Chronicles of Logos Quest For the Kingdom Parts IV, V, VI, and VII Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) (50 page)

Felicia was so
overjoyed that she rushed to embrace her, flinging all decorum aside, just as
she had done in the days of freedom in Solone.

Kyrene had
just arrived at the House of Hadrianus, and at the first sight of her former
mentor the pupil forgot her newfound dignity as a matron of Lycenium. She
besieged Kyrene with kisses and a warm hug, before drawing back to look at her.

Kyrene
returned the embrace, but remembering the circumstances under which they had
parted, she felt an impulse to tease the daughter of her old friends.

“Well, young
lady,” she said as she pulled a stern face, “what have you to say for the
manner in which you left my school?”

She frowned on
Felicia, who had the grace to blush and stammered slightly before she detected
the faint twinkle in Kyrene’s eye.

“Oh, I
am
so sorry at the way I left you! But I was upset with my mother and wished to
run away from the life she would have had me live in Lycenium. It was only
later that I thought of how my behavior impacted you.”

She took
Kyrene’s hand in hers and placed it against her own cheek.

“Please
forgive me for my thoughtlessness,” she whispered softly, as a shimmer of tears
shone in her blue eyes.

It was not in
Kyrene’s nature to stay angry for long, and she patted Felicia’s other cheek
with her free hand. Then she smiled at her and all was forgiven and forgotten
as they embraced once more. They linked arms together and strolled casually
through the atrium and out to the grounds.

Here they
stopped briefly as they surveyed the spacious gardens and extensive
surroundings.

“Do you see?”
Felicia queried. “This would be an excellent setting for a school. There are
many rooms in the villa, and so much space outside where pupils could walk and
enjoy nature. Just think: you could mentor your own students here as well as
train believers in Lycenium!”

Kyrene looked
about her, but not with the enthusiasm that Felicia felt. She had never been
comfortable in such a setting, recalling her stay with the aunt of Felix in her
fine villa long ago. And its purpose the pursuit by herself, Felix, and Marcus
Maximus of the very man who owned this estate that her pupil now displayed with
such pardonable pride.

The thought
made her shudder in horror, remembering the outcome of their hunt…

To Felicia,
however, she merely turned a noncommittal smile, and attempted to find words
that would alleviate the refusal that she knew she must give her. For Kyrene
had traveled to Lycenium not to accept Felicia’s offer, but simply to see her
once more and make peace with her. And with Tullia, whom she both longed and
dreaded to see, certain that her old friend blamed her for her daughter’s
escape from the school.

At the moment,
she preferred to congratulate Felicia on her marriage, a marriage that
astounded her. Not only had Felicia resisted with all of her will a marriage to
anyone at such a young age before she had experienced adventure and freedom;
the identity of the groom had shocked Kyrene so greatly that she found sleep a
difficulty for several days after she received the news of it.

“I must say
that I was surprised at hearing the news of your marriage,” she said. “For the
last time I saw you that was the last tie that you wished to bind yourself to,
as I recall.”

She merely
smiled at Felicia, but waited with an anxiety she tried to conceal for the
girl’s reply to her observation.

Her unspoken
question was answered with a burst of laughter that transformed Felicia’s face,
bathing it in a glow that seemed to radiate from a joy somewhere deep within.

“Oh, I
know
;
that was the reason I ran away from the school was to avoid being sent to
Lycenium to seek a husband. But almost from the moment I met Antonius I loved
him. He is so kind and gentle, truly he is. I have never met anyone more loving
and thoughtful of others. How could I
not
love one so fine as him? He was
impossible to resist!”

She sighed and
her eyes looked back at Kyrene with such a dreamy expression that Kyrene was
satisfied that it was a true love match. And that Felicia had not an inkling
about the tumultuous history of her father-in-law with her own parents…

“Well, you are
to be congratulated then,” she said as she patted Felicia’s arm. “But about
this other matter…”

She paused and
stopped to consider her words. Kyrene felt a revulsion at even stepping foot on
the property of the man who had killed her beloved Felix. How could she
possibly take up residence in his house, even temporarily? The thought was too
hideous to be borne!

“I do not feel
that is the will of Dominio,” she at last replied. “I have my roots in Solone,
and the pupils there depend on me. And they would feel out of place in
Lycenium. You recall how simple is their mode of living: can you truly picture
any one of them as a guest in your fine villa?”

Felicia
appeared genuinely surprised: she had been certain that Kyrene would be delighted
to accept her offer. She would be living in gracious surroundings, close to her
old friends. The pupils would be exposed to a mode of living that was wholly
new to them, as well as have access to the refinements of Lycenium culture that
all the wealthy parents of the civilized world wanted their sons and daughters
to experience.

And then
Felicia realized how much she herself had changed since her return home and her
subsequent marriage to Antonius.

For had she
not gloried in the very freedom she had experienced in Solone, where the sea
and the sky met with such a brilliant blaze of blue that one could not tell
where the one began and the other ended? Was it not the very primitive quality
of the landscape that had so entranced her, she who was accustomed to manicured
lawns and formal gardens graced by sparkling fountains and sculpted statuary?

And the other
students; she remembered suddenly their simple garments and rustic manners. How
could she for a moment have imagined that they would feel at home in such a
grand setting as the House of Hadrianus? And how could they not feel other than
self-conscious among the elegant citizens of Lycenium itself?

She turned a
rueful smile on Kyrene.

“I suppose you
are right, Kyrene. In my eagerness to see you once again and continue my
training I permitted my imagination to get carried away.

“But I
do
long to continue my training! While you are visiting, could you meet with me
and teach me more, so that I may perfect my gift and be able to use it to its
fullest extent?”

Kyrene nodded
her head soberly as she looked at her former pupil with affection.

“Yes, we can
do that. But I think it best that I stay with your parents and not here.”

She swayed on
her feet for a moment, as she once again looked around the grounds and remembered
the face of Decimus Hadrianus, and how enraged it had been just before…

She shook her
head abruptly to shake off the memory. She became aware that Felicia was
looking at her in concern. She turned a bright smile on her and took her by the
arm to continue their walk.

“Yes, I think
it best to stay with them. After all, you are a newly married bride, and it is
best for you and your husband to have some time alone.”

They met every
morning and strolled, not in the gardens of the House of Hadrianus as Felicia
had imagined, but in her grandmother’s gardens instead. Kyrene had not been
willing to meet her again in her home, although she did not say why. Or even
imply it covertly. Yet Felicia felt the reluctance and wondered at it.

As they met
Kyrene questioned Felicia on her experiences with dreams and visions. She asked
her to interpret those she had, and then posed a few questions to her.

“You tell me
you have had a few dreams that have come to pass even since leaving Solone,
most noticeably the one that revealed the condition of your mother when your
father went in search of her. I cannot really think that I have much left to
teach you, in all honesty. You recall your dreams when you wake, and are
remarkably accurate in their interpretation.

“All else is
at the will of Dominio; as you draw close to Him and spend time in His presence
listening to His voice, He will reveal what He desires you to know. The most
important requirement for you is that you stay close to Dominio and that He
remains first in your affections.”

Felicia stared
at Kyrene in alarm, her heart beating rapidly as she felt her stomach suddenly
sink within her. She had not expected such a response, feeling certain that she
would enjoy the company of her mentor for some time to come. That this was not
to be was soon made clear to her, although she was reluctant to hear it.

Kyrene was
obdurate in her summation of Felicia’s progress and her own limitations in
teaching her more. She had taught her all that she could. She had one bit of
advice for her though, one that would prove invaluable in the time ahead.

“But there is
one thing to be very careful of, Felicia,” she said in a voice so serious that
it garnered Felicia’s full attention. “You must beware of counterfeits, those
who have a gift that looks like yours, yet the source is not the same. For the
Astra retained a great deal of power even after they fell. And they bestow
their gifts on their servants, even as Dominio does on His own.”

Kyrene turned
Felicia around to look at her, and placed both of her hands on the girl’s
shoulders.

“Know this:
there are those who can see ahead, just as you do also, they see the future.
Yet they use it to gain power over those who seek them out so they may control
them, and not in love to guide and warn as the servants of Dominio use it. They
are mystics who garble strange gibberish that they pass off as knowledge,
diviners who call on evil spirits that they may see what lies ahead.”

Kyrene peered
into Felicia’s eyes so deeply that it seemed that they filled her entire vision
as she looked at her mentor.

“Remember
this, Felicia; you must show them no mercy, for they would use their gifts to
ensnare those who are ignorant, and to enslave those who are arrogant in the
pursuit of power. Cast them out when you encounter them and do not be afraid.
For Dominio shall give you supremacy over them.”

Tullia read
with pleasure the message Otho had brought to her that morning. Thais Archippos
had just returned from Lycenium and would like to call on her that afternoon.
She would not be alone, but was bringing a young woman to call with her, Maelys
Adalbart, the daughter of an old friend of the Maximus family.

How lovely!
Tullia thought as she read. I have never met Dag’s wife or children, as Judoc
could not leave the younger ones and the older boys were always needed to help
in the absence of Dag the few times he had visited them in Valerium. And what a
pleasant surprise it will be for Marcus as well.

She hastily
sent a note inviting Thais and Maelys, along with Charis, to call on her that
afternoon. After considering the matter, she sent a message to her own daughter
to join them. It would be nice for Felicia to meet the daughter of her father’s
old friend, who was just about the same age, and would therefore be good
company for the girl from Eirinia.

When Felicia
arrived shortly after the noonday meal was past, however, Tullia was surprised
to see that she was not alone. To her astonishment and joy she was accompanied
by Kyrene. She leapt to her feet when she saw her and rushed to embrace her.

“Oh, Kyrene!”
Tullia exclaimed. “I did not know you were in Lycenium. How wonderful to see
you again!”

Kyrene
returned the embrace warmly, but drew back slightly to look at Tullia with
anxious eyes.

“I was not
sure how I would be received,” she said with characteristic forthrightness.
“After all, the last time you saw me I was entrusted to take care of your
daughter; and we both know how that turned out.”

Felicia hung
her head guiltily, and Tullia gave a rueful laugh as she stroked her daughter’s
stubborn forelock that fell onto her brow from her otherwise immaculate
coiffure.

“Now, Kyrene,”
she soothed in an unexpectedly gentle voice, “you could hardly be blamed for
that. I know how adamant my daughter is once her mind is made up. I doubt there
was anything you could have done to prevent her from running away from the
school.”

Kyrene
bestowed a warm and grateful smile on her old friend, and they turned as one to
look at Felicia. She shrugged her shoulders and importuned them both with
raised eyebrows and a little grin that clearly begged for forgiveness. In spite
of every attempt to be stern, Kyrene burst out laughing, joined by Tullia, and
they simultaneously drew their arms through Felicia’s and the three of them
adjourned to the family sitting room to await their visitors.

They did not
have long to wait. It was no more than fifteen minutes after the arrival of
Felicia and Kyrene that the others appeared. Otho had been instructed to send
them to the atrium, where the sun still warmed the room, alleviating the chill
of the autumn day, and the Maximus women along with their friend made haste to
join them.

What struck
Tullia immediately was the beauty of the young girl who stood somewhat shyly
before her. Tall and willowy, yet somehow suggesting the stateliness of a
goddess who had condescended to visit the earth below, was the impression she
had. The girl carried her head high with dignity, yet there was also an
unabashed expression of awe at her surroundings that battled with her attempt
to appear poised and at ease.

Tullia found
herself wondering if this was the maiden’s first glimpse of a grand house; and
she reflected that living in the wilds of Eirinia in a small village had not
prepared her for marble columns and intricately tiled floors, with statuary and
fine pottery, or the exquisite mosaics that adorned the walls. So accustomed
was she to these sights that she had ceased to see them, and now as she looked
around the room through the eyes of the young Eirini, she found herself
appreciating anew these beautiful and costly possessions. She extended a
gracious hand and a welcoming smile to her young guest.

“Good
afternoon, Maelys,” she said, as genuine pleasure animated her voice and face,
“what a pleasure this is! I have met your father on a few occasions, and it is
a delight to meet one of his children at last.”

Maelys shed a
grateful smile on her and gave a little bow to Tullia as she took her extended
hand. She seemed as much in awe of Tullia as she did the grandeur of the
atrium. She glanced shyly at the other two women, whom Tullia brought forth to
introduce.

“This is our
daughter Felicia, who is just your age,” she said as she put an arm around her
daughter. “I am sure you two will have much to talk about. Felicia was actually
interested in joining your father in Eirinia to help with the work there.”

Maelys’ eyes
lit up with curiosity and pleasure, but before she could speak Tullia
introduced Kyrene.

“And this is
Kyrene Nicandros, who is also a friend of your mother and father. Indeed, she
traveled with your father and my husband many years ago on an adventure, where
she was of invaluable service to them.”

Tullia turned
to Kyrene and a soft glow illumined her eyes.

“And she is
like a sister to me,” she stated in a tone of voice as soft as her eyes.

Kyrene
returned the look warmly and gratefully; then they both turned their attention
back to their young visitor.

Maelys now
seemed overwhelmed at all of the attention, as well as the struggle to adjust
to her surroundings. She obviously was searching for something to say, but
words failed her. It was Felicia who finally put her at ease by taking her by
the arm and putting an end to all of the formalities.

“Come,” she
said to the other girl, “let us take a stroll outdoors and get acquainted.
After all, we
are
the same age and I want so much to hear of the work in
Eirinia which I nearly joined. Had I done so I would have met you already, and
therefore we should regard one another as old friends.”

She said this
with a withering look at Tullia that sent a frown racing across her mother’s
countenance. Kyrene restrained from sighing as she reflected that Felicia had
managed to interject a note of irony on an otherwise conventional call between
fine ladies and one young rustic from the provinces.

Maelys soon
felt perfectly at ease with Felicia. There was an almost immediate sense of a
kinship of spirit with the other girl that caused all differences of social
station to disappear. They talked impersonally at first of the differences
between Eirinia and Lycenium; Maelys exclaimed over the splendor of the city
and its magnificent villas. Never had she seen anything to compare to them!

But when
queried by Felicia, she found herself rhapsodizing over the mystical beauty of
Eirinia, how the sea mist came upon one unexpectedly in the morning as it
kissed the dew of dawn until they were one, and enveloped the land in an aura
of mystery. She told of the loveliness of the woods and meadows, so green and
vibrant with the glow of a jewel that had somehow settled on the land and cast
its brilliance around for all to enjoy.

Felicia
listened to her visitor with genuine pleasure, and then told Maelys of her
adventure in Solone, and how she had reveled in the rocky countryside so
dramatic from the cultured landscapes of her homeland. She recalled again the
salty invigoration of the sea air, the plaintive cry of the gulls, and even the
longing she found reverberating in her own heart at the sound of their voices.
And she spoke of her longing to be fully trained as a prophet, and to use the
gift Dominio had given her to advance His Kingdom.

She paused in
her narration for only a moment, hesitant to reveal her rebellion to a complete
stranger. Yet there was something about the other girl that produced a feeling
of empathy, a sense of a bond being formed, that released her from her usual
polite conversation, and permitted her to share what was in her heart.

“I wish I
could have finished my training in Solone,” she said wistfully. “But my mother
was adamant that I return to Lycenium to endure a season of social festivities.
And I hated the very thought of it. So, I ran away.”

A little
squeal of delight escaped Maelys before she could stifle it. Seeing that
Felicia did not appear offended or surprised, however, she ventured to
elaborate on her response.

“No! You
really did? Just ran away and traveled on your own?” Maelys asked with her blue
eyes widened in a thrill of glee at the audacity of the fine young lady who
dared to resist her fate.

Felicia
responded to Maelys’ obvious enjoyment with a laugh of her own as she
remembered with delight her act of rebellion.

“Yes, I did!
And I intended to come to Eirinia, and would have were it not for an encounter
with another old friend of our fathers’, this one a man named Bimo. He told me
I was wrong to run away and rebel as I had, and that Dominio would not bless me
in my endeavor. So I did what every good little girl would do and returned
home. And I was astonished at what waited for me here.”

Felicia paused
for a moment and her eyes became dreamy with reverie. How surprised indeed had
she been to meet Antonius on her arrival, and how Dominio blessed her for her
obedience!

But Maelys was
eager to hear the rest of the adventure and prompted her to continue.

“Well, I was
no sooner home than I met the young man I married,” Felicia said as she blushed
suddenly. “And he is exactly what I need and he wants to serve Dominio also,
and is just the sort of young man to please my mother as well. So everything
turned out just as it should have after all.”

Her recital of
her own adventure reminded her that Maelys herself had left home unchaperoned
and curiosity overcame her.

“And what of
you, Maelys? What is it that prompted you to travel alone and unprotected?
Surely it must have been some matter of grave importance for a maiden to take
such a chance.”

A shine of
tears unexpectedly glistened in the blue eyes of the other girl, and it was a
moment before Maelys could speak. When she did, a quaver throbbed in her
throaty voice, so low in pitch yet pleasant to listen to.

“It is just
this,” she began. “My father left home three months ago to travel to Valerium,
and my brother to journey to other lands for a while. And we have not heard
from either of them since.”