Ever After

nineteen | eadlyn

When we walk into dinner, my mother looks up with raised eyebrows. There is a fork halfway to her mouth. 

Eikko clears his throat as we sit. It's not like everyone is staring at us, only my mom, but this is more nerve-wracking than any Report.

I squeeze Eikko's hand and lean over to whisper, "Perhaps we do this in a more private setting. One on one... or, something."

I can feel his relief and much as see it in his eyes. "Gladly."

So we eat in the comfortable conversation of dinner, and instead of taking our usual evening garden walk or sneaking up to our room early, I leave Eikko in the hallway. And I go to the Women's Room. No one talks about it, but we all know the ladies gather as the sun sets.

When I walk in, Miss Lucy, Miss Marlee, Aunt Brice, and my mother are all sitting around the tea table playing a card game. Cards are normally the men's specialty, but Miss Lucy can con everyone out of a poker game, so I pity Aunt Brice, who does not know this information yet.

"Eady, darling!" Miss Marlee calls. "There you are!" She's beaming. 

I settle next to my mother and smile. "Here I am?" 

"Kile called," Mom says. She sets a hand on mine. "Finally. And he says he's doing fine."

"He's got materials all set up and they're breaking ground tomorrow on his first project," Miss Marlee muses. "I am not entirely sure what everything he says means, but he's happy."

I smile at her. "I'm glad. Sorry I missed his call. I would have liked to speak with him." And it's true. I miss Kile. And now, it's kind of strange that I ever kissed him. That I ever imagined a life with Kile. It seems juvenile now. 

Nothing compared to my Eikko, my life. My future that is coming now. 

"It's going to be forever until he calls again," Miss Marlee complains. 

Miss Lucy giggles. "Well, Kile always has been independent. He'll manage."

My mother laughs. "Once he realizes all the things he needs and doesn't know how to do, he'll call again." 

I grin. Kile would never- he would struggle and be his own person before calling to ask for help. 

Aunt Brice turns her card over. Not poker but some game I don't know, and Miss Lucy sighs. "Brice, you may as well take my holdings."

Miss Marlee laughs and hands over a few chocolate pieces to Brice's pile. Mom rolls her eyes. 

A maid walks up to the table with a plate of champagne glasses. She sets one in front of each of us. 

"Oh, good." Mom winks at me. "They knew you were here."

I stare at the glasses. Whiskey, I realize. Not champagne. Although, the glasses reserve some of the ladies' dignities. No wonder Miss Marlee and Miss Lucy are grinning so widely. They're drinking whiskey. I didn't even know my mom liked whiskey. 

"Is this... whiskey?"

Miss Marlee puts a finger to her lips. "What happens in the Women's Room stays in the Women's Room."

"Welcome to the table, Eady." Miss Lucy slides some chocolate over to Aunt Brice's pile. "Married women only- and Brice, of course."

Aunt Brice takes her glass and puts it to her lips with a smile. "Ain't nobody got time for a husband."

The women erupt in giggles. Mom pats my shoulder and waves a hand at Brice. "We have been trying to convince her to get married for years."

I drag my eyes across all of them. These women that run a country, drinking whiskey from champagne glasses and playing cards, away from the eyes of men in this palace. I have to laugh.