The next two days dragged by at a horrible, tense crawl.  The castle was a beehive of activity, but Anya had very little to do besides worry and feel overwhelmed.  She tried to put her time to good use by studying in the library, but her attention constantly wandered back to her worries and her fears.

What was even worse for Anya was that she had not yet even caught a glimpse of Lord Wildwood.  She learned from Ildri that the wizard had been gone since a day or two before she had arrived.

Apparently the fact that he was gone was common knowledge, but what he was doing was not.  Anya could not help but feel paranoid that his secret business had something to do with her unfortunate mission.

Ildri did not seem interested or concerned by his absence.  Apparently it was not unheard of for Lord Wildwood to disappear on wizardly business from time to time.  No doubt Lady Theresa knew where her soon-to-be husband was, but Anya would hardly draw attention to herself by asking.

Instead she continued waiting and Lord Wildwood grew bigger and bigger in her imagination until she was almost certain she would never find a way to pull off what she had to do and save her brother and sister.

Anya was sitting in the library and reading a book on non-magical herbal tonics when her agonizing waiting finally reached its end.  She was pursuing the ingredients list of a skin cleansing solution when she heard a loud crash in the hall.

Anya glanced up.  Obviously someone had dropped something.  It was not the first distraction that she had, but it was just enough to pull her attention away from the page.

Attempting to concentrate was evidently pointless.  She realized she had not taken in even a single word that she had supposedly read.

Resisting the urge to throw the book down on the table beside her, she got up and put it carefully on the proper shelf.

A couple of times each day Anya would check in with Lady Theresa or Hanna and see if there was anything that she could do.  Lady Theresa seemed content with what little Anya was already doing, and the efficient Hanna simply smiled and assured her that everything was fine.

Anya felt useless to an extreme extent.  She needed to find a way to make herself indispensable to the lady or she would be out the door before Lord Wildwood returned.

Anya pushed the door open, deep in her gloomy thoughts, trying to think of something she could do for Lady Theresa that no one else could do.  Perhaps she could make the lady's life easier in some way.  She could not compensate for the terrible crime that she would commit against her husband, but what if there was something...

The tip of Anya's toe touched something and she glanced down.

Hanna was on the floor, picking up broken dishes.  Anya had almost stumbled over her while lost in thoughts.  Anya cursed herself for not paying more attention.  She was the most ridiculous of assassins, or rather, premeditating assassins.  She did not even notice what was going on around her.

Of course, most assassins were probably doing the job for money, rather than because their family was being held hostage by a madman.  The situation would push anyone beyond their means, surely.

Anya's self pity was interrupted by a muffled sniffle.

"Are you crying?" she asked the other maid in surprise.

"What?  Oh, Anya.  No, I'm fine," said Hanna in the most pathetic example of lying Anya had ever heard, which was quite a feat considering how many terrible lies she had heard over the years with two younger siblings in her charge.

"Really, what is the matter?" Anya asked again, wondering why she bothered.  She had her own problems, but she could not but feel sorry for the other woman.  She leaned down and picked up a couple of the broken shards of glass and a plate that somehow survived the wreckage.

Hanna sniffled a bit harder and Anya decided not to pry any further, when Hanna spoke again.  "It's just, it's just..."  She bawled.

Anya finished picking up the larger part of the mess and set it on a tray.  Anya heard footsteps behind her and looked around.  It was one of the workers that she had seen around the last few days.  "Excuse me?  Could you find a broom and clean this up?" she asked, feeling awkward and out of line.

"Oh?  Yes, I'll do that," he said in a startled voice.  He had a puzzled expression.

Anya helped Hanna to her feet.  "Come sit in here," she said as she led the woman into the library.  She left the dishes sitting in the hall.

"But..."

"Don't worry."  Anya deposited the other woman on the chair she had sat on previously.  She took one adjacent to it.  "Why are you crying?  It can't just be because of that accident with the dishes."

"No, it's just..." Hanna sobbed.

Anya spoke softly, "You'll probably feel better if you talk about it."

"It's just... everything."

"Everything?"

"The wedding, it's all so busy, and everything is wrong!" bawled Hanna.

"I could help you more," Anya said.

Hanna cried harder and spoke between her tears.  "I need this job!  I can't let you take..." she trailed off, as if remembering who she was talking to.  "I'm sorry," she sobbed harder.

Anya sighed.  So she was causing the problem.  Lately everything she touched turned problematic.

"Your job is safe, Hanna.  Lady Theresa is going to have two maids for a time."

"But I can't d-d-do magic!  I'm useless," the other woman said dismally.  "Mum is sick and—"

Anya thought it almost funny that the efficient woman thought she was the useless one.  "Magic is the least of it.  I couldn't do the things that you do nearly as well as you do.  Lady Theresa would be lost without you."

"I think you're just saying that to be kind.  I wanted to hate you when you came..." she moaned.

Hanna really would legitimately hate Anya if she knew of her true purpose.  Anya shook off the morose thought.

"Hating people is a waste of energy," Anya said in the firm tone she used on Damani when he was being wayward.  "Instead, if it bothers you, why don't you learn magic?  I could lend you a book.  I'll teach you if you want."

"I can't read.  And why?  If I could do magic like you..."

"I suppose I'll be obsolete.  So be it.  I've had little enough to do, and no doubt Lady Theresa will give me a good reference when I go.  I would have no difficulty finding a new station.  Besides, it sounds like you need it more than me," Anya lied.

She would be lucky if Lady Theresa did not have her hung before everything was through.

Hanna hung her head.  "My mum's sick and I've got six younger brothers and sisters beside.  It's a lot to feed my family and pay the rent on the land with just my father and the children working the farm."

Anya nodded, struck by the strong parallels to her own situation.  Of course, hers was more dire and urgent, but it would not hurt her to help Hanna.

If Thorne was directly spying on her, she would tell him she did it to gain trust.  Surely he would not complain about that.

And she could not allow him to turn her into someone else, someone who was cold and cruel.  She might be forced to do some terrible things, but her heart and feelings were her own.

Anya felt better.  Hanna still looked terribly upset.  "Come on.  I'll teach you magic."

"I don't have time," Hanna said uncertainly.

"After the wedding.  Lady Theresa said she and Lord Wildwood encourage wizards to learn.  I hardly think that they would mind if you spent time learning to better serve your lady.  It'll serve you well when I am gone."

"Are you planning on leaving?" Hanna asked suddenly.

Anya's stomach knotted and she cursed her wayward tongue.  She could not afford to get overconfident.  "One day I think I will.  Maybe to be closer to the capital?  But not for a long time," she said as casually as she could, considering that her tongue seemed to have turned to lead in her mouth.

Hanna nodded, and Anya held her sigh of relief.  Hanna had apparently believed her.

"Let me help you with whatever you were doing," Anya suggested, hoping to distract her.

"Very well," Hanna agreed.

The broken dishes had already been cleared away by the time they left the room.  Anya wished every problem could be handled so easily.

* * * * *

When Anya and Hanna arrived at the door to their lady's salon, it was clear from the laughter that Lady Theresa was not alone.  Hanna opened the door and Anya followed her in.

"Anya!  We were just speaking of you."  Lady Theresa sat on a chaise beside another woman.  It was clear that the newcomer was a lady by her clothing and bearing.  She was more delicate and her hair was lighter than Lady Theresa's, but there were enough similarities in the shapes of their faces that Anya surmised the other woman was Lady Daphne.  Lady Daphne looked to be about Anya's own age.

Anya smiled politely at the woman who had shot Anya's brother in the back.  Anya believed it had probably been somewhat deserved, but it was still hard to maintain her composure.

She thought about how sweet Kallie would act in such a circumstance.  She would be unassuming.  That would be Anya's strategy.

"This is my sister, Lady Daphne," confirmed Lady Theresa.  "Daphne, this is the wizardress at dressing hair I was telling you about."

"It's nice to meet you," Lady Daphne said.  Her voice was light and merry.

"It is nice to meet you too," Anya agreed in the most natural voice she could manage.

She could not repress the bitter thought that Lady Daphne was clearly losing no sleep over Gage's death.  Even if he had become... somehow wrong, Daphne should still feel something besides the indolence so common among the nobility.

Killing a man, even a man of lower class should affect a person in some way.  She knew she would not be unscathed.

Yet, she could see none of that in Daphne's light nature.  For a moment, Anya wished it had been Lady Daphne's husband whom she had been sent to kill.  It would have been easier.

Although it would not be easy, nor should it be, Anya reminded herself sternly.  She was not going to fall into an unending cycle of revenge.  It would be a waste of energy that she needed dearly for other matters.

She was not here to avenge Gage; she was here to save Damani and Kallie.

Lady Theresa's voice broke through the dark fog of thoughts swirling through Anya.  "Do you believe you will have time to do Lady Daphne's hair after mine?"

"It should not take long," Anya found herself agreeing.

Daphne smiled radiantly.  "I've heard nothing but good things about you.  Perhaps I might steal you away from here after the wedding."

Lady Theresa shot her sister a scowl, but then laughed with her sister.

Anya knew she would never work for Lady Daphne, but she tried to smile in an indulgent way as if the idea was anything but repulsive to her.  She had no idea if it worked, but she did see relief flicker across Hanna's face.  She had hoped that she had made a friend, but apparently Hanna was still feeling threatened by Anya's presence.

Anya reminded herself that it did not matter.  She would do what she had to do and leave these people behind forever.  If she failed, she would also leave.

This place could not give her or her siblings the security which had been missing since her mother became ill.  She had to guard against becoming comfortable because Thorne could sweep it all away in a second.  Damani and Kallie were safe enough as long as she did what Thorne instructed.

She hoped.

Theresa spoke again.  "Perhaps you should practice Lady Daphne's hair as well," she suggested.

"Right now?" asked Anya hopefully, glad to have a distraction.

"Of course," Daphne said cheerfully.  Anya fetched her bag and whipped Daphne's hair up into a knot of her head.

"Maybe something looser," Lady Theresa suggested.

Anya pulled Lady Daphne's hair up but allowed some of the curls to hang down.

"I like it," Lady Theresa said, holding up a mirror for Daphne.

"Oh, it is nice.  Can you do this again?" Daphne asked.

Anya nodded.  "Of course."

Lady Daphne moved her head around experimentally.  "It's so light."

"I don't use many pins."

Lady Theresa nodded, "She's a wizardress, as you'll recall.  She's using magic."

"How convenient.  How long will it last?"

"As long as I maintain it," Anya said.

Lady Daphne jumped up.  "You should do Theresa's hair so that I can see it.  And the dress!  Where's your dress, Theresa?"

"Hanna has it hanging in my dressing room."

Anya asked tentatively, "Do you want your hair done today?"

Lady Daphne cut in, "Of course she does."

Lady Theresa shrugged with an indulgent smile.

Anya nodded and got to work.