Chapter 16

  A knock at her door drew Sabina’s attention, her writing interrupted. “Enter,” she commanded, sitting upright at her desk.

  One of her ladies peaked to announce, “Your Grace, the Duke is here requesting an audience.”

  Sabina was surprised by the late visit and placed her pen in its stand. “Let him in.”

  The lady in waiting exited and Sabina took the time to sort the missives in front of her. Shortly after, with another knock, the Duke entered Sabina’s study.

  Duke Farley Raegan was a handsome man with a head full of bronze hair that had started to grey at the sides. He looked to be a man in his forties, despite being nearly twice that age. Appearances were always difficult to discern when concerning mages and wizards.

  He strolled forward with a placid smile and greeted, “Evening.”

  “Farley,” Sabina nodded. “Please, have a seat.” Sabina gestured to the drinks cabinet, “Help yourself.”

  “Thank you, but I am fine,” Farley declined.

  The estranged husband and wife measured each other, separated by more than table between them.

  Marriages of aristocracy were hardly conventional. But marriages between those blessed by the aether were altogether more complicated.

  Sabina and Farley had been married for nearly sixty years. For forty of those years, they had been a happy couple. With time’s passing however, they had drifted apart. It wasn’t that one day they abruptly stopped loving each other.

  They simply outlived their relationship.

  It was a common thing in those long lived. While some relationships did pass the test of time, most moved on to newer horizons.

  But being the Duchess and Duke of Faymoren, Sabina and Farley remained saddled together. They had gone from wife and husband, to confidantes, to being friends. Now they were merely colleagues. Entire days went by in their home without them seeing each other. They had separate lives and had even taken to new lovers.

  They were all but divorced in name.

  “What can I do for you, Farley?” Sabina did not stand for ceremony and got to business, her workload on the table making it clear that she had been busy.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Farley took his time posturing. “I hear that your son is to return,” he eventually commented with forced detachment.

  Sabina’s hackles rose, though she hid it well. “Yes. For a few months,” she informed cordially, anticipating what Farley would demand of her.

  “You must be happy.”

  If Sabina hadn’t known him for so long, she would have missed Farley’s gripe. She didn’t.

  “Hektor fears these walls,” she said, looking around. “It makes him physically ill. No Farley, I am not happy.”

  Farley cowed at the rebuke and in that instant he looked his actual age. He seemed old, without the vigor his appearance promised. Tired and diminished.

  Despite his contrition, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize. Rather, he soldiered on with his agenda. “I see you are going to send him away as well,” Farley threw the comparison between their sons.

  Sabina ignored the poorly disguised pettiness. “Yes,” she answered succinctly, calm and serene, waiting patiently for Farley to make his argument.

  Under Sabina’s gaze, Farley felt like he was being scraped layer by layer and that he was found lacking at his core. He would never say it out loud, but he was afraid of her, felt inferior to her. Though he suspected that it was hardly a secret.

  “Do you think he would turn out different?” he asked defeatedly, not playing coy anymore. Before Sabina could reply, he blurted, “Do you think we should have done things differently with our boys?”

  Sabina saw through Farley. The sense of failure, the regret and disappointment wafting off him.

  “They say that people can change. Some believe they can’t. And some believe that people go through life and become more of what they always were, what they were within,” uttered Sabina, her tone getting softer.

  “Whatever you believe, Farley, we were good to our children,” Sabina consoled the agitated father. “We loved them, cared for them. We were strict. We were attentive. We did right by them.

  “And then they went out into the world and became what they became. It is not our fault. And I never blamed you for it.” Sabina bestowed upon Farley a sad smile.

  Farley tried his best to mask his emotions and keep his voice steady. “Do you believe in their redemption?” he asked, eager and with a desperation.

  Sabina chose to be considerate with her reply. “I cannot forgive them for what they did, but there is always a chance for them to be redeemed. I hope and pray for them. How could I not?”

  Farley took a few steadying breaths. “Children are everything, aren’t they Sabina?” he proclaimed. “I miss them. I miss being a father. And I envy you having the boy and being his mother,” he confessed.

  “I know,” stated Sabina. There was no judgement in her voice.

  They remained silent for a time, sharing their disappointments.

  “I will not hinder your plans for your son,” Farley said gruffly. “I ask that you give me the same courtesy for our boys.”

  Sabina didn’t reply immediately. “I cannot blindly agree, Farley. But I will not interfere unless warranted. I wish you luck.”

  Farley’s shoulders lightened as he nodded and stood to leave.

  Once Farley left, Sabina sighed. She returned to her task from before she was interrupted. She knew she would be distracted, but the work needed to be done.

  Looking to her notes, she glanced at the list of preparations she had made for Hektor. He would be arriving soon and she was committed to giving her son the very best of help.

  She vowed to see him succeed.