land, run our pottery business and tend to our children.”
“Surely, being brother to duchess, you hear things, know things, yes?” Sen pressed.
“Husband,” Amara interrupted. “Our guests just arrived. Let us leave serious matters for later.”
“No, it’s all right, my lady,” Magnes assured. “Lord Sen has a right to be concerned. After all, Kerala is Amsara’s closest elven neighbor. I can tell you this much. The empress has not given up on her ambitions. She’s publicly declared she won’t accept the defeat at Tono, and has begun an active program to find ways to counteract elven magic.”
“But, how can that happen? Humans have no magical abilities,” Ashinji said.
“That is not entirely true,” Amara stated in Siri-dar. “Magical ability is extremely rare in humans, but it does exist. The Empire is vast and contains many subjugated peoples within its borders. Given time, enough Talented humans could be found to make up a formidable force…if they are trained properly. That is where the empress will run into difficulty. She may not find anyone with the ability to train other humans to be mages.”
Jelena translated Amara’s words for Magnes, who then nodded in agreement. “Lady Amara makes a good point,” he said.
“So. We’ve merely won a reprieve,” Sen muttered in Siri-dar. He looked hard at Magnes. “You are friend, Magnes Preseren. Sister is another matter,” he continued in Soldaran. “She is loyal to Empire, this I understand. I understand, also, you have loyalty to sister. I will not ask you to betray sister, so no questions will I ask about military matters.”
Magnes’ relief was palpable. “Thank you, Lord Sen. I assure you, if I knew anything at all that I thought might help you keep your people safe, I would tell you.”
Throughout the tense exchange, Jelena sat in silence, holding Claudia’s hand in hers. Now, she spoke up. “Magnes, so much has happened since I last saw you, I don’t know where to begin.”
“I’ve already learned a lot of it from Ashi,” Magnes replied. “But, of course, nothing about how all of you survived the war.”
Just as Jelena started to reply, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her lower belly. A warm gush of liquid soaked the couch beneath her.
“It’ll have to wait, I think.” She turned to Ashinji with a pained smile. “Ashi, your son has decided to come a bit early.”
Ten days after Jelena gave birth, Claudia died. She passed peacefully, in her sleep, after spending the day with Jelena, Hatora, and the new baby. Lord Sen had ordered she be treated as an honored guest, not as a servant, and so, for the last few days of her long life, Claudia knew what genuine comfort felt like. As a final kindness, Sen gave his permission for her to be buried on the castle grounds, so she would always be near her family.
Magnes stayed on another week. He and Jelena spent many quiet hours together just talking, like they used to do as children. Jelena learned of his reconnection with Livie, and of the daughter they shared. Livie’s husband had been killed during the battle at Tono, and out of respect for their bond, Magnes had stayed away for several months. Later, after a decent interval, he had gone to her to declare his intentions and she accepted. Their love for each other had never died. It had remained banked like a pile of glowing embers, waiting for a spark to rekindle it. They had married at the start of the year, and come year’s end, they would welcome a new addition to their family.
Jelena, in turn, told Magnes about the strange journey she had undertaken and survived, against all odds. So much had happened to them both that Jelena found it difficult to put it all into words, harder still to believe the two of them had fled Amsara Castle barely three years ago.
When Magnes finally departed Kerala, headed for home and laden down with gifts for his family, Jelena made him promise to return with Livie and their children at summer’s end. As she and Ashinji stood at the gate, waving goodbye, Jelena reflected on how much happier she felt now, watching her cousin ride away, than when last she had said goodbye to him. Back then, she didn’t know if she would ever see him again.
They watched until Magnes disappeared from view, then turned and walked, hand in hand, back up toward the castle. Ashinji remained quiet, and Jelena could sense something troubled him.
“What’s bothering you, Husband? Tell me.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I’m just thinking about how much I’ll miss you when I go away to school,” he said.
Ashinji would be leaving Kerala come the fall to enter the Kan Onji School. Amara had kept her promise to Chiana Hiraino; her son would become the first male of her line to be trained as a mage.
Both Ashinji and Jelena had agreed it would be better for their children if Jelena stayed at home with them. It meant months of separation, a prospect neither one relished, but both accepted the necessity.
“Are you sure that’s all that’s bothering you?” Jelena prodded. She knew her husband too well to let him get away with such a simple answer.
He stopped walking and gripped her shoulders, turning her to face him. “I don’t want to alarm you, but…” His voice trailed off and the look in his eyes made Jelena shiver.
“What, Ashi? Tell me!” she demanded.
“I had a dream last night. I stood in the upper yard, looking at the front door of the keep. The door swung open, then shut, back and forth, as if the wind pushed it. I thought I was alone, but then a young woman appeared. I recognized her immediately. It was Hatora.”
Jelena gasped. “You saw our daughter all grown up?”
Ashinji nodded. “She looked, not frightened exactly, but…agitated and…determined. She called to me. She said, ‘Father, we have to help them!’”
“Help who?”
Ashinji shook his head. “I have no idea. She beckoned to me, then turned and ran into the castle. I tried to follow, but couldn’t. My feet had sunk into the ground. I called out to her to come back, but she had disappeared. Then I woke up.”
“What do you think this means? Should we be afraid?” Jelena tried to stop her voice from shaking, but couldn’t. She knew the power of Ashinji’s prophetic dreams. “We have to tell your mother about this.”
“It may have been an ordinary dream.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
Ashinji sighed. “No, I don’t. But it may not necessarily mean that whatever it is, is dangerous for us. Still… you’re right, love. We must tell my mother.”
Jelena slipped her arm around Ashinji’s waist and the two of them started walking again. After a few heartbeats, Jelena spoke.
“You saw our daughter…all grown up! What did she look like?”
Ashinji kissed the top of her head. “A lot like her beautiful mother, thank the One. Curly brown hair, not quite as twisty as yours, though, green eyes like mine, golden skin…”
“Your mother says Hatora’s Talent is nearly as strong as yours. Perhaps she’ll be a great mage someday. If what Magnes says is true about the empress looking for Talented humans to use as weapons against us, we’ll need strong mages as a defense, and we’ll need a strong Kirian Society to lead them.”
Ashinji nodded. “Whatever the future has in store for us and our children, right now, we are all safe and happy,” he said.
Laughing, Ashinji ran after her.
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