Chapter Eleven

Nieve never particularly enjoyed going out, especially to markets where she would be forced to talk to people, but she didn't mind this time, as it meant time away from Evangeline. The future Lady Simia had demanded some exotic fruit the brunette had never heard of, and sent her handmaid out to get it, thinking Nieve would hate going outside of the luxury of the castle as much as she did. But even the fact that Riven was forced to join her didn't bother her much since he hadn't mentioned the conversation they'd had on the roof the night before. It was the first time outside the castle walls since she'd arrived in Serenissima, it felt good to have a little freedom, though that was relative with the deadliest guard walking next to her. The view from the castle had always been nice, but she could never really see the people, so she was somewhat surprised to find the streets bustling with merchants and shoppers alike.

"What are mangoes, exactly?" she asked. She hadn't dared asking Evangeline, sure that would have ended up in punishment and weeks of ridicule, but now she was in the market she needed to know what she was looking for. Riven looked at her with a small smile playing on his lips, he somehow kept forgetting she hadn't seen as much of the world as he had; she acted like a know-it-all most of the time. Nieve rolled her eyes at him, clearly able to read his face.

"It's a yellow fruit, about the size of this," he said, balling his hand in a loose fist. "It's sweet and juicy, maybe we can get you…"

Nieve looked at him when he suddenly trailed off; he'd stopped walking and was staring at the crowd. She followed his gaze and saw a woman she didn't recognise; the way people were giving her dirty looks made it clear she was a common, but with the way she was dressed in ratty old clothes Nieve didn't think she worked at the castle. The contents of her basket were enough to feed one person for a couple of days. She wondered why seeing the brown-haired woman had made Riven stop in his tracks, until she saw the colour of her eyes; the same summer storm blue as his.

"That's your mother," she said, realising she'd always assumed his mother had died, but now she thought back, she couldn't ever remember talking about his family. He gave her a stiff nod but made no indication to move otherwise. "Go talk to her," she nudged him, the way he couldn't take his eyes off of his mother told her he hadn't seen her in a long time.

"I can't," he said. "We're not allowed to have emotional attachments with anyone, family or otherwise," he explained when she was about to protest.

"That's just stupid," she grumbled. She knew the guards weren't allowed to have relationships or fall in love and, though she found that a ridiculous law, she could kind of understand why. But to deny them the family they already had... That had to be the dumbest thing she'd ever heard, as if not seeing his mother would somehow make him forget she was alive. She turned her gaze back to the woman that had raised the man stood next to her. In another world that could have been her; cast aside by primes, unable to live with commons because of her half-blood son, stuck in a place she didn't belong or even want to be, all because she'd loved the wrong person. She felt an unexpected urge to help the woman, and a burning anger in her chest when she saw a prime push her aside, making the contents of her basket tumble to the ground. Nieve felt Riven's hand grasp her elbow but she pulled herself loose to help his mother. He might not be allowed to, but Nieve didn't know her, so there was no law to stop her; none she knew of anyway. She knelt down on the ground, not caring if her dress got dirty as she reached for apples that had rolled under a stall.

"Oh, thank you sweetheart, you really shouldn't have," the woman said, smiling at Nieve when she handed the apples to her. Her eyes shifted to behind the grey-eyed girl, and widened slightly when her son was stood there, his gaze firmly on the girl knelt in front of her.

"Please, let me help you," Nieve said, taking the basket from Riven's mother before she helped her up.

Layla wasn't sure what she'd been expecting when she next saw the Simia heir, but it definitely wasn't being ignored. It was the day before the first State lunch and today had actually been a bit more relaxing. The dresses were being prepared and finished, so Kaitlyn and Ryan had decided to spend some time together in the garden. The blonde had expected to be made to watch from the side, but the young Simia really enjoyed her handmaid's company, so soon called her over to sit with them. The older royal didn't look at her at all and may have addressed her once. There was no indication that just a day ago, he'd tried to kiss her. It definitely made Layla think that she wasn't the first server that he'd flirted or more with, that it was just some sort of game for him. And that thought hurt more than she'd care to admit.

"You're very quiet," Kaitlyn commented to her server after a little while; she was used to her new friend joining in most of their conversations like an equal.

"Sorry milady," Layla said softly, trying to appear like she was simply tired.

"You know, Ryan, I've started teaching Layla to read," the younger girl said in a soft tone, so that any sentinels who might be hiding, on guard, nearby wouldn't hear her.

"Why?" her brother asked, with a tone that clearly said, "what's the point?" The royals didn't expect their servers to do any task that involved reading and the ability to read was a prime privilege.

"Why not?" Kaitlyn asked back, a little surprised and appalled at his attitude; she would've expected him to be more supportive, given how friendly he'd been to her server to start with. He shrugged simply, not sure how to word what he was thinking, not without properly coming across as mean to the young woman he was forcing himself to ignore.

Nieve could feel his eyes on her back as they followed his mother through the market. He was probably angry at her, but she didn't care as long as it meant more time outside of the castle and more time away from Evangeline. She figured this way he could at least spend some more time with his mother. Also, she had to admit she was kind of curious to find out where the man with the mesmerising blue eyes grew up, so when his mother invited them over she'd jumped at the chance. She trailed behind the woman who was much smaller than she'd imagined Riven's mother would be; it was almost impossible to fathom how such a tiny lady had brought forth the tall, brooding man behind her.

The Serenissima streets were nothing like the streets Nieve had grown used to in their poor village. Even the road to the poorest part of the city was paved, and the house Riven's mother lived in, the house he'd grown up in until he was forced to say goodbye, was made of the same stones that all the other houses were made of. Sure, big parts were crumbling, and the wooden door looked like it had been restored so often that Nieve wondered if there was still any of its original wood left, but it was still more than the tiny shack she and Laila used to have. Riven stopped across the street from his old home, refusing, or not allowed to go any further. The three hadn't said a word the entire way, and when Nieve entered the small home and saw the streaks of tears run down the woman's face, her suspicions were confirmed; Riven may not have said a word out loud, but it was clear he'd spoken to his mother through his ability. Judging by the smile that suddenly appeared on his mother's face, he still was. Not wanting to intrude more than she already had, she sat down on a small stool and studied the only painting hanging on the wall. Even though it was faded from too much exposure to the sun, the young boy in it was unmistakably Riven. He wore a carefree smile Nieve had never seen on him, she supposed too much had happened, even to him, since that painting had been made. The painting was the only luxury item in the house, everything else was there for a reason. The home was furnished for a small family of two, but it was clear only one person still lived there. There was one table with two stools; one of which worn with time, the other, the one Nieve was sat on, had the letters R.M. carved into the armrest. Nieve traced the letters with her fingers, trying to imagine a young Riven wanting to make his mark so his mother wouldn't forget him when he inevitably had to leave.

It wasn't until Riven knocked on the door that his mother spoke to her. The greying woman hurriedly opened a drawer and took out a small box. She pushed it in the grey-eyed girl's hand, stifling any objections when she cupped her face like only a mother could, like Nieve's mother never had, and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad he has you," the woman murmured, a small smile playing on her lips. Nieve bit back the instant urge to protest, there was no need to take away any peace this woman felt by thinking her son wasn't doomed to live and die alone. Instead, she closed her hands around the small box and dipped her head slightly, unable to straight-out lie, before she headed for the door. As soon as she stepped outside, she tried to read Riven's face. He kept clenching his jaw, his gaze set on the road as he started to walk, squinting against the bright sun. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not. He quickened his pace until she had to almost jog to keep up with him. Soon they'd reached the market, and still he hadn't said a word. The silence was driving Nieve crazy. She wanted him to say something, but she was back in the crowded alleys of Serenissima and she didn't want to draw any attention to herself. She frowned when the streets suddenly emptied out, like everyone had all at once decided they needed to be somewhere else. Riven had used his ability to clear the street, what for she could only guess. If he wanted privacy to scold her, he had another thing coming.

"Look, if you're expecting an apol-"

The force in which he wrapped his arms around her, knocked the wind out of her lungs. "Thank you," he mumbled and, before she even realised he was hugging her, he'd already let go. Still, it was enough to bring a flush to her cheeks.

"I eh… she gave me this," she stammered as she showed him the gift his mother had pushed in her hands, the fury she felt only seconds ago completely dissolved and replaced by a feeling she couldn't exactly place. "I think she thought you and I…" she trailed off, not sure how to end that sentence without making her already burning cheeks glow even more. She tried to place it in his hands, but he shook his head.

"Keep it," he said as he took a step back to physically distance himself. "I didn't have the heart to tell her we're not together."

This had to be the first time Layla had wished she was back at the Marsh since she'd arrived in Serenissima. Ryan hadn't said a word to her the entire time they'd been outside. Now she was standing near a wall while he and Kaitlyn sat around a table with Evangeline, it was even worse. She'd thought the Simia heir hadn't liked Evangeline much, but the way he was flirting and laughing with the redhead made it absolutely clear he liked her. At least enough to flirt with her like she was any other girl.

The blonde had thought that maybe there had been something special between them, something unspoken, but maybe he was just good at giving girls that feeling. She was usually good at reading people; she'd never been this wrong about someone before. She supposed it was his upbringing, he was taught to be charismatic. He probably knew how to get people to like him. He'd used his charm on her, and he most likely used it on a lot of girls.

As soon as they'd reached the castle, they'd parted ways; Riven to go look for Ryan, hoping the heir hadn't used his time to get in trouble, while Nieve went to the kitchen so someone could prepare the mangoes and she could give them to Evangeline.

"So… how's Riven?" Jacqueline asked the moment the brunette had entered the overcrowded kitchen area. She could see Mrs. Pembroke smile in the back and had to clench her jaws not to say anything rude. The chambermaid was one of the few people she actually tolerated.

"I don't know, you should ask him," she shrugged, silently handing the mangoes to one of the chefs. He didn't ask why; everyone knew she was the unlucky one having to serve the future Lady Simia.

"Ah, come on Nieve," the dark-haired girl nearly whined as she fidgeted with her braid. "I already had to miss him during lunch, at least tell me… did he have to hold your hand since he can't read your mind?" she teased, getting a shove from the brunette instead of an actual reply.

"Of course not," the handmaid rolled her eyes when more of the kitchen crew actually stopped to listen in. "You're a horrible person," she grumbled to the chambermaid when she giggled gleefully.

Nieve was almost happy when she got a plate with the mangoes carved into flowers. It was a shame to eat them, really, but mostly a shame she had to return to her regular job and join Evangeline wherever she was.