You can read the previous chapter here!
“Do you know each other?” asked Maela.
“We, um– we . . .” Candace stammered.
“In another life, we worked together,” said Daisy. “But that was a long time ago. It’s good to see you, Candace.”
Candace stared back and then narrowed her eyes.
Daneel moaned in discomfort.
“You okay, Mom?” asked Larkin.
“I’m fine,” said Daneel. “Just a little pain in my chest.”
Daisy turned to the hornkin woman in the bed. “Here, I’ll heal you a little more. Relax.”
From the corner of her eye, Daisy saw Candace’s narrowed eyes turn to outright suspicion. But Daisy was worried about Larkin’s mother, and she focused all of her attention on beginning the Chant. She held the cherry blossom-wrapped antler and worked through the rhymes, her heart racing, and once again pink and white light rose from her hands and sank into Daneel’s chest. The light absorbed into Daneel, who smiled and breathed deeply.
“Oh, that’s much better,” she said, sitting up in bed slightly. “I appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Daisy smoothly. “I’m gonna be here with you until you feel better.” She turned to Maela. “If that’s okay, I mean.”
Maela smiled slightly. “That would be fine. I’ve given her some of our own school of healing, and it’s done her good, but she seems to be responding well to yours, and we certainly wouldn’t mind the help. Thank you, Daisy.”
Daisy smiled and bowed slightly, then turned to look at Candace. Candace looked even more shocked than she had upon seeing Daisy. She raised an eyebrow and silently mouthed, “Daisy?”
Daisy grinned at her, feeling the full weight of the mischief she had embraced when she knew Candace return in an instant. Daisy turned to Larkin. “You doing okay, my friend?”
Larkin smiled and nodded. “I’m great. Thank you.” She turned to her mother. “Can I tell you about our mission?”
Daneel smiled, more life and light in her eyes than when they’d first come in to see her. “I would love that, Larkin.”
Larkin grinned, her hands shaking in excitement. “Well first I was in Afira and I met this guy Brokk, and then we met Daisy and Sash and Steel-Eyes and Uncle Tartarus and Uncle Wesley–did you know Uncle Tartarus is a merchant and Uncle Wesley is a musician?–and we fought some monsters and went to the border, and we accidentally started the war again, but Daisy told the Ronan’el that we would end the war, and they said okay but we have to get Kast who’s a half-elf half-Ronan’el and really cool and nice even if he’s very quiet, so we went see the river elves and Lord Arokosiel signed and was very nice, so then we went to Lady Norasynia, and she said maybe but only if everybody else signs too, so we traveled all over and ended up having Kast get kidnapped by a vampire so we had to go to the mountain elves who sent us to the In-Between and we talked to the Baron of Chaos and met Ronaan in a cave and then we tried to save Kast from the prison but he was already gone which was very sad, but we found him at the Summer City and then we saved all the prisoners and helped Ronaan come back here and me and Daisy healed orphans but a buncha time passed while we were there, but we still went and talked to the winged elves, and they signed but they were up to no good, but then we went to the frontlines and tried to get the last signature but Brokk and Lord Arokosiel were gonna fight because the elves made them do it, and, and, and Faerian made me shoot Brokk with a magic arrow, but I didn’t mean to do it, and I didn’t wanna do it, but then Ronaan showed up and saved everybody from Faerian who turned out to be really mean and stuff, and so we went to Lady Norsynia, and she didn’t wanna sign, but we talked her into it, and then the war was over and everybody was really happy and then me and Daisy came here to help you.” Larkin breathed deeply, her hands still quivering. “Anyway, it was like a couple weeks to us but ten years to everybody else, and I’m really sorry I was gone so long. I’m glad you’re okay.”
Daneel had listened and nodded and grimaced in accordance with Larkin’s rapidfire story, and at the end, her face bore a combination of pride and sadness. “I’m glad you’re okay. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot. Are you really okay?”
Larkin smiled wide. “I’m great! I made friends and helped people and now I’m here with you!”
Daneel returned her smile gently. “I look forward to hearing all the details as I get better. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot.”
Larkin nodded, her eyes wide. “A lot a lot. But Daisy was with me the whole time and helped with everything and killed a bunch of stuff with her crossbow and magic and she even healed a dragon.”
Daneel chuckled. “Wow, that sounds incredible. Why don’t you tell me everything? Start at the beginning. How did you get to Afira, sweetie?”
“Why don’t we give you some space to catch up?” asked Maela. “I think some time for you two to get reacquainted would be good. Daisy, why don’t you come with me? I’d like to ask you a few questions.” She gestured back out into the hallway. “Candace, you come along and give Larkin and Daneel some time to talk.” She went to the door and passed outside.
“Have fun,” said Daisy. “I’ll see you later.”
“Okay!” chirped Larkin. “See you later!”
Daisy and Candace followed Maela out of the room and down the hallway.
“How does a slightkin come to be a servant of Idunna?” asked Maela as they headed back towards the throne room. “Have you spent much time in the Northreach?”
Daisy chuckled. “No, not really. I mean, not ever, actually. But I’ve run into a few servants of Idunna in my travels, and when I fell on some hard times a little while ago–I mean, ten years ago now–I remembered her. And I prayed to her, and she blessed me with the ability to help people. I just intend to use that blessing as best I can.”
Maela turned and smiled faintly. “And have you spent much time in Capital City?”
Daisy shook her head. “No. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Lowglen back on Eunax, Strey, Afira, and some time in Despair, but not further north on the Myriad.”
Maela nodded. “You’ve seen a lot, then. I ask because there is a group of healers here in Capital City. They’re called the Rectifiers. They’re versed in a rare and mysterious form of healing that works wonders for the sick and injured. But they are often hard to reach, and many people believe they favor the wealthy. If you can do what I just saw you do with Daneel, and you want to make use of your gift for good, you might . . . supplement what they can offer. The poorer citizens of my city, as much as I try to help them, could still use some assistance when they fall on hard times.” She smiled. “If you mean to stay, that is.”
Daisy furrowed her brow, deep in thought. “That sounds good. I’d certainly like to help if I can.”
Maela reached the door to her throne room and paused, smiling slightly. “Think about it. For now, I imagine you and Candace might want to catch up. It’s been a while, I imagine, given you were in another dimension for a decade.” She opened the door and went inside, closing it behind her.
“What the fuck?” breathed Candace.
Daisy chuckled. “I could say the same to you. You’re a nurse now?”
Candace’s eyes were wide, a bemused look on her face. “You’re a healer? When I saw the outfit, I figured this was a new character or something. But a real, honest-to-gods healer?”
Daisy laughed. “I’m as shocked as you.”
“You don’t look shocked.”
Daisy shrugged. “What I told Maela is true. I had a moment where I realized I couldn’t be a con anymore. I prayed for guidance. This is me now.”
“You’ve got fucking stars floating around your head.” Candace sighed, a vague smile on her face. “And Daisy is a cover name?”
“It’s my name,” said Daisy. “I’m really not Asp anymore. I promise.”
Candace looked hurt. “Not her anymore, huh?”
Daisy shook her head, her eyes wide. “Not like that! I’m still me. I just don’t, you know, lie all the time. I help people if I can.”
Candace chuckled in disbelief. “Well I’ll be damned.”
Daisy raised her eyebrows. “What about you? You’re a nurse? Unless you’re casing the palace?”
Candace shook her head. “No, I’m clean too now. I got really sick a few years back. My nurse at the time was everything to me. She got me well. She talked to me. She made me feel safe. I would have been lost without her. I figured that I might as well do the same for other people, and a clean job is better than burglary if you can pull it off.”
Daisy laughed. “So we’re both in the business of helping people now. Who’d have thought?”
“So,” said Candace, glancing at the floor, “um, the way we parted–”
“I’m sorry,” interrupted Daisy. “I was wrong to have reacted like I did. You saved me in Strey. I had some baggage I couldn’t talk through. But like Larkin said, I’m no stranger to violence anymore. I’ve done my fair share of killing. I’m not proud of it. But I understand now. And you did something really selfless and important for me back then. I was a fool not to see that.”
“No,” said Candace, looking up to meet Daisy’s eyes. “I was gonna say that I made a mistake. I didn’t give you a chance to deal with whatever you had going on. I thought I needed the gang, and I was wrong. I–” She bit her lip. “I didn’t need them. I needed you. I regretted it right away. I came back to the inn where you were staying a couple days after I left. You were gone already. Trask told me you ran off at the docks. He didn’t know where you went. I thought you were gone forever.”
Daisy fought back tears. “I thought you were gone forever. I got kinda, um, detained in Despair for a while, and I figured you’d be impossible to find once I was freed up. Not that you would have wanted to see me.”
Candace’s eyes watered. “Oh, Asp–I mean, Daisy. Gods, I’m so sorry. Shit, I can’t believe you’re really here.”
Tears began to roll down Daisy’s face. “Oh, Candy. Is this real?”
Candace smiled, joining her in softly crying. “Honey, I’ve missed you so bad.”
Together, they sobbed, and Candace knelt to hug Daisy. They stood sobbing happily together in the hallway for a long time. Eventually, they released one another, and Candace stood, wiping her face.
“It’s good to see you again,” said Daisy, mopping up her own tears with the sleeve of her robe.
“You too,” said Candace, smiling wide. “Hey, you wanna see Rose?”
Daisy’s mouth fell open. “Oh shit, Rose is here?”
Candace chuckled. “She’s in my room. Come on.” She led Daisy back down the hall to the room next to Daneel’s and went inside. It was a simple but spacious room, a fine bed along one wall and a few dressers and a chest along the others. Atop the bed was a familiar grey striped cat, now grown to a plump full size. Daisy ran to the bed and hopped up on it next to Rose, who immediately rubbed her head against Daisy’s cheek.
“She remembers you,” said Candace.
“No she doesn’t,” replied Daisy. “It’s been eleven years. She was only a kitten when I saw her last.”
Candace shook her head, laughing. “No, seriously. She hates most people. She only lets me pet her. Well, me and you.”
Daisy grinned delightedly and stroked Rose’s ears. “I missed you, baby.”
“I missed you too,” said Candace.
“I was talking to Rose, silly,” replied Daisy playfully.
“It’s still true,” said Candace, pretending to pout.
Daisy chuckled. “How does it feel like no time has passed at all? It’s like I saw you yesterday.”
Candace smiled, blushing. “I dunno. It makes no sense. I lived a whole life without you, and now you’re here, and it’s like that whole life happened in a day.”
Daisy nodded, grinning uncontrollably. “I can only imagine. You actually had to live the ten years I was gone.”
Candace shook her head. “What happened in that time mattered. It made me who I am now. But at the same time, none of it matters.”
“Exactly!” cried Daisy. “You know, I had to spend a few days marching through the Badlands in Ronan’el territory. It’s mindless. Just endless desert. I felt like I was going crazy. I think I actually was going crazy. And I kept having this thought of being in bed with you, just lying there and cuddling in the old estate in Strey, and it kept me going. It kept me present and focused. It kept me sane. Thank you for that.”
Candace smiled. “How about the real thing, then? We’ve got some time before Daneel needs my attention.” She leapt gracefully onto the bed beside Daisy.
Daisy lay between Rose and Candace, her whole world shrinking down to the dimensions of the bed. She couldn’t stop smiling. She gazed into Candace’s eyes, seeing the golden heart-shaped fleck as though for the first time and the millionth time at once.
“I love you,” she said.
Candace blushed, grinning and turning her face toward the bed. She sighed contentedly and rolled back to face Daisy.
“I love you too.”
They did not discuss the details of the past eleven years. They did not discuss their future plans. They did not even discuss how either of them had been thrust into circles of royalty. They simply lay next to each other, Rose roaming around and between them, staring at each other’s faces and reacquainting themselves with what they had only remembered and imagined until Daneel called for Candace.
—
A day passed. Daisy was flummoxed–the day seemed at once to crawl by, tending to Daneel and listening to Larkin’s scattered stories about the adventure they’d had while presenting a professional appearance around Candace, and it also flew by in the moments the two of them would cast meaningful looks each others’ ways when they thought no one was looking, when they stole away for a private dinner in Candace’s quarters, when they sat petting Rose and trying to remain some semblance of calm once Daneel had fallen asleep for the night and Larkin had gone to bed in the private room she’d been provided. It was relatively late at night before they actually got to catching up, the flood of adrenaline that came with seeing each other finally receded enough to think clearly.
“So, how’d you become a nurse?” asked Daisy, sitting cross-legged on Candace’s bed. “I mean, you said you decided to become one after you got taken care of, but what was the training like?”
Candace grinned as she lay on her stomach a foot from Daisy. “My nurse was this elven woman named Firella. Once I was stable, and I realized I wanted to do what she did, I told her, and I asked if she’d train me. She was so kind, Daisy. She just smiled and said of course. We did a lot of the informational stuff while I was recovering. And once I was well again, she started in with the skills. Wrapping wounds, tending a fever, relieving pain. She said I picked up it quick.” She laughed gently, her eyes faraway. “She said I was a natural. And she took me in. I worked as her assistant for a little over a year. I helped her nurse maybe a hundred people. And I would have stayed longer, but she said I was too good to be an assistant. Kicked me out and helped me set up my own practice. I helped people for a couple of years out of this little shack. And then one day, I helped this human guy. He was a quiet type. I figured he was just one of those proud, ‘I’m too tough to have feelings’ types. But as he got better–combat wounds, lots of them–he started getting chattier. And once he was better, he says, ‘I know this important woman back in Capital City. She’d enjoy having you on her staff.’ And I figured, you know, this is some minor businesswoman or something who he’s talking about, and I’m gonna be tending to the wealthy members of some circle of snobs, but you know, that shack felt mighty small, and I thought I would do it for a year and move on with the money, build a real place somewhere nice. But then I get here, and he introduces me to Maela. Fucking Maela, the High godsdamn Queen. And she gave me a few tests, tending to sick and wounded from the city, and I guess she liked what I did, because then she introduced me to Daneel. I’ve been caring for her for almost three years now. And Maela is . . .” She blinked and focused her gaze on Daisy. “She’s the real deal. An actual leader. She cares about her people, and this city, and the way she makes decisions. She wants to do the right thing, and she pretty much always does. It’s a good job. I’m well taken care of. I’ve been happy here.”
Daisy smiled, having listened in rapt wonder as Candace spoke. “Damn. I’m so happy for you, Candy. And I’m proud of you.”
Candace grinned. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
Daisy looked down at Rose, who was curled into a ball between them. “How’d you get sick?”
Candace’s face grew sad. “I crossed the wrong person. Stole from someone who I thought was an easy target. But he was a powerful mage. Tracked me down about a week later, cursed me with some nasty sickness. I could barely breathe. My skin was covered in sores. I couldn’t really see. It was . . . it was rough, to be honest. I thought I was gonna die. I managed to crawl into some alleyway, and I was there for I think a couple days. I was hungry and thirsty and in pain. Pain like you wouldn’t believe. I was scared. I thought for sure I was done for. And then some kid found me, and she went and got Firella, and Firella took me. She took care of me. And I told her once I was conscious and able to breathe again that I couldn’t pay, and she told me to shut up.”
Daisy nodded solemnly. “Gods, I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.”
“Nah, it’s okay. It scared me enough that I decided to leave the whole ‘glamorous life of crime’ thing behind. I’m honestly grateful to the guy. I wasn’t at the time, of course, but once Firella had me feeling alright again, I was happy. I knew I was moving on.”
Daisy raised her eyebrows. "I know the feeling. I mean, not the sickness, but the moving on part. So where was all this?”
Candace grinned. “Lo’Torrin. You know, when I got there, I saw something mighty interesting.”
Daisy furrowed her brow, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, Daisy asked, “What did you see?”
Candace chuckled. “A statue of you, fool. Is it true? I asked around about it, and they said that a couple of years before I got there, you and the other two in the statue rescued a bunch of kids.”
Daisy burst out laughing. “Oh, gods, yeah, I forgot all about that. Um, yeah, it’s true. I was getting set up in Lo’Torrin about a year after I left Strey, and I figured I’d create some goodwill as Delia and then act as the emissary for Penelope and use both of them to work the city. I managed to piss off this one guard, and she had it out for me, so I dug in, and I figured out she was kidnapping kids from the slums, and I ended up at this community meeting, and I don’t even understand why I did it, but I volunteered to look for them. And the next thing you know, we’re heroes. I had a slightkin mom of one of the kids we saved tell me she’d name her next daughter Delia.”
Candace cackled. “No fucking way.”
Daisy nodded excitedly, laughing. “Yeah, she really did. And we left the city for some hare-brained scheme with a hornkin that ended up being a setup–but I didn’t know that until way later–anyway, we ended up back in Lo’Torrin a couple days later, and they already had that ridiculous statue up. And we got swarmed by people. I’ve learned that life as a hero is hard work. Everybody wants to talk to you.”
Candace smiled. “Back in Strey, having everyone want to talk to you would have been a blessing.”
Daisy shook her head, sighing. “Everything’s different now. I don’t wanna talk to everybody. I just wanna help.”
“So how’d this healer thing come about then?” asked Candace. “How’d you go from smooth talker to servant of Idunna?”
Daisy shrugged. “We fought some vampires at one point. I was shooting them with a crossbow, I was slashing with a dagger, I was shoving silver into them. It was grisly. Horrifying, honestly. You remember how I was about killing before. I had a breakdown. I didn’t know what to do. So when the dust settled, I just sat down in this abandoned kitchen and started praying. Oh, Candy, I didn’t even know how to pray. I was just pouring my guts into every word, asking Idunna to help me, and the next day, we found this guy chained up and bleeding, and I prayed over him, not even thinking about why, and he healed. Like, his wounds closed. His bruises went away. He had been hanging from the chains, and he just stood back up. And I thought, ‘I can do that?!’ And I tried again the next time we found somebody hurt, and it worked again. And I just figured, I can do something with this. I can be good. I can help people. I can make an honest living and stop being a fucking menace to society. And I just haven’t looked back.”
Candace shook her head, chuckling. “Damn. Good for you.” She glanced down at Rose, and a curious look crept across her face. “So, you left Strey, and then a year later, you were in Lo’Torrin. What happened in between?”
Daisy exhaled sharply. “You’re gonna think I’m crazy.”
Candace laughed. “Honey, I always thought you were crazy.”
Daisy laughed, rolling her eyes. “No, I mean–I ran and cheated my way onto a ship to the Myriad. Well, not cheated, but that doesn’t matter. Look, I got on that ship, and I was running because Oslo burned me, but also, my mom had showed up in town. She was looking for me.”
“That bitch,” fumed Candace. “After everything she did to you, she couldn’t leave well enough alone?”
Daisy sighed. “She was on the boat too, Candy.” Candace’s eyes grew wide, and Daisy continued. “I was in Gilbert mode, so she didn’t recognize me. But she kept talking to me. About how bad her awful daughter Heather was, about how she’d travel the whole fucking world to find her and make her turn herself in. And after three days on that stupid boat, it just got to me. When I got to Despair, I walked right to the prison and turned myself in.”
Candace was stunned. “For what?”
Daisy chuckled. “I didn’t say. I told them I was wanted on two continents, and I wanted to be locked up to pay for it.”
Candace frowned. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. She must’ve really got to you.”
Daisy looked down at Rose, who was soundly asleep. “She did. And I spent a year in that cell. And things got weird and crazy and awful. But I realized some important things in there. Like, I couldn’t make things right by sitting around. I couldn’t make up for what I’d done by rotting in a cage. So I broke out, and I ran, and I ended up in Lo’Torrin. I was there for maybe a week before all the real craziness started.”
Candace studied Daisy’s face. “It was like a month ago to you, huh?”
Daisy nodded. “Yeah. To me, I spent almost all of the last year in prison.”
Candace narrowed her eyes. “And us–that was like a year ago for you?”
Daisy nodded again, this time uncertainly. “Is that a problem?”
Candace chuckled. “It’s been eleven long years for me, but as soon as I saw you, it felt like it was last week. Like the events between then and now matter, but the time doesn’t.”
“Exactly! I mean, everything that’s happened has been huge, don’t get me wrong. But it’s felt like a side story. And you and me and everything back in Strey was the real story.”
Candace smiled. “So you really ended the war? I heard it was over, but that was you?”
Daisy laughed, her shoulders shaking. “We got captured by the Ronan’el. They didn’t say what they wanted to do with us, but judging from their faces and the consequences of crossing the treaty line, I know it wasn’t good. I talked them into letting us go if we promised to get the elven leaders to sign a new treaty for peace. We went everywhere. Arokosiel was easy–he’s a good guy, and he was happy with us because of the rescued kids–”
Candace laughed. “Of course he was.”
Daisy smiled. “And then Norasynia said she’d sign if the others did, and we got Leonarra and Haellica to sign–”
“Haellica?”
“The Queen of the Sundered Elves,” explained Daisy. “She was hiding out in Lo’Thalas. She and Leonarra are married.”
Candace raised an eyebrow. “Badass.”
“Right? And then we went to the In-Between, and when we came back, we got Farboriel to sign, which was really only because he thought the treaty was impossible, and then Eerith signed after Ronaan saved her troops from Faerian.”
Candace narrowed her eyes. “You’re fucking with me.”
Daisy shook her head. “No joke. Look, I know it’s crazy, but one–I don’t lie anymore–and two–you’ll hear the accounts soon enough. I promise that’s what happened.”
Candace chuckled. “No, I can tell you’re not lying. Your lies were always believable. What you’re saying is insane. You met Faerian and Ronaan?”
Daisy smiled mischievously. “Who do you think rescued Ronaan from the In-Between?”
Candace grabbed a pillow and playfully pounded it against Daisy’s shoulder. “I can’t wait to hear these stories from other people and just gloat that I know the woman who did it all.”
Daisy grinned. “You know, if you want, you could tell them just how well you know me.”
Candace stuck her tongue out. “And with what words would I say that, precisely?”
Daisy looked up at the ceiling with a smile. “Oh, take your pick. Girlfriend. Romantic partner. Lover. I mean, shit, you could call me your fiancée.”
Candace’s eyes grew wide. “Are you saying . . . what I think you’re saying?”
Daisy stared seriously back at Candace. “Maybe I’m being dumb. I know we haven’t seen each other in a long time. But when I saw Leonarra and Haellica together, I thought of you and how I wished that before, we’d been able to be more serious and not have to sneak around. Now, we both have clean jobs. We could work together. We could heal people together. Open a little clinic. Get married. We could do this right this time. I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing, but I just think–”
“Yes.” Candace smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Shut up. Yes.”
Daisy smiled back, tears on her face as well. “Good. I’m sorry I don’t have a ring yet, but give me until tomorrow night.”
Candace hit her with the pillow again. “Shut up. I can be patient.”
Daisy stuck out her tongue. “So you have changed.”
Candace held up the pillow in mock menacing fashion. “Don’t make me pummel you again.”
Daisy giggled and pounced over Rose, wrapping her arms around Candace and smothering her in kisses.
“So who takes whose name?” asked Candace when Daisy eventually pulled back. “You wanna be Daisy Higgins? Or what’s your last name now?”
Daisy smiled, lost in thought. “I hadn’t come up with one yet. Hmm. How about . . . ?” She thought of Idunna, of the beautiful cherry blossoms, of the richness of spring, of the burst of health that she could give. Her grin widened. “Bloom. Daisy Bloom.”
Candace chuckled. “I think Candace Bloom sounds better than Daisy Higgins, personally. And then our little clinic can be the Bloom Clinic.”
Daisy found herself crying. Yesterday, she’d been aboard a ship with no plans in the world. Right now, she had the foundation for a real future. It had all happened so quickly, and yet it all seemed so inevitable and perfect and inexplicably right. She wiped her tears and sniffled.
“What’s your ring size?” she asked.
—
Daisy rose early the next morning–as early as she could bear–and crept out of Candace’s room. She kept her eyes on Candace, still asleep in bed with a peaceful look on her face, Rose curled up on the pillow next to her head, and lingered at the door for a moment. She stared happily at the scene for a long moment which would have lasted longer had she not heard someone clear their throat behind her. She spun and saw Maela standing a few feet away. Daisy’s eyes grew wide, and she quietly closed the door behind her.
“I didn’t get a chance to show you to your room,” said Maela quietly. “I hope Candace didn’t mind hosting you. I can show you there now.” She lifted her arm, gesturing down the hallway.
“Uh,” began Daisy. “I, um–I was . . . She–uh, well . . .”
Maela smiled ever so slightly. “I suppose if both of you are comfortable with the arrangement, you could stay.”
Daisy smiled sheepishly, then tried to don a neutral expression. “I would have to ask her. I mean . . .”
Maela chuckled at Daisy’s tongue-tied babblings. “So you knew each other well.”
Daisy sighed. “It’s not entirely my place to say. I don’t want Candace to be in trouble, and–”
Maela shook her head. “Calm down. No one’s in trouble. I know she’s been lonely. Perhaps your arrival is just what she needed.”
Daisy scrutinized Maela’s face. She had not yet gotten a read on the woman. Maela seemed to be all business, but Daisy could tell that she had a real heart. She reminded Daisy of Arokosiel, but with a warrior’s bearing. After a time, she breathed deeply and decided to come clean.
“We were together a long time ago. In a different life, really. For both of us. And meeting again now has been really beautiful. I don’t want to mess up what she has here.”
Maela nodded. “In my experience, healing has two faces. Blind, emotionless recuperation, and healing with the support of love. Not everyone has the potential for the second kind. Perhaps with Larkin and Daneel’s love and yours and Candace’s, Daneel will make better progress. She is already doing better, after all.”
Daisy nodded, fighting a smile. “I would like to stay and help Daneel until she is well again. May I?”
Maela laughed very softly. “I wander the palace in the mornings. I like the quiet. The quiet and the walking clear my head. I had hoped I would run into you to make sure you stood by what you offered yesterday. And tell you where your room was.”
Daisy blushed. “You can show me now if you like.”
Maela raised her eyebrows. “Do not feel compelled to use it. This way.” She struck off down the hallway and stopped before a door just beyond Candace’s. “You’ll find it furnished. If anything isn’t to your liking, let me or an attendant know. I’d like Daneel’s new healer to be comfortable.”
Daisy smiled graciously and bowed. “I thank you, High Queen Maela.”
Maela nodded and continued down the hallway in silence.
Daisy went into the room. It was quite beautiful. A mural depicting scenes of the four seasons took up one wall, and a fine four-poster bed was covered in a pristine white bedspread along the opposite wall. She carried her pack in and dropped it by the dresser and immediately left again. She went out through the twisting corridors, finding her way back out to the city by reversing her steps from the day before. She emerged into the city, whose silence had seemed eerie the day before but now seemed peaceful and soothing.
The simple way to do what she meant to do was to stop and ask for directions. But she had no intention of disrupting the peace of the city, so she simply walked slowly and read the names of businesses where she found them. It seemed that Capital City was full of fine businesses aimed at luxury–wineries, shops filled with elegant furniture, silk sellers, incense vendors. She found dozens of fisheries proclaiming to have the best catches from the lake that Old Myriad was built around. But these were not what she was looking for, so she carried on.
Eventually, she found what seemed to be a market district. She scanned the businesses: a smithy, a tavern, a bookstore, a tanner, a general store. She did not frown when she did not see what she was looking for. She simply quieted the urgency in her bones and kept looking. Another tavern, a cobbler, a cartographer, a musical instrument shop, an apothecary. She breathed deeply to keep from feeling discouraged and kept going. There’s got to be one around here. Capital City is a high class place. C’mon. She sighted a small shop whose sign interested her and hurried inside.
An elderly newtkin woman smiled as Daisy entered the shop. “Welcome,” she said, spreading her arms wide in a gesture to the shop’s offerings. “I am Wendy Hartfire-Quince of distant Sparkfell lineage. This is my shop, The Glittering Glimmer. Do you also hail from Eunax?”
Daisy nodded. “I grew up in Thistlewade. I went to Sparkfell a few times in my adolescence. Lovely city.”
“It is a fine place,” replied Wendy, “but Capital City is a wonderful home. How can I help you today?”
Daisy looked around the shop. Fancy metallic displays held necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and all manner of jewelry she had not seen before and could scarcely guess at how one would wear them. She stepped closer to the counter behind which Wendy stood. “I’m looking for a ring. I have something specific in mind, and to be honest, I don’t know if you’ll have it, but I thought I would try. This looks like a lovely shop.”
Wendy donned a welcoming smile. “Well tell me, child–what is it that you’re looking for?”
Daisy’s eyes scanned the shop, and there were frankly too many offerings for her to make sense of what she was looking at. The bracelets were not all grouped together, nor the necklaces or earrings–everything was put together in some other organization. With a moment’s study, Daisy concluded that the aesthetic of the jewelry was the defining trait of each collection, and she realized she would not be able to simply spot what she meant to find.
She looked up at Wendy. “I want a ring. It can be gold or silver, but I prefer gold, I think. The important thing is the stone. I want it to be gold-colored. Maybe a topaz, or a light garnet, or a dark citrine or something. And I want it cut like a heart.”
Wendy chuckled. “That’s a specific request. Let me see here . . .” She crossed the shop to a display of mostly gold jewelry with irregularly-cut stones. Daisy spotted a square-cut sapphire in a gold necklace and a pair of spherical ruby earrings. Wendy picked up a gold ring with an oval-cut garnet the color of fresh earth. “Something like this?”
Daisy shook her head. “No, I’m afraid it needs to be a gold-colored stone, and the heart shape is non-negotiable.”
Wendy narrowed her eyes. “Have your heart set on something you dreamed up?”
Daisy sighed. “In a way. It’s a gift. I want to get it right. It has to be perfect.”
Wendy nodded. “May I ask the occasion?”
Daisy smiled sheepishly. “It’s . . . it’s an engagement ring.”
Wendy grinned. “Found yourself a boy who isn’t proposing fast enough for your liking?”
Daisy laughed. “Something like that.”
Wendy crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t normally like to do this, but since you’ll only want what your heart is set on, and I don’t have it . . . There’s a jeweler by the lakeside. Her name is Petunia. She does custom work, and I must admit it’s good. Very good. If you’re not in a rush, I’m sure she would work with you.”
Petunia? A flower name? That’s a nice coincidence. “What’s her shop called?”
Wendy smiled. “The Perfect Fit. But don’t tell her I sent you. We’re something of rivals. But for young love, I’d rather help you even if it means a benefit to her.”
Daisy smiled. “Thank you, Wendy. That means a lot.”
“Of course. Good luck with your proposal.”
Daisy nodded and left the shop. She headed toward the lake at the city’s edge. She passed through what seemed to be a temple district. A large temple of the Earth Mother, the deity of the dwarves, stood at her left, an imposing stone building with contrastingly inviting light pouring forth from the entrance, and she noticed a small temple to the Northern Four on her right with the symbols of Sursa, Hrega, Weylanna, and Idunna over its door. Another time. I need to talk to Petunia. Further down the block, she passed an immense building labeled “The Church of the High Lady,” apparently the dominant temple in Capital City. Before it marched hooded figures in red robes with a menacing demeanor. She shuddered at the sight of them. They seemed to be some manner of cleric, but they came off more like inquisitors or even executioners. She hurried past them.
She arrived at the street that ran along the lakeside. More fisheries than before dotted the street, joined by wineries and fine shops for luxury goods. She scanned every storefront for signs of the jeweler and jolted when she saw a modest shop with the name “The Perfect Fit” over its door. She practically dashed inside and saw an old human woman, her golden hair like the other elderly humans she had seen in the city tied up in a tight bun, measuring a diamond with a complicated device with several articulated arms. She glanced up at Daisy, moving a jeweler’s loupe attached to a headpiece away from her eye.
“Good morning,” said the woman. “Can I help you?”
Daisy licked her lips nervously. “Are you Petunia?”
The woman nodded. “I take it you’ve been sent to me?”
Daisy nodded. “I need a custom ring. I’m told you specialize in that sort of thing.”
Petunia nodded again. “What do you need?”
Daisy raised her eyebrows hopefully. “I need a golden gemstone, like a topaz or a garnet or something that’s got that golden tone, and I need it cut like a heart and set into a ring.”
Petunia stared back blankly as if this were nothing to her. “What kind of metal?”
Daisy laughed lightly and shrugged. “That doesn’t matter to me. What would you recommend?”
Petunia squinted one eye in thought. “I mean, anything would go with it well enough. Personally, I think a darker metal would set off the gold color of the stone. I know most folks want a precious metal, but a darkened steel ring is durable, won’t scratch, and it would really highlight the stone.”
Daisy considered a moment. Would Candace care if it were steel? Would that come off as an insult? I want it to be special. She closed her eyes, deep in thought. Then she smiled, opening her eyes. “Could you do obsidian? That would have the same effect, and it would be a little fancier.”
Petunia smiled slightly and began digging in a case behind the counter. “Yes indeed, that would be quite the ring. How big should the stone be?”
Daisy shrugged. “Could you make it about this big?” she asked, holding her fingers in a circle about half an inch wide.
Petunia nodded almost absently, then held up a lumpy gemstone from the case she’d been searching. It was just slightly larger than Daisy had indicated and had a deep golden color, a mixture of brown and yellow hues that Daisy had hoped desperately to find. “Like this?”
Daisy’s mouth hung open slightly. “It’s perfect,” she managed to say after a moment.
Petunia smiled slightly again, satisfied with herself just a bit. “Okay, step over here so I can size your finger.”
Daisy shook her head. “It’s not for me. It’s a gift.”
Petunia allowed herself to smile widely. “A special gemstone with a special cut with a special ring as a gift. Is this the kind of gift it sounds like?”
Daisy blushed. “It’s an engagement ring.”
Petunia chuckled. “Okay. Do you know his size?”
Daisy smiled. “She wears a 7.”
Petunia smiled. “And I take it she’s not a slightkin, given the size.”
Daisy chuckled. “Love doesn’t really care who you are sometimes.”
“I can have that ready for you tomorrow. Come back in the afternoon. The heart cut is gonna be difficult, and the obsidian shaping won’t be easy either. It won’t be cheap. Say, twelve crowns.”
Daisy smiled and reached for her coinpurse. I guess I have to be thankful for the vampires for two reasons now. They brought me to Idunna, and they paid for this ring. She placed fifteen crowns on the counter. “Thank you, Petunia.”
“Sure thing,” replied Petunia. “What name can I put down for you?”
“Daisy Bloom.”
Petunia smiled. “In Capital City, they say that women with flower names are the sweetest among us.”
Daisy chuckled. “We do our best.”
Petunia laughed with her. “See you tomorrow, then.”
Daisy smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
She left the shop and returned to the palace, where she joined Larkin and Candace with Daneel. With their combined efforts, Daneel became more lucid, suffered less frequent bouts of pain, and even managed to sit up in bed for a few minutes before she had to lie back down. The three of them spent all day tending to Daneel, Larkin occasionally contributing magical healing and frequently telling stories about their adventurers in Afira, Daisy reciting the Chant as often as she had strength to and adding small details when Larkin would take a breath, and Candace tending to Daneel and listening in wonder as she learned more about what Daisy had gotten up to during her time with Larkin. That night, Daisy returned to Candace’s room, and they were so distracted by continuing to catch up and enjoying each other’s company that Candace forgot to ask where Daisy had gotten off to so early that morning.
—
Daneel had gone down for an afternoon nap. The morning of the second full day in Capital City had gone well, and Daneel had managed to stand for nearly a minute. But the effort had exhausted her, and she had quickly needed to lie down again. Candace tended to her lovingly, and Daisy smiled as she watched the care with which Candace went about her work. Her skill as a nurse was clear, and Daisy could tell why she had been employed by Maela. Daisy had said she needed to step out into the city for a moment, and distracted by caring for Daneel, Candace had simply wished her well and bid her to return soon. Daisy had convinced Larkin to come along, and they made their way out of the palace and along the roads toward the lakeside.
“Your mom is doing really well,” said Daisy. “I can’t believe she actually stood up.”
“I know!” cried Larkin. “She said she hasn’t been out of bed in as long as she can remember. And the nurse said it’s been years she’s been in the same spot. I really can’t thank you enough for helping her.”
“Happy to help,” said Daisy. “I’m really happy for you. You seem really pleased to see her.”
Larkin spun in a delighted circle. “I am! I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again. And getting to help her recover is so nice.”
“Well, I’m in it for the long haul. I’m not going anywhere until she’s fully better.”
“Awww, you’re the best, Daisy!” chirped Larkin. “She’s lucky to have you.”
Daisy smiled. “She’s luckier to have you! I mean, think about what it must be like to fall ill and lose consciousness for years and wake up with no one you know around. You can barely think or remember anything, and then your daughter shows up to help you get better, and on top of it, your daughter’s a hero!”
Larkin blushed. “Daisy, you’re too much.” She glanced around at the businesses and temples as they passed them. “So where are we going anyway? Just out for a walk?”
Daisy grinned mischievously. “I have to pick something up.”
Larkin nodded. “So, you said you knew the nurse before. Who is she?”
Daisy laughed. “Her name’s Candace. We used to work together when I lived in Strey.”
“Oh cool! What did you do together?”
Daisy lowered her voice. “Can you keep a secret from your mom and Maela?”
Larkin’s eyes sparkled at the suggested conspiracy. “I can keep a secret.”
“We were in a gang together. I was a con artist, and she was a burglar.”
“No way!” cried Larkin. “Like, a for real criminal gang?”
Daisy chuckled. “Keep it down. And yes, a for real criminal gang.”
“Wow,” said Larkin. “How long did you work together?”
“Three years,” replied Daisy. “We were really close.”
“Oh, Daisy, that’s great! It must be wonderful for you to have your old friend back.”
Daisy laughed til she shook. “It’s more than that, though. We were . . .”
Larkin shook her hands in anticipation. “You were what?”
Daisy laughed again. “We were . . . together.”
Larkin raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, you worked together in a gang.”
Daisy shook her head, smiling. “No, I mean, we were together.”
Larkin narrowed her eyes. “Daisy! You found your old girlfriend and you didn’t tell me until now?!”
Daisy let herself laugh freely. “You were really excited about being with your mom again. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Larkin playfully punched Daisy’s shoulder. “You shoulda told me!”
Daisy grinned. “There’s one other thing, actually.”
Larkin narrowed her eyes. “Don’t keep me in suspense!”
Daisy pointed to the jeweler’s shop. “It’s in here.” She led Larkin inside.
Petunia stood behind the counter, weighing out lumps of gold. She noticed Daisy and Larkin come in and left the scale where it was. “Daisy,” she said easily.
“Hey Petunia,” replied Daisy. “Is it ready?”
Petunia smiled. “I must say, I’m pretty proud of how this came out. You were right about the obsidian–it really sets off the garnet. Do you like the cut?” She held the ring out to Daisy to inspect.
It was perfect. The garnet had gained shine when cut and polished, and it glittered magnificently from the light that came through the shop’s windows. The heart shape was exactly as Daisy had imagined it, oblong on the curves and pointed sharply at the bottom. In order to get the exact shape right, Petunia had given the inner curve of the heart’s cleft a series of intricate cuts that made the light play along its surface in a dazzling fashion. Daisy’s own heart swelled as she looked at it, and she found herself wiping a tear from her eye as she gazed at it.
“I take it you like it,” said Petunia.
“I love it,” replied Daisy.
“Awww, heart for love,” said Larkin. “That’s so cute.”
Daisy smiled and shook her head. “Actually, you probably haven’t looked too close at Candace’s eyes, but–”
“They’re green!” cried Larkin. “I noticed.”
“No,” said Daisy. “In her right eye, there’s this gold fleck. It’s shaped like a heart. The ring is just like it.”
“Oh my gods!” shouted Larkin, her hands rising to cover her mouth. “That’s ridiculous.”
Petunia grinned. “Good for you, kid. I hope she likes it.”
“Wait,” said Larkin, lowering herself into a braced position, “is that–”
Daisy grinned. “I proposed almost as soon as we got here. I just didn’t have the ring yet.”
Larkin ran towards Daisy and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you.”
Daisy hugged Larkin back. “Thanks, Larkin.”
When they parted, Petunia said, “If she needs it resized, we’ll have to cut a new piece of obsidian, so I hope it fits.”
“Well,” said Daisy, “we’ll come back if we need to, but I honestly hope I don’t have to come back until we need a wedding band.”
Petunia chuckled. “Me too. Looking forward to seeing you then.”
“See you round, Petunia,” said Daisy. “Take care.” She slipped the ring into a small compartment in her bag and led Larkin out of the shop.
“I can’t believe you brought me along for this!” cried Larkin. “Thank you! That’s so cool.”
Daisy grinned. “Thanks for coming. Just act natural when we get back. I want the ring to be a surprise.”
Larkin’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods, I don’t want to mess this up.”
Daisy chuckled. “You won’t. Just relax. As soon as we get back, you’ll check on your mom, and it will be like everything’s just normal. I mean, as normal as things can be when you and your fellow Afiran hero are tending to your mother’s unnatural affliction with your friend’s fiancée as a nurse.”
Larkin doubled over in laughter as they walked back towards the palace. “I can’t believe it, Daisy. Think about where we were two or three weeks ago.”
“I know,” said Daisy. “Given an impossible task, wandering the countryside hoping to convince royalty to give up a war they’ve clung to for longer than we’ve been alive combined times a hundred. Fighting vampires and stained glass monsters and undead creatures. Trapped in the In-Between and saving gods from eternal imprisonment. And now, we’re–”
“Reunited with the people we love!” cried Larkin. “We have futures. We have families.”
Family, thought Daisy. I haven’t felt like I had a family in a long time. She smiled. “Larkin, you’re my family too.”
Larkin grinned. “Yeah! You’re my big sister or like, my cool aunt or something.”
It was Daisy’s turn to double over laughing. “Let’s go with big sister. I never got to have a sibling. But now I have you.”
Larkin smiled hard, a tear forming in her eye. “Okay, big sis.”
Daisy smiled back. “Okay, lil sis.”
They continued their way back to the palace, joking and laughing and attracting all manner of stares from the others in the streets, who were silent as they moved. A small part of Daisy considered trying to be quieter, but sharing her joy with Larkin was all she could imagine wanting in that moment, and so they carried on together in happiness all the way back to the palace.
—
“You’ve had this goofy smile on your face all night,” said Candace. “What’s up with you?”
Daisy grinned. “Can’t I just be happy to have you to share tonight with?”
Candace stuck out her tongue. “I mean, if I have a goofy smile on my face, it would be because Daneel is doing so much better. It’s been years of just lying in bed, unconscious, and it took more work than you’d believe to get her to wake up. I devoted years of my life to caring for her without even knowing what her voice sounded like. I thought her waking up and being too confused to hold a conversation was huge progress. But this! She’s actually getting better.”
“I’m glad,” said Daisy. “It’s good to see her improving, and it’s even better to see you so happy about it.”
Candace smiled and flopped backward onto a pillow. “How fucking fitting it is that I spend years trying to make sure she doesn’t slip away in the night, and you show up and spend two days making her a regular person again. I mean, don’t get me wrong–she’s got miles to go. She probably won’t be able to carry on a normal life again for months and months even with you and Larkin both healing her every day. But gods, if you could have seen her before. It’s a fucking miracle.”
Daisy chuckled and crawled over to lay her head on the pillow next to Candace. “I’ve seen a lot of miracles recently. And none of them really compares to running into you here.”
“Oh, you sap. I cannot believe you. Still a smooth talker after all this time, even without being a con.”
Daisy raised her arms in mock offense. “What, am I supposed to forget how to say the right thing?”
Candace crinkled her nose in mock disgust. “Ugh. You’re gross. Too sweet. It’s too much.”
Daisy chuckled. “Oh, come on. I’m allowed to be sweet if I want. After all, I’ve spent eleven years saving it up.”
“It was only a year for you, honey,” said Candace. “That’s no excuse.”
“I dunno. When I came back from the In-Between, I think that all the time that passed made me sweeter. I mean, I did spend a week healing orphans as soon as I got back.”
Candace seemed to want to continue being playful, but her expression grew soft. “Healing orphans, huh? I bet they loved you.”
Daisy smiled and let herself grow faraway as she remembered the time in Lo’Thalas’s orphanage. “They were good kids. Scared. Lonely. Bored, honestly. All that childhood energy and anxiety, and they had to lay in bed just worrying about whether they’d live to see the next day. Every one I healed, they had this new life in them. It was like they saved it up. As soon as they were better, they just wanted to play. I made up a bunch of silly games. Mostly, the games were excuses to give them caps or extra food. But I think that the playing did them more good than the healing. It wasn’t just their bodies that were sick. Their souls were sick. They had this weight on them. And I recognized it. I thought about what I would have wanted when I was their age and alone and scared and didn’t have enough. So I just tried to give it to them. You know? Like, I saw myself in every one of them. Sure, they were little sundered elves in a hidden city in the mountains of Afira, and I was a little slightkin girl on the streets of Thistlewade, but some pain is universal. And I realized I don’t just want to heal people. I want to help them. I wanna work with people who the world has hurt and make things better. Like, actually better.”
She looked at Candace and saw that she was faraway too. The mixture of pain and hope and peace was exactly what Daisy felt. Her gaze centered on the heart-shaped gold fleck in Candace’s right eye, and she smiled.
“But that’s just what I hope for. And I have other hopes too. I really do want to open a clinic with you, Candy.”
Candace smiled and sighed. “It would be complicated if we did it here. There are the Rectifiers to contend with.”
Daisy sat up slightly. “Rectifiers?”
Candace sighed. “These red-robed bastards here in the city. They can heal like you wouldn’t imagine. But they only do it for people with money. There are a lot of poor folks in town who just suffer. And if we started a clinic, we’d be going up against the Rectifiers. And I’ve been around long enough to know you don’t wanna mess with them. They’ll hit you hard if they don’t like you.”
“Yeah, I saw them earlier,” said Daisy. “They seemed more scary than inviting.”
Candace bit her lip. “It would be me and you against a massive group of amoral spellcasters, and I don’t like our odds. They could shut us down easily if they wanted to.”
Daisy frowned and thought for a moment. “You know, Maela likes you. I mean, she took you on as a personal nurse from a choice of many. And you’ve served incredibly well. And yesterday, she invited me to stay and help Daneel until she’s better. If we do things right with Daneel and stay on Maela’s good side, maybe she’ll stand up for us. Protect us from the Rectifiers.”
Candace narrowed her eyes. “You think?”
Daisy shrugged. “In my experience, if you do a good turn to a royal, they’ve got your back. It’s not like there’s a lot of people who are going out of their way to help royals without looking for something in return.”
Candace laughed sadly. “So you want to help her while looking for something in return?”
Daisy shook her head. “No. I’m not suggesting that. What I’m saying is, we never ask. We just do the right thing, and we tell her what our plan is when the time comes, and maybe she’ll offer. If she does, we set up shop here. If she doesn’t, we go somewhere else where we’re needed, and we set up shop there. No game. No ulterior motives. I’m just saying that, in my experience, people in power can use their power to help you if you’ve made it clear that you’ll help them. Whatever she decides, we build a clinic. She just decides whether it’s here or elsewhere.”
Candace smiled. “You know, your combination of healing and good intentions paired with scheming and knowing just what to say is pretty dangerous. In a good way. Whatever happens, I know you’re gonna help a lot of people.”
Daisy smiled. “One, thank you. But two, do it with me.”
Candace laughed lightly. “I still can’t believe you’re here. When you went out earlier today, I kinda forgot you’re here. Like, my mind wouldn’t believe that you’re around again. And that you wanna stay.”
Daisy sat up, grinning. “I have something for that. A little reminder I’m here. Always here. It’s actually what I left the palace for.”
Candace sat up too. “What are you talking about?”
Daisy reached into the pocket of her robe and wrapped her hand around the ring. She moved from a sitting position to being on one knee and held the ring out before Candace. “I asked you to marry me the other night, and I said I’d get a ring. So let’s make it official. Will you let me be your wife?”
Candace stared at the ring, shocked. She began to cry, gently at first, and then her face contorted as the emotion overwhelmed her. She tried to speak but could not. Daisy moved to slip the ring on her finger, but Candace grabbed it from her and put it on herself.
“Couldn’t wait for me to put it on?” asked Daisy playfully.
Candace began to laugh through the tears. “Oh my gods, you’re supposed to put it on, huh?”
Daisy laughed too. “I think it’s a better sign if you’re so desperate to wear it that you snatch it away. Does it fit?”
Candace smiled, wiping her tears away. “It fits perfectly.”
Daisy grinned. “It’s supposed to be the little heart in your eye.”
Candace nodded. “I knew as soon as I saw it. You always used to mention it when we were together.”
“And I’ll keep mentioning it since we’re together again,” said Daisy. “So will you? Will you marry me and help people with me? And adopt some more cats I can actually help you raise?”
Candace smiled, her face still shining with tears. “Little kitty sisters for Rose.”
Daisy laughed. “Exactly. So will you?”
Candace laughed and started to cry again. “Of course. Of course I will.”
“Good,” said Daisy. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
You can read the final chapter here!
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