"We're sorry for arriving unannounced," Lord Claes in disguise said. Well, at least it appeared he hadn't had time to be alone with her mother.
"How unexpected," Maria managed to say as she tried to get her face to relax. It was difficult but eventually she got it down to where her face didn't hurt at the unfamiliar tension. "May I ask the reason for this unexpected visit?"
"Ah, you see, it's come to the attention of the Ministry that you forget to file some paperwork, Miss Campbell," Rafael said, managing to be serious despite the wide smile on his face and the starry look in his eyes. "I came to deliver it for you to sign."
Maria blinked. "Paperwork?" she said in dawning horror. How? How had she missed anything?!
Rafel nodded, still smiling. "Yes. You see, you neglected to fill out your employment agreement for the blood-typing research project. If you will just quickly sign these papers, we can backdate them to your being employed."
Maria blinked. "That sounds… convoluted. And mildly dishonest."
"It's standard Ministry fix-mistakes procedure," Rafael said.
Maria tilted her head. "To be convoluted? Or dishonest?"
"Yes," Rafael said.
Well, that explained lot.
"Will you be staying for lunch?" Maria noted the plate of sweets from the bakery, but she knew Lady Claes' stomach.
Right on cue, said stomach growled like a beast on the prowl.
"S-sorry," Lady Claes said. "I suddenly felt hungry the moment I saw your face."
Maria sighed. Honestly, her might-be-half-sister could be so predictable. "Well, since you're all here, how about I make lunch, and some sweets for dessert? We can do the paperwork afterwards. "
"Yay!" Lady Claes cheered. "Then, in exchange, I'll go tend your field again!"
"I suppose there will be no stopping you," Maria said. Lady Claes just grinned and ran outside. Sighing, her brother nodded apologetically and went after her.
"May I offer my assistance in the kitchen, Miss Campbell?" Rafael said. "I'm a little rusty, but I can follow directions."
"That would be most appreciated," Maria said, putting down the groceries and beginning to sort through them. "Could you please draw some water then, former-Head Clerk?"
"As you say, current-Head Clerk," Rafael said. "Where?"
As Maria gave him directions, she didn't see the wide-eyed, almost shocked look on her mother's face, which grew even more confused as Maria started to hum happily to herself. Rafael returned, eyes immediately locking on to Maria and standing next to her. They began to make lunch together, working hip to hip, a bitter-sweet, familiar silence falling over them.
They didn't hear Maria's mother stepping out of the room, looking over her shoulder at them as they… well, as they cooked together like a newlywed couple, seemingly equally content to enjoy each other's company or possibly start ravishing each other on the spot.
She stepped out to help Maria's friends.
"Rafael, could you ask everyone to get washed up for lunch?" Maria said absently as she mixed the dough for the sweets. "There will probably no helping Lady Claes' dress, but they can wash their hands. There's a well at the back they can use."
She knew without looking he was smiling. "No special treatment for the nobles?"
"They dress a commoners, they wash as commoners," Maria said blandly, and he chuckled. She felt his stare bore into her a moment. "Kiss me quickly and go," she said.
"Well, since you said…" he murmured, and felt a light brush on her cheek.
She rolled her eyes, hooked his neck with her inner elbow to not get any dough on him and pulled him towards her, doing it properly. "Do it right or not at all," she said huskily after a time. "Understood?"
His reply showed that he did, and she let him go, both of them swaying slightly. She got back to the dough as he left the room.
After a while, she felt a presence behind her as she rolled the dough out flat with the rolling pin.
"That was fast," she said absently. "Did you wash prop–?"
She turned, and it was her mother.
Maria froze. Her mother. How had she lost track of her mother, in her own home?! By the Queen's Blood, how much had she seen?! Any at all was too much! Maria had disgraced herself, she'll be thrown out of the house, she–
"Perhaps you'd like to use these?" her mother said softly, setting down a wooden box Maria only now noticed on an empty space on the counter. Maria's eyes tracked instinctively, and her breath caught.
Maria recognized their contents, droplets still clinging to them from being washed. Maria Campbell, before she remembered being Maria of the Astral Clocktower, had used these things, when they were newer and less tarnished with age. She did not touch her Dark Magic, but the memory arose.
The smell of honey and cinnamon, of her mother's laughter, of her father's gentle hands as he picked her up so she could cut the shapes herself like a big girl… the taste as they ate them together at the table behind her… sweetness on her tongue as she chewed happily, and there was no greater flavor, for she knew not of blood…
"I remember these…" Maria said, lost in a haze of memories that came one after the other, as if a child was savagely pulling out her carefully hoarded bullets from the deep caverns she had kept them hidden. Memory after memory struck, of sitting on her father's lap as he asked her which one was her favorite shape, of her mother singing a silly song about stars as she waved to cookies in time to the beat, as…
Memory after memory struck, making her want to fall to her knees, each making her eye sting, and until she could no longer hold them back, and the tears started to fall…
Her mother gently wiped her face, and he eyes shot open (when had she closed them?). "I'm sorry, I thought maybe you'd… want some help…?" her mother pulled back–
The child raged and kicked Maria in the shin. MAMA!
"Please," Maria, the Maria before Lady Maria, managed to burble as all of Lady Maria's defenses crumbled at the crucial moment. "I'd… love that… mama…"
Her mother's eye widened.
Maria sniffed, and she could feel her dignity coming apart like a jar of eyeballs someone had used for target practice. Left with no recourse, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Blast it, why was more coming out?! She was a… she was a…
The taste of cookies and warmth, and gentleness and love…
Warmth wrapped around her, an old yet familiar warmth, filled with the smell of sunlight and flour and love…
Maria, not a grown woman but a child who hadn't been held in so long, cried into her mother's bosom as her mother stroked her hair.
Mama…!
And Maria of Cainhurst, whose mother had never held her, who had run away from a place that had never been a home, a place that had never given her warmth but for the burning, rapturous, empty taste of blood, bowed in surrender as the child, brandishing memories of family, of love, of MAMA like eldritch truths that could not be denied, would not be kept from her mother anymore…
Lunch was late and a little dry. No one seemed to mind.
Lady Claes had praised her sweets as usual, seemingly ignoring how some were lightly burned. Lord Claes had thanked them for their hospitality. Rafael had eaten each sweet as if he was accepting the blood of the Queen, and pronounced them all perfect,
Maria tried them herself.
There was no greater flavor. Not even that of blood.
Then Maria and Rafael had to get on with their paperwork.
"And there," Rafael said with finality as he inspected the last sheet Maria had filled out and nodded. Lord and Lady Claes had made their good byes, the latter with a cloth full of sweet that would likely not reach her destination. "Thank you, Miss Campbell. With this you are now fully entitled to your lawful pay, which it appears you have already received, from the Ministry for services rendered."
"You are welcome, Mister Walt," Maria said, a light bloodtinge on her cheeks. Dignity was a shallow façade. The child would no longer let the lady have the only word in everything. "Does this mean you are returning to the m-ministry?"
"Actually, no," Rafael said. "I'm been assigned to oversee a probationary individual in the area."
"Oh?" Maria said. The bloodtinge increased.
"Yes. I will have to visit with the individual in question to ensure they're following the terms of their probation," Rafael said. "Perhaps more than once a day. Surprise visits are also not out of the question."
"I… see." The bloodtinge had become very strong. "Well, I wish you well in the execution of your duties. Will you be free for lunch?"
"I will make time," Rafael said.
"Feel free to visit any time."
Both Rafael and Maria jumped as they realized they weren't alone in the room. Maria's mother sat across the table from them, looking…wistful.
"You are always welcome here, Mister Walt," Maria's mother said.
Rafael, still blushing, managed to sound reasonably dignified as he said, "P-Please… call me Rafael."
"All right… Rafael."
There was no teasing tone, no tone at all besides calm politeness.
Lady and child still wanted to find a deep pit to hide in and never come out until the turning of the world brought the age of myths back anew.
Rafael coughed and stood. "Well, I better get going as well, I need to trade responsibilities with a colleague in town."
"I will walk you to the door," Maria said hastily. She wanted to walk him to town, but…
Maria felt her mother coming behind her, felt her hands on Maria's shoulder. "It was good meeting you Rafael," her mother said. "Thank you for being such good friends with my daughter. I leave her in your care."
"Maria doesn't need anyone to take care of her," Rafael said, "But I will always be by her side to do what I can."
Her mother nodded. "Thank you." She stepped back and left them alone. Maria heard her climbing upstairs, giving them privacy.
The two looked at each other. If anything, they blushed even harder. Silently, Maria took his hand and, ignoring every screaming desire to take him to her room, led him to the door.
"I'll… see you tomorrow, I guess?" Rafael said.
Maria nodded. "K-kiss me goodbye?"
Ah. It seemed he had learned.
Eventually, they parted. And with many backward looks, Rafael began to walk to town.
For the first time in her life, Maria understood why someone would watch someone go until they were out of sight, even though they didn't fear them.
Eventually, their mother came downstairs. For the first time, Maria looked her mother straight in the eyes.
There was a long silence.
Hesitantly, Maria raised her arms.
Her mother was there immediately, enfolding her, stroking her hair. Maria held her, and was somehow still surprised when her arms met at her mother's back.
"You're so big…" her mother choked out nonsensically.
"Mama…!" she replied, equally nonsensical.
Dinner was also late. No one minded.