Silence Reigns

Chapter 14

"Milady, milady!"

Erielle turned from her work at her desk. A pageboy had run into her room, and she recognized him as Finnegan.

"Yes, Finn?" She had hoped to see a look of delight—or even surprise—on the boy's face because she had remembered his name, but none came. Instead, he rushed on.

"There is someone here to see you. Says she has something important to tell you."

Erielle frowned. "Who?"

"She didn't tell me her name. Just that she had something to say."

"Well, where is she from? Was she a servant?"

"I don't know..." he fidgeted. "Maybe. She didn't have the hands."

"Send her in."

Since Edom's death, things around the palace had been hectic. Erielle had had to reassign and appoint guards and servants that her father had had, and dismiss the ones who had served Edom. She wondered if this was another complaint about reassignment. Or maybe it was one of Edom's old mistresses, come to demand housing and care.

She lifted her head at the knock on her door, then gasped and leapt to her feet to run to the door and embrace her mother.

"Why, Finn, this isn't a servant, it's my mother."

"Oh," he said. "Greetings."

Erielle laughed amid her tears. "You may be dismissed now, Finn."

Finn darted away from the embracing mother and daughter.

Hera cried with her, saying, "Erielle, I heard the news of Edom's death. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Erielle said with a smile. "Yes, I'm quite alright. But what of you? It seems as if you and Constance and Anabelle just dropped right off the earth after..."

She stopped before she said after Father died. Both she and her mother looked down as Hera held her daughter's hands in hers. Erielle gauged her mother's countenance.

"You've changed, Mother," she said quietly, gauging her mother's countenance.

"I feel older. It has been hard. After...afterward, we went to the city and sought refuge with a sympathetic family there. But your sisters haven't taken it well, especially Constance. She drifts off into trances quite often now, and she hardly talks anymore."

"Where are they?" Erielle asked, looking down the hall.

"Coming." Hera smiled weakly. "They were out when I came here, so I left them a note."

They were quiet for a moment, then Hera asked, "How have you survived here? We worried so for you..."

"I know the meaning of hard," Erielle said, "when you say it. It has been the same for me. But I've made it. Mostly because of Ransom."

"Ransom of Landoness?"

"Yes." She felt warmth in her face.

Hera chuckled. "I suppose there really isn't another Ransom in the kingdom."

Smiling, Erielle answered, "No—no, there isn't."

Her mother grew serious again. "What happened at the trial?"

"How much did you hear?"

"Bernard did it?"

Erielle was quiet for a moment, then said, "He confessed."

Hera nodded and drew her daughter into an embrace. "No matter what, I am proud of you, my daughter. Your father would be, too."

Tears slipped under her lashes. "I'm not sure that's a good thing."