Will I really take a month to heal?
Aureum shifted in bed. As lazy as she could be, the last few days being stuck in bed drove her up the wall.
Dealing with Vitreum was almost entertainment.
Maybe I could start wandering around again tomorrow.
Getting up too fast had made her head pound yesterday. Something as simple as lying on the wrong side could make the pain worse.
At least it's not my back in pain like this.
The bright side wasn't bright enough. Aureum glowered.
Surprisingly, Mendax had made himself of service. When she said she was bored, he gave her books. When she was hungry, he brought her something easy to eat. When Vitreum got too rambunctious, he took her out.
Half of that was probably to keep me out of trouble.
Vitreum had behaved herself, as much as any spoiled eight-year-old could.
Maybe I just look that beat. Funny how things can change.
For now, Mendax was helping. For now.
She couldn't get back to work at gathering her strength.
To try and work hard now would just invite disaster. If she quivered the wrong way while layering she could break her pearl. Patience was necessary.
She tried to see it as a vacation.
But if she couldn't layer within the week she'd go insane.
Aureum tapped her fingers on the blanket as she thought. Vitreum turned over on her side of the bed. She stopped.
At least some things are getting tied up now.
Vitreum was safe. Mendax was not going to kill her, and Caducus was probably still unaware of her existence.
She hadn't been checking up on Spesavia recently, but that could wait.
A knocking echoed.
"Come in, but quietly. She's mostly asleep."
Mendax entered.
"How did it go?" Aureum asked.
Mendax looked over at Vitreum.
"Do you think you can stand?" He said.
"I might even be able to walk if you're lucky," Aureum said.
Although she got up stiffly, and with pain, she could indeed stand and walk. Aureum followed Mendax out, not noticing his arm offered to help her.
Vitreum murmured and turned over with the commotion, but ultimately only curled up deeper into the blankets.
Her kitten was thankfully asleep on a chair. He only cracked open an eye.
They went to Mendax's room, or the new room that he'd rented when Aureum had relented in staying. The options she'd had were to be carried by Mendax or stay.
She'd stayed.
"We shouldn't leave Vitreum alone for long."
"It's about her."
"What? I thought you were going to focus on finding the escapees first?"
"So far there's nothing. But that doesn't mean anything. I don't know Fluentem."
"I see. Then what exactly is this about?"
"I decided to spend a bit of time looking around the auction house."
"And you didn't get murdered?" Aureum said.
Mendax's eyes bore into Aureum as he replied.
"I don't rush in, unlike others I know," less aggressively, he continued. "I saw a man that looked like Vitreum, and I followed. We spoke."
It hadn't been quite that simple.
Mendax had seen Benedic walking around the perimeter of the building like he was. Nothing else presented itself, so he then followed the man for hours.
Hoping that a better piece of information would land in his hands.
Despite Benedic's nervous behavior, nothing major happened. He greeted a few people he knew in passing and returned to the familiar pub, the Dragon's Burned Hoard.
The name's meaning became painfully obvious as Mendax watched Benedic spend too much money on food and alcohol. Not to mention the time wasted.
It wasn't until the early morning that Mendax approached him. Most of his company had abandoned him. The rest were asleep.
No need to get him drunk. Benedic had taken care of that already.
"I hear you're the man I need to know," Mendax said as he slid beside Benedic.
"Huuuh? Ugly looking aren't you?"
Mendax allowed that.
It seemed flattery was a waste of time.
"You're Benedic Lapis, right?"
"Yeah. That's me? Whaaat's that got to do with you!"
"Vitreum is your sister?"
"Vitreum that... brat! That brat is nothing to me!"
He went to shove Mendax, but there was no strength to it.
"That... paraaaasite doesn't have nothing to do with me!"
The hate in the man's eyes made no sense to Benedic.
"What did she do?"
"No need to talk about... suuch thingsss."
Mendax pushed Benedic back into sitting up straight.
"Don't you want to?" He said, a hand on his shoulder.
"I guessss."
What followed had been barely coherent cursing directed at a child. For no good reason.
Mendax looked away from Aureum. Being exhausted made organizing the story difficult. He'd been up all night and much of the past day.
"What?" Aureum said. "We only have so much time before Vitreum wakes up."
"You were right. Benedic doesn't care for his sister."
Aureum had a smug smile in response, which Mendax ignored.
"The root seems to be their father. He wasn't loyal to Benedic's mother."
"So they're half-siblings? That kind of explains things."
"Simply, Benedic's mother chose to raise Vitreum, in the hopes of hiding her lover's infidelity. To no one's surprise, it didn't work out like she'd hoped.
I think both mothers might have been friends at one point."
"Ouch. Neither of them married him?"
"No."
"That's rare, for those of a major bloodline. Benedic's mother must have been devastated."
"From what Benedic says, no one knows Vitreum isn't a bloodline relation of the Lapis'. But their father continued his loose ways. Before long it was known all over that a daughter of Lapis was cheap.
According to Benedic, it causes strain on his mother. So he doesn't care what happens to Vitreum. He took her out of the house to get her away from his mother."
"He told you all that, that sweetly?"
Mandax's eyes narrowed a bit in amusement.
"No. There was a lot of bad language involved."
"Whatever shall we do for your poor ears."
Aureum thought about Vitreum's request before they left.
She'd wanted her mother. Did she mean her birth mother? Or the mother that raised her?
"Mendax, do you know when Vitreum lost her birth mother?"
Mendax closed his eyes and kept them shut for a moment.
"I didn't think to ask," he said, opening them.
"Is there something you wanted me to do with this history?"
"The way Benedic spoke of it made me believe Vitreum might not be better returning to her family."
Are we already having this conversation?
The kid had just been safe with Aureum for maybe a few days, and people were already discussing her future without her.
Not that an eight-year-old is going to have a solution to this. Or needs to worry about it.
"Well, I already contacted the old head of the Lapis, Maledic. I didn't know they weren't blood relations at the time, though.
I hope he doesn't act like his kids."
"You know how to contact Maledic?"
Aureum winced.
Drat, I forgot that I'm supposed to be a young woman who doesn't know anything.
Aureum let the moment drag on. A little urge to spill it all struck her. Explain why she was trying to save this girl she had no clear relation to.
She sighed.
I'm too tired for how long that conversation would be.
Besides, even if she did tell someone, it wouldn't be Mendax.
"Yeah, I happen to know it."
Mendax peered at her.
"Why?"
"I came across it. By chance."
She didn't care what Mendax thought of her. So the answer didn't matter. It was nice not having to try and pass over it.
Seeing that she wasn't going to respond, Mendax picked up the conversation.
"You didn't send it before you left Nix, did you?"
"No, after. It's been about two weeks now."
A letter sent to Lapis might take two months to arrive. Then a reply would be another few months. Although a strong sorcerer might be able to travel faster.
With Vitreum's situation being so unstable, it was too long to wait for.
"I'll try to talk to her about her mothers," Aureum said.
Mendax sighed.
"I can't offer to take her in," he said.
Aureum looked at him for a moment. She made a face.
"Nobody asked you. Some steel-for-hire isn't anybody's first pick for a guardian, you know."
"Heh. Remember that kids need stability, Aureum."
"What?" A grin found itself across her face as it dawned on her what he was implying. "I doubt I can do worse than where I found her."
"Was that supposed to be funny?"
"No. She deserves better than either of us, I agree."
But how they were going to get that for her remained the question.
Even if every one of her relations ends up a bust, there should be other options. I just need to find them.
When I don't ache with every deep breath.
For now...
"We should head back if that's everything," Aureum said.
Mendax nodded, and was up first. He had to wait awkwardly for Aureum to slowly stand.
When they returned, Vitreum was wide awake, playing with his majesty Snowfluffles.
"Aureum! Mendax!"
She got up and circled them as they entered the room.
The burden of having Aureum, Vitreum, and a cat stuck in one small room did cause wear. At least Mendax and Sitis took Vitreum and the kitten on walks.
Aureum would be lying if she said she didn't find them adorable more often than irritating.
She sat down with relief.
"I'll be next door," Mendax said, slipping back out.
The rest of the day passed much as the others had. She rested. Vitreum played with her doll. It was some cheap stuffed thing Mendax had picked up.
Even that short conversation wore her out.
The days passed. Aureum was in no rush to force things with Vitreum. She was able to layer within the week.
Even in such odd circumstances, the days inevitably took on a certain structure.
Aureum would wake up first, and layer. Vitreum would wake up. Mendax usually brought breakfast.
Then Vitreum and Mendax might go on a walk. Sitis would join on the weekend holiday. Lacuna was excluded to keep her out of this mess.
Aureum might read fairy tales to Vitreum if neither Sitis or Mendax came.
Whoever was around might chat until dinner. Vitreum was allowed to get dinner from the first floor and bring it up if Mendax wasn't back. Then Vitreum played with her doll or Snowfluffles as Aureum went to sleep early. Before the sun sank, Aureum would be worn out.
After about four days, Aureum tried to redirect the chat.
"My mom," Aureum said. "I miss her."
In her usual subtle manner.
It was sort of true. The more Aureum thought about it, the more it became true.
We haven't even had much of a real chance to talk since I came back. Unless Sobbing into her arms counts.
"Aren't you too old for that?" Vitreum said.
Aureum squished a rising smile.
"Never too old to miss your mom. Never too old to get scolded by your parents either."
"That's just cause you're a bad adult. I'm not gonna get scolded by my parents when I'm older."
"Heh. We'll see about that. What's your mom like?"
"Why?"
"Just curious. Don't you want to hear about my mom?"
"Yeah!"
"Uh. Sure. Then you'll tell me about your mom afterward?"
"Mmmm. Deal!"
Aureum spent a second rubbing her neck as she lounged on the bed.
Which story to pick?
"Funny thing is my mom is often called crazy by my dad."
"What?"
"For years I didn't get it either. My mom is nice. She's pretty. As you might be able to guess, of course."
Vitreum gave a smile for that.
"Maybe my idea of crazy people was pretty narrow.
I didn't know what he was talking about until the mother of my sister's bully was invited home."
"Your sister was bullied?"
"Yeah. Ah. You'll need context. My family, the Zizan's. We're rich, but we aren't an official bloodline."
"You're common?"
"That's not the word I'd use. I guess so. Anyways, this caused a bit of trouble in our neighborhood. The local girls were all of good bloodline. So they snubbed us whenever they had the chance.
From when we played in the park to when we went shopping for dresses.
One of the girls... Errr.
I can't even remember her name anymore. She had a face like a fennec. Real shrill voice.
She got vicious with it when it came to Felixia, my sister. She'd say anything to get a rise out of her.
My sister has a bit of temper.
This girl spread rumors to smear her name. Actually paid someone to smear the dress Felixia ordered in mud too. It was ridiculous."
"Why?"
"My sister was the better dancer."
"Oh."
"Anyways, after about a year of this, the story found its way to Mom. I remember how she called on us to tell her what was going on.
I'd never seen her so mad. Not at us. Not at first."
"Did you tattle?"
"Of course not!"
"You should have told!"
"Maybe... but Mom figured out what was going on either way. She called the mother of this girl home for tea."
"Just tea?"
"Not just tea. Mom's fond of her plants, and has a nice garden. Apparently, my mother said 'I love flowers. They remind me of my girls. This one, though, has a color like your daughter's eyes.'"
"That's just a compliment."
"Hah. It's not a compliment when someone takes that flower and begins to pluck it in front of you, recounting your kid's sins."
"She didn't!"
"She did!"
"Wasn't the other mom from a bloodline?"
"Yep."
"What happened to your family?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
Vitreum sat quietly for once, stunned.
"The girl never bullied my sister again."
Vitreum shivered.
"Your mom's not crazy. She's scary."
"My mom is cool."
Vitreum shook her head.
"Come on, that's cool."
Vitreum shook her head so her hair spread out. Aureum put a hand out to stop her.
"Now it's your turn."