“Enough.” His father’s voice held a warning. Not a warning against Onric’s inquiry, rather his tone seemed to warn Onric that this discussion was not appropriate in the current company.
“Your father and I have had a long journey,” his mother interjected, quietly but firmly.
Aden, Erich, and Meena took her diplomatic hint and stood up to say goodnight. Onric hung back until they were out of the room.
His father’s face grew serious, taking on the weight of a king. “You are right to be concerned for the safety of our people,” he said to Onric.
“It is most admirable,” Lord Munney added.
“And while we abide by the laws of the Council,” his father continued, “as their foresight binds all our kingdoms together into a stronger whole, I would be sorely unjustified in stopping anyone who wished to do what they personally could to aid us in this time of uncertainty.”
For a king, those words were vague, but Onric felt that his father was trying to convey some meaning through them. The fact that he did not want to speak freely in front of the advisor told Onric everything he needed to know about what had happened at the Council session.
“I’m so happy to hear you say that, sir.” Onric could not keep the hint of a smile from his face as his hand made its way into his pocket, feeling the needle case enclosed there. “You know I am at the service of our people.”
The king relaxed his face into a fatherly smile. “I expect you had a little fun during our absence.”
“Perhaps.” Onric bobbed his head elusively. “Goodnight.” He gave his parents another round of hugs, nodded to Lord Munney, and returned to his room.
Chapter 5
Ashlin awoke the next morning to the sound of shattering glass. Groggy and disoriented, she opened her eyes to find herself on the kitchen floor. The last thing she remembered was arriving home late in the night and stopping to warm herself by the dying coals of the kitchen fire before she went up to her cold room.
The early morning light was streaming into the room and bouncing off shards of glass on the floor around her.
Why was there broken glass on the floor?
Jolted awake, she sat up, checking to see that she had not been hurt by whatever had shattered.
Her stepsister, Stasiya, stood a few feet away with her arms full of an assortment of items. But she was looking over them to peer down at her feet. She must have dropped something.
“What was that?” Ashlin asked, carefully shaking off her dress and apron as she stood.
“Nothing important.” Stasiya shrugged and dropped the rest of her armload onto the wooden kitchen table. Amongst the items, Ashlin noticed the blanket from her bed, two books her father used to read to her, and the small basket in which she kept her sewing needles, pins, and scissors. It was everything she still kept in her room that had not been sold off. Which could only mean the broken item on the floor was...
She sank back to her knees, carefully reaching for the largest of the glass shards. “No, no, no...” She picked it up, thumbing over the familiar feathered texture.
“Stasiya!” she cried, but her stepsister was already swishing out the kitchen door. Ashlin got up and followed Stasiya, anger twisting in her stomach as hurt stung her eyes.
Her stepsister stopped at the base of the stairs. “That’s ‘Miss Stasiya’ to you,” she sneered.
“Was it on purpose?” Ashlin’s hand gripped the glass piece so hard it nearly broke her skin.
“It really wasn’t lovely enough to be upset over.” Stasiya shrugged, her eyes suddenly focused on the wooden railing beneath her hand.
“You should have been more careful!”
“Ashlin?” Her stepmother appeared at the top of the stairs. “What are you accusing your sister of?”
She opened her fist to reveal the piece of glass, her unshed tears threatening to make an appearance. “It was my mother’s.”
“Ahhh.” Her stepmother floated down the stairs, stepping around her daughter. “Stasiya, I’m sure you did not mean it, did you?”
Stasiya shook her head.
“Good, now why don’t you finish what I asked you to do? Ashlin and I have some things to discuss.”
Stasiya nodded, pinching her lips in what looked like an attempt to hide a smile. “Yes, Mother.” Lifting the front of her heavy, warm skirt, she climbed the stairs with all the elegance of a noble lady, throwing a quick glance at Ashlin from beneath her low lashes.
