The Void of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood Book 3)(28)

Maia sat on a stool and ate the salty soup Aloia brought her, relishing every bite. She dipped an end hunk of bread into the leftover broth and ate it more slowly.

“You have met the new Aldermaston then?” Maia asked.

Collett sniffed and nodded. “He is quite tall compared to our former master,” she said. “I must get used to his tastes and preferences. He is a good man, but we will always honor and respect Richard and Joanna Syon here.” She looked over Maia’s shoulder, her expression changing.

With the noise and clatter of the kitchen, Maia had not heard the doors open. She turned to see that the Aldermaston and his wife had entered, bringing with them another man who also wore the gray cassock of the order.

“Aldermaston Wyrich,” Maia said, bowing her head to him and rising. She set the soup bowl down on her seat.

He was tall and strongly built, and she was immediately struck by his sense of presence. He was a handsome, grandfatherly man, with cropped gray hair with a spike of white at the front. His natural, effusive smile and good-natured aura indicated he was at complete harmony with the Medium. When he saw her, he came forward and knelt in front of her, then reached out and took her hands.

His voice was heavily accented, reminding her slightly of the dialect of Hautland. But he spoke articulately in her language, and she realized that he had been Gifted with Xenoglossia. “Your Majesty, it is an honor and a privilege to finally meet you. We are ever your most devoted servants and friends.” He smiled at her—a smile that somehow touched his every feature. “You are the one who opened the Apse Veils again. You saved us from death at the hands of our brothers.”

Maia felt her cheeks flush to be on the receiving end of such attention and heartfelt gratitude. “Please,” Maia said, interrupting him. She helped him stand. “I am your fellow servant, Aldermaston. Do not kneel before me. It is my understanding that in Assinica, there are no rulers?”

“That is correct,” he said, each word richly accented. He smiled warmly. “But we understand the traditions here are different, and we will adapt to them. We have enjoyed a long season of peace, but that season has ended. It is the way of the world. It is we who are your humble servants, my queen.”

“You have left everything behind,” Maia said sadly. “It must be difficult for your people.”

“We left trifles behind, my lady. What we brought with us cannot be taken away. We bring our covenants. We bring our knowledge. We bring our empathy. I hope all will be useful to you, my queen. We have come to serve.”

Maia shook her head. “Please, call me Maia as my Aldermaston does,” she said, walking over and taking Aldermaston Syon by the hand. She turned back to him. “Do you have a wife?”

“I do indeed,” he answered. “She is helping in the laundry at the moment. She will wish to meet you. Her name is Frances.”

Maia turned her gaze back to Richard Syon. “Aldermaston,” she said softly, her eyes looking into his. It was always difficult to meet his gaze, for it was always so penetrating and deep. He looked troubled, his face suppressing very clear feelings of mourning. He loved the abbey. He loved Muirwood with all his being. Asking him to leave it was like asking him to stop using one of his hands. But he did not murmur or complain.

“Maia,” he breathed softly, his compassionate smile twisting his sad lips upward. His eyes twinkled with affection for her. His thick hands squeezed hers. He was not tall or handsome. He was a doughy man with large ears and thinning hair. But he was also the most patient and kindhearted person she knew.

“I know your heart will always be here,” she said tenderly. “As will mine. But your kingdom needs you, Aldermaston. Your queen needs you. If we are to restore the people’s faith in mastons, there will need to be a period of revival, of reawakening. As you taught me yourself, the word repentance means to change our thoughts, our hearts, even our breath. I need you to help breathe new life into this kingdom. If we cannot spark their belief in the Medium strongly enough, we will be made void when the Naestors come. I wish you to be my chancellor. My advisor. My friend.”

The Aldermaston’s lips pursed, his jowls quivering. “I do not seek this office,” he whispered.

Joanna’s expression was equally serious. Where once she and her husband had shared constant companionship, they would now often be parted. But Maia could see the encouraging look in her eyes. Despite the difficulties such a change would pose, she wanted him to accept the office.

Maia put her hand on his shoulder. “For that reason, I give it to you.”

He frowned, weighed down by his emotions. “It is the Medium’s will,” he said, choking. “I will do it, however it pains me to accept it.”

Maia put her arms around him and then pulled his wife into the embrace. She stared at them with joy. “Thank you. I know that with one choice I get you both.” After squeezing them tight, she pulled away and turned back to Aldermaston Wyrich. “I need your help, Aldermaston.”

“Anything,” he replied, folding his hands in front of him.

“The coronation will be in Comoros,” Maia said. “Not Muirwood. All the people must see the queen anointed by an Aldermaston. This has never happened before. But it must be clear that the authority of the Crown is below the authority of the Medium. I depend on you—” she nodded to Richard—“to help him understand our rituals.”