Episode 153: Meeting Marjoram (Meldrick)

The morning was floating by in the embers of pleasure and joy. Meldrick had made a promise he intended to keep for himself, more than anything else: to meet his granddaughter, Marjoram.

Mel kissed Giana one last time, her breath stuttered at his lips. He grinned at how spent she was, and hoped she would take a nap.

“I should sneak out to see Marj,” he said.

“Alone or do you want company?”

He wanted to share his life with Gi, but this was more than just a social visit; Marj knew Tarragon. He needed to keep their meeting focused.

“May I meet her alone, today?”

Soon, he would share Marj with her.

“Absolutely not,” she replied. Then she smiled and her body melted away from any sign of tension. “May I be untied before you go?”

“Absolutely not,” he repeated, then he kissed her body from toe to lips and untied her. “More, later?”

She grinned, “Absolutely not.”

He laughed and kissed her. There was so much to Giana that he loved, but above all else he loved how much she enjoyed his affection toward her.

He adored and treasured and loved her beyond anything he imagined possible.

“I’ll see you soon?” he said, a promise to not be long.

“I hope it goes well for you.”

“As do I.”

Mel headed for the passage, and looked back before he slipped inside. Gi was getting dressed, which disappointed him. He wanted to ensure she was well rested.

“I’ll write to Cille and Jerome while you’re gone,” she said before he closed the passage.

He supposed productive was a better use of time, and she did have the upcoming challenge of moving her other two children to the realm. They needed apartments, a row for their growing family.

He made his way to the conference room and from there to Nivern.

He transported into the entryway, and true to form Shea was waiting for him. He smiled at her and gave her a hug.

“You’re late,” she stated.

“I’m never late if you anticipated it,” he teased.

Bentley shook his hand. “Speaking of anticipating things…if Weston stops by and asks you or Aadya for a favor today…will you humor him?”

“Do I want to know more?” Mel asked.

Bentley sort of shrugged while he wrapped his arm around Shea. The two where quite the sight in the entrance to the palace: marble and wood beneath a chandelier Mel knew Shea knew was a bad idea, in an earthquake prone kingdom. He assumed, or hoped, the shards were rubber not genuine crystal or glass.

“It involves a girl,” Shea hinted. “Remember I love Bentley.”

“You’ve survived it before,” Bentley added, in case Mel hadn’t gotten the hint (he had).

The question was, which daughter was Weston attaching to and what age.

Mel supposed there were worse things than a match, as long as Weston waited until she was an adult.

“And Marj?” he asked.

Bentley guided Shea aside, to open a path to a hallway behind them. “She’s in the dining room.”

Mel nodded and made his way past them.

Through the hallway and a set of doors he found the kitchen, with its cheerful green and white floral wallpaper and wood cabinets that had horses prancing across one strip of them.

Shea had possibly deadly chandeliers, Bentley had hand carved cabinets.

They were too confident in their luck.

At the counter, a girl of around ten sat. She had bronze braids and skin that had a hint of Aadya left in its coloring. It was also coated in freckles. Every inch he could see: Arms, hands, face…all had freckles.

Ionia would have mistreated her for such a drastic look.

He sat beside her. “Marj?”

She turned and stared at him, her expression changing from wide eyes to thin lipped.

Finally, she opened her mouth. “You’re the dead king.”

She turned back to face the counter and continued eating her snack: small squares of fudge.

He took one of the squares from the larger platter. “That would be my brother. I’m the living king.”

“I’m Marj. Am I in trouble?”

“Not at all,” he assured her. “I just wanted to meet you.”

He looked toward her, and she looked back. “I’m Mel. I heard you’re here, and Ionia wouldn’t let me see you before. I can see you now.”

“Has she told you anything about me?” he asked.

Marj looked at her plate and said, in a voice so low he had to lean closer to hear, “Yes.”

He ate another square of fudge and promised himself he would bring some home to Gi.

“What did she tell you?”

She leaned closer and whispered, both a sign of trust and sign that she had been exposed to secrets.“She can do deeper magic than the man protecting you because she knows your real name and he doesn’t.”

His real name? He wouldn’t put Bentley and Shea in that position – whatever it may mean. He would see Drella, most likely. If she didn’t have answers, there were other options. Aadya had luck magic now; he kept hoping she would give it to him, in which case he could sort it for himself. He may have to ask her about it, but it left a feeling that they weren’t equals. She was the one capable of getting the new magics.

He hoped it wasn’t  hurting her, because the bond changed who someone was. But, Aadya wasn’t his responsibility. If she was functioning in her duties…

“You’re very picky,” Marj added in a lighter tone. “Even though you pretend not to be. You want to hurt us.”

Only the last part made sense, the rest seemed innocent and laden in secrets he wasn’t aware of. They felt like a threat: I know you, better than you know yourself.

It disettled him. Today, though, was about helping Marj adjust to life outside of the mental games his (disowned) family played.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Mel asked.

“Is it dangerous?”

“Fluffy and soft,” he promised.

She took another bite of fudge and nodded her head.

“I have been lucky enough to never hurt someone, intentionally, before. I never want to,” he told her. It was true too. Konrad had handled all executions, because most criminals at that level didn’t make it to see court. During the last war, he had been with Aadya comforting her. He wouldn’t have been able to fight well, anyway, because the army was mostly his family.

Marj looked at him, the fudge devoured in the moments of silence while they both had their own thoughts about what he had said.

“Me neither,” she replied.

“We could make a club,” he suggested. Kids of her age enjoyed clubs and groups and ways to belong.

“Maybe,” she replied. “My dad has to kill you. I’m sorry.”

He tried to act calm, but the fact that she stated things like her dad – his son – murdering him as though it were as complicated as joining someone for tea made him wonder what else Ionia had done to this innocent girl, how else she had messed with her.

“You know what?” Mel said. “I’ll try and find a special spell so if he comes I can stop him without hurting him, and maybe he can be convinced to join our club too.”

Marj smiled and her skin glowed a little, “Really? Then we can play.”

“Yes,” he agreed. He wished he could feel as optimistic about the plan, but Tarragon was older. He had always been destined for terrible things. Mel refocusd again, because he suspected she would be most responsive to joy. “What do you like to play?”

“Well I got a horse, so I like that. And a bunch of toys. A doll and a cradle for it and a stable and little wooden horses.”

“That’s a big list of toys,” he commented. Leave it to Shea to wane Marj from Ionia, only to indoctrinate her into horseland. “They must really love you here. Is there anything I can bring you? Maybe a different sweet treat?”

“Do you have any Singeberries?”

“I do. I love Singeberries. Maybe you got that from me?”

Anything to relate to her, and let her know that she was a person outside of whatever Ionia had taught her. Maybe he was wrong, she seemed functioning, but he suspected the layers of what she had been taught would unveil themselves through time.

He’d never thought of what it would take to help someone recover from Ionia, not someone of her age. Everything he did or said would impact her in some way. He didn’t want to be over cautious, and to raise her to follow him or anyone blindly. It was a fine line, and he needed time to figure out how best to do it.

Or maybe he needed to leave her to Bentley and Shea. Horse addictions aside, they would have their luck to guide them through what was the best way to raise Marj.

Either way, Marj sighed and replied, “Maybe. You’re my grandpa.”

“Do you have any kids,” she asked. “There’s no kids here except the boy.”

Kids was a great idea. He could introduce her to her family, and let kids who had thousands of various ideas expose her to everything. It wouldn’t feel like he was deciding for her. He would have to glamour her, in some way she couldn’t accidently undo. Zero would have to have the solution.

“I do,” he replied with optimism. “Would you like to have a playdate?”

“Are they nice?” Marj asked.

“Yes. And they love toys.”

She couldn’t be Marj there, Marj – Marjoram – was too obvious. Plant names were Ionia and Titania’s tell for the Aadya kids, a way to keep tabs on them. “Do you like your name?” he asked Marj.

“I’m used to it,” she replied. “I think I like it.” She looked up to him, her brows furrowed. “Why, is it bad?”

“Ionia likes to give you plant names,” he explained. “She does it to control you. If you picked a new name, and if you let me do some magic for a day, you could come be a sneaky and meet all of the kids. She would never know who you are.”

“A new name?” She looked toward the large windowed wall, where the rolling grass hills of Nivern could be seen. Beyond the hills, the ocean flowed in the distance. The view there would be stunning in the morning.

He’d read a lot of books in his time, and an idea for a new came to him.

“I have an idea, if you want one. Anatoly means a sunrise from the east.”

“That’s really pretty. And probably better than Daddy’s new wife’s name, that’s the only girl name I know mostly.”

Meldrick wondered how separate Ionia kept the kids – from siblings they may or may not have and from Tarragon. She seemed to know him, but perhaps she didn’t know him well.

There was the issue of his own name – he needed to talk to someone.

“What’s her name?” he asked.

He knew it mattered, that Tarragon had a new wife. He needed to gather as much information as he could, while she had it fresh in her mind still.

“Camilla,” she replied. “I didn’t meet her, she came after I left, but they were getting ready for the wedding.”

Camilla. Zero and Indigo’s daughter.

“That’s a nice name, but I love Anatoly,” he assured her. “And you could go by Naty or Natalie, or Anatoly. It’s your choice, you have the power over who you are.”

He meant it as more than just her name, and he hoped it would stick with her as she developed a sense of herself.

She nodded her head, “Nat?”

“Mel and Nat,” he stated. “I think it’s perfect, for my granddaughter.”

Establishing that inbreeding was not acceptable was another thing on the to do list, but hopefully she would pick it up by seeing family. There was the boy here too.

“Do you want to meet kids now?” he asked. “Should we bring your friend?”

“Dakai? Okay, yeah.”

“How about you find him, Bentley, and Shea, and I will be here in twenty minutes with your special dress up stuff.”

She stood from her chair, “Okay! Thank you!”

Mel got up and transported to the Dells. He stopped by Zero’s first, and requested the spell to make her look different. Zero said he could find a long lasting one that would wear off as she aged and changed. She wouldn’t be recognized by any spies.

He left Zero to collect his ingredients and prepare the mixture, and went to get Marj some Upper Dells clothing. If she looked like she was from the Upper Dell, she might blend in better. He got a second set for the boy, and hoped they would fit. Ionia still didn’t have a good grasp on the people from the northern part of the kingdom, he hoped. They didn’t.

He met Zero back in the lab and took the potion with him, along with the clothing.

Zero handed him the spell.

“Marj knows where Camilla is,” he mentioned. He couldn’t keep it back, despite wanting to wait until a later time.

Zero’s hand slowed as it moved back toward his body. “She does?”

“She’s been married to Tarragon, it sounds like. I’ll get more information as I can.”

“Thank you,” Zero replied. Mel could see the distance in his eyes, and knew he was thinking about Indigo and what he would tell her.

Mel checked the time, it had only been fifteen minutes. He transported to Keshmar to find Drella. His sister would know if he had a different name, if he had been memory wiped like Aadya had been.

He wished he had brought Gi, except he knew he was strong enough to do this on his own.

He didn’t have time for this. Before he could see her he transported to Nivern. He would address it later.

He found Shea, Bentley, Marj, and the boy waiting for him in the entryway. He handed the kids the clothes and the potion to Marj, along with a normal drink for the boy so he wouldn’t feel left out “A special outfit just for today, and a special drink for the kids.”

The boy looked at Bentley and Shea, then took the drink. “Okay.”

Both kids had their drinks and took their clothes to change.

Mel tried not to ask about his name, to either of them. They all stood their in some sort of silence and waited. They must have suspected he had a question; it may have been better to just ask.

“His name is Dakai,” Shea said, after a time.

He nodded.

Marj came out first. “This is amazing!”

“What’s your name?” Mel asked, to see if she stuck to it.

“Nat,” she replied.

Dakai came out right after, pulling at his clothes and looking down at the tunic.

Mel smiled, a little. Somewhere in this game of dress up and new names, he knew his life mimicked it somehow, and he needed to know what it was that his mind had forgotten.

He wouldn’t take her memories, at least. Even if his had been. Perhaps he had been too young to even remember.

“Perfect,” he replied. He offered his hand to Marj. “Remember to only trust us. Shea, Bentley, and if you trust me – me. We will keep you safe. And stay at the festival.”

Marj turned to Dakai. “We’re going to play!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah,” he said as he took her hand. “I’ll protect you, too.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a large smile. Maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about the inbreeding issue, if they grew closer. “I’ll protect you, too.” she told Dakai.

“Don’t forget Weston’s favor,” Bentley said.

“What favor?” he said, half to joke and half because he had forgotten completely. He remembered now, that he was supposed to agree to deaging Weston.

“I’ll drop them off in the barn with Nell,” Mel added. “Then I have to return to my prison for another hour or so.’

“Prison?” Marj asked. Her eyes were large and searching between them.

“I’m playing a funny game with one of my children,” Mel said. “He and my niece piled hundreds of books in front of my bedroom door. It was a very nice present, and I’m pretending I can’t escape. Don’t tell them you saw me sneak out.”

“Enjoy your game. I’ll make sure mom notices you’re missing,” Shea teased.

“And congratulations,” Bentley said.

Congratulations… it felt out of place with everything going on, but he had Giana too – his wife.

He transported them, and filed the name thing under to do later. It wouldn’t impact his life right now, or someone would have told him. It would have to wait.

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