A/N I'm glad you all didn't think the last chapter was pointless. And thanks again for reviewing. I fell so special when I get all those reviews. Anyways, one with the story.
Chapter fourteen: Revelations
Novellee woke to the call of the servants. She sucked in a breath through her nose, smelt the oaks outside her window and smiled a true smile. She was home and she never wanted to leave.
Then reality set in and she knew it was time to get up. She had a lot to do before she was ready to leave. She mentally ticked off all the things on her to-so list. First was to convince Ellie's father that she would be perfectly safe at the city inn. Next, she had to get her papers in order, which she had neglected to do all week long. Not to mention she had to make sure that the regular cook and stable hand were notified that they were to return to work the next day, and make sure all the horses were tucked in tight and safe. And lastly she had to pack her bag.
It was going to be a long day.
First thing Novellee did was slink off to her bedroom to change into some comfortable clothes. She climbed in through her bedroom window on the second floor and sighed when she saw that her door was still firmly closed.
Walking to her dresser, she began to undo the laces on her dress. Good Gods how she hated dresses. They were terrible for climbing the walls in.
She pulled out a pair of leather breeches that were thoroughly worn and a big tunic. Slipping out of the dress, she dressed in the more preferable outfit, before climbing back out the window and onto the grounds.
Ellie's father was found in the gardens on the west side of the house. He was a cheery old man with a shock of white hair and glowing hazel eyes. His wife had passed away a few years ago and now Novellee was here to take away his daughter. It would pain her to see him suffer, but he would eventually understand that his daughter was happy with Bennie.
"Good morning Frankie," Novellee greeted as she hunkered down beside him and began to pull weeds.
"What is it you want, Novellee?" Frankie asked with a tired sigh. He was sad, sadder then he normally was. His little girl was getting married and he had no one left in the world.
"We're leaving today, back to the city. Ellie would like to come with us, and I would like her to come also. I need more serving girls that I can trust at the inn. And a married couple needs to be together."
She continued to pull weeds in silence, allowing for him to think it over. She knew it was breaking his heart to let Ellie go and she hated to be the one to ask. But it was her duty to be the one to ask because Ellie was in her service and she was responsible for her.
"You'll take care of her?" he asked after a long pause, his heartbreak evident in his voice. Novellee nodded silently, looking into his tired eyes. "And she can come and visit me whenever?" Again Novellee nodded. "Alright, she can go."
Novellee waited, knowing he had more to say. She was rewarded when he whispered, "She looks so much like her mother. It wasn't fair when I lost her. I don't want to lose Ellie too. You take care of her, Novellee. If I find that she's being mistreated in anyway, I'll hold you responsible."
Novellee agreed to the terms, shaking her hand on it. Before she left, she wrapped the old man in a hug. When he pulled away, his eyes were misty and he had to clear his throat from the emotion that clung there.
Leaving him to his flowers, she headed over to the stables. She wanted to check on the horses before she locked herself away in her private study to do the paperwork. And she wanted to be the one that gave Bennie good news.
Daine was the first to greet her as she entered the stables. Novellee was a little taken aback to find this stranger in her personal domain.
Sure, she owned the house and slept there, ate there, did almost everything there, but the stables were her domain. The stables and the horses that it housed were the sole reason that she came up here.
"Good morning," she said gruffly, before walking away. She didn't like her in her space, not one bit. "Bennie!" she called, heading straight for Ginger's stall. She knew he would be there. Ginger was his pet, his baby. As soon as she was able, Novellee had plans to move her to the city where Bennie could be around her all the time.
"Good morning Lee," he greeted as he left Ginger's stall. "Help me with the grooming?" he asked. She sighed, knowing she should refuse, give him the news and his orders, then leave. But she wouldn't be denied.
"Of course," she smiled, grabbing a brush. They went to Mishka's stall first. She was the other mare heavy with a foal. The each took a side and began brushing her out. Novellee noted that Daine was also brushing out horses. She was in Rocket's stall (A/N I know, they didn't have rocket's back then, but I like the name.). He was a retired warhorse that had been lamed in a battle.
"We're leaving today," she companionably offered as conversation. She saw his look of sadness. He didn't know that she was allowing Ellie to come back with them.
"You'll be riding Sky?" he asked with an eyebrow quirk. Sky was Novellee's baby. She had taken him to the estate to have him as a stud. But the breeding season was over and she wanted her horse back under her watch. It took all of Bennie's self control not to groan.
Novellee saw his look and kicked him under the horse. "He's not that bad. And I won't have you insulting him. But if you insist, I'll saddle him."
Bennie scoffed. "Not that bad? He's a demon. It took nine men to hold him back when he mounted Ginger. Not to mention the fact that when you first got him he sent three stable hands through the wall. And don't give me any crap about him being temperamental. He's mean, plain and simple."
Novellee sniffed. "You don't have to be so rude to him. All he needs is someone who can match him. That's all."
In silence, they left Mishka's stall and went to the next one. Baby. Novellee crooned to her. She was a doll and a sweet heart. Novellee had fallen in love with her at first sight. She had been on a market line to Scanra. They were horrible to their horses, and Novellee had had no choice but to rescue the whole train of the poor beasts. She had sold most of them to good homes, but had kept Baby for herself.
"I was thinking we'd put you on Stardancer, Polly on Stallion, and Ellie can ride Baby," she gave a nonchalant shrug and continued to brush out Baby's coat.
"You mean it? Ellie can come back with us?" Bennie chirped. He looked so eager, so excited to have Ellie along that she laughed.
"Yes, Bennie, Ellie can come," her voice was still full of laughter. "Just have the horses saddled by three. We're leaving then. We'll probably spend the night at Gigue's Inn the first night. But after that, Ellie will just have to live with sleeping on the ground. I'm hoping it won't take more then three or four day's to get to Corus."
She gave Baby one last pat, before leaving the stall. She had to get to the paper work or she'd never finish in time.
"Novellee!" Bennie called when she got to the stable door. She turned to give him an inquiring look. "You forget to mention which horse Cameron will be riding."
Novellee's smile turned into a fierce frown. "He's not coming with us. And when he decides to leave, he can ride his own horse. He had to get here somehow," she left, letting the door slam behind her on the sound of Bennie's laughter.
Novellee entered the house through the back, wanting to grab an apple before she got started on the paper work. The delicious looking red apple was within her grasp when Polly entered the room, Alanna and Burdock close on her heels
"Well, if it isn't Miss Snippety come to steal food from my kitchen," Polly said in her best I'm-hurt-and-it's-all-because-of-you voice. Novellee hated that voice.
"Yes, so if you'll excuse me, there is much to do before we have to leave," she grabbed the apple only to have it slapped away by Polly. She placed her fisted hands on her hips and glared at Novellee.
"What makes you think I'm going with you to Corus? After how you treated me yesterday I have half a mind to quit right now," Polly huffed, crossing her arms over her ample bosom and turning her face away from Novellee.
"Well, we're going to miss you then. Bennie is quite fond of your meat pies," Novellee shook her head and again reached for the apple that was becoming more appealing by the second.
Alanna and Burdock stood to the side, watching the two women as they had their conversation and thoroughly enjoying Novellee's predicament.
Polly continued as if she hadn't heard a word Novellee had said. "And the things you said to Cameron were shameful. Why, he's a sweet boy and he liked you. It's hard to find a sweet boy and one that likes you. Lord knows the scoundrels that you hang out with aren't marriage material."
Novellee's anger had steadily gotten worse as Polly continued. Her jaw tightened and her fists were clenched so tight her knuckles were white and they were shaking. Her shoulders were squared and her back was so straight Alanna was afraid it would snap under the pressure. But Polly ignored the signs and barged ahead.
"It took a lot of work to have him devoted to you. Do you know how many hours I spent whispering encouragement in his ear? And let me tell you, he needed a lot, what with you shutting him down at every turn. And not to mention I had to make it look like it was his idea, what with him having one of the biggest male egos in all of Tortall.
"I hope you're happy, because this'll take the whole trip home to repair. I spent four hours last night trying to make him feel better, and even then he still went to bed discouraged. Why do you think he hasn't spoken to you all day?"
"He's not coming with us." Novellee's anger was so huge, she didn't dare allow herself to loose it in Polly's presence for fear of physically hurting her. Instead, she snatched the apple out from under Polly's nose, gave her a dangerous glare, said, "He's not coming with us," again to make her point clear and stalked from the room.
Alanna and Burdock looked at each other and silently agreed that Burdock would handle Novellee's anger. Burdock followed after her. He didn't really know her that well and wasn't sure what to say to make her calm down. But he would give it his best shot.
Who did she think she was? Novellee demanded as she took a vicious bite out of her apple. How could she have done this to her? She had suffered years of Cameron's unwanted advances and know she was to find that Polly was behind them.
Anger raged through her followed closely by hurt as she slammed into her study. She spun her chair around to stare out the window as she ate her coveted apple. How would she manage to take the knife out of her back this time?
A knock sounded on the door and she grunted to allow entrance. Burdock slipped into the room. "Want to talk about it?"
"No," she said forcefully as she stared out the window. She polished off her apple, spun the chair around so she faced Burdock. "Why are you still here?" she demanded, throwing the apple core into the trash bucket next to the door.
"Well, you seemed angry and since you didn't yell at Polly, who seemed to by the reason for your anger, I thought to offer myself as an outlet," he explained with a nonchalant shrug.
"You followed me here just to offer me the chance to pound on you to let out my anger?" she inquired with a puzzled frown crossing her face and a quirked brow.
Burdock grimaced. That hadn't been his intentions, but he thought he might survive the beating, if she was merciful. "I was thinking more along the lines of talking, but if you use your fists, please be as gentle as possible."
She gave him a very curious look. "I guess we could talk it out," she said hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure if she was willing to share with him. She wasn't really open, even with people that she trusted. But she found words pouring out of her mouth as she got up to pace in front of the window.
"I trusted her," her voice had taken on the deadly calm that he had witnessed the night before. "I thought she knew how much I hated Cameron. Yet I find that she was behind making him so in love with me. How could she do that to me? How could she?" She demanded, whirling to face him.
Burdock didn't say anything, simply waited for her to continue. "I thought of her as a mother, or the closest I could get to thinking of her as one. I never had a mother, you know. She died in child birth."
She looked at him, and because his face was so smooth, so emotionless, she couldn't stop herself from talking.
"I was never really close to anyone after I came to Tortall when I was nine. But, Polly found me and I wasn't completely alone. But I never really confided in her. Then I found Jaymie and I had someone I could really trust, trust like a brother, or a father. And when I found Bennie on the streets, well, then I had a best friend. I guess I was kind of close with everyone I knew, but with Bennie, I really clicked. I told him everything, even about some of my past. I guess I'm just glad that I didn't confide in Polly. She would have told Cameron everything. I don't know what I'm going to do with her now. You're a really good listener, you know?"
"Yeah, I guess I am," he smiled when she laughed. She hadn't really told him much, but what she said had given him a lot of insight to what made her who she was. "You were only nine when you came to Tortall? And you were all alone?"
"My family had just been maimed before my eyes. I had no one left," she whispered before she could stop herself. "I was left for dead, but healed myself and came here."
She looked to him, expecting to see shock. The only other person she had shared this with was Bennie and he had been shocked beyond words and a little frightened of her. He wasn't accustomed to such strength in a woman.
But all she saw in Burdock's face was a calm admiration. "That was very brave of you, Novellee, to come all the way here, by yourself. I can see why Bennie and Jaymie speak so highly of you. And why Cameron is so gone over you." He said it to make her laugh, and he was rewarded when her girly laughter bubbled into the room.
"Thank you, Burdock, for offering to talk, and for listening. But now I have to do my paperwork before we have to leave," she gave him a reluctant smile and he left with a fond farewell. But it was still sometime before she could harness her thoughts and get to work.
A/N So, that was the chapter. Review and tell me what you thought. And I'd like to give you all a head's up so that you know what to expect. The next chapter will help explain some of what's been going on and why everyone was so trusting and able to accept Novellee so fast. K?
Nubia
