Chapter 15: The Art of Winning Favor

Elara’s final words comforted Mistress Glynnis more than anything else. Her Lady had the Swordfall Marches and a new life waiting for her there. And though young Lord Kael was still a child, he would grow up to be a man just like his father, Lord Anson.

Seeing that Glynnis was at peace, Elara continued writing. Glynnis quietly tidied her mistress's desk. There wasn’t much to organize—just a few sheets of paper. Before they had left for the High Court, all of Elara’s books and scrolls had been carefully packed away. The carriages had since returned, but no one had given instructions as to what to do next. Glynnis, understanding that her mistress wanted privacy, had not ordered anything to be moved into the room.

"Should I go and get your books?" Glynnis asked. "I can have them all sent to you."

Elara shook her head. "I do not need them," she said. She needed to recall the past ten years of her previous life.

Glynnis accepted this without question. "Call for me if you need anything, My Lady," she said before leaving.

Outside the door, half the chattering maids had scattered, but the two who had been kicking the shuttlecock were still there. Glynnis gestured for them to come closer. "Happy," she said to one. "Dreamer," she said to the other.

The two girls hid the shuttlecock behind their backs and came over. "Mistress Glynnis," they said.

Glynnis held out her hand. "Give me the shuttlecock." The two girls, their faces sour, gave it to her.

Glynnis took the shuttlecock, tossed it in the air, and kicked it. But instead of flying forward, it arched gracefully over her shoulder and landed behind her. She then kicked it back over her shoulder without looking, catching it deftly in her hand. The two girls stared, wide-eyed. "Mistress Glynnis, you are so clever!" they exclaimed.

"Am I?" Glynnis said, a proud smile on her face. She kicked the shuttlecock a few more times, executing the trick perfectly. The girls watched, their eyes wide with awe. "There," Glynnis said, throwing the shuttlecock back to them. "Learn how to do that."

Instead of scolding them, she had taught them a new trick. The two girls were overjoyed. "Now," Glynnis said, "you will play here, and you will watch the door." She gave them a serious look. "Do not let anyone enter and disturb our Lady."

The two girls nodded. Happy's face was serious. "You can rely on us, Mistress Glynnis. If anyone tries to enter, I will shout." Dreamer's eyes sparkled. "I will go and find you, Sister."

Glynnis patted their heads. "Now go on and play."

Glynnis's concern was for naught. No one was trying to bother Elara. After Lord Kael's departure, Lord Cassian and Lady Seraphina had arranged for several famous healers to see her, but Elara had refused to see them all. No one had forced the issue. "Let her do as she pleases," the Grand Matron said, rousing herself from a nap. "This is her home, and she can be as willful as she wants to be."

Lady Seraphina watched as two maidservants cut up a peach for her mistress. "She has no other injuries," she said. "The wounds on her face will heal in time."

"She does not like to be approached, so you must not bother her," the Grand Matron continued. "If we anger her and she weeps for her father, it will be my fault."

Lady Seraphina sighed. "Elara has lost her father, and you, Mother, have lost your son."

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Tears streamed down the Grand Matron's face. "Do not bait me," she said. "What use are my tears now?"

"Have a bit of peach, Mother," Lady Seraphina said, helping her sit up. Just then, there was the sound of footsteps outside.

"The young Ladies have arrived!" a maid announced, pulling back the curtain. A group of girls rushed into the room, making it lively and loud.

"Grandmother," they cried, crowding around the Grand Matron, who smiled and told them to sit down.

"You have been crying again, Grandmother," Lady Serena said, running to the Grand Matron's bedside and wiping her tears with her fingers.

The Grand Matron smiled, pulling her into her arms. "I have not been a good girl."

Two toddlers, Lord Cassian's grandchildren, waddled up to the Grand Matron, holding up peaches. "Great-grandmother, eat!" they said in their soft voices. The Grand Matron took a bite from each, laughing as she did. She pulled them onto the bed, and her tears faded with her laughter.

"Where is Gwynn?" she asked, her eyes scanning the group.

Lady Clarice, sitting in a chair, replied, "She is ill. She refuses to take her medicine, so the Third Lady has sent her to bed."

The Grand Matron's eyes widened. "Ill? How so?"

A maid stepped forward with a smile. "Do not worry, My Lady. Our young lady simply ate too much cold fruit and is feeling unwell. She will not take her medicine, so the Third Lady is letting her go hungry for a while."

The Grand Matron was already standing. "This is no small matter. Going hungry will not solve it." She called for a healer and began to walk out. "She will not take her medicine, and she will not see a healer! This is preposterous! I will watch her myself and see if she will listen to me."

The maids scrambled to get out of her way, one of them running ahead to warn the Third Lady.

Lady Clarice and Lady Serena walked slowly behind the crowd. "Lady Gwynn is faking it," Lady Serena whispered. "She just wants Grandmother to go and comfort her. She wants to show that she is the most favored."

"That is because she knows Grandmother loves to be needed," Lady Clarice said. "She is not doing it to prove anything to us. She is doing it to win Grandmother's favor." At fifteen, she felt she was above such childish games.

Lady Serena, who was only nine, didn't understand. She simply nodded. "We must all win Grandmother's favor." When a child was favored, she got the best clothes and the best food. The servants flocked to her, and her parents were also treated better, earning a mother's praise for being her "lucky star." A favored child also received more dowry, which meant a better position in her husband's family.

Lady Clarice did not argue with this. But a grown-up should be more refined about such things. "Grandmother is the matriarch," she said. "Winning her favor is a matter of filial piety."

Lady Serena blinked. "Is Lady Elara trying to win her favor by refusing to see a healer?"

"No," Lady Clarice said. "She is not trying to win anyone's favor." Elara had always been like this. She never sought their grandmother's favor, or anyone's, for that matter. Lady Serena pouted. "Grandmother does not favor her, or else she would not ignore her."

Lady Clarice thought that a child's words were sometimes the truest. The Grand Matron did not favor Elara. If she did, she would not have left her alone, refusing to see anyone. And she would not have ignored her refusal to see a healer. But when Lady Gwynn had a minor illness, the Grand Matron was ready to wait on her hand and foot. Sometimes, when a person gives you space, it is because they don't care.

Elara was uninterested in the Grand Matron’s daily life. And Valerius was even more so.

Valerius had not received new orders for several days, but he had not asked for them. He was too busy tracking news of Lord Kael's journey and dealing with the flow of messages between the Swordfall Marches and the High Court. He returned to his rooms, and two maids came out to meet him. Mistress Glynnis had sent them, saying they were assigned to him personally by Lady Elara.

"The food is warm, sir," one of them said. "What else would you like?"

"The water is hot," the other said. "Would you like to wash first?"

The two maids were simple and honest, only concerned with his well-being. Valerius told them he would wash, and they followed him into the washroom, ready to serve him with combs and towels. He did not like them helping him with his bath, but their faces were so worried that he gave up on refusing them. He figured this was another of Lady Elara’s ways of showing she cared.

After his bath, Valerius sat down to eat. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Mistress Glynnis. She entered without waiting and said, "My Lady says, 'We depart tomorrow.' Please make the arrangements."