silverchain.

chapter one: the arrival of a most curious personage

FlameUser64: thank you! well, as i tried to imply, the "camping trips" are merely an excuse for Isaac to study Mount Aleph or some such heroic thing as that. so basically, the same reason that Jenna doesn't join him at the cabin. this chapter should better explain it.

outerelf: i figured that Jenna would take it upon herself to keep him from getting too grumpy.

anon: thank you very much! i hope you enjoy the update.

Jenna hummed disastrously as she weighed fresh oranges on the scale. The fruit vendor knew her of course, and her temper as well, and so he gave her as much time as she needed, despite the growing line behind her.

"Do you have any coconuts?" she asked, handing him the bag full of oranges. The man sighed, recognizing the gleam in her eye.

"Madam Jenna," he began respectfully, but not without a little impatience, "it takes quite awhile to import such things from the island nations, especially with pirates roaming about."

A distant smile lit up her eyes before fading, and she fixed her gaze once more on the vendor. "I'll just take these, then," Jenna sighed, dumped coins into his hand, and began to wander to the next booth. She tried to think of a new plan for dinner, until...

Something unfamiliar caught her eye, and she tossed her hair back to get a better glimpse. A young man was just entering the city alone, weighed down with a great deal of baggage.

Jenna didn't like to think of herself as one of those nosy middle-aged women, but that was in fact what she was. Kalay was frequented by interesting people, and it was quite within her nature to observe them. This boy, however, was not a frequent visitor; in fact, by the cautiously curious expression on his face, he had just arrived for the first time.

He was fair and of a moderate height, decked out in some manner of foreign finery, and something in his manner recalled an old acquaintance to Jenna's mind. Icy locks were tousled over something that glinted in the afternoon light; she soon realized it was a crown. Lost in her intrigue, she scarcely noticed when the young man had come closer to inspect the weapons booth.

Jenna's eyebrow rose, and she tilted her head to the side. Sure enough, not quite concealed but not too noticeable, there was a short sword hanging on his belt. The careful look in his eye betrayed him to be a warrior, and she decided he probably had other weapons hidden somewhere on his apparently royal person.

"Excuse me," she said casually, "is this your first time in Kalay?"

He looked up, surprised, and gave her a warm smile. "Is it that obvious that I am foreign?"

Jenna laughed. "Just a little bit."

The young man cast his eyes again on the weapons, before turning around to face her. "Miss-"

"Madam," she corrected.

Surprise was again evident on his face, but he continued, "Madam, may I ask you a few questions? I came here to find someone, but I am not entirely sure where to find the...the young woman that I'm looking for."

The older woman lit up. "You know what, let's find a place to sit down and talk about this."

She led him to a bench overlooking the city, nearly threw her oranges on the ground, and waited eagerly. Jenna did not consider herself a busybody, but she certainly enjoyed meddling in other people's business (a trait that had been quite unavoidable for Matthew to inherit). The young man situated himself with grace, and began to speak.

"I am the king of Ayuthay, and I am here to obtain permission to court a lovely lady I met during my travels." He hesitated, as if unsure whether Jenna would acknowledge in some way his royal capacity. She squealed and clapped her hands together, but having rubbed shoulders with quite a lot of royals in the past, did not appear shocked or offer him any respect. Her expression urged him to continue.

"We went through many trials together, and I was sad to leave her, but my uncle, the previous king, passed, and I had affairs to attend to. Now that everything has settled down, I have come to ask her father's permission to court her." The young man cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What's she like?" Jenna asked sweetly, feeling a genuine connection to the boy. He smiled, and his eyes became a tad distant.

"She's amazing," he breathed finally. "She's beautiful, of course, but she's also intelligent and brave...and kind...and as wild as a thunderstorm." He blinked out of his reverie, and said, regaining his regal manner, "I beg your pardon, madam, I did not inquire your name."

She laughed. "It's Jenna."

The young king looked as though something clicked in his mind. "Jenna...Matthew's mother?"

"You're familiar with my son?" she asked, hardly surprised.

"I travelled with him for some time," he replied slowly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jenna, and this means that you're also familiar with the young lady I wish to court."

A flash of understanding. "Karis," she said, and the look in his eyes proved her guess right. "Which means...you must be Amiti."

The king nodded. "That is my given name, yes. What a coincidence!"

"You'll find there are many of them in this small world." Jenna shook her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, as well. I've heard quite a lot about you."

She caught a glint of humor in his eyes. "Good or bad?"

"Oh...mostly good."

Amiti raised an eyebrow, and Jenna laughed at him. "I was just about to go over to Ivan's place anyway, as soon as I fixed up some dinner. Do you mind the wait?"

"Not at all," he said.

She suddenly remembered something. "Doesn't Ayuthay grow coconuts?"

"Yes, they are one of our chief exports."

"You don't happen to have any on you?" she asked with a grin.

"I did bring some," Amiti answered, bemused. "Do you have need of them?"

"Well, I've heard of this most wonderful recipe, and they hardly ever import any here..."

"Then of course you may use as many as you need! I did not bring very much food (as I intended to stay at an inn), but I did take with me a sampling of our goods, for gifts."

"I'd hate to impose..."

"Jenna," he said seriously, "by all means." Then, thoughtfully, he added: "You and Ivan have remained close?"

Jenna nodded. "With Karis gone, I took to making him dinner and checking up on him...he does get depressed sometimes, and he needs someone to remind him not to be so serious. Besides, I'm not too fond of empty houses myself."

Amiti's expression was sympathetic. "Where is Isaac?"

She sighed. "Off trying to fix the world's problems again...he took Matthew with him, but they'll be back in a few days."

"I'm sorry."

"I knew when I married him that he wasn't somebody to be happy at home. Had too much adventure in him, and too much compassion."

"I have great respect for your husband," the young man said, "but still I do not like that about him. My father left my mother before I was born, and I suppose it prejudiced me."

"It's nothing like that," Jenna said hurriedly. "I chose not to return to that life. I may not look it, but I'm pushing fifty, and I've realized that I can't help everybody. I'd rather stay here and put my life into this town and the people who live here or come here. I lost my brother twice over Alchemy and saving the world and the lighthouses and all that. I prefer to stay out of it, but Isaac...he can't do that. To him, that's giving up, and he never gives up. So I'm here when he needs me, and we still love each other as much as ever. Our worlds just aren't compatible."

Amiti awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, and she laughed away a stray tear. "Oh, no need to listen to me, I'm just rambling. Come on, I need to get to work on that dinner, and get you to your lady love!"

He smiled at her, honestly and unguardedly, and Jenna completely forgot the lingering thought of that long-forgotten Mercury Adept that he favored.