It was magnificent.
“My lady,” Emelisse gasped, grasping the woman’s arm. “I cannot wear this. I do not know when I will be able to return it to you.”
Lady de Wrenville smiled faintly. “You need not return it,” she said. “It is a gift.”
Emelisse stared at it, astonished that Lady de Wrenville should gift her with something so expensive.
“But…” she protested. “Surely this cost you a great deal of money and I…”
Lady de Wrenville shushed her quietly and as Emelisse shut her lips, Lady de Wrenville ordered her maids from the chamber, instructing them to pack a small satchel for Emelisse to take along. As the maids rushed off, shutting the chamber door, Lady de Wrenville took a step towards Emelisse and reached out to lift the pendant of the necklace between them.
“Can you read what this says?” she asked.
Emelisse peered at the back of the pendant. It was solid gold, but there was something etched into the back of it. She turned it so the light from the hearth fell upon it and she could see the words clearly.
“It says ‘Quia Oportet’,” she said. Then, she looked at Lady de Wrenville in surprise. “Because I must?”
Lady de Wrenville nodded, putting the pendant back where it belonged and making sure it was hanging straight around Emelisse’s neck.
“I received that from my husband on the eve of our wedding,” she said. “It is an exquisite piece of jewelry, and very costly, but instead of inscribing something pleasant on the back of it, he inscribed ‘because I must’. He meant that he gave it to me because it was required of him. Not because he wanted to.”
Emelisse looked at the woman with some sympathy before returning her focus to the bauble.
“That was not very kind of him,” she said quietly.
Lady de Wrenville shook her head. “Nay, it was not,” she said. “Therefore, I am giving it to you. I have a feeling you will not be returning here, Emelisse. May I call you Emelisse? My name is Alice and you may call me by my name. I would consider it an honor. Now, I want you to sell this necklace at some point, take the money, and use it to help rebuild Hawkstone. Will you do that?”
Emelisse looked at Alice, a smile spreading across her lips. “I will, Alice,” she said. “Thank you for giving this to me. I wish I could say that I will treasure it always, but I will not. I shall be glad to sell it and take the money to repair what your husband has damaged.”
Alice started to chuckle. “Good girl,” she said. “But I do hope our paths will cross again someday. I feel as if we could be friends.”
Reaching out, Emelisse took her hand. “As do I,” she said. “I wish we could be friends and neighbors instead of… instead of whatever this is. I am sorry if I was unpleasant or difficult. You have been so very kind to me. I hope to repay you someday.”
“You will,” Alice said, “when you sell that necklace. Little does my husband know that his money shall help rebuild that which he has destroyed.”
Emelisse nodded. Then, she embraced the woman, her gratitude so great. Alice hugged her tightly before releasing her.
“Now,” she said. “Sit down and eat the remainder of the food on the table. There is no knowing when you will eat next, so feed yourself well.”
Emelisse did as she was told. She picked up a piece of bread with butter and was about to take a bite when there was a soft knock at the door. Alice went to open it, revealing Caius standing in the opening.
He was dressed as if he were going into battle, a mode of dress that made him look even more imposing than he alreadydid. His black hair was slicked back and the beard he had been wearing since Emelisse had known him was gone. The man had shaved it off, which was odd considering it was wintertime. Most men kept beards so their faces wouldn’t be cold.
But Caius was clean-shaven.
And extraordinarily handsome with his pale, pink complexion.
He didn’t even look at Emelisse, at first. His focus was on Alice, who greeted him pleasantly and informed him that Emelisse was prepared for travel. Caius thanked her and that was when he happened to look at Emelisse.
The moment their eyes met, it was as if everything stopped.
Time stopped.
Emelisse could feel it.
Confused, and perhaps even embarrassed, she lowered her gaze as Caius and Alice exchanged a few more pleasantries. Then, Alice departed, leaving Caius standing just inside the door. Emelisse could hear his footfalls as he came into the chamber and shut the door. She dared look up at him again.
“I… I hope I did not keep you up last night, my lord,” she said. “You were the last thing I remember when I went to sleep, but you were gone this morning. I fear I have put you to a great deal of trouble.”
