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  A House to Come Home ToIt had been a few days since Lady Chelsea and her retinue had arrived, and the Knights were nearly finished settling into the estate. Anya sat on the veranda outside the building assigned to her. She was the only member of the entourage to have a building to herself. That was because she was the sole woman in the retinue. Other than Lady Chelsea, who had the main house to herself as a matter of course. Staying with Lady Chelsea was an option, but neither had so much as mentioned the possibility.

  Sir Leon was with her, sharing an afternoon drink between friends. Their drinks rested between them, a clear demarcation of the line between them. Clio danced in the courtyard, accompanied by musicians lent to them by Lady Tabitha from those she was personally the patron of. Lady Biyu had her head in Miss Iris's p, while Lady Chelsea entertained the other Knights and their squires. All of them were at leisure, dressed in loose robes over gowns or comfortable tunics.

  "So, you back to marrying her?" Sir Leon asked, throwing his chin out to point at Lady Biyu.

  "I think so? Miss Iris said she'd speak with Lady Biyu."

  "Ah. Not sure if you'd be luckier with or without her."

  "With," Anya said firmly. Sir Leon toasted her determination.

  "Not looking forward to tomorrow," Sir Leon said, changing the topic now that there was nothing more to be said. "We have maneuvers. Marching all the way down that damn hill, out of the city, only to spend four hours doing drills. Poor squires are coming with, too. There's a break for lunch, followed by a forced march back."

  "I'm gd not to be a Knight," Anya said. "Lady Chelsea isn't expecting me to accompany you, is she?"

  "Given how pissed she is with you? You'll be lucky if someone carries you on their back."

  Anya winced, and tried not think about the clumsy fondling of squires.

  Crice had approached Iris and Lady Biyu while they talked, and now the three of them were their way. Sir Leon watched pensively as Lady Biyu approached. He'd done it frequently since the Ogre Maker.

  "Healer Anya, I apologize for the ck of formality, but we've come to finalize your marriage arrangements," Crice said. Anya felt her heart speed up.

  "So, it's happening?" Sir Leon asked.

  "Indeed, so long as Healer Anya says yes."

  "Yes," Anya said.

  "Then, Lady Anya, let's discuss what's to be done. First, the house Lady Biyu will give you is ready. We can inspect it at your leisure, to ensure it meets your needs. The pace seamstresses have already been notified, and are avaible to prepare wedding clothes. Iris and I—"

  "What are you talking about?" someone interrupted. Lady Chelsea had crossed the veranda, using her enhanced body to move rapidly. Her clothing had become disheveled, almost revealing a little too much thigh, before she straightened her garments.

  "Wedding arrangements, Lady Chelsea. Nothing to concern you," Crice said dismissively. "Unless you pn to give a gift or attend?"

  "Why is this—"

  "Shut up," Crice commanded, and Lady Chelsea's jaw snapped shut. She even backed away a step. "I may be a lowly concubine, not to mention your steward, but I am still a ranking member of Viscount Lonelyknoll's family. Don't insult me by denigrating that which has my full, unbridled support, Lady Chelsea."

  Lady Chelsea took a calming breath before giving a partial bow. "I apologize, Miss Crice. I forgot myself."

  Crice gred at the woman, before her face softened. "Very good. Make your peace with things as they are. None of it truly concerns you. If I may continue?"

  Lady Chelsea bowed slightly to Crice. "Far be it from me to interfere in your business, Miss Crice. However, may I stay and listen?"

  "So long as you are not a nuisance," Crice said. "What was I saying? Touring your new residence, wedding clothes, the feast… Ah. Iris and I will make arrangements for the feast. Iris will also take care of the guest list, but you'll be expected to help her. Normally, it would be your job. Since neither of you have parents, you will have to negotiate the bride price, dower, and dowry yourselves. I will stand as witness. My husband can approve the contract."

  "I thank you for the offer, but I have an agent in the Ministry. He should be the official."

  "You're right, Lady Biyu. Lady Anya will have to participate in your weekly meetings, to familiarize herself with managing Elderwoods."

  Lady Biyu nodded, and Anya indicated her own understanding when Crice turned her attention to her.

  "Would you like to see your new residence now, Lady Anya?"

  "Yes, Miss Crice," Anya said, patting down her clothes as she stood. Lady Biyu offered her an arm, to escort her, and she gratefully took it. "Coming, Sir Leon?"

  "Sure," Sir Leon said, finishing his drink and rising up to his feet. No one addressed Lady Chelsea as they went to ready themselves to leave the estate.

  The residence was a small townhouse in the noble quarter. The outer gate led to a small walled yard, with a gate that opened into a courtyard centered on a wide shallow rectangur pool. Being a townhouse, it had no discreet buildings and walls. Instead, the walls of the courtyard and outer walls formed a single rge building, with the rooms all opening into the courtyard. There was also a short hall that led to a private rear courtyard.

  The courtyard floors were made of cut and polished stone. The ceiling repced a veranda, with a square opening over the pool. Daylight was let in by the opening, which reflected off the water to suffuse the room in a diffuse glow, in addition to the direct light. With the weather chilling, the opening would soon be covered over to conserve heat, but it had been put off to better show the house.

  The inner courtyard featured a small garden designed around a small fruit tree. The garden had been prepared for the winter, all the dead pnts dug out and the soil aerated. The opening in the ceiling was wider here, giving the garden more light, so that the ceiling felt more like a veranda. Most of the adjoining rooms here were rger, and included the kitchen, quarters for personal servants, the master bedchamber, and an office that opened to the hall between the courtyards.

  The residence was far smaller than the estate Lady Tabitha had furnished them with, and yet there was plenty of room for their small household. Anya looked around at what would be hers for the next few months, and felt her heart racing with anticipation. It was going to happen.

  "How do you like it?" Crice asked her.

  "It's very nice, Miss Crice," Anya said. She frowned a little. "Only, as a Healer, I'd like a space to see people. The rooms in the north courtyard are a little too small for my work."

  "We can have the walls between a pair of rooms removed. Do you want to keep the extra door?"

  "Yes, that'd work."

  Anya and Crice selected the rooms to be modified for her practice, while Iris and Biyu assigned rooms for their household. Sir Leon was staring at his reflection in the pool.

  "We need proper guards," was saying Iris to Lady Biyu as they met back up.

  "True," Lady Biyu agreed unhappily. "I have two more ingots high steel. We should have enough to hire them over winter."

  "None of that," Crice chided. "We will lend you pace guards. After all, even if you live in the city, you are guests of Lady Tabitha. It is only fitting she furnishes you a few guards and attendants."

  Lady Biyu offered a bow, and Anya joined when Iris did. "Thank you, Miss Crice. This residence is lovely. I hesitate to ask what will become of it when we leave? Staffing an empty residence is more than Elderwoods can afford."

  "Viscount Lonelyknoll will see to maintenance, although he will have to ask you for a pittance. Personally, I think a bond would have been more appropriate. You could have used it in Shadow Gate. You'll be parting ways with Lady Chelsea there?"

  "She will be going home," Anya agreed.

  Everyone pretended not to see the way Lady Biyu brightened at the announcement. Except for Sir Leon.

  "Normally I'd want to make a lovely brocade sash for you, Lady Anya, with your new family's emblem on it. A bck and purple tree sounds challenging to work into a proper bridal outfit. But, we'll have to make do with an embroidered brooch. It will be lovely and elegant, don't you worry about that! And we'll have that sash made for you, don't you worry about that, either. Just not in time for the ceremony. Three days? Such short notice! Such a hurry!"

  Biyu listened to the master seamstress prattle on as she had Anya try on a few different articles of clothing, looking for the perfect garments to complete her theme. A fine long tunic with long sleeves, decorated with ce at the wrist and hem, was overin with a series of sleeveless gowns made of a strange translucent fabric. It looked more expensive than Elderwoods could afford in a year, assuming they did not pay their taxes. She could afford it, but spending so much on a garment intended to be worn just once filled her with guilt and the beginnings of self loathing. Anya, who enjoyed dressing nicely, looked as lost and Biyu felt.

  "Lady Biyu, come over. Stand next to your Lady Anya. Right, like that. Let me get a look… well, not bad. I think a gold neckce would finish the scene," the seamstress muttered. "What you think, Kay?"

  "With stones of amethyst?" the assistant, Kay, suggested.

  "Right you are! Perfect. We got that one thing. The one that was too gaudy on Lady Petra?"

  "Yes, Miss Kim." Kay scurried to a cabinet, and rifled through until she found a chain of gold, with seven small amethyst settings.

  "Oh, yes. Perfect. Needed a little bit of glint to finish it. Here, look in the mirror."

  Biyu looked at herself and Anya in the mirror, and did not recognize either of them. Neither wore makeup, that would be done on the day of, but the expensive clothing transformed them. Biyu wore a short tunic, but it was brocaded with autumnal leaves with startling detail. Her trousers were bck and unadorned, but her boots had shiny metal toes. Instead of a robe or cloak, she was given a jacket the back of which featured a midwinter festival during snow fall. The sleeves and breast were decorated with eborate snowfkes, arranged to draw the eyes towards the back. Her fingers bore rings, boasting wealth she did not have, to match the heavy neckce.

  While Biyu's outfit was themed after fall and winter, Anya's was spring and summer. The final tunic yered over the gowns, the shortest at just past her hips, was a scene of minstrels capering in a summer glen. The over robe was a woven array of bright spring flowers. It was eye catching, and one of the most lovely garments Biyu had ever seen. If Biyu could, she would buy the robe alone as a gift for Anya. Together they were a contrast that was jarring to Biyu's eyes. That was part of the tradition of wedding outfits. They should be remembered long after the wedding, a vish expense to celebrate an important day. It was one of the few times garish was the point, and not the misfortune of bad taste.

  Except, that was the sentiment of southern Counts. Even Marches did not indulge in such eborate garments. Except, maybe, in Shadow Gate.

  "We cannot afford these clothes," Biyu said, after deciding tact would be dismissed.

  "Hmm? These are a gift from Lady Tabitha. All of it. Makeup too, day of, though I won't be doing that. So, like these clothes?"

  Biyu's mouth went dry. This was too much, but there was no polite way to refuse. There was also no way to suggest something more modest without insulting Lady Tabitha's generosity.

  "What do you think, Anya?" Biyu asked.

  "I love this robe. I like the outer tunic too, but maybe fewer yers? It's a bit uncomfortable." She gnced at Biyu. "I like your jacket, but are we sure about the tunic? I understand the theme, but the contrast between fall and winter are just a bit too sharp."

  The seamstress pouted. "Well, we have something that's a bit more drab. Fall, but more muted." She said the word 'muted' like it was a dirty word. "This is the style, you know?"

  The seamstress helped Anya out of a few yers. They looked critically in how the reduction changed the way the dress looked. Anya, grumbling, agreed that the original outfit looked better.

  Biyu's outfit was also uncomfortable. She was relieved when it was over, and the outfits and accessories were boxed and put away.

  "What next?" Anya asked Iris tiredly. Iris had been drinking tea with a servant for companionship while they tried on their outfits. Crice created their itinerary, but her duties y with Lady Chelsea's estate.

  "Lady Biyu is free to do as she pleases. We are going to have tea with Lady Tabitha."

  "May I refuse?" Anya asked wearily.

  Iris lifted a brow at her. "Of course not. You see, she's concerned about the adequacy of your education. She intends to offer you help, should she deem you need it."

  Anya swallowed. "How?"

  Iris gave Anya a sweet smile. "Why, she'll take you on as a dy-in-waiting for the rest of our time in Lonely Knoll."

  Anya turned pleading eyes on Biyu. Biyu lifted her hands in a gesture of powerlessness.

  The following day, Biyu invited Anya on an outing. It was meant as a gift for Anya, an attempt to be thoughtful. Iris immediately included herself in their pns, going so far as to select their outfits.

  While Iris and Clio helped them get ready, Anya and Iris bickered. Apparently Iris had spent much of the time sniping Anya during tea, leaving Anya feeling sabotaged. The result was a dressing down by Lady Tabitha for her poor decorum and inability to manage her household.

  "I told you, it was training, Lady Anya. Do you want to know what you should have done?"

  "What?" Anya asked, while Iris applied makeup.

  "Taken me to task. I'm the concubine. You outrank me, making me your responsibility. Disciplining me in front of everyone was the point. Why do you think Lady Tabitha yelled at you?"

  "I shouldn't have needed to discipline you! Why would you even do that?"

  "It was a test, Lady Anya. I told you that."

  "I'm a Healer! Why would I know all these rules? How many did Lady Tabitha say I broke?"

  "Twenty-seven. You did much better than I thought you would."

  "I would have done even better if you hadn't sabotaged me."

  "It was an assessment. I couldn't sabotage you. I was helping. Lady Tabitha, that is."

  Anya was silent a moment, a look coming over her face like she just realized something. "That's something from one of your books, isn't it?" she accused.

  Biyu kept out of the conversation, focusing on Clio attending her instead.

  As they prepared to leave the estate, Lady Chelsea stopped them. "You three look nice." They thanked Lady Chelsea for the compliment. "Going somewhere?"

  "I am taking Anya to a py," Biyu told her.

  "I see. Not intending to wait for Lady Tabitha to call the troupe to perform in the pace theater?"

  "It was meant to be a private outing. Just Anya and I." She gnced at Iris, who stood demurely behind them. May was also there, but her personal guard did not count. Biyu wore a dagger and her knife as well, but it was as much part of her outfit as it was protection.

  "A personal outing?" Lady Chelsea also looked at Iris. "I see one too many for that."

  "Lady Biyu and Lady Anya have had difficulties understanding each other. I'm here to smooth things out."

  "I'll come along too," Lady Chelsea decided. "It's been a while. What are we seeing?"

  Her question was met with silence. Anya scowled at her. Iris did too, despite the way they had bickered earlier. Biyu was unsure what face she was making, but Lady Chelsea scowled on seeing it. May broke the awkward silence.

  "A Love Too Far, Lady Chelsea."

  "You're taking her to a romance?" Lady Chelsea asked.

  "It seems appropriate."

  Lady Chelsea's face became complicated. "Wait a moment. I'll be back shortly." She was gone a short time, and returned in one of the long tunics she wore to receptions. It was a simple affair, a color you could call granite or stone blue. She wore a cloak with it, the simple garment pulled closed against the chill.

  Once more, they set off. When Biyu finally noticed Crice trailing them, she said not a word.

  They took the trip slowly, allowing Anya and Iris time to rest while going down the hill. The Healer could ease their exhaustion with her techniques, but was considered a wasteful use of mana. Better to save the mana in case there was need.

  Once they left the hill, they made better time. There was time still before the show. They gamboled along the roads, until Biyu halted them on spying a pair of familiar children.

  Passersby ignored the children, or told them to shove off when Bert tried hawking a charm to them. Not that there were many pedestrians. A few people were heading the same way they were, likely going to see the same py. May interposed herself between the hecklers and the children, driving them off with a hand on her sword. Bert smiled thankfully. Allie thanked them less enthusiastically.

  "Lady Chelsea, Lady Anya, this is Alison and Albert. Alison prefers to be called Allie, and Albert Bert," May said. "Allie, Bert, this is Lady Chelsea, a Knight-Errant from the Order of the Stone Circle. And this is Lady Anya, a Healer from the Guild of Salutary Fellowship. She is also Lady Biyu's intended."

  The children offered deep bows, while Lady Chelsea and Anya reciprocated in their turn.

  "May I see one, Allie?" Biyu asked, holding out a hand for a stone charm. It was warm to the touch. However, the engraving looked distorted. Wrong and twisted. The surface had curved contours, and instead of engraving the symbols ft into the stone, Allie had instead warped the symbols to follow the curves. After deciding she did not know what to make of it, she passed it wordlessly to Anya.

  At first, Anya just gnced at the stone without much interest. Something about the stone piqued her attention, and soon she was scrutinizing the engraving closely. Her fingers traced the line, and she looked at Allie specutively.

  "You made this?" Anya asked Allie, who still held her graver. At her nod, Anya sought for something to write with. She settled for drawing in the dirt with the graver.

  Drawing the charm that Allie was using, Anya started asking Allie questions. Except, even accounting the ck of distortion, it was not quite the same charm. Allie started out grousing about being made fun of, but as Anya coaxed her to answer, Allie started became swept up in the conversation. Soon, she was engraving another stone while Anya looked on. The first attempt failed when the stone split along an unfortunate seam in the stone. Biyu bought the failure, to Allie's gratitude and Anya and Iris's disapproval.

  When Allie completed the second stone, Anya inspected her work. Instead of looking at the engraving, she focused on the warmth of the stone. Satisfied, she gave Allie the brightest grin Biyu had ever seen the Healer make.

  Allie was flushed with pride as Anya praised her.

  "Do you enjoy making charms?" Anya asked Allie.

  "I do. My parents got me a little manual on making them. I liked the constructed charms most."

  "Those are challenging to make. Not many people bother, and the ones who do charge too much for shoddy work."

  Allie gave a nod. "Mine weren't very good, either, but it was fun. Like, when I figured out why a bit didn't work. I wanted to move onto rituals, but… I had my studies."

  "Do you still want to learn? I could teach you. With as good as you are at engraving, I think you'd do well with formations."

  "I'd love to!" Allie said. Then she remembered herself, and to whom she was speaking. "I can't afford it."

  "I'm supposed to take on an apprentice," Anya said. "I think you'd make a fine Healer."

  Allie's face wrinkled up. "I don't want to be a Healer. It sounds gross."

  "That it is," Anya agreed. "You'd be surprised what you find inside a body. Then there are corpses." She gave a little shudder. "But, you'd also be helping people."

  "You've touched dead people?" Allie asked.

  "Of course. It's better to look inside a corpse to learn how a body works than living people."

  "Oh. That makes sense."

  "If you don't want to be a Healer, I can still teach you about rituals and formations. Even a few of the Healer rituals, like a simple healing circle."

  "If she agreed to be your apprentice, would you Awaken her?" asked Bert. He had been chatting with May and Lady Chelsea until now.

  "Yes. I know the Awakening ritual for my Guild."

  "Allie, this is a big opportunity. You should do it," Bert said.

  She shook her head. "No. Rituals are enough for me. Who knows what they'd make me to do for it?"

  "Allie…"

  "She's trustworthy," Lady Chelsea interjected. "Anya—Lady Anya—has her faults, but she'll treat you well."

  Anya looked at the girl, hopefully. Leaning over, Biyu whispered into Anya's ear. "Allie enjoys pys. I know it is our outing, but if you would like to entice her…"

  Anya pursed her lips. "Is it really okay?" A nod and Anya gave her a smile.

  "We should get going to the py," Anya said. Allie's eyes gleamed, and she turned pleading eyes on Iris and Biyu. "Would you like to come?"

  Allie gave a tentative nod, a little surprised at Anya inviting her.

  "How about a deal. I'll take you to see some pys and… do you like puppet shows?"

  "They aren't as good, but yeah."

  "Good. I'll take you to shows over the winter, if you'll be my student."

  War raged across Allie's face. Her worry about the women of questionable ethics struggled against her desire to see the shows. Her lips quivered, on the verge of answering several times.

  "I can have An accompany you," Lady Chelsea said. At the questioning look, she expined, "My squire."

  "… okay," Allie said in a small voice. She joined her brother in collecting their charms. They had to hustle a bit to reach the theater in time.

  The py ended with the lovers broken apart, the man in the Hells, and the woman rejoicing in the Heavens. Her diatribe disavowing the man for breaking taboo felt a little over the top to Anya. That feeling was compounded when the man, faced with Lord Hells, admitted he'd been wrong to act on his whims.

  Anya always found it strange that people assumed she wouldn't like romances. That wasn't true. A story about a man and woman in love, prociming their love, expressing their love, didn't make her uncomfortable. After all, she had grown up with these stories just like anyone else. She could, in fact, enjoy them, and frequently did. Moral through line aside, it had been a great story well told. 'You should do what everyone else does' was an odd moral theme, given the fact that actors were notorious in flouting what was socially acceptable. Such was the expectation, that people were suspicious of actors who behaved 'morally'. Someone with a foul sense of humor must have commissioned the performance.

  Allie looked more put off by the story than Anya was, after she had time to contempte it afterwards. She bit her lip, and asked Anya politely, "Don't stories like that make you uncomfortable, Lady Anya? Like, aren't they telling you that you're a bad person?"

  Laughing, Anya answered, "Shouldn't it be a balm, to see people who believe themselves righteous can also be wrong?"

  Allie frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "The people who preach like that have a narrow view of the world. They believe there is just one, well, Path." Anya gave a little shrug. "They ignore the variety of people you find just walking into another quarter of the city."

  Allie squirmed a bit. "Can I ask you something?" She couldn't meet her eyes.

  Anya nodded. "Lady Biyu, do you mind if I take a little walk with Allie?"

  Biyu looked curious, but didn't pry. "Take May with you." She lifted a hand when Anya was about to argue. "Just to guard. We will not listen in."

  When they were alone, May giving them plenty of space, Allie asked, "Why girls?"

  "You're at an age to wonder about things like that… and understand the answer." She took a moment to decide how much to say. "It's just how I am. I've liked women since before I was your age. There's no deeper meaning, or life altering change. Not even a philosophy."

  "Oh," Allie asked. "How did you know?"

  "I fell in love with a girl, of course. Everyone thought it was just a crush. Even me. And it was, back then. But it was always girls, no matter how old I got. As I got older, I realized men did nothing for me. I tried. Even spent time with boys, waiting to feel the way my friends did. Didn't work." She shrugged. "So that's how it is."

  "Is it hard?" Allie asked.

  Anya considered how to answer the question. It obviously was; even Allie should be able to guess that. But how hard? One of her romances came to mind, and she thought it perfectly illustrated her difficulties. "When I came to the Guild of Salutary Fellowship, I met a girl. I liked her a lot, and she liked me too. We became the best of friends as we studied and learned. People even treated us like a couple." Anya ughed, remembering her friend's embarrassment. "We eventually became a couple. It was a sweet, wonderful time. I was very much in love, and I was sure she loved me just as much. One day, after we had," Anya looked at Allie, watching for her reaction, "retions," Allie blushed cutely, "she invited me to her wedding."

  Allie stared at her with her mouth agape. Spluttering, she asked, "What?!"

  "She expected me to congratute her. Well, I did. What else could I do?"

  "Yell at her? Call her names? Hit her?" Allie said, still shocked.

  "She expected us to continue our retionship afterwards, too. Like she wasn't cheating on him or me. I was hurt, but, well, she was the first married woman I bedded. Up until she asked me to…" Anya frowned, wondering if she was taking this conversation too far. "Well, join her with her husband." Allie colored again.

  "That was that, but it was sour from the moment she announced her marriage. And she never noticed how unhappy I was. When she told me she was getting married, I gave up." She shook her head. "We had been together for three years, and I never knew she was looking to get married. Allie, if men are a choice for you, if you have a choice, choose men. Just make sure it's a good one."

  Allie was quiet, and Anya gave her time to reflect. "After that, I was afraid to love. So I had affairs with married women. As long as they understood they couldn't take me home to their husbands, I was fine with it. See, I like bedding women very much. I'd like to love a woman again, but… there aren't that many women like me. Not that I looked. However, a lot of people marry for convenience, and Lady Biyu is… not convenient, but she's avaible."

  Nodding at that, Allie asked, "Are you happy?"

  "No, but I think now I can be. Especially if you let me teach you ritual magic. Just because you learn from me doesn't mean all you'll learn is healing. I knew how to improve your charms, didn't I?"

  "Yes, Lady Anya." Allie squirmed. "I… I'll let you tutor me."

  The day had come, and Anya was feeling nervous. They stood at the end of the road that led to her house. Biyu was escorting her, her elbow out for her to hold. She wore her pretty robe, and the tunic with its yers of sheer gowns beneath. The day was chilly, with predawn snow that had melted with the early morning sun. No one was about, although she could hear a dog barking in the distance. Only May, as honor guard, and Iris, as their attendant, accompanied them. Iris smiled at them, her eyes joyful as she indicated it was time. They walked in their small procession down the road, a bare half mile. Only a few early arrivals, commoners waiting for the wedding feast, gave halfhearted and confused cheers as they passed.

  They entered the townhouse. In the outer courtyard, their guests waited to witness Anya entering being led into the house. Sir Leon gave Anya an encouraging smile, the only guest she had personally invited. Lady Chelsea forced a smile, but the scowl beneath was barely veiled. Sir Stuart, acting his usual stuffy self, saluted them. Sir Richard gave a sedate bow, his earnest smile for the both of them. An ughed. The squires bowed. So did guards and servants lent to them by Lady Tabitha, as well as their handful of sves. They greeted the guests in turn, saying a few words to each. Crice had come as well, but the rest of her family would wait for the third day, when the married couple left their bedchamber.

  They passed through the inner courtyard, where Allie and Bert greeted them along with Clio and Chattel. They entered the altar room, which held an altar which held the god's portion of the feast and a family shrine. The shrine was a meager thing, holding the crests of Anya's Guild and Biyu's family emblem, and a primitive knife like the one Biyu sometimes wore. They knelt down on cushions before the altar. Until nightfall, they would worship the gods and venerate their ancestors.

  Anya remembered her grandmother, and her parents while wondering if they still lived. Even her siblings could be among the ancestors, and she indulged in happy memories from before the arguments. The fights. The demand she let go of childish fancies. That she needed to grow up. That inevitably brought her to remember all that happened after she left home. Pain, anxiety, and fear. Rough days, and things she had to do just to survive day by day until it all went terribly wrong. Yet, in the end, it had turned out so wonderfully right. She wondered, as her mind turned back to gods, how they had touched her life. What did Lady Biyu think about? Did she have anyone other than the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent in her thoughts? Her eyes turned to the knife, and she wondered who it was from.

  Not all their time before the altar was spent in veneration and worship. They took food from the altar, something that was encouraged as sharing a table at the feast with the gods. Tidbits of their own favorite foods were mixed in with the usual fare served at feasts. They took sips of wine and water, but they spoke no words except to the gods and ancestors. The day wore on and evening slowly approached.

  Their silent minder ran to fetch more food, as the altar began to empty. Food and drink were added, and the gods took it nearly as fast as it was delivered. Iris and Crice came to check themselves, and were startled to find how quickly the altar was emptying. Either the gods were ravenous, or more than usual had come to witness their marriage. That could be either auspicious or not. Most agreed, though, that drawing the attention of the gods boded an interesting life.

  When night came, they left the altar room. In silence, Lady Biyu led Anya into their bedchamber. A thick mattress piled with pillows y to one side, on a raised ptform, along with quilts and bnkets. Lady Biyu began to undress Anya, beginning with removing and carefully folding her robe.

  "What are you doing, Lady Biyu?" Anya asked.

  "Biyu in private, Anya," she said.

  "I can get myself ready for bed," Anya said, gently pushing Lady Biyu's hands away.

  Lady Biyu persisted stripping Anya, taking hold of the brocade tunic. "This is important."

  "I won't be a hypocrite," Anya said. "You don't want me, do you?"

  "Does not matter. This is about duty and sincerity." Lady Biyu had Anya lift her arms so she could first remove the tunic, and then the gowns beneath.

  "What do you mean?" Anya asked, when she didn't have a face full of cloth.

  "We are marrying. This is part of the ceremony. An important part. I will see it through. It is my duty. This is also sincerity. I am taking this seriously, because I have accepted you as my wife. I want you to understand that to me, you are truly my wife. Do not think this is pity, or appeasement. I mean to give you what you asked me for."

  "What I asked you for?" Anya asked.

  "A pce to belong. To be accepted as yourself without reservation. A pce to feel safe."

  One gown after another was stripped away, and Anya felt more nervous than the first time she had in with a woman.

  "We don't have to. Doesn't it disgust you?" Anya asked.

  "Not really. I don't desire it… and it does make me uncomfortable. But, it is not like I cannot." She sighed softly. "If you want passion, you will be disappointed."

  "You do, with Iris."

  "Iris enjoys being toyed with. It is not… my passion is to see her make funny faces. To see her react to my touch. That she enjoys the things I am doing to her. I enjoy indulging her."

  "Not me?" Anya asked.

  "I have always been mindful of one fact. A difference between you two. You desire to touch me, whereas Iris is satisfied being pyed with."

  "I see," Anya said as the st scraps of clothing was pulled away. "We don't—"

  "Enough," Lady Biyu said, drawing off her own clothes. When Anya moved to help her, she did not resist. "I apologize if I am… bad at this." Her face turned away.

  "The mask?" Anya asked.

  "I never asked. How did you resist the urge to do something when you saw my face?" Lady Biyu peeled away the mask, the flesh of her false face turning into wood as the truth beneath was revealed.

  "I've always been strong-willed, Lady Biyu." They started with a kiss. "Do you intend to find me someone else?"

  "No. I am not making a temporary pce for you. You are mine, until we no longer find it amenable."

  Another kiss, and Anya drew the smaller woman down onto the bed. For such a small, slight woman, Lady Biyu could hold her very tightly.

  On the third day, Biyu and Anya bathed together, dressed once more in their wedding outfits, and rejoined their household and guests. Cheers resounded as they came out at midday. Leaving their chambers too soon was inauspicious, suggesting a cool retionship. Guests and members of the household toasted and congratute them, most of them already deep in their cups as the festivities continued through the st day. Iris's family had come, along with Lady Tabitha, to honor and congratute them. The Knights and squires had spent most of their time here, except for Lady Chelsea who chose to mingle with the town folk taking advantage of the feast out on the street.

  Allie and Bert acted as servants, earning a silver coin apiece for the three days of bor. Their rooms were off the inner courtyard. The sves and servants offered their own congratutions during brief pauses in their duties serving the guests. Musicians pyed a traditional victory march that had become ironic after hundreds of years.

  Lady Biyu stayed at Anya's side, greeting guests with her. She made a point of introducing Anya to everyone as her wife. They even went out front to greet the commoners, whose reactions were split between deference, amusement at the eccentricities of nobles, and outrage. Lady Biyu paid it no mind, letting the hostility of others slide off her as usual.

  They spent that night together with Iris, although all they did was sleep. The following day the servants and sves cleaned while Lady Biyu held court for the first time.

  Anya had prepared the room for their meeting, with Allie assisting as her apprentice. Paint had been applied to the floor and walls, forming a simple privacy ritual. It could be reused, and only required mana from someone in the room to power it. It could be called an impermanent formation, but a Wizard would quibble that if it was not self powering, it was most certainly not a formation of any sort.

  They were dressed in lounge wear, all except May who stood by the door in her armor. Chattel was present to represent the sves of the household, but otherwise the only people there were Lady Biyu, Iris, Anya, and Clio.

  Clio occupied a strange position in the household, being both a courtesan and a sve. That gave her a pce of prestige just below concubines, but she was also the lowest as a sve. Nor were courtesans a retainer, but an honored guest of the house.

  "Iris, you requested I hold court. Please, present your business," Lady Biyu said, beginning the proceedings.

  "We need to formally recognize the roles we all hold in our family. It makes things simpler when everyone understands their duties and responsibilities."

  Lady Biyu gave a nod. "I agree. Please proceed."

  Iris curtsied to Lady Biyu. "Our family is small. We don't know each other well, but most are obvious. First, Lily May will be the Captain of the Guard."

  May gave a fist to chest salute in acknowledgment, standing at attention briefly.

  "Next is Clio. I think we should treat her as just a courtesan." Anya and Biyu both gave her disgusted faces, and she lifted a hand. "I just mean as an entertainer and dy's maid. Nothing intimate."

  "Her status as a sve?" Lady Biyu asked.

  "You wish to ignore it. Anyone object?" No one did.

  "Last of the easy ones is Lady Biyu. You are the head of the house. You are in charge of the finances, management of the hold, the petty lords, the acquisition and disposition of retainers, and all matters pertaining to March Lostkes's court."

  Lady Biyu frowned. "That is a long list."

  "That's why you have retainers," Iris said. Lady Biyu nodded morosely. "We'll talk about elevating some once Christopher arrives. You'll have to pick from among the sons and daughters of petty nobles."

  Anya straightened up when Iris turned to her. "Lady Anya, for now your duty is to learn what your duties are. I'll act as your steward, personal retainer, and take on the bulk of what should be your work. You'll also entertain guests, and attend events as Lady Biyu's companion. Use your time as Lady Tabitha's dy-in-waiting to learn about court. There are some other things you will need to learn: managing the household budget, the servants, other household staff including gardeners and workmen, and arranging for entertainers both for your court and for the entire hold.

  "If we have or take in children, you will be in charge of their care and raising. Not necessarily doing so yourself, but hiring their tutors and deciding on where to send them for schooling."

  Blinking, Anya said, "That sounds like a few infrequent tasks."

  "Keep in mind that includes feast days and festivals. Not to mention you need to keep track of the petty nobles, and ensure that appropriates gifts are bought for the birth of children, and weddings. Also, you need to find yourself some dies-in-waiting. Preferably from another hold, of if you can, a march."

  "Ah," Anya said.

  "Like I said, I will take on your duties while you're learning. You will only be expected to attend Lady Tabitha when she's socializing. While winter discourages travel, many of the Lords of the Land spend the winter in the city, along with a few nearby barons. You won't be that busy, but do expect to be called to the pace a few times a week."

  Anya slumped.

  "That covers me, as well, which just leaves us Chattel and the rest of the sves. Lady Biyu?"

  "Servants. Paid a wage, and protected as far as the w will allow. They will have my protection as my property."

  Iris gave a nod, turning to Chattel. "Do you accept?"

  Chattel looked around, her ears bobbing as her head turned. "I haven't much choice, have I?"

  "It may not st long. The Oracle may take you," Lady Biyu said.

  "I don't know who this Oracle is. Why does he want us?"

  "I do not know," Lady Biyu replied. "You will be given a broom you can use as a staff. It is not much, but it is the best I can do for a temporary weapon to protect yourself with."

  Chattel gave a noncommittal nod of her head.

  "Since Lady Biyu's only retainer is May, that makes her, Lady Anya, and I elders."

  "You will tell me what to do?" Biyu asked, not entirely happy.

  "We will advise you, Lady Biyu. You may choose who to seek guidance from, and it is within your rights to disregard it. There is no one in the family who can usurp you, but it is still a good idea to rely on us. Makes us feel useful to you."

  Biyu gave an unsatisfied nod.

  "That covers what I wanted to talk about."

  Biyu looked around. "Anyone else have business?"

  Anya lifted a hand. Biyu motioned for her to speak. "I… want to take Anya as my apprentice. I know she doesn't want to be a Healer, but I can at least give her a firm grasp on rituals."

  "And Bert wants to be a Knight, if he can," May said.

  "We have told them that," Biyu said. "I await their decision to join us. But, Allie does not trust us."

  Anya nodded. "Maybe if she works with me long enough, she'll change her mind?"

  "You cannot Awaken her and Bert?"

  Anya shook her head. "They have to join my Guild and swear to keep the Awakening secret before I can. The Oath is very strict about that."

  "Could we afford to send her to a College?" Biyu asked. Her tone suggested she thought not.

  "We might," Anya said. "Wizards respect a bright mind. We could get her in on schorship."

  Iris nodded. "But, it helps to know someone."

  "Do we?"

  "Isolde did," Iris said sadly. "Viscount Lonelyknoll would be happy to write a recommendation, but he only has acquaintances."

  Biyu gave a slow nod. "My thoughts on the children, is that Bert should go to an Order, and Allie a College. I think she wants to be a Wizard. Also… she is my current choice of heir."

  Iris nodded. "That… Wizards make terrible nobles… but I think she could do it. She's smart enough. Isn't she?"

  "She is," Anya agreed. "I might be able to arrange an introduction to some Wizards through the Guild when we get to Shadow Gate."

  "If she agrees," grumbled Biyu. The other women in the room nodded.