Gardener

Chapter 17

A Weightless Crown

                     
"Ow!" I glanced up from listening to Lhea excitedly telling me about her day to see Kalini sucking on her fingertips.

"Should avoid teeth," Lhea murmured softly biting air to demonstrate the danger.               

"I agree with you." I replied chuckling as I stroked my fingers playfully through her hair. "What else did you do today, any magic?"

She shook her head sighing softly, "None yet." I pulled her close placing a tender kiss on her brow. "You'll get there Little One."

"I know." I smiled at her optimism and confidence at such a young age.

"Ow!" Kalini exclaimed for what seemed like the hundredth time since she'd started.

Lhea pulled me down so that she could whisper in my ear, "Not smart, avoid teeth." I chuckled at her opinion of Kalini and her struggles to feed the Marr.

"I'm sure she's trying very hard." I whispered back, as we gazed at Kalini briefly watching her raise a spoon filled with stew quite warily to the Marr's mouth her fingers red and tender.

"Not enough." Lhea shook her head as Kalini growled her frustration. By this point she was probably wearing more of the stew than she'd managed to actually feed to the woman.

"You know what." She stood from her seat across from the Marr, she hadn't let anyone get close enough to remotely try to find the writing on her collar, let alone read it. Kalini came over to me and set the bowl in my lap. "You feed her while I sit here with your daughter and we mumble how horrible you're doing."

"I said nothing of the sort, I just agreed with Lhea's assessment of avoiding her teeth." Kalini gave me a deadpanned expression. I sighed softly and stood from my seat allowing her to take my place.

"Good luck Leecha," Lhea offered as Kalini sat down beside her grumbling about her sore fingers.

I smiled down at her once more stroking her hair, "Thank you Little One." She hadn't yet managed to pronounce any of our names correctly but we didn't mind.

I moved towards the Marr and took the seat across from her, her hands and feet were bound. Santi hadn't offered to unshackle her and I hadn't asked. She was quite dangerous after all. I held the bowl of stew in my hands breathing in its scent. "I don't know how much Kalini actually managed to get into you or if you've really tasted it, but it's good." I took a bite humming as small chucks of meat and potatoes near about melted on my tongue. "I know if I feed you bread you'll bite me, and if I offer you stew somehow I'll end up wearing it and really I don't want that." I took another bite of her stew. It really was delicious and I'd had my fair share but I didn't at all mind eating a little more.

"Now we're not trying to hurt you, we're here for a bit of rest and then we'll be heading back to the palace. Her Majesty is already aware of your predicament and she will do everything in her power to free you of your collar and give you the best life she can if you wish to stay or the means to make it where ever you want to go if you don't, but I need you to eat. I need you to not bite me when I feed you and I need you to cooperate as much as you are able. If you agree I will free your hands and feet and hope that you do not try to harm anyone in this room because if you do...I won't be quite so nice as I'm being right now." We stared at each other for a long time before I offered her a bite of stew. She took it hesitantly while watching me for trickery all the while. I fed her the remainder of the bowl with bits of warm bread intermixed and a nice cup of watered down wine.

I took her hands gently in mine, gazing on the thick metal cuffs, "You aren't by chance carrying the key to these are you..." She gave me a dour look that told me she understood even if I hadn't been sure before. I chuckled softly, "I didn't think so but it doesn't hurt to ask." I took two seeds from my pouch turning the cuffs until I could see where the key would be inserted before dropping one into each. "Don't be frightened I warned," before listening for the little seeds coaxing them to grow. The Marr gasped as leafy stems sprung from the key holes a small click issued from each before the cuffs opened freeing her hands. I used the same plant to open the cuffs on her ankles and then gathered the small plant placing it in the cup once filled with wine. It glowed with my magic still growing slowly. When it was finished it would be similar but not the same as the vines growing from my window sill back at the palace.