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ister Lemony finished combing Xue Xue’s lustrous black hair, her fingers moving quickly as she looped it into an ornate pair of braids and fastened them near the little girl’s nape with her favorite butterfly clip.
“Look at you,” Lemony purred, kissing the child’s scalp once as the two of them gazed at Xue Xue in the mirror, “You’re like a little flower.”
This time with Xue Xue in the morning was something she never missed. To Lemony it was sacred, as unthinkable as abandoning her morning prayers that kept her rooted to Dwayna.
“You always say that, Mama,” Xue Xue taunted, smiling.
“Well, it’s true,” Lemony said, hugging the child fondly, her arms clasped over Xue Xue’s chest, “I need to take care of a few things this morning, so if you don’t mind eating breakfast with the orphans in the hall, that would help me a great deal.”
“I will, Mama. Is Master Kai going to be alright?”
Sister Lemony frowned and straightened the collar of the little girl’s plain flower-print tunic. She tried to keep Xue Xue removed from the series of tragedies playing out around her. They were adult matters that should not concern a little child. Xue Xue had endured enough in her short life to deserve a great deal of shielding as far as Lemony was concerned.
“I certainly hope so,” she said, showing none of the concern or doubt she felt. It also pained her that the little girl seemed to know what was most eating away at her heart on a given morning. The day they had finally set Teleri’s funeral pyre alight, Xue Xue had simply held her and did not ask to go with her. She kissed the girl a final time on her cheek before urging her toward the door. She could hear Mog snoring fitfully beyond the closed door of his room and left him alone to enjoy his sleep. At least someone could sleep soundly and that gave her a strange measure of relief.
She entered the suite of rooms that now belonged to Pendaran and Zhou. It was up on the third floor on a corner overlooking the sea. The great windows were designed to let in the sun’s light in nearly every season. She did not knock for she was expected and did not wish to awaken Master Bei in the unlikely event he had gone to bed. She padded through the sitting room to the door of Pendaran’s room and found it much as it was on all the other mornings. The lavish bed bore Pendaran’s still form, unmoving except for the faint rise and fall of his breast. Mabane had somehow managed to avoid the detection of his keepers and was asleep against his father’s right side. Zhou had dozed off during his vigil in a bedside chair, his prior night’s dinner untouched and his cheeks hollow from worry and privation.
Lemony sighed. Ostensibly she was here to see after Pendaran, but in truth, she left that to Xiang Yi and focused on Zhou and Mabane. She knelt before Master Bei and carefully tugged off his shoes. It was difficult seeing him fall apart like this. Lemony could see how badly he needed Shikai and could not understand why the two of them were apart. A servant arrived with tea and took away the uneaten food and crockery. Lemony poured him a fresh cup, remembering at the last moment that he did not take it with honey as she did.
Gently, so as not to startle him, she clasped his left hand where it dangled over the arm of the chair. His eyes flickered and he moaned softly, no doubt stiff and in pain from the angle at which his chin had tumbled to his breast.
“Pen?” he croaked.
“He’s still there. Drink this. Why didn’t you go to bed?”
“I do not want him to awaken alone.”
“You are supposed to let one of us know when you need a break. If you go on like this, you won’t be much good to Pen when he does come around. When did you last eat?”
He puzzled over this for a moment and glanced at the sunlight coming through the windows. That was all she needed to know.
“Go wash up,” she said, sensing he needed a few moments of privacy. The washstand in his bedroom no doubt contained last night’s delivery of rose water. He seemed flummoxed by her tone and yet obediently went to his bedroom. Honestly, he was worse that her father when it came to neglecting himself for the benefit of others. While he was away, she went to Mabane’s side of the bed and had a look at him. Brigit would be furious. Keeping her vow to take care of the boy, she insisted he stay with her and Armand. That worked well enough when they were awake, but he inevitably ended up here sometime during the night.
“Mab, time to get up before Brigit finds out you’re here.”
“I want to stay with Pen,” he mumbled, his body curling into an even more limpet-shaped form under the blankets.
“I know you care about Pen, but you belong in your own bed.”
“I’m not leaving the island,” Mabane protested.
Lemony frowned and wondered if Armand and Brigit had finally made a decision about leaving to stay with her folks. Autumn was now well underway and snow would be falling soon in the passes. That meant Mabane would be going with them. Brigit had made her decision known.
“No, I don’t think I’ll let them. You belong here, but you should have your own bed.”
Mabane sat up and stared at her, his ruffled hair standing at an odd angle like a scorched haystack. It was the first time she had seen something resembling a smile on his lips. Perhaps it was even hope.
“Well, there’s two rooms that aren’t being used. I’ll get the servants to move you into one and Xue Xue into the other.”
“What?” Zhou asked, entering the room looking slightly more awake.
“We’re moving in. It is about time you got to know your granddaughter anyway.”
Zhou blinked at her as if she were mad.
“You can not sleep in the sitting room and have the nerve to berate me for staying up with Peng Ren,” Zhou snapped, regaining his familiar mien of gathered self-control, “This is no place for children.”
“I see one child here already, two if you keep up like that. And I have no intention of sleeping in the sitting room. I’m sharing your bed” Lemony grumbled, “You can sit up with Pen while I’m sleeping and vice versa.”
Zhou opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. A servant showed up with breakfast, fortuitously bringing enough for five. She gave him instructions to alert the steward to the need to bring Xue Xue and Mabane’s belongings to the apartments.
“No!” Master Bei protested and the servant hesitated.
“Oh, that’s right. Bring mine up here, too.”
Flabbergasted, a strange choking sound came frame Master Bei’s throat while the servant hurried away, eager not to be caught in the middle of a fight. Lemony pointed at the steaming rice porridge.
“Eat,” she said simply, “Then I’m putting you to bed.”
“Liang Meng,” Zhou said firmly, “There is no need for you to do this.”
“You’re right, that’s why I asked the servants to do it. Less chatter, more eating.”
Lemony did not grin to herself until Zhou left the bedroom to get his breakfast in the sitting room. Mabane seemed almost gleeful as he tottered out after Master Bei. Alone, she sat down on the bed beside Pendaran and drew back the blankets to gaze upon him.
“What am I going to do about you, Penny?” she whispered, taking his left hand into her lap. She was not looking forward to the ordeal of force feeding him but pinching his skin warned of impending dehydration and he was losing weight. She felt his slow faint pulse and laid his hand back down gently before running her fingers over the strange sigils burned into his thighs and the scars over his chest and belly that spoke of hideous torment.
“I suspect you’ll come back when you’re ready. Takes a little longer each time. You’re safe, though, and the view is pretty. And look, Master Bei put your lap harp on display.”
She drew the blankets back over him and adjusted the pillow so that his head fell back at a comfortable angle for breathing. They would turn him after the ordeal of feeding him and cleaning him that day. Lemony left his side and stood beside the harp, the faintest of sounds whispering from its strings as she touched them. She was about to strum it when a commotion erupted in the sitting room.
“Mabane! There you are! You had me worried silly. How many times have I told you to stay in your bedroom at night.”
“Seventeen,” Mabane retorted peevishly.
“Don’t take that tone with me, young man.”
“The boy has a right to be with his father,” Master Bei said, “I am having his things delivered here. He will move into the spare bedroom.”
Lemony giggled. As if on cue, the servants arrived with Mabane’s bed frame and Lemony’s traveling chest. Mog was on their tail. She glimpsed him standing outside the bedroom door.
“Why ‘ave yeh stolen Lemmy’s chest yeh bandit?”
“Mog, I’m in here and I asked them to do that.”
He stooped slightly to get past the door frame and stared at her, his expression conveying a mixture of puzzlement and hurt.
“Ah, yer movin’ in t’ atten’ t’ Penny lad. O course, I shoulda guessed tha.”
“Actually, there’s not much I can do for Pen. Zhou and Mabane, however, are another story. Someone needs to get them in hand. It may as well be me.”
“So ‘e’s not wakin’ up, eh?”
“Not yet. I suspect he will when he is ready.”
Mog sighed mournfully.
“I’ll miss yeh, I reckon. An’ l’il Xue Xue.”
“I’ll just be here, Mog. You can come visit any time you’d like.”
“I kinda liked ‘avin’ yeh close. I shouldn’ be silly. Perhaps I will go wi’ Brigit n’ Armeh. Not much for th’ likes o’ me here.”
Sister Lemony rose and wrapped her arms around him, her face planted in his belly as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
“I’ll miss you if you do that,” Lemony said, her voice muffled by his waistcoat.
“I’ll miss yeh, too.”
Lemony released him and drew her fingers across the harp string in a stubborn gesture. She was mad that Mog was actually thinking of going away, her best friend and the only one she could talk to who had no troubles of his own. To her dismay, Mog looked stricken.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I suspect it’s out of tune.”
“No lass, Penny moved.”
Lemony glanced at Pendaran and sighed. If he had stirred, which she doubted, it could not have been much more than his head settling in the pillow since she had moved it. Mog sat down on a low stool and fumbled with the instrument for a moment.
“Mind yeh I am naught much good a’ harp. Nor strings in gen’ral.”
Mog struggled awkwardly to get his hands ready, which caused Lemony to giggle. They reminded her of chicken feet and it was clear when he managed to get his finger caught in the strings that he was no good at all. He sighed and simply strummed his fingers along the strings, as she had, while the two of them stared at Pendaran. There was movement, but it was very faint. His left hand twitched beneath the blanket. By that time, Brigit, Mabane and Zhou were standing in the door way watching curiously.
“Anyone know a harpist?” Lemony asked. Zhou shook his head.
“The harp in the old music room belonged to Master Matabe. I have never had the opportunity or inclination to devote time to it.
“I know a harpist,” Brigit said after a while, “I’ll be seeing her soon, actually. I’ll ask her to come here. I am sure she would after I explain why.”
“Oh excellent!” Lemony nearly squealed, “I’m sure this will work.”
“Like me pipes did fer Armeh lad.”
“Only less frightening,” muttered Zhou, “and with fewer double entendres.”
Mog chuckled good-naturedly.
“I kin fix tha’. I’ll let th’ lass know wha’ kinds o tunes Penny lad prefers. I might e’en sing along.”
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