The Ciphers of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood #2)(11)
“She sacrificed her life and happiness,” the woman continued, her throat thickening, “for yours. You may feel out of place, Maia, but you were meant to be here. These girls are your family now. You are the oldest. And they are your sisters.”
Maia wiped her eyes quickly. She did not like to cry, but her grandmother had taught her that she needed to learn to accept her emotions rather than bury them. Her father had always urged her to do otherwise, so it was a hard lesson to learn.
“I do not think Suzenne likes me very well,” Maia said softly, watching the other girl as she went from table to table and coaxed the other girls in their efforts. “She is afraid of me.”
The Aldermaston’s wife patted Maia’s hand and wisely said nothing.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Queen’s Garden
With the sun came a different schedule—a different life. The first official lesson was in languages, and though Maia sought to remain in the background, the teacher, who was from Dahomey, knew who she was. In his excitement to converse with another fluent speaker, he had addressed her immediately, speaking fast and excitedly. Maia had answered him as briefly as she could, but her response still showed her ability with the language. The lavish way he praised her in front of the class made her wince. Maeg’s eyes narrowed with envy, and throughout the class she whispered to some of the other Ciphers behind her hand, undoubtedly spouting unpleasant things about Maia.
Maia met some of the boys at the school in the language class. While she recognized some of the Family names from her youth, none of the students themselves looked familiar. There was one boy who was aloof from the others and seemed rather impatient with the pace of the class. She was too uncertain of herself to ask who he was.
Languages was the only class shared with the boys, as they were busy reading and engraving tomes in the cloisters for the rest of the day. Maia found embroidery to be painfully tedious, but the archery lesson was enjoyable. The studies on law, medicine, and history were also quite interesting.
When the classes were finally over, the students were allowed to wander the grounds and enjoy themselves, unless the weather was blustery. The days were short and the wind brisk and scented with pending rain. Suzenne walked alongside her as they left the classroom, and Maia saw several young men waiting for the girls at a cluster of trees.
Maeg had a mischievous smile as she began bantering with some of the youths. Then she turned to look at them. “Suzenne, are you coming, or must you tend to the poor waif all day?”
It was a deliberate cruelty, Maia knew that at once, and Suzenne’s cheeks flushed with discomfort. These were her friends, and it was clear from Maeg’s tone and word choice that Maia had not been invited to join them.
Suzenne looked flustered with indecision, and Maia could see that while her heart longed for one thing, her sense of duty and propriety urged her to do something else.
Maia touched Suzenne’s arm. “Go with them,” she said softly. “I am tired and would rather walk the grounds by myself. Thank you for showing me where to go today.”
Suzenne hesitated, and Maia could see the strain in her brow. She was doing battle with herself.
“Will you be all right?” Suzenne asked in a concerned tone.
“She can fend for herself well enough,” Maeg said spitefully. “Come, Suzenne! It will be dark soon. The days are so short now.”
Maia smiled, patted Suzenne’s arm, and turned and walked away, her cheeks burning from the slight.
“Is she really the king’s daughter?” one of the boys muttered.
“Yes,” said Maeg wickedly. “I will tell you all about her. Come on, Suzenne!”
“Poor lass, I pity her,” said another boy.
Maia kept right on walking, anxious to be away from their gazes. There was a certain petulance to youth, she realized. She had been exposed to it before from her stepmother, Lady Deorwynn, and her stepsisters, but she had expected something different in an abbey. It baffled her that people who studied the Medium and knew how sensitive it was to thoughts and desires could be so callous in their treatment of one another.
She sighed. She had borne the torment of Lady Deorwynn and her girls. Compared to that, what were Maeg’s saucy looks? She determined to bear it without becoming vengeful. She would try and earn Suzenne’s trust over time.
The weight of the students’ behavior eased off her shoulders as she started to explore the grounds. Her eyes drank in the structure of the abbey beneath the sturdy scaffolding. She longed to strip away the wood and see the abbey as it was meant to be. A memory fluttered in her mind of climbing the scaffolding of a towering abbey in the city of Rostick in Hautland. As she walked in the soft grass, she remembered that city’s clean cobbled streets, so crammed and narrow, yet pristine. Before coming to the abbey, she had fled from one kingdom to another, crossing perilous mountains and facing storms, avalanches, and the sea.
Maia walked into the Cider Orchard, where the leaves were turning yellow and falling off due to the cold. As she trod through the soggy remnants on the grass, she smiled to herself, feeling as if she walked amidst ghosts. She touched the gray branches, running her hands over the bark, and breathed in the musty smells of moldering leaves and early winter. In truth, she was not troubled by solitude. It was pleasant being by herself.
After she emerged from the orchard, she veered away from the areas where the learners had gathered, and circled around to the laundry. There were no lavenders there at this hour, since their work had been done earlier in the day. Beyond the roofed shelter, she saw a field of purple. Two workers were kneeling amidst the plants, using small knives to cut sprigs. She walked closer, wanting a better view, and was startled to realize that one of the laborers was her grandmother.