One Day More - a Sartorias-deles fanfic

Chapter 23

Iris felt sluggish, but it was not only a physical sensation. Her emotions focused on her last conversation with Alaraec, transitioning from guilt to shame to irritation. He was dissatisfied with her answers, far past the fact she did not desire children. It was not that she did not want them; rather, Iris doubted whether she deserved them. She had Cassiopeia Theren as a maternal example, and the woman had not been any sort of mother figure to Iris. That was all Iris had known.

She could not quiet the voice in her mind that said if she were to have children, Iris would be like her mother. That may have been irrational, but the voice had more of a pull on her soul than Iris wanted to admit. Iris was never mistreated as a child, or so she thought. But there was no love; there was no reward without having to work for it. Everything was conditional with Cassiopeia.

Raec had sent multiple letters, but Iris only responded to the last one. She requested he give her space, which he had done. Neither of her parents were happy with her for that decision, but Iris would not be swayed. Angered by her obstinacy, they told her to leave. They did not have to do so twice. Iris was out the door before Cetus even finished the sentence.

They also disapproved of when she had accidentally sliced open her palm on the letter opener when she dropped it. Blood dripped on the rug before Cetus could press a compress onto Iris's hand. Without saying a word, he cleaned the long cut then wrapped it in white bandages. He piled the bloody cloths in a surprisingly neat pile. A metal bucket sat at the end of the table. Cetus would probably toss the small pieces of fabric into the bucket and light them, but Iris did not stay to find out.

The market was busy today. Bren and his father were at an end booth, the table filled with dull knives and horseshoes. The older man would barter and sell, and Bren would bundle up customers' purchases or shoe their horses should one be presented to him. Bren saw Iris and waved, but Iris did not approach him. She returned the gesture and continued on her way. Their booth was heavily visited on this day; she did not want to distract him. Although the royal family probably paid Bren and his father well for their services, Iris did not want to keep them from earning extra funds when they could.

Iris walked to the fountain and sat on the edge, praying that she would blend into the crowds of people. A sandy-haired woman walked by, holding the hand of a little girl, who pointed in Iris's direction. Then she began tugging on her mother's arm, yet the woman ignored her, up until the little girl had wormed away and was racing toward Iris. Iris thought the child would go to the water, but instead, the girl stopped in front of her, breathing hard with curly red hair flying in all directions. Iris smiled and tried to keep her body relaxed.

"Are you going to be our new princess?" the little girl asked.

Iris only blinked at her.

"You're the one our prince likes!"

Iris only kept herself from squirming by pressing her thumb into the cut on her hand. "Prince Alaraec and I are friends, yes."

"Nuh-uh, I've seen you! He looks at you like my papa looked at my momma before he died." The girl nodded her head with some force, certain of her observations.

"When did your father die?" Iris's voice softened. "I'm so sorry."

"A few months ago," the girl said. "My momma misses him."

"You do, too?"

A smaller nod this time. "That's why I had to come talk to you. You looked sad, and you shouldn't be because Prince Alaraec likes you. I had to make sure you knew."

"I know." Iris reached out toward the girl, and the child took her hand. "But the reminder is always welcome."

"I am so sorry, my lady!" The child's mother approached, taking the girl's other hand and tugging her away from Iris.