Page 35 of Elemental Truth (Mysterious Fields #3)

35

APRIL 18H AT ARUNDEL

V itus was not at all sure what the etiquette was in this case. That was despite the fact that it was the fourth Fortier funeral inside seven months, and he was in fact now familiar with their customs. For one thing, he wasn’t sure that he ought to be attending. But he’d had a note, specifically from Dagobert, now Lord Dagobert, and Laudine, asking him to attend. And another from Florent, encouraging him to come as well.

In the litany of the dead - and the causes of death - this one was even odder than usual. Sigbert had fallen from a horse, Vitus gathered, and died almost instantly. Certainly, no one could argue with that. Vitus heard a murmur, from someone near him, talking to a knot of what must have been Sigbert’s yearmates, that there had a been a swarm of bees nearby, perhaps they had spooked the horse.

It was another death out of season, uncertain, and a thing of gossip. This funeral was far less well attended than either Childeric’s or Clovis’s had been. The mourners were cautious, quiet, and mostly those obliged by family ties or by connections. And a few too afraid of angering the remaining Fortier relations, though it was hard to count exactly who was in that group.

Thessaly was here; Vitus had seen her, lending a hand to Laudine, mostly. A handful of the Council were in attendance, though more as a nod to Sigbert’s brief time as Lord of the Land. Dagobert seemed to be bearing up well enough so far, though he looked more exhausted than usual. The bees were slightly better in shape, but less detailed, as if the crafting had been rushed. Once the graveside offerings had been made, he and Laudine had both been seated at a table in the garden, and the mourners came to them. Thessaly stayed close to them, just nodding at him when he paid his respects.

Their son sat beside them, near silent, and Vitus wished he knew what to say there. It must be a tremendous amount of change for him, much of it different to explain. The adults didn’t have answers. How could they tell Garin anything that made sense? But Vitus certainly didn’t have answers for that.

When he was leaving, as the numbers dwindled down to the immediate family, he saw Thessaly taking Garin off for a quiet walk. It made him wonder, all of a sudden, what she’d be like with her own child. But he could not linger and watch, and instead went back to Bryn Glas to wait for her.

He had some time to wait, as it turned out, a good two hours, two and a half, before Thessaly turned up. She was trailed by Collins, who followed her into Thessaly’s bedroom. Vitus could hear the sound of the bath running, and in about ten minutes, Collins came out. “I’ll be bringing supper up in half an hour. Mistress Thessaly suggested some wine might be in order, if you agreed?”

Vitus was bemused to be consulted, but he nodded. “If Thessaly wants wine, certainly. I admit that seems a good idea. I don’t need anything further. I’m sure you’ve plenty to see to.”

Collins nodded her head once and disappeared. Near enough on the thirty minute mark, Thessaly appeared from her bedroom. Her hair was in a thick braid down her back and mostly dry, her wrapper on, and she looked as if the bath had helped, but not quite enough. She opened her mouth to ask, “Food?” when there was a knock on the door and Collins brought in a tray on a cart.

“There we go. I’ll be sitting up in the kitchen, should you need anything, Mistress?” Collins disappeared, leaving them to a supper of stew, good bread and butter, and yes, wine.

Vitus let Thessaly eat in quiet until she set her spoon down and blinked at him. “You’re not saying anything?” Her voice was a little uneven.

Vitus shifted to offer an arm. She immediately leaned into it, her head on his shoulder. That meant he could probably ask a question or three. “You seemed to need to eat first? It looked rather awful, from what I saw. How are Dagobert and Laudine? Or Garin, I saw you with him.”

“Exhausted, both of them, and worried. If there is a curse...” Thessaly’s voice trailed off. “And Bradamante is apparently being difficult. An unpleasant combination of coming over big sister and would-be-matriarch. Only then her husband keeps pulling her away. I gather they’re going on an Atlantic crossing, so Yves obviously plans to put distance between them and whatever curse or misfortune there might be.”

“I suppose he is at least following his own dictates. And it would give Dagobert and Laudine a little space to sort things out. Bradamante isn't their matriarch.” Vitus offered it tentatively.

“No, she married out. That’s the point. And it’s a bit late now to have Yves marry in. Like it or not, Dagobert is Lord now. He has a son. With any luck there will be another inside six weeks.” Thessaly considered. “They’re still in shock, honestly, both of them. And the funeral was all sorts of demands. That’s why I took Garin for a walk. At least he could have a few minutes without having to be entirely proper in public.” Thessaly shook her head. “Laudine trusts her Healer, and, assuming nothing else happens, she has every reason to rest as much as possible now.”

“Quite.” Vitus certainly felt himself unqualified to comment on what she should be doing, anyway. “And you?”

“Well. It solves the problem of people pushing me to marry Sigbert,” Thessaly said, before she inhaled, the sort of sharp inhale that gave Vitus only a few moments warning. Then she was shaking, the sort of onrush of emotion she’d had, just as reasonably, a few times before. Vitus pulled his arm around her, encouraging her more into his lap, where he could hold her better, and just held on, as steady as he could.

It lasted longer this time than the others she’d let him see, until she was sniffling against his jacket, her shoulders still shivering. Vitus let his hand stroke her back, the way Lucas had taught him to stroke a nervous horse. The trick was in making long movements, nothing sudden or unexpected, the rhythm mattering as much as the touch itself.

Vitus just waited until finally Thessaly put her head up, sniffling. He met her eyes. “Bedroom? Would that be more comfortable?” Her face was blotchy. She rubbed it with the back of one hand.

“Let me, I’m a mess. Your jacket.” Her words tumbled out.

“None of that matters. How about you go wash your face, I’ll bring the wine in, and the jacket will keep.” Vitus was fairly sure that Collins knew some particular magic to clean such things. Or if not, she could recommend someone who did. And besides, the jacket didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

She wiggled out of his lap, standing. Shaky, perhaps, but not for terribly long. Thessaly looked back at him from the door to her bedroom, then disappeared. Vitus poured another full glass of the wine, and brought it into the bedroom, before covering up the food and making sure the fire was behaving. By the time Thessaly appeared, he was in bed. The sheets were warmed with a charm, and he’d changed into the pyjamas he kept in the wardrobe. He wasn’t sure if she’d want more intimate contact tonight or not. Now, he pulled the blankets back as she slid in.

“You didn’t go away.”

“Why would I?” Vitus blinked. “I don’t think you’re cursed, for the record. Have I said that yet? I have implied it, but perhaps it needed saying.” The thought had just occurred to him.

Thessaly managed an uneven smile. “It’s, I don’t even know what I feel about Sigbert. Felt. Any of it.”

That was also honestly reasonable. Vitus considered. “I’d be worried, I think, if you did know. It’s all confusing. We don’t have anything like all the relevant information. And there is honestly a lot of terrifying change going on, deaths and mysteries and more.” He considered. “Tell me some of what you feel about Sigbert? It doesn’t have to be all of it. Start somewhere.”

“An opening move.” Putting it in duelling terms helped, of course it would. She took a deep breath. “He shouldn’t be dead. I mean, I don’t know of any reason he ought to be. He was a good rider, on his estate, his own horse. Childeric could be reckless. Sigbert wasn’t.”

“In general, either?” Vitus said, clarifying.

“That.” Thessaly let out a sigh and fell back against the pillows with a soft thump. “I didn’t love him. I almost certainly wasn’t going to marry him— um. That came out not the way I meant. I’ll— that’s different?”

“Come back to it.” Vitus said, though he very much would like her to expand on that point. Not that Sigbert was a threat, but it was the question of what else she meant to do now that was relevant.

“He didn’t deserve to be dead. Or did he? I mean, if there is a curse, it’s a very precise one.” Thessaly lifted a hand and let it fall. “Four. And there’s Dagobert being ill. And Lady Chrodechildis.”

“How is she? Did they say?” Vitus asked.

“Glaring from her bed, but that’s about all she can do. Laudine and Dagobert are moving to Arundel, making over the first floor as they get a chance. There isn’t really much choice, even though Laudine doesn’t want to leave Essex.” Thessaly added, “I did tell you what I pointed out to Father. What if it’s the estate? I mentioned that to her. She said she’d had the same fear. She’s having things checked out thoroughly, but she doesn’t think it’s that.” Thessaly sat up. “Maybe she knows it’s something else?”

“What makes you think that?” Vitus hesitated, then went on. “I’m not arguing, but I didn’t see or hear whatever makes you think that.”

“I don’t know. Just the way she said it. And the way she looked at Dagobert. It was before everyone arrived this morning, just before all the expectations landed on everyone. But what? I mean, if she knew what it was, why isn’t she doing something? Or is she doing something, and it’s not obvious?”

“Maybe it’s not something she can control? Or not something she understands fully? Or something like that?” Vitus was trying to think through the implications. “There’s a lot of that in talisman work.”

Thessaly twisted to face him, now sitting with one foot tucked under her thigh, knee bent. “Tell me about that?” She had the quality of a child wanting one more story, one more joy before sleep. Vitus was taken again with how eager her passions were when she could let them show.

“Talismans, sometimes we’re making them. Oh, Niobe calls this closed and open, though there are better technical terms. Closed, you’re working in a system where the factors are known. The charms against lightning, for example. You know precisely what you want to prevent or discourage or avoid. It can be named, magically, in the description - lightning, plague, specific illnesses. Unwanted relatives, so you don’t run into them casually.”

Thessaly snorted at the last one. “Does that work?”

“Depends on who designed the talisman. Mine work fairly well, so far, based on observed data.” Vitus was rather proud of that, actually. They weren’t easy to do, especially with expansive families or sets of people. “And open talismans are more dependent on other factors. The one for Carrington, for example, that’s interacting with the environment in the moment. The state of the wearer, what is going on around them, if there are other circumstances. So it might be something where Laudine understands some of what the effect is. But not all of what’s going on, or how to change it. Just what experience suggests is affected and what is not.”

“I don’t know that we’ll ever know. Or be able to ask.” Thessaly sighed, and rearranged herself to settle on her side. “Can you talk through examples of talismans with me? More of them, I mean? When you have time?”

“Oh, ask me to talk about a subject I love with a person I adore? Whatever shall I do?” He hit the teasing note right. He saw her smile properly.

“Silly.” Thessaly took a breath, then said, her words coming out in a tumble. “Sigbert should have had more of a life. And he was trying to be decent, and mostly he was managing it. But I want, I want things that are about a future with you. Not anyone else. I don’t know how to get from now to there, though. Not without risking your work, your reputation. And I’m afraid Father’s going to, um. Be difficult again about marrying me off, sooner than later. Within a month or two, probably. Given prior evidence.”

Vitus swallowed hard. “I want a future with you, too. And together, we’ll figure out how to get there.” He considered. “Would a betrothal protect you enough? Even if we didn’t marry for a bit, until I’m more established?”

“Maybe.” Thessaly looked up. “If I could avoid shouting on the street about how much I want to marry you.” Her mouth curled up slightly.

“You’re doing remarkably well at that so far,” Vitus said. “I will dream of a day we can walk down the street in Trellech arm in arm, then.” He let out a huff of a breath. “And now?”

“And now, I want. I want a night with you. Without expectations looming, or fears, or any of that.”

“I will apply myself to that bit of magic, then. Not quite a talisman, but I think I have some relevant skills.” Vitus reached out, letting his fingers trail across the back of her hand, a pattern that hinted at much more to come.

She laughed, nudging him. “Less in the way of clothing, then. And less light?”

“Both can be arranged.” Vitus set himself to those particular problems, as well as making sure the wine glass was well out of the way. It did not solve any of their large problems, but those could wait for a night. Today had held plenty.