Her sparring partner lowered his wooden blade and smiled. ‘You’ve learned everything I have to teach, ma’am.’
‘Yes,’ said her grandmother, walking over from where she had been sitting by a table. ‘One skipped lesson won’t make any difference, not after six years of practice.’
Emily handed the sword to her sparring partner. ‘I’m going to miss this.’
Her grandmother smiled. ‘Daniel seems like an open-minded young man; I’m sure he wouldn’t have any concerns if you wished to continue training.’
‘He’d probably be alright with it; it’s his mother I worry about.’
‘You’re not the only one, dear. You having second thoughts?’
‘None. I’m marrying Daniel, and no one’s going to stop me.’ She held out her thumb and index finger an inch apart. ‘I’m this close to being free, Grandma. An over-bearing mother-in-law I can put up with.’
Her grandmother nodded as the sparring instructor tidied away their training equipment. He picked up his large bag and slung it over his shoulder.
He bowed. ‘It’s been an honour and if, as Emily Aurelian, you require any more practice, I’d be happy to assist.’
Emily inclined her head. ‘Thank you.’
‘Yes, thank you,’ said her grandmother.
The man bowed again and left the room.
Her grandmother nodded to a chair. ‘Take a seat, girl.’
They walked over to a table by the wall of the large room and sat. Her grandmother poured warm water mixed with wine into two cups as Emily watched her. Her grandmother’s face was relaxed, but her eyes showed the anxiety she was feeling on behalf of her only grandchild.
‘Lady Aurelian has plans for you, I’m sure,’ she said. ‘Daniel’s an only child like you, and his mother will be wanting to ensure that you do not take her place in her son’s affections. At the same time, she’ll want to know that you are utterly loyal to him; it’s a narrow line upon which you will have to tread, dear.’
‘And his father?’
‘Lord Aurelian is rarely at the mansion, or so I believe. He spends his time managing the various properties owned by the family, leaving his wife as the authority within the household. Or, it was her authority that forced him from the house; either way, it’s Lady Aurelian that you shall have to deal with. And then there’s the matter of children. Have you and Daniel discussed it?’
Emily laughed. ‘And when do you think I’ve had the chance to speak to him? I’ve seen him twice since you took me to their villa in the hills; once when I had to sneak downstairs when they visited, and once by accident on the quayside when the God-Queen was there.’
‘How ridiculous,’ said the grandmother as she shook her head. ‘If it had been up to me, I would have had you both together for far long periods of time, so you could at least find out a few things about each other. You know, I made the same mistake with your mother; I didn’t allow her to see your father before they got married. I was so keen to see my daughter find a husband, I neglected to allow her the chance to see if she liked him first. It pains me to see the same thing has happened with you and Daniel.’
‘Danny’s nothing like my father.’
‘You’re right, he’s not. However, there may be other things about him that you don’t like, but it’ll be too late when you’re all living under the same roof. This is not Pella, you can’t just get divorced here because you don’t like your husband. Regardless, Lady Aurelian will probably mention children to you; be prepared.’
‘I will be, Grandma.’
‘Good girl. Now, as I said, Daniel seems like a nice young man, but even nice young men can become lazy and useless husbands. Make sure he knows, right from the beginning, that you expect to be treated by him as your equal; if you allow him to walk over you at the start, then he will continue to do so. He is your ally, your partner; not your master. Respect him, but demand his respect in return. Good men do not fear clever, strong-willed women; they seek them out and hold them close. You have a future that is independent of his, so do not allow his dreams and desires to erase your own. I have watched over you since you were a baby, and have seen you blossom into a young woman with the potential to become anyone you want to be.’
Emily smiled.
‘What’s funny, dear?’
‘I was remembering the way you acted at the villa when we met Danny.’
‘Oh yes?’
‘Yes. You were fawning over him like a schoolgirl.’
Her grandmother laughed. ‘A practised act, my dear girl. Might I say that you played your role well that day, also; I’ve never seen you so wide-eyed and awestruck.’
‘Did it work?’
‘You tell me.’
Emily recalled the look in Daniel’s eyes when she had gone to his room. ‘I think so.’
‘Good. Well, that’s an end to your training. I hope I have been able to fill the gaps in your education over these last few years; your father has the oddest ideas about what girls should be taught, or not taught if I were to put it more correctly.’
‘I’m grateful for all the lessons, Grandma.’
‘But you enjoyed the ones that involved fighting the most, though, eh?’
Emily nodded. ‘Yes, I’ll not lie. I like the feel of a sword in my hand, and the self-defence classes were useful. I’ll know what to do if I ever come across an Evader in a dark alley.’
Her grandmother said nothing for a moment, her mouth expressionless, but her eyes narrowing. Emily frowned, waiting for whatever was troubling her Grandma to come out.
‘Your father’s ideas,’ she said eventually, ‘do him no credit, and it pains me to hear his prejudice come from your lips.’
‘But the Evaders are different, Grandma; you can’t deny it. The Rosers, Gloamers and even the Reapers are basically all the same kind of people, which makes the Icewarders and Sanders our distant cousins; but the Evaders? They’ve never really belonged, have they? I know my father has some pretty crazy ideas about what we should do regarding this simple fact, but I don’t share them. I have no desire to see them all die; I have no desire to see any harm come to them at all, but a little separation wouldn’t hurt.’
Her grandmother shook her head. ‘Let’s not argue about it; you’re young, and once your father’s influence has worn off…’
‘Please don’t patronise me, Grandma, not on the last day of our lessons together.’
‘All right. You probably should be thinking about returning home. To be honest, I’m surprised your mother let you visit me today.’
‘I didn’t tell her.’
‘Why ever not, girl? On Amalia’s grace, I despair. What did you tell her you were doing?’
‘I snuck out of the house without telling them anything. I figured they wouldn’t let me come here, and I didn’t want to heighten their suspicions.’
‘You have a brass neck, girl, and no mistake. Were you planning to waltz back into your home as if nothing’s happened?’
‘Something like that. What are they going to do? What can they do?’
‘Go now, please.’