Summary: Even in domestic bliss, there remain battles to fight. Phaedra/Fenris family fluff, post-Kirkwall.
Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do any of the recognizably canon characters or places belong to Yours Truly.
Queen's Quornor: Okay, so from Rai'eena to Leda. I think I might try to keep a pattern going with the children, switching back and forth between them in this order. Not sure. Anyway, Rai'eena had her little hissy fit in the last chapter, and now I think it's time to take a look at her older twin at that age. Since she was chosen by Talian, I think it's time Leda begins to plan her future.
A Hands Off Policy
Song filled the air, sweet and pure, a carefree expression of the happiness coloring the perceptions of a certain white-haired maiden on this misty morning. Leda bound the stems of several fragrant flowers together with twine, hanging them on a nail upside down to dry. At her feet a white fox sat patiently, its red eyes watching the young woman as she worked. Its fuzzy ears perked as she sang, and its pink nose twitched at the sweet smell of the blossoms.
Phaedra leaned against the door to the herb room, watching her eldest daughter as she mulled over the latest news concerning Leda and Talian. According to Malcolm, the pair had come home uncharacteristically late last night. The Dalish had, of course, departed for his clan's camp shortly after leaving his intended at her door, but the youngest Hawke child had reported that their good-night kiss was much longer than usual, and even more passionate than that of the night he had chosen Leda over her twin.
Uncharacteristic behavior indeed, as Leda was by far the more reserved of the twins. The girl usually exuded serenity.
Phaedra had been lucky. Fenris had already departed on his hunt for the day, and thus had not heard this report when their son had come downstairs for breakfast. The mage had a suspicion she knew the reason for Leda's joy, and knew that if her husband were to arrive at the same conclusion, their eldest child would be forced to don some sort of contraption to prevent intimate physical exploration. Fenris had fostered a friendship with the ironwood shaper of Talian's clan, and could likely convince him to craft such a device on his behalf, custom-fitted for Leda. But as it was, he had no idea.
It would be much better for everyone involved if his unawareness continued for the foreseeable future.
But first, she had to discern whether she had cause for worry.
"Good morning, Leda," she greeted.
"Hello, Mother!" came the joyous reply. Leda twirled to face the elder mage, a smile spreading her pink lips wide. "It is a glorious morning, is it not? I can't remember the last time I saw one this beautiful!"
The fox trotted over to Phaedra and leaned against her leg, staring at her with imploring eyes. The mage smiled and scratched it behind its ears, resulting in a happy yip from the albino canine. "It is a lovely morning. All that rain before sunrise turned out to be a good thing, although I certainly do not envy your father. He had to go out while it was pouring."
"It was still drizzling when I went out to pick feverfew. I didn't get too wet, as you can see." She spun again, letting her skirt flare out and wrap around her legs with a little laugh. "Although, I don't think I would have minded getting wet. It seems like a good day to dance in the rain, should the opportunity arise."
"I suppose." Phaedra went to the table and took some of the flowers from her daughter's basket, beginning to tie them in bunches. "You certainly seem happy this morning."
"You would be too, if you had such a wonderful night as I!" Leda reached back and pulled her snowy tresses into a high ponytail, securing it with a length of green ribbon. "Talian proposed!"
The feverfew fell from her mother's hands, and a number of the blossoms tumbled off the table onto the floor. The fox sniffed at them inquisitively, then sneezed and retreated to his place by Leda's bare feet. Phaedra stared at her eldest child, absolutely speechless.
"Mother? I said he proposed." The young woman came around the table and took her mother's hands in her own, her joy swiftly replaced by concern. "Are you all right?"
Phaedra's mouth worked, but no sound emerged. She forced herself to swallow before she attempted speech again. "He asked you to marry him?"
"Yes, he did!" Leda pulled the neckline of her dress down, revealing an ornate beaded necklace. Long beads of polished bone were interspersed by globes of pale green and soft gold, and long wolf's teeth cradled a pendant of gleaming amber. Within that golden stone rested a tiny flower, forever encased within the hardened sap. "He made this for me, and when he gave it to me he asked if he could have my hand in marriage!"
"And your reply?"
"I said 'yes'!" The white-haired maiden spun away from her mother, twirling in the faint sunbeams within the window. Her happiness was almost palpable, and Phaedra had to stop herself from grinning at her eldest daughter's antics. She had not seen her behave in this manner since she was a very young child.
"That's wonderful, Leda. Is that why you were out so late last night? You were discussing wedding plans?" she asked, hoping that was the only cause for her daughter's celebration.
"Well, not exactly." Leda stopped and clasped her hands, lowering her head so she did not meet her mother's gaze. Her cheeks flushed a soft rose, and she bit her lip. "Mother, I..."
Phaedra waited for her to finish her confession, suspecting that the sinking feeling in her gut was a confirmation of her deepest fear. She and Fenris had long known this day would come, but both had hoped that it would be a very long time in approaching.
"Talian and I..." The maiden stopped and cleared her throat, then went back to tying the feverfew. "We were out very late last night, and if you recall it was a full moon. He took me to that ridge that rises above the forest, the one with the ruins, and when he asked me to wed him, one thing led to another, and we..." She gestured helplessly, her blush deepening. "You know. What you and Father do."
"I see." The older mage examined her eldest child, noting the nervous energy emitting from the young woman's shoulders. A woman she was now, no longer a maiden. An adult. "Were you careful?"
"I used that contraceptive spell you showed me. I had to look through your grimoires until I found it."
Which explained why that particular volume had been missing from the shelf this morning. Phaedra had noticed its absence, but had not thought it connected with Leda's late return. Evidently she should have. "That's good."
Leda peeked at her mother, her bright green eyes curious. "You're not upset?"
"No, I'm not." Phaedra came around the table and took her daughter's hands in her own, gripping them tightly. "I'm not surprised that you and Talian have taken this step, and I'm proud of you for remembering something which I did not when placed in the same situation. You will not have to face the issue I did. I am truly happy that is the case."
"What issue?" The younger mage cocked her head to the side in question. "I don't understand what you mean."
A sigh escaped Phaedra's lips. Perhaps it was time she revealed this story to her daughter, and explained why she was not upset with her for remembering to cast the spell after her first tryst. "Leda, when do you think your father and I first got together?"
The younger woman tilted her head to the opposite side, sending her white ponytail spilling across her bare shoulder and arm. "I think you told us that you and Father started seeing each other a few weeks before the Battle of the Gallows. Was it not shortly after he killed his old master?"
"That is when we solidified our relationship, yes. But it was not the first occasion we spent time as a couple rather than friends and comrades-in-arms." Phaedra boosted herself onto the table, sweeping the flowers out of the way first. That done, she patted the spot beside her. "Why don't you have a seat?"
Leda looked at her for a moment, then lifted herself up beside her mother and sent a quick gesture to the fox. The albino canine padded to the far corner of the room and curled up, closing its eyes for a quick nap. "What did you not tell me, Mother?" she asked, her face solemn.
Phaedra clasped her hands in her lap, imagining that the old scar on her abdomen was burning as she dredged up the memories. "Before I became Champion, your father was running from Tevinter hunters. He found sanctuary with me, and became my closest friend over the course of four years. But he was always wary of pursuit, and before Danarius found us, there were two incidents with slavers searching for him. The first was the one which brought us together, when he claimed Danarius' mansion for his own. The second was years later, before the qunari attacked Kirkwall." She closed her eyes and sighed; all these years later, and the pain of that year, of her losses, yet remained. "Your father and I, along with Anders and Isabela, were combing the coastline for a nest of Tal'Vashoth that had been plaguing travelers in the area. During that time, a band of slavers came upon us and demanded that I hand over your father."
"You refused, of course," Leda interjected with a satisfied nod.
"Of course." A faint smile tugged at her lips, and she continued. "Your father managed to coerce one into telling us the location of their leader, who turned out to be Danarius' apprentice Hadriana. We tracked her to an old slavers' den in the hills, and eventually we found her. When she was beaten, she offered information about your father's sister in exchange for her life."
"Father has a sister?"
"Had a sister. She was Varania, the woman who betrayed your father's location to Danarius in order to become his apprentice." She patted her daughter's hand as Leda mulled over that part. Fenris had only told his children the bare minimum when it came to his final encounter with his former master; he had never shared the tie between himself and Varania. The woman was not only dead, but disowned. "Anyway, your father agreed to spare Hadriana's life for the information. But the memories of the abuse he had suffered at her hands proved too much."
"He killed her, didn't he?" Leda sighed. "Father cannot help himself at times. But I can't condemn him for that, not when I know the reason for his hatred."
"Precisely. But at the time, I underestimated the extent of your father's anger, and when I asked him if he wanted to talk about what she had said to him, he lost his temper. He ranted about how he couldn't trust her claims about this sister of his, whom he had no idea existed, as well as how magic corrupts everything, and how evil its influence was upon its practitioners." Phaedra leaned forward, resting her forearms on her thighs, allowing her hair to fall forward and curtain her profile from her daughter. "I had never seen him that angry before, and it took me aback. I had been trying to help him understand that not all mages were evil, but in that moment it seemed as though all my words had been erased from his mind. He actually seemed to forget that I was a mage myself. But when he remembered, the fight just left him. He said that he needed to go, and ran off, leaving the three of us behind. Isabela and Anders tried to comfort me, but it didn't stop me from feeling as though I had somehow let him down by not following him right then. I searched for him when we returned to Kirkwall, but he was not at any of his usual haunts. To this day, I have no idea where he went after that."
"How long was he gone?"
The older mage rubbed her eyes. "No more than a few hours. When I returned to my estate, he was waiting for me. He wanted to apologize for his outburst, and explained to me why he had been unable to let Hadriana go after giving his word that he would let her live. The things she did to him..." Phaedra shook her head; Leda did not need to know the full extent of her father's suffering. If Fenris wanted her to know, he would tell her himself. "When he was finished, I was glad she was dead. She was one of your father's greatest torments in Minrathous, and her death was justified. After telling me all that, your father apologized again for burdening me with his past when he had only come to make amends, and started to leave. I didn't want him to think that I was unwilling to hear about it, or that I was upset with him, so I tried to stop him. But when I did, I accidentally touched his arm."
Leda frowned. "Father doesn't like being touched? He doesn't seem to mind whenever we hug him or anything."
Phaedra allowed a smile chuckle to escape her. "It's less that he does not like being touched and more that he is averse to allowing anybody to touch his markings. Do you remember how he acquired them?" Leda nodded slowly, biting her lip. "The memory of that pain remained with him for years afterward, and even today it bothers him whenever somebody touches them. You and I are the only exceptions. Have you noticed how he always tenses whenever Malcolm and your sister touch him?"
Leda's frown deepened, crinkling the flesh between her white eyebrows. "Why are you and I exempt? Is it because we are mages, or because we are spirit healers? Did he ever flinch when Uncle Anders tried to heal him?"
"I suspect it doesn't bother him when we touch him because of our magic. The lyrium recognizes us, and it welcomes our touch. However, I cannot verify that it is all mages or just the two of us because he never allowed Anders to touch him. Your father cannot stand your uncle, after all. He tolerates him, but unless he's in danger of dying he won't let Anders anywhere near him."
Leda chewed on that for a moment while her mother continued the tale. "When I grabbed his arm, he reacted as though I was a threat. He grabbed me and pushed me against the wall, holding me in place while his markings flared. It took him a few seconds before he realized that it was me, and he was immediately sorry. I could see in his eyes that he was about to run off again, ashamed of himself for losing control like that, and I was afraid that if he left again, it would be permanent. So I did the only thing I could think of to keep him in place."
"What did you do?"
"I kissed him."
The young woman snickered, covering her mouth with her hand. In the corner, the fox perked up for a bit but settled back down when it realized she wasn't about to call for it. "You got Father to calm with a kiss? I didn't realize you could do that, Mother."
"It was an impulse. I'm not sure who was more surprised by it - your father or me. But while it caught us both off-guard, he returned it. That shocked me; we had flirted a few times, but we were not a couple. The topic of exploring a deeper relationship had arisen only once prior to that night, and while he was receptive to the idea, your father was very hesitant about being with me because he was insecure. He was unable to recall if there had been another woman before he was marked, and aside from that, there was the fact that I was a noble whereas he was a runaway slave, an elven slave at that. The fact that I was a mage did not matter so much to him at that point as my status compared to his, and I chose to let him decide if he wanted to be with me or not. But that night, such things just fell away and there was only the two of us. We were simply Phaedra and Fenris." She fell silent, closing her eyes as the memory of that first night rose. It had been decades, and the recollections of passion they had shared, the act of giving herself to the man she loved, how easily they had fallen into rhythm with each other still melted her heart. There had been many passionate nights since then, but none had ever felt quite so innocent and intimate as the first time.
"You spent time with him, in other words." Leda's comment broke her mother's trance, and Phaedra felt a slight blush rise to color her cheeks. She dipped her head, hoping to it behind her hair.
"I did. Your father is the only man to have known me in that manner, and to his knowledge I am the same for him."
"So that was the beginning of your relationship? Did he ask you to marry him afterwards?" The eagerness in her daughter's voice made her heart ache, but Phaedra took a deep, cleansing breath and made herself continue.
"No, he did not. Quite the opposite, in fact."
"Meaning...?"
"He left me."
Leda stared at her mother, her mouth open. "Father left you? How could he do that? Father loves you more than anything else in the world!"
In spite of herself, Phaedra could not stop a chuckle from leaving her. It was nice to know that her eldest daughter was so willing to stick up for her mother's honor. "You must remember that your father was not as confident a man back then as he is now. He was still very insecure about his status as a runaway slave, and there was another factor which neither of us had anticipated. During our time together, there was a moment when your father's memories returned to him in their entirety. For just a heartbeat, he could recall everything that had occured in his life prior to the ritual, and then in the next it was all gone again. That shook him, and when I finally came to he was deeply upset by this second loss of his memory. He told me that we were moving too fast, and that he was not capable of such a relationship at that time. He just wasn't strong enough to risk regaining and losing his memories every time he was with me, and there was no way for me to reassure him. He told me that all he wanted was to be happy, for just a little while, and that since such a thing had happened he felt like a fool. I'm not sure whose heart was more broken: my own for him, or his for the loss and for ending the relationship like that." She ignored the ache in her heart; it had been so long, and they were married now. She had forgiven Fenris years ago. "I can honestly say that I have never seen your father look so defeated as he did when he left my room that night."
"But if he left you, how did you end up married to each other?" Leda asked, lacing her fingers together.
"I will get to that in due time." Phaedra leaned back on the table, pillowing her head upon her arms and staring up at the ceiling. The rafters were accumulating cobwebs again. Perhaps sweeping them away would be Rai'eena's punishment when next she misbehaved. The younger of the twins loathed spiders. "What happened next was part of the reason why we were brought back together, but also why we remained in a state of limbo for five years."
"What, Uncle Anders asked to court you next?" Leda inquired with a laugh.
Phaedra chuckled and shook her head. "If I had become anything more than his dearest friend, your father would never have forgiven me. Maker, he might have even given Anders a complete thrashing for pursuing me. No, I never attempted to catch the eye of any man aside from Fenris. From the very beginning, he was the only one I wanted."
The younger mage scooted back upon the table, crossing her legs and leaning upon her hands. "Then what happened?"
"I began to feel very poor not long after that night. I was preoccupied with various errands and important matters around Kirkwall, so I paid little attention to my condition, thinking that it was simply due to spending all of my time investigating situations for the Viscount and attempting to keep the peace between the city and the qunari, not to mention investigating every little mishap that occurred at the Bone Pit. After a few weeks, I decided to let Anders take a look at me. He was far more acquainted with illnesses than I was, and more adept at prescribing treatments for them. My speciality was injury and mental disorders. When he took the time to examine me, he was able to determine the cause of my ailment very quickly."
Leda considered her mother, then spun on the table to face her directly. "You didn't use the contraceptive spell, did you," she stated.
"You always were the smart one." Phaedra sighed and closed her eyes to the sunlight beginning to creep across the table from the window. "I was so emotional after your father left me, it simply did not cross my mind to cast it. I cried myself to sleep that night and when I awoke, I threw myself into the first matter that arose, which turned out to be searching for my own mother. I never thought to use the spell until Anders told me I was expecting, and then it was too late."
"So, I have an older brother or sister somewhere?" Leda asked. Before her mother could reply, she frowned and shook her head. "No, that couldn't be. You and Father would never secrete a child somewhere, and neither would you abort one." She licked her lips and turned a troubled green gaze upon the older healer. "Mother, did you have...?"
"You're right. I did not abort the pregnancy, nor did I bear my child and adopt it out. I lost it." Phaedra took a deep breath and removed one hand from behind her head, resting it atop her abdomen and the scar beneath her dress. Ignoring her eldest's sorrowful eyes, she continued. "A few weeks after my examination, the tensions between the qunari and the city rose to a boiling point. They attacked, and every able-bodied warrior attempted to stop the assault. My friends and I divided into two groups to minimize the damage as best we could. My group, which consisted of your father, Anders, and Varric, headed to Hightown to try and save as many lives as possible. The qunari had taken the Keep and they were dragging every noble they could find into the audience chamber. There, their plan was to offer them a choice: submit to the Qun or die. They had already beheaded Viscount Dumar by the time we arrived. I tried to reason with the Arishok, but he was trapped in the city because of the missing book. You remember that part, don't you?"
Leda nodded. "Aunt Isabela stole the Tome of Koslun for her boss, and lost it when she wrecked her ship. She was searching for it the entire time she was with you, and once you found it, she ran off with it." The younger mage examined her nails, smiling. "But she brought it back."
"That she did. She was too good of a friend to simply leave us like that. But merely returning the book was not enough to satisfy the demands of the Qun." Phaedra closed her eyes. She could ignore the pain. She had kept this part of the story from her children long enough. "The Arishok demanded that we give them Isabela as well, so she could repent for the theft. After she risked so much to do the right thing, I couldn't let them have her. This was where all those days of running errands for the qunari and speaking with the Arishok paid off: he had recognized me as 'basalit-an', which means that I had his respect and a certain standing in the eyes of the Qun. It is basically a title which means that I have equal standing to any qunari warrior, despite not being a follower of the Qun. I had the right to challenge the Arishok for Isabela's life.
"I had not told anyone that I was pregnant. Anders knew, and at the time I was unaware that your Uncle Varric knew. But none of the others had any idea, especially not your father. I was waiting to tell him until he decided what he was going to do about his memories, and the information Hadriana had given him regarding his sister. I wanted to tell him, but that was hardly the time to do so. Even if I had come out and told everyone that I was carrying a child, it would not have done any good. I was the only basalit-an the Arishok had recognized. I was the only one with the right to face him in a duel. So I kept it to myself and accepted the challenge. But during the duel, he managed to wound me severely." She licked her lips and continued. "He stabbed me right here." Her fingers traced the hidden scar. "Then he lifted me in the air, so I slid down the length of the blade. I channeled a Tempest spell directly into his body and killed him, but the sword remained in my body. I lost consciousness shortly after that."
"Why didn't you heal yourself? Were you afraid the sword would become fused in your body?" Leda asked.
"I didn't have the magic for it. The duel had consisted of me running around the room, casting spells whenever I dared, and evading the Arishok's swings. I had worn him down but that last spell took the remainder of my strength. Anders was the one who healed me, although he had to do it carefully. He had to pinpoint the exact spots where he needed the spells to take effect, without closing the wounds. I nearly died, but he managed to keep me alive. However, before he could begin healing me, I miscarried. The wound was too severe and in the wrong place. My baby was likely killed instantly."
Leda reached out and took her mother's hand, gripping it tightly in her own. Phaedra kept her eyes shut, but she returned the firm hold. Of all her children, this was the one who could best sympathize with another person's pain. It was one of the qualities which made her daughter a first-class healer. "Mother, I am so sorry... I never would have guessed something like this happened."
"That's because I did not want it widely known. Only my friends and your father knew, and they kept it a secret from all of Kirkwall. Your Uncle Carver only found out years later, when I revealed that I was pregnant with you and your sister; Merrill asked if I was worried about the same thing happening again." She smiled, remembering the shocked expression her little brother had worn when told the real reason she had been confined to bed after the duel with the Arishok. "It took me years to accept the loss and finally move on. But a part of me will always wonder what that child would have been like. I sometimes catch myself imagining another daughter or a son when I watch you, Rai'eena, and Malcolm together. It's the sort of thing that never truly leaves you once it has happened, no matter how much healing you receive."
Leda was quiet for a moment. "So the reason you are telling me this now is because you want me to take care with my own intimate relationship?"
"My soul almost died because of the miscarriage. The last thing I could ever want for you is to suffer the same loss, Leda." Phaedra opened her eyes and rolled her head so she could meet her daughter's gaze. "I was only a few years older than you when it happened, and I was in the midst of my first love as well. I could never disapprove of you and Talian, not when you are so happy together. All I ask is that you take care when you spend time with him."
"You don't have to worry, Mother. I do not think I'm ready to be a mother yet. So I'm going to use the spell whenever he brings me home, if we..." A blush rose to color her cheeks again. "You know."
The older mage laughed and sat up, brushing her hair behind her shoulders. "You know, it's all right to say the word 'sex', Leda. Neither your father nor I will pass out if we hear you use it."
"I'm more concerned about Father than you, Mother," she returned. "He still thinks of Rai'eena and I as his little girls. If he knew Talian and I were lovers, I'm certain he would lose his mind. I would prefer my fiance in one piece."
"Your father is a little uncomfortable with the idea of his daughters going off to get married, but he knows that it is going to happen someday. I think he was expecting Rai'eena to leave home first, though."
"He overestimates her," Leda snorted. "She can say what she wants, but she's much more apprehensive about leaving the forest than I am. She just keeps her worries to herself."
Phaedra laughed. Rai'eena definitely put up a brave front, then. The scarlet-haired twin had been itching to leave the Brecillian forest as ever since she turned fifteen. Lately, her frustrations had given rise to heated arguments with her long-suffering parents. None of the children had ever set foot beyond the forest's outermost trees, and it had been years since Phaedra and Fenris' last venture. Their only contact with the outside world was through the various clans of wandering Dalish, who brought news, goods, and companionship to the family. Leda was interested in the land beyond the forest, but her excitement only extended to the people she could heal and the Dalish of Talian's clan. Malcolm would likely spend his life beneath the trees, although considering that he was beginning to develop a mutual interest in a Dalish girl from a different clan, it was possible that he might travel with the full-blooded elves as well. Rai'eena was the only one who wanted to leave the forest and never return. She had made that abundantly clear many times over in the past three years.
The white-haired twin reached over to take her mother's hand, squeezing it softly. "I know she says she can't wait to leave, but I think she's just being contrary. She's as nervous about leaving as Malcolm and me. But you know Rai'eena. She always has to be the rebel in the family."
"She is making your father's hair turn grey," Phaedra deadpanned, sending her eldest daughter into a fit of laughter.
"At least he doesn't have to worry about people noticing. Who could tell?" she giggled.
The older mage chuckled a bit herself, then returned her gaze to the window. A light rain was beginning to fall. "So when do you anticipate this wedding?"
"Not for some time. Talian needs to craft a new aravel, one large enough for the two of us and any little ones that might come along. He also wants to collect enough pelts to keep us both warm. He says that we might not be joined until the next time the clan comes to this forest. So I have plenty of time to figure out how to tell Father that I'm getting married and leaving."
That would be a fun conversation. Fenris was not going to be entirely happy that his favorite daughter was going to be leaving them, in spite of knowing that the clan returned to the Brecillian every two years. "You're also going to need to put together some things to bring to the clan, such as potions or salves. Since you're not a full-blood, they're going to need a good reason to accept you."
"I know. Several of them have no idea that I'm a mage, let alone a healer." Leda sighed. "Talian and I need to speak with Keeper Enthrain about it. If he rejects me, Talian says we can try and start our own clan. He doesn't want to stay with them if it means he can't be with me."
So he was as determined to be with her as she was with him. Phaedra had always known that the blue-eyed Dalish was completely devoted to her eldest daughter, but a tiny part of her relaxed upon hearing that bit of news. Considering what she went through with Fenris, it was difficult for her to fully trust that her daughters' suitors would remain with them throughout the courtship. "If the two of you need a place to stay, you know you can live here until you create this clan. We're not going to throw you out just because you have gotten married."
"I know, and I appreciate it. But that depends entirely on the Keeper." Leda drew her legs up and crossed them, resting her hands on her thighs. Her gaze grew distant, watching the rain fall upon the grass outside. "I can't ever be his First, since I'm not a full-blood. I doubt any Dalish would ever allow me to be a Keeper. They only tolerate my magic since I am such a skilled healer. But I think I might be allowed to join the clan as a sort of unofficial apprentice. Keeper Enthrain has little skill for healing, after all. He primarily deals with the spirits and the elements. They've gotten by with salves and herbal medicines whenever healing is needed, unless they can find a healer. Talian told me that they have lost a number of hunters in the past because of infected wounds that did not respond to their treatments."
"I am certain they will welcome you to the clan. You are the strongest healer I have ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because I'm your mother or your teacher. I'm saying it as someone who is an extremely talented healer in her own right, and who knew someone who could heal any ailment he came across." Phaedra scooted closer to her daughter and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. Leda leaned against her mother with a little smile. "They would be fools to refuse a mage of your skill just because your mother is a human."
"That's what Talian said." She laughed softly. "I suppose I'm just nervous."
"Every bride is before her wedding, and every new wife is after the ceremony. You'll be surprised how quickly those nerves will quiet." The older mage hugged her daughter, then slid off the table. "Now, we have the entire day to plan how we're going to tell your father that you are getting married. We should put together a plan of attack."
Leda's teeth flashed in a wide grin. "We also need a strategy for Rai'eena. She's not going to be pleased that I am leaving before she is."
The fox leaped to its feet and pranced about his master's feet as she lowered herself from the table, and she reached down to scratch its ears fondly. "I think Kitsa wants to be included in the discussion, Mother."
"If he has any ideas, he is welcome to contribute them." Phaedra laughed as an idea came to her. "Your sister can't go charging off in some mad scheme to force Nalamir to marry her and take her away if she doesn't have her sword. Kitsa could help by hiding it somewhere in the forest."
The white fox let out a happy yip as the two women collapsed in laughter among the scattered feverfew.