Chapter 10: Upstairs

     Gale was crying. “I don’t understand.”

     Zephyr was leaving the room to let them talk first, but his own thoughts were racing. He decided to go downstairs again for another drink and let them talk. 

     Karis would send for him when she was ready.

     “Wait, Zephyr. I want you to hear this too.”

      It was the one thing he hoped wouldn’t happen. He sighed, and closed the door.

      “All right then, why?” The strain in his voice surprised him, since he was trying to be calm.

      “I’m tired, children. I thought I would be an asset. I could be, but I don’t know who’d recognize me, or when. 

     “I told both of you that night I didn’t want to go, but you convinced me to try. I tried, and I’m still tired, and….and to be honest, not a little scared.  So, on the journey over I made this decision.

      “Believe me, I don’t like it anymore than you, but it’s the only one that makes sense, and it will be safer for you in the long run.”

      Gale sniffled. Zephyr waited in seething silence.

      “I often speak of targets on backs, and I’m the most vulnerable here, the most likely to be recognized. Is that not so?”

      “Maybe it is, Karis, but you still came with us. Some part of you must want to live.”

      “All of me wants to live, Zephyr, but I just don’t see it as viable for the two of you to escape.”

      “And what of me?” asked Gale. “You trained me to take your place. You had my parents killed, took their role, and now you want to leave me through violence, asking the other one whose parents you killed to do it? 

      “They were right about you then, Karis. For years around the palace I’d heard you’d grown soft. I saw it, but I thought it was just with me, and because of me, when you set me free to do the bidding in the slave markets. 

     “Was I enough like you, that you felt so safe?”

      “I not only felt safe, Gale. I was confident you could do it without me. Either way, I wouldn’t be around forever. If not for the rebellion, you’d have taken my mantle anyway. The realm would not do without its slaves, and they’d have made you rich to not let that happen.

      “But it’s also true that I grew tired of the blood, tears, odors, and wretchedness of bodies taken against their wills, which were broken to the point where we called them ‘Dociles.’ “

      “The Dociles are not rebelling, but the families of those you’ve taken over the years have had enough of it. They’d come for me as your successor faster than they’d come for you.”

      “You seemed willing to take the risk. What changed?”

      “Zephyr. He was always there for me, like a shadow, to watch over me. I love him.”

      “We love each other.”

       “I can see that. It was an unintentional consequence of putting you together in the first place, but I don’t regret it. I did nothing to stop it. But now, the rebellion is far from us, far from you, and whoever they’re looking for, the nobles will eventually pay the price. 

      “Make peace with your gods, and thank them we got out in time.”

      Gale shook her head. “You owe me, Mother.” 

      “I’m not–”
        Gale rushed up to her. “You are! You are!” 

       She clutched Karis in a hard embrace and her breath hitched.

       “In all but blood, you are. Please don’t leave me.”

       Karis embraced her as she cried. 

       This had been unexpected, and the title Gale had given her touched her heart. 

       She felt her own eyes heat, and her vision blurred as they welled up,  but she still looked  at Zephyr, inquiring with her eyes over the weeping girl’s shoulders.

        Will you do it?

        In all his training he’d done a lot of dark things, and his blade was true despite the prayers, pleading, bribes, and lewd offers he received to spare lives that he’d been paid to take.

        Now, he wasn’t sure if he could do this, despite the fact that everything Gale told her was the truth. She had his parents killed, insulted his weight, but then told him to keep his eyes lifted and never lower them for his enemies. 

       From that day on he never did. 

       Watching the two of them, he supposed what Gale said was also true for him; she was his mother in all but blood.

       And he was taught, before his parents were killed, that he had to listen to his mother.

       He gave a single nod.

       Karis then buried her face against Gale’s shoulder, weeping her own tears of love, grief, regret, and forgiveness . 

       He saw his chance and took it, leaving them to say what needed saying about things between them he could do without knowing.