“Then I have my favorite meal from home, and you have yours.” It had very little risk.
We separated to find different stalls, and we met at a small table. In the end, we split both meals equally. The earthy flavors of the Emberleigh dish combined well with the spice of his choice from Gearwick. It was like us: two things from different realms who enhanced the other in every possible way. After we ate, we purchased three sandwiches from another vendor for Acantha and their friends.
Acantha thanked us, as did their friends. Introductions were made. They were a couple from Dun Steorra Acantha had met the first afternoon, and a fast friendship had formed. A fast friendship and the potential of a trade agreement. Castien promised to speak to them tomorrow. I did not know enough about what it was Acantha’s friends had to offer, and I would much rather spend the rest of the day with Castien than hammering out trade details.
The afternoon was spent much as the morning had been.
We walked the market, and we talked. He introduced me to a friend of his, Laurel, an artificer with an impressive tail who specialized in the same pleasure devices Castien invented. I listened as they spoke, and an idea formed in my head. I had met his sibling. I had now met one of his friends. Years ago, I’d met his father—or one of his fathers. I’d met so many important people in his life, yet I’d kept him away from Mother and Father. We’d not ventured near the apothecaries, simply because I did not want Mother and Father to question him.
By the time he and Laurel said their goodbyes, my decision was made. I took a deep breath. “Would you like to meet my parents?”
“You want me to meet your parents?”
I wondered if this was a bad idea. Something in the tone of his voice raised warning flags in my mind. I remembered everything I’d told him about my parents. It had only been the bad, the parts where Mother and Father pressured me or made me feel less than. He did not know of the way my parents had supported me, and I’d not told him that it had been Mother who had played a part in convincing me to speak to him.
I wanted her to see that it had worked. I was more certain now than I’d been when the idea formed in my head. “Yes. Please come meet Mother and Father.”
“If they are unkind toward you—” he started.
I felt a fondness toward him that I’d never felt for anyone before. My future lay with him. The protective look in his eyes only confirmed this. I could move to Gearwick if it meant that I would be able to hold onto the man that made me feel this way.
I took his hand, and we started down the path.
When we arrived at my parents’ apothecary, I saw Mother and Father standing together behind the counter. There was only one client wandering the stall, picking up products and sniffing them before putting them down. The Gods had delivered us the perfect moment for introductions, though I knew the nature of their stall. This window would close the moment a patron required their attentions.
I pulled him toward the stall. Mother saw us first, and she gifted us with a rare smile. “Oleander,” she greeted, her voice far more solemn than the expression on her face.
“Mother.” I returned the greeting with a slight incline of my head. “Father.”
“What brings you to our stall today?” Father asked. “You’re not unwell, are you? It appears the illness I had yesterday has been spreading around the camp. I’ve had no less than seven people asking for potions and syrups to soothe their symptoms.”
“I’m well,” I assured my parents. I could see the relief in the furrow of Father’s brow. It was subtle, but I’d become well adept at reading my parents. I sometimes thought that it was one of my few skills. It had translated to reading other people when I’d left my village, benefiting me greatly in the shops I worked. “I am here because I would like you to meet someone.”
Mother perked. “Is this the person you spoke to me about yesterday?”
What would be next? Would Raylen appear and ask the same question? Did everyone need to reveal to Castien that I’d spoken to them? It was embarrassing.
But when I stole a glance at Castien, he looked pleased. “Mother, Father, meet Castien. I hope that you will see him around for a long time to come.”
“Is he from Emberleigh?” Father asked.
“Gearwick, sir,” Castien answered without missing a beat, “but I travel to Emberleigh for trade frequently.”
The mention of the word trade piqued Father’s interest, and he began asking questions about Castien’s shop. Castien was in his element, talking about his devices and commerce. He might have thought he was not a charming man, but he had both Mother and Father engaged in a way I could never manage. He found ways to bring me into the conversation, and he even sang my praises for the help I’d given him that week in his stall. He spoke highly about my people skills and the way I’d interacted with his customers.
Mother and Father shared a few stories of times they’d seen the same from me around the village.
It felt like something from another life.
Their conversation lasted until a parent brought their ailing child to Mother. The child had caught whatever bug it was that Father had the day prior. We were no longer important. We called out our goodbyes and left to continue our day.
“Your parents were not as bad as I expected,” Castien stated as we walked away.
“They like you,” I told him.
“You spoke to your mother about me?”
My cheeks heated. “I did. She told me that I was not to let practicalities stop me from seeking happiness.” I did not know it was possible for my face to get warmer than it already was, but somehow, it did.
