Interpretations

At the Temple, life was exceedingly busy the day after Neya's Day, thought Temmin. You'd think the staff would all be tired, but no; they were busy cleaning rooms and interrupting his attempts to seduce Allis, taking baths and interrupting his attempts to seduce Allis, praying and interrupting his attempts to seduce Allis and generally getting in his way.

By the time he was fed, washed and dressed, he had to leave, with no idea when he'd see her again and finish what they'd started. Sex with a goddess was all good and well--to be truthful, better than that, his legs still didn't work exactly right--but though She'd been controlling Allis, She wasn't Allis. And he still wanted Allis, urgently. He stood on the steps with the twins, irritable, anxious and euphoric by turns. "I should like very much," he said to Allis quietly, "to see you alone at some point soon. Very soon. Extremely soon."

"You will see us in due course, Temmin Supplicant," she said in her smooth official tone.

"Just when would that be, please?"

"When we say so," said Issak, suppressing a smile.

"Look here, you do know I can summon people to the Keep. Ellika told me we can do that, she summons dressmakers all the time. Soldiers march 'em right to her door with their aprons still on."

"You'd find yourself suspended from the rafters with weights on your balls if you did any such thing," said Allis, raising her brows, "and with your father's blessing, at that."

"Oh, I didn't really mean it," said Temmin. Much, he added to himself. "But I really do want to see you soon."

"You will. You need to return to your studies now," said Allis, kissing him. "We've monopolized you the last few days and Teacher is bound to be getting anxious. Now, go home." He sighed and dutifully trotted down the steps to his carriage.

"We need to find him a distraction at the Keep," murmured Allis.

Issak nodded. "He'll drive us to distraction if we don't."

When he got back to the Keep, Teacher was waiting for him in his study, just as Allis had predicted. "Starting tomorrow we shall resume our studies, your highness. We will work out a schedule to allow for your Temple training as well as your sparring work, which means that when we are together we will have to cover much ground."

"Oh gods, not today!" said Temmin, throwing himself on the green velvet couch.

"Certainly not," agreed the Teacher, perching on the couch's arm. "King Brinnid arrives tonight. You will need to get ready for his reception as soon as I am done with you."

"Brinnid, tonight?" groaned Temmin. "I just want dinner and bed! Ah well. I have some questions for you, actually," he added, sitting up. "Did you know Allis would still be possessed when--" he blushed-- "ehm, after the Spectacle?"

"What did She show you?" said the Teacher, leaning down intently. The gray eyes were serious and bright.

"Oh, you did know! Why didn't you tell me!"

"That conversation would have gone well. 'By the way, your highness, you'll be losing your virginity to a goddess.' Most men are scared enough their first time, I didn't want to pressure you further. What did She show you?" the Teacher asked again, urgently.

"I can't tell you," said Temmin sulkily.

"Try."

"No, seriously, I can't tell you," he said, looking up at the Teacher. "I should think you'd know that. Have you actually met Them? I have. They're really rather scary."

The Teacher smiled slightly. "The first time I met Them, Tremont was barely a kingdom. The first time I met Them, They told me about you."

"Me?"

The Teacher nodded impatiently.

"Well, what did They say?"

"To wait for you. And I have."

"What for?"

"Temmin, what did She show you!" The Teacher's lips were drawn back in a near-snarl, and the whites showed all around the gray of the usually cool eyes.

Temmin drew back, frightened. "You! I saw you--hang on, I shouldn't be able to tell you about what happened there, I shouldn't be able to tell anyone anything at all!"

The Teacher answered with a shaking voice, "I am not anyone." The black figure got up, shook out the habitual robes, and passed a pale hand over pale eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yes, you can tell me what They said. Do you finally believe that I am not mortal?"

"What are you?" whispered Temmin.

"Old. I am old. Very old, and very...tired."

"You're not like Them, are you? You're not a god?"

The Teacher laughed slightly. "Oh yes, gods make themselves manifest all the time to teach spoiled princelings their lessons. No," the Teacher sighed at Temmin's slightly puzzled look, "I am not a god. I'm as human as you are, in my way. I am just...old."

"Then I can tell you, and you can tell me what She meant! Oh gods, what a relief! I knew you'd know!"

"I don't know whether I can interpret what Neya showed you, but tell me all the same."

Temmin took a deep breath and thought back to the images in Neya's eyes. "First I saw my father. He was fighting on a battlefield on foot, there were men all around him fighting and dying."

"Could you tell where they were?"

"I have no idea. Then I saw Sedra. She was holding a child, shielding it from something. I don't know where they were, either, it wasn't familiar and I couldn't see the child clearly. Her hair was down, that was odd."

The Teacher nodded gravely. "Go on."

"Then a very strange thing--Ellika, in an alleyway somewhere! And there were soldiers, and she was angry, so angry, and she was keeping them from doing whatever it was they were there to do." Temmin shook his head. "She was scared to pieces, I could tell, but whatever it was she was doing, it was too important for her to care.

"And then came Jenks on horseback, riding like anything. I knew where he was, for once--he was near Whithorse, the great house. Too near for my liking. He had his sword out, and he was yelling. It looked like a cavalry charge--he wasn't alone." Temmin got up and began pacing. "Then Mama--her hands were all bloody, and she was sobbing as if her heart was broken." He stopped in his stride. "I would give anything to keep that from happening, Teacher, whatever it was that made her look like that. To keep any of these things from happening. They all frighten me."

"It's possible Neya didn't show you what will be literally, you know."

"Is it? I hope so." Temmin began pacing again.

"Is that all you saw?" said the Teacher.

"No," said Temmin. "The last thing I saw was a great wall of fire, and in front of it you were standing, with the Traveler Queen." He watched the Teacher's downcast face, the pale eyes blinking rapidly as if to hold back tears. "And one more thing." The Teacher looked up expectantly. "She said I was to be either Temmin the Liberator or Temmin the Magnificent. That it was up to me."

The Teacher studied Temmin quietly. "Yes. It is. That much I know. What happens in the next thousand years of the kingdom is up to you."

"But what?! What is this choice I have to make? Which one's the right one--Liberator or Magnificent? And what in Harla's name does any of it mean!"

"I told you I might not be able to interpret what She showed you. I don't think the meaning will be clear to you until it comes time to make the choice. Then you'll know."

Temmin stopped pacing. "Teacher, I don't want it all to depend on me, whatever it all is. I'm afraid I'll get it wrong." To the Teacher's surprise, Temmin took the cool, pale hands in his own warm, brown ones. "You have to promise me something."

"If I can, I will," said the Teacher, frowning.

"Promise me you will help me make the right decision. Promise me you'll be there to help me. I don't know what I'm doing, and I feel everyone looking at me--even more so now--and I'm not as smart as Sedra or as self-confident as Ellika. I'm just me. I like horses. I like people, too, I suppose, now that I think of it. But I'm hardly someone you want to pin the future of an entire kingdom on. If that's what has to be, I'm going to need all the help I can get. Please help me."

The Teacher gave him a long, searching look. "You surprise me, prince. And you underestimate yourself. I will teach you everything I can, and I swear that if I can, I will be there to help you until you don't need me any more.

"And now," the Teacher added as Jenks appeared in the doorway, "I leave you to your other teacher, who may be able to help you most of all."

Jenks moved aside to let the Teacher through the door. "Your other teacher, your highness?"

"He means you."

"Teaching you would require you listening to me once in a while, sir."

"I'm sorry about the presentation, Jenks. They wouldn't let me wear anything other than Temple garb! Really, how often must I apologize?"

"Just the once more, sir," replied the valet. "As it happens, it's the perfect thing to wear tonight for King Brinnid's arrival. I've unpacked it and it's airing out now."

Temmin clapped his forehead. "I just got home! I just want to eat dinner and go to bed!"

"And you'll be doing that, sir, right after you welcome your future brother-in-law to the Keep." Jenks marched into the bedchamber, calling after him, "I'll draw you a bath."

"I just had one!" Temming hollered back.

"One can never be too clean, sir!" said Jenks, sticking his head back into the study.

"A nap? Can I have a nap first?"

Jenks sighed. "Your highness, why are you asking me?"

Temmin blinked. "Because you usually decide these things for me?"

"It's time for you to decide them for yourself, sir."

"Oh! Well!" Temmin thought for a moment. "I suppose I'll have a nap, then! Draw the curtains for me, Jenks!" he said, and began to strip off his outer layer of clothing.

"Very good, sir," said Jenks, turning to the windows. He saw Temmin briefly in the window's reflection, whistling tunelessly like his uncle Patrin, his golden hair shining in the afternoon light just as Patrin's had. Tears came to the older man's eyes, and he remembered what Neya had said the night before: "Let them go, Standfast Jenks. Let them go." He closed his eyes against his tears and the curtains against the reflection.