Sabé had not been back long when Saché came dragging in the front door of
the Uzza home, Raisa and Hasin right behind her.
"Now, my dear, we're going to make a proper lady of you yet," Raisa said toward Saché's back. Sabé looked up from her seat on the couch just in time to see Saché roll her eyes in exasperation. When the handmaiden caught sight of Sabé, she mouthed the words "help me" at her, but Sabé merely grinned in return, nodding her head towards her parents.
Max and Mana came racing through the house, and Sabé scooped up the smaller female tuft-cat. "Here," she said, offering wriggling blue-gray furball to Saché. "They say petting one can relieve the nerves." Saché took Mana and began stroking her. The little cat struggled at first to get free, but when Sabé gave her a couple of quick strokes on the top of her head, she decided she liked the attention, and settled down to purr in Saché's arms.
Raisa set down her bag, and gave Sabé a kiss on the cheek, as she apologized. "Dear, I'm sorry, but the meeting with that horrible woman didn't give me much to go on. She was very mysterious-enjoyed toying with me too, I can tell. At least your father got your friend home in one piece."
"Thanks, Father, " said Sabé, walking over to Hasin and rewarding him with a hug.
"How are you doing?" Hasin whispered in Sabé's ear. "You seem calmer than when we left."
"I am. I'll tell you about it later," Sabé replied.
"Where's my grandbaby?" Raisa asked. "After a meeting like that, I need to see her!"
"She's at daycare, Mother. We needed a break from each other. I can go get her now, if you'd like," Sabé said.
"Let me help you," Saché blurted, putting Mana on the couch.
Raisa gave Saché a stern glare. "The first thing you ought to do is report to the Queen, the sooner the better. There's no use putting it off."
"She can go part of the way with me, Mother. The center is near the palace."
"I promise I'll go the the palace straight away, Lady Uzza," Saché said, almost pleading.
"Very well. I'll be checking on you, don't forget that. And we'll be doing regular lessons with that nice Eirtaé, so be prepared," Raisa called out as the two young women made for the door.
When they were well away, Saché spoke in a voice that was heavy with gloom. "Your mother told me she's going to take on the role of mother for me now. I'm so obviously in need of one."
"I'm sorry," Sabé said seriously. "Things really didn't go well, then? That's a pity."
"Sabé, I know you do your homework, no matter what's going on. Even if this family was off planet at the time you made your arrangements, you had to realize how dangerous they were. Why did you risk assuming their name? You must have insurance of some kind that would stop all this. I wish you would use it!"
"I had reason to believe that even if they were to return, they would have disowned Baris long ago and want nothing at all to do with him. I didn't know they would pin their hopes on a child they could believe was his."
"What kind of hopes, Sabé? Do they want an heir? One that Baris couldn't...or wouldn't...give them?"
"Something like that, yes." Tight lines formed around Sabé's mouth, then she relaxed and they faded.
"Wait a minute...one of the things Verbon said to your mother...she didn't peg you as Baris's type. Does that mean what I think it does?" Saché stopped when she saw the concern in Sabé's eyes.
"Oh don't be silly," Sabé scoffed. "What, I'm supposed to be irresistable? Any man would want to run off with me? Really, Saché!"
Saché's eyes showed her suspicion. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
Sabé kept silent and looked straight ahead as they walked.
"I'll find him," Saché said in a low voice.
"Who?" Sabé turned her face toward Saché again.
"The one you're passing the money to...he wants to help you, Sabé. Let him!"
Stopping in her tracks, Sabé sagged. "Saché, I love you like a sister. Please believe that! But it's time to stop trying to save me. I don't need it!" She gestured toward the palace. "Now, go to the Queen. I'll see you later."
Before Saché turned to go, Sabé glimpsed the mix of hurt and determination in her friend's eyes. She thought of calling her back to hug and make up, but the time was growing short and she had to pick up Meira. Resolving that she would patch things up when they met again, Sabé glanced over her shoulder one last time at Saché before she had to go on her way.
"Now, my dear, we're going to make a proper lady of you yet," Raisa said toward Saché's back. Sabé looked up from her seat on the couch just in time to see Saché roll her eyes in exasperation. When the handmaiden caught sight of Sabé, she mouthed the words "help me" at her, but Sabé merely grinned in return, nodding her head towards her parents.
Max and Mana came racing through the house, and Sabé scooped up the smaller female tuft-cat. "Here," she said, offering wriggling blue-gray furball to Saché. "They say petting one can relieve the nerves." Saché took Mana and began stroking her. The little cat struggled at first to get free, but when Sabé gave her a couple of quick strokes on the top of her head, she decided she liked the attention, and settled down to purr in Saché's arms.
Raisa set down her bag, and gave Sabé a kiss on the cheek, as she apologized. "Dear, I'm sorry, but the meeting with that horrible woman didn't give me much to go on. She was very mysterious-enjoyed toying with me too, I can tell. At least your father got your friend home in one piece."
"Thanks, Father, " said Sabé, walking over to Hasin and rewarding him with a hug.
"How are you doing?" Hasin whispered in Sabé's ear. "You seem calmer than when we left."
"I am. I'll tell you about it later," Sabé replied.
"Where's my grandbaby?" Raisa asked. "After a meeting like that, I need to see her!"
"She's at daycare, Mother. We needed a break from each other. I can go get her now, if you'd like," Sabé said.
"Let me help you," Saché blurted, putting Mana on the couch.
Raisa gave Saché a stern glare. "The first thing you ought to do is report to the Queen, the sooner the better. There's no use putting it off."
"She can go part of the way with me, Mother. The center is near the palace."
"I promise I'll go the the palace straight away, Lady Uzza," Saché said, almost pleading.
"Very well. I'll be checking on you, don't forget that. And we'll be doing regular lessons with that nice Eirtaé, so be prepared," Raisa called out as the two young women made for the door.
When they were well away, Saché spoke in a voice that was heavy with gloom. "Your mother told me she's going to take on the role of mother for me now. I'm so obviously in need of one."
"I'm sorry," Sabé said seriously. "Things really didn't go well, then? That's a pity."
"Sabé, I know you do your homework, no matter what's going on. Even if this family was off planet at the time you made your arrangements, you had to realize how dangerous they were. Why did you risk assuming their name? You must have insurance of some kind that would stop all this. I wish you would use it!"
"I had reason to believe that even if they were to return, they would have disowned Baris long ago and want nothing at all to do with him. I didn't know they would pin their hopes on a child they could believe was his."
"What kind of hopes, Sabé? Do they want an heir? One that Baris couldn't...or wouldn't...give them?"
"Something like that, yes." Tight lines formed around Sabé's mouth, then she relaxed and they faded.
"Wait a minute...one of the things Verbon said to your mother...she didn't peg you as Baris's type. Does that mean what I think it does?" Saché stopped when she saw the concern in Sabé's eyes.
"Oh don't be silly," Sabé scoffed. "What, I'm supposed to be irresistable? Any man would want to run off with me? Really, Saché!"
Saché's eyes showed her suspicion. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
Sabé kept silent and looked straight ahead as they walked.
"I'll find him," Saché said in a low voice.
"Who?" Sabé turned her face toward Saché again.
"The one you're passing the money to...he wants to help you, Sabé. Let him!"
Stopping in her tracks, Sabé sagged. "Saché, I love you like a sister. Please believe that! But it's time to stop trying to save me. I don't need it!" She gestured toward the palace. "Now, go to the Queen. I'll see you later."
Before Saché turned to go, Sabé glimpsed the mix of hurt and determination in her friend's eyes. She thought of calling her back to hug and make up, but the time was growing short and she had to pick up Meira. Resolving that she would patch things up when they met again, Sabé glanced over her shoulder one last time at Saché before she had to go on her way.