«But — how is that possible?» Alyce whispered, stunned.
Again glancing toward the door, Vera delved into the bodice of her gown and withdrew a folded piece of parchment, well sealed with green wax.
«This is for you», she said, holding it up so that the seal was visible.
The familiar imprint on the seal showed the Corwyn gryphon as an escutcheon of pretense over the arms of Lendour, as Keryell had used them in his capacity as Earl of Lendour and one of Corwyn's regents.
«I see that you recognize the seal», Vera went on. «Before Father left on this last Mearan expedition, he asked me to keep this for you, in case anything ever happened to him. He said I was to make certain you read it in a safe place, where you wouldn't be disturbed, because it can only be read once».
At Alyce's look of bewilderment, Vera shook her head. «Don't ask me more until you've read it — and I trust you've been Truth-Reading me while I'm telling you this. I know you can do that».
As Alyce slowly nodded, Vera turned the packet of parchment to display writing on the side without the wax seals.
«You recognize the hand?» she asked, as Marie crowded closer to see it as well.
Alyce swallowed audibly and nodded.
«All right, here's what you need to do». Vera placed the packet in Alyce's free hand and closed the fingers around it.
«Take this up to the altar rail, as close as possible to Father's grave. That way, if anyone should come in while we're doing this, they'll think you're simply praying. Marie and I will continue making garlands, and if necessary, I'll fend off intruders».
«What if it's Father Paschal?» Marie asked. «He could come through the sacristy».
«It's all right. He knows about this».
«Father Paschal knows about you?» Alyce broke in.
«Well, of course. Who do you think trained me?»
«But… he never mentioned…»
«No, and he hasn't told me much about you», Vera countered. «That was to protect all of us. Especially in your case, he was somewhat concerned that Father had given Lady Jessamy access to some of your training triggers».
«She's rarely used them», Alyce murmured, stunned. «We've not spent that much time at court».
«Would you necessarily know if she'd used them?» Vera replied. «She did come occasionally to Arc-en-Ciel, didn't she?»
«Well, yes — but Jessilde was usually with us then».
«Jessilde — who is Jessamy's daughter. It isn't likely, Alyce, but they could have been working together, to check on you occasionally, if only to see how Paschal's training was progressing. Now does it become clear why Father felt the need to be so careful?»
«But, she would never…»
«Alyce, we don't know what she would never do», Vera pointed out. «Have you forgotten who her father was?»
«I — hadn't thought about that», Alyce admitted.
«I didn't think you had. And I believe that Paschal has avoided reminding you, for fear of planting an idea in your mind that Jessamy might discover, if she did try to abuse the trust she was given».
Alyce found herself shivering at the idea that Jessamy might have been doing just that, without her knowledge. Marie's eyes were huge with wonder.
«If that's a real concern», Alyce whispered, «what happens when we go back to court? For the next few years, we're going to be there all the time, now that Father is gone».
«Father Paschal intends to modify your triggers before you leave — though I don't think he intends that Lady Jessamy should know. And he certainly doesn't intend that she should know about me. Ahern, of course, doesn't know anything about any of this, except that I've been fostered here for the past three or four years».
After a few seconds to digest what Vera had just revealed, Alyce said dazedly, «I had no idea about any of this…».
«Which was the purpose of the exercise», Vera replied. «But right now, you need to deal with what Father left for you. Before you break the seal, kiss it — and make sure that your tongue touches the wax. That's part of the means by which the spell is activated for you, personally — I knew you were about to ask», she added with a grin.
Despite her mixture of surprise, curiosity, and annoyance that their father had not better prepared her for this, Alyce managed a tentative smile.
«If we really are twins, I suppose there'll be no keeping any of my secrets from you in the future», she said.
Vera grinned. «Father Paschal has always warned me that there are disadvantages as well as advantages to being Deryni». She brushed her hand over Alyce's, closed around the parchment packet.
«Now, there will be two messages inside. I'm told that the visible one is a simple bequest of some items of jewelry — which is all anyone else would see, if they opened it. The other message is for you alone, written between the lines of the first one. When you open the letter, that second message will glow slightly, so you needn't worry about having enough light to read it. Make certain you read it through slowly, because you only get one chance; the writing will disappear after you've read it».
Alyce swallowed down the lump that was rising in her throat.
«I — believe you», she whispered. «It's all just so… so…»
«…unbelievable. Yes, I know». Vera smiled faintly. «It's so audacious, I still hardly know whether to love him or damn him», she confessed. «But I truly believe that he loved us — enough to do what he had to do, to give at least one of us the chance to develop our gifts away from public scrutiny, without having to contend with — well, with people knowing what we are». She glanced away briefly before continuing.
«I'd known him all my life, though I didn't know who he really was until I came here. So far as I or my 'parents' knew, he was simply my godfather, just as he was godfather to many other children of his vassals — though there weren't any others exactly like me», she added, with a quick smile at Alyce. «He had me fostered here after he sent the two of you to court and Arc-en-Ciel — which he felt was the safest place he could send you, while he began bringing me into the family picture and started my training — and yes, I do have quite a lot of training now. Fortunately, Lady Rosmerta is not Deryni, and hadn't a clue what he was up to — silly cow!»
Marie gave a nervous snicker. «We must be sisters. Alyce and I don't like her either».
«I don't suppose she's all that bad», Vera replied. «You might even spare her a little pity. She knew she wasn't barren, because she has a grown daughter by her first marriage, but Father wouldn't give her any more children. He needed a wife, so that he could bring me into the picture, but he didn't want to complicate the succession. In hindsight, I think he gambled quite a lot on Ahern — an unfortunate wager, as it happens, given his injury — but he may be able to overcome it. And meanwhile, he had us». She cocked her head at the parchment in Alyce's hand. «You must be bursting to read that. Have you done this before?»
Alyce shook her head. She had been numbly Truth-Reading everything Vera said, and had no doubt that everything was true. Truth-Reading was among the rudimentary skills that their father and then Father Paschal had taught her and Marie — and Ahern — during their early years: a particularly useful survival skill for any Deryni, as was the ability to block pain and to induce sleep — skills she had used in easing her brother's discomfort en route here.
The procedure to which Vera was referring was simple enough on the receiving end; it would not have been so simple for their father, in the setting up. But now she was eager to learn what instructions their father had left her.
«I know the theory», she whispered. «I can do it. And you'll keep a lookout?» she added, glancing at the chapel door.
«We shall be the perfect decoys, if anyone should come», Vera said with a grin. «Now, Marie, we still have a lot to do. You might at least try to look like you're enjoying plaiting evergreen garlands».
Her ready smile brought a smile to Marie's lips as well, and the other girl re-applied herself to the task as Alyce rose and headed toward the altar. Vera took up a position just inside the door, which she pulled slightly ajar.
Alyce could feel her heart hammering as she padded softly down the chapel's short nave, the parchment packet closed tightly between her cupped hands. Three days before, at her father's interment, the air had been redolent of fine incense and the more cloying perfume of floral tributes. Her stomach stirred a little queasily as she skirted the slab under which Keryell lay, doing her best to recall the incense rather than any faint charnel scent she might imagine in this part of the chapel.
Steadying herself against the altar rail, she genuflected to the Presence signified by the lamp burning above the tabernacle, then eased to her knees, stretching one foot behind her, under her cloak, so that it touched the corner of the grave slab under which her father lay. Then, after mouthing a brief prayer, both for the occupant's soul and her own blessing, she dipped her head briefly to kiss the seal as she had been instructed — and hesitantly swept it with her tongue.
Nothing happened — at least that she could detect — though the taste of honey lingered as she carefully broke the seal. Fragments of brittle wax showered the altar rail as she opened the parchment. Between the penned lines of the promised bequest, written in her father's tight, crabbed hand, she began reading the glowing words, quite distinct in the semidarkness of the silent chapel.
Beloved Daughter, it began. In receiving this letter, you will already have made the acquaintance of your twin sister. I ask your forgiveness for the deception I have carried out, in keeping you apart thus far, but your mother and I agreed before your birth that this solution, painful as it was for both of us, represented the best hope of allowing at least one of our children to grow up sheltered from the stigma so often attendant upon those of our blood.