Alone?’
‘What’s going on?’ I asked when we were safely alone upstairs. ‘Who was that at the door?’
Soren opened his mouth, but hesitated before speaking. ‘I told you … I didn’t see anyone.’
I stared at him, and eventually saw his eyes soften, and then he shrugged.
‘OK.’ He sighed. ‘It was Raphael.’
‘What? What did he want?’
‘I’m not really sure …’ Soren got up from the bed, on which we were both sitting. ‘He seems very interested in me.’
‘You’re a stranger. Maybe he is just doing what he thinks is his duty, checking you out?’ Even as I said it I knew that sounded unlikely.
‘Perhaps. There is something really quite odd about Raphael … I can’t put my finger on it.’ Soren looked thoughtful.
‘Maybe he’s still mad?’ I shrugged. ‘Or not completely over his … breakdown.’
‘He has nobody.’ Soren sounded so mournful that I almost laughed.
‘Only the whole of the Celestial kingdom.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘He’s really freaked you out, hasn’t he?’
‘It’s just I am sure he is after something …’ Soren shook his head. ‘He lingered as though he wanted more than just to check I was staying here with Vanya …’
‘Well he must have changed his mind,’ I said. ‘And to be honest Raphael is the last person I want to be thinking about right now. I had hoped I would never have to see him again.’
‘No.’ Soren smiled. ‘I didn’t think about that. Let’s just forget it. It was nothing after all.’ He ran his fingers through his inky hair. ‘But perhaps we should keep out of his way from now on.’
I had never seen Soren so … down. But I couldn’t fathom it. I decided to shrug it off.
‘So. What next?’ I asked, a sense of steeliness overtaking me.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘R affy, dear.’ Celeste entered the dining room, where her great-son was staring vacantly at his plate of food. She looked perturbed, her brow creased with worry.
The boy looked up, though still distracted.
‘Good morning,’ he said, rising from his chair out of courtesy.
‘Everything all right?’ She settled herself on a chair and poured some teas from the pot into a cup. ‘You seem a little absent at the moment.’
‘I am a little tired,’ answered Raphael, smiling now. ‘We went for a long ride yesterday.’
‘We?’ Celeste raised an eyebrow.
‘Lowe, and a couple of the stable boys.’ Raphael picked up a fork and poked at his food, now cold. ‘It is good exercise, but I feel I am wasting my days … I should be engaged in something more productive.’
Celeste smiled approvingly. She sipped her tea elegantly, before putting her cup down.
‘I am glad to hear you say that…And…as you know, the Celestial Parade is in a few days. I think it would be a good time for you to take up your place as a senior member of this family. I would like you to host the event.’
Raphael looked a little startled, but recovered himself quickly.
‘Of course … it would be an honour.’ He smiled, but with ambivalence. He had hoped to spend the next few days planning. The Celestial Parade was held twice a year, to celebrate the seasons of summer and winter. Marching bands, a military display – pomp and ceremony to show the people of Nissilum how mighty a place it was and how wonderful its traditions were. Afterwards, a selection of folk were invited back to the palace for a lavish banquet. It was this that Celeste meant him to host. He wondered if he was capable of pretending for that long.
‘Wonderful.’ Celeste beamed. ‘Of course, the staff here will assist you in every way possible.’
‘Yes.’ Raphael nodded, hiding his irritation. ‘Good.’
‘I do worry about you still,’ said his great-mother, her face softening with concern. ‘You are still just a boy. But with your father gone—’
‘Yes.’ He cut her off and got to his feet. ‘You need not worry. I am perfectly capable of stepping up to the mark.’
‘I know that.’
‘What’s going on?’ I asked when we were safely alone upstairs. ‘Who was that at the door?’
Soren opened his mouth, but hesitated before speaking. ‘I told you … I didn’t see anyone.’
I stared at him, and eventually saw his eyes soften, and then he shrugged.
‘OK.’ He sighed. ‘It was Raphael.’
‘What? What did he want?’
‘I’m not really sure …’ Soren got up from the bed, on which we were both sitting. ‘He seems very interested in me.’
‘You’re a stranger. Maybe he is just doing what he thinks is his duty, checking you out?’ Even as I said it I knew that sounded unlikely.
‘Perhaps. There is something really quite odd about Raphael … I can’t put my finger on it.’ Soren looked thoughtful.
‘Maybe he’s still mad?’ I shrugged. ‘Or not completely over his … breakdown.’
‘He has nobody.’ Soren sounded so mournful that I almost laughed.
‘Only the whole of the Celestial kingdom.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘He’s really freaked you out, hasn’t he?’
‘It’s just I am sure he is after something …’ Soren shook his head. ‘He lingered as though he wanted more than just to check I was staying here with Vanya …’
‘Well he must have changed his mind,’ I said. ‘And to be honest Raphael is the last person I want to be thinking about right now. I had hoped I would never have to see him again.’
‘No.’ Soren smiled. ‘I didn’t think about that. Let’s just forget it. It was nothing after all.’ He ran his fingers through his inky hair. ‘But perhaps we should keep out of his way from now on.’
I had never seen Soren so … down. But I couldn’t fathom it. I decided to shrug it off.
‘So. What next?’ I asked, a sense of steeliness overtaking me.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘R affy, dear.’ Celeste entered the dining room, where her great-son was staring vacantly at his plate of food. She looked perturbed, her brow creased with worry.
The boy looked up, though still distracted.
‘Good morning,’ he said, rising from his chair out of courtesy.
‘Everything all right?’ She settled herself on a chair and poured some teas from the pot into a cup. ‘You seem a little absent at the moment.’
‘I am a little tired,’ answered Raphael, smiling now. ‘We went for a long ride yesterday.’
‘We?’ Celeste raised an eyebrow.
‘Lowe, and a couple of the stable boys.’ Raphael picked up a fork and poked at his food, now cold. ‘It is good exercise, but I feel I am wasting my days … I should be engaged in something more productive.’
Celeste smiled approvingly. She sipped her tea elegantly, before putting her cup down.
‘I am glad to hear you say that…And…as you know, the Celestial Parade is in a few days. I think it would be a good time for you to take up your place as a senior member of this family. I would like you to host the event.’
Raphael looked a little startled, but recovered himself quickly.
‘Of course … it would be an honour.’ He smiled, but with ambivalence. He had hoped to spend the next few days planning. The Celestial Parade was held twice a year, to celebrate the seasons of summer and winter. Marching bands, a military display – pomp and ceremony to show the people of Nissilum how mighty a place it was and how wonderful its traditions were. Afterwards, a selection of folk were invited back to the palace for a lavish banquet. It was this that Celeste meant him to host. He wondered if he was capable of pretending for that long.
‘Wonderful.’ Celeste beamed. ‘Of course, the staff here will assist you in every way possible.’
‘Yes.’ Raphael nodded, hiding his irritation. ‘Good.’
‘I do worry about you still,’ said his great-mother, her face softening with concern. ‘You are still just a boy. But with your father gone—’
‘Yes.’ He cut her off and got to his feet. ‘You need not worry. I am perfectly capable of stepping up to the mark.’
‘I know that.’
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