24.Placements

“Lady Edie,”

said Zinnia, her hand on my shoulder.

I turned from the sight of Helena working her new rose oil over her dark braid that she had unwound from its crown. “Yes?”

Zinnia spoke quietly.

“Down the corridor is a small room.

The captain and others have gathered to discuss placements for everyone.

I believe you should also be present.”

“Why me?”

She appeared confused.

“I think it best.

You know these women.”

I ran my hands down the black cotton dress, sweaty at the thought of an audience with him.

“Also,”

Zinnia kept speaking.

“I have, secondhand, but of good quality, a wedding dress for you.

We wear white here and abalone blossoms in our hair.”

“Abalone blossoms?”

She smiled.

“You will like them.

They will look lovely against your hair.

They are the color of aquamarines.

The ceremony will take place after luncheon in the temple of Mother Earth.

Archpriest Cian will officiate.”

“The man who said I had magic?”

“He is the archpriest of Mother Earth.

And as he has seen that you have her gift and the captain himself is an earth worshipper, it is only fitting that the two of you should wed at the temple.”

“An earth worshipper?”

Zinnia gave me a look as if it just now had occurred to her that I had much to understand about Tintar.

“More than half of Tintarians have no magic.

Those that do not usually choose one of the four orders that align with them the most, whether water runs in their family or their mother was devout to fire.

And they practice that element’s faith.

Captain Angler has no magic penchant in any of the four and he is a follower of Mother Earth.

I believe, and I think I am correct in this, one of his parents is also devoted to the goddess.”

“I see,”

I said, absolutely not seeing, thinking of him kneeling along the tree line at the Sibbereen horse farm.

“Come,”

said Zinnia to me, a hand on my upper arm.

She guided me out into the corridor before I had my bearings.

We passed many doors and other black-clothed women were walking past.

I gathered that these were the women’s staff quarters and we had been delegated to a small dormitory.

“You were right,”

I said as we walked.

She removed her hand and turned to me. “Lady?”

I sighed at the use of ‘lady.’ “If we are to be employed here, I should be, or at least one of us, should be, consulted.

Not all of us would be cut out for labor.”

Zinnia nodded.

“Yes.

That is what I thought.

It is late, I am sending some meals into the dormitory, but I realize you have not had a third meal yet.

You must be hungry?”

I was hungry, but mainly tired.

Before I could answer her, we had arrived at a door, that looked much like any other door in the corridor, but that Zinnia had been able to determine as our destination.

The door opened to reveal a sitting room of sorts, with a fireplace and many high-backed chairs seated around it.

There were eight people in the room, Cian, the earth archpriest, the sole female priest from the throne room, that elderly, tall woman in blue, the older man in Tintarian black the king had called, ‘Jeremanthy,' the crown prince whom Hinnom had called ‘Peregrine,’ Alric, Thatcher, Perch and the silver-haired Procurer, Fletch.

The priests, the prince, Perch and Thatcher were sitting, but Fletch stood behind Thatcher’s chair and Alric was leaning one elbow against the fireplace, fingers laced over his chest, staring at the floor.

Jeremanthy stood next to Alric, arms crossed.

“Zinnia,”

said Prince Peregrine from his chair.

She gave a shortened bow and said, “Your highness.”

He smiled at her warmly.

“I thank you for bringing the lady.

Could we trouble you again to gather the rest of the women as we decide what occupations will work for them? We have been discussing this and while we will defer to what Lady Edie suggests, perhaps the women should be allowed to accept or decline the positions.

It would be a shame to lose a talent or quick mind to scullery work.”

“Absolutely, sire.

Whom shall I bring in first?”

“Give us a minute to consult the lady and then,”

the prince turned to me, his face friendly, “which one of the women should we speak with first?”

I dithered and then said, “Catrin,”

thinking that her beauty, mining family bloodline and proper manner would make a good first impression and that if occupations that did not require labor were few, she would get one.

I would then suggest Eefa and Bronwyn next as one was pregnant and one old.

Zinnia gave another shortened bow and left the room.

I stood near the door, quivering, hands clasped over my stomach.

“Lady,”

spoke the prince.

“I know it has been a long day for you.

Come sit and we will, with your aid, meet my brother’s demands of occupying you Ecclestonians.

I understand you yourself are a scribe?”

Nodding, I approached one of the empty chairs, but I merely placed my hands along the high back, eyes roving over those gathered and wondering why a prince was involving himself in something so beneath him.

Peregrine sat back in his chair.

“Allow me to introduce those gathered.

You know those that are Procurers.”

There was a beat where I could only imagine everyone was thinking of tomorrow’s wedding.

I purposely looked at anyone but Alric.

“I am Peregrine,”

he continued.

“I am Hinnom’s younger brother.

By many winters,”

he added with a smile.

“Our mothers are different, but our father was king before Hinnom.

And often, Hinnom, a good king, makes decisions on impulse, so I take it upon myself to ensure the execution of those impulses are not carried out in a slapdash manner.

I gathered from your face that you wondered why I was here.”

I gave him a tentative smile.

“You met Cian,”

the prince said, gesturing to the seated man with the pale blond hair, in his brown and green robe.

“He is archpriest of Mother Earth.

This is Thalia, archpriestess of Sister Sea.”

The woman in her blue robe with her white hair, cut short and curling around her ears, inclined her head to me.

“I am here, lady, because I pray for the miracle that my brother of earth has had.

Perhaps one of you has a propensity for the magic of the sea.”

I swallowed.

I had yet to even allow my brain to think what the priest had meant.

Magic? Thoughts of the pebbles in Nyossa ran through my head and I removed one of my hands to place in my pocket around the hagstone, my fingers also brushing up against the comb.

“Jeremanthy,”

Peregrine said, his head leaning towards the older man, “is our infantry’s general.”

The man nodded towards me.

“I am only here, lady, to support the captain.”

What did that mean? My eyes flew around the room at all of them.

“Please sit, lady,”

Peregrine said, his hand waving towards the seat of my chair.

“May I— May I stand?”

I stuttered.

“Sire,” I added.

“As you wish.

Now, it would seem, you are the leader of this group of women.”

Then he paused, as if weighing his words against the presence of those in the room.

“Or it would seem you are the origins of this priestesses of Agnes trick.”

“It was my idea, yes,”

I said. “Sire,”

I added again.

“I have always liked the writings of Agnes of Eccleston,”

said Thalia to no one in particular.

“Smart woman."

Peregrine spoke as if she had not.

“The captain seemed to think you were the head of this… order.”

The tension in the air was palpable.

Again, I tried not to glance towards the fireplace, towards the slender soldier leaning on it, his gaze still on the floor.

After a moment, I realized the prince was waiting for my response.

“I am head scribe,”

I began.

“Or I was.

And I managed many other women in our scriptorium.

So… So I, just— I felt it was my responsibility—”

I cut myself off.

In my pocket I clutched at the hagstone, reminding myself to breathe.

“It was my idea and it worked.

They did not cut us down.

I felt it was my responsibility to continue… to continue the ruse.”

“I see,”

said Peregrine, congenial.

“I believe, whatever earth magic in you, you will be a boon to Cian what with your scrivener skills and ability to… manage.”

“We will begin your training, lady,”

added Cian.

“I believe you will, as the prince declares, be of service to Mother Earth.

In many ways.”

And he smiled at me, a genuine, welcoming look that almost surprised me with its courtesy.

“We will meet the morning after your wedding day.”

This time I did dare a glance at Alric.

He remained motionless, not a muscle moving, but, his face still angled at the floor, he looked up at me.

And with that downward tilt of his head, his gaze was loathing.

I looked away, down at my left hand with its ranunculus.

Cian, likely sensing the need to brush over this, continued.

“I look forward to our discovering your exact penchant.”

A knock on the door came and it opened, Zinnia stepping in, guiding a timid Catrin.

I turned towards her extended my right hand, pulling it away from the hagstone.

She walked quickly to me, taking it.

We stood together, facing them.

Peregrine introduced himself to her but not the others.

“May I guess that you are the Tigon woman the Lady Edie mentioned?”

I had been right.

Her breeding made an impression.

“Yes,”

she replied, head held high, if her palm was sweaty.

He nodded.

“My mother has a fondness for Eccleston malachite.

I believe it comes from your family’s copper mines?”

Catrin made an agreeing noise in her throat, belying her nervousness.

The prince gave her a smile and I caught the appreciation in his eyes as he took in her face and that bright red hair.

“My mother is the dowager Queen Modwenna.

She can be difficult, but also can be tamed in the right company.

My brother has allowed for her to have many ladies in waiting, but I would prefer someone of my own choosing attend to her as well.

I assume you can read and write, perhaps assist her in correspondence?”

“I can read and write,”

said Catrin.

Then, “Yes, I can assist in those tasks.”

I squeezed her hot little hand.

“Excellent,”

said the prince.

“Zinnia, will you see that the Lady Catrin is introduced to the queen tomorrow? She can keep her place in the staff dormitories for now.

Who shall we place next?”

This last was directed to me.

“Bronwyn and Eefa, sire.

They are grandmother and granddaughter.

Could they find work together?”

He nodded and Zinnia walked towards us, reaching out to take Catrin’s arm.

“Is this alright with you?”

I whispered in Catrin’s ear.

“I was hoping they would offer you something without labor.”

“Yes! Yes, thank you, Edie,”

she said in a relieved hush.

When they had gone, Fletch cleared his throat and spoke.

“They be the older lady and the youngest girl, Lady Edie?”

“Yes,” I said.