* * *
Orla uncovered a tray of bite-sized, circular breads with some kind of spiralling chocolate spread on top of them. “You will love these!” she squealed.
Sandina had been busy today, but Brielle and I each took one and tasted it at the same time. I stopped half way through the bite and raised a hand in the air and closed my eyes. But I couldn’t speak until I finished savoring the bite. When I swallowed, I faced Orla, who was waiting with her eyes wide in anticipation.
“Orla. I have never tasted anything so perfect in my life,” I gushed.
Brielle bobbed her head up and down. “I can’t even describe how good it is!! It’s like a bread and a pastry and chocolate happiness all at once!”
“Yes!” Orla squealed. “A summer fae came through town yesterday selling fruits, and I bought some cacao from him, and I came up with this!!” She pointed at the top. “The cream is a sweetened egg and cream mixture with the cacao added.” She flipped the little circle over to show the bread on the bottom. “Then I swirled more sweetened cacao into the bread to make it extra chocolaty.”
I smelled it before my next bite. “It is absolutely a crime that you have to hide your baking genius. The world would go crazy for these.”
She grinned. “I’m calling them laetis, after some of our older words for joy and happiness.”
“That is perfect,” Brielle said. Then she turned to me. “So, Auria, what great histories and mysteries of the fae can we explain to you today?”
This had become one of our new traditions. I always saved one or two questions I’d found about the fae for my new friends.
“Today’s question is older,” I said, “I just forgot about it before now.”
Brielle swallowed another bite of laetis. “Oooh, a forgotten mystery.”
I laughed. “Forgotten for a few days. I’m not sure how mysterious that makes it.”
Orla waved her hand. “Well go on then. What is it?”
I wiped my fingertips on a small napkin. “What is the Battle of Brothers?”
Brielle’s eyes widened, and she set her laetis down on a plate. “Why that one?”
“Is it a forbidden topic? I’ve just seen several tapestries with it and wondered.”
“It’s not forbidden,” Orla said, “it’s just not old enough history to not hurt. But it’s a pretty short answer.”
Brielle nodded. “It was the last battle in the war the last queen started to take power, about a hundred and forty years ago. A lot of families ended up fighting each other. That’s how it got its name. And a lot of people died—enough that we still feel its effects.”
“Both of our parents died in the war,” Orla added. “As well as Bylur’s. It’s the reason so many of the houses have younger lords or ladies right now.”
My face heated with a blush. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know.”
Brielle sipped her punch. “It was a good question, important for you to know, just not as much fun for us to tell.”
I needed to lighten the mood. “Thanks for telling me,” I started, “but we definitely need a new topic.”
Orla picked up a blueberry. “Great idea.”
“How about my husband?” I grinned.
“We can’t gossip about him,” Brielle said, “he always finds out.”
“Well, you knew him when you were all younger,” I said. “What’s something fun from your childhood that he probably hasn’t thought to tell me yet.”
“His journals,” Orla and Brielle said at the same time.
My brows popped up. He’d mentioned writing. I didn’t think they’d find that entertaining.
Brielle grinned. “When we were younger, he used to carry journals around everywhere we went, taking notes, writing ideas, sometimes even writing down things we’d say just so he could remember them later. I used to tease him about it because his hands were always full, so he’d have to find a safe place to put his journals whenever he wanted to use a sword or do anything with his hands.”
