Mariens (Part 2)

She did not tell everyone about the Minoans, but I could tell from looking at King Zolond that she had told him about that. I supposed he had told her not to tell everyone about Lia killing them.

Rioth was at our table and I learned that the next day he would take Mother Winia, Mother Dria, and Mother Nindeth back to Heilia, along with the nine winged unicorns. I wondered if I would ever see them again. They were all very sweet and they surprised me with their strength. I would never have chosen them to go on a dangerous adventure like that, but they held up very well. I was glad that they were with us. I hoped that I did make my foremothers proud. I wondered what they would tell Father Renond. I wished he had been able to come. I still missed him but everything that he taught me had stayed with me.

Ladrien would go back to her people; she was Brieth’s mother and the other grandmother to Zarideth, Danond, and Laroth. She was also my cousin on both sides of my father’s family. Lia, Zoreth, Laurideth, and I would stay and eventually my father, King Zorond, would come with many more men, women, and children to settle nearby. I hoped that he was like Father Renond.

After we ate, I went to see our unicorn friends, Peppermint, Sugar Plumb, and Marzipan. They ate mint and fruit from my hands, coming right up to me without my calling them. They were allowed to stay in the castle walls; even here, unicorns were an unusual thing to see. Rioth found me alone and he approached me, and I did not smile at seeing him.

"Marideth, you have done very well. I knew that you would." Rioth spoke to me in a very formal manner.

"Thank you." Instead of looking at him, I looked at Peppermint as I was stroking her.

"Marideth, I am leaving tomorrow. I wish that I had more time to spend with you." Rioth’s voice softened.

I couldn’t believe that he said that. Since we had been here, he avoided being alone with me and hadn’t spoken to me since my mother arrived. Every time I had seen him he had been in her company.

"Shouldn’t you be with Lia?" I looked into his pale eyes hoping that he understood my meaning.

"I am not Lia’s lover. I simply defer to her; she is my aunt. She used to be the queen over all of these lands. She is also your mother. She is the queen and you are the princess." Rioth expressed displeasure for the way I do not defer to Lia.

"I am not the princess over any land. I do not consider Lia to be my mother, nor Zoroth my father. I told you when I first met you what had happened. She also does not try to be my mother." I wanted Rioth to see that Lia did not deserve respect from me.

Still, I did respect her for her deeds on our mission. She did very well; the best of all of us, as far as I was concerned. Even though she was the child of Mother Navia and Father Lauen, she was not appointed the leader of the quest. I thought that she knew much but she did not use what she knew.

"You will become the princess of your father’s land. You are the princess of those men at the foot of the mountain, who await battle.