Mela’s voice brought her instantly awake. Staying mostly hidden beneath her covers, La’tiera reached under her pillow for the necklace. As Mela fetched her robe, she slipped it on.
“Did you sleep well, milady?”
She shifted from beneath her covers to slip into the offered robe. She hesitated for a moment, realizing that, in fact, she had slept well. She’d had a dreamless night. Of late it was the exception rather than the norm.
“Quite well, thank you.”
Mela prodded her along into the early morning routine.
“What will it be today, milady?”
La’tiera didn’t have to think about it. The fact her uncle would allow the troupe to play opened a whole set of other possibilities.
“The garden, if it’s all right. I’d like to work on my painting some more.”
“Very well.”
Today, she had chosen a soft brown dress, thinking that if things went as she hoped it might disguise anything untoward she might get into. For the first hour, she paid attention to her painting and nothing else, though she did occasionally glance around for any signs of a visitor. Once she could no longer stand it, she put her paints and brushes to the side and looked toward the stairwell to make sure Mela wasn’t nearby. Not seeing her, she headed off toward the deeper parts of the enclosed garden.
“Aya? Are you here?” It was wrong of her to call for her, wrong of her to hope she was here, but she couldn’t help herself. As she walked along another thought occurred to her—what if Aya had tried to come and got caught and was now being punished for trying to come see her. A lump settled in her stomach and grew bigger as she realized she’d never have a way to find out.
“Boo!”
La’tiera gasped as someone leapt out from behind a bush. She almost tripped over her feet in her hurry to back away before she realized who it was.
“I scared you! Got you good, too!” The dirt-smudged girl grinned from ear to ear.
“That—wasn’t—very—nice.” She could feel her heart beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings.
Aya’s face lost some of its amusement. “Does that mean you won’t play with me now?”
La’tiera felt an uncharacteristic impish urge. “It might.” She gave her one of Mela’s disapproving looks.
Aya frowned, her lower lip sticking out. “I was only playing. I didn’t mean anything.”
La’tiera turned half away as if still mad, but was actually trying to hold back her amusement. After a moment, she gave in and glanced at her, smiling. “Okay, I forgive you.”
Aya’s face brightened considerably.
“But,” La’tiera continued in a whisper, one hand slipping down to grab her skirt, “because of what you did…you’re it!” Tapping Aya on the shoulder, she ran off down the path.
* * * *
After much hiding and running on both sides, La’tiera collapsed onto the moss-covered ground tired and out of breath. Aya dashed in circles around her.
“How do you do that? Where do you find the energy?” She reached out and stopped her, the girl’s movements making her dizzy.
Aya gave her a grin. “Lalu says I’m a little demon in disguise and that I use magic.”
The word demon brought her up short, and she wondered how anyone could think this child could be one.
“She didn’t try to hurt you, did she?”
“Huh?” Aya stared at her.
“The person who said you were a demon.”
Aya shook her head. “No, she was just teasing. The whole troupe complains I make them tired just watching me.” She grinned again.
“Oh?” The concept didn’t quite make sense to her.
“Did you see me last night? Were you there? I looked for you everywhere but didn’t see you.” Aya’s eager face waited for an answer.
“Yes, I was there. Your troupe is very good. I enjoyed watching all of you very much.”
“But I didn’t see you.”
It surprised La’tiera the girl had tried to seek her out. How had she thought she would find her amongst all those people?
“The room was crowded. There were a lot of people there. You could have easily looked right past me.”
Aya shook her head. “You’re the only one always wearing that.” She pointed at the necklace.
La’tiera felt herself pale a moment till she realized the child meant the necklace and not the Eye underneath. Still, this wasn’t a direction she thought they should pursue. She tried to come up with something to distract her.
“Which of those in the troupe are your parents?” None she’d seen possessed Aya’s bright hair, but surely some of them were related to her.
“None,” the girl stated promptly. “I don’t have any.”
La’tiera got the strange impression she was proud of the fact. She couldn’t understand it. “You don’t have any?”
“No, I’m a foundling.” Aya said this as if it explained everything. Unfortunately, as far as La’tiera was concerned, it explained nothing at all.
“What’s a foundling?”
Aya gave her a disbelieving look. “You don’t know?”
It irked her to be found so ignorant, but she had little choice if she actually wanted to know. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t.”
Aya’s eyes suddenly glittered. La’tiera felt a momentary stab of dread.
“Well…foundlings are the most special type of children. We don’t have parents, we’re just born—some say we’re made of magic. To find us and take care of us is the greatest of pleasures. A great honor.”
La’tiera might be ignorant, but she wasn’t stupid. And Aya’s obvious amusement as she spoke made her think she was definitely trying to put one over on her. “Aya…is that really what it means?”
The girl grinned shamelessly. “Maybe.”
La’tiera wondered if there was a way to ask Mela about it, to find out the truth. “I see.”
“Say, you’ve been here a long time, right?” Aya took a fallen twig and used it to make a small rut in the dirt.
“All my life.”
“Well, I was thinking, since you’ve been here, maybe you’ve seen her.”
“Seen who?” The conversation amused her, knowing she never saw anyone.
“The viscount’s daughter,” Aya replied. “I heard about her when we got some supplies in town.”
“The viscount’s daughter?” La’tiera felt a flash of apprehension. Her uncle had a daughter?
“Uh-huh. The kids said no one ever sees her. That she’s hidden away. They said there was a fire when she was a baby and it killed her mother and burned her. They said it made her so ugly, she doesn’t want anyone to see her and that she hides in her rooms all alone.” Aya studied her, her gaze curious. “I thought that first day maybe you were her, but you’re not ugly or burned up at all. But since you live here, I thought maybe you had seen her.”
La’tiera stared at the girl in amazement. Could she, was she, actually talking about her? For surely, if her uncle had a daughter, he would have said something about her at some point, wouldn’t he? Or could this story just be more proof of his careful steps to guard her, a rumor spread around so no one would suspect who she truly was—a ploy to keep her safe?
“I’m sorry, Aya. I’ve never seen her.”
The young waif shrugged her shoulders. “That’s okay.”
“Milady!”
La’tiera scrambled to her feet—the voice sounded close. “Coming!”
“You have to go?” Aya looked disappointed.
“Yes, yes, I do.” She quickly dusted off her clothes as best she could. “Mela mustn’t find you, and if I don’t go to her she’ll come looking for me. And it would make me very unhappy if I got you into trouble.”
“Will you be back later?” Aya asked.
“Would you like me to?” The words had already left her mouth when she realized she shouldn’t be encouraging the child. Didn’t she just tell her she could get in trouble if caught here?
“I would.” The girl grinned. “I might have a surprise for you, too. So, see you soon.”
“What?” La’tiera stared after her, but the girl had already scampered out of sight. Wondering what in the world Aya’s surprise could possibly be, La’tiera headed toward the other end of the garden.