Well before six bells the next morning, Zynalla was outside Prince Kellin's suite with the guardian's valise over her shoulder. She hadn't wanted to chance being late on her first day. When she had arrived home last night with the news of her new position, her family had almost refused to believe her. She wasn't sure they would have if she hadn't had the uniforms to prove it.
Zy had broken with custom last night and taken a bath midweek.. Bath time was usually once a week whether you needed it or not, and everyone in the household used the same bath water. To actually be able to have a warm bath all to herself had been delightful. She had almost felt like a lady of leisure this morning as she had been able to stay in bed over an hour longer than normal, or she would have if she hadn't been so nervous. She had actually gotten up at her regular time so she could braid her hair up neatly and get dressed in her new uniform. Zy wanted to make sure she looked much different than the way she had yesterday when coming from the kitchens. She rarely had clothes that someone else hadn't worn before her, and her hands kept returning to stroke down the skirts of her new attire. Zynalla had downed the thin gruel that her sister, Crissa had made for breakfast before leaving for the day. Her father had bid her farewell and wished her good luck.
Zy was nervous as she wasn't exactly sure what was expected of her. She had checked in with the guard on the door to the prince's suite, who wasn't one that had been on duty when she had been here yesterday. He eyed her suspiciously, but had agreed to let her stand and wait a short way down the hallway when she had insisted the guardian had instructed her to be here. Zy rested her shoulders against the wall as she waited. Finally, her patience was rewarded as she saw the door to Prince Kellin's bedroom crack open. It was him, the guardian. He exited the bedroom shutting the door gently. She watched as he spoke a few soft words to the guard outside and then saw him look down the hall at her. He raised his hand and motioned for her to join him.
Zy walked quickly up to the guardian. He looked different this morning. He was dressed all in soft brown leather but had his hair done up more elaborately than he had yesterday. He had feathers and beads braided in detailed patterns as his hair twisted and turned in the myriad of small intricate plaits he had created. The ornaments in his hair made him look even more exotic when reflected against the stark blackness of the tattoos on his face. "Good morning, Guardian," she said as calmly as she could offering him his valise. "Thank you again for allowing me to use this."
He inclined his head to her and she could hear the soft clacking of the beads where they bounced off of each other. He took the valise from her hand. "You're welcome and good morning, Mistress Zynalla. This is Corporal Ross. Corporal Ross, this is Mistress Zynalla. As of today, she will be helping to take care of Prince Kellin."
The guard nodded to Zy as she dropped a small curtsey. She wasn't about to forget her manners to any of the humans that surrounded the prince. She didn't want to take a chance of losing this job before it started. "Nice to meet you, Ser," she said in her soft voice.
"Corporal will do, Mistress. I'm no ser," the man said in a friendly tone of voice.
"Come with me," said Torin leading her to the sitting room door and through, shutting it behind him. He sat the valise on the floor by the entrance and walked over and opened the bedroom door peering through to check on Kellin who was still sleeping in his bed. He partially shut the door and then indicated with his hand that Zy should take a seat on a chair.
Zy nervously sat down where the guardian had indicated, running her hands down her skirt to smooth it.
Torin sat in the chair opposite her and began speaking about her duties. He explained to her that as of yet the prince's schedule was still very fluid as they were still just getting settled into the palace. Torin told her that he had been informed that the final decision on the nanny was going to come down from the chancellor, but he didn't know when that would be. Privately, Torin thought that Elandria would throw a fit about it, but he was wisely staying in the background on that issue. Until the nanny situation was resolved, Zynalla would basically be expected to be available during the day to help out as needed, whatever was needed. He listed some things he thought she would have to do such as dressing the prince, helping out with meals, cleaning in his room, possibly telling him stories and such things.
Zy was relieved. This didn't sound too hard. It sounded a lot like what she did at home on her one day a week that she was off from her job in the palace. (The elves used to not get a day off and had been expected to work seven days a week, but Alistair had changed that shortly after he had been crowned king.) It sure beat sinkfuls of dirty dishes or peeling pound after pound of potatoes.
The guardian was still speaking when a motion behind him caught her eye. As soon as he detected her attention moving from him, Torin turned around as well. Zy saw a small boy standing outlined in the door to the prince's bedroom. He was clutching a stuffed mabari to his chest. His hair was dark blonde with copper glints in it that stuck up all over his head as he obviously had just gotten out of bed. He was dressed in a long nightshirt and had bare feet. His pale blue eyes were heavy with sleep, and the right side of his face was still red from where it had pressed against the surface of his mattress.
Zy jumped up from her chair and started to curtsy to the young boy. The guardian caught her eye, frowning, and shaking his head. He indicated with his head that she should sit back down.
"Torin?" said the child questioningly, seemingly caught off guard that there was a stranger in the room.
Zy sat down as she had been bid, taking her cue from the guardian.
Torin held out his hand to Kellin. "Come here, little one. I have someone for you to meet."
Kellin ran to Torin and proceeded to climb up in his lap. Torin adjusted his position in the chair so that Kellin could snuggle again him.
"Kellin, can you say hi to Mistress Zynalla? She is going to help me take care of you for a bit."
Zy noted the softer tone in the guardian's voice when he spoke to the prince.
Kellin looked at Zy, seeming to measure her. He gave her a shy smile and then climbed up to whisper in Torin's ear, "Sparkly, pretty."
Torin wasn't exactly sure what Kellin meant by sparkly, but he had noticed that the girl looked considerably better today than she had yesterday. The tiredness was erased from her face and she looked clean and neat in the uniform he noted fit her well-shaped form. She had braided her hair this morning in such a way that the tips of her ears poked through. He liked that about her. It showed spirit. So many of the elven servants he had met in the palace since arriving tried to hide their ears, as if that would make them more acceptable to the human society they moved in. They seemed so downtrodden as to be almost colorless.
"Don't be rude, Kellin," Torin admonished him. "Say hi."
"Hi," said Kellin obediently as he sat back down in Torin's lap and rubbed his eyes with the hand he wasn't clutching his toy with.
"Hello, Prince Kellin," answered Zy not exactly sure what she was supposed to say.
"I think just Kellin will do when we are private in his rooms," Torin said to Zynalla. He looked down at Kellin. "He must still be sleepy. He's normally much more outgoing than this." Torin rose to his feet still holding the boy. "Come along, let's get Kellin dressed and have breakfast this morning, shall we?"
Zy obediently followed Torin into the prince's bedroom where they started to get him ready for the day. As Kellin became more alert, he began chattering away. There was a knock on the door. Torin went over to answer it as Zy was making up Kellin's bed. The young prince's breakfast was being delivered from the kitchen. Torin took the tray from the servant carrying it and indicated a small table in the back of the room to Zy. She walked over and pulled it out from the wall and placed a chair for the prince. "Come, Kellin," she said. "Are you ready to eat?"
Kellin eyed them suspiciously. "What's for breakfast, Torin?"
Torin walked over, sat the tray on the table, lifted up the cover over it, and said, "It looks like oatmeal."
Zy had started moving things from the tray and setting them up on the table for Kellin. She put his milk by his bowl. She was checking the temperature of the oatmeal to make sure it wasn't too hot when she heard a scream behind her.
"NO! Want pancakes. NOT oatmeal, YUCKY, Torin," declared the young prince forcefully.
Torin looked over apologetically and said in an aside to her, "He's been getting rather spoiled the past few days with only the guards to take care of him. Their approach has been to give him whatever he wants to keep him quiet."
Zy nodded in understanding as she ladled out some of the oatmeal for the prince. "Come along, Kellin," she said briskly. "I'm sure the oatmeal is delicious."
"NO!" he yelled again and jumped on his bed burying his head under the pillow.
"All right," said Zy, hoping that what she was about to do wouldn't get her fired. She pulled a chair up to the right of Kellin's place, sat down, scooped some oatmeal into an extra cup, and put a spoon in it. She placed it across the table from where she was sitting and proceeded to fill another cup with the oatmeal. "Here, Guardian. Have some breakfast," she said indicating the place across from her as she picked up her cup and calmly started eating. "I'm sure Kellin while join us when he is ready." At the first taste of the thick oatmeal, she couldn't believe it. It had apples and some sugar and spices in it and was so smooth it slipped right down her throat. It was nothing like the thin lumpy gruel she had consumed at home this morning. She eagerly ate a few more spoonfuls.
Torin raised his eyebrow at her, but seemed willing to play along. He slid another chair over to where she had indicated and picked up his cup, taking his first bite of oatmeal. "You know," he started casually. "I was hoping to have time to take Kellin to the stables before the wedding this afternoon, but I guess if he doesn't hurry and eat his breakfast, we won't be able to go."
"That would be too bad," said Zynalla. "I think a walk to the stables on such a beautiful day would be quite delightful." She looked out of the corner of her eye to see what Kellin was making of this conversation. He was peering at them from under the pillow. "I've always heard that horses' noses are very soft."
Kellin jumped up unable to contain himself. "They are! Halla's nose is the softest!" he declared.
Zy looked at Torin questioningly. "Halla is his pony," he explained softly.
In the meantime, Kellin had climbed into his chair, grabbed the spoon, and started eating his oatmeal, chattering on about horses and hallas and such the whole time.
Just as they were finishing eating while all three of them were sitting at the table, a door behind Zy opened. They were still chatting about the planned trip to the stable as Kellin jumped out of his chair yelling, "Father!"
Zy realized who it must be and snorted the spoonful of oatmeal she had just put in her mouth into her lungs in her shock. She started coughing as she tried to stand up to curtsey. As she pushed back the chair, her feet tangled in the legs. Both she and the chair ended up on the floor as her cup of oatmeal went flying across the table.
"Hey, are you all right?" asked Alistair as he watched the young elven female do a swan dive on the floor in front of him. He extended his hand down to her, which Zy didn't see as she was too humiliated to lift her head. Kellin was yanking on the leg of Alistair's pants, wanting his attention.
Zy's face flushed red as she scrambled to her knees, putting her head to the floor, too overawed and embarrassed to say anything as she frantically tried to clear the oatmeal that had gone down her trachea so she could breathe properly.
Kellin was still pulling on Alistair, "Hug, Father!"
Alistair turned away as he moved to pick the boy up and hold him.
Torin had risen from his chair and came over to lightly touch the mortified girl on the shoulder. "Stand up," he said softly, removing his hand as he picked up her chair and placed it back by the table.
Zy scrambled to her feet as the guardian had told her and backed up against the wall with her head bowed, finally getting her coughing under control, but tears were still streaming from her eyes. Zy dropped her eyes to the floor, blinking furiously to clear them. Once the tears stopped, she couldn't help stealing glances from under her lashes. The king (as that is who it must have been) was standing with his back to her and was holding his son and talking with him. The first thing Zy noticed about the king was how his presence filled the room. She was acutely aware that this was the most powerful man in Ferelden, and one word from him could result in her losing her employment at the palace.
The king turned. "So, Torin, who's your friend?" he asked in a light voice.
Zy stood barely able to breathe once again, her throat closing.
"This is Mistress Zynalla, Sire. She is going to help in the care of the young scamp in your arms."
Alistair looked at Kellin. "Have you been such a handful that Torin needs help to take care of you?"
Kellin laughed up at his father. "I'm a good boy!" he declared.
Alistair hugged him close to his chest. "I know you are, son. I know you are." He rocked him in his arms for a time while Kellin was content to allow him to do so. "You know what day this is, don't you?" Alistair finally asked him. He loosened his grip as Kellin pushed away from him.
"Family Day!" answered Kellin excitedly.
"Right! You, me, and Mamae all become a family today," said Alistair. "And Torin as well, I suppose," he added as he looked over at Torin.
Torin graciously inclined his head.
Zy stood in silence, her head bowed, listening to the talk flow around her, not wanting to draw any more attention her way. She had been surprised to hear the elven word from the king's lips.
A figure appeared in the doorway the king had entered through. "Sire," said the man.
"Yes?" said Alistair.
"The chancellor requested we inform you the messenger has arrived. They are waiting in your study for you," said Ser Hugh.
Alistair sighed. Even on his wedding day, there were matters of state to attend to. "Thank you, Hugh," he said. "Tell him, I'll be right there."
"Yes, your Majesty," said Hugh, giving him the double-fisted bow of the guards and disappearing back the way he had come.
Alistair returned his attention to the child in his arms. "I'm going to have to go now, but I will see you and Torin this afternoon."
Kellin's lower lip began to tremble suspiciously so Alistair hastened to add, "I know you will be a big boy and be good for Torin today, right?"
Kellin nodded.
"Give me a hug now," said Alistair. Kellin wrapped his arms around his father's neck and gave him a kiss as well. Alistair didn't want to put the little boy down. He wanted to carry Kellin with him all day.
Torin came over to take Kellin from the king and said, "We have to get ready for our trip to the stable, Kellin. If you hurry, there will be time to drop by and see your mamae first."
"See how lucky you are?" Alistair said to Kellin. "I've been given strict orders I can't see her until the wedding."
Kellin looked earnestly up at Alistair. "I'll give her a hug for you," he offered.
Alistair smiled at him as he started to move away. "You do that." Alistair's eyes fell on the elven servant girl still standing by the wall staring at the floor. "Mistress Zynalla," he said in a kind voice. "You take good care of Kellin. He's special to me."
Zy couldn't believe the king was talking to her. She dropped into the lowest curtsy she could manage and said barely above a whisper, "Yes, your Majesty." She felt a large hand on her shoulder pulling her up as the king continued speaking.
"Maybe someday I'll have the chance to tell you the story of a boy, a tea tray, and the Grand Cleric. My fall was much more humiliating than yours."
With that, the king swept from the room, and Zy's legs almost gave out underneath her.
Ser Niall Black, templar of the Chantry-no, no, he was simply Niall Black now, he had to remember that-was watching the abomination in making, the mage. Just two days ago, Ser Niall had been at his devotions in the Denerim Chantry when he had been summoned by the Revered Mother. Overawed at the honor shown to him, he had immediately presented himself to her. When he had been ushered into her office, he found another templar waiting there as well.
She had explained how the king was making a dreadful mistake in marrying the mage. Ser Niall could almost taste the vile venom that dripped from the mother's lips along with that word. She told them that the king had received permission from the council to assign a few guards to his soon-to-be wife. She had made sure that none of the guards currently in the palace would accept the assignment. After all, no one wanted to cross the Chantry to take the side of a mage. Ser Niall nodded his head in agreement.
The Revered Mother had a mission for the two templars, an important mission, one that could not be trusted to lesser members of the order. It was up to them to save the king. She would see that they were accepted as guards for the king's bride. They must be vigilant and aware at all times of the mage and not let it influence or take over the king's mind.
The Revered Mother knew Ser Niall had spent time at the mage tower years ago and was experienced when it came to dealing with devious mages. After all, had he not rescued two of them from demons at their Harrowing and sent them on to peace with the Maker? She told them she knew she could rely on them to defend the king with their lives and to protect everyone in the palace from the danger that was without a doubt lurking inside the mage.
Ser Niall and the other templar had left the Chantry, devoid of anything that would identify them as templars except for one thing. They carried their supplies of lyrium; they must have their lyrium. The men were both dressed in plain armor with plainer swords. Even without their customary templar armor, they were out to do battle for the Chantry and the Maker. They would protect the innocents at the palace and save them from the king's folly.
Ser Niall had been directed to a room in the palace where he had fought a severely outmatched opponent as a trial and then had been accepted into service with the Revered Mother's recommendation. When he had first met the creature, he could see why the king was fooled. It wore a lovely package, from the slim but shapely elven form, to the grace of its movements that drew the eye, the finely pointed ears that poked through the rich fall of blonde hair and just begged for your fingers to fondle them, and the pale blue eyes that could trap a man's soul. He had to remember there was a demon inside, waiting for its chance to be free.
He was unsure about one thing though. Most mages that he had been around spilled their magic like water. You could feel it surrounding them as if it leaked out of a sieve. Not this one. Her magic only showed up in flashes. At times, he couldn't even tell she was a mage. That's how well she hide what she was. No-not she-it; he had no doubt there was a demon there.
Just plain Niall Black stood vigilant behind the king's soon-to-be wife as he watched and waited.
A.N.: Thanks to melismo for the beta and to all the readers and reviewers of the story. Shout out goes to Erynnar for the idea of using horses' soft noses that developed from messages between us.