Duty to Olmgra and Family, Part V
Ekla walked through the court, trying not to show how tired she was. She’d been up all night hunting for a way to keep Sirshi at her place in the court. A year ago she wouldn’t have bothered, but she’d seen the change in Sirshi a few nights ago with Roshil. The Sirshi with whom she’d grown up wouldn’t have cared what was happening to other people. She would’ve ignored everyone else’s problems, and not stood up for anyone. The whole blaming other people for her problems thing hadn’t changed, but she figured with time, Master Moudren would tend to that as well.
Besides, I’ve had enough grief from Amnadm.
She’d tried talking to Lord Velal about it, but her complaints were the same as they’d been for the past nine years: Amnadm had abandoned Kurgm, forcing Lord Velal to take him. Now he’d put something into Kurgm’s head, but Ekla hadn’t figured out what it was yet.
After getting something to eat and convincing herself that her next decision wasn’t coming from her lack of sleep, she left the castle.
She hadn’t entirely convinced herself that she was doing the right thing. Arguments still flew back and forth in her head. As much as she liked to give the impression that she knew what she was doing, she rarely felt that she did. Even so, there was one last thing she felt she had to do.
You cross this bridge, there’s no going back.
I know him. He won’t give up until he gets his way.
He’s your father.
My duty is to the court and the apprentices.
There were several residential districts in the court, all of varying extravagance. The one in which she found herself was one of the nicer ones. Not at the top, but nice enough that the people living there could gloat about it. After several minutes of walking, she came to the right house.
She checked the number against a letter her father had sent her a week ago. Then she walked up to the door and knocked.
You were right, Father, it is bigger than the last one.
The sound of feet came from inside. Then there were a few clicks and the door opened.
A black-skinned young man stood in the doorway.
“Master Ekla.” As always, Stramf greeted her with a smile.
“Stramf,” Ekla smiled back at him. Stramf’s family had been serving her father for as long as Ekla could remember, and Ekla wasn’t sure that her father knew his name. She was always sure to use his name so he’d know someone did. “I’m here to see Endrir and Gwindel. Have they returned?”
“Yes.” He motioned for her to come inside. “Mr. Endrir just returned from his trip to the castle.”
They walked through one room, heading toward the sitting room. Ekla noticed a box with a worn out stuffed bear’s head sticking out of it.
Stramf lowered his voice. “I don’t think it went well. Endrir’s in quite the foul mood.”
“I should think so,” she said in a quiet voice. “I stopped Endrir from forcing Apprentice Sirshi to change specializations.”
He shot her a quick smile before they entered the sitting room. The ceiling stretched well over their heads. Everything glittered. She was sure if her father had been able to, he would’ve bought a house made of jewels.
“Master Ekla.”
Stramf held the door for her and closed it behind her.
Her father was pacing while Gwindel, Sirshi’s mother, sat in a chair, watching him.
“You,” her father greeted her.
“You’ve made your father awfully upset,” Gwindel said.
Ekla always saw Gwindel as a horrible, alternate future of her own. Spoiled, wealthy, and not a thought in her head that a man hadn’t put there.
“After everything I’ve done for you,” her father said, advancing on her. “I paid for the roof over your head. I gave you food and clothes, and this is how you repay me?”
“I have a duty to the court,” Ekla said. She kept her back straight and face neutral. Her personal feelings could wait until the time was right.
“You have a duty to me! I’m your father!”
You sired me. Intended to use me to further your own status. The court raised me. Master Velal and Apprentice Kurgm showed me that a family is held together by love, not obedience.
“That woman put you up to this, didn’t she?” Gwindel said. “You can tell her that Sirshi is my daughter!”
“Is that why you’ve already packed away her belongings?” Ekla asked. “I saw the box on the way in. I’m surprised you bothered to bring them when you moved.”
A few things fell into place. She’d been wondering if her update to their father had set him on this path, but it hadn’t been. Sirshi’s belongings weren’t packed to be thrown out, they’d never been unpacked. It was the move that had reminded her father that he had a second daughter.
“No daughter of mine shows me the disrespect she did!” her father roared. “If she wants to chase some fairy tale, fine! I made it clear that she’s not coming back here.” He calmed down, but held his glare on her. “What about you?”
Ekla knew this was the moment. Not the one where she made a choice, that moment had been years ago, but the moment she told her father her choice.
“My duty is to the court first,” she said. “My loyalty is to the court.” Her father started yelling, but she raised her voice over his. “And as a servant of the court, I’m telling you that if you’re found harassing any servant or apprentice of the court, measures will be taken against you.”
She turned around and left the drawing room amid vows and threats.
Her father ordered “Stram” to see her out.
Stramf closed the drawing room door behind her, then walked with her to the front door.
On her way, Ekla grabbed the box of Sirshi’s things, smiling at the bear sticking out.
“You fixed his eye,” she said, noting that he had one more eye than he’d had the last time she’d seen him.
“Apprentice Sirshi loved that bear,” Stramf said. “It seemed wrong to let him fall into disrepair.”
Ekla smiled at him, the closest she’d ever come to having a childhood friend. “Thank you.” She stopped at the door. “If they ask about the box, tell them I grabbed it and ran. And if you want a job where people actually know your name, let me know. The castle can always use good people.”
“Thank you, Master Ekla.”
“Back up,” she said, taking the door handle. “Walk back a few paces, then run at the door. I’ll slam it so it sounds like I made a getaway.”
“They won’t be happy with me,” Stramf said.
“All the more reason to find somewhere you’ll be appreciated for trying your best.”
Stramf backed up, then Ekla slammed the door. She heard running footsteps and smiled.
She walked through the court, carrying the box out of that district and into another one. It made her smile when a few people offered to help her, but she politely turned them down. She walked a few more blocks until she came to one house in particular. She put down the box and knocked on the door.
The door opened, and a sour old woman looked over her and the boxes.
“Ekla.”
“Hello, Quolmd. I… May I please come in?”
Her mother stepped aside and allowed her in. Ekla picked up the box and walked inside.
“Did they kick you out?” her mother asked, eyeing the box.
“Not the court,” Ekla replied. “Not my things. They’re Sirshi’s. Her parents were going to throw them away.”
“Sirshi.” A smile came over her mother’s face. “You should’ve seen her in the Flower Blooming Ceremony. She was perfect.”
“So I heard.” Following her mother’s guidance, Ekla put the box down in a corner.
“You are always welcome to go, you know. You don’t have to do what those people tell you.”
“Those people being…?”
“Your father and that… woman.”
“You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?”
Ekla told her mother everything that had happened in the past week. While she talked, her mother offered her a chair and some tea. When she was finished talking, she took a sip of the tea.
“That… that…”
“Mother, please watch your language.”
“I can’t believe him! His own daughter! Both of you! You tell your sister she’s always welcome here. If that man doesn’t want her, all the better! She can stay here if she wants. I’ll take care of her things. What about yours? Aren’t they going to throw those out?”
“I got everything I wanted when I moved into the castle.”
“Good.” Her mother sipped her tea. “How’s… Kur… Kurgm! How’s he doing?”
Well, his uncle that abandoned him after his parents died showed up and caused trouble, like he always does when he shows up, and now he’s not spending as much time with Apprentice Aonva.
“He’s made friends with Sirshi,” she said instead, thinking back to earlier. She hadn’t expected to find Kurgm with Sirshi and Master Moudren, but she was happy he’d been there.
“How wonderful! It was a shame for him to miss the ceremony. I can’t believe that creepy little girl showed up. What was she even doing there?”
Ekla closed her eyes, breathed, and counted to five.
“Apprentice Roshil has fixed up every statue in the Temple of the Rising Sun. She is also friends with Apprentice Sirshi, and after being so cruelly cast out, Master Moudren welcomed her back in and let them plant flowers in the garden.”
This didn’t remove the bitter look her mother had, but it got her to stop talking about it. Ekla was glad for it; she didn’t want to get started on everything going on with Roshil. It was bad enough having to maneuver Kurgm through it while worrying his uncle might start writing to him (something that had never happened, but there was no telling with Amnadm).
“How are you?” her mother asked. “Still trying to be queen?”
“I’m finishing my druid apprenticeship,” Ekla said.
“You’ll have to be a priest next,” her mother said, a faint smile crossing her lips. “What with a mastery of everything else.”
“I’ll be a priest of the court. That means I won’t worship any one deity, but understand the practices of all of them. That’s what Our Lady Exalted Priest and His Majesty do. It’s common practice.”
“Very well. I suppose having two priests in the family will do.”
“And if I stopped at True Knight?”
“I’d be proud of you anyway, Ekla. Not as proud as I could be. You know, there are other temples.”
Ekla stood up.
“I think we’re finished.”
Her mother stood up and walked her to the door.
“Please come by and visit more often,” her mother said. “I know we haven’t always gotten along, but I do love you, Ekla.”
Ekla gave her mother a hug.
“I know. I… I love you too.”