A Welcome Feast
Forcing the child to witness something so wretched had been bad enough. To make her use an Authority she still could not properly control was worse. Gratitude and a heavy self-reproach rose in Sabrina at the same time.
"Even so, Sabrina."
Baden caught his wife's suffering hands in both of his and held them fast. They had been clasped all through the night, and the warmth in them was the same.
"I was glad. Because of the little one, you and Sirka were spared some of the pain."
After the great wound to her abdomen, Sabrina had ordered him not to interfere, and that command had grieved him more than he knew how to say. The injury had been life-threatening, yes, but the monstrous recovery bound into a clan head's blood had left her with nothing but a scar. No lasting harm remained. Even so, she had never withdrawn the order, and Baden, who did not know how to defy her, could only stand by and watch his wife and son suffer—until last night, when Bariya reached out her hand.
"I am truly sorry. Ashamed, even, to have taken help from a child who is not yet ten. And yet..."
"..."
"If I may, I want to keep asking the little one. I do not want to watch you and Sirka in pain any longer."
Baden dropped to his knees and begged, raw and desperate. So long as Bariya was all right, so long as it was not too hard on the child, he would bow his head a hundred times—a thousand—if that was what they asked of him. Please.
"Please tell me it is all right to accept Bariya's help."
He pressed his lips carefully to Sabrina's hand. The touch was more than warm. It was hot, and damp, and Sabrina let out a sigh.
"...Don't cry. There's no need to go that far."
Baden was weeping without a sound.
"I will stop, if you permit it."
"All right. I said all right, so quit crying. You only ever cry at times like this."
With the hand he was not holding, Sabrina scrubbed roughly at his face. Before anyone else he showed nothing but a blank expression, as if he wore a mask of iron, and only in front of her did he cry and laugh and put on the entire ridiculous performance. She had seen enough of that crying face.
"Dry your eyes and go wash up if you're going to eat."
"Yes."
Baden kissed the back of her hand once more and left. Sabrina rubbed the hand he had held through the night.
"Still..."
She had not said it to Baden, but last night, in the grip of her Madness, she had seen a hyena. Nightmare visions of Rabin and Sirka dying beneath hyena claws were nothing new to her. And yet.
This time was different.
Not a pack. A single young hyena. Young or not, the mere sight of a hyena at Sirka's side had been enough to send her into a killing rage. She had meant to tear it apart, and still...
"Why did it look like the little one?"
The young hyena had appeared in the moment that thick scent of grass rose on the air, and in all of Caliph the only beastkin whose pheromone smelled of grass was Bariya. Had the vision of the hyena grown fainter because of her? It had been a juvenile, too, unlike the ones she usually saw.
It could well be.
Sabrina shook her head clear and rose. First she would find the little one, apologize, and thank her.
Among the great houses of predatory beastkin, none bore a name more renowned than Caliph. For that reason many feared them, and carried the prejudice that they must be terrifying. In truth, the Caliph Estate on an ordinary day was profoundly peaceful. The master and mistress were blunt, but never difficult, and a capable heir made up for that bluntness. They did turn fierce the moment anyone mentioned hyenas—but everyone in Caliph was the same in that, and so the estate always kept a warm, affectionate air.
Today it was more excited than it had ever been. Not the master and mistress, but the countless beastkin who worked for Caliph.
"The lady recovered faster than usual!"
"Every time this season comes around, everyone suffers so much it breaks my heart—but she'll be all right today!"
"She must be much better. What a relief."
Everyone at the Caliph Estate knew of Sabrina's Madness. It had been too severe to hide from the start. Their loyalty ran high enough that word never leaked beyond the walls, but that only made it sadder. They had all grieved together for a mother who had lost her first son.
Last night, though, the Madness had ended remarkably quickly. Sirka had been hurt a little, yet it was only a scratch—nothing that needed a physician, the sort of thing a beastkin's natural healing would close in no time. Every beastkin of Caliph rejoiced.
"This has to be thanks to the young lady who just arrived."
And soon they were all praising Bariya.
"I think so too. It's true the lord and the lady have both been much better since she came."
"I've never seen the two of them so tender with each other."
"The lady's heart must be healing because of her!"
One day, out of nowhere, Sirka had brought home a cat beastkin girl he had carried off. At first she had been so painfully thin that everyone pitied her and busied themselves stuffing her with this and that. Then, before they knew it, that small body had taken over the Caliph Estate. Baden strode the halls with Bariya perched on his shoulder. Sabrina hounded the kitchens to keep fresh meat and vegetables coming for her to eat. Sirka, without so much as asking anyone, quietly remarked that his little sister was quite something and simply made Bariya his own.
They already adored her to death for the first happy faces the family had worn since the tragedy. Now that Sabrina's Madness had ended early as well, this too seemed entirely Bariya's doing.
"Today's a day for celebrating, so let's make heaps of delicious food!"
"We have to throw a party! Hurry and bring out the meat and the cake!"
"Let's make plenty of everything the lady and the young lady love!"
Those who had waited so long for a day like this set to the cooking with all their hearts. Of course, no one knew that Bariya had truly quieted Sabrina's Madness with her Authority. No one except the three of the Caliph direct line.
Bariya woke at her usual late hour, when lunch was nearly upon them. Ordinarily she washed in a hurry and ate in her nightclothes, either in the dining room or in her own room. Today was different.
"Might you wear something other than your nightclothes, my lady?"
Tyreen's sudden suggestion left Bariya puzzled.
"Why? Do we have guests?"
"Not exactly. Even so, please choose the clothes yourself, my lady."
Bariya was puzzled, but she had plenty of outfits she had not yet tried, so she changed without a fuss: a generously cut frilled blouse and a pair of shorts, one of the garments Madame Renouage had given her while calling it a bribe. Tyreen gathered her hair into a half-up.
When she was finished dressing, Bariya went to the dining room with Tyreen and White—and stopped short.
"What? Are we having a party today?"
The neat ivory curtains had been swapped for something soft and buttery yellow. The table held far more dishes than usual, and flower arrangements and splendid candlesticks had taken their places. Baden, Sabrina, and Sirka were all dressed in bright, festive clothes.
"I feel way too plain."
Bariya, who had been staring blankly around the unusually sparkling dining room, looked down at herself. If she had known, she would have worn the floral dress.
"No. You look perfect like this."
Sirka shook his head at once, as if the very idea were nonsense.
"It's the first time anyone in Caliph has worn shorts. It's different, and cute. I like it."
"I'd been wondering when you'd wear that. I'm glad I finally get to see it."
"It suits the party, little one."
Sabrina and Baden smiled as well, thoroughly pleased.
"That's right, my lady. I didn't object because you chose something that suits you so perfectly."
Even Tyreen, and the other servants in the dining room, all nodded.
"Well, if you say so."
In truth Bariya liked what she had on, so she sat without further protest.
"So what day is it? Why a party?"
"A party to celebrate the lady's swift recovery!"
Just then the head chef appeared, bearing an enormous roast turkey. The moment Bariya saw it she was overcome and clapped both hands over her mouth. Good heavens. I've never seen a piece of meat that big!
"When something good happens, you have to celebrate, or the next good thing won't come. So we prepared with all our hearts."
The servants lined up behind the chef and bowed their heads.
"My lady, we're truly glad you've recovered."
"Please stay healthy from now on!"
"What's all this fuss for?"
Sabrina clicked her tongue, but everyone saw it: her lips were twitching violently.
"Ahem. And this is also a party to welcome Lady Bariya. Since the young lady arrived, this estate has grown so much brighter."
"That's right. We realized we'd never properly offered her a welcome, so we chose today."
"My lady! Welcome to Caliph, truly! Please stay our lucky charm from now on!"
The same people who had congratulated Sabrina now welcomed Bariya. Caught utterly off guard, she let her mouth fall open.