Secrets

Chapter Three: Fight to the Finish

Maiya had now been living with her brother and his family for two weeks, and she could not remember a time when she was happier. She had nice clothes, good food, and best of all, she had friends. When Ilosovic had introduced her to that Mad Hatter fellow, he had gaped at her for a full ten minutes before uttering the words that she was quickly growing weary of hearing. "You have a sister? !" But Tarrant had bounced back from his shock quite quickly and enthusiastically invited her to join the Mad Tea Party. The reactions of the Dormouse-Mally, as she insisted on being called, and the Hare-Maiya thought his name was Thackery, but his accent was so thick that she had difficulty understanding him-were a trifle more subdued, but they were still both rather shocked.

Alice had been completely robbed of speech, and could only stare at Ilosovic, her mouth and eyes wide. But a quick glance at the two of them was enough to confirm that they were indeed related. At first, when Ilosovic had introduced her to Maiya, she had been polite but a trifle angry. She had been about to accuse Ilosovic of infidelity when she stopped herself, knowing that he would die before he even thought about betraying Alannah.

In fact, Maiya thought with a grin, the only creature that seemed utterly unsurprised by her existence was the Cheshire Cat. He had merely grinned at her and drawled, "Pleasure to meet you." Maiya had been a bit nervous-after all, he did have such very sharp teeth and claws, but he was so nice that she couldn't help but scratch his ears. His fur was very soft.

"Maiya!" She jumped, brought back to the present at the sound of her brother's voice. She checked her reflection in the mirror once more, than went out into the living room of the Stayne cottage. Ilosovic smiled at her from the kitchen. "You look quite presentable, lass. Are you excited?"

Maiya nodded. Tonight was the Annual Youth Ball. Once a year, everyone in Marmoreal under the age of fifteen gathered in the Grand Ballroom for a night of fun and frivolity. It didn't matter if they were to the manor born or the child of peasants-for one night, all were equal. Maiya had heard whispers and rumors of it while living at Stayne Manor, but her parents had forbade her to attend. "Do you think I'll make friends?"

Ilosovic nodded, glancing somewhat sternly at her dress, which was a dark blue and bought out her color quite nicely. "You will, although I do wish Ari had made that dress a trifle less revealing."

Maiya giggled. "I've not got anything worth revealing, Ilosovic!"

"Not yet," he muttered darkly, and she laughed.

"Are you taking me to the palace?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "No lass. You're going by yourself." At her nervous gulp, he came over to her, kneeling so they were at eye level. "You'll be fine. The path is clearly marked, and once you arrive, you'll be shown where to go. Now, take a deep breath, and have fun." He gave her a kiss, and she ran out the door. After she left, he sighed and sat on the couch, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. He read the contents again, a dark frown on his face.

The letter had arrived that morning, and when he read it the only thing that had kept him from screaming in rage was the fact that Alannah was sound asleep. He had kept it from her all day, trying to figure out what his course of action should be, and now, as the day drew to a close, he knew he was getting precisely nowhere. He stretched out on the couch, arm across his face, his mind racing.

Alannah entered the cottage, tired after a long day. It was getting to be cold season once more, and she had been kept busy at her shop dispensing preventative potions and tonics. "Where's Maiya?"

Ilosovic lifted his arm and smiled. "The Youth Ball."

"Oh, right, I forgot that was tonight." She set her kit on the table and walked over to him. "May I join you?" He nodded, and she snuggled up to him, sighing as he stroked her spine. "Mmmm….that feels lovely. Now, what are you hiding?" She gave him a stern glare, and he plastered a supremely unconvincing look of innocence on his face.

"Me? Hiding something? Why my darling angel, whatever gave you that idea?" Alannah continued to glare, and he sighed. "Can't fool you, can I?" She shook her head, and he reached into his shirt pocket and handed her the letter. "I got it this morning, and I'm trying to figure out what to do."

She shook out the letter, reading it. As she read, her eyes flashed red.

'Ilosovic:

You may think you are clever, but you are not. I know that you are hiding darling Maiya, and I want to assure you that you will not be able to keep her away from us for much longer. After all, we are her loving and caring parents. We kept her fed and clothed all these years, and we love her quite a lot. True, we weren't able to give her every luxury you had, but we did our very best.

We will be coming to Marmoreal in one week to take her back home. I suggest you have her ready and do not attempt anything rash. Maiya is much better off where she is, and we have the Law on our side. She is a very frail and delicate child, who needs to be kept indoors as much as possible.

Sincerely,

Isobel Stayne.'

Alannah crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the fireplace. "Why that lying, conniving, evil…wretch!"

Ilosovic nodded. "I agree, but what can I do?"

Alannah gaped at him. "You can refuse to send her back to that hell! Ilosovic, you grew up there too! Your parents are not fit to take care of a pile of moss, let alone a child! She has all the marks of someone who has been abused and neglected for years. We cannot allow her to go back to that. Not after she's done so well here."

Ilosovic smiled at that last sentence. Maiya had done rather well at Marmoreal. She had color in her cheeks, and had put on some much needed weight, thanks to Alannah's delicious cooking and the daily tea parties with Tarrant. Her clothes no longer hung on her like a sack. Arianna had made her a fine wardrobe. And now…. "There is no way I'm letting my sister go back to that squalor. But what can I do?"

Alannah felt her heart twist at the helpless look in his eye. He had grown so close to his sister in such a short time. "We go to Mirana." He sighed, and then nodded his agreement before pulling her into the first of many passionate kisses.

Maiya gaped in wonder at the magnificent ballroom. She had never seen so many colors in her life! It looked as though a rainbow had broken over the room, and everywhere she looked was color, color, and more color. She had gravitated towards the tarts table, her eyes wide and mouth watering at the delicious pastries. She picked up one, biting into it with a sigh. Raspberry! She took another bite, letting her taste buds experience the tangy sweetness of the raspberries, and as a result didn't realize she wasn't alone until she heard the boy speak. "I made those."

She turned to thank him and blushed. Whoever this boy was, he was quite cute! He had dark brown hair and eyes, and he was nearly as tall as she was. She managed to find her voice. "Did you? They're very good."

He smiled, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. "You're new here, aren't you?" Maiya nodded, and he grinned. "What's your name?"

"Maiya Stayne."

The boy's grin grew wider. "Are you Uncle Ilosovic's sister?"

"Yes, I…Uncle Ilosovic? Are you related to him?"

The boy laughed. "I'm Adrian. Adrian Blanchard. I suppose I'd be your cousin or something. My mum is Alice's sister."

Maiya shook his hand, and Adrian smiled. "How old are you, Maiya?"

"I'm ten."

Adrian blinked in pretend surprise. "Really? You look at least twelve in that lovely dress. Would you care to dance?" Maiya blushed and nodded, and he led her onto the floor and smiled at her in reassurance. "You can trust me. Have you ever danced before?" She shook her head, and he gave her a soft smile. "Just follow my lead, and you'll do fine."

The song was a slow one, something Maiya was most thankful for. At first, she had been stiff, but under Adrian's gentle guidance she relaxed. "Adrian? Are the Hightopps and Staynes related?"

He nodded, turning her in time with the violins. "Yes. Arianna is married to Michael, and Victoria is married to Josiah. Why?"

Maiya sighed. "Because they all seemed so happy together. I never knew families could be happy." She brightened up. "But now I know they can, and I don't ever want to go back to my parents' manor."

Adrian gave her a friendly hug. "I'm sure your brother will think of something."

At that moment, Ilosovic and Alannah were in Mirana's Chambers, telling her everything. The Queen's face was impassive as she listened, but her eyes were bright with rage and her fingers dug into the arms of her chair. "Are you certain of this?"

Alannah nodded. "Yes, Mirana. I saw the sores, and Maiya was rake-thin when she came here. If we send her back to that house, she will end up dead in a month."

Ilosovic growled. "I just met her, and I'm not going to send her back to that hellhole. But what can I do? Mother and Father have the Parental Rights law on their side."

Mirana's frown grew deeper. "That is an old and antiquated law laid down by my parents. It did not take into account that there may be people like your mother and father who are completely incapable of raising a child. I have wanted to change it for quite a while now, and this is the perfect opportunity." She smiled at the incredulous looks on their faces. "I had planned on making the announcement tomorrow, but here are the basics. From now on, any child under the age of sixteen will be under the care and guardianship of the family member best suited to tend to that child's basic welfare, be they the parents, grandsires, aunts, uncles, or even brothers." She grinned at them. "This means that Ilosovic can declare himself Maiya's guardian."

Ilosovic sighed, running his hands through his hair in exasperation. "That's all well and good, but my parents may not want to give up their little slave. We may have a fight on our hands."

Alannah took his hands and stared into his eye. "Then we'll see this fight to the very finish."

He relaxed, giving her a soft kiss before facing Mirana. "Thank you, Majesty. Now, we need to be heading home. Maiya will no doubt be waiting for us, and eager to tell us about the fun she had."

Mirana smiled. "Of course. Goodnight to you both."

Alannah gave him a puzzled look as they exited the room. "Maiya's still at the ball."

He pulled her into his arms, whispering in her ear. "I know. She'll be gone for another three hours. More than enough time."

Alannah gasped as he kissed her jaw. "Uhhh….hadn't we better go to the cottage first?" The only answer she received was another slow kiss, this time on her throat, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. "Ilosovic…not here…"

"You're right." He grinned at her. "Think you can remember where our old chambers were?" She frowned in thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Excellent. Would the lady care to escort her lord to her chambers?"

"The lady would be delighted."