Twin Curse(17)

Lyall opened a door, seemingly at random, and led her into a smaller,  more comfortable room. Here, the walls were lined with bookshelves, and  the crackling fire was welcoming after the cool of the hallway. Several  comfortable looking high backed chairs were arranged in a semi-circle,  and in the middle was a coffee table with a plate of dainty sandwiches  and biscuits and a still steaming pot of tea. Brianna's tummy rumbled,  hopefully not loudly enough to be heard.

Almost as she had expected, Lyall's mother was small and dark haired,  and gave Brianna a welcoming smile. His father, on the other hand, was  stocky, and though he smiled, it did not quite reach his eyes. "So,  Lyall," he boomed. "This is the girl you've been telling us about."

A shadow crossed Lyall's face, and he swallowed once before saying quietly, "Yes, this is Brianna."

Trying not to let herself be intimidated, Brianna bowed slightly. "I'm  pleased to meet you." She returned his mother's welcoming smile far more  readily.         

     



 

"Sit down dear," Lyall's mother invited. "Have you had breakfast?"

Brianna took the offered seat and eagerly helped herself to sandwiches.

Lyall chose to remain standing. "No, we haven't eaten yet," he said sulkily, "we were interrupted before we had the chance."

"It's midmorning, you should have been up hours ago," his father  reprimanded. "The whole palace can't sit around all day waiting on you."

"No one asked you to," Lyall rejoined.

"Lyallen," his mother's voice was soft and contained no reprimand, just a quiet plea.

And it stopped Lyall in his tracks. He looked at his mother for a  moment, then said quietly, "I'm sorry, sir. We came into harbour late  last night and overslept."

The few bites of sandwich sat heavily in her stomach, and she wished  she'd stayed on the boat. She didn't want to be in the middle of a  family argument. She glanced sideways at Lyall, but he remained silent,  his face carefully blank. She couldn't help feeling a little  disappointed that he had given in so readily.

"So, Brianna, how old are you?" The king's sudden question startled her.

She chewed deliberately and then swallowed, taking the time to look up  at Lyall, who's face had gone rather red. "I don't think that's any of  your business," she said as politely as she could.

The shocked look on the king's face amused her. He stared at her for a  few minutes, before saying, "If you're planning on marrying my son, I  think it is very much my business."

"Derek!" his wife protested.

"Well, I think it is," the king insisted.

"I never said I was planning on marrying your son," Brianna said calmly.

Everyone in the room turned to stare at her. Brianna just smiled at  them. After a few moments, Lyall actually smiled in return, then sat  down next to her and helped himself to a sandwich.

There was an awkward silence in the room, broken only by Lyall's  chewing. Finally, Lyall's mother leaned forwards and poured some cups of  tea, offering one to Brianna and one to Lyall. As if to change the  subject, she asked casually, "So where are you from, dear? Lyall said it  was quite far away."

"Oh, just a small country town, you wouldn't have heard of it," Brianna  said evasively. Maybe she should have told them how old she was, because  now she sounded deliberately evasive. Although why they cared where she  was from was beyond her.

The king didn't push further this time. Instead, he stood up and said,  "Come, Lyall, you can help me with the morning drill inspections."

Lyall looked over at Brianna and raised an eyebrow, and Brianna  understood the unsaid question. She was about to nod, when his mother  stepped in. "Yes, Brianna and I can have a nice little chat. And I'll  see about arranging some rooms for her."

"She's staying with me," Lyall said, a little too quickly.

Brianna hid a smile at the expression on his parent's faces. They  couldn't work out what was going on, and it was plain both of them  wanted to ask.

Personally, she was glad Lyall had spoken up. She wasn't keen on the  idea of being alone in this huge palace and not knowing where to find  him. He was her one anchor in this storm, and she didn't want to lose  him.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Lyallen?" his mother questioned.

"Yes, I am," Lyall said firmly. "I have an entire wing," he continued,  as much to Brianna as in answer to his mother's question. "So Brianna  has her choice of bedrooms."

"I'm sure the children can work it out," the king intervened when  Lyall's mother looked as if she might continue to protest. "But right  now, the drill is going to start without us if we don't get a move on."

The last was directed at Lyall, who stood up, reluctance obvious in his  expression. "I'll be about half an hour," he said to Brianna, his eyes  asking if she wanted him to stay.

She smiled. "I'll be quite comfortable here," she assured him.

Satisfied, Lyall followed his father out of the room.

Brianna waited, half expecting Lyall's mother to take the chance to  continue the earlier conversation in private. Surely that was what Lyall  had been concerned about? But instead, she asked Brianna, "Do you  read?"

*****

Lyall stayed silent as he and his father walked towards the square,  waiting for the lecture he was sure his father was about to give. That  was the obvious reason for his father asking for his presence. It  certainly wasn't because he actually had any interest in Lyall's  attendance at the drill.         

     



 

"You should bond her as soon as possible," his father said matter of factly.

"Sir?" Lyall asked. Had he misheard?

"You won't find a stronger wife on the whole island," his father pointed  out, a fact Lyall knew only too well. "Not without finding a set of  twins."

Lyall didn't even bother to dignify that with a reply. Everyone knew  that no twins had been born on the Isla de Magi in over a century. "So  that's all that matters?" Lyall demanded. "I would have thought you, of  all people, would realise that far more than strength is required to  build a marriage."

His father was silent for a long moment. Was he going over his own  youthful indiscretions? Eventually, he said softly, "Of course there are  many qualities more important than strength. And from the little I've  seen of her, she has those too. She has spunk that one, and she'll keep  you on your toes. More importantly though, you care for her, don't you?"

Lyall couldn't deny it. "I do," he agreed.

"Then how did you manage to spend three days alone on your yacht and not bond with her?" his father demanded.

Lyall wasn't insulted, despite the tone. "You heard her," he said, "she isn't after marriage."

"She'll come around," his father insisted.

Lyall wasn't so sure. Still, there was no point in arguing, so he just  nodded agreement. He and Brianna would sort it out. They didn't need his  father's blessing, though it was somewhat of a relief not to have to  defy him.

The drill was predictably boring. And pointless. Isla de Magi had no  real enemies. Even if the mainland mounted a coordinated attack, their  swords would stand no chance against magic. And yet, the endless drills  and practice combined magic and sword in a way that well outstripped the  capabilities of any group on the mainland.

Except, of course, the mysterious ‘other' mages-the ones that Lyall was  supposed to have been watching for on the mainland. In all his trips,  he'd seen no indication that they had ever existed. But his father  believed in their existence without a moment's doubt.

Lyall was just glad that he'd done his time in the drills and no longer  had to be a part of it. Still, he tried to pay attention, or at least  not look totally bored. No point in upsetting his father any more today.

Finally, it was over, and he could escape from the hot sun and return  inside. When he walked into the sitting room and saw Brianna seated next  to his mother reading to her, he couldn't help give an involuntary  smile. Brianna looked up at him, and her answering smile was unguarded.

"I see Maman has already roped you into reading to her," he teased.

Brianna smiled. "Yes. Poetry. I had no idea anything so beautiful existed."

Her enthusiasm was genuine, and Lyall could see she was a fair way to  endearing herself to his mother. For a meeting he had been apprehensive  about, it was actually turning out rather well. "It is indeed  beautiful," Lyall said gravely. "Though I can think of a few things I  would label more beautiful."

Brianna, of course, was completely oblivious to his compliment. "I'm  sure there are many things here that I am going to be amazed by," she  agreed. "I can't wait to see everything."

Maman smiled over Brianna's head at him in amusement, and he shrugged  lightly. To Brianna he said, "How about we start with my rooms, and I'll  get you settled?"