Chapter 14

Hawke Family Home, Lothering

Leandra

Dear Mother,

I have settled well in the Circle of Magi. I share a room with our cousin Ariana Amell. She heads through her Harrowing last week and she comes through just fine. She is now a Senior Mage and she has a room in the Senior Quarters. Anders - my best friend - managed to convince First Enchanter Irving that it would be better if I shared a room with Ariana.

It is terrible sleeping in the Apprentice Dorms. There is too much activity at night and I am not getting enough sleep. My exams have gone well thus far, but I still have a lot to learn.

We are having a dance coming up. Ariana convinced the First Enchanter that it would be good for all of us to mingle because all we do is study... There is a definite excitement in the air and I will be going to the dance with Anders. He is teaching me how to dance.

I wish you could meet Anders. He has such a good heart and he is so good to me. He really looks after me and I...I am in love with him. I have been since I first arrived here. He is always there for me and he gives me a gold locket the other day as a promise to me...Make of it what you will, but I am not going to let him go. We are very close and we spend most of our time together that is when we are not studying.

Mother, I have something to tell you, but I don't want Father to know just yet - Anders and I, we have been intimate for quite some time and don't worry, I have been careful.

Now that I have that off my chest - how are Bethany and Carver? I miss them so much. I hope Father is having no trouble with Bethany. I would not want her to come here. It is no life for a child. I have spent some time with the children and they are sad and unhappy. They cry a lot. Some of them are as young as six years old, but the older Mages try their best to make them as comfortable as they can.

Well, I best be off. I have an exam in a few days and I need to study.

Send my love to Father and the twins.

Love

Marian

"What do I do about this, Malcolm?" I ask him as he gives me a mug of tea. It is late evening and the twins are fast asleep. We are spending some quality time together and by the look he gives to me, I am in for something else, but I laugh him away.

"What do you do about what?" he asks.

"This, Malcolm," I reply as I wave the letter in front of him and he smiles at me.

"She wrote? Let me see," he says as he tries to snatch the letter away from him, but I shake my head.

"There is something she wrote that you are not going to approve of and she asks me not to say anything to you," I explain.

He frowns at me and I give the letter to him. "Let me guess - she and Anders are more than just friends?" he asks as he perused the letter. I braced myself for his reaction, but it is not forthcoming. "Leandra, from the first day I met him, when he takes her by the hand, I knew something more would develop, but I didn't realise it was this serious and so quickly. She has only been there for three months," he explains.

"It is so risky. What if she conceives?" I ask as I stand holding tightly to my cup.

"She says she is being careful, love. She is no fool, Leandra. I am quite sure she is aware of the risks and I think we should trust her. She is not a child, Leandra. She proved that to us long ago despite her disregard for the arcane arts."

"I know that, but there is no telling what will happen if the First Enchanter gets wind of their...relationship," I say as I turn around to look at him.

He is smiling about something. "Trust me, they are aware of it and Leandra, stop frowning. Anders is good lad. I like him and he is good for our daughter," he says softly.

"But what happens when she comes home? You read the letter. She is in love with him," I explain.

He stands and he takes my mug from me. "Listen to me, Leandra - we will have to support her when she does come home. If she is really in love with him, maker, it is going to be difficult for her. We will have to be there for her, love," he says quietly as he slips his arms around my waist.

"How can you just accept it?"

"Because I know how it feels to be in the Circle. I know the frustrations and l know the loneliness of it all. It is very difficult for teenagers. You know how it is," he replies as he pulls me closer.

"But Malcolm, I have a right to be concerned," I murmur.

"Love, I know that but we have to trust her and by her letter, she seems to be very happy. And if it really concerns you, then tell her. I am sure she will understand, but don't tell her to break it off because she won't," he advises.

I gaze at him and I frown. "Fine, I will tell her then, but that doesn't mean I am happy about it."

"And I don't expect you to be happy about it, but let her be," he says softly as he gives me a kiss on my cheek, but he allows it to linger. "Love?" he asks me as he lightly kisses me and I slip my arms around him. "That is better," he whispers as he rubbed my back.

"I can't believe is, Malcolm. She is no longer my little girl," I say sadly and he laughs.

"Mmm...She will always be your little girl, Leandra. That won't change," he teases. "Now why don't we go to bed? I have to be up early with Bethany. She is still rebelling and I don't quite know to do about it," he informs me.

"She is only nine. How can she be rebelling?" I ask incredulously.

"She watched her sister for too long...You know, I honestly wish Marian is here to help her. She may be a rebel, but she remained sensible even with all her showing off. She never harmed anyone or herself. Well except for that time she burnt herself," he reminds me and l laughs.

"And you never let her forget it, Malcolm," I point out.

"It is her fault. She has to learn a lesson and she did because she never did that again. Well except for showing off in front of the villagers," he commented.

"And frightening them. That is unacceptable. I am glad you took her to the Circle. If anything, she will learn to value her gift and if Anders is going to help her along the way, then I suppose I will have to accept it," I murmur.

"Leandra," he murmurs as he gently cups my face. "She will be fine and please, I would like some time with you before our children wake up. You know they never sleep through the night. Maker knows why it is like that."

"They miss her. She always told them wonderful stories." I murmur.

"Mmm...Let us go to bed," he murmurs as he gives me a gentle kiss and I start laughing.

"Remember when we first met at the ball my parents takes me to while we still lived in Kirkwall?" I ask and he smiles warmly at me.

"I have never forgotten. There you were standing next to your brother feeling out of place and I simply had to introduce myself to you. I remember," he replies.

"And my brother was furious because I asked him to cover for me while I sneaked out with you onto the balcony overlooking Hightown. Yes, Gamlen - he always resented me because my Father favoured me. I was the scholar and he felt he was nothing in comparison and I fear that Carver is going to be the same. You should spend more time with him Malcolm otherwise we are going to have a problem," I inform him.

"I can't split myself. Bethany needs to learn and I cannot spend too much time with Carver, but what I can do is include him and see what he says about it. If he does not like it, then we know, but you are right - I do need to spend more time with him. And now I insist, we are going to bed and we are going to spend some time together," he says softly as he gently takes hold of my hands and he drags me into our bedroom.