flowers-mostly roses. When she reached a set of oak doors, Millie ushered them inside.
'Please wait here while I alert the lady to your presence.'
'I'll do no such thing,' Catrin said, her hands on her hips. 'You've dragged me here against my will, and I'll either see the lady now or be on my way.'
Morif crossed his arms over his chest as if to bar her path, but Catrin pushed him out of her way. He glanced at Millie, obviously looking for direction, and she sighed.
'Very well,' she said. 'Suit yourself.'
'I believe I'll do just that,' Catrin replied with venom.
Millie jogged ahead, but Catrin refused to be rushed. She let Millie gain distance on them as she strode with feigned confidence through the hallowed halls of her ancestral home. She felt no more comfortable, but she refused to let her insecurity show. Morif followed them with a scowl, but she pretended he wasn't there. Instead, she acted as if she were the one who ruled this house.
Benjin walked beside her and matched her step. He didn't appear happy about her outbursts, but he supported her nonetheless. They were in this together for right or wrong, and she appreciated his not chastising her when it was obvious he didn't approve.
A pair of young men in rose-embroidered livery flanked doors no smaller than those at the main entrance. Millie rushed toward them. The men did not stall her, and she scurried inside. When Catrin and Benjin arrived, however, they barred the way. Catrin didn't attempt to force her way past them and instead stood in as regal a manner as she could muster. She listened intently but could hear only muffled conversation at first.
'What?' came a louder voice from inside. 'Here? Now? Why did you not leave them in an audience room?' This was followed by more low conversation. The two young men exchanged puzzled glances but remained at attention. 'Insisted, did she? Well, bring the whelp in. Let us see what she has to say for herself.' Catrin heard the disdain in the lady's voice, and her mood worsened.
Millie was pale and shaken when she reappeared, and she motioned for them to enter. Catrin waited a moment, just for the sake of being contrary, and the two young men wore their shock on their faces.
'Let's not start things off badly, li'l miss. We've been summoned,' Benjin said, urging her inside.
'I'll enter when I'm good and ready,' Catrin said, and a tense silence hung over the hall. After a very long moment, she strode into the room as if it were her own, and Benjin followed closely.
'So, Benjin Hawk, you darken my doorway once again, after all these years. What do you plan to steal this time?' asked the elderly woman who waited inside. She was petite and her skin hung on her like an overlarge garment, but her eyes bored holes into whatever met her stare.
'Lady Mangst,' Benjin said with a slight bow, but he said no more, as if he had not heard her question.
'And who is this waif at your side? Someone posing as my granddaughter?'
'Catrin Volker, Lady. Daughter of Wendel Volker and Elsa Mangst,' he replied in a polite tone even as Catrin's anger flamed higher.
'Do not speak that foul name in my presence. That man stole my daughter, and his get is not worthy of my name.'
'If you wish to address my Guardian, you will do so with respect. And with regards to my father, you are not fit to speak his name, for you would only foul it with your forked tongue,' Catrin said as she stepped between Benjin and her grandmother.
All the color drained from Millie's face, and she eased into the shadows, but the Lady Mangst drew herself up, and a fire to rival Catrin's burned in her eyes.
'Respect is earned, not given.'
'Every creature deserves a basic amount of respect. Unless, of course, you consider yourself better than everyone else,' Catrin replied.
'Insolent child.'
'Self-righteous wench,' Catrin parried, and the air between them was charged with hostility.
'Now, ladies, surely we can be civil,' Benjin interjected, and both women wheeled on him.
'Stay out of this,' they said in unison.
'At least you two can agree on something,' he mumbled as he took a step back.
'So what brings you here, sweetling?' the Lady Mangst asked.
'Your serving woman dragged me here on the threat of my life. I had no desire to come here. In fact, I believe I'll be leaving now,' Catrin said as she turned to leave, but she was shocked to hear a slap echo through the room. She turned to see Millie with tears in her eyes, holding a hand to her face, and the Lady Mangst turned from Millie to face Catrin once again.
'You expect me to believe that you were not bound here anyway? Where else would you be headed?'
'Adderhold,' Catrin replied.
The Lady Mangst spit on the floor. 'What would you want in that house of vipers and vermin, to worship idols perhaps?'
'I don't see where that is any of your business.'
'I'm your grandmother.'
'You certainly don't act like it,' Catrin said, and she realized this argument would get them nowhere, but she refused to back down, refused to show weakness in the face of one so pious. And she was surprised to see her antagonist reappraise her.
'So you ask nothing of me? No coin or lands or titles? You do not claim your birthright?'
'As I said before, I wouldn't have come at all if not for your underlings,' Catrin replied, and she felt a little ashamed for being obstinate when her grandmother seemed to be warming to her, even if only slightly. 'I ask nothing of you but my freedom.'
The Lady Mangst said nothing for a few moments as she considered Catrin's words. Benjin and Millie exchanged furtive glances, but Catrin ignored them all. Her thoughts were muddled by her emotions, and she struggled to focus. So much had happened in such a short time, and she felt she was reacting poorly rather than using the situation to her advantage. It was possible her family could aid her in her quest, if only she could prove herself in their eyes.
'You've not told me why you were traveling to Adderhold. May I ask why?' the Lady Mangst asked in an almost conciliatory tone, but Catrin judged it genuine.
'I've no desire to worship the Statue of Terhilian. I wish to destroy it.'
Her grandmother's eyes bulged. After a sharp intake of breath, she broke into a fit of coughing that threatened to claim her completely. Millie rushed to prepare her tea, but the spell passed long before the water was heated. Still Millie brought her the tea, and she sipped it with tears in her eyes. Catrin could not tell if the tears were from the coughing or something else entirely, but she waited patiently for a response.
'I truly do not mean to be rude this time, but I must ask. What makes you think you're capable of such a thing? Though, before you answer, I will add that I think it a noble goal and one I wish I could do myself.'
Catrin cast Benjin a querying glance, but he only shrugged in return. The decision was hers.
'I'm not only your granddaughter. I am also the one they call the Herald of Istra.'
This statement brought on a new fit of coughing, and Millie looked as if she would faint. Benjin gave Catrin no indication as to his feelings on her decision, but it was done now, and she couldn't take the words back. She would simply have to live with the consequences. The Lady Mangst slowly recovered, and after sipping her tea, she met Catrin's gaze.
'You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?' she asked, and Catrin sensed no sarcasm. She decided to take no offense and drew a breath to answer, but Benjin could no longer hold his tongue.
'Please don't ask her to prove her powers. It's far too dangerous, and I don't want to see anyone get hurt.'
'It's not a problem, Benjin. I will do this for my grandmother as a sign of respect,' Catrin said, and Millie nodded firmly, as if this were how it should be. Catrin closed her eyes and focused her mind on the one thing she shared in common with the lady: her mother.
She focused on memories of her childhood: her mother's scent, the feeling of her gentle caress, the warmth of her embrace, the safety and security she had always felt in her mother's presence. All of these she poured into her meditation, not allowing the startled gasps to disturb her. She added the tinkling laughter and the love her mother had always shown for her and her father. Lastly, she added the sorrow, grief, and loss brought on by her
