They especially had liked Vera Howard, the one who had just joined them: a lively, well-spoken lass with honey-brown hair falling straight to her hips and gray-green eyes that recalled the luminance of sunlight on a tranquil sea. Vera's father was Sir Orban Howard, a knight with lands not far from Castle Cynfyn, and her mother and theirs had been close friends.
«I've given up working with holly», Alyce informed the newcomer. «It prickles your fingers to death — though it does have nice color. But the ribbons will be just what's needed. I don't suppose you'd like to give us a hand?»
«Actually, I did come to offer a bit of help», Vera replied, «though not with pine boughs». She quirked them a guileless smile and turned briefly to pull the chapel door closed, then sank down beside Alyce on the bench. As she stretched one hand before them and opened it, a spark of greenish light flared in her palm and quickly took on the shape of a winged gryphon less than a hand-span high.
The apparition turned its head as if to look at both of them; then, as it spread its wings, seemed to fold in on itself before disappearing with a faint pop that was more felt than heard.
«Who are you?» Alyce demanded, though instinctively she kept her query to a whisper, for it was clear that Vera was Deryni like herself. Marie merely stared at the other girl in wonder.
Vera ventured another tentative smile. «Your father told me that I am your sister».
«What?» Marie blurted.
Shaking her head, Vera laid one finger across her lips in an urgent sign for silence, cutting her off in mid-word.
«I promise you, it isn't what you're maybe thinking», she whispered, humor crinkling at the corners of her eyes, «though our sire was quite the ladies' man. Actually, you and I are twins», she said to Alyce. «Fortunately, not identical, though I would love to have had hair like yours». She nodded toward Alyce's pale braid. «But if we'd been identical, our parents never would have been able to carry off the deception».
«But — how is that possible?» Alyce whispered, stunned.
Again glancing toward the door, Vera delved into the bodice of her gown and withdrew a folded piece of parchment, well sealed with green wax.
«This is for you», she said, holding it up so that the seal was visible.
The familiar imprint on the seal showed the Corwyn gryphon as an escutcheon of pretense over the arms of Lendour, as Keryell had used them in his capacity as Earl of Lendour and one of Corwyn's regents.
«I see that you recognize the seal», Vera went on. «Before Father left on this last Mearan expedition, he asked me to keep this for you, in case anything ever happened to him. He said I was to make certain you read it in a safe place, where you wouldn't be disturbed, because it can only be read once».
At Alyce's look of bewilderment, Vera shook her head. «Don't ask me more until you've read it — and I trust you've been Truth-Reading me while I'm telling you this. I know you can do that».
As Alyce slowly nodded, Vera turned the packet of parchment to display writing on the side without the wax seals.
«You recognize the hand?» she asked, as Marie crowded closer to see it as well.
Alyce swallowed audibly and nodded.
«All right, here's what you need to do». Vera placed the packet in Alyce's free hand and closed the fingers around it.
«Take this up to the altar rail, as close as possible to Father's grave. That way, if anyone should come in while we're doing this, they'll think you're simply praying. Marie and I will continue making garlands, and if necessary, I'll fend off intruders».
«What if it's Father Paschal?» Marie asked. «He could come through the sacristy».
«It's all right. He knows about this».
«Father Paschal knows about you?» Alyce broke in.
«Well, of course. Who do you think trained me?»
«But… he never mentioned…»
«No, and he hasn't told me much about you», Vera countered. «That was to protect all of us. Especially in your case, he was somewhat concerned that Father had given Lady Jessamy access to some of your training triggers».
«She's rarely used them», Alyce murmured, stunned. «We've not spent that much time at court».
«Would you necessarily know if she'd used them?» Vera replied. «She did come occasionally to Arc-en-Ciel, didn't she?»
«Well, yes — but Jessilde was usually with us then».
«Jessilde — who is Jessamy's daughter. It isn't likely, Alyce, but they could have been working together, to check on you occasionally, if only to see how Paschal's training was progressing. Now does it become clear why Father felt the need to be so careful?»
«But, she would never…»
«Alyce, we don't know what she would never do», Vera pointed out. «Have you forgotten who her father was?»
«I — hadn't thought about that», Alyce admitted.
«I didn't think you had. And I believe that Paschal has avoided reminding you, for fear of planting an idea in your mind that Jessamy might discover, if she did try to abuse the trust she was given».
Alyce found herself shivering at the idea that Jessamy might have been doing just that, without her knowledge. Marie's eyes were huge with wonder.
«If that's a real concern», Alyce whispered, «what happens when we go back to court? For the next few years, we're going to be there all the time, now that Father is gone».
«Father Paschal intends to modify your triggers before you leave — though I don't think he intends that Lady Jessamy should know. And he certainly doesn't intend that she should know about me. Ahern, of course, doesn't know anything about any of this, except that I've been fostered here for the past three or four years».
After a few seconds to digest what Vera had just revealed, Alyce said dazedly, «I had no idea about any of this…».
«Which was the purpose of the exercise», Vera replied. «But right now, you need to deal with what Father left for you. Before you break the seal, kiss it — and make sure that your tongue touches the wax. That's part of the means by which the spell is activated for you, personally — I knew you were about to ask», she added with a grin.
Despite her mixture of surprise, curiosity, and annoyance that their father had not better prepared her for this, Alyce managed a tentative smile.
«If we really are twins, I suppose there'll be no keeping any of my secrets from you in the future», she said.
Vera grinned. «Father Paschal has always warned me that there are disadvantages as well as advantages to being Deryni». She brushed her hand over Alyce's, closed around the parchment packet.
«Now, there will be two messages inside. I'm told that the visible one is a simple bequest of some items of jewelry — which is all anyone else would see, if they opened it. The other message is for you alone, written between the lines of the first one. When you open the letter, that second message will glow slightly, so you needn't worry about having enough light to read it. Make certain you read it through slowly, because you only get one chance; the writing will disappear after you've read it».
Alyce swallowed down the lump that was rising in her throat.
«I — believe you», she whispered. «It's all just so… so…»
«…unbelievable. Yes, I know». Vera smiled faintly. «It's so audacious, I still hardly know whether to love him or damn him», she confessed. «But I truly believe that he loved us — enough to do what he had to do, to give at least one of us the chance to develop our gifts away from public scrutiny, without having to contend with — well, with people knowing what we are». She glanced away briefly before continuing.
«I'd known him all my life, though I didn't know who he really was until I came here. So far as I or my 'parents' knew, he was simply my godfather, just as he was godfather to many other children of his vassals — though there weren't any others exactly like me», she added, with a quick smile at Alyce. «He had me fostered here after he sent the two of you to court and Arc-en-Ciel — which he felt was the safest place he could send you, while he began bringing me into the family picture and started my training — and yes, I do have quite a lot of training now. Fortunately, Lady Rosmerta is not Deryni, and hadn't a clue what he was up to — silly cow!»