A.N.: I was remiss and forgot to mention my thanks to melismo for the beta on the first chapter, so much love for doing both of them!
Thanks also to everyone who has reviewed and added this story to favorites and alerts. Reviews really do fuel the creative juices!
Midafternoon, the day before Alistair and Elandria's wedding
Because of the wedding tomorrow, Zynalla had been forced to come in to work at her job in the palace's kitchens shortly after midnight as the cooks were trying to get as much of the food prepared ahead of time as possible. She had lost track of how many sinkfuls of pots and dishes she had washed since arriving. By early afternoon, she felt as though she was about ready to drop. She was used to hard work, but definitely not at the pace and for the length of time all the kitchen help had labored under this day. She wasn't sure how much longer they were going to make all the staff stay either. She was half-heartedly scrubbing a pot when Mistress Beatrice gave her a sharp poke in the back. "You there! Girl! Come with me."
Zy was so startled she almost dropped the pot. "Me, Mistress?" she questioned.
"Yes, you. Come along right this minute," replied Mistress Beatrice. Zy gladly left the pot in the sink and dried her hands on her featureless dress as she followed the cook's assistant through the washing area, the prep area, and into the main kitchen itself where the large ovens held sway. The heat was intense, but Zy was too nervous to pay it much attention. She had no idea what she was being singled out for. She grasped the dangling strands of her auburn hair that had struggled free from the bun she had pulled her hair back into during the early hours of the morning and tried to neatly tuck them behind her daintily pointed ears. They weaved their way through the mass of people hard at work in the main kitchen and into a passageway on the other side. Zy had never been past the ovens before as kitchen staff were considered some of the lowest of the servants in the palace and not fit to travel passageways where their betters might have to look at them.
Leaning against the wall, obviously impatient, was a tall human male dressed in armor carrying a sword on his back. Zy almost fainted as she felt the fear rush through her body. She frantically tried to think of something she had done wrong that would have merited her being turned over to a guard. She hovered on the brink of dashing back into the kitchen and trying to escape.
"Is this the girl Maggie sent?" he asked, addressing the cook's assistant.
"Yes," said Mistress Beatrice. "Girl, you go with Ser Bryce. He has a new job for you." She turned away after she finished speaking, obviously dismissing Zy from her thoughts as she returned to her labors in the kitchen.
Zy stood twisting her hands, staring nervously at the man. A job? What was this about? He pushed himself away from the wall. "Come on," he said shortly and strode down the hall. Zy had to almost run to keep up with the man's quick strides. "I understand you know how to take care of children," the man stated.
Zy nervously cleared her throat. "Yes Ser, I have five younger brothers and sisters I've helped care for all my life." Fear made her words come out much softer than normal.
Ser Bryce just grunted. "I'm second in command of Prince Kellin's guards," he explained. "You will be helping to take care of the prince for the next few days until a proper nanny can be found." Better you than me. Thank the Maker Maggie is in charge of the kitchen workers and can assign them as she sees fit. I'll have to be extra sweet to her on our date tonight since she found me someone so quickly. That damn elf was perfectly happy doing all the menial chores for the boy, but not me. I'm a guard, not a babysitter. He would have had us continuing to clean up after the prince until the nanny arrives. This girl can do that until then, especially taking care of the chamberpot. That's what the damn elves are for, not to be in charge of guard details. Maker's balls, it still infuriates me that knife ear was given the position as the prince's guard commander. It should have been mine!
Zy almost stopped in her tracks. She was to help take care of the prince? She had heard the rumors that had flown through the alienage and the palace a few days ago that the Hero of Ferelden had returned from the dead with a son that was the king's and that he was going to marry her, but she never would have expected anything like this. She hurried to catch back up with the man who had not slowed down. By this time, Zy was totally lost. They had made so many turns and climbed flights of stairs that she had never seen before. She felt as if her head was spinning. Finally, he came to a halt outside a door where there were two other human guards standing.
Ser Bryce pushed the door open and just looked at her as Zy stood in confusion not sure what she was supposed to do. "Go on," he said. "You can start work now. I'm not feeding the boy another meal and you can tell him that." He added, "The jumped-up knife ear" almost as an aside to himself, but Zy heard it clear as day.
Zy was uncertain as to what exactly she was to do or who "him" was, but she had been around enough humans who thought she was little better than an animal to know the correct response. She dropped a small curtsey, keeping her head bowed and eyes lowered. "Yes, Ser," she said as she moved through the door. As she entered the room, she heard the door click shut behind her. Zy stopped and her mouth dropped open. She had never seen such luxury in her life. The floor was covered in textured rugs. There were beautiful tapestries hung on all the walls. The furniture was all crafted of shining wood. Zy stood just looking around her not sure what she should do. As she didn't see anyone here, she slowly moved through the room to the door on the other side, being careful not to touch anything. She could almost feel the dirt dropping from her dress and well-worn boots to mar the surface of the carpets.
As she approached, she could hear quiet murmuring coming from the next room as the door was slightly ajar. She lightly pushed against it to open it farther. As Zy peered through the slit that was created, all she could see was part of the right side and back of someone sitting in a chair. This person was the source of the soft sounds she had been hearing. She also saw that a child's head was resting on the person's shoulder as a strong hand slowly stroked the child's hair over and over in a rhythmic fashion. The man, as she could now tell it was definitely a male, turned his head to place a kiss on the child's cheek. Zy let loose a small gasp because when the man had turned and lowered his head, she could see the pointed tip of his ear that was exposed as his hair fell forward. She also noted the swirls of tattoos that gracefully marked the entire right side of his face. At the small sound she had made, the man moved faster than anyone she had ever seen. Her heart jumped up in her throat as he came out of his chair, spun around sideways with the child still clutched protectively against him, and a dagger in his left hand held out threateningly in front of him. He stood so his body was between her and the child.
"Who are you and what do you want?" the man demanded sharply. His tattoos continued across his entire face, giving him an exotic, dangerous demeanor.
Zy pushed the door open a little more. "My name is Zynalla Dace. I was brought here by Ser Bryce. He told me I was to help take care of-the child," Zy was proud that her voice was firm and not shaking. He must be a Dalish elf. She had heard stories her whole life about the Dalish, but she had never expected to see one. She stared at the dagger he held in his hand. Zy could barely conceive of an elf openly armed outside the alienage. Even though the strict laws against elves bearing weapons had been largely struck down and many in the alienage now had weapons, none of them would have been carried into the human parts of the city for fear of what would happen to the elf stupid enough to do such a thing.
He slowly lowered the dagger as he continued to assess her. Zy stood tall as she didn't want to appear cowardly in front of this man. Finally, he turned and walked over to the small bed that was against the far wall and very carefully laid the boy down. He covered him gently and left him with one more small caress down his face. Zy tried to marry in her mind the diametrical images of the tenderness he displayed to the child with the warrior he had been just moments before. He turned back to the chair he had left, squatted down, and picked up another dagger from the floor that had been hidden from her sight. In one smooth practiced motion, both daggers were sheathed, and he then strode towards her, indicating she should go back into the room she had just left.
Torin entered the sitting room off of Kellin's bedroom behind this Zynalla Dace person. He would get to the bottom of what was going on here. He halfway closed the door behind him so their voices would not wake Kellin from his nap, but would allow him to hear if Kellin stirred. He turned to face Zynalla. She was a tiny thing with auburn hair pulled back in a bun, which was set off by fair skin with just the hint of a few freckles and green eyes that had earlier flashed at him. She was dressed in no better than rags though, with hands that were red and callused from heavy labor. She had that painful thinness that allowed every bone in her body to be seen through her skin that came from never having enough to eat. He could see her skirts were wet and grimy, and she had a smear of dirt running from one cheek to down below her chin as if she had rubbed it with her arm. "Explain to me exactly what is going on, please?" he asked in a more normal tone of voice. He didn't want to scare the girl. She obviously was no threat to Kellin.
She met his eyes as she answered. "I'm not sure. I was in the kitchen washing dishes as usual when Mistress Beatrice told me to follow her. She brought me to Ser Bryce and told me that he would have a new job for me. Ser Bryce told me I was to help take care of the-the prince until a nanny could be found and brought me here. He told me to come in and start work." He also called you a jumped-up knife ear, but I don't think I will repeat that. "Ser Bryce said to say he's not feeding the prince any more meals," Zy finished softly.
Torin pursed his lips and continued to stare at the girl. "Do you know anything about children?" he finally asked.
"I have five younger brothers and sisters I've helped raise," she answered.
Torin walked back over to the door separating Kellin's sitting room and bedroom. He pulled it shut and locked it placing the key in his belt pouch. "You stay here," he ordered her. "I'll be back shortly."
Torin exited into the hallway, closing the door to the sitting room firmly behind him. He turned to the three guards on duty at the two doors that made up the entrances into Kellin's small suite of rooms. "Corporal Conall, Prince Kellin is asleep in his bedroom. I want you to stay with him until I return, please."
"Yes, Guardian," said the corporal, and he entered Kellin's bedchamber from the hall.
"Ser Bryce," said Torin.
"Yes," said the man shortly.
Torin noted the lack of title, but decided to let it pass. "The next time the prince acquires a servant, I expect to be consulted about it beforehand. It was a good idea to get some help, but your little nursery attendant almost ended up with a dagger in her belly. Do you understand?" he asked.
Ser Bryce continued to glare at him. "Yeah."
"I know I heard you say, 'Yes Guardian, I understand,' didn't I?" asked Torin as he balanced lightly on the balls of his feet ready for a challenge from the other man.
Ser Bryce gritted the muscles in his jaw, but knew the elf had the king's backing, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. "Yes, Guardian," he finally said. "I understand."
"I'm glad we agree, Ser Bryce," Torin replied. "And one more thing, if I say you will feed the prince his dinner, you will feed the prince his dinner. Carry on." Torin turned and walked off as Ser Bryce seethed. He headed in the direction of the king's rooms to see who was stationed outside. He was hoping to find Reilly or Adair, although he knew both of them were normally on the king's night rotation of guards. As luck would have it, neither man was on duty.
"Greetings," said Torin to the two men standing outside the entrance to the king's suite.
"Good afternoon," they answered politely enough as all Alistair's guards knew who Torin was.
"I was wondering if the king's serving man is here." Torin said.
One of the men answered that he thought he was. Torin requested that the guard ask him to come out and speak with him. He reluctantly went to fetch Master Adwen. When Adwen exited the chambers, he listened to what Torin had to say and was willing enough to help him fetch some uniforms for the girl. She couldn't work in Kellin's suite in the rags she was wearing, and Torin doubted if she had anything better at home. He had been through enough lean winters himself to know the look of someone who lived in perpetual hunger.
It took them longer than he expected to gather enough uniforms for the girl that he thought would fit her, but he finally made it back to Kellin's area of the palace. He thanked Master Adwen for his help when Adwen made his departure for the king's suite. Torin nodded to the two guards on duty as he entered the bedchamber. Kellin was still asleep, and Corporal Conall was standing by the window watching out. He very quietly told the corporal to stay where he was, and then he removed the key from his belt pouch and opened the adjoining door to the sitting room that he had locked on his way out earlier.
As he entered the sitting room, he saw the girl, Zynalla. She had sat down on the floor in a corner. Her head was tilted back against the wall as she lightly slept. Now that she was still, he could see the exhaustion evident in her face. He walked over to her, but not too close. He didn't want to startle or scare her when she awoke.
"Wake up," he said softly. When she didn't stir, he repeated it a little louder. He watched as her lids fluttered open. He saw the confusion in her eyes as she didn't remember where she was and then he watched comprehension dawn. She hurriedly pushed against the wall, quickly and gracefully getting to her feet.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"How long have you been working today?" he asked.
"Because of the wedding tomorrow, we started early, just after midnight," she answered.
"And you are still here? No wonder you're tired," Torin said. "Well, I think you have had a full day. Here." He thrust the palace uniforms at her. "I had to guess at the sizes, but hopefully I wasn't too far off. If they don't fit, bring them back tomorrow, and we will try to get something that will."
The girl took the uniforms with a questioning look. "I don't understand," she said.
"Well, you can't work in Prince Kellin's suite in that," Torin said, pointing at her stained dress.
Zy looked down at herself and flushed, the grime she had carried with her from the kitchens standing out in clear detail. "I guess not," she agreed.
"Can you be here at six bells tomorrow morning?" Torin asked. It had taken Torin two days to figure out the bell system. It still seemed strange, but he was having to learn how to deal with all sorts of new situations.
"Six! I'm normally here by four and a half!" Zy admitted.
"We may end up keeping you longer in the evenings depending on the prince's schedule," said Torin. "He usually isn't up until around seven bells in the mornings. If he does rise before you get here, I'll take care of him."
Zy had all kinds of questions she wanted to ask this strange man, who still hadn't even told her his name. She wondered how a Dalish elf had ended up here at the palace seemingly in charge of a human prince and willing to take care of him. That had to be a story worth hearing. "I'm sorry," Zynalla said. "But can you tell me who you are?"
It was Torin's turn to blush now. "Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Sorry, my name is Torin Elrani. I'm the prince's guardian," he told her matter of factly. "Come next door with me," he said. He watched as she tried to juggle the clothes in her hands as she crossed the room and they entered Kellin's bedchamber. He put his finger up to his lips in the universal sign for silence and made a motioning signal for her to stay where she was. He crossed Kellin's chamber and entered his small room. He pulled out one of the empty, rather beat-up valises he had stored some of his things in when they were moving to Denerim.
He exited his room again and motioned for both Corporal Conall and Zynalla to follow him out the door into the hallway. He handed the valise to the girl. "Here, you can use this to carry those home," he told her. "I'd just appreciate it if you would bring it back with you tomorrow."
Zy looked up at him in disbelief that he was willing to lend her, some stranger he didn't know, one of his own possessions. "Thank you," was all she said.
"Corporal Conall," Torin began. "I want you to show Mistress Zynalla the way out so that she will know how to get back here on her own tomorrow. I'll need you to then return for the rest of your shift." Torin had been afraid that Ser Bryce's attitude would work its way down through the detail to the younger men, but luckily that hadn't been the case so far. Corporal Conall was one of the few people who hadn't seemed fazed that Torin had been put in charge of the guard detail.
"Yes, Guardian," the corporal replied.
"Mistress Zynalla, I will see you in the morning," was all Torin said as he slipped back into Kellin's bedchamber.
Corporal Conall seemed willing to wait as Zy put her uniforms inside the bag.
"Ready?" he asked.
She gave him a small smile and a nod as she slipped the carrying strap over her shoulder, and he started down the hallway. Zynalla turned to look one last time at the door the Dalish man had disappeared through. She couldn't wait until she arrived home to spread her news. Her family would be shocked about the events that had occurred today. Zy wasn't sure she believed them herself.