Castles - Book 5 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Eighteen

Carried by Brian back to Sleven's chambers and placed on the couch in the sitting room, Jobyna was most surprised to see Cynara entering the chamber followed by two Chezcovian guards and two women.

Cynara ordered the men to leave the chambers. "Stay in the hall as you must," she told them. She ignored Brenna's cursty, saying "You may sit."

"You two can put a footstool close to the couch then wait by the door here, inside it as you must."

Brenna sat in silence but with a frown on her face.

"Is it in there Jobyna?" Cynara asked, pointing at one of the closed doors.

"Pardon me, Czarevna, but what?"

"You know; that thing, you called it a balance?" 

Jobyna shook her head and said, "It's in the other one," pointing, "over there." 

Cynara stepped over and entered Jobyna's bedchamber to have a look at the 'torture instrument'. Laughter spilled from the chamber before she returned with a wide smile on her face.

Jobyna inwardly chastened herself for thinking the worst of Cynara, I think the worst so many times and forget to give that benefit of a doubt...

Seating herself on the footstool, Cynara took Jobyna's hand, saying, "I hope you put on that poundage soon so you will be well enough to come to Jydanski and visit me. I give you permission, Jobyna, to call me 'Cynara' as I call you, Jobyna. It's a special honor to you, as I feel at last I have what some call, 'a friend', you see I've been told, many times, that royal people can't have friends, that we must not have friends because no one can be trusted. I trust you, Jobyna, of Frencolia, I do."

Jobyna looked across at Brenna who smiled and blinked her eyes in approval.

Turning her hand over, Jobyna said, "Then we are, indeed friends, Cynara, and as you see, you were right, I was tortured, you can see it, here."

Cynara looked at the scar that was still a little proud, a pink slither from the base of her forefinger to the base of her thumb.

"That's not too bad, but it must have hurt a lot," Cynara said. She asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's over, Cynara, forgiven and forgotten, and I'm making a pledge to myself, right now, it's the last time I will ever think of it, explain it, or refer to it."

"I'll honor that, my best friend; my one and only friend..." Cynara bowed her head and before Jobyna knew what was happening, Cynara leaned forward and kissed the scar.

Tears rose in Jobyna's eyes but she blinked them away; there was no place for sadness now, she had a royal friend and felt determined to be the best she could be as a friend to Cynara. In a soft voice, she said, "I've never had a royal friend before, in fact, I can't remember having any close friends back in Frencolia." She thought of Luke but canceled that thought with another, Luke is my brother, the best friend a sister can have, but always, always a brother. He will never betray me. Even friends can betray each other, but I pray I will never betray Cynara.

"Right, then, Jobyna, let us talk as friends talk; I've seen and heard them and watched them when they greet each other. Friends are often closer than family. I always longed for a real friend and have despaired at the thought I would never know one."

They talked non-stop for over two hours and their friendship deepened as Cynara realized Jobyna had no desire to be competitive. She was deeply impressed by Jobyna's caring disposition, her honesty and kind frankness. A sudden revelation flashed into Cynara's large brown eyes, "It's been said that you're religious, Jobyna. Are you?"