Like every day, she paid a visit to Alister. “There’s ice on the roads today,” she opened his blinds, “The cleaning droid got stuck in the parking lot. Spun its wheels until the motor burned out.” She pulled the covers off his bed, rolling him to the side as she pulled off the bottom sheet, “The stubbornness reminded me of you.”
A door opened behind her and she could hear the tap of Kadeem’s cane. “Good morning, Princess,” he picked up a basin and carried it into the bathroom. She could hear the faucet turn on with a squeak. Kadeem had changed so much it a short time; cutting his hair and working so hard at his physical therapy that except for the cane, he looked like one of the Ostrum. Even the way he said, “Princess,” had changed. It no longer carried a barb. Indeed, sometimes she almost thought she detected a tenderness in his voice. Shaking her head, Tatiana stuffed the dirty laundry into a hamper and buzzed for a servant.
The door opened again. “Please take the hamper to the laundry and . . .” Tatiana did a double-take. It wasn’t a servant coming in the door, it was Mina.
“I come all the way here to visit you, and you have me doing laundry,” Mina joked. She sat in the chair next to Alister’s bed and touched his hand, “How is it, being ascended?”
“It’s not that bad,” Tatiana shrugged, “I don’t really feel that different. I’m still me. I can carry a tune now, I never could before.” She shrugged again, “I had this weird dream about a week afterwards. Tate was standing outside of my parent’s house. It was on fire, and there was someone who looked like me inside. He ran into the house trying to get to me, but the smoke and the heat drove him back.” Tatiana bit her lower lip, “The thing that really hit me was the look on his face. It was something like, well, it felt like, anyway . . . it made me feel loved.”
“Interesting,” Mina undid her hair and Tatiana watched it sweep the floor behind the chair. “I heard you have been the model of a good priest, with the exception of keeping a witch and a devil as servants.”
“Carl and Amber are the only ones I trust,” she looked across the room at the adjoining bathroom. The sound of running water trickled out of the cracked door. “And Kadeem,” she said softly, “but don’t tell him I said that.”
“My lips are sealed,” Mina smiled, wrapping her hair back into a tight bun.
“You know what I realized the other day?” Tatiana unknotted Alister’s sash, “You sent Alister to the mayor of Errant, knowing he would turn him back over to Van.”
“Spies and double-agents,” Mina helped Tatiana lift Alister and pull his arms out of his robes, “Alister played the part I needed him to play. You’re the reason they opened the gate between Egregia and Citadel, right?”
Tatiana nodded, smoothing Alister’s robes down and tucking them around his waist. Kadeem limped into the room with his basin of soapy water and a sponge. “I have been working with Andra, the current head of the Order,” Tatiana moved out of Kadeem’s way, “She is much better at the political thing than I am.”
Mina gazed at Alister as Kadeem washed him, “I thought it would be Alister who would lead the reconciliation. I never thought it would be you.”
“Sorry,” Tatiana turned away from her, looking out the window at the icy cement. A drone was parked in a visitor’s spot, and she had little doubt that it was Mina’s.
“Don’t apologize,” Mina joined her at the window, “I’m just trying to explain to you that this,” she gestured at Alister, “was never my intent. He was born in Egregia and knew first hand that there was no real difference between the cursed and holy. He had been through remastering and he knew how horrible it was. I sent you to him to wake him up, not to put him back to sleep.” Mina held out her hand to Tatiana in truce, “Ollie ollie oxen.”
Tatiana took her hand, “Home free,” she whispered.
A door opened behind her and she could hear the tap of Kadeem’s cane. “Good morning, Princess,” he picked up a basin and carried it into the bathroom. She could hear the faucet turn on with a squeak. Kadeem had changed so much it a short time; cutting his hair and working so hard at his physical therapy that except for the cane, he looked like one of the Ostrum. Even the way he said, “Princess,” had changed. It no longer carried a barb. Indeed, sometimes she almost thought she detected a tenderness in his voice. Shaking her head, Tatiana stuffed the dirty laundry into a hamper and buzzed for a servant.
The door opened again. “Please take the hamper to the laundry and . . .” Tatiana did a double-take. It wasn’t a servant coming in the door, it was Mina.
“I come all the way here to visit you, and you have me doing laundry,” Mina joked. She sat in the chair next to Alister’s bed and touched his hand, “How is it, being ascended?”
“It’s not that bad,” Tatiana shrugged, “I don’t really feel that different. I’m still me. I can carry a tune now, I never could before.” She shrugged again, “I had this weird dream about a week afterwards. Tate was standing outside of my parent’s house. It was on fire, and there was someone who looked like me inside. He ran into the house trying to get to me, but the smoke and the heat drove him back.” Tatiana bit her lower lip, “The thing that really hit me was the look on his face. It was something like, well, it felt like, anyway . . . it made me feel loved.”
“Interesting,” Mina undid her hair and Tatiana watched it sweep the floor behind the chair. “I heard you have been the model of a good priest, with the exception of keeping a witch and a devil as servants.”
“Carl and Amber are the only ones I trust,” she looked across the room at the adjoining bathroom. The sound of running water trickled out of the cracked door. “And Kadeem,” she said softly, “but don’t tell him I said that.”
“My lips are sealed,” Mina smiled, wrapping her hair back into a tight bun.
“You know what I realized the other day?” Tatiana unknotted Alister’s sash, “You sent Alister to the mayor of Errant, knowing he would turn him back over to Van.”
“Spies and double-agents,” Mina helped Tatiana lift Alister and pull his arms out of his robes, “Alister played the part I needed him to play. You’re the reason they opened the gate between Egregia and Citadel, right?”
Tatiana nodded, smoothing Alister’s robes down and tucking them around his waist. Kadeem limped into the room with his basin of soapy water and a sponge. “I have been working with Andra, the current head of the Order,” Tatiana moved out of Kadeem’s way, “She is much better at the political thing than I am.”
Mina gazed at Alister as Kadeem washed him, “I thought it would be Alister who would lead the reconciliation. I never thought it would be you.”
“Sorry,” Tatiana turned away from her, looking out the window at the icy cement. A drone was parked in a visitor’s spot, and she had little doubt that it was Mina’s.
“Don’t apologize,” Mina joined her at the window, “I’m just trying to explain to you that this,” she gestured at Alister, “was never my intent. He was born in Egregia and knew first hand that there was no real difference between the cursed and holy. He had been through remastering and he knew how horrible it was. I sent you to him to wake him up, not to put him back to sleep.” Mina held out her hand to Tatiana in truce, “Ollie ollie oxen.”
Tatiana took her hand, “Home free,” she whispered.
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