“Jorek. What is this nonsense?”
“It is not nonsense, Mother,” Jorek replied, keeping his eyes downcast. “This is what she wants. I have never seen Liv as happy as she has been on our journey back. Let her have her way—or else she will run again, and this time I will not go after her. She will not come back a second time.”
Liv felt extreme affection for her brother in that moment, but this was a bad time to show it, so she bit her lip, keeping her smile away.
“You want your sister to become nothing but a peasant?” Mother asked him incredulously.
“It is what she wants,” Jorek pressed. “She is a different person than you are, Mother. If you try to force her into a life she does not want to live, she will resent you. Then neither of you will be happy.”
Mother seemed to deflate a little, and she sighed as she looked back at Liv. “What are your plans then? What will you do?”
“I want to go into healing,” Liv told her softly. “I will graduate and go into the field of healing. I want to be able to help people that are hurt. I have the talent for it. I really do.” She cast a quick thought to Amala’s thigh, knowing how well she had done with that job. She wanted to do more like that. Injuries such as the one Amala had suffered, the recovery time took months. Not to speak if they did not catch an infection and die. With Liv’s help they’d be up and going right away.
Mother sighed heavily. She glanced over at Father. Father looked at Mother, then he sighed as well. “If that is the choice you make, Daughter,” he spoke up for the first time. “Then so be it. Even if you do not bear the title of princess any longer, you will still be our daughter. If you need us, do not hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Father.” Liv bowed her head. “I really appreciate that.”
Mother’s head turned between Liv and Father. “Where will you live?”
“Here and there.” Liv shrugged her shoulders. “We will be traveling around, helping people.”
“You need a permanent residence that you can go home to when you need some rest,” Mother insisted. “Travelling around without having a home... That is ridiculous. We will give you an estate, Liv, and you will take it graciously. We can talk more about it before you leave.”
Liv nodded. “Thank you, Mother. That is very kind.” She curtsied before leaving the room. She knew when she had been dismissed. Jorek did not follow, so he still wanted to talk to them. Or they to him.
She started towards her rooms, knowing Amala would be there waiting. She had left her there, polishing her sword, when she had been summoned to her parents. She had no doubt that Amala would still be there and still working on her sword.
As expected, Amala was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her sword lying across her thighs. She looked up when Liv entered, silver eyes intent. “How did it go?”
“Much better than expected.” Liv smiled and sat down on the floor across from her, wanting to be on Amala’s level instead of having to look down at her. “They want to talk to me later, but they will let me make my own choices. Their only condition was that they wanted to give me an estate, so that I would always have a home to go to.”
“Where would that estate be?”
Liv shrugged. “I do not know. I guess that is a topic of conversation they want to have on a later date.”
Amala sheathed her sword and put it to her side, then folded her hands and turned a solemn look on Liv. “I came with you, Liv, but I can’t stay. Not for the time it will take for you to become a certified healer.”
Liv bit her lip, knowing it had been coming. “It will only be a few months. I am about to graduate as it is. I’ll have to settle in the healing path, which takes about four months. After that, I’ll be allowed to go on my own, gather my own experience.”
“I can’t stay here for four months.” Amala
“It is not nonsense, Mother,” Jorek replied, keeping his eyes downcast. “This is what she wants. I have never seen Liv as happy as she has been on our journey back. Let her have her way—or else she will run again, and this time I will not go after her. She will not come back a second time.”
Liv felt extreme affection for her brother in that moment, but this was a bad time to show it, so she bit her lip, keeping her smile away.
“You want your sister to become nothing but a peasant?” Mother asked him incredulously.
“It is what she wants,” Jorek pressed. “She is a different person than you are, Mother. If you try to force her into a life she does not want to live, she will resent you. Then neither of you will be happy.”
Mother seemed to deflate a little, and she sighed as she looked back at Liv. “What are your plans then? What will you do?”
“I want to go into healing,” Liv told her softly. “I will graduate and go into the field of healing. I want to be able to help people that are hurt. I have the talent for it. I really do.” She cast a quick thought to Amala’s thigh, knowing how well she had done with that job. She wanted to do more like that. Injuries such as the one Amala had suffered, the recovery time took months. Not to speak if they did not catch an infection and die. With Liv’s help they’d be up and going right away.
Mother sighed heavily. She glanced over at Father. Father looked at Mother, then he sighed as well. “If that is the choice you make, Daughter,” he spoke up for the first time. “Then so be it. Even if you do not bear the title of princess any longer, you will still be our daughter. If you need us, do not hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Father.” Liv bowed her head. “I really appreciate that.”
Mother’s head turned between Liv and Father. “Where will you live?”
“Here and there.” Liv shrugged her shoulders. “We will be traveling around, helping people.”
“You need a permanent residence that you can go home to when you need some rest,” Mother insisted. “Travelling around without having a home... That is ridiculous. We will give you an estate, Liv, and you will take it graciously. We can talk more about it before you leave.”
Liv nodded. “Thank you, Mother. That is very kind.” She curtsied before leaving the room. She knew when she had been dismissed. Jorek did not follow, so he still wanted to talk to them. Or they to him.
She started towards her rooms, knowing Amala would be there waiting. She had left her there, polishing her sword, when she had been summoned to her parents. She had no doubt that Amala would still be there and still working on her sword.
As expected, Amala was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her sword lying across her thighs. She looked up when Liv entered, silver eyes intent. “How did it go?”
“Much better than expected.” Liv smiled and sat down on the floor across from her, wanting to be on Amala’s level instead of having to look down at her. “They want to talk to me later, but they will let me make my own choices. Their only condition was that they wanted to give me an estate, so that I would always have a home to go to.”
“Where would that estate be?”
Liv shrugged. “I do not know. I guess that is a topic of conversation they want to have on a later date.”
Amala sheathed her sword and put it to her side, then folded her hands and turned a solemn look on Liv. “I came with you, Liv, but I can’t stay. Not for the time it will take for you to become a certified healer.”
Liv bit her lip, knowing it had been coming. “It will only be a few months. I am about to graduate as it is. I’ll have to settle in the healing path, which takes about four months. After that, I’ll be allowed to go on my own, gather my own experience.”
“I can’t stay here for four months.” Amala
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