Then she started to scream. 'Papa!' Ythnel heard footsteps pounding up the stairs and turned to see Prisus running down the hall toward them. 'What is going on in here?'
Iuna got up and ran past Ythnel into her father's embrace. 'She hit me, Papa.' Prisus bent down and cupped his daughter's chin gently in his hand, examining the red mark emblazoned on her cheek.
'I was disciplining your daughter, Master Saelis. She refused'
'I thought. I told you I didn't want Loviatar's teachings in my house.'
'But Master Saelis, Iuna needs'
'Enough! How dare you tell me what my daughter needs,' Prisus roared. His face was flushed, and he was shaking. Iuna peeked out from behind her father, grinning maliciously. Prisus took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 'I apologize for losing my temper like that. Obviously, I didn't make my expectations clear from the start. I hope they are now.' Ythnel nodded.
'Good. Now why don't you two head into the parlor and start your lessons. Go,' he gently pushed Iuna, ignoring her frown. She took two steps then turned and tried again.
'But, Papa-'
Prisus shook his head and pointed to the parlor entrance. With a pout on her face, Iuna stomped into the room.
'See,' Prisus said to Ythnel as she, herself, headed into the parlor. 'You can get her to listen without beating her.'
Ythnel looked at Prisus but gave no response. Apparently satisfied that she understood his point, he turned and went back downstairs.
The parlor was a well-appointed room obviously used to entertain guests. A beautiful but modest crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. Colorful, oil-painted landscapes hung at intervals along the walls, their woodworked frames tactful enough not to draw attention from the brush-stroked canvas. Thick velvet drapes were pulled back to reveal a floor-tceiling window set in the far wall, supplying a view of the city. A single-keyboard harpsichord sat in front of the window, basking in the sunlight, its lid propped open to showcase the strings inside.
For now, the parlor was set up as a classroom. Iuna sat behind a small, portable writing desk, her hands neatly folded in her lap. Ythnel closed the door behind her and strode over to the lectern that stood a few feet away from the desk. She sorted through the lesson plan she had prepared last night before going to bed, reviewing the subjects she hoped to cover. Ythnel felt her stomach clench and realized she was just stalling. There really was nothing to do but get on with it.
'I thought we might start with something easy,' Ythnel began, 'something that will give me an idea of your level of knowledge and give you an idea of my teaching style.'
Iuna raised her hand.
'Yes.'
'Have you ever taught before?'
'I don't see how that is relevant'
'I just want to be sure that your 'level of knowledge' is sufficient to'
'Don't be rude,' Ythnel snapped. With a deep breath, she regained her composure. 'Your father has confidence in my skills. That should be enough for you. Now let's begin.' Iuna gave her a mocking smile but remained silent.
'Why don't we go over some local history? In what year did Chessenta break free from the Unther empire?'
Iuna sat silently, still smiling.
'All right, how about the name of the one and only king to ever unite all the city-states?'
Iuna continued to silently hide behind her smug smile.
'Fine, then can you recite which cities are currently aligned against Luthcheq, and which are her allies?'
There was nothing but the smile from the girl.
Ythnel trembled, barely able to keep her frustration in check. She wanted to storm over to Iuna, pick the girl up, put her across her knee, and paddle her. This would never be allowed to continue if she were back at the manor. But they were not at the manor. They were in Luthcheq, in the Saelis household, where Ythnel was only a hired governess and was required to follow the rules set down by her employer. Ythnel ground her teeth and resolved to plow ahead.
'I can see you're not interested in local history, so we'll come back to that later. Your father told me on the journey over here that you are quite good at geography. I'd love to hear you tell me all about the two major mountain ranges in Chessenta.'
Iuna smiled sweetly.
So this is the way it's going to be, Ythnel thought. I can play this game, too. Without saying another word, she dragged a chair over from its place against the wall and sat facing Iuna.
They passed the morning staring at each other. Around highsun, there was a knock at the door. Ythnel stood and opened it. Libia stood there with a tray of sandwiches and drinks.
'I'm sorry, Libia, but we won't be having lunch today until Iuna finishes her lesson.'
Libia nodded knowingly and turned to go. Ythnel thought she heard Iuna fidget and looked over her shoulder. The girl's brow was furrowed, and her mouth opened as though she were going to say something. But when she noticed Ythnel looking at her, she straightened up and was smiling once more. Ythnel closed the door and went back to her chair.
As the sun's reach into the parlor faded back through the window, the two were summoned to dinner. Iuna practically skipped from the room when Leco opened the parlor door. Ythnel rose to follow, but Leco stopped her at the door.
'I heard about your little starvation tactic this afternoon. I know the child is willful, but I will not allow that kind of stunt to continue. If I hear that you use it again, I will report you to Master Saelis.'
'Then what do you suggest I do?' Ythnel asked. Her patience was about at an end. Did everyone in this house spoil the child?
'I'm not the governess. You figure it out.' He ushered her past him and followed her down the stairs. Ythnel entered the dining room and took her seat.
'Ah, Ythnel, Iuna was just telling me what a wonderful day she had with you,' Prisus said. 'See, I knew you two would get along smashingly.'
Ythnel was not late to morningfeast on the second day. As she finished her meal and prepared for another day of sitting silently in the parlor, Prisus motioned for everyone to stay where they were.
'I thought that it might be nice to do something a little different today. How about we go on a trip to the Trade Center? This would be the perfect chance for Ythnel to get out and see some of the sites, and we're going to need some supplies for the city's upcoming Midwinter celebration. What if we all go together and spend the day there?' Prisus smiled, looking around the table expectantly.
'Oh, yes, Papa, that would be so much fun,' Iuna practically clapped her approval.
'If that is your wish, Master Saelis,' Ythnel replied.
'It is. I'll have Leco ready the carriage.' He excused himself from the table, leaving Iuna and Ythnel facing each other. Iuna stuck her tongue out at Ythnel then ran after her father.
Everyone rode in silence, shifting in their seats, not meeting the others' eyes. Tired of gazing at the gray winter sky, Iuna counted the streets as they neared the Trade Center. She tensed when they began to slow and leaped from the carriage before it had come to a full stop.
The Trade Center of Luthcheq was a unique marketplace. It was not unique in the sense that you could find something there you couldn't find elsewhere in Faerun, but it was unique in its design. Rather than congregating in the middle of some square at the intersection of two large streets, the merchant guilds had purchased a large piece of property near the docks. The lot was shaped like a trapezoid, with a small leg jutting off the southeast corner, and took nearly the entire block. Erected over this area was a vaulted roof, supported every ten feet by fluted columns as tall and thick as an ogre, with ornate capitals decorated with spirals and leaves. On the underside of the roof were scenes depicting athletic competitions, painted on the plaster in the spaces between the vaults by local artisans.
The acoustics of the Trade Center added to the marketplace's atmosphere. The vaulted ceiling caught the
