Teaser Tuesday: The Mystic Marriage (Chapter 28)

I have a blog entry all written to pair with the appearance of "Hoywverch" on Podcastle.org. Based on past performance, Tuesdays are when new episodes drop. And since I don't know which week my story will come out (it may be that they let authors know in advance but there's no public schedule that I've found), there's a temptation to hold off posting a Tuesday blog until I know, so I can swap the Teaser and Random blogs that week. But there's always much more of a temptation to get a post up early in the day. So let's stick with the regular schedule for now.

* * *

Barbara was justly proud of knowing the ins and outs of the court: all the personalities, their motivations, their secrets, their alliances. So when Princess Annek first gave Antuniet the commission for the talismanic gems, Barbara had been unsurprised that Antuniet sought her help in designing the properties of the stones. But this time Antuniet's concerns had a sharper edge, and the help Barbara could offer only addressed some of them.

* * *

Barbara bit her lip and considered the problem Antuniet had described. “I see what you’re thinking,” she said. “And for Albori, that could work as you suggest. He has no lack of confidence, only a weak sense of what and when to push. Perhaps…” She leaned over the notebook and ran her eyes down the list. “This one. I think something can be done here as well.” They set to work paring away at the layers of the project to find what might be possible.

At the end, the edge of panic had faded from Antuniet’s manner. As they bade farewells, Barbara impulsively offered, “We haven’t seen you outside the workshop for too long; you look tired. Could you find time on Friday for a dinner? There’s a concert—some French alto and they say Fizeir has done some settings of Pertulif that I’m eager to hear. Are you fond of his verses? We’re having some friends here beforehand.”

Antuniet managed a wry smile. “I’ve refused one offer of dinner for that night already. I have so little time to spend on entertainments at the moment; I think Jeanne would be cross if I squandered it on anyone but her. But I’m hoping to join her for the concert. There’s a late working that day and Anna can’t stay to tend it. But if I can get free in time, I’ll come.”

“Antuniet, don’t—” Barbara hesitated. What did she mean to say? Don’t pin your hopes of happiness on Jeanne. She’s a butterfly and you’re only this season’s blossom. But there was no ground between them where that could be spoken. Her cousin had never yet acknowledged aloud that she and Jeanne were more than friends. And the rules must be followed. “Don’t fret about the New Year’s gifts,” she finished after an awkward pause. “We’ll make it work somehow.”

Oopsie Tuesday: The Mystic Marriage (Chapter 27)

As ichseke pointed out, this week's teaser is identical to last week's teaser. This was not a test -- I somehow posted chapter 28 last week when I should have posted chapter 27. So here is the teaser you should have gotten last week.

* * *

Antuniet rose from the workbench holding her hands up in caution. “I’m absolutely filthy. Be careful.”

“Not all of you,” Jeanne said as she set a kiss on her fingertips then pressed them against Antuniet’s lips. Antuniet gave a brief glance at the corner where Anna was working but her head was bent closely over her workbooks. “I’ll just sit myself here,” Jeanne continued, “and keep out of the way. What is Anna working on that you have to pick through the matrix on your own?”

“Planning for the next multiplication,” Antuniet answered as she turned back to work. “I thought it was time to see how well she can manage the whole process. And for the simpler workings it’s best if she can carry on if I need to be elsewhere. We’ll be adding another layer to this set of stones.” She indicated the crumbled lump of slag and dross before her. “With the two cibations and the additional fixation between them, I think more than half the stones in each batch will be usable.”

Jeanne picked up one of the cleaned emeralds already laid out on a cloth. It seemed enormous, almost the size of a pea. “This isn’t large enough?”
“That one, yes. It was the best of the lot. Of course it will be cut down for setting. If the stones were perfectly pure and flawless they could be smaller. It’s purity that gives them their strength.”

A mischievous smile crossed Jeanne’s lips and she leaned closely to whisper, “Purity always seemed more of a weakness to me.”