Rain splattered against the window and wind howled around the peaked edges of the house sending out calls akin to those of wild beasts, not that there would be any about in this weather. They would all be curled up in their dens and nests, warm and snug, letting the rain do as it liked.
Shae turned over the piece of wood she held in her hand. Shavings littered the table and floor around her feet. Lying just within reach of her right hand was a small carving knife. The wood was her current project, which she had hoped to turn into a bird just taking flight. As she turned it again, she thought it looked a bit lopsided.
The young woman went to shave another piece off the bird’s wing but pushed a little too hard and the knife sliced through the wood, taking off a larger chunk than she expected. Shae set down the figure and the knife and sighed heavily. The piece of carved wood on the table in front of Shae lay there now empty of the hope of being the bird she had envisioned. Why couldn’t she carve as well as her mother? For her the wood seemed to melt away into wonderful creations with no effort.
She had sat with her mother, smoothing the figures with rough pieces of paper until they were like silk. Her mother had made all of the furniture in her room: the bed frame with its tall carved posts, the wardrobe with intricately detailed doors, the vanity with drawers that slid so smoothly open and closed, and the desk with its large working surface and numerous shelves. All were made with beautiful dark wood that practically shone when polished.
Sitting on the desk was a carved figure of a cat, a mountain lion her mother had called it. It was larger than her hand, and she took it down with gentle care, tracing her fingers over the familiar wood.
“You are like this cat,” Mother had told her, “proud, graceful, and confident.”
Shae put down the carving and went to the window, looking out the rain-speckled window. The rain had lightened somewhat and she could see the lamps lining the cobblestone road that stretched down toward the village below. It was tucked safely in the valley, watched dutifully by Welcen Manor.
A dark figure passed the lamps at a quick pace and she realized it was a horse and rider. All the people in the valley used ibex for transportation, as their footing was sturdier on the narrow mountain passes. That meant the man must have come from outside the valley though it was too late in the month for the post. The horse rode up to the front door where one of the stable boys, Daenill, ran out into the rain to take the horse and the man moved inside and out of sight.
Shae went back to the table, looking over the shavings and the failure that should have been a bird. She pushed it away, trying to find the desire to start over with one of the other pieces of wood stacked on the table.
“Father has a messenger.” The door behind her opened and her sister came in.
“Kwen, you know better than to enter without knocking,” Shae scolded instinctively.
“Sorry, Shae.”
“Besides, Father gets messages all the time.”
“But this one’s from the King. It was brought by a Long Rider.”
“Probably some sort of proclamation.”
The King had long since established that his announcements were to be heard by anyone who had ears to hear. That included out-of-the-way and otherwise largely avoided towns in the mountains.
“Oh, what’s this to be? A pear?” Kwen had picked up the discarded carving attempt and turned it over in her hands. “These are odd leaves.”
“No, it’s not.” Shae snatched the figure from her sister’s hands.
“Oh! I wanted you to help me with one of my lessons.” Kwen ran swiftly from the room. Her own room was next to Shae’s so she was back just as quickly with book in hand. The sister smiled and sat down on her couch. Kwen plopped down beside her, holding the book open.
“Mistress Matswell wants me to write 20 inches on the King’s Council. What it does and why it exists, stuff like that.”
“And what is the problem? It appears to all be here.” Shae pointed to a section in the book she had skimmed over that spoke of the group.”
“It’s so long and boring,” Kwen whined.
“You wish me to do your work for you?”
“Well no…but maybe you could summarize it a bit?”
“I will not give you enough for your essay.”
Kwen lowered her head a bit more, and traced her finger over a line of text absently. Shae chuckled internally. She never could deny her sister anything.
“The King’s Council,” Shae began loudly, “is a group of nobles who are chosen by their peers to council the king. Hence their name.”
Her sister looked up, a smile on her face.
“The King, currently King Oethuren, has the utmost authority in the land,” Shae continued. “His word becomes law, but the King’s Council is able to advise him, make suggestions, and very often effect the decisions that are made for the good of the country.”
“If I was king, I wouldn’t want people telling me what to do.”
“You come to me for advice, don’t you?”
“Well that’s cause you’re so smart.”
“I’m no more intelligent than you. I just have different knowledge and experiences. That’s why the King has his Council. It is impossible for one person to know everything.”
Kwen looked down at the book again, this time thoughtfully. “Still boring.”
“Not everything in life can be exciting. It would exhaust even you too quickly.” Shae grinned.
Kwen laughed and hugged her sister. There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Shae called and the door opened to reveal Lawann, one of the servants. She opened the door only enough that she could be seen.
“Lord Athun has requested your presence, Miss Shaewynn, and yours, Miss Kwenthian.”
Shae stood up quickly. “Tell him we will arrive shortly.”
Lawann nodded and shut the door.
“It must be something about the message.” Kwen said excitedly, tossing the book behind her. “He hasn’t called for us in ages.”
Shae wrung her hands and then hurried to her mirror, looking over the light blue dress she wore. She immediately removed the white apron she had put over it to catch wood shavings and made sure that her bonnet sat straight on her head.
“Come on Shae.” Kwen urged.
The young noble moved after her sister at a controlled pace, trying not to look too eager. Her father’s study was downstairs, away from the draft of the front door. Kwen reached the door first and knocked.
“Come in.” Shae heard her father’s gruff voice from within.
Kwen opened the door and Shae followed her in. As soon as she entered she curtseyed, a move that was quickly mirrored by her sister.
Her father sat in a chair facing the fire in the fireplace. “Sit down,” he said as he stood and turned.
Lord Athun Welcen’s brown eyes sparkled happily, mirroring the smile on his face. His long black hair was tied into a tight ponytail at the base of his head.
“And what have you two been doing today? Getting into mischief?” he pretended to glare.
“No, Father!” Shae and Kwen chorused, running forward to jump into his arms. He could lift them both easily, spinning them around as they laughed.
Shae pulled away from the happy memory to see her father’s brown eyes no longer sparkled from the shadows of his aged face. The curve of his lips was hidden by his shaggy hair and full beard. She sat in one of the empty chairs, resting her hands in her lap.
Her father held a letter. “I have received that the Queen is to add more handmaidens to her court. It is an open invitation to all young women.” He set down the paper, looking at it now as if reading it over again.
Shae glanced at her sister who was frowning. “You would…like us to go?”
“Yes, the both of you.” He rubbed his nose quickly.
“I don’t want to go,” Kwen said quickly. “Court’s just a bunch of stuffy people playing mind games with each other.”
“This is not up for debate,” the lord said harshly.
“Sorry, Father.” The girl lowered her eyes.
“Perhaps if you told us why you want us to go…” Shae said carefully. Her father stood, pacing over to the fire to poke it into a brighter state.
“There will be no arguments,” he said without turning around. “You are to pack your things. I have arranged for an escort to take you to Tarchatel tomorrow morning.”
Shae sat silently for a moment. Her father had been distant since her mother’s death, but never like this. Why would he be so intent on sending them away? Shae’s chest tightened painfully but she kept her face calm, as her mother would have done. “Yes, Father.”
“You are dismissed.”
Kwen crossed her arms as she stood and stalked from the room. Shae curtseyed properly before going after her sister.
“What is the point of sending us?” Kwen complained as the two young ladies walked back to their rooms. “Neither of us has any interest in court. Plus it’s not like we’ll be any more popular there then we are here.” Kwen shook her head.
“Father said the invitation is open to all young women.”
“Well what does that matter? Father is a Lord after all.”
“Our blood is all but pure.”
Kwen sighed.
Shae’s luggage trunks had already been brought to her room and lay open on her bed. Lawann pulled another dress from the wardrobe and folded it in her arms before placing it in the trunk with the others already there.
“He didn’t even wait to tell us before having our things packed,” Kwen growled slightly.
The servant turned quickly, wringing her hands. “I’m sorry; I was just doing as Lord Athun ordered. He insisted that the packing be finished tonight.”
“I would hate for him to waste time getting rid of us.” Kwen said angrily, storming from the room. Shae sighed and followed her sister, leaving Lawann to her task.
In her sister’s room her own luggage trunks were laid out, in the process of being packed. Kwen rushed to her wardrobe and pulled out an armful of clothing, tossing them into one of the larger trunks. The servant, Arawyrr, stumbled backward, pressing herself against the wall, her face pale.
“Kwen,” Shae said gently. “Calm down.”
“Why should I? My own father is all too happy to be rid of me.”
“You know it isn’t like that,” Shae said, hoping to convince herself as well by saying it out loud. Arawyrr was glancing between the unfinished trunks and the sisters as they spoke. “You’re dismissed for now.”
The servant’s face flashed in relief as she hurried from the room, not even bothering to close the door as she went. Shae closed the door as her sister paced the room, grabbing seemingly random items and throwing them into the mostly full trunks.
Their father had been loving and attentive until the death of their mother eight years prior. After that night he had replaced almost all of the servants, and locked himself in his study. He came out only rarely, and then only for meals or trips that took him away for days at a time.
Shae went to her sister’s vanity where a carved figure of a wolf sat, howling at the moon.
“And my little Kwen, you are like this wolf, swift, loyal, and brave.”
“And which one are you more like, Mother?” Shae asked.
“Well…I’m like both.” The woman barked and then pulled her two children into a tight embrace, purring loudly.
Shae took a brush from beside the wolf and sat on her sister’s bed. She undid the ribbon holding on her bonnet and pulled it off. Two cat-like ears pricked up from their flattened position, the same golden color as her hair. She pulled loose the tight bun at the back of her head and smoothed it, first with fingers and then with the brush.
Kwen stopped pacing, looking at her sister. “It’s because of these ears.” She ripped her own bonnet off, revealing similar ears nestled in her light orange hair.
“What is?”
“It’s why he’s sending us away. All the servants are either terrified of us, or hate us. Father just finally found a good way to get rid of us.”
“He’s not trying to get rid of us,” Shae said. “He has a reason.”
“You don’t believe that, Shae. All he’s ever been is ashamed of us. He makes us cover our ears and squash our tails beneath our dresses. He pretends they don’t exist even though everyone knows they do. They think we’re monsters and traitors.”
“Things may be different in the capitol. I’ve heard they are much more forward in their thinking, and there are many other races there. Some are even a part of the Royal Court.”
“But no shisa.”
Shae sighed, holding out her hand to her sister. Kwen took her sister’s hand and climbed onto the bed. She curled up with her head in Shae’s lap. “Everything will be fine,” Shae said softly.
The brush floated through Kwen’s hair, smoothing it gently. Her ears relaxed as she closed her eyes. “As long as you’re there, Shae…”