Weaves

I woke up to find benephsogy flowers surrounding the house.  Not only surrounding, but nearly filling the house as well.  I knew that the flowers weren’t supposed to grow out of the dirt floor of the house, but I couldn’t help but be delighted.  I had only ever seen their purple petals once, when Mama had taken me on a trip to the market and they had been at the flower stand.  They had entranced me then.  No flowers grew in our part of Selwyn, and though they were not the first flowers I had seen, the benephsogies had by far been the prettiest.

“Flowers were in my dream,” I said with a smile up at my oldest sister, Jaemy.  She was frowning out at the room.  For as long as I could remember she had been almost like a second mother to us, taking care of anything that Mama couldn’t take care of.  It wasn’t a short list and included cleaning the house.  A part of me recognized that someone was going to have to clean up the mess that was our house, but part of me couldn’t quite fathom it.

“Were they?”  She asked, and I could see that the question wasn’t one of her happier ones.  “Well someone brought them here.”

“Was it a weaver?”  I asked, wistful.  I had heard about weavers, but I had never met one, and I was anxious to do so.

“I’m certain of it.”  She replied before going to round up some of my other brothers and sisters.  I stole outside, in search of Nisha, she was always far more fun than Jaemy, anyway.  But she wasn’t outside, and I was soon drawn into the complicated process of cleaning up the house.  I kept five flowers and put them with my other clothes, but my third oldest brother, Howe, insisted that we should try to sell them and took most of the rest to market with our oldest brother, Imer.  

It wasn’t until Baba returned from work that the yelling started with Mama.  She had been busy all day,

 she hadn’t commented on the flowers, but now it seemed that all that she and Baba spoke about were the benephsogies.  But Nisha had found a particularly interesting rock outside, so I did not stay to listen to what they were arguing about.  

The next day things started to get strange.  I woke as usual, and there was nothing nearly so interesting as the flowers, but after a little while two men arrived.  They arrived in a smart carriage, and the royal coat of arms of Iresha was painted on the door.  I was curious to see the carriage but not nearly enough to brave the harsh looks of the horses.  Instead I retreated from the strange men into the back room to draw pictures in the dirt.

I had no intention of coming out until after the men had left, but Baba called me to join my brothers and sisters in the front room.  The men were hypnotic, at least to me, in their long blue robes that didn’t seem to get dusty even though our floor was dirt, and their glinting medals that hung from their necks.  But Howe and Nisha were making faces at each other, and some of my other siblings were fidgeting something terrible.  I just watched them, drawing close to Jaemy for protection.  Normally she would have shoed me away, but to my surprise she drew me closer to her and took my hand.

“I’ll need to hear them speak,” one of the men said to Baba.  Baba nodded and turned to Imer.

“Good morning, Master Mage,” Imer said in his best voice, but the man shook his head and turned to, Alu the second oldest of my brothers.  Alu’s greeting wasn’t as nice but it managed to greet the man appropriately.  Howe and Nisha spoke likewise, as did my other two sisters who had gotten up from where they were playing.  Jaemy hesitated to speak.

“Shame, girl,” Baba said in his voice that promised punishment later.  “These men are very important.”

“Very well Baba, what would you like me to say?”  She asked, sounding just a little petulant.  But she didn’t wait for Baba’s answer before turning to the men and adding.  “This is my younger sister, Sela.  She doesn’t talk to strangers.”

“Jaemy,” Baba’s voice seemed to boom out from him.  But one of the men stepped forward.

“No, it is just as well.  If your youngest were a weaver it would be unlikely she would present as such for another few years.  Very rarely does a weaver present when they are less than ten.”  He seemed like a young man who said it, and I breathed out a sigh when he did.  Something in the way Jaemy held my hand indicated that I shouldn’t say anything to this man.

“All the same,” the other man stepped forward now.  “I would like to hear her, just to be sure.”  The younger man frowned, first at the older man and then at Baba.

“Very well,” he said, and he left the house for a second.  I looked after him, confused.  I might have followed him, but Jaemy’s grip on my hand was so tight it was almost painful.  I tugged on her hand but she didn’t let go, and the younger man soon returned.

But he hadn’t come alone.  He brought with him a cat, a small affair, with a gray body and face and three white paws.  The cat looked up at me with soft blue eyes.  I winced back.

“She’s afraid of cats,” Jaemy said for me.  But the look that Baba gave her stopped her from saying any more.

“But this is a special cat,” the man replied.  “He belongs to the prince in the palace.  Do you know who the prince is?”

“No,” I replied, before I could stop myself.  Jaemy’s grip on me got even tighter.

“He’s about your age, maybe a year or two older, and he will one day grow up to be the king.”  The man explained.  “Now this cat is named Rex, and if you come with us you’ll get to bring him back to the prince for us.”

“Truly?”  I asked, ignoring my sister.  “I’ve always wanted to meet a real prince.”

“Yes,” he replied, “truly.  But you’ll have to be very nice to him, because the prince is sick.”

I frowned at that, I’d never heard of a sick prince before.  A lot of people I knew had been sick, even Mama, sometimes.  But I had never even thought a prince could be sick.  The man held out the cat again, and I knew that he was my way to meet the prince, so I took hold of him gently.  I had seen Jaemy do it sometimes, even though most of the neighborhood cats disliked being held.

“She’s one of us,” the older man said.  The younger man nodded briefly, before letting the older man continue, this time addressing Baba.  

“I’ll have some questions about her,” he said.  Baba nodded, and the two went outside to talk.  Even though I held the cat, Jaemy hadn’t let go of me, and she addressed the younger man.

“She’s too young,” she said.  “You said so yourself.  Leave her with us for a few more years.”  I looked up in time to see the younger man’s look of distain.

“She might well die if she stays here, this house is hardly fit for a child,” he replied, voice drawling.  “And if she’s already weaving, even in her dreams, she has to be trained.”

“It’s more fit than that prison you call a school,” Jamey replied.

“Stop it,” Imer said over my head.  “You know full well that we can hardly afford to feed any of us.  She’ll get fed regularly, and with any luck she’ll feed us as well.”

Jaemy didn’t respond, and Mama, who had been in the back room, came out with her hair covered and a small basket.  She tried to hand it to me, but I wouldn’t let go of the cat, unsure what was going on now.

“Ya, Sela,” She said, sounding exasperated, but I just turned away from her.  Everything that had happened today was not making sense.  The cat in my hands wriggled to get free, and things seemed to be blurring and tumbling out of place.  I just wanted to go back to yesterday, when things made more sense.

“Sela,” Mama’s voice had turned stern.  “Stop that now, these men are going to take good care of you, and we’ll come to see you when we can.”

“I want to go to bed,” I cried, unable to stop the tears that were twisting my face in full force now.  I wiped my nose with my sleeve.  

“But, Sela, you have to come with us,” the younger man said, and though his voice was gentle I didn’t want to hear his words.

“I don’t want to!”  I wailed, my voice rising significantly in pitch.

“That’s enough, Sela,” Baba’s voice had me frozen.  Not only me, but also the whole house went silent at it.  He had returned with the older man and a bag, but it made him look no less angry than he was.  Mama always told us that Baba loved us, but the word had different meanings for him and for Mama.

“You need to go now, while these men still want you, because you are not part of my household anymore.” Baba said, his voice that stern one that promised punishment later.  I would have done as he asked, but I was too scared and frozen to manage it.  All I could manage was a sniff, and an attempt from keeping myself from continuing to cry.

Surprisingly, it was the younger of the two men who was the first to spring into action, taking the basket from my mother and putting an arm around me to steer me out of the house.  His frantic actions were such a welcome break from the feeling of the house that I let him.  And without another word, I was inside a carriage for the first time.

The two men followed me in, and before I had time to think, we were bumping down our street in search of the better roads of the upper city.  The men were silent, and rather than look at them, I looked down at the cat in my arms.  At first I wanted to play with him, but it was clear that he would much rather curl up and nap in my arms.  I let him, too confused to do anything else.

“Not everyone can afford to keep their children, Owen,” the older man said, his voice low.

“That doesn’t give him the right to terrorize them.  Did you see . . .” the younger man trailed off.  I thought he might start talking again, but he caught my eyes and stopped himself.  “Would you like to take Rex up to the prince when we get to the palace?”

It took me a moment to realize that he was talking to me, and then another moment to try to understand what he was trying to ask me.  “Who is Rex?”

“His highness’s cat,” the older man said with an air of slight dislike.  He looked up at Owen.  “And I really don’t think that it’s an appropriate to bring her into his highness’s presence.  You saw her family, she might be ill and she’s certainly dirty.”

“If she were ill, I’m sure you would know, healer that you are, and dirt is easily washed off.  A little time cleaning her up and I’ll take her to the prince before lunch.  She won’t be starting lessons for a few days at the very least.”  Owen responded to the other man, not to me, and the cat’s soft meow drew my attention away from the two men after that.  It was normal for adults to talk this way, but I didn’t need to listen.  I only hoped I would be able to go home soon, when Baba wasn’t so angry.

“Sela, this is the palace,” Owen said, gently touching my shoulder.  I flinched back from him, I had never had a man that wasn’t Baba or my brothers so close, but I looked to where he was pointing.  There were four towers and a central building that had a large round feel, even though it wasn’t round.  I couldn’t imagine how many people lived here.  The fray stone was light in color and didn’t give the place a menacing feel, although I was scared of what going here might mean.  I had heard other people on the street say that going to the palace meant that you were never going back, it was either the mines or the rope.  I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but I wanted to go back home.

The carriage stopped in a busy place with lots of noise, and the door was promptly opened.  A man in white underclothes and a smart green tunic peered into the carriage and I shrunk back as he frowned at me.  He addressed the two men in the carriage.  “Master Weaver Haskell and Master Weaver Owen welcome back.  I see that your trip was successful, but perhaps the room which I have set up is not quite right for one of such a young age, I will make the necessary adjustments.  Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, that will be all, Dalton,” the older man, who must have been Haskell said.  

“Actually, I would like a bath sent up to my rooms,” Owen cut in.  “And something for her to wear until we have mage robes made in her size.  Sela and I have an errand to run.”

“As you wish, Master Owen.”  Dalton offered a bow, and stepped away from the carriage.  The two men got down out of the carriage before me, and when I tried to get out myself another man in that impossibly clean green and white picked me up and placed me on the ground in the courtyard.

Haskell quickly disappeared, but Owen used his hand on my back to guide me into the large doors close to us.  It led into a large open space with a grand staircase leading up.  I trudged up with Owen, panting by the time we reached the first landing.  It wasn’t until the second landing that Owen turned to the right and led me down a broad hallway.

“All of the older weavers live here, but I think you might be better suited in the nursery wing.  There are only noblemen’s children there, but at least they would be of your age, especially since the prince is only a year older than you.”  Owen’s words made no sense, but his tone was starting to become something of a calming element to me.  I couldn’t bring myself to like him because I wasn’t home right now, but I didn’t dislike him either.

He opened up a room for me, with more things than I had seen in all the houses on my street put together.  But what was most scary about the room right now was the large metal tub in the middle of it, and the woman pouring buckets of water into the larger tub.  I had never seen such a strange way of handling water.  We all showered occasionally in my house, but Mama would fill a bucket with water and Jaemy would help pour the water over me to get me clean.  The water in the tub was enough for my whole family to wash.

“I’ll take care of seeing she’s washed up, master weaver,” the woman said to Owen.  Owen nodded and put down my basket.

“I’ll be in my study if you need me,” he said to me, not even looking at the woman.  “And I will take Rex for now, if that’s okay.”

I deposited the sleeping cat in his arms, but Rex immediately woke up and seemed less than happy.  Still the man had said he wanted the cat, and the whole bath process intrigued me.  I couldn’t say I was disappointed when he disappeared into the back room, leaving the woman and I alone.

But she was less interesting even than Haskell and Owen, and while she helped me out of my clothes and scrubbed me clean in the delightfully warm bath, she never once said a word to me.  It was so unlike washing with Jaemy that I couldn’t even think of anything to say to her.  When I was clean she dried me and dressed me in a faded yellow dress, which was perfectly clean, but not even a little bit new.  I was used to such things at home though, so I did not complain.  I was glad, though when Owen came back.

“Let’s go see the little prince,” the weaver said happily.  He still wore his bright blue robes, but these ones somehow seemed less formal than the others.  The cat walked beside him, but as Owen spoke Rex jumped up into my arms.  I was a little scared by that at first and nearly dropped him, but I recovered as quickly as I was able and soon had the kitten snug in my arms.

We went back to that main staircase and up another flight of stairs, I was again out of breath when we turned to the left at the top of them, but this was quickly turning into the most exercise I’d ever gotten in a day.  We didn’t walk all that far beyond that, though when Owen knocked on a door.  It was opened after a moment, and we were greeted by a woman in the impossibly clean clothes of all the people I had seen so far, but in addition to the dark green tunic that I had seen the men wear she had a white robe with a silver belt tied around her waist.  With her clean blond curls and eyes so blue they were almost unreal I knew she was the most beautiful woman I had yet seen.

“Is there something you would like?”  She said, looking at Owen with a less than favorable attitude.  Owen pushed me forward, gently.

“It is good to see you again, Vy.  Rex here has taken quite a liking to our newest weaver, Sela, I wasn’t sure he would go back to his highness by any other means.”  Owen said it all casually, but almost immediately a frown marred the lady’s beautiful features.  

“She’s your newest weaver?”  She asked him, no distaste lingering in her voice.  “Isn’t she a little young for that life?”

“It looks like she’s been weaving for a couple of years already, and needs to be trained.” Owen said.  “Her father told Master Haskell something that definitely makes me suspect she saved his life.  And her family cannot afford to keep her.”

“Oh, you poor dear,” the lady bent down so that she was on my level.  “I think that you’ll like things here, anyway.  Come, let’s go return Rex.”  She held out her hand for me to take, but as my hands were full with the cat, I just walked closer to her.  She did not seem bothered by that, and led me into the room.

There were children, mostly boys but a few girls playing in the room, all around my own age.  But it was the toys that really had me curious.  Two boys were playing with wooden blocks, stacking and restacking them.  Vy led me over to them.

“This is Ramone and this is Arkin,” She said, pointing out each of the boys in turn.  “Can Sela play with you?”

Ramone nodded and held out a block, but Arkin just shrugged.  Rex was still in my arms, but he jumped down to inspect the block, which I took from Ramone, and held out for the cat to sniff.  Arkin watched Rex, his eyes appraising, but he said nothing and went back to building his side of the castle.  Ramone brought me another block.

“Is that your cat?”  Romone asked, with no malice, only curiosity.  

“No, Rex belongs to the prince.  I’m supposed to return him.”  I explained as best I could.  But where was the prince?  I looked around, and a more troubling issue presented itself to me, where was Owen?  I didn’t see the weaver anywhere.  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes when Arkin left his side of the castle and came to stand in front of me.

“It’s time for lunch,” he said, his curious amber features serious.  “You’ll stay with us.”

“I think I’m supposed to go . . .” I trailed off when the little man before me frowned in such a way that his eyes seemed to change color.  I was just too mystified to continue.

“I want you to stay,” he said more firmly, taking my hand.  He led me over to a table where other children were gathering.  Seeing that Arkin had my hand the other children made room for us to sit next to each other.  I took a seat next to him, confused, but nobody seemed to mind when men and women in white and green brought out food.

They all talked to each other while they ate, but Arkin didn’t talk, and nobody talked to me.  It was a relief when Vy and Owen came back into the room.  Vy came over to us.

“You should give Arkin back the cat now.  We’ll see if you can’t come play with us again, but the prince needs his nap,” she spoke briskly, but not unkindly.  Rex had climbed up on my shoulder for lunch and I took him down to give to Vy.  She motioned me over to Arkin.  “Give it to his highness.”

“You’re the prince?”  Here I was sitting next to him for all of lunch and I hadn’t asked him any of the questions I had wanted to ask.  Had he rescued any maidens?  When would he become handsome?  How did he get to be prince?  I put Rex down next to him, since he wouldn’t take the cat from me.  But Arkin wasn’t paying attention to me.  He had turned to the blond lady.

“She stays for my nap.”

“Arkin?”  Vy was clearly confused.

“I’m too old for a nap, they’re for babies, but if I have to take a nap, she’s staying.”  The prince crossed his arms and stared down the woman.  She looked unsure of what she should do, so she called over Owen and the two of them spoke in low voices for a few moments before turning back to the prince.

“You know the rules, you have to take a nap until your next birthday,” Vy told the prince.

“Fine,” Arkin pouted, “but if I have to nap she’s coming with me.”  He pointed to me.  My lip trembled I thought once I gave the prince his cat I could go home.  Now there was something else I had to do?  I wanted to go home.

“Sela, would you mind taking your nap now?”  I was curious why Vy asked me.  Of course I didn’t want my nap now, I wanted to go back to my house and have Nisha there when I napped.  I shook my head and started to cry.  Suddenly, there was yelling.

“You’ve upset her!”  Arkin’s arms enveloped me in a hug.  “Don’t you upset her.”

“Your highness, please don’t yell, you are still sick.”  Vy sounded worried for the first time.  “You may nap with Sela, but only for today.  Tomorrow, she is going to be in her own room for her nap, and maybe she can join you afterwards.  Right, Sela?”  But I was sobbing.  I wanted to go home.

Arkin released me from the hug to take my hand.  I followed him down the hallway, hiccupping and sobbing.  I hardly noticed as Arkin pulled me into his bed and laid down, still holding my hand.  I do remember what he whispered just before I fell asleep.

“Mine.”

Next Chapter: Escape