Natalia heard the soft padding of feet outside of her door and sighed. Raja could be silent if he chose, so the noise was for her benefit. She rolled over and inspected the empty space next to her that Raja had abandoned when Lukas left. Her hand tested the area for warmth, and there was none. He had let her sleep for a few hours then.

"It's time for breakfast," Raja announced from the closed door. He could open it, it wasn't locked, but he stood on the other side waiting. Between the power drain during the night and the early morning visitor, even sitting up felt exhausting. She didn't want to move, and the plush mattress hugged her body with its soothing warmth. Just as she almost decided to ignore his call, her stomach rumbled in protest.

"Alright, wait for me." Natalia dragged herself to the bathroom. After simple grooming, she threw on her outer robe and joined Raja. The hint of a shadow under both eyes gave away his fatigue, but he still smiled when she entered the room. Their interaction felt awkward. Even the bond could not smooth the confusion that existed between the two.

They walked in silence to breakfast.

Diddero sat alone in the dining room when they arrived. He smiled at them and waved them to their seats. "The children will be in with the food soon. The cook is back today, allowing Jiyun to resume her work in the practice rooms." As promised, Minho walked in, carrying a basket of fresh bread and a tray with boiled eggs, cheese, and sliced meat. Soyun brought a pitcher of steaming liquid that Natalia hoped was tea.

"You guys look exhausted. What happened?" Soyun said to the couple as she poured the liquid into the mugs at each plate.

"Subtle, my child." Diddero teased his daughter. "But yes, neither of you seems to have rested well."

"Lukas has escaped. I expect the news will come from the Queendom soon, "Raja began. "He must have needed considerable power for it because he siphoned a great deal from Natalia and me."

"Ah, but there is more to the story. I felt his breach of my shield this morning."

"Yes, he did visit us this morning, which interrupted our rest," Raja responded vaguely. Natalia remained quiet and breathed in the aromatic tea Soyun had given her. The tangy black substance revitalized her as she sipped it, respectful of its temperature. Since her escape, the pleasure of morning tea became a treasured ritual. For years, the precious drink had been denied her, and now she could wastefully imbibe jugs of it.

"Ah. Well, it is good he has escaped, and you were able to meet again." Diddero wiped his mouth with a napkin and laid it next to his half-finished plate of food. "This will delay your training by a few days, I believe. I will let The Master know. He will likely have to visit the Council."

"We could use the rest," Natalia assured Diddero. His rapid movement matched his speech as he stood to leave. Before he left, Natalia decided she didn't want to be trapped in the room with Raja for the day. "Would it still be okay for us to explore the Vale a bit today?"

"Yes, would you mind if I accompanied you? You do not know our Vale yet, and I do not want you to get lost or trapped."

"We would appreciate it." Natalia smiled at the dark man.

"Good, I will meet you in an hour. Will that be enough time?"

"Yes, I don't think either of us plans to nap, but a bath would be nice," Natalia responded, and Raja nodded in agreement.

"Very good. I'll meet you out front in an hour. "Diddero left the room, leaving the children and the exhausted couple behind.

Soyun began to say something, but Minho smacked her hand and shook his head. They all finished their meal in silence.

================================

Fog covered the tops of the mountains surrounding the Vale. The grass fields blended into a green moss that grew up the stone until craggy black rock jutted out. Patches of white snow spotted the visible areas near the peaks. A river cut through one of the hills, climbing down a waterfall's stairway. Where the water fell against the next level, clouds of mist appeared in the air.

Natalia followed the water from those heights with her eyes down to the river that entered the valley. It meandered through the small foothills so that she couldn't always see it and then dwindled to the little stream that flowed in front of the house. A field of yellow and white flowers spread between the house and the water, the flowers so small Natalia couldn't see anything but the color.

As the sun burned off the fog, the light hit the patches of snow on the mountains' peaks, causing a glare which, together with the patterns thrown by cloud shadows, created a sense of motion. The movement of the mountains, river, and field was almost dizzying. When she closed her eyes to clear the sensation, Natalia noticed the Elemental power flowing through the Vale. She felt their joy in their freedom, except Fire, who remained trapped and bored in the lamps scattered around the Vale.

There were very few trees in the Vale. And of those there were, many appeared to be part of an organized garden between the cottage and barn. Others seemed designed to shade the animals that pastured behind the barn. She could not fully see the garden due to a short wall surrounding it, but there would be time to explore it later.

They walked away from the house across the flower field. As the men walked ahead, Natalia crouched down to investigate the small, simple flowers. She picked a few to bring back to her room and then caught up. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she addressed Diddero. "Tell me where you are from."

"Ah, from a country far from here. I came to the Kingdom as an emissary's scribe many years ago. I was allowed to stay to study in the great library. I was much changed when I returned home and found I could not remain in my homeland. We do not practice any magic there. Those who have it suppress it, and I no longer want to."

"Oh, I think I have heard of your people. They live in great cities with technologies much different than ours." Raja spoke with awe in his voice.

"Yes, it was, at first, hard to become accustomed to the more, um, primitive life in the Magical Lands, as we call them."

"I have always wanted to see those cities." Raja wistfully looked at Natalia and then shook his head. "But, I guess it was because I thought I had no real magic. I thought I would feel at home there."

"Well, many people move there from the Magical Lands for that very reason. It is a diverse place now."

They continued a polite conversation as they walked towards the stream. They only had a little time to explore before something caught Diddero's attention.

"Ah," He exclaimed. "The Mistress has returned. We should meet her; otherwise, she will march out in her finery to find us."

Turning back to the house, they saw an elegant lady in a long dress rushing towards them. Her dark hair streamed behind her as she hiked up her skirts to move faster. They increased their pace so she didn't have to come as far and met her close to the house.

"Oh, you are finally here!" She exclaimed and hugged Natalia with affection.

The woman's touch surprised Natalia, but her mind exuded an infectious openness and joy.

"Oh, I forgot your power is amplified with touch, good thing I have nothing to hide." She laughed and then looked at Raja, "And aren't you handsome? I do love those brown eyes and the hair. Oh, it is so thick. You will not need my services for sure. Ah, if you hadn't already bonded, my brother would be happy with you here. He is destined to suffer, I fear." Without pausing, she grabbed both of their arms and led them to the house. "Let's have lunch, and then I must get to work on this beautiful woman. I'm dying to find out what we can do together."

=============================================

"Call me Leena," the stunning woman began as she pulled Natalia away from the lunch table. She strode up the stairs and down the hallway, forcing Natalia to push her tired limbs to keep up. "Though I am mistress of the house, I am no Master. Ah, here we are."

They entered Leena's suite. The main room was a large sitting room with high ceilings and mirrors on almost every wall. The room had a feminine feel, but it was also somewhat utilitarian.

"I have lived with my brother here for many years." She looked around the room. "But I also live elsewhere." She smiled at Natalia. "We will have plenty of time to learn more about each other, so let's get to work."

She directed Natalia to a large side room, unlike any space she remembered. Pure, bare, and glorious at the same time. The floor and walls were made of a blue stone, so pale it wouldn't be wrong to call it white. It should have felt cold, but the thin green vines that grew across the top of the wall and the warm glow of the scattered sconces softened and warmed the icy room.

And the indescribable presence of the Elements existed in that room, just as they did everywhere else in the cottage, but more contained and purposeful. A lantern glowed with Fire, the potted plants grew with Earth, Air flew through the leaves of the plants and caused the flames to flicker, and in the middle of the space lay a large pool of Water.

The mistress pointed to some robes beside the pool. "I work best in the Water, though the Earth and Air are also my Friends." She glanced with chagrin at the lantern. "Fire and I have never been as close, which is a shame because he is so beautiful!" The flame flared in response, then resumed its quiet flicker. Leena laughed at the playful gesture as she helped Natalia undress.

"Don't be shy, dear, oh," the chipper woman stopped talking as she looked at Natalia's battered body. "How could they do this to you? What I mean to say is, why did you let them? You should have been able to stop them!" Eyes blazing, Leena placed her hands on Natalia's arms and lifted them to inspect the scars and healed bruises. Much of her body had been treated in the weeks since her rescue. But the brutal beatings she had taken immediately before her escape left deeper bruises. Leena draped a muslin gown over her and indicated she should walk into the pool of water. "I can't believe the Earth didn't open up and swallow them whole! Or couldn't you have stopped them with your mind magic? I am told it is powerful."

"There is ... was a barrier." Natalia lowered her head and fought embarrassment back. It had not been her fault that she could not access her power. "I think it was the Earth Priestess Superior who put it there; I couldn't use it as much as I should have. Only with the closest of touch. But I could still control with touch; this saved me from some of the injuries the soldiers would have wrought on me-"

She remembered the first and only man who had thought to rape her. His friends had encouraged him; liquor had strengthened his desire and courage. The man had learned why his masters had told him not to touch the little female prisoner. Even now, she did not waste thought on whether he or any of the fools who helped him had regained sanity. The Earth priestess guarding her had not held her back, though she could have, and did not attempt to provide the men any protection.

She was never touched directly again. Beaten with sticks or lashes, but never handled if possible, and only with the thickest of gloves. She had felt the barrier that had held her magic at bay diminish over the past few weeks; she wondered if it was the Master's work.

Leena smiled and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. Immediately Natalia felt her presence in her Mindspace. They did not project into space, but her voice was clear.

"Ah, the Earth Priestess Superior, what a nasty bit of work she is. You know," in the physical space, she stripped her clothes off and put on a loose cloth gown.

"She was apprenticed to an Earth Master as a young girl." She followed Natalia into the Water. "But she was turned out by her Master after the first year of her training. I don't know the whole story, but Paulo might."

They stopped once they were waist-deep in the water. Leena had her kneel, continuing to chat in her Mindspace as she gathered power around her.

"From what I understand, she was more inclined to grasp power than to share and speak with the Earth. She was a better fit for the Priesthood."

Water dripped over Natalia's head as its magic flowed through her body. "The Priesthoods are as old as the Council or older. For a long time, it was not understood that they were using the same magic. The Priests and Priestesses access it differently and have more limitations than Masters or Mages. But you will learn this soon. I am sure my brother will have you reading about the Five Lands and their magics. Oh..."

The surprised voice spoke in both spaces. Leena stepped back from Natalia as a small whirlpool surrounded them. "I will have to concentrate more; Friend Water is more enthusiastic than usual. I think it would be best if you floated on your back. Can you do this?" Natalia nodded and repositioned, closing her eyes as her body began to float. "Your hair has already begun to grow. Shall we have it down your back?"

"No, that is impractical. Maybe just to the Jaw."

"Oh." Leena's tone prompted Natalia to open her eyes and witness the slight frown of disappointment on the charming woman's face. When she noticed Natalia looking, her smile reappeared. "We should go at least to the shoulder; you could bind it better that way."

"That's true; it has been a while since I have had to bind hair."

"Your bondmate could show you how his people do it. It is so beautiful but also so practical." Leena stroked her head lightly in the water as she floated. Natalia smiled at the idea of having Raja bind her hair and let Leena do her work.

The light chatter stopped, though Natalia could still feel the mistress's cheerful presence in her Mindspace. As the Water flowed around her, she felt herself drifting into a light sleep, lulled by the soft singing.

WC2494

Last Edit 1/8/2023