Marn approached the door, steeling himself as he knocked. He hadn’t visited in years and wasn’t sure what kind of reception he’d get. He’d only scried his mother a few times since he left, and each time, Sivna had interrupted, eager to let him know he wasn’t welcome. The last conversation had been so brief that Marn doubted his mother even remembered it. But Lanni was with him today, and he felt more prepared if things turned ugly. He glanced over at her, feeling a bit silly about needing the protection of a woman so much smaller than him, but he knew well enough that Lanni was more than capable in a fight. Still, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing a tired-looking woman with streaks of gray in her hair. Her eyes met his, and they widened in surprise. “Marn?” she asked, her voice soft with disbelief. “Hi, Mom,” he said, offering a tentative smile. “Oh, Marn.” She quickly threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. “What are you doing here?” “It’s good to see you,” Marn replied, hugging her back. “How have you been? Is Siv-na treating you well?” She pulled back, her face clouding over a little. “Mostly. He’s been busy, not around much lately.” She sounded almost relieved. “Is he here now?” Marn asked, glancing behind her. “He’ll be back shortly.” She looked over his shoulder, noticing Lanni for the first time. “Who’s your friend?” Marn stepped aside, gesturing to Lanni. “This is Lanni. Lanni, meet my mom, Sanish.” Lanni dipped into a respectful curtsy, her expression polite. “Pleased to meet you.” “Come in, both of you.” Sanish stepped aside, ushering them into the house. She smiled warmly at Lanni. “It’s so nice to see Marn with someone. You two make a lovely couple.” Lanni shook her head, smiling. “Oh, no, we’re not a couple.” Marn chuckled. “She’s married to one of the guys in our squad.” Sanish nodded, a bit flustered. “Forgive me. I just... Marn is rarely just friends with women.” Marn rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. It had been true when he’d lived here. He tried to brush past the awkwardness, but Sanish picked up right where she’d left off. “It’s too bad Areen isn’t here. Did you hear she left?” Sanish looked over at Lanni, shaking her head in disappointment. “They made the sweetest couple, but they had a big fight just before Marn left.” Lanni raised an eyebrow at him, but Marn shrugged. “She knows, Mom. Areen was in Chervil, where I’m stationed now.” Sanish’s eyes lit up. “She was?” “She’s in the wagon. We’re pledged now,” Marn explained, bracing himself for her reaction. “Oh, congratulations!” Sanish hugged him again, this time beaming with pride. “That’s wonderful news.” “When did this happen?” Lanni asked, clearly a bit surprised. “Just yesterday,” Marn replied, “right before we had to leave because of trouble in the area.” “Trouble? What kind of trouble?” Sanish asked, looking concerned. “Something with the magic,” Marn said, waving it off. He didn’t want to go into details; it would only worry her. Sanish nodded, her eyes widening in understanding. “Oh, the magic eater.” “You knew about it?” Lanni asked. “Sivna was warned to watch for mages when it started. That’s all I know. It would eat magic better than eta-via.” She clearly didn’t like it. It might not always show, but the few years she’d lived in Menthanla affected her. “It’s more than that, Mom,” Marn replied. “In Chervil, they were going to wipe out the soldiers. We had to evacuate.” Just then, a booming voice echoed through the house. “Who’s here, Sanish? You got company?” Marn stiffened, recognizing the voice immediately. “It’s me. We were passing through.” Sivna, his mother’s husband, came into the room with a hard frown on his face. He looked Marn up and down with a dismissive glare before turning to Lanni. “And who’s this? She’s a bit young, isn’t she?” His tone was scornful, and Marn felt his jaw tighten. “She’s older than I am,” Marn replied evenly, trying to keep his temper. “And she’s married. We’re traveling with my teammates. It’s too large of a group for the inn, so we hoped you might let us stay in the barn tonight.” Sivna sneered, crossing his arms. “Let me guess. You’re here with a bunch of kids, trying to find a place to party away from your command.” Lanni took a step forward, meeting Sivna’s gaze head-on. “Actually, as Marn said, I’m an adult,” she replied coldly, rolling up her sleeve to show a scar shaped like an arrowhead. “Do you recognize this? You can’t even begin training until you’re twenty. My squad and I need a place to rest for the night, and we chose to ask someone known to us instead of commandeering space elsewhere in town. We need lodging and feed for our horses. We’re willing to compensate you fairly. Now, is that acceptable, or do we need to commandeer your house and everything in it?” Her voice was firm, filled with the authority of someone used to being in command. Marn couldn’t help but feel a bit awed. He’d seen the prince-general once, and he hadn’t spoken like that. Sivna looked taken aback, his face paling slightly as he stammered a reply. “If it’s official business, we’d be happy to accommodate you,” Sivna assured her smoothly. “We try to be helpful to those in service to the King’s Council.” Marn knew that was only because they didn’t want to risk soldiers getting sent here. It was a small village, left to do what it wanted as long as it didn’t cause trouble that drew the Council’s attention. Sanish, sensing the tension, stepped forward. “Come, Lanni. Your men must be hungry. We’ll make sure they get a hot meal. Marn can see to his squad and get them settled in the barn,” she said, guiding Lanni towards the kitchen. As they disappeared, Marn noticed Sivna’s gaze lingering on Lanni in a way that made his skin crawl. He reached out, grabbing the man’s arm and lowering his voice. “If you even think about it, I’ll tell Grandpa. You know what he’ll do if he finds out you’ve broken your promises.” The house and property were owned by Marn’s grandfather. When Sivna had agreed to marry Sanish and raise Marn, Sanish’s father had given him a nice job and bought a house. He would enjoy both as long as he was faithful to Sanish. Her father was wealthy and didn’t want the money to go to anyone but Sanish’s children. Sanish, in turn, made sure she never had children besides Marn. She wanted to make sure her first husband’s boy was the only heir. Sivna scowled, pulling his arm free. “I’ve never been unfaithful to your mother,” he muttered, though Marn could hear the lie in his voice. “Better keep it that way,” Marn replied sharply. “Lanni wouldn’t put up with it, and neither will I.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, eager to escape the man’s presence and make sure his squad was settled. As he headed toward the barn, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his mother deserved better—and he’d make sure she had it, one way or another. #fantasy #magic #dragons #hiddenlands