Visionaries--Part One--Chapter Two

[Evie]

   Chapter Two

   Bishop Duncan's study, St. Hilary's Basilica
   January 4, 1136

   "How did your son's birthday celebration go yesterday evening?"

   Duncan looked up from his study of Saint Liam's Abbey's ancient account rolls to meet Sister Helena's questioning gaze.  He smiled.  "Quite well.  The ladies outdid themselves with the decorations and refreshments, not to mention the presents, and the children put together a birthday present of their own."  He grinned.  "They wrote a biography of him."

   "A biography?"  Helena's blue eyes twinkled with amusement.  "That's quite an undertaking, even though Duke Dhugal is only twenty-eight.  Your eldest grandchild is only six, isn't he?"

     "Yes, though the MacArdry children were in on the making of it, so he had help from a nine-year-old.  Almost nine, at least.  I think young Ciaran's birthday is coming up in another couple of days.  He did the actual writing of it; the younger children mainly illustrated the story...after a fashion.  And Duncan Michael dictated most of the narrative.  It's...a unique slant on Dhugal's life...."  He chuckled.

   Helena laughed.  "I'd love to see it!"

   "I'm sure Dhugal would be glad to show it to you.  Or perhaps Mirjana, once she works out how to scrub the ink stains off Jared's foot."

   An arched auburn eyebrow.  "Do I dare ask?"

   Duncan shrugged.  "Well, he's the baby of the group, and too young to help with the artwork, so apparently Trina simply painted his right foot with ink, had him step on one of the book's pages, and that was his contribution to the group effort."

   "Oh, dear!"  His colleague giggled.  "That's probably just going to have to wear off in time."

   "That's what I thought too.  At least the ink dried quickly; either that or the children got a shoe back on his foot before he had a chance to go running all through Dhugal's chambers leaving footprints behind everywhere."  Duncan grinned as Helena gave up attempting to study the documents before her and buried her face in her hands, laughing heartily at the image he sent her way.

   "You know," she told him once she'd regained her composure, her voice wistful, "you're so blessed to have them, Father Duncan."

   He nodded, a slight smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.  "Yes.  You're right, I am."  He watched her thoughtfully for a moment as she went back to her work.  She'd been married once, and if he remembered aright what he'd learned of her life prior to her arrival at the Schola, her marriage had lasted at least a decade, perhaps slightly longer.  Yet she'd had no children, despite her love for them which had become evident as she'd settled into a teaching role at the Schola, and her late husband's lands had been passed down to a brother after his death.  Helena herself had left her former home almost immediately after her brother-in-law had been installed as its new baron, preferring instead to pursue a scholar's life as a novice at the Sisters of Saint Jerome convent in Joux at first, then later joining the Servants of Saint Camber once the new Schola in Rhemuth had been established, rather than remain in her late husband's barony as its Dowager Baroness.  She spoke very little of those earlier years in her life, though Duncan had gleaned from her rare references to it that her experience with the sacrament of matrimony had not been a particularly happy one.  He wondered now if her childlessness had been a factor in that unhappiness.

   Duncan found himself wondering how a wealthy merchant's daughter from Llannedd had ended up married to a nobleman from Joux, but it seemed too personal a question to ask.  And it would be best, he thought, if he didn't allow himself to take too personal an interest in this woman who had shown up at the Schola half a decade before, at first to add to her own knowledge but eventually also to teach.  Certainly it would be safest for him to steer well clear of a deeper friendship with her than he enjoyed already.  

   His eyes drifted to Catriona's lap harp, gathering dust in a corner of the room.  No, friendships with women were permissible for him, but they could become problematic as well.  He had a responsibility not to become too emotionally involved with another member of the fairer sex, no matter if at times he found himself becoming intrigued despite himself with the mysteries that lay behind this particular brilliant mind.   A friendly relationship was fine, but he mustn't allow himself to grow too attached.  He'd learned that lesson the hard way.

   The chapel bells rang thrice.  Helena looked up, startled.

   "Oh, mercy, I'd better fly!  Sister Therese is teaching a class on medicinal herbs useful for preventing infections, and I don't want to miss that."  She gathered up her notes, stacking them neatly beside the more ancient texts she'd been perusing for Duncan to look over later at his convenience.  "Will you be attending Master Janos's class later, Father Duncan, or will you be back from your Council meeting in time?"

   Master Janos was one of King Liam's healers, on temporary loan to the Schola from the Torenthi Royal Household.  Kelson himself had arranged for the Torenthi healer to come train the few known Healers in Gwynedd, and Liam had agreed to allow him to share of his knowledge, if only for short visits at a time.  Even the few remaining Torenthi healers engaged by their Royal Household had lost a great deal of Healing knowledge since the days of the Gabrilite and Varnarite scholas, yet their training in the nearly lost art was still greater than Duncan's and Alaric's, self-taught as those two Gwyneddan Healers had been, so they were glad to learn what they could from Master Janos as long as Liam could spare his services.  Dhugal had also made a point of arranging his schedule so he could be in Rhemuth during most of Master Janos's brief visits.

   "Yes, the King is aware that Master Janos will be visiting this evening.  He's agreed to allow Alaric, Dhugal, and me to leave the meeting a bit early if it goes on longer than expected.  I don't expect that it will, though."  He paused.  "Will you be there?"  It had been Helena's Healing gift, emerging unexpectedly while she was still at St. Jerome's, that had initially led her to seek further training and knowledge at the Schola.  She'd already received most of her formal training in the Deryni arts years before.  That was what had brought her to Joux initially, in that brief span of years between her childhood and her marriage.

   "I wouldn't miss it."

   Duncan nodded, satisfied.  Helena's healing gift was not particularly strong—either that, or perhaps he simply hadn't learned the best way of conveying the necessary knowledge and skills to her yet for utilizing that gift most effectively—but she was a diligent student and her abilities as a healer had grown since the Torenthi Healer had started paying regular visits to the Schola to share his knowledge.  Helena still had difficulty with Healing any but the most clearly visible of surface wounds, and Master Janos's patient tutelage of her in the basics of muscular and skeletal anatomy—lessons that Dhugal had gained early on in his youth during his training as a battle surgeon and that Duncan and Alaric had both picked up to some extent due to having seen and treated battle injuries in more conventional ways even before they'd known about their own Healing gifts—were beginning to pay off in helping Sister Helena to visualize more easily what lay beneath the surface level of an injury.

#

   The class on medicinal herbs was not taught in the Schola itself, but in the Castle gardens, inside the small conservatory recently built for Queen Araxie to provide shelter for several imported species of plants from gentler climes, for in addition to the regular Schola students, several other ladies in residence had expressed an interest in learning from Sister Therese about this vital subject, for the knowledge of herbal medicine, or "simples" as it was often called, was considered an essential part of a woman's education.  The lady of a household was generally expected to know at least the basics of tending to her family's medicinal needs—those herbs that were most effective for fighting off colds and fevers, easing headaches and minor injuries—so that a physician's services need only be called for in times of greater necessity.  Such knowledge was generally passed down from mother to daughter rather than formally taught, therefore some women had only a rudimentary knowledge of such arts, while others had been fortunate enough to gain a great deal of knowledge, whether from paying careful heed to their mothers' wisdom in their girlhood years, or else from harder-gained experience in later life.  So Sister Therese, formerly an infirmarian at the Convent of Saint Cecilia near Nyford before she'd requested and received a dispensation to leave her former cloister and join the Schola's magisterial staff, had graciously offered to make this series of classes open to any lady at the Castle who expressed an interest in hearing her lectures.  

   Sister Helena made her way over to a stone bench that still had an empty corner available.  As she approached, Duchess Richenda smiled up at her, scooting over a few inches to ensure there would be room enough for a third person on the bench.  On Richenda's other side, Princess Rothana leaned forward to give Helena a nod of greeting before returning her attention to their teacher.  She settled onto the seat, glad for the steady warmth radiating from a nearby brazier.

   "Some of these herbs and spices can readily be found in your own kitchen gardens, or at your local spice merchant's shop," Sister Therese was saying as Helena focused her mind on the lecture in progress.  "Garlic, thyme, ginger, cinnamon, basil, oregano...I'm certain I needn't show you an illustration of any of those; they're all common enough.  And added on a regular basis to one's stews and soups, they can have a beneficial effect on health, so urge your cooks to make frequent use of such health-boosting herbs and spices as often as possible, if they aren't already.  Of course, there are times when simply eating healthy and flavorful food isn't quite enough to stave off infection, or we'd all be healthy as horses just from having the benefit of meals in the Schola's refectory or at King Kelson's table."  There was a ripple of appreciative laughter.  The infirmarian smiled at Kelson's queen before continuing on.  "What of those occasions when illness has already set in, or an injury has occurred, and one wishes to fight off a greater likelihood of infection?"

   She held up a bottle filled with a golden liquid infused with herbs.  "This is a sample of Vinaigre de Quatre Voleurs, imported from Bremagne, but you can easily make a similar potion in your own kitchens.  It is merely an infusion in vinegar of a variety of herbs, such as the ones I mentioned earller, which have known properties of fighting off infection.  In addition to those I've already mentioned, such an infusion might also contain the following...."   She paused to allow the ladies time to open up their wax tablet books and ready their styluses before continuing.  "Sage, wormwood, lavender, rosemary. chives, onions, and leeks.  Cloves, cumin, nutmeg, and bee balm can also be used.  Obviously, there will be a limit to how much one can fit into a bottle, but one can pick and choose according to availability and tastes.  This concoction can be applied to external wounds, but if one restricts the infusion to kitchen herbs, then a daily dose of the infusion taken internally would add to the benefits."  She shook her finger at them with a cautionary smile.  "I would not, however, go tossing just any old herb into the potion and then ingest it unless you're absolutely certain that everything you've put in is healthy to drink!  Our goal is to make a medication, not a poison.  So if in doubt, leave it out.  Also, if you're planning to ingest the vinegar, use ingredients such as wormwood or nutmeg sparingly; in excess, they can promote strange fancies and disturbing visions.  If in doubt, ask a physician for suggestions as to proper dosage."  

   She unstoppered the bottle, taking a sniff of its contents before passing it around for her students to sample.  "Now, this particular mixture is comprised of garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, and wormwood infused in a cider vinegar, though wine vinegar works as well and might be more easily obtained.  Why do the Bremagni call this the Vinegar of Four Thieves, you might be asking?  According to legend, the recipe originated with four thieves who used it to stave off pestilence while looting corpses in a plague town.  Obviously I don't recommend testing the recipe's efficacy by entering a quarantined town looking to get wealthy, even if you bathe in this and consume it by the gallon first.  It's possible your results will vary."  She grinned at the women's laughter.   "As with anything else, apply common sense along with any medication."

   "Now, for external wounds, one can grind garlic into a paste.  Dab a bit of olive oil on the site first to protect the skin—if you lack olive oil, then almond oil or some other fresh oil will work as well—and then dab the paste on top of that, covering the wound with a clean cloth for an hour to protect the wound and allow time for the paste to work, but don't leave it on past that time...."

   Then serve the patient with a red wine vinaigrette, Helena Mind-Spoke somewhat irreverently, sharing the thought with the duchess beside her.  

   Richenda bit her lip, stifling a laugh.  I was just thinking about Alaric's probable reaction if I were to start slathering him with garlic and oil.  The need would have to be extreme.  The Duchess of Corwyn's cornflower-blue eyes flitted back over the list of herbs Sister Therese had supplied. Perhaps an infusion of rosemary and lavender in almond oil would be more agreeable where husbands are concerned, she added, a hint of mischief lurking in her eyes.  Massaged into all exposed skin nightly, purely for medicinal purposes, of course.  Perhaps at bedtime would be best.

   Of course, Helena teased silently, though you'd do best to strain it well.  Prickly rosemary leaves rubbed into sensitive places might have a less than desirable effect.  She smiled at her seatmate, stifling a twinge of sorrow, happy for the duchess's good fortune yet wistfully reminded of her own far less blissful marriage.  From outward appearances, anyway, the Duke and Duchess of Corwyn appeared to have a very congenial marriage based as much on love as mutual benefit.  It was the sort of marriage that Helena had dreamed of once, long ago in the naïve innocence of girlhood.

   Then again, she mused, the duchess beside her had given her husband heirs aplenty.  Perhaps that's why he seemed to have such a fond regard for her.  Heirs meant everything to a man, Helena knew.  Her late husband had hardly gone a day without reminding her of his lack.

   Helena forced her mind back to Sister Therese's lesson.

#

   After the lesson had ended, Duchess Richenda turned towards Sister Helena.  "Seeing you here reminds me, I have something in my chambers for you.  Might I send Briony along with it later?"

   "Certainly, and thank you!  Will Briony be attending Master Janos's workshop tonight?"

   The duchess hesitated briefly.  "I think Alaric had planned to bring her along.  Or is tonight's lesson the one about the treatment of malfunctions and injuries to the generative parts?  If it is, Alaric and I think it might be best to wait until Briony is a little bit older for that one."

   Helena looked startled.  She reviewed the course schedule in her mind, giving a sigh of relief as she realized the topic Richenda had referred to was still a week off.  "No, tonight's the discussion of head injuries; you're thinking of next week's discussion topic.  And I believe he's planning on splitting that class into two groups anyway, to avoid some of the potential...um...awkwardness."  She sent Richenda a brief, imagined image of twelve year old Briony, eyes wide with shock, attempting to listen with adult nonchalance as the Healer Master launched into a detailed discussion of how to visualize and perform hands-on healing of reproductive systems while her father, their cousin the Bishop, and their other cousin the Duke of Cassan all stared fixedly at the Torenthi lecturer, attempting to ignore the fact that there were females, one a maiden not even of full adult age yet, in the room.  Richenda chuckled at the mental tableau, nodding her head.  "Yes, that's exactly the sort of awkwardness I envisioned, and I couldn't imagine Briony would learn too much if she spent the entire hour being mortified.  She knows full well where babies come from, of course, but at her age, it's all still a bit too 'icky' for her to want to think about.  I figure in a year or two she'll have reached the stage when the topic suddenly becomes a lot more interesting, or at least less embarrassing."  She paused, reconsidering her idea.  "If I hold Briony back, though, will that mean Master Janos will simply tutor you on the topic individually next week?  There aren't any other female Healers at the Schola besides the two of you yet, are there?"

   Helena shook her head.  "Sister Therese has expressed an interest in sitting in, though.  Even though she's human, some of the information Master Janos plans to present could prove valuable to her nonetheless."

   "Hm.  Well, perhaps in an all-woman class, Briony might find the topic less embarrassing.  I'll have a word with Alaric tonight and see what he thinks."  Richenda smiled as she tucked her wax tablet book into her belt pouch.  "I need to go; Meraude's expecting me.  But I'll send that parcel with Briony this evening."

#

   Duncan McLain looked up as the young page wearing the Haldane tabard knocked on his study door politely before entering the room.  The boy bowed before offering a folded message to the Schola's rector.  Duncan took the note, giving the wax seal a cursory glance and a brief examination with his psychic senses.  It was a normal seal; no hidden message concealed within it.  He cracked the wax, unfolding the parchment.

   He frowned slightly as he read the letter's contents.  The message it contained was disappointing but unsurprising.  He sighed, tucking it under his cincture, and nodded to the boy.  "Thank you, son."

   The boy fidgeted uncertainly.  "Do you wish me to convey a message back, my lord bishop?"

   "No, that won't be necessary.  You may return to your duties."

   "Yes, Father."  The boy gave another respectful bow before backing out of the room.  Duncan glanced out the window towards the castle gardens.  A moment later, he spotted the young page, sturdy young legs conveying him back to the Great Hall at a run.  The child's energy made him smile, lightening for a moment the mood that had settled on him when he'd read the unwelcome letter.

#

   "I have a task for you," he told Sister Helena once she'd returned from her class in the castle garden, one of the Basilica cats circumnavigating her ankles with a frantic purr.  "And I'm afraid you're not going to like it."

   "Oh dear, that sounds ominous," she commented as she scooped the beast up, scratching its head absently.  The cat purred even louder.  "What sort of task?"

   Duncan's eyes flitted to the deliriously happy feline, distracted.  "He sounds like a beehive.  What did you do out there, roll in catnip?"  He pulled the letter from his cincture but continued to hold it, loathe to dispel her cheerful mood.

   She laughed.  "Not exactly, but there was some catnip and peppermint growing next to the bench where I sat, and yes, I'm sure my robe hem must have brushed against some."  Helena's gaze dropped to the message he held, then back to his face.  "Bad news, Father?"

   He shrugged.  "Nothing we didn't already expect was coming."  He handed her the letter.  Helena shifted the cat she held to free up one arm so she could take it.  He chuckled.  "Here, let me rid you of that beast."  He took the cat, holding him at a slight distance from his body to avoid getting a coating of cat hairs on his cassock, and walked towards the doorway, setting the feline down and sending it on its way with an encouraging mental prompt.  "Scoot."  The cat did, somehow managing to convey his disgruntlement with a quick glare back at the bishop, but then the flutter of insect wings flitting by drew its attention, and it bounded away, off to pursue other pleasures.  The bishop chuckled and returned to his study.  Helena had finished the letter and, as he'd expected, looked upset.

   "Isn't there something we can do for Ædwige, Father?" she asked as soon as he returned.  "She's a quick, bright scholar, and she's got just under a year left to go in her training!  And she's made such progress in this past year.  Surely, if we explain to her father how far she's come along, he'll allow her to stay at the Schola just a short while longer...."

   Duncan sighed.  "I've already spoken to him about that.  His mind remains unchanged.  Her suitor wants a wedding now, not in a year."  Privately he felt dismayed as well—the girl was barely into full womanhood, while her bridegroom was nearly sixty and had already worn out two brides in childbed in his hopes of producing an heir who would survive long enough to inherit after him—but the girl's family had agreed to the betrothal and the vows had been exchanged already.  He'd already managed to persuade her father to wait until after the maiden's sixteenth birthday for that much, but that birthday had come and gone shortly after Christmas, and no one but the maiden herself was inclined to wait any longer for the nuptials to take place.

   Helena flung up her arms, the message fluttering in the air she stirred up with her gesture of exasperation.  "She's got amazing potential, but does her father even care about that?  No, he simply wants to barter his breed stock off to the highest bidder!"  Tears moistened her blue eyes.  She blinked them away angrily, gathering control of her emotions.  "So, I'm to break the news to her then?"

   He nodded, his expression sympathetic.  "You're her magistra; I think she'd take it best coming from you.  Tell her this needn't be the end of her training, though.  If her new husband will allow her to return at some later time, even for short visits, I'll make a place for her in the program."  Duncan shrugged.  "He may be amenable, you know.  I'm told he's been willing to wait this long for her because he wants a Deryni wife.  Surely he'd want her fully trained as well, at least at some point."

   "You mean he sees the advantage of having Deryni sons, and the only way he can hope to get those is by hitching himself to a Deryni mare!"  She closed her eyes, visibly reining in her temper.  "I'm sorry, Father.  I know I'm out of line."

   "Understandably so."  He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.  "We gave Ædwige a good foundation, Helena."

   She nodded.  "Yes.  Yes, we did, I suppose."

   She looked so forlorn.  Duncan longed to comfort her as he might comfort one of his grandchildren, by gathering her into a consoling hug, but Helena was no child, and certainly not young enough to be any child of his, given the mere eight years separating their ages.   With some other woman, he might not have hesitated; certainly, like most priests, he'd lent a listening ear and understanding heart to many a sorrowing or grief-stricken woman, had even held a rare few while they cried, if he'd sensed that's what they needed most in those moments.  But with this one, he was still struggling within himself to find that proper balance between friendly affection and decorous distance.  He gave her shoulder an awkward pat.  "I think she's upstairs in the maidens' dormitorium."

   Helena sighed.  "I'll go tell her, then."

#

   It was a much more subdued Helena who showed up for Master Janos's lesson on the proper diagnosis and treatment of head injuries, though she spared a quick smile as Briony Morgan spotted her and crossed the small chamber to bob a polite curtsey of greeting.  Briony held out a wrapped bundle.

   "Good evening, Magistra Helena.  Mother says these are for you, and they're the gowns she was telling you about a fortnight past.  She says the dark blue should suit splendidly for the upcoming Twelfth Night revels."

   "Thank you, dear."  She took the offered present.  "Please tell Duchess Richenda that I'm truly grateful, and that I'm well aware this is yet another of her sneaky ploys to lure me away from my books."  

   The girl laughed.  "Of course it is, but Twelfth Night is a night for having fun, not for studies!"

   Helena chuckled.  "Studies are fun.  I know your mother well enough to know she'd not dispute that."  She sat, setting the bundle of clothing down on her lap and stealing a peek under its protective wrapping at the folded garments within.  "But I can take a hint.  Especially one as lovely as this blue silk!"  She gave Briony a grin.  "Who am I to argue with her methods of persuasion?"

   Richenda's daughter grinned back.  "The other two gowns are cut from more practical cloth, but Mother says they should serve for those occasions when you need something other than your Schola robes."

   Not to mention they'd probably be closer to the current style in Rhemuth, as well as closer to her current size, Helena thought as she set the parcel gently on the floor beside her feet.  She'd been painfully thin when she'd first taken refuge with the Sisters of Saint Jerome, and they'd nursed her back to physical health in addition to nurturing her weary mind and damaged spirit.  When she'd discovered her Healing gift and had taken leave of the convent to seek further training at the Schola, they'd sent her off with supplies for her journey, lovingly made, but that had been several years ago, and despite her rare use of her other clothing since her arrival at the Schola, those few modest gowns had eventually grown faded with wear, strained at the seams due to the additional weight that renewed health had settled upon her frame, and unsuitable for Court use, especially at such formal occasions as Twelth Night.  The Duchess, upon hearing from Sister Therese that Helena had planned to spend the evening of festivities once again ensconced in the Basilica study with her musty old tomes since she'd not had clothing suitable to wear to a revel, had intervened, bless her generous heart!  

   The Torenthi Healer entered the room.  Beside her, Briony sat up straighter, her cheeks turning slightly rosy as the man found his place at the head of the class, quietly directing his apprentice in the placement of several books and a large coffer that they'd brought with them from the Healer's primary office at King Liam's Court in Torenthály.   Helena suppressed her amusement as the girl beside her nervously brushed an imaginary wrinkle out of her skirts, her body tense with eager anticipation.  She could hardly blame the girl for having developed a tendresse for the handsome young Magister; as a maiden of Briony's age, Helena had been stricken with a bad case of calf love for a local blacksmith, of all people!  She'd been realistic enough even at twelve to know that that would never come to anything, of course, but that hadn't stopped her from craning her head and staring wistfully whenever some errand had taken her within bowshot of Ironmonger's Row in Pwyllheli.

   "The brain is a remarkable organ, delicately fragile yet in some ways amazingly resilient...."  Helena turned her attention to the Healer's musically accented voice as he began his lesson, all other concerns temporarily banished as she and the other Healers in training drew from his wellspring of knowledge.


Chapter Three:  http://www.rhemuthcastle.com/index.php?topic=759.0

[Jerusha]

A very intriguing chapter.  I look forward to learning more about Sister Helena's past - it almost seems to parallel Javana's without the more sinister aspects.

I wouldn't mind having a peek at Dhugal's birthday biography either, told from the viewpoint of his son!

I'm thinking it might be wise if Briony skips next week's Healers lecture if she's already blushing when the handsome teacher enters the room! 

[Evie]

Yes, we can't all be married to a Walter (thank God!), but as you'll find out soon enough, Sister Helena's experience with marriage was somewhat less than idyllic.

Dhugal's birthday biography might be hard to post here.  I'm sure it involved a lot of ink and paint (probably pilfered from Mirjana's art stash), several childish scrawls, at least one badly blurred footprint, and illustrations that would require an Act of God to decipher.   

Next week's Healer's lecture might be quite educational for Briony, though maybe not in the way that the teacher might hope.  Instead of learning about how to heal reproductive organs, she might well end up learning a great deal about how to use her Deryni powers to control certain normally automatic bodily responses like profuse blushing.  And even if she doesn't quite master that newfound ability, I'm sure the teacher is well versed in the art of selective blindness....   

[AnnieUK]

Aw, Briony's first proper crush   Alaric and Richenda had best keep a close eye on that young healer.  And nice to see another Janos - I got quite fond of mine, rapscallion though he was!

[Alkari]

Alas for poor Aedwige - how things have changed in but a few short years.  Her future husband now 'seeing the advantage' of being married to a Deryni and wanting to get Deryni sons  

LOL @ Trina arranging Jared's inky footprint as his contribution to the book.  I can see the opportunity for an entertaining weekly discussion group at the Schola, perhaps a new class in due course:  "Handy household spells for Deryni parents".  

she might well end up learning a great deal about how to use her Deryni powers to control certain normally automatic bodily responses like profuse blushing.

Given that Briony is nearly thirteen, I'd say that she herself might soon be the subject of many adoring glances from young squires and older pages at Court     Probably lucky she has a couple of protective brothers, even if Kelric is a couple of years younger ...  

[Shiral]

Alas for poor Aedwige - how things have changed in but a few short years.  Her future husband now 'seeing the advantage' of being married to a Deryni and wanting to get Deryni sons  

LOL @ Trina arranging Jared's inky footprint as his contribution to the book.  I can see the opportunity for a entertaining weekly discussion group at the Schola, perhaps a new class in due course:  "Handy household spells for Deryni parents".  

she might well end up learning a great deal about how to use her Deryni powers to control certain normally automatic bodily responses like profuse blushing.

Given that Briony is nearly thirteen, I'd say that she herself might soon be the subject of many adoring glances from young squires and older pages at Court     Probably lucky she has a couple of protective brothers, even if Kelric is a couple of years younger ...  

Not to metion a protective Ducal Papa whom most pages and squires would hesitate to cross.   What aspiring knight would want to get on the wrong side of the Duke of Corwyn? Not to mention  Briony's Royal Godfather who dotes on her....   Whoever she marries is going to have to have  an irreproachable pedigree AND  be a brave young man...

Melissa

[derynifanatic64]

And also be the most nicest, loving young man ever.

[Shiral]

Oh, absolutely. And be handsome, sensitive, clean reverent, brave and truthful as well as being a talented Deryni, too. ! I'd love to see Briony have a marriage like Evaine's to someone who's absolutely right for her. I suspect that would weigh even more witih Alaric and Richenda than his actual rank.  (Not that they'd marry their daughter to a nobody, but he'd at least have to be a courtier, I suspect.) Not ony will this courageous young suitor have to brave  Morgan, Duncan  and Kelson, he'd also have to contend witih impressing Richenda, who wouldn't want to see her daughter unhappily married to someone like Bran. And of course, the Queen and Rothana and Meraude would all have to contribute their opinions on the match.

Briony MIGHT get married... by the time she's 25 or so, given all the hoops this young man will have to jump through!

Melissa

[Alkari]

ROFL at all the hurdles facing a potential suitor for Briony!  But as I had Alaric say in one chapter of Gryphon, if a young man isn't brave enough to face Alaric and ask for his daughter's hand, then the young man wouldn't be worthy of her anyway.  Of course, Sister Therese is of the opinion that any Healer Deryni should 'marry and breed more Healers' a.s.a.p.     Duncan being in the Church is obviously a severe disappointment, but she still has high hopes that Dhugal and Alaric will produce several children who are Healers ...  Undoubtedly she will be encouraging Briony to marry!

And while Briony will soon be happily blushing over her first real crush, we have poor Duncan struggling to work out how to be appropriate "friends" with Helena.   She may not have been married to a Walter, but I suspect she's had a pretty rough time     At least she seems to be gaining support and friendship in Rhemuth at the Schola.

[Evie]

I'd actually love to see a story in which Briony has to choose between two suitors--one with the perfect "pedigree" and all the "right stuff" in society's eyes, yet without the chemistry between them that a romantic young maiden might hope for, and another who perhaps isn't quite so highborn as to be able to expect to woo and win a Duke's daughter, yet has all the best qualifications for a love match if Alaric will allow his suit nonetheless.   

Sister Therese says she'll gladly give Bishop Duncan a dispensation from his vows, if he wants to get on with the job of breeding more Healers.  Too bad she doesn't have the authority to actually do that.... 

I actually briefly considered having Javana in the Sister Helena role in this story, or at least in parts of that role, but after thinking it through, I realized she wouldn't be a good fit.  For one thing, if Javana had the same psychic sensitivities that Helena has, I doubt she'd have survived those years of marriage to a serial rapist/killer with her sanity intact.  And Helena's gift/curse in that regard ends up being integral to the story.

Besides which, Duncan's having enough of a struggle keeping his feelings of attraction within appropriate bounds without further torturing the poor man by having the object of his newly awakened affections turn out to be Denis Arilan's niece!  They'd both kill me in my sleep, and the rest of this story would never get written. 

[Jerusha]

If Javana had had Sister Helena's psychic abilities, she may have been able to "see" a clearer picture of Walter's true nature and been able to avoid the match, rather than just having misgivings that were not strong enough to counter his suitability as a match.  But then, it would have made for a much shorter story and not nearly as stirring! 

I would also like to see the story you suggest for Briony's future match.  I think we'd all be cheering for love to win out over "perfection".  And to see how Alaric copes with the situation.

[Evie]

If Javana had had Sister Helena's psychic abilities, she may have been able to "see" a clearer picture of Walter's true nature and been able to avoid the match, rather than just having misgivings that were not strong enough to counter his suitability as a match.  But then, it would have made for a much shorter story and not nearly as stirring! 

Maybe, maybe not...at least, maybe she wouldn't have figured out enough about him in time to avoid the marriage, and if not, then that would have made the subsequent years of being under his control even more hellish.  Thinking back on Javana's story, the only object that I can definitely remember Walter giving Javana prior to their wedding was her betrothal ring, and I doubt it would have been one he was in the habit of wearing prior to giving it to her, so it might not have been imprinted with his memories of the various crimes he'd committed.  He did have a spell on the ring, but Denis effectively cleansed it of that taint when he said that prayer of protective blessing over it.  Was there another ring or other object he gave her prior to that betrothal ring that he was using to keep his eye on her when they were apart?  I've vaguely remembering something of the sort (or maybe it was the same ring?), but again, unless it was one he was in the habit of keeping on his person before he gave it to her, she might not have picked up that much from it, especially after it was blessed.  Now, if she'd been able to visit Caerdraig Castle before her wedding, I think she'd have sensed a lot of darkness there, especially if she happened to stumble across one of the actual scenes of Walter's crimes.  And definitely once she started visiting Walter's prisoner Meg in her cell, the lingering resonances of his cruel treatment of her in that confined space would have been unavoidable.  Impressions might have also lingered in whatever clothing or jewelry he wore while committing his crimes, so if Javana happened to handle those afterwards, that would've been a nasty surprise.

Of course, there might still have been some clue that she could have picked up on before the betrothal and wedding.  Maybe if he bent to kiss her hand during those courtship months, and his signet ring brushed against her fingertips, that would have cued some ghastly revelation while she still had time to call the whole thing off.  Although given his obsession with her, trying to do so would have simply created a whole new host of potential problems....   

[Alkari]

I'd actually love to see a story in which Briony has to choose between two suitors--one with the perfect "pedigree" and all the "right stuff" in society's eyes, yet without the chemistry between them that a romantic young maiden might hope for, and another who perhaps isn't quite so highborn as to be able to expect to woo and win a Duke's daughter, yet has all the best qualifications for a love match if Alaric will allow his suit nonetheless.

ROFL @ the "right stuff".  Somehow, I have the impression that complying with society's "expectations" hasn't exactly been Alaric Morgan's strongest point!      Obviously they're not going to let Briony or Grania marry the local fisherman (though Richenda privately admits to having had distinctly unchaste thoughts and dreams about a certain hunter!) but I suspect that Alaric and Richenda would both be far more concerned for their daughter's prospects of happiness.  They also know that there'll be rough patches in any marriage, even where it's a love match, so I think they'd want to establish that the suitor was a good and worthy young man as a person, regardless of rank and pedigree.

No, Sister Therese can't release Duncan from his vows, but should we get worried if we see her asking for a private audience with either Archbishop Bradene or Cardiel?!   And I can certainly see her dropping hints about young Dhugal's "duty" to have lots of children ...

[Evie]

I somehow don't think Dhugal needs any more encouragement. 

I also somehow can't imagine Cardiel or Bradene showing up at Duncan's doorstep saying "Sister Therese says you need to breed Healers, so I dispense you from your priestly vows.  So go away now.  Get married.  Go bed some blushing bride.  Shoo!"  *handflap*   Though it makes for a great mental image, especially if I try to imagine what the expression on poor Duncan's face might look like at that moment! 

[Alkari]

It's the mental image of Sister Therese fronting up to Cardiel or Bradene that had me smiling.  "You see, Excellency, there's this very nice Deryni Bishop here in Rhemuth.  And while I am sure he is an excellent Bishop, and looks after his people very well, there are other things that he needs to do for the good of the Kingdom ... "