The ride back to the castle had been even quieter than the ride out. Not only had the cloudy sky above them finally decided to open up and dump its contents on them – Ellanor was deeply sunken in her own thoughts. She knew more about her birth, more about Dalton, and she now had another name on her too short list over people she could trust. But despite that she felt more lost than ever.

Had it been the right choice to contact the Duke? Would it have been better to ignore the letter and never think of her heritage again? How long would that have kept her safe? If she had not reached out to Dalton, would he have eventually done so instead?

These questions were useless, she knew, but still they clouded her mind the rest of the afternoon. When their small party arrived back at Redstone the sun was nearing the horizon, somewhere beyond the clouds, and the rain had not faltered. Ellanor was soaked through and through, and chilled to the bone. Her tail was stiff and pain flashed up her spine as she uncoiled from her horse. Glancing over at Jane and the Duke, both looking just as miserable as Ellanor felt, she cringed. Jane’s green wings were pale with the cold, and blue-ish veins spiderwebbed across Dalton’s white ones. They hurried inside the castle.

The trip had granted Ellanor enough time to plan her next move: find the other human woman present at her birth. But it would have to wait until morning, for Ellanor’s teeth were chattering and Dalton was instructing his servants to bring up food to their separate rooms. “And a bath for the Madam,” he added before the servants ran off. He turned to Ellanor.

“I suspected you would like to dine alone this evening – we will speak in the morning.” With a deep bow, much deeper than needed, the Duke disappeared. Ellanor stood blinking for a moment, before she regained her wits and quickly made for her rooms, Jane in tow. Soon as they got there she would have the servants draw up a bath for her guard as well.

Jane jumped ahead to help Lukas open the doors where he stood guard, and Ellanor felt herself sag in relief to finally be back, finally able to–

She stopped dead in her tracks just inside the entry, heart stopped dead in her chest. By the couch group, in one of the large armchairs, sat a human woman. Her dark skin was wrinkled, not just by age but by a life of service, her once black hair grey and pulled back in a knot at the base of her skull. She turned as she noticed Ellanor in the doorway and a soft smile lit up her eyes. She set down a cup she had been holding and opened her mouth to say something, when a movement caught at the edge of Ellanor’s vision.

Jane was instantly in front of her, ready for a fight despite her still stiff wings, a hand on the hilt of her sword. Ellanor peaked around her guard, trying to determine whether or not these people were actually a threat. The second person – who had stepped out from where he had been leaning against the wall by the fireplace – was a man. He held the same dark complexion as the woman, but younger, black eyes boring into Ellanor. 

She put a hand on Jane’s shoulder, softly tugging her back. “It is alright, Jane.”

The avvir straightened and stepped to the side, but her eyes did not leave the man before them. Nor did his leave Ellanor. 

“Aeleon, step aside and show some respect – we are guests here,” the woman said from behind the man. Aeleon grunted in defiance, but did as told, returning to the spot by the fire. His gaze never left Ellanor, tracking her as she walked forward to the couches and kneeled before the woman.

“You are the woman who assisted at my birth,” Ellanor said, having put the pieces together.

The woman’s smile softened even further. “Yes. Dorethy was my daughter.”

Ellanor bowed her head, hiding her tears. She had not dared hope, not only that the woman from so long ago was still alive, let alone related to her. “My grandma.” The words caught on her throat.

The woman put a gentle hand under Ellanor’s chin and lifted her face, and when she met her grandma’s gaze, there was nothing but love in it. “You look so much like her, my Dorethy. Well, almost,” she added, eyes flicking to the pointed ears and the tail curling around Ellanor’s legs. Her loving smile did not falter, save for the amusement twinkling in her eye. “I was unsure if I’d ever get to meet you again, my dear. I was hoping, of course, always hoping.” She shook her head, eyes glazing over ever so slightly. She looked over Ellanor’s head. “Aeleon, come say hi to your sister.”

Ellanor’s heart missed a beat, stumbling on the words spoken by her grandma – grandma. Her mind refused to believe it. And now a brother...

Aeleon grumbled, but like before he obeyed his elder. Ellanor shot to her feet as he neared, assessing him from head to toe. He was tall, towering over her with a good few decimeters, broad shouldered and defined, muscles betraying a life of labour. Still, he looked malnourished, like he was too thin for his frame. It made Ellanor’s stomach knot up.

He stopped a hand’s breadth away from her, pushing way into her personal space. Ellanor squared her shoulders, sensing Jane and Lukas tensing up from where they surveyed the situation at a distance. “A pleasure to finally meet you, sister.” Aeleon spat the last word, disgust marring his face. There was nothing but hatred in his eyes.

The woman clucked her tongue. “Aeleon,” she said, “show some manners.”

Aeleon swirled at his grandma, fury roiling off of him. “I will do no such thing!” he yelled. The woman did not as much as blink. He took a deep breath, calming slightly. “Ma’, she is one of them. You think she gives a shit about us? She was raised by them, lives like them, and she will die like them, wings or no. I see no difference.” 

The woman got to her feet, and Ellanor backed away a step, unsure what to do. “She is my flesh and blood, just as much as you, boy, and I will not tolerate you talking down to her like that. You do not know her past and you certainly do not know her future.” 

“But ma’, she’s–”

“My granddaughter, and your sister, and I ask of you to give her a fair chance, Aeleon.”

Aeleon looked about ready to boil over, but instead something cold came over him, sending a chill down Ellanor’s spine. “Fine, Gallyia,” he spat, before rushing out the hidden servant’s entrance. The room fell silent, save for the cracking of the fire. With a great sigh Ellanor’s grandma collapsed back into the armchair, rubbing at her temple.

“I apologize for him, my dear.” She looked up at Ellanor, the love and softness returning to her face. “Aeleon… he blames the Duke for Dorethy’s death, and seeing you just made those feelings… more.” An old sadness filled her eyes, and Ellanor found herself looking away. She sat down on the couch next to Gallyia.

“How old was he?”

Gallyia took a breath. “Six, almost seven. He was a little sunshine, looking forward so much to having a little sibling.” 

Ellanor’s shoulders curved inward, sorrow filling her chest. She had seen no hint of that boy in Aeleon’s eyes, and she knew she was partly to blame. She deserved all the hate he held for her.

Gallyia’s gentle hands clasped Ellanor’s, thumbs stroking across their backs. When Ellanor looked up, Gallyia’s eyes were lined with tears. “Go you, take that bath – you are frozen solid! We can speak more later.” She got up without another word and exited through the same hidden door Aeleon had used moments before. 

Ellanor stood from the couch and crossed her arms across her chest. Mother, she was still soaked through and freezing in spite of the fire heating up the room.

Oh, Jane–

She whirled at her guards, startling them. Lukas looked fine, if not a bit tired, but Jane looked terrible. Her wings had regained some colour, but her armour was still wet, the layers weighing down on her. “Madam?” she asked, confusion shining in her eyes.

“Tara!”

The handmaid appeared in the door to Ellanor’s bedroom. “Yes?”

“Prepare the other bath as well, for Jane.” The guard began to protest, but Ellanor cut her off. “It is an order. And do not dare come out of there before I do.” She did not give Jane the chance to refuse, and instead headed straight for her own bath that Tara had prepared to perfection. After a few minutes of soaking in the glorious warmth of the giant tub, Tara returned and helped Ellanor with her hair. They did not talk, not of Ellanor’s trip to Water Edge, not of the encounter with Gallyia and Aeleon, not of the future nor the past.

For a brief hour the two of them simply existed.

***

“How did you find them?”

Ellanor was sitting cross legged on the bed, sipping from a cup of tea whilst Tara prepared her clothes for the day. Outside a storm was raging, rain still pouring down with reckless abandon. Lukas had come in just moments before with a breakfast tray as well as a note from Duke Dalton inviting Ellanor to lunch. The note had also mentioned that the Duchess’ return had been postponed for a day or two due to the bad weather – a small relief. Ellanor wanted more time to talk to her grandmother without the risk of having Yvet’s nosey self around.

Tara smoothed out the layers of the gown they had picked out for the lunch with the Duke. Beside it hung a simple black dress, its high value evident in the rich fabric rather than its simple cut. She was to wear it when descending into the tunnels under the castle to meet with Gallyia after lunch.

“Well,” Tara answered, “you told me to stay out of sight from the avvir, so I did.” She turned from the armourie, strolling over to sit at the edge of the bed. “Lukas was a nervous wreck when we ran into another human – and even more so when I began questioning her about Redstone’s human staff.” She snorted. “I do not believe he enjoys our stay here.”

Ellanor chuckled, smiling down at her tea. Hearing of her guards taking such good care of her handmaid – seeing it first hand – earned them even more trust than she regarded them with before. “You were spying,” she teased

“I was doing my job,” Tara said. “Or was that not why you bought me all those years ago?” There was humor in her eyes, but something else too. Honesty, challenge, and fight.

Ellanor refused to look away from that stare, soaking up every bit of it, the soft and the harsh. After a moment of quiet Tara continued.

“The servant led me to Gallyia. She has been aware of your presence here since you arrived, but been uncertain how much you knew.” Tara studies Ellanor. “She said she could not risk approaching you without making sure it was safe first.”

Ellanor takes another sip from the tea, soon cool enough to drink. “How did you know who to look for?”

“I did not,” Tara said, clever eyes still studying Ellanor. For once it was Ellanor who blushed. “It was a guess,” Tara continued, amusement playing on her face as she looked away. “I figured someone here must have known Dorethy, and as it turns out…” She trailed off, both of them remembering the turmoil from the evening before.

Gallyia accepted Ellanor without second thought or prejudice, but what if it was just bliss of seeing Dorethy in someone else? Who knew how their meeting later today would go. She might just as well have changed her mind, maybe Aeleon had spoken some sense into her.

For he was right – there was no reason for them to trust Ellanor. Tara might have vouched for her, convincing them enough to dare to come to her rooms last night, but beyond that they knew nothing of her. Of course Ellanor herself knew she would not let harm come to them, her brother and her grandma. 

At least not intentionally.

Ellanor sighed. The clock was too quickly nearing noon, the storm outside giving her a hard time to relax. Tara too sat staring out the windows, just as lost in her thoughts as Ellanor were in her own. With a breath she slipped out of the bed and sauntered over to the armourie. Tara followed just a step behind.

Wrapped up in the gown, hair arranged prettily around her face, Ellanor steeled herself for the lunch with the Duke. She did not dislike him as much any more, she even enjoyed his company in an odd way, but their interactions were still stiff and awkward. Had they not been what they were to each other Ellanor was certain they could have been friends – good friends even. Probably they still could, if she ever managed to get past the discomfort.

A knock sounded from the door, followed by Lukas’ gentle voice. “It is time, Madam.”

Ellanor made for the door, but Tara stopped her, grabbing onto her hands. Ellanor searched her handmaid’s face, but Tara kept her eyes on the floor.

“I– I did not mean ill with what I said before,” she said, red spreading up her neck and across her cheeks. “I could not have asked for a better own– friend.”

Ellanor stared at Tara, at this bold, amazing, clever girl she treasured more than anything in her life. Before the moment could slip away or be interrupted, Ellanor leaned in and kissed Tara’s cheek, savouring the warmth of her skin.

Without giving the gaping handmaid time to react, Ellanor rushed out her rooms, Lukas falling into step beside her. The guard threw a curious glance over his shoulder but stayed silent.