And another one is up!
Thank you for your great reviews. I'm so happy that you are still with me, Sonea, Akkarin and Leara – we all appreciate it very much :])
-s.
Sonea woke up to see Takan standing nearby and touching her arm softly.
"I beg your forgiveness, my Lady, but Lord Neesan appeared a few minutes ago. He says he came for the master's lesson."
Sonea moved to the sitting position, still covered only with the sheets. She blushed slightly and Takan politely turned his head to the side. Damn Akkarin and his night whims, Sonea thought with feigned anger. Good that she was properly covered before she was woken up.
Then she realised what exactly Takan came into the room for and shot Akkarin evaluating look. He was still fast asleep and breathing in and out heavily. His face was also still too pale for her liking. Sonea reached to his body and lifted his shirt up gently to see that the bruises were also present like the day before.
"He shouldn't be up yet," Sonea murmured quietly to herself. Then she focused on Takan again. "I'll take care of it. Tell Neesan to wait for me in the library."
Takan bowed and left the room. Only then Sonea sighed and yawned. It was still so early. Since her pregnancy she has resigned from waking up this early. And to think that it used to be me who sneaked out before the dawn and left Akkarin sleeping. It took her a couple of minutes to dress up and walk downstairs to meet Neesan.
It was rather unfortunate to have the young man in the residence at that moment. Sonea wasn't sure how to explain Akkarin's absence and the presence of her aunt without telling the truth.
Neesan wasn't stupid, he knew that she and Akkarin were up to something and so far he has been discreet about this. Could they believe in Neesan's cooperation in the future as well? It wasn't just going to the Slums this time. Akkarin was unable to fulfil his obligations because of their secret occupations. She could always make up some story about Akkarin being at the Palace but sooner or later the news would spread and the lie would be revealed. The same goes to any other place that Akkarin could visit, Sonea thought. She also had to occupy Neesan's morning in some way – letting him go would most probably turn the attention of the Higher Magicians to the reason of cancelling the lesson.
Sonea entered the library. Neesan was standing by the window, looking at something outside. Sonea joined him and glanced over his arm. To her surprise, she noticed Leara wandering around the gardens with another novice The boy was talking about something with passion while Leara listened.
"It's good that she has actually found some companion," Sonea noticed with a smile. Neesan jumped surprised.
"Black Magician Sonea," Neesan called and bowed politely. "I didn't see you, forgive me."
Sonea only smiled and gestured for Neesan to sit down in one of the armchairs. She on the other hand turned and approached one of the tables standing in the corner. She used a bit of magic and slowly transported the piece of furniture to the middle of the room. Neesan observed her but otherwise said nothing. He only looked around and in the direction of the entry as if considering something.
"Takan told me that you had an arrangement with Akkarin?" she asked.
"Yes, that's true."
"Unfortunately, we had to reschedule. You don't mind the change of plans, do you?"
Neesan shook his head.
"Has something happened?" he asked, glancing again in the direction of the door.
"Oh, no. High Lord is simply occupied at the moment."
"I can come at more convenient time."
Sonea frowned. She couldn't let Neesan go.
"Can you draw, Neesan?"
The young man frowned surprised at the unusual question and answered hesitantly:
"I can, my Lady."
Sonea sat in her chair and began sorting out the sheets of paper on the table that she had moved from the side few minutes earlier. Neesan sat beside her and watched her work with interest.
"I work on this little project, to improve the work of my hospice," Sonea spoke with a smile.
Neesan raised his eyebrows. Sonea gestured for him to sit next to her and explained further:
"Many dwellers come to see healers because of some really minor ailments. It's often something that doesn't require any magic or complicated medications. Unfortunately I've noticed how time-absorbing taking care of them is. So I tried to solve the problem somehow and I've come up with an idea of creating some sort of medical book for dwellers where I could collect means of dealing with most of such small illnesses or injuries. What do you think?"
"I see how it can be helpful," Neesan replied. "But creating a book for illiterate people of the slums isn't the first solution that comes to my mind."
"And this is where I'm in desperate need of your drawing skills, Neesan," Sonea chuckled. "Apart from written instructions I plan to include detailed steps in forms of pictures. Where it's is possible of course. Here, look," Sonea passed one of the drafts to her companion, "it's a minera flower, slightly poisonous – it causes minor stomach problems, which can be easily dealt with by means of boiled water and easily available herbs. But, its look is also extremely characteristic, so it's easy to present it in a drawing."
Sonea proceeded to describe her idea to Neesan further. With every word, she noticed how engrossed the young man became. She sighed with relief, not only did she solve the problem of Akkarin missing but also found help with her small project.
Designing the book has been one of her priorities for some time now but only now she could really put her mind into it. Neesan turned out to be a lot better artist than I had suspected, Sonea mused looking at Neesan's detailed and clear drawings.
They have been working over two hours on the book, when Sonea noticed Takan who entered the library. Neesan also raised his head from over the piece of paper but when the servant approached Sonea and leaned in to pass her a message, he turned his head politely.
Takan bowed and in a low voice he said:
"Master has just woken up. What should I tell him?"
Sonea stood and put her hand on Neesan's arm. She excused herself and when the man nodded with a smile, she left the library.
"Akkarin?" she called when she entered their bedroom. Her husband was sitting on the edge of their bed, he looked up when he heard the door enter. "How are you feeling?"
"Good," he answered and stood up. Ignoring his words, Sonea came closer and lifted the hem of the clothing higher to check on the injury once more. It looked better than in the morning so Akkarin must've healed himself during the sleep. "Honestly, Sonea, you make me feel like a child with this constant care. Besides if you wanted to see me without my shirt you could've just said something and..."
The girl chuckled and shook her head, blushing slightly.
"Fine, I'll stop. I'm just worried about you. It's a wife's role to take care of her husband's well-being, isn't it?"
"Yes, but you also have our son to take care of. I..."
"You have your apprentice to teach black magic, High Lord. Who, as a matter of fact, is waiting for you downstairs," Sonea answered teasingly.
Akkarin's eye's grew wider. He was about to move but the girl put her hand on his arm.
"It's fine. Neesan is helping me with my medical book. He seems fine, but I think it's about time we filled him in our plans. If this situation repeats in the future, I wouldn't want to lie to him. Neesan has been loyal and subtle. Today also."
Akkarin lifted her hands and planted a soft kiss at them.
"I'll think about it, love. But not today. I'm starving."
Sonea laughed softly and shoot her head. What was it about men and food?
"I'll have Takan prepare a dinner. Until then, rest."
"How are you doing, Neesan?" Sonea asked entering the library once again. And stopped suddenly at the unfortunate sight. Jonna was sitting by the table and talked about something with Neesan.
She paled. She was sure Jonna was still asleep and wouldn't wake up before the young magician is gone. She was obviously wrong.
Sonea opened her mouth to say something when Jonna spoke:
"Sonea?"
Neesan stood up when he noticed Sonea standing in the threshold with a nervous expression on her face.
"I thought I'd heard your voice earlier," her aunt smiled but the smile faltered when she noticed Sonea's face. "Oh."
Jonna threw her an apologetic look and Sonea smiled reassuringly.
"Neesan, as you probably discovered, this is my aunt, Jonna. Jonna, meet Neesan, Akkarin's student," Sonea uttered the phrase with a fake smile. Now it was all up to Neesan whether the Guild knows about their additional occupation in the city. Akkarin won't be happy about it.
"I'd better go," Jonna said after Neesan said something apologetically. "I didn't mean to disturb." And she was off.
The silence which fell in the room after that was simply overbearing.
"I apologise, Neesan," Sonea murmured finally.
The young black magician looked at her genuinely surprised.
"For what?"
"For Akkarin's absence, for the inconvenience with working on the book and for asking you to lie to the Higher Magicians about today's morning, which I'm going to do right now."
Before Neesan could say something, Sonea continued:
"I wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary."
"I understand, my Lady," Neesan reassured her. "I'm not a fool. I've noticed that something is up and I understand that I'm in no position to interfere or demand information about it. I believe, whatever you do in the city, you mean good, so I keep my mouth shut when they ask."
"We appreciate that," a new voice joined.
Sonea drew her breath and turned around to see Akkarin. This much about resting.
"High Lord."
"Neesan."
The awkward silence was interrupted by Takan who announced that dinner was ready.
"Will you join us, Neesan?" Sonea asked with a smile. Akkarin nodded his head barely noticeably.
"I still want to talk to you about this situation," Akkarin added.
Neesan nodded shortly.
The weather in Imardin was still pretty good but the cold wind of the approaching winter was blowing more and more in the last few days, Leara thought as she shivered slightly. She missed Sachaka's warm climate.
The girl entered the Sachakan Ambassador's House in Imardin. She was asked to come to see some documents and propositions concerning the alliance and to discuss her father's further plans concerning the cooperation of the two nations.
Although at the beginning she thought it was the most boring part of her work in Kyralia, eventually she grew to like these sporadic meetings. Her ideas turned out to be very helpful and she grew confident that the position was created for her. With the insight into Kyralian social life through conversations with Triesa and Natan and also overwhelming wave of gossips, Leara was able to draw quick conclusions and predict most of the reaction of the Houses to the ideas they considered worth proposing. But there was also another perk of visiting the Sachakan House: she could rest from the strict rules of the Guild and bask in the little luxury of being treated with all due honours as she was used to.
Leara was greeted politely by Ashaki and his assistant. They were sitting in the office with a stack of papers in front of them.
"How can I help you, my lords?" Leara asked with a gracious smile.
"If you could look at these paragraphs at the Guild, Your Highness, and consider them with His Majesty. We still believe that there are some points which can be added or cut off from the list of necessary economic conditions."
Leara took the documents and threw a quick look at them. She could discuss them with Milan in the evening.
"Certainly. Is there something else?"
"That would be all, Your Highness. Thank you."
Leara looked around the office. It was kept simple but elegant. It was situated on the second floor so the windows gave a wonderful sight over almost the entire city. She always liked to gaze outside and admire the view.
"I've heard that the city has a market," Leara spoke, glancing back at the Ambassador and his assistant. "I've heard that it has a considerable choice of species and handwork art. Is it true?"
The young Kyralian hurried to answer:
"Indeed, Your Highness, you've heard right. But the market place is situated outside the Inner Circle. I would discourage you from coming there by yourself. You can of course send a servant to pick all the things you want."
Leara frowned. That wouldn't do. She wanted to explore the place on her own. But she smiled and nodded her head.
"Thank you, Assistant, I will do as you say."
After she left the place, Leara looked around. She needed to go back to the Guild and prepare for her healing lessons. The more she thought about her last conversation with Milan, the more worried she became about her father's health. And taking care of her immediate classes was the first step to curing him.
She only hoped it wasn't too late yet.