.
She saw Cienn racing along the beach on horseback, flanked by two strange but powerful looking characters. One was a woman, her long brown hair trailing behind her, a giant black bird Cerenae had never seen before flying above her to the right. But it was the man that caught Cerenae's eye, his honey colored hair and piercing blue eyes set in rugged good looks. He rode a massive black mare, who's hide rippled with hints of purple and silver as she galloped. Both of Cienn's companions were riddled with black, entrancing tattoos. The woman even had one on her face. They raced along the oceanfront in search of an unseen safe point.
The vision vanished, leaving Cerenae looking at the concerned faces of her family and the magic testers. At least I know he's relatively safe now, she thought as she put the book back down and smiled.
"Shall we?" she asked Alderic, and walked past him into the office room. It was one of the many rooms in the house set aside for various forms of "official" business. This one was used for domestic problems, and had rarely been used by anyone other than Canasena, Cerenae or Cienn. Alderic and the other two testers came in behind her and locked the door.
"Please have a seat my lady," Alderic directed, and Cerenae tried not to let it show how much it rankled her to be told to sit in her own home. She sat with all the grace of a swan and looked over as Alderic sat across from her. Jeorgh and Neea stood behind each of her shoulders. "Its very simple Lady Cerenae. All you need to do is place your palms atop mine and relax." She looked up at the magic tester and frowned when she saw his soft face wither in sadness. As if he were about to say some very tragic news. "I'm afraid that it has been my experience that when one twin is found with the magic disease within them, the other twin is usually contaminated as well." Cerenae winced at his words and looked down at Alderic's sweaty, dirty palms but took a deep breath and rested her own hands over his.
"Good, now close your eyes and I will begin to use the gift the One gave me to search your mind and soul for magic." Cerenae closed her eyes. She knew how these magic testers worked and she was not pleased with the idea. She knew that they were actually people that had a spark of mind magic within them, claiming it was instead a "god given gift" from the One. People that in the old days would have been laughed at and ridiculed for their measly gifts, now held lands and positions of power in the government. That which would have outcast them before now gave them immense power over the very people they had once despised. Cerenae found it slightly disgusting how the government still used the word of magic users to justify their killings. At least before the killings had then been justified.
A small crease appeared in her forehead as she felt the mind of Alderic begin to sift through her thoughts and memories, looking for the elusive spark that led to her magical core. She felt him rifle through ages two through five and begin to delve into some of her more recent, intimate memories.
Enough of that, she thought angrily and pushed back with her own thoughts. She was pleased to notice Alderic recede quickly, and peeked a glance through one eye at his condition. He was sweating and tired, his tunic stained with bodily fluids. She smirked for a moment before she felt his mind launch back in, this time with more force. Her smirk turned into a scowl as a tiny crease re-appeared between her brows as she started fighting back. She felt the minds of the two assistants before she felt their hands rest on either shoulder. With their touch she felt something snap. A shiver raced up her spine followed by a sudden flash of white light in her eyes. She blinked, and saw that the three magic testers were blinking too. Had they seen the same flash of light?
"Well," Alderic said, removing his hands from her and wiping the sweat on them on his tunic front. "It seems everything is perfectly fine Lady Cerenae. You are clear." He said, though he didn't seem too sure of himself. Cerenae didn't waste time wondering about it though, but stood up causing Alderic to shuffle to his own feet in a hurry so as not to offend her status.
"Thank you gentlemen, lady. The footman will see you out." And without another word Cerenae fled the room. In the parlor her family sat waiting for her to emerge, their faces masks of worry. How long had they all been in there? Cerenae offered her siblings and mother a smile, which caused all of them to relax, but rather than sit with her family she quickly excused herself to her room. It wasn't until the door was closed behind her back and she was leaning comfortably against it that she relaxed. As she felt each muscle fight for relaxation she ran through what had just happened in her head.
Cerenae didn't know much about magic, she'd never really cared when her Papa had offered her and Cienn secret lessons in magical history and theory. She'd usually just copied Cienn's notes and pretended until her father had seemed satisfied. But even with her limited knowledge of magic, she was still pretty sure what had just happened was it. She had performed magic, and in doing so confused the magic testers, enough that they had cleared her. She leaned her head back against the door and sank slowly to the floor, staring at the ceiling as she thought. So what baron Alderic had said was true then, both twins usually had magic gifts. She clutched at her chest as she began to realize what this meant and felt the fear for herself closing in around her.
No, she had to stay strong through this. She had survived seventeen years without a single outbreak of this magic, and she could continue to survive without the rest of the world noticing. She had passed the test and was clear to resume life as she knew it. She could keep it under control and secret. She would have too. Cerenae knew that she wouldn't last very long outside of the city, and she also knew that her family would last even less time without her. She sat up straight and took a deep breath. No, loosing control of herself right now wouldn't do. She had to be strong.
Besides, she doubted she had any serious magic inside her anyways. There were practically no cases of magic in her family before Cienn, so it seemed to her she couldn't possibly have much in her. No, she was probably just a little bit extra special.
She smiled to herself as she thought that. Papa had always said that magic was "special" and good unlike everything the priests said at school. She had always thought that it didn't really concern her what magic was about, since she didn't have any anyways. But now she was glad her father had instilled such a good opinion of magic in her. She sat down at her vanity and touched up her face paint and ran a brush over her hair a few times. Satisfied she looked no worse the wear for her short panic attack, she stood and walked back downstairs. Her family had moved into the lesser sitting room, a place where the family could relax and hide from the duties of the nobility. Canasena was working on a needle point, Tassa had a book in her lap as usual, and Tenatur had fallen asleep on one of the couches, his hand clutched around his favorite stuffed dragon.
"Feeling better?" Canasena asked, not looking up from her work.
"Much," Cerenae said, and sat across from her mother near the hearth. "I didn't like how you could feel them in your head." Canasena put her needlepoint down and nodded.
"It did feel an awful lot like an invasion of privacy. But I suppose it was necessary to clear our names." She said in reply. Cerenae looked down at her hands as she spoke.
"Did he, did he look at everything mama?" she asked, trying to keep the blush from her cheeks. "I mean, did he see..." she trailed off. It wasn't as if she was embarrassed by what she asked, just that she didn't necessarily talk about it with her mother.
"Did he take a peek at some of my more private thoughts?" Canasena asked with a slight smirk at her daughter's discomfort. "Yes, I was most displeased with that part. He had no need to look around in there." Comforted that she hadn't been the only one the tester had been inappropriate with, Cerenae went over to one of the desks in the room and began to work on some things for contacting contractors about their repairs.
Just before lunch a knock came at the door and Canasena and Cerenae answered. The herald outside told them that the city had entered into lockdown while they searched for the criminal Cienn lun'Orater. The door hadn't even closed behind him before Cerenae had picked up one of the ornamental vases in the entryway and thrown it angrily at the wall across from her.
"Impressive," Canasena drawled. "But hardly necessary. I'm sure they want us to feel that way. That we are a disgrace to have such a vile 'criminal' in our family. I suspect everyone thinks it is a just punishment for us."
"As if it even matters anymore what any of them think!" Cerenae shouted back, gesturing her hand out to the world beyond their walls. "I'm sure the gossips at court are finding it quite the scandal." Her voice took on a vague, vapid tone. "'Oh look at the 'Orater's isn't it sad?! Not only did they loose a duke and an heir in as much time as it takes to count them but they have to deal with the disgrace too! It's so horrible for them!' They don't care mama! I didn't see a single one of them on our doorstep after the other night, all the party guests left before Tenur's body had even gone cold. None of them give a damn what happens to us!" Her anger vanished as quickly as it had come and she looked over worriedly at her mother. "Oh mama I'm so scared for him," she said in a hollow voice, the true reason for her emotions out in the air. Canasena opened her arms and Cerenae fell into them thankfully. "He's out there in the wilderness, practically alone, being chased by half the kingdom. How will he be ok?"
"We just have to trust that the gods know what they're doing my darling. We can only trust and hope that someday he will come back to us." Cerenae started at her mother's words. Canasena rarely spoke of the gods out loud. She was far more the type to just sit silently and disagree with everything the priests said and did. She listened to their propaganda and lies with a polite smile on her face and apologized privately to the gods later. Cerenae had rarely heard her speak of them so openly.
She found herself nodding at Canasena's words. She sniffled and wiped at the tears she hadn't been entirely aware she had been shedding, coming up out of her mother's embrace. Canasena looked at her daughter and rested her hand on the young woman's cheek.
"Have faith my daughter. It is all we can do right now." She rubbed her thumb comfortingly along Cerenae's cheek a moment more before she left for lunch. Cerenae stood there a moment after, gathering herself before racing upstairs to clean up her face paint once more before lunch.
After their meal the family settled back into a semi normal routine. They sat about the lesser sitting room trying to keep their hands busy. Tassa was still reading, another pile of books sitting on the table next to her arm chair, and Canasena had joined her youngest daughter with a pamphlet left them by the magic testers. Tenatur had set up a battlefield on the center rug, an army of dragons and unicorns attacking the battlements of the castle. Cerenae was glad to see the unicorns and dragons were winning. She had pulled out her paints and was fiddling with a brush wondering what to paint when the head footman raced in, his breathing heavy.
"My ladies!" he gasped, hanging onto the doorframe. Had he raced across the entire house to them? "I just received word from a runner from the palace that the king and crown prince are on their way!" Canasena's face paled and Cerenae was worried to see her wince slightly and grab at her stomach. Tassa had put down her book and was trying to hide her shaking hands in her skirts. Even Tenatur's dragons had stopped their aerial assault as the 5 year old absorbed what the man had said.
"Quickly, tell Mibalu to get something together and bring it to the formal parlor and -" Canasena gasped as a painful looking contraction laced its way up her stomach. Cerenae stood and put a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder.
"Tell Mibalu to whip up some of her cucumber tarts, you know how much His Magesty likes them, and maybe something fruitier for the rest of us. And have the maids dust down the formal parlor and open the shutters and windows, it's too nice a day to leave us all closed in. Alert our maids that we'll be there shortly to change, we should take the magic tester's advice and get out of mourning dress. Though I see no harm in some black armbands." She looked down as her mother tried to keep a moan of pain quiet. "And get the healer."
Tassa raced off to her room and Tenatur's nursemaid came in to take him away, but Cerenae waited until the healer showed up and had helped her get Canasena to her room before she raced back to her own to change. The door was still closing behind her as she slipped out of her simple green cotton shift and lifted up the heavier dress Farrah, her maid, had laid out for her. It was a rich burgundy belted just under the bust with brown suede under a sheer gold over robe that started below the belt and trailed out behind her. Her sleeves were full and off the shoulder of the same gold color as the over robe. She pulled half of her hair up into a loose bun and pinned it with combs, and let the rest tumble out below it. As Farrah laced up her back for her she slipped on a pair of brown suede slippers and touched up her face. She refastened her signature pink pearls looser on her neck and tied on a silk choker with a small pendent of the 'Orater coat of arms stitched into the front so that it sat in the small of her neck. She grabbed a fan and a clutch and, satisfied, raced downstairs to see to the rest of her family.
Everyone was there, Tassa cute in pale pink, her tumble of brown curls pulled back from her face. Canasena was sitting and looked a little better, at least the contractions had stopped for the moment. Tenatur stood there fussing with the cravat his nursemaid had put him in.
"Stop fidgeting." Cerenae told him, then stood back to look her family up and down as she slipped an ornate, onyx armband onto her upper left arm. Everyone else had on similar armbands. "I don't think I've ever seen such a well put together family, you all look wonderful." Tassa and Tenatur were beaming from her praise, and Canasena smiled proudly at her daughter. Tenur had never been so nice as to give such compliments. "Let's go." Taking her mothers hand the two of them turned and headed to the front porch.
The staff was lined up along the stairway leading up to the front patio already, their best clothing clean and pressed. A carriage with a score of mounted King's Own soldiers was pulling up around the fore court. The ladies and Tenatur stood there and waited as two footmen jumped down from the back and raced to open the door. Out stepped King Kadesh, his face somber to match his outfit. His head attendant, Duke Giordan lun'Foir, followed out quickly behind, a pen behind his ear and his large, bespectacled eyes looking down at a writing board he held in his hand. Last to emerge from the carriage was the fair-haired Crown Prince Lohann lun'Adessa. Cerenae noticed how he looked almost bored with the visit already. The 'Orater's peoples bowed as the King and his small company walked up the pathway, Kadesh's arm's outstretched as he approached the bowing family.
He came up the flight of steps to the porch and put a pair of bracing hands on Canasena's shoulders. "Sena, my dear. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have come sooner." He sounded genuinely pained that he hadn't so much as said a word to the family since the incident, and Cerenae secretly wondered if he had practiced how convincing he should be.
Sena bit her lip for a moment at the king's words before she dipped another short curtsey and spoke. "Welcome Your Majesty, Your Grace, Your Highness. Please come inside. We have food prepared in the formal parlor. I believe Mibalu made up some of those cucumber tarts you love so much my lord." The king beamed at that and put a comforting arm across Sena's shoulders.
"Why Sena, you know just how to make an old man happy." He smiled and winked at Cerenae as if he really didn't think he was all that old then led Sena inside. Everyone else filed in behind them, Cerenae and the prince somehow at the end of the small procession. The prince cocked himself a small smile and bowed for Cerenae to enter before him. Cerenae couldn't help but smile as she accepted and walked inside.
They all settled in the formal parlor with tea and pastries. Once they had all sipped a moment the King put his cup back on its saucer and sighed, looking across at Sena sadly.
"I really do wish I could have been here sooner Sena. I know you don't have many people left these days." Cerenae started.
"She has me, and Tassa and Tenatur Your Majesty. I think she is getting along just fine." She said sharply.
"I meant nothing by it young Cerenae. I simply meant that your mother is short on shoulders she's known to cry on." He smiled fondly at her mother. "I'm sure you know Her Grace and I go far back together." Cerenae apologized and let the king go on.
"I'm sure you heard of my decision to lock down the city," Kadesh went on in a different, more acceptable, vein.
"Yes, my lord, what harm do you find in my renegade son?" Sena asked pointedly.
"You know as well as anyone Your Grace that anyone discovered with the magical disease must be detained and eradicated for the safety of the populace." Giordan piped up from his work at a table in the corner.
"Giordan, please. This is family." Kadesh snapped at his attendant. The king leaned in and put a comforting hand on Sena's. "Your son has a disease, and we must help him where we can." He sat back and sipped at his tea. "Despite the law laid down by my forefathers, I think that in the case of young Cienn it would be appropriate to find a way to remove his magic if we can. I'm sure the priests will have some ritual they can perform; an exorcism of sorts or something. There must be cases. I will get my best lawyers onto it as soon as possible." He smiled at Sena, who honestly looked far more relieved than she had a few moments ago. Tassa looked positively ecstatic and Tenatur didn't really seem to understand. Cerenae sat there quietly, her face a mask of politeness. The king spoke a well-turned phrase, but for some reason Cerenae could feel that his heart was not in it. She could tell in the hollowness of his eyes, the set of his chin and just, a feeling in her gut, which made her sense the king's words weren't honest.
Oh she was sure he would claim to help Cienn in every way he could, but in the end the courts would still find in favor of the law and Cerenae would have to watch while they hung her brother from the gallows.
"Thank you," Sena said, her eyes glistening as she took the king's hands in her own and clutched them to her chest. "Thank you Kad." They all sat there for a moment before the king sat back once more with a more sophisticated air.
"But then why close the city?" Cerenae asked, getting them back onto topic.
The king sighed. "We must show the people, and most importantly the rebels, that we will not change tactics simply because someone is noble. While I want to do everything I can for little Cienn, I can't change the laws so easily. Protocol calls for the closure of the city while we search for someone with significant magical power. Your brother unfortunately falls into that category. Whether we want to talk about it or not, Cienn did kill someone." The moment of happiness had evaporated as quickly as it came.
"Sena, I feel that the we should let the children go so we can speak more privately. Giordan has some forms you will need to sign and I think it best if we keep their ears clear of our harsh adult words." It was a clear dismissal and with bows and farewells Cerenae and the rest of those under legal age left the room. Tenatur was whisked away by his nursemaid once the door had closed behind them; it was naptime anyways. Tassa slipped away to the library without a second glance, leaving Lohann and Cerenae alone in the hall.
"Does he do that often?" Cerenae asked affronted, staring at the closed door in front of them.
"Most times," Lohann said with a shrug, leaning back against the wall and staring down at the floor. Cerenae stood there a moment more staring at the doors before, apparently resolved, she picked up her skirts and turned in a huff
"Come on," Cerenae said, grabbing Lohann's hand and leading him off down the hall. They travelled at a fast pace through the hallways and up a flight of stairs. Cerenae stopped them about halfway across the second floor and, signaling for quiet, led Lohann down to a door at the end of the way. Carefully she pulled open the door and slipped them both inside. Once in she slipped off her suede slippers and padded silently and gracefully across the room to the windows on the far wall. Gently she lifted the window up and locked it into place. As she turned back to lead Lohann across the room they could both hear the sounds of their parents below.
"They always forget to close the windows." She whispered, leaning in close so her own voice wouldn't carry. She quietly led him over to the window seat, not noticing the prince's quiet blush from their close proximity. They sat as quietly as they could and leaned over to hear.
The first thing Cerenae heard was the quiet sobs of her mother. Her fists clenched and her face flushed at her instant anger at the king. How dare he make her mother cry! She was about to stand when she felt Lohann's hand encompass hers and felt his mouth close in on her ear.
"Wait, please," was all he said, and the feeling of his breath across the back of her neck had her thoughts scattered and her anger momentarily displaced. Maybe this quietly listening to their parents' conversation together on a window seat hadn't been her best idea.
"I just don't know what to do Kad," Sena was saying between her sobs and sniffles. "I feel as if we're cursed." She sounded so scared, Cerenae wasn't certain if she wanted to listen anymore. Her mother was supposed to be the strong one.
"You are not cursed Sena. It is a very unfortunate turn of events that the One would want both of your husbands well before their time. But that is not a curse." There was a rustle of rich fabrics and Cerenae guessed that the king was comforting her mother some more.
"And my baby. My little Cienn. Kad how could this have happened? We never thought," Sena stopped as her sobs took over once more.
"Shhhhhhhh, Sena don't cry so. I know, I know." They heard the king speak, followed by more rustles of silk and satin. Probably Kadesh comforting Canasena quietly.
They were silent for a moment while Sena appeared to get control over her crying. Cerenae thought they must be done with the reminiscing by now when Sena spoke again.
"I miss Cierke." She said forlornly and Cerenae froze. It was some unspoken rule of the household that they never really mentioned Sena's first husband.
"I miss him too." They heard the king whisper, and Cerenae looked up at Lohann to see him just as confused as herself. This was clearly a side of the king not many people saw. There were a few more sniffles and some more rustling of fabric as the king and Sena moved apart. The king coughed and Sena sniffed one last time.
"Now, I think Giordan has finished setting out those papers for you my dear. Come along." They stood and Lohann and Cerenae heard them cross the room and walk somewhere else, closing the door behind them. Cerenae and Lohann sat back and looked at each other.
"Did you know our parents knew each other so well?" Lohann asked.
"A little. The king was in Mama and Papa's class at the Royal Academy." Cerenae replied, pulling her knees up so she could rest her chin on them. She chuckled. "I once heard them talking when I was little, I'm pretty sure Mama had a thing with the king for a while, before she met Papa." She looked over at Lohann, who was staring at his hands. "Did you not know?"
"No," Lohann responded quietly. "I don't talk to my father much. It's a big castle, most of the time I don't see him. I just hear what he wants from a servant or an attendant." Cerenae frowned at that and reached out a comforting hand to pat his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she said, glad that at least her family was closer than that.
"It's ok really. The less he's around, the less we fight. We don't agree on much. It got worse after mother died." He sounded genuinely sad about his predicament, as if he wished it were different.
"Is he usually so nice? I don't see him much, except at parties and court functions."
"He's never been angry at me," Lohann looked down at the floor, his eyes looking at something far away in the past. "I think honestly I heard him express more emotion just now then he's shown most people in the last five years. At least with me around anyways." He shifted his focus out the window. "I wish I knew more about him."
"You should," Cerenae affirmed. "He's your father. I do know that not long after mama and papa got married they said that the king was pulled out of the academy and they rarely saw him after that." Now it was Cerenae's turn to look out the window. "They said he grew more and more distant, that whomever his parents had gotten as a tutor for him was filling his head with nonsense." She started then and looked at Lohann seriously. "You can't tell anyone I told you this. I doubt either of our parents would like to hear this kind of gossip spreading around."
"My lips are sealed," Lohann said and mimed locking his mouth with a key that he tossed across the room. Cerenae chuckled which caused the young prince to smile. She liked it when he smiled, his face practically lit up. Their eyes met and they sat there a moment, locked in each other's gazes.
Lohann looked away first. "We should go back downstairs." He said and stood. Cerenae frowned at his back. That was usually the part where they would kiss. There weren't many times she could remember when a boy had gotten that close and hadn't kissed her. Currently all she could remember was this one. Lohann turned back around so she fixed a quick smile on her face.
"We don't want our parents thinking we were doing anything naughty after all." And then he smiled again. Cerenae was very surprised by how much his smile impressed her. She'd been courted by plenty of young nobles by now, and many of them had nice smiles, or were shy, or kind, but none snagged at her heartstrings like the crown prince seemed to. She couldn't resist smiling back at him as he offered her his hand to help her stand. They quickly put on their shoes and went quietly down to sit on the patio.
They were having a fairly heated discussion about one of their mutual friends and her sad sense of fashion when the king and Sena finally emerged from their meeting behind closed doors. The king looked somewhat pleased and Sena, well she really just looked wrung out and tired. It had been a rough few days.
"Is everything all set mama?" Cerenae asked as she stood and curtsied for the king. Lohann stood with her. Sena nodded.
"I think it's time for us to go Lohann." The king said. Lohann nodded and turned to give Cerenae a chivalrous bow.
"Lady Cerenae, it was a pleasure to share your company today. I hope we can do so again soon." Cerenae offered him a curtsy in return and smiled.
"I would like that very much Your Highness." She said.
"Then I will send word to you soon." Lohann said, and with a nod of his head turned to stand near his father.
"Don't bother with showing us out Sena, I think we can find our way to the door." The King said with a wink, which got a weak chuckle out of Sena. After the king and prince had left Sena took a seat with her daughter on the patio with a heavy sigh.
"You should go lie down mama, you look bone weary." Cerenae said. Sena looked unconvinced and was about to start listing the reasons why she couldn't lie down when Cerenae held up a hand. "Mama, we've all been through a significant amount of shock these last few days, and the healers said you should be staying off your feet. This pregnancy has been far harder on you than the others. You're not a spring chicken anymore." Cerenae said with a taunting smile.
"Don't remind me daughter, I know plenty well what my age is thank you." Sena said, sounding vexed, but there was a smile on her lips.
"Trust me when I tell you that I can handle the affairs of the house for a few measly hours." Cerenae said with a faux superior air. "After all, you have been training me since the womb to assume your place." She smirked. Sena made an equally pretend angry face and consented.
"Then I shall be in my rooms my dear. Oh, and could you send someone up with what's left of the snacks from the kings visit?" she asked with a smile and tried to stand. Cerenae got up to help her gravid mother out of the chair and assured her she would send a servant up with a tray of delicacies and a drink for her then followed her mother inside. She stood in the hallway a moment after her mother had gone and tried to put her mind to what was next for things she had to do. She had a pile of estate reports to go through on one of the desks somewhere in the house that would be a good use of her time she decided, though hardly a fun one. But first she needed to get out of this cumbersome fancy dress and into something far easier to sit in.
With a sigh Cerenae lifted the edge of her heavy skirts and went upstairs to change again.