“It would have been a surprise, but a pleasant one,” she agreed. “Don’t worry, though. I still get lots of visitors from the village, so I’m used to people showing up at odd hours. Come inside. I haven’t cooked, but there’s still leftovers from last night.”
Grinning, he went in and wasted no time demolishing the bread and cold soup she placed in front of him. He had always loved his mother’s cooking, but tasting it again after so long was a revelation. While her food was far better than what he could make, he was startled to realize that it was far from what his grandfather made. The only thing about it that was superior was the fact that she had included some ham in the soup. His grandfather didn’t raise any animals other than a few chickens or visit the village, so his diet was almost exclusively vegetarian, aside from eggs and butter.
And I still don’t know how he gets the butter, Will reminded himself, before being struck by a particularly disgusting thought. What if he gets it from the trolls? Is there such a thing as troll-butter, and if so, what is it made from?
“Is something wrong with the food?” asked his mother, a concerned look on her face.
Will waved his hands. “Oh! No, not at all. I just thought of something unpleasant, but it had nothing to do with the food.”
“Worried about Lord Nerrow coming back?” she asked, misinterpreting his remark.
He had been wondering about that, and since he didn’t want to explain the horrors of his imagination, he simply agreed, “It’s been on my mind.”
His mother nodded knowingly. “He sent a messenger last week. There’s trouble brewing with Darrow, so he’s too busy to visit personally. The offer is still open, though. You just have to present yourself at the college in Cerria.”
Will was relieved to know that the nobleman wasn’t coming back, as he still had no idea how to turn the man down. He had already made his decision, and his grandfather had sealed it by tearing up the letter of introduction. “You know how I feel,” he replied.
Erisa smiled faintly. “I hope it’s the right one. I trust your grandfather, though I worry you’re passing up the chance for a better future. As a licensed wizard, you could become wealthy. You won’t be able to use what you’re learning now without approval from the king.”
“I’m more interested in knowing why Lord Nerrow is so insistent,” said Will, giving his mother a direct stare.
She looked away. “You saved his daughter’s life. Men like him take their debts seriously.”
“You know what I mean, Mom. Why did he come here to begin with?”
“I’ve already told you,” answered Erisa, obviously dissembling.
Pushing his empty bowl away, Will looked at his hands. Her evasiveness made him angry, but he didn’t know how to express it without hurting his mother. “If you don’t want to tell me, just say so. I’d rather hear that than have to pretend I believe the story you’ve made up. I’m not a kid anymore.”
His mother flinched at his words, and he regretted what he had said almost immediately. “I suppose I deserve that,” she said.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” he apologized. “I’m just being honest. I hate being kept in the dark.”
Erisa studied her lap intently, though there was nothing there. “You’ll be seventeen this winter. Another year and you’ll be a man. I can’t keep it from you any longer, but I fear knowing the truth won’t bring you any happiness.”
“Then?” Deep down, Will had always suspected, but he hadn’t dared to face his suspicion in the light of day.
“Lord Nerrow is your father,” said his mother without further preamble. “But he’ll never acknowledge you publicly.”
“And the girl that came with him…”
“Is your half-sister, though I’m sure she had no idea. Lord Nerrow has two daughters. The other is a few years younger. I’ve never seen her, but her name is Tabitha.”
“What about the older girl that came with them, Selene?” asked Will.
His mother shook her head. “I’m not sure. She’s from a noble family most likely, but whether she’s a cousin or just a friend of theirs I couldn’t say.”
Will had always known he was a bastard. That had been a simple fact of life, but he hadn’t known who his father was, not with any certainty. “How did…?” He wasn’t sure how to phrase his question.
“I haven’t told you much, but I ran away from home when I was sixteen,” Erisa interjected quickly. “But things didn’t happen the way most people assume. I was fighting with my mother, but when I got to Cerria, I didn’t work as a prostitute, no matter what anyone tells you. I worked in a small tavern called The Brass Button. It was a lucky job for me, since most of the customers there were rich, upper-crust sorts. I wasn’t hassled much, as happens frequently at many places where men gather to drink.”
He was somewhat relieved to hear that. His mother’s silence on the topic over the years had led him to believe something terrible had happened. As he had grown older, he had stopped asking about his father, fearing he might have been the product of rape. It didn’t sound like her story was heading in that direction.
Erisa smiled. “Mark was very charming back then. I saw him several times before he even asked my name, and after that—well, I can only say I was young and naïve. He was handsome, kind, and I was utterly smitten.”
“But you knew he was a nobleman—that he couldn’t marry you,” said Will, unable to keep from second-guessing her judgment.
His mother nodded. “He was the second son. He told me he wouldn’t ever inherit. Call me a fool, but I believe he loved me. We met frequently, and it wasn’t until later that things became serious. When I told him, I was pregnant, he promised to marry me…”
That obviously hadn’t happened, so when she paused Will put in, “But?”
“His brother died during a border skirmish with Darrow,” said Erisa, her tone becoming sad. “It wasn’t even much of a battle, just an unfortunate event. They encountered a scouting party and although they quickly sent them running, a stray arrow struck him in the neck. After that, everything changed. Mark was suddenly heir to the barony, and his father took a hand in matters. They arranged a marriage for him with the king’s third daughter, a lady named Arlen, and that was that.”
“Didn’t he tell them you were pregnant?” asked Will, outraged.
Erisa shook her head and waved her hands. “Heavens no! What do you think would have happened to me if he had?”
He was too angry to accept that reasoning. “Nothing! If he’d married you, they would have had to accept it.”
“You know better than that, Will,” said his mother calmly. “I know it’s unfair, but I’ve had a lot of time to come to terms with it. Mark helped get me out of the city, and when I came back I lived with Ar—your grandfather. He kept me hidden until you were born, and I didn’t go home until you were almost two. My father was already dead when I went back, and my brother had taken over the business. If it wasn’t for your uncle, I’m not sure my mother would have let me stay.”
Will barely remembered his grandmother, mainly because once his mother had moved out they had only rarely visited her. Now he understood why. “Why wouldn’t she understand? It wasn’t your fault.”