Tyle Sands -- page 8058

Ask what you were wondering about

You decide to go ahead and ask what's on your mind, hoping the other woman will introduce herself later. You have enough information to deal with right now.

"Mrs. Cabot?" you ask, putting your hand to your forehead as you do so; your headache is still pronounced.

"Yes, it's me," she says. "Oh--let me give you something for your head." She hands you a flask of yellowish liquid. "It's bitter, but there's a fresh cuppa tea on the nightstand to get the taste out of your mouth."

You wince as you swallow; besides tasting horrible, the liquid burns your throat. You quickly reach for the teacup, take a sip, and remind yourself of what you need.

"Mrs. Cabot, please tell me something. Where is Zijernia?"

She smiles. "That's where you are, my dear. It is the northernmost province of this kingdom. We are on the border of Ireland and Scotland, and there are those who claim we don't exist."

You sip your tea and process this. "All right, but how did I get here?"

"You were born here. Your parents were Sir Niall and Lady Beatrice of Lachlan."

You grope for a memory, but find none. "So my last name is Lachlan? Mary Margaret Lachlan?"

"Oh, no--Lachlan is just the family line--like Hapsburg, Stuart, Tudor. And you should also know..." Mrs. Cabot comes and sits on the bed. "Put the tea down, dear--what you'll hear next will come as a great shock. Your first name is not Mary Margaret."

Indeed, you are shocked. That name was what you were clinging to. You gasp, but then recover yourself. "Then who am I? Tell me! I need to know...I don't know who I am...please..."

"Calm down," the statuesque woman says kindly, but firmly. "All will reveal itself soon. We cannot give you much information, but we can tell you your real name. Your real name is actually a variant of Mary Margaret--your name is Mairead Marguerite. For the purposes of your assignment, you will need to use the simpler, less recognized nickname Meg."

"OK." You take a breath. "Meg. My name is Meg."

"Right," the woman says. "And I am Ms. Stuart, your teacher and mentor."

"Teacher? So...this is a school?"

"Yes," she says. "Double-Edged Sword Academy--DESA. You are a student here."

"OK--so what was I doing in that alley? Did I run away or something?"

"Yes, but not from us," Ms. Stuart says. "You were running to us. You see, your parents were killed recently by marauders--servants of our common enemy, who you will unfortunately have to hear about later. But they told you to seek sanctuary with us and to keep serving our king, Eljeshanai, under us."

You nod. "And Eljeshanai is who?" you ask, feeling as if you're playing 20 Questions.

Mrs. Cabot bows her head in reverence. "Our king, milady. Fearsome in wrath, and perfectly just, but merciful, and a generous giver of unconditional love to those who ask--which you have--we have records. If you like, you may read them, as well as some letters from Eljeshanai to his subjects. They may help you regain your memory entirely and be ready for your assignment--one that will allow us to see your gifts and prepare you for future service in the king's court."

You take long sips of your tea as your mind absorbs this information. Wow--you're a courtier-in-training--cool. But that still doesn't explain...

"But," you say, "why was I on the run in the first place? Why should a bunch of thugs care about me and my family?"

Mrs. Cabot frowns in regret. "Again, this will come as a shock, but you might as well know. You need a false name and sanctuary with us because there are people out there--powerful people--who wish to kill you."

You are indeed shocked--into silence. But what will you do? Will you ask for information, or will you try to get yourself out of this situation?