Her words came out, all in a train, as though rehearsed a thousand times, Xulai vaguely realized, as they no doubt had been.
Precious Wind caught Oldwife’s glance and took up the story: “She and her father were staying at Woldsgard. The two of them together determined they could defeat the curse. By focusing all their power, they could defeat it for Xu-i-lok, but not for her unborn child. Or they could protect the unborn child, but not Xu-i-lok.
“Xu-i-lok shut herself up in the shrine room she and her father had set up at Woldsgard. She was in there three days. When she came out, she said she had consulted the spirits of her people, and she told Justinian she chose to save the child. I heard her arguing with her father. He wanted to save her. He said she could have other children. She told him something that I didn’t overhear, and he stopped arguing. However, Xu-i-lok said that in order to protect the child, no one could know there was a child.”
“You’re talking about me,” said Xulai, white faced. “You’re talking about me!”
Precious Wind shook her head, held up her hand. “Don’t say anything yet, Xulai. Just listen. Xu-i-lok stayed in her rooms. She and the duke had two marriage ceremonies, one performed by people from the abbey, one by priests from Tingawa. They did them both quietly, privately, with only a few trusted friends as witnesses. Shortly after that, it became known that she had fallen ill. After that, no one was allowed to see her but the duke; her father; Oldwife, who has midwived hundreds of babies in her lifetime; and a couple of Oldwife’s sisters. When the child was born, that is, when you were born, Oldwife and her family smuggled you out of the castle and took you up to the Gancer home in the farmlands toward Karf.
“The ambassador, your grandfather, was with your mother when you were born, Xulai. I was there, a trusted friend, part of his entourage, which was a large one. Among the larger entourage was a fan waver or serving girl, a rather silly young woman, a remote cousin of a cousin of the ambassador’s family. Her name was Bright Pearl. She surprised no one by falling in love with a Norland lad, a farm boy whose family supplied Ghastain with vegetables. He was in Karf visiting relatives. Bright Pearl married him and went to live on his farm, east of Ghastain. When the ambassador, your grandfather, returned to Tingawa, when he learned that the curse on your mother might be fatal sooner rather than later, he let it be known that the child of Bright Pearl would be Xakixa for his daughter.
“And what did Bright Pearl think about that?” snarled Xulai.
“Nothing at all. She never knew anything about it,” said Precious Wind. “She was off in the country with her Norland farmer; she changed her name to plain Pearl—there had never been anything particularly bright about the girl to begin with—and subsequently bore him three sons, all of whom are still raising leeks, parsnips, and potatoes to supply the city and court of Ghastain. We keep an ear open for news of her or her family. She died several years ago during an epidemic of lung disease that swept through several villages. She never knew anything about you or your parents; she never had anything at all to do with the court. No one here in Norland knew what your grandfather told the people in Tingawa. There may be someone there he has trusted with the truth, but I don’t know who that might be. The world believes you are Bright Pearl’s daughter.”
“And I . . . I was with you all the time?” Xulai said to Oldwife.
“With me and my two older sisters. They both died years ago. The only ones in Norland who know the truth about your parentage are Precious Wind and your father and me.”
“Bear doesn’t know?”
“Bear was sent later,” Precious Wind said. “The . . . the sea wars began to be more troublesome, and your grandfather thought at that point we might need some rather personal kind of protection on the way to Tingawa. Bear has been told the Bright Pearl story; he knows nothing about your real parentage. You’re just Xulai, daughter of Bright Pearl, an obscure family member who is no longer living. Lately, he’s started thinking Xu-i-lok may be haunting you. He believes you use a Tingawan name only because of your function.”
“But he thinks I was sent from Tingawa.”
“He was told to say that about you! Actually, he believes you are Bright Pearl’s child and were born here. He believes it is better if you do not know about her, for children have odd notions, sometimes, and go off hunting for fathers and mothers they would be better off without.”
“Didn’t he think it odd that I didn’t grow up?”
“He was told you retained the childish appearance as a protection. To keep you safe. A kind of disguise. Which is true.”
“Bear is tired of being protective,” Xulai said. “He’s talking a lot about getting back to Tingawa.”
Precious Wind frowned. “I’ve heard him. Your father sent money here for him . . .”
“I know. He told me. Money for him and for you. Do you have the receipt, Precious Wind?”
“I do.”
“Who signed it? Whose seal is on it?”
“Why, I suppose—”
“Please. Look. Now.”
Precious Wind retreated to her room, came back with a folded bit of stiff paper. Xulai looked at it and paled.
“What’s the matter?”
“The prior signed for it. This is his seal. I saw it on his finger. I think he’s an evil man, Precious Wind. He has already lied to us. Please, do not give this receipt to the prior. Until we find someone here we know to be trustworthy, do not give it to anyone.”
“I was going to tell Bear today that his bride-price is here, waiting for him.”
“Precious Wind, I have a
