Seated at the table with Kraken snoozing peacefully in his lap, Fin studied Adamma’s weary face. The woman looked as though she hadn’t slept a wink, and Sky was nowhere in sight.

“I can’t apologize enough, Mr. Ashowan.” Adamma's hands were wrapped around her tea mug, its aromatic steam tinted with lavender and mint. “Sky has made great improvements since that time with your father, but I fear seeing you and… and your powers unraveled all of that work.”

Fin’s stomach clenched painfully. Sensing this, Kraken burrowed himself into his witch’s middle, making the redhead begin to thoughtlessly pet the beast.

“I don’t blame Sky for what happened, Adamma. There was no way to know that she would try to kill me beforehand. Even she had said once she saw my eyes that I didn’t seem like my father,” Fin reassured gently.

The corners of Adamma’s mouth tried to turn upright, but failed to make the full journey into a smile. Huddling her shoulders over the table, the vibrant woman from the day before was gone and in her place was an exhausted, heartbroken spouse.

“How did you and Sky meet?” Fin asked instead. He could see how hard Adamma had worked to heal the mind of her loved one.

“Oh, quite by the hair of the Goddess.” She chuckled a little, the first hint of a real smile touching her face. When the earth witch noticed Fin’s confused expression, she explained.

“In my kingdom it’s an old saying. We believe that meaningful encounters of fate happen because the Goddess tied a strand of her hair between two individuals. It is a fate that cannot be broken as it is touched with her divinity.”

Fin smiled, he hadn’t heard the saying before but couldn’t help but enjoy the notion.

“I had just arrived and I was all ready to hunt down my oaf of a brother whom I had assumed had been abducted and was toiling away under the cruel Daxarian King.”

Both Adamma and the redhead chuckled at that horrifically incorrect assumption.

“I had quite literally just stepped off the dock, when I heard what sounded like a child shrieking… I of course marched down the hill to the beach to go rescue them, only to find a woman with snowy white hair making parchment boats swirl around each other in the water for some local children. They were all having a marvellous time…” Adamma’s eyes shone as her mind delved deeper into the past.

“Then their mothers and fathers came. Snatching their children and lecturing them on being careful around the mad witch. They mentioned she was living on the beach that ran under one of the docks and well… my curiosity was piqued.”

Fin nodded along to the story. It sounded as though they had overcome a great many things in their time together. “Where is Sky right now?”

Adamma blinked slowly, drawing herself back from the past.

“In our bedchamber. Resting. She isn’t speaking to me yet… your mother was here first thing in the morning, but all Sky could do was cry.” Closing her eyes, the earth witch scratched her left eyebrow wearily.

Feeling at a complete loss as to what to do, Fin glanced down at the mass of soft kitten fluff in his lap. Cracking open one bright green eye, Kraken thrust his head into the redhand’s hand. Somehow, the action created a sense of peace in his chest. He couldn’t fix everything for his mother’s old friend, or take away Adamma’s burden for that matter, but there was something he always could do…

Standing and cradling Kraken against his chest, the redhead rounded the table, and gently placed the feline in Adamma’s lap. She opened her eyes in surprise, but Fin was already moving with purpose.

“Does anyone in the house have foods they won’t eat?” he asked while approaching the table under the window that was covered with dried herbs and tinctures.

“Oh, uh… Nina hates fish, and Urick hates some of the leafier foods,” Adamma answered hesitantly.

Fin nodded to himself as he began rummaging around some of the sacks that were stacked at the end of the table.

Confused, the earth witch watched him for a few moments as he began assembling various food stuffs he found around the main room.

“What is it you think you are doing, Mr. Ashowan?”

“I’m going to cook for you, now, would you mind telling me where I could find some cheese and fruit?”

*

Sky lay motionless on the bed, her eyes staring blindly out the window as wondrous smells gradually began filling the house. A trembling in her stomach let the air witch know that she was hungry, but crushing disappointment and guilt weighed her down onto her sheets. She didn’t deserve food when she hurt people… Kate’s son, Adamma, she’d even nearly harmed Nina…

The latch to the chamber door clacked as it lifted, and despite not turning to see who had entered, Sky knew it was her niece and nephew by their footfalls.

The siblings crossed the room and rounded on her, blocking the view of the window as they slowly lowered themselves down to crouch before her.

“Aunt Sky, Mr. Ashowan made us all food, but Aunt Adamma isn’t letting us have any until you eat,” Nina began gently.

The air witch remained silent.

“He’s the best cook in the kingdom is what all the nobles have been saying,” Urick jumped in, unable to hide his growing admiration for the redhead.

Sky’s eyes began to water.

“Aunt Sky don’t cry!” Nina looked to her brother desperately. “Just… try his food. He made soup even though it’s summer… he let it cool down and apparently cold soup is something some people eat...” The youth prattled on nervously.

Urick picked up one of the sliced strawberries on the board he was holding and pressed it to his aunt’s mouth.

“Aunt Sky if you don’t eat this you’re going to make it weird,” he pleaded, his awkwardness palpable.

The woman’s eyes did flicker then. She looked to her nephew, her gaze softening at once, and opened her mouth. She never could say no to him… not since the day she saw him swaddled in his mother’s arms.

A perplexed expression suddenly crossed her face as she chewed.

Blinking, Sky slowly sat up then reached for a wedge of soft cheese on the board. After she gobbled nearly half of the fruit and cheese that Urick had brought, she turned curiously to the bowl in Nina’s hands that had a sprinkling of what looked to be a mix of parsley and chives.

“M-Mr. Ashowan calls this soup the ‘Everything is Right with the World Soup’. I don’t get it either, but it smells amazing. It’s mostly potatoes and milk from what I saw but-”

Sky suddenly dove for the bowl making Nina jump, but the siblings watched in amazement as the first spoonful of soup made the faintest blush of pink appear in their aunt’s cheeks.

During her entire meal Sky hadn’t said a word, but there was a glint in her eyes, that made both Urick and Nina share hopeful smiles.

“Aunt Adamma is downstairs with Mr. Ashowan,” Nina started quietly, but stopped swiftly when a look of uncertainty returned in Sky’s eyes.

Urick was quick to speak then. “His familiar is here too! A really fluffy black kitten he’s named Kraken. Mr. Ashowan says we can’t leave any bread out or the cat will steal it though...”

A touch of mirth appeared on the air witch’s face, and not wanting to waste an opportunity, Urick offered his hand to her. With a smile, Sky accepted the gesture, and stood. She nodded gratefully towards Nina who was in the process of letting out a very tense breath.

The trio made their way out of the chamber, down the narrow corridor with its creaking old floorboards, then down the narrow set of stairs to the small alcove that was set off the large main floor.

Sitting at the table that was fully set with more food for everyone, was Finlay Ashowan and Adamma. A fluffy black kitten sat at attention on the herb table, the tuft of white fur on his chest akin to a small badge.

“Shall we have some lunch together? It looks like you’ve eaten, but we’d love it if you’d join us,” Adamma asked warmly.

Sky couldn’t bring herself to look Fin in the eyes, but nodded.

Once seated, everyone dug in and immediately began exclaiming over the food. The redhead regaled them all with tales of his mother’s best healing stories, and the children told him funny anecdotes from their time growing up.

It was a wonderful afternoon, and when everyone had finished, Fin began to clear the table.

“No, no, you are our guest and you have already done enough,” Adamma chided as she stood and wrenched the dirty dishes from his grasp.

Opening his mouth to argue, both of them were stopped when Sky’s quiet voice interrupted.

“How did you make even the berries taste better?”

Fin turned to the woman and regarded her kindly.

“I know which ones are ripest, but in my personal opinion… it’s because of the intent I put in preparing them. I wanted you to have food that comforted you, and gave you a bit of gumption.” He looked apologetic at the last part of his explanation, but the air witch didn’t look insulted in the least.

“Well… it worked. I must admit… I don’t think you are as powerless off the castle grounds as you believe,” she explained softly.

Fin laughed then, but Sky’s stricken expression made everyone tense immediately. The redhead shifted self consciously under her stare.

The breath of silence lasted only a moment before Sky spoke.

“You have Kate’s smile.” The air witch’s face lightened, and everyone in the room shared looks of happiness and relief.

Placing his hands on his hips, Fin turned to Kraken.

“Well, I think we need to get going. If I stand my companion up for a third night she really might kill me… or worse yet, refuse to rescue me.”

Everyone laughed, and the redhead took the opportunity to head towards the door. Bending down, he picked up Kraken from the table as he passed. The feline seemed quite content to be carried

“I hope you stop by for a visit again, Fin,” Sky called out.

Adamma smiled to herself, reassurance smoothing out the wrinkles in her forehead and beside her mouth.

“Also, if you could, please ask your mother if her friend in Troivack received the message safely.”

Fin froze.

Turning slowly, he stared wide-eyed at the air witch.

“What friend in Troivack?”

“Oh, perhaps a little more than a week ago?” Sky looked to Adamma who nodded in confirmation, though the two women looked perplexed at Fin’s reaction. “That was when your mother tracked me down. She asked if I might use my air magic to send a missive to a friend of hers in the Troivackian castle. I sent a note to a cousin of mine who is apart of the Agua Coven there, and they were supposed to get a reply back to her quickly.”

“Did my mother say who she was writing to?” The redhead asked faintly.

Sky shook her and shrugged wordlessly.

Blood thrummed in Fin’s ears, he was vaguely aware of himself thanking them and saying farewell, but he walked back to Annika’s estate in a daze.

Was his mother in contact with his father? Was she pleading with Aidan not to come? Or perhaps she was officially asking for a divorce…

The questions continued to grow more fevered, until Fin found himself in the courtyard leading up to Annika’s estate. Giving his head a shake, the same elderly maid that had dropped the arm full of towels on his first morning there, rushed out.

“Mr. Wit, there is a… a man here asking for you. He… He called you a different name. Ash something or other. Though he described you perfectly... ” The woman was wringing her hands and appeared to be quite distraught.

“Is everything alright, Gemma? Where is Anni- Lady Jenoure?”

“My Lady is in town, I don’t know when she will be home. I’ve asked Clara to go retrieve her.”

Nodding, Fin handed Kraken to her, making the woman pause in momentary confusion.

Striding up the rest of the way to the great doors, Fin could hear two male voices bellowing at each other even before he could touch the handle to the entrance.

One of them sounded quite familiar…

“-UNHAND ME AT ONCE! I AM HIS MAJESTY’S TRUSTED MAGE AND-”

The witch stepped into the entryway in time to see Raymond pinning Mage Lee’s arms up behind his head. The giant Troivackian obviously finding his opponent as inconsequential as a bag of flour. Lee’s staff lay on the floor out of reach.

“YOU!” The mage thundered, spittle flying from his mouth upon laying eyes on the redhead. “SUMMON LADY JENOURE THIS INSTANCE! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS-”

“Raymond, he is the Royal Mage to the King. Maybe don’t break him like you do chicken neck's,” Fin called out mildly.

Lady Jenoure’s cook cast the redhead a disappointed glance, but released Lee and took a few steps back.

“I’ll talk with him in the solar. I’ll come check your biscuits afterwards alright?” Fin stepped forward and picked up the staff.

“Alright, holler if he gets troublesome again.” Raymond growled under his breath as he lumbered off back towards the kitchen.

Mage Lee turned and stared at the witch with the clear wish of causing him bodily harm.

“Shall we have a chat?” Fin gestured towards the staircase.

Straightening his robes with an indignant sniff, the two men set off to have a conversation that the staff would no doubt be attempting to eavesdrop on.

Once they’d reached their destination and the doors had been closed, Fin strolled over to the open balcony doors, crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder against the doorway.

“So how’ve you been, Lee?”

“You,” the mage hissed.

“Me?” Fin asked innocently.

“Enough of your smart ass remarks. What the hell are you doing here? You said that Clara gave you a room to stay while you cooked for them, but why the hell is the staff treating you as though you’re the master of-”

A look of realization dawned on the mage’s face, and the witch felt all blood drain from his cheeks.

“Mr. Ashowan… are you… perhaps…”

Fin’s heart was about to explode as he waited for the next series of dreaded words.

“Betrothed to Clara, the Viscountess’ personal maid?!”