Since I don’t have much to share by way of new work beyond that the outline is out to the fifth chapter, I wanted to share some scenes I enjoyed when I read back through the first draft. Enjoy!
Their room was rather large. There was a large bed with a canopy over it against the far wall. On the other side the door to the washroom stood open. Aila approached a table that sat between. It was beautifully inlaid with shells.
“Everything is water themed.” Leora said with a soft disdain in her voice.
Aila looked at her sister with a smile. “You miss the trees?”
Leora nodded and sighed.
Aila’s smile faded. “Me too.” Turning her attention to the bed she continued, “These people are very kind though. Everyone has been; apart from the sorcerers.”
“Why do they need such a big house? Our elder didn’t have a house like this.” Leora continued venting her complaints.
“That’s true, I guess. But I don’t think Sevan built it. I think he lives in what the original chief had constructed. He can’t be faulted with that.”
“It’s his ancestors. Our ancestors didn’t build something like this.”
“No, hush. It’s rude to judge.”
“It was Enid’s plan.” A strange voice said.
With a start the girls turned to see who had silently joined them. A nymph, not much older than Aila stood in the doorway.
“Forgive me, I should have knocked.”
“How does a town have a plan?” Leora asked, perplexed by the nymph’s statement.
“Not the town Enid, but the wife of Zale, the founding chief. He wasn’t an elder, so his wife wanted the castle to last as a monument to him.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry, I have barged in without even introducing myself. I am Cordelia. One of Sevan’s daughters.” She curtsied which the girls did in reply, “I wanted to meet you. They said you were near my age. My younger sister Alda and I don’t have many peers here.”
“I would think in a royal city with so many nymph men you would have plenty.” Aila said.
Cordelia smiled, “Well, yes. There are other nymphs our age, but we are Sevan’s daughters and that makes us different. I hoped perhaps you would not see us that way.”
“What about your older sisters?”
“There is a significant gap between me and the next in age. Nerida is my closest sister in age, but there is a brother and many years between us. Nerida, Sedna, and Hali, my sisters, don’t have much to do with my sister and me.”
“Must be the castle.” Leora said.
“Leora!” Aila scolded her sister for fear of offending but Cordelia laughed.
“I think so too! This castle makes the elders forget that we are not the royal family. Enid is not all of Vale. They act as if they were children of Agur rather than Sevan.”
“Where is your sister?” Leora asked.
Cordelia smiled sensing that she had succeeded in her endeavor of befriending their guests. “I don’t think she even knows you have come. She is likely somewhere in the northern garden. Would you like to see it?”
Leora’s face lit up. “A garden?”
“Well,” Cordelia wavered, “it’s probably not a garden like you are thinking of. It’s mostly water and rocks. It has a beautiful waterfall.”
Aila jumped in feeling embarrassed by her sister’s obvious disappointment. “I’d love to see it and to meet your sister. You’ve all been so kind to us.”
“Wonderful! Follow me.”
