"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha." Heilaâs light, musical laughter spilled past her lips before she could hold it back, startling both young women and leaving Cossot wondering if sheâd said something wrong. "When the time comes, if it ever does, Sybyll will tell you," Heila reassured them.
"And you donât have to worry that feeding a vampire is something horrible or painful," she added as her cheeks turned a faintly rosy shade of pink. "It can actually be very, um, pleasant. But what I want to ask you to do is something harder."
"Many villagers in the Vale of Mists, as well as servants, soldiers, and all manner of common folk have made offerings to the vampires of the Vale," Heila explained. "But what I want to know is if you can give Dame Sybyll a greater gift. I want to know if youâre willing to dedicate your life to her service."
"Dedicate my life?" Cossot repeated with a frown. "As what? As a maidservant? I canât think of anything else I could do for her, other than maybe being a meal for her. I, I donât have many great skills beyond entertaining. I donât think she needs anyone to advise her on which wines are favored by her guests and..."
"It doesnât matter what you know now," Heila interrupted. "All that matters is whatâs in your heart," she said, reaching out to tap the young woman just above her humble bust. "I was a nobody when I became my Ladyâs chambermaid, and I felt like Iâd barely done enough to redeem my blunders when she named me her lady-in-waiting."
"But my lady and Dame Sybyll have a lot in common," Heila said as she glanced toward the crimson-haired vampire who seemed to be deliberately ignoring the conversation she was having. "My lady was all alone in the Eldritch world. She had the Lady of the Vale and other vampires, but once the sun rose, it was just me and Georg, the Master of the Kitchens. She was the only human in that whole castle, and even though she never complained of it, I know that the loneliness and the isolation took a toll on her."
"But, Dame Sybyll isnât alone here," Roseen pointed out. "This is her home. Sheâs come back to Hanrahan. Weâre her people, so she wonât ever be alone."
"Except that she will, Roseen," Cossot said as she put together the clues Heila had been spoon-feeding them. "Sheâs the only vampire here, and by tomorrow, there will be people who are afraid of her. In another two or three days, some people may even form a mob outside the gate with torches because theyâre afraid of her and the army she brought..."
"Theyâll take advantage of her kindness," Cossot continued. "She wonât kill them... she might not even speak to them. But seeing the people she fought so hard to return to suddenly rejecting her...I canât imagine how much that would hurt after everything sheâs already been through."
"But the fact that you can even think of those things says that youâre a very special person, Cossot," Heila said with a gentle, reassuring smile. "Thatâs why I want to know if you can dedicate your life to serving her. I know itâs sudden, and you donât have much time to think about it, but it was sudden for me too," Heila said as she remembered the night sheâd been assigned as Lady Ashlynnâs chambermaid.
Zedya had tricked the servants, asking who among them was willing to tend to a human noblewoman who would never become one of Lady Nyrielleâs vampires. They had to be prepared to serve this strange intruder in the Vale of Mists every bit as well as theyâd tend to Sir Thane of Sir Marcel, but in addition to that, they would be expected to tutor the woman in all of the different things that it meant to live in the Vale of Mists.
Then, as if that hadnât sounded unappealing enough, Zedya threatened that if the strange woman was ever unhappy with them, Lady Nyrielle would be willing to kill the offending servant on the spot. In the end, it hadnât quite come all the way down to drawing straws, but Heila had volunteered to spare the others from facing such a terrifying duty.
"Iâve watched you both tonight while you watched Dame Sybyll," Heila added after the tension of the moment became too great even for her to bear. "I could see respect, admiration, sorrow, and rage in your eyes when you listened to her story. Even if youâve only just met her, I can tell that you care for her."
"Wouldnât anyone?" Cossot asked in surprise. "I mean, sheâs... Sheâs the most amazing woman Iâve ever seen. No one could stand against her. Not the Church, not the Baron, not anyone. And even though she had Lord Jalal at her side," she said. "She wasnât depending on a man to come claim justice for her. She did that all on her own, with her own strength. That..."
"Thatâs something you want for yourself," Heila said with a knowing smile. "Not because youâve ever been wronged the way she has, but because you donât ever want to be... And because you donât want to see her wronged again. Am I right?"
"Yes," Cossot said, looking to Roseen to see if the other woman felt the same way.
"I, I donât know that I feel as strongly about Dame Sybyll," the curvy young woman admitted. "Iâm impressed by her. Maybe even a little inspired by her. And what she went through," she said, blinking back hot tears that suddenly filled her eyes as she remembered all the wrongs Dame Sybyll had endured. "No one should ever have to go through anything like that again."
"But, if you ask me if Iâd give my life to serving Dame Sybyll," she said hesitantly. "Iâd sooner promise to stay with Cossot, to keep her out of trouble. I can work loyally for Dame Sybyll," she added quickly, lest the horned witch misunderstand. "But the feelings that youâre talking about... they just arenât as strong in me."
"Itâs fine that they arenât," Heila said with an understanding nod. "Feelings take time. But since your feelings for Cossot are strong enough to remain by her side, then maybe that will be enough for you to get through whatâs coming next," she said.
"If you truly want to serve Dame Sybyll, then you have to face the meeting that is about to take place," Heila warned them. "The things you hear may shake your faith in the Church if you are devout believers," she cautioned the young women. "There are secrets that most people arenât ready to learn, but we have to talk about them now. If youâre going to serve Dame Sybyll, you have to prove to her that you can carry the burdens of the secrets she holds."
"And... there may be violence as well," Heila said. "Loman Lothian killed people on both sides of the battle tonight, and he has to face justice for his crimes," the diminutive witch said firmly. "So, if youâre prepared to face whatâs coming, knowing that Dame Sybyll may still reject your service in the days to come, then drink the potions I gave you and come with me."
"And if you want to go home instead," she started, only to shake her head and laugh as both women drained the small porcelain bottles to the last drop. "Good," she said instead. "Then follow me. You wonât have to say anything and itâs unlikely youâll need to do anything until the end, but itâs important that you watch closely and listen carefully to everything thatâs about to be said..."