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The feri war
Chapter 8
'My name is Anya. You used to call me Nana.' She edged closer and sat next to me on the sofa. 'You were entrusted to me when Amegra brought you to Mathyel. I nursed you alongside Maya.'
So she was Maya's mom.
'And yours too even if it was just for a while.' She reached up and pushed my hair off my forehead caringly. 'I raised you until you had to leave us. You were a quiet child.'
'Too quiet if you ask me,' Grandma Celia said from across the room.
Anya didn't have to tell me a anything more. She had only to think about it. I was already in her thoughts.
The sky was grim and the air was chillingly cold on Anya's face. She and all the women of Mathyel were assembled at the bottom of the stairs waiting. She held a sleeping babe to her chest. It was baby Maya I realised.
'There was an attacked on the Notwitt Citadel. The Queen has fallen and her child needs our protection,' grandma Celia said to the assembly.
There were murmurs in the crowd. 'Where is King Joen?' One of the women asked.
'He is tracking those responsible and he needs our help to care for the child in the meantime. My daughter is on her way now with the babe. I don't know how long it will take him but we need to do this for him.'
There were countless agreements in the crowd and grandma Celia nodded her approval. Then she turned facing the gate. 'They're here.'
All eyes were on Amegra as the doors closed behind her. The wispy breeze and the sound of her boots hitting concrete were the only noise that could be heard as she ascended the stairs.
'Mother. My sister Rosalia. She's dead!'
Grandma Celia took Amegra in her arms and hugged her. 'I know, larkin. I know what she meant to you. I know what they all meant to you. You delivered them their stones. That's all you could have done for them.'
Amegra cried. 'Joen should have heeded the warning but...'
'But he thought he could prevent the prophecy. I know larkin. He wouldn't be the Feres King if he didn't try to save his circle.'
'Let's see the little prince,' Grandma Celia said.
Amegra untied the knot from the bundle she had on her back and carefully retrieved the baby. 'There maybe something wrong with him. He hasn't cry once since he appeared in my arms. That's not normal, is it?'
'No it's not. All babes cry when they are hungry or uncomfortable. Here, give him to me.'
Grandma Celia took the baby in her arms. All the women Huddled around her. She freed me from the cloth and exposed me to the chilling air. Still he didn't cry.
'His eyes are wide open and his mouth is dry. He must be hungry,' the woman they called Mother Greta said.
'Anya. You're the only nursing mother here. Will you feed him?' Grandma Celia asked.
'Yes. I will be his wet-nurse for as long as I'm needed.' Anya hand over her sleeping baby to another woman before extending her arms to receive the prince.
Without a word she turned to leave. A few women followed her.
In her quarters, she sat in an armchair and untucked a heavy breast from her robe. Immediately, the baby latched on to it and started suckling as my life depended on it.
The women watched and made comments from his looks to his weirdness. But by the time he fell asleep, they were gone. Anya carried and placed him in the crib next to a sleeping Maya. 'Don't listen to them, larka. As long as you have me, I will protect you.'
The memory suddenly became hazy and I realised it has shifted to another. Clanging noises preceded the scene before it unfolds. Like a dozen women, Anya sat behind a bulky wooden contraption. I realized it was a handloom weaving machine when I noticed the threads working their way around the wooden structure to the forming cloth at the end. They were making fabrics out of what I didn't know.
My focus turned to the two youngsters about 4 years old that stood by Anya. She was busy working but one of the boys was tugging her robe. 'Nana. We want to play...,' he said. By the looks of him, he must be Maya. The other stood quietly by his side.
Anya huffed. 'Ok. You can go outside and play but make sure...' They didn't wait for her to finish when they bolted from the room shouting as they went.
'You know that means trouble, right?' One of the other women said laughing.
Anya laughed too. 'Don't remind me.' She went back to work until someone shouted from outside followed by kids laughter.
'Anya! Anya!'
'What now,' Anya said rushing out to yet another courtyard. This one was littered with three dozen circular basins with different coloured waters were women were dyeing cloths.
The working women had stopped to laugh at their sister running after the two boys with a stick around the dyeing basins.
Anya laughed as the children rushed towards her. They looked like two little red devils soaked head to toe in red dye. They hid behind Anya who now was facing the woman chasing the boys.
'What have they've done, now?' Anya asked.
'You can see for yourself. They almost ruin a good fabric while frolicking in the dye pot.' Anya sniggered. 'It's not funny sister. This is not the first time, and quite frankly I had enough of these two little nymphs.'
'They're being children. What will you have me do? 'Anya said.
The woman pointed a dyed finger at Anya and yelled angrily. 'You're too soft on them. Their mischievous behaviours are getting out of hand. They should be punished accordingly so they won't think of doing it again.'
'Don't worry, sister. I'll see to it,' Anya said. She grabbed the children's by the arms and half dragged them to her quarters.
They didn't protest as they went.
'Good riddance,' the woman muttered before yelling at the rest of her sisters, 'get back to work.'
Unoffended, they sniggered and went back to work.
'What did I tell you two about disturbing Millie and the sisters.' Squatting in front of the children, she put on a stern face.
Solemn, the boys gazed at her with puppy eyes. 'We'll listen to you Nana,' Maya said.
Anya turned to the quiet boy. 'And you?'
'I'll listen to you too, Nana.'
Anya's stern face fell and her smile cropped up. 'You two will be the death of me.' She sighed. 'Now get rid of those clothes and hop in the tub. Come on.'
Naked the boys got in the tub. Anya took her time rubbing the dye off their skins. The boys were still quiet. 'Are you going to punish us, Nana?' Maya asked.
'No, my darling. I'm just glad you didn't drown yourselves in the pot. Now sit still while I rub you off.'
The prince giggled when Anya rubbed his arm. 'That tickles.' He trashed his feet splashing water on Maya. Maya retaliated. He splashed water on the prince and soon a slashing war began. Anya wasn't spared. When she got splashed the boys ceased their little game, afraid they'll be punished. But Anya splashed them back and soon they were all giggling and splashing each other.
The memory shifted again. We were back at the gated courtyard where a man in blue attire stood with his arms crossed at the chest.
'Greetings, Your Majesty,' grandma Celia said. 'You've come for the boy.'
'Mother Celia, ladies,' he said inclining his head slightly. 'Yes.'
'What will happen to him? Will you be taking care of him yourself? I could send Anya with you.'
'Thank you, but there's no need. I'm sending the boy away to be raised in the human realm.'
'But why? He's safe here with us. We can protect him,' Anya said. Then she realised she spoke out of turn. 'Forgive me, Your Majesty. It wasn't my intention to be disrespectful.'
'It's fine Anya,' he said addressing her by name, which surprises Anya. 'The prince is a threat to our enemies. And if he stays here you all will be in greater danger. Trust me, it's safer this way.'
Joen studied the prince's face, then Anya.
'Don't worry. You'll see him again, I promise. And he'll be needing your help. Do right by him and he will remember you for what you are.'
The Feres King unfolded his arms and thrust one forward. 'Come, my son. You have a long journey ahead of you.'
Both Anya and Maya were in tears as they hugged the prince goodbye. And for the first time, according to Anya memories, the boy cried.
Misty eyed, Anya watched the little prince disappear through the gate. But she had a smile when I came out of her memories. 'I've missed you,' she said.
'Me too.'
Maya and Connor re-entered the room with smiles. 'Someone had a naughty childhood,' Connor teased.
Anya's memories didn't just soothe me but also jogged the happy moments I had with them. I remembered all the fun Maya and I used to have. Believe me. They were aplenty.
'Maya!' I said opening my arms to her. She accepted my embrace. 'I've missed you.'
'Me too Rye,' she said softly.
Wren came and sat beside me. I leaned into him. He kissed my forehead. 'You were a weird child, atsa.'
'Hey!' I protested, to which everyone laughed.
A pregnant moment passed before grandma Celia broke the silence. 'Well, that did the trick.'
Everyone looked at her in puzzlement.
'The trip down memory lane. It worked. His Majesty is no longer projecting.'
Anya, Maya and I spent the whole morning catching up on each other's lives. They were mostly interested in my life in the human realm. They were fascinated with human technology. As Anya puts it, they've created their own magic.
After a quick lunch, Anya and Maya went to work while Devlin through Keene sat in the cleared space in the living room to practice my psionic powers. Meanwhile, Wren and Connor took the time to chill o the balcony outside.
At one point, I couldn't help but hear the conversation they were having.
'I'm so fucking horny cousin. That stupid cock of mine haven't gone down since your bondmate's luscious dream.'
Wren sniggered. 'I could ask Rye if you want to join us.'
'No. Your bondmate loves you cousin. I don't want to get in the middle of what you have.'
'It's not a big deal. Rye would understand.'
Connor must be thinking about it because it took him a while to answer. 'I don't know man.'
Another pregnant minute passed. 'What about Maya? She could be down for it. Ask her?'
Connor sighed. 'You didn't see it, did you?'
'See what?'
'Her glyph. She's a spadis.'
'Oh!' Wren only said.
So Maya was a spadis. Which means she isn't interested in having a sexual relationship of any kind.
'Rye, focus on your training. It's imperative you get this right,' Devlin interrupted my snooping.
I nodded in agreement and went back to the task at hand.
That evening we had dinner in the communal hall of Mathyel. All the residents were there. My companions and I sat at a table with Grandma Celia, Anya, Maya and two other women who shared leadership duties alongside Wren's grandmother.
While grandma Celia, mother Celia as she was known by the others was in charge of the day to day running of Mathyel, mother Gretel was in charge of work duties and trading with the outside world. Mother Gina on the other hand was the spiritual leader. She was the one preparing my healing ritual.
'Tomorrow, we'll start your healing,' she told me. 'Be read.' I've been patient enough to the point that I was tired of dwelling on it. So, I ask nothing. However, She took silence for curiosity because she started explaining details about the process. To me, it sounded ritualistic. I wasn't religious. Although, I know how religious people can get when they can't convince you of anything. So I nodded and said yes at the appropriate time to cover my wandering mind.
I never realised until then how green everything in Mathyel was. I didn't mean in colour, well that too, but more to the point that they had way too many indoor plants. The walls, the columns, the ceilings, all was covered with creeping flowering vines as if we were in a fairy court or something. I have to ask Maya about that later.
Speaking of Maya. She was acting weird. She kept staring candidly at Keene. And she wasn't the only one. Anya too. I was curious to know why. Yet another thing I have to ask later.
My eyes turned to Wren and Connor. They were trying very hard to eat their food but I know they weren't enjoying it. It didn't take a mind reader to know why. Tonight's menu didn't contain the meat of any kind. As shifters, this meal was like torture to them. I inwardly smile.
'Is everything aright, Your Majesty?' Mother Celia asked.
I forced a smile. 'Sorry about that. I'm a little bit tired.'
She and Mother Gina smiled apologetically. 'After what you've been through today. I'm not surprised.'
Wren, Connor and Maya left the communal hall for our little cottage. I clung to Wren as we went. And then the craziest thing happened. As we passed the statue of the naked crying girl, I thought I heard someone groan.
'What is it?' Wren asked when I missed a step.
'I thought I heard something. It's probably nothing. Let's go.' I said dismissively. I figured the groan must be in my head otherwise Wren and Connor would have had noticed, with their superior hearing.
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End of chapter 8