Spring, Glyndwr
A songbird
fluttered outside the castle window, Neith could hear its song despite the wall between them. She stood away from her desk, where the letter lay.
The letter which had informed her rather roughly of Ryker’s impending wedding.
She of course would not be attending, as the church was deftly negotiating her
own marriage. Neith was the princess of Glyndwr, and therefore a tool at the
Brotherhood’s disposal. Her chest ached, as she stared off into nothing.
Although she had known for some time, that Ryker would be married to another
woman, she couldn’t help the burning sensation of loss. As children, they had
been told they would wed, and spent many hours in supervised visits, ‘courting’
her father had called it.
Neith had
always been a quiet child, but somehow Ryker had managed to break through her
barrier with his mischievous smile. It was her brother Nereus who told her the
reason she would not be his bride. Rumours had circulated, by the rebellious
few in the church who had pushed for Ryker to be named her father’s heir –
instead of her brother. Ryker bore the mark of Theyrn, whereas Nereus did not.
If Neith was married to Ryker it would reinforce the bloodline – and those
rumours against Nereus would no doubt spur an uprising. Instead, she would be
shipped off to one of the other kingdoms. The Brotherhood was hoping for a bond
with Maela; however the alternative was Ruadh – where she would most probably
become a second or third wife for one of their princes.
The door
creaked open but Neith knew who it was, so she did not move. She had summoned Sofia
not long before, intent on finding out as much as she could about Ryker’s new
bride. She wasn’t sure why it mattered; it wasn’t as if she had any power over
the situation. She waited and listened as the door shut again, and heard the
girl step forward and curtsy.
“Princess,”
Sofia chimed musically.
The two of
them had grown reasonably close since Sofia’s arrival. She had been sent to
wait on Neith while seeking a husband; it was obvious she was not able to gain
one on her own. Neith finally turned to acknowledge the girl; she walked to her
and smiled gently.
“How do you
fair?” She asked Sofia plainly.
Sofia was
of Maelan descent, on her father’s side. Her mother was Ruadhian, and she had
spent her childhood in the kingdom of Ruadh. Neith had heard that Sofia’s
father was not inclined to his ancestral custom of a matriarchal society. He
had fled Maela in exchange for Ruadh, where he’d married a noblewoman and gone
on to father several children. Unfortunately, Sofia was not exactly an
appealing young girl and she did not make up for her lack of beauty with
personality, so far as Neith had gathered.
“I am very
well,” Sofia answered. “What of you, Princess?”
Upon
further inspection, Neith could see she was nervous. It was understandable,
being summoned by the princess without prior awareness of such a meeting. Neith
smiled a little, she did not need the girl to be at unease.
“Let us
sit,” she said, extending her arm. “Have you any news to share, any men to tell
me of?”
Sofia
followed her toward the table, “I’m afraid I’m only a little more desirable than
before I came here – not that your highness hasn’t aided me immensely.”
Neith
smiled again, giving a nod to acknowledge the truth in her statement. Neith had
tried every trick in the book with Sofia, such as donning her in the latest
fashions and having her attend every gathering alongside her. Sofia simply had
very little to offer, she was timid with herself and yet forward with her
politeness, when she spoke it was almost as if she was reciting a chapter from
a book. She had also shown little interest in any man she had been presented to,
or at least she had not made any interest known.
Neith sat
down first, with Sofia waiting politely. It was a wonder that the girl hadn’t
been forced into a marriage by her father already.
“Would you
like a drink?” Neith offered, gesturing to the cups available.
Sofia
looked horrified, “Princess I would not mean to impose –”
“I’m not
thirsty either,” Neith interrupted.
She was
growing impatient, eager to get to the point of the conversation. It seemed
Sofia too was curious to learn the reason for her presence, as she had begun to
fidget in her seat.
“Princess,”
she began delicately. “If I have caused you offence in some way –”
“You
haven’t of course, I doubt you ever could.” Neith said, “I’ve been told
negotiations with Maela are going as expected.”
“Regarding
your marriage?” The girl’s eyes lit up, “I have heard the prince is very
handsome.”
“You have
never met him?”
Sofia
looked taken aback, “I haven’t been to Maela.”
Neith
continued as if Sofia hadn’t spoken, “Your family in Maela is very connected
I’m told, in fact your aunt is set to be married to Ryker.”
As she said
the words, she felt her voice crack. Something welled up from her chest and
into her throat, she gulped it back.
“My aunt?”
Sofia seemed surprised, “I have two aunts –”
“Leda, her
name is.”
Neith
watched as recognition washed over the girl’s face, she flushed a little before
speaking.
“My aunt
Leda,” she said. “That is surprising, although I guess it does make some sense.”
“She has
ties to the Brotherhood?” Neith asked eagerly.
“Well,”
Sofia continued. “Sort of, she was sent to a house in Maela to be raised under
the church – or at least an unofficial branch.”
“The
Sisterhood,” Neith nodded knowingly.
The
unofficial branch Sofia spoke of was known as the Sisterhood, not officially
sanctioned by the church but somewhat supported. Neith knew it had been started
by one of the previous Maelan queens – with the intention of providing Maelan
born wives for the noble folk in other kingdoms. Beforehand, Maelan women had
struggled with adjusting to life outside the matriarch.
“But,”
Sofia added. “My father has implied that she was past her marriageable years – and
that she would go on to act as a carer for new girls sent to the Sisterhood.”
