With the Citadel delivered from the huntsmen, Betani and her children had been provided with a small apartment in one of the poorer districts. It wasn’t much, but she’d been grateful for it and the weekly stipend to provide for her children. That didn’t mean that her life was without cares, though it was marginally improved and provided hope for a better future for her children. The problem was that the new order didn’t magically remove all the predators from the Citadel… human ones.
Now, instead of dodging the masses who might prey on her family, she needed to avoid one person: Ava.
Ava Meril, the woman who “protected” her neighborhood with an iron hand, wasn’t among the worst among the warders, although she wasn’t particularly pleasant either. A tall, muscular woman with a sharp, cunning mind, Ava tormented the residents of the humble neighborhood in which Betani now lived, demanding coin and goods in exchange for “protection.”
Betani wasn’t exactly sure what she was being protected from, other than being assaulted directly by Ava. The story spun to her and her neighbors? Ava was protecting them from harm at the hands of criminals still preying on the city, or even the elusive Ragoru.
She snorted derisively to herself. As if anyone needs protection from Ragoru.
Although the Citadel had been opened for trade with the Ragoru, there had been no danger from their quarter. Betani actually enjoyed seeing the few Ragoru triads from afar who came into the city to trade and, despite their strange appearance, she had caught herself more than once fantasizing about the rumors of how fiercely the males loved and defended their shared mate.
Imagine! One woman with three husbands to care for her every need… Including those in the bedroom. She couldn’t even imagine how that would work. Just trying to picture it, however, didn’t disgust her as she heard from other women in the neighborhood when they would gossip about it with unconcealed shudders. Instead, it sent an illicit heat through her that was a little surprising. More importantly, the large males would be all the protection a family would ever need.
She doubted she would even have to fear Ava if she had males like that.
Not that it mattered. Even if a Ragoru triad presented themselves for immediate mating, Betani doubted that she would have the courage to go through with it and take a chance again with placing her fate in the hands of another. Not when her children’s happiness also hung in the balance.
With one hand, Betani patted the bulge in her coat pocket, reassuring herself that her allotment of coins, a wrapped loaf of sweet bread, and honey candies were still tucked securely within it. She didn’t normally get many sweets in her rations, but with the upcoming Mother’s Night on the solstice, she’d been given delicacies to enjoy with her family. Unfortunately, Ava would be by sooner or later, hopefully giving Betani enough time to separate a portion of her package—a generous handful of candies, and the loaf of sweet bread—and hide it away. Out of the main portion, she knew that she would have to sacrifice some. The small cakes, a fifth of the coins, and most of the candy would go to Ava.
As much as she hated those small pleasures being taken from her children, Betani couldn’t find it within herself to be bitter about it. This would be the first year that her children would be able to enjoy the holiday merriment since they were babes. At seven, they were small compared to many other children their age, thin from years of near starvation. It broke her heart to see them that bad off. She was determined to make it a good Mother’s Night for them.
She thrilled a little in anticipation of the upcoming days, pushing all thoughts of Ava away. The wagon would be making rounds in the evening to deliver regular food goods, as well as special provisions for the holiday. They were even promised a roast goose that would be delivered on the solstice itself. For once, they would have a wonderful meal and her children’s tummies would be full. Not only that, but they would receive their first gifts. In her package, she carried home a pair of toys she had carefully selected from those that had been available. A small doll for Alis, and a painted horse for Nik.
It would be the best Mother’s Night for her family.
With a smile, she slid by a street musician playing a cheerful, ancient winter melody, practically dancing as she dropped a copper coin into his hat. He smiled and nodded his thanks as he continued to work the strings of his instrument, making them sing joyfully as she turned around the corner and dashed toward her building with a spring in her step.
The building was long gray structure lined with doors, each with a metal handrail and tiny porch leading to a narrow, two-story apartment. Many of the doors were decorated with simple green wreathes adorned with ribbon. Those who could not afford a wreath were left bare. Although Betani couldn’t afford a wreath, she had made up for the fact by gathering broken pine branches with her children which they had brought home and bound together with red ribbon. Even from the distance, she could see her door plainly with its simple decor. Even though it wasn’t much (not unlike their apartment itself) it made her smile every time she saw it because it was home.
She gave it a fond glance, but turned to walk up a set of steps leading to a door adorned with a tiny effigy of the Mother. The simple straw doll stirred slightly with the vibration as she knocked and waited for Cyntia, her elderly neighbor’s granddaughter, to open the door. Due to the neighbor’s advanced age and her granddaughter’s sickly state, Betani carried a note of permission to collect their rations for them. As they lived just a couple doors down from each other, it was only natural that they leaned on each other when they needed. This would be her last delivery, however, since the women were moving after the new year to live with relatives. She was going to miss them.
Within minutes, a very thin woman with large, dark eyes and a shy smile opened the door to admit her. Betani exchanged a quiet greeting as she stepped inside and followed Cyntia back to the kitchen where she dropped off their bundle on the worn countertop. Her task complete, she took some time to visit with the younger woman, who was always eager to hear recent gossip from the market, before departing for her own home
At Cyntia’s soft-spoken farewell, Betani descended the steps and walked further down the side of the building until she came to her own door and opened it with a loud greeting. Laughter escaped her as her children leapt up from whatever activity they had been engaged in and two pairs of thin arms flung around her. Leaning down, she kissed their rosy cheeks and playfully swatted them away when they stood on their toes in an attempt to see what she carried.
“Go on now, both of you. I hope you behaved while I was gone.”
“They were absolute dolls,” her elderly neighbor announced with a thin laugh, her faded eyes sparkling merrily as she shuffled forward.
Betani pressed her lips against the withered cheek of the woman who insisted that she call her Grandma Rose the very day she moved in. Since that day, she’d been treated as a daughter, and Betani treasured that kindness, being so far from the farming villages to the north. She sometimes wondered about her family. She hadn’t seen any of them since she’d married her husband and went to live with him in the Citadel where he was posted. After his death, there had been no money to return to her family, if anyone had even been willing to take her in.
“Thank you so much for watching them, Grandma Rose. I left your bags with Cyntia, so you should be all set. I do hope it wasn’t too much trouble watching them while I was gone.”