Rilla's Inheritance Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Far away, in the Adrina’s hidden garden, little Ella was growing up. Gabriella had demanded sewing things from Four, and re-made her own clothes to give her enough material to make clothes for Ella as well. Equally reluctantly, Four had provided a potty, left over from Rilla’s time in his power. Apart from that, he ignored them, much to Gabriella’s relief. One thing Gabriella was determined about was that Ella should have a happy babyhood. She had enough to eat, she was clothed and warm at night, and Gabriella and Pertin worked hard at keeping her happy. Ella learnt to walk barefoot in the Adrina’s garden, surrounded by the plants that the previous Adrina had carefully cultivated. What Gabriella didn’t know was that a pair of wistful eyes watched her as she cuddled Ella, played with her, or simply told her that she loved her. A dark and unhappy face looked at something she knew she had never had – a parent who loved her. Gabriella’s clothes were getting less, but Jenny was still trying to design something that was a bit more – well, appealing than the all-purpose-sack, as I called the current female attire. But it had to fasten without buttons, zips or anything else they had been using: there were still some left, but we needed to keep them for when absolutely nothing else would do. An apron would work, but be no better. Singing an old love song one night to Tyo, Jenny wondered if I might have any ideas from my planet’s past. Tyo just thought about how much he’d like to have a child with Jenny – and how they dared not. Maybe if he bleached his hair white and got rid of his Adrin markings, he’d look like a Tallin, and that madman would leave them alone. But he knew it was too risky really. I dredged up what I could remember of the history of clothing, and passed my meagre information on to Jenny. She got hold of some fabric, and tried the resulting creation out on her sternest critics – her sisters. But Kirsty and Laura both liked it! Tepo Mellin had come round to help me with my Verdin twins, Xerafin and Yu. And I was pregnant with his children – and asking his advice about names for them. I’d called my daughters after my friends from the orphanage, after flowers, and after precious stones, because they were precious.
But what next? I had to name them – we had no Xydin Adrina, and I was their mother. And it mattered that they had names.
Tepo suggested giving them names that had good meanings, and that seemed like a smart idea to me too.
Where were the other Xydin? Deep underground was the answer. So far underground that, like Amaryllis, Yolande and Zoe, no-one could sense their presence. And no-one had found them, because they were sealed in there. Dyander and Frandin could hardly remember what it had been like to be able to play outside under the open sky, but the others kept reminding them of life outside. They didn’t want them to forget. They had stores enough to last them for a long while to come. Four had tricked them into provisioning the mine, in case of another outbreak of plague, and then had tricked them further into becoming trapped down there. Garender and Andolin had realised – too late, alas – what Four must have been up to, and that he had feared they would stop him. They had stocked the mine not only with food, but also with things to do – which had probably stopped them all going quite insane. They painted the outside to remind Frandin and Dyander what was waiting for them when they got out – they would not let themselves think “if” rather than “when”. The two boys were tutored by the others as well – as far as possible, they all tried to keep to a routine, and to give the boys some structure to their lives. And, like little Ella, they boys were not unhappy – they were loved and cared for – but the adults were aware that this couldn’t go on for ever. Meanwhile, I was being watched by yet another panicking father as I went into labour again. Twins this time – Zirconia and Alethea. Tepo asked me what Alethea meant, and I told him: Truth. He liked that. My hair had grown some more! This pleased me hugely. I didn’t know if it would ever be as long as it used to be – before I ever came here – but at least it was a bit longer than it had been.
My Xydin daughters were growing up too. Querida had been the first one to change into adult, and even though she hadn’t developed properly as a Xydin, her family felt the change in her as it happened. So did Querida.
“It was as though everything suddenly became sharper and clearer,” she explained. “I suddenly knew more about myself, and about who I was, and what I could do.” “And what I can do,” she went on, “is paint, and draw. I can use that gift to make everywhere more beautiful, if I want to. And I do. I want to make this world more lovely: I want to make our homes and lives nicer. And I want to have a Tallin marking for art, please – I’ve earned it! But I had to ask you as well, if it was OK.” “That’s more than OK by me,” I said. “If you’ve earned it, then it’s yours. And I’m so pleased with what you’ve done, and how hard you’ve worked for it!”
“Talking of OK,” Querida said, “are you OK? Rilla, you look really ill.”
She was right. I’d decided to see if I really needed to be pregnant, or if the collar was losing its power. It wasn’t, and I was going to have to admit that I did need to be pregnant again. Even with the medi-suit on, I was feeling worse and worse. Tepo was teaching Alethea to walk. Like all Mellin, he was a natural with children; patience and kindness came easily to him. Someday, the Mellin would have to be running fatherhood classes, for the many men who would be getting ready to become fathers, and who didn’t have their own fathers around any more to help them and advise them.
If we ever managed to find Gabriella again, if we ever managed to deal with that madman who had abducted both me and her in turn. I hoped she was safe, hoped it with all my heart. And I was pregnant again, and feeling much better. Tepo was going to be a father for a second time around – but I was confident that he would cope well and easily with a large family. Besides, there was the rest of his household to help him as well! I was going to need some new maternity wear soon though – this outfit was getting rather shabby and worn all of a sudden. Time to talk to Jenny… Unity was the next Xydin daughter to change to adult. At the point of change, she felt the control “he” had over her loosen, slip – she fought to free herself, and for a moment, saw her skin and face change back to the colour they had once been. Then it was as though he asserted his control over her once more, and her face and skin darkened again.
But something had changed for her. His control over her mind had gone. He was still changing her body, but he couldn’t make her afraid and timid any more.
“No more black clothes! I’m going to wear what I choose. And I’m going to be myself – Unity, who sings. Unity, who has a lovely voice. Unity, who has a Tallin marking for music.” Adri Verdin watched, and felt, Xanthe change. And he was proud of her, proud of the way she had grown up, and the way she had dealt with the after-effects of her childhood. Xanthe was still quiet and somewhat reserved, but it came from thoughtfulness now, rather than fear. And she was content, content with her woodland life, happy in her friendships.
Adri Verdin knew for a fact that one man at least loved her deeply, but hadn’t said anything to her yet, as the time wasn’t ripe. Now, feeling the change in her personality, Adri Verdin decided to tell him to begin to court her. A home of her own was what Xanthe needed next; somewhere where she would be sheltered and protected as she continued to grow into her gifts. It was a good job that Verity, Andor and Daisy lived a long way away from anyone else, for the force of Verity’s change knocked Andor off his feet. She grew up in a joyous burst of exuberance and energy, and flew into Andor’s arms, hugging him enthusiastically, and nearly knocking him over again.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!!! Thank you for everything you did for me! Thank you for putting up with me when I was awful! Thank you for showing me how to become me!”
Verity was almost incoherent. As she had changed, she had seen all the bad influences that had been in her life shrivel up and fall away. And she had been free to embrace whatever future she wanted, free to go and explore anywhere, free full stop. She rushed over to Daisy as well, and poured out her thanks to Daisy too.
“I can see what you did for me, what you’ve given me! I was always grateful – once I’d stopped being a horrible little monster – but today, I can see it all, shining and beautiful.”
“Verity, we want to thank you as well. You’ve given us so much pleasure, and we’ve enjoyed you so much. And we are so proud of you – you have learnt to take who you are, and make it work for good. Verity, we love you – you are part of our family, and we love you.” W was standing in her favourite spot, watching the sun go down and the stars come out. Any day now, she too was going to change into adult. She could tell, within herself. She’d come here to think, to decide how she wanted to grow up.
She could see two paths ahead of herself: the one led to being Adrina, with all the glory she had been promised, and the other…She wasn’t sure about the other one, wasn’t sure where it led, or what it involved, but she had a feeling that although it was a quieter path, it was a sweeter one. And that family and friends probably played a part in it. Suddenly, there, looking down on her, was a face she had almost forgotten. And a voice she had tried to forget.
“You are about to grow up. Are you ready to become Adrina?” All the frustration and anger that she had used to take out on Cat and Kel boiled up in W.
“What do you mean? Why should I want to become Adrina? What about what I want for once. Why don’t you ever ask me what I want to do and be?” He glared at her, and she felt her spirit quail within her.
“Why do you think you can defy me?”
But W had had a lot of practice at defiance since she had been taken away from his control.
“There’s more to life than being Adrina!”
He gasped audibly at hearing her say this, but she went on, drunk with recklessness and unhappiness. “There’s more to life than dominating others and making them do what you want and making them miserable!”
“Look me in the eyes and say that again. If you dare.” W’s anger boiled over at the way he thought he still owned her and could control her. Furious, she slapped his face, and her blue eyes stared straight into his. Then she stepped back, ready to run, aghast at what she’d just done. But his eyes continued to hold hers.
“You will do what I command.” His voice was menacing, and her head began to swim – then, suddenly, she heard voices, calling her name.
“W! W, where are you?” She was late back, and people were looking for her. She had never been so thankful in her life.
She turned and ran in their direction, her heart thudding in her chest, as fast as she possibly could, back towards the warmth and the safety and the light of the barracks. Second time round, I got exactly the same reaction from Tepo when I went into labour. Interesting, that…you’d think he would have learnt from the first time!
I gave him two daughters, Bella and Charis.
“Beauty and Grace,” I told him, when he asked the meanings of the names. “Every life needs beauty, and every life needs grace. I’m hoping that’s what they’ll bring to their communities.” Whilst Tepo was busy helping bring up his children, my cool and rational oldest daughter was busy falling in love with his brother Osse! She put it down to having the younger Adrin girls around – suddenly, she’d seen a much warmer and sillier side to life. And Osse seemed to personify it for her. In front of the computers wouldn’t have been my first choice of romantic places for proposing, but it didn’t put Abigail off accepting him! Abigail wasn’t the only one finding out about love – my little neighbourhood-improver, Galantha, was being told by Nem Adrin just how sweet and lovely she was. Unlike Abigail and Barbara, Galantha had no cautious scruples; she knew that she loved him, he loved her, and they could build something strong and enduring together. Nem picked a slightly more romantic spot to propose than Osse did. He waited until the sunlight was fading from the sky, and proposed with an old, old saying that his grandmother had taught him (and she’d had it from her grandmother…).

Out of the daylight and into the darkness,
All through the night and into the dawn,
Summer and Winter, Springtime and Autumn,
Will you be mine, to shelter and love?
Will you stand with me, in tempest and storm?
Will you build with me, to keep us from harm?
Will you walk with me, whatever may come?
My love and my darling, my heart and my home. And as if that wasn’t enough, Betony and Narad Valdin were discovering that they had rather a lot in common… …and Narad’s brother, Odan, was more than Just Good Friends with Camellia. This time it was Quinoa who came to help me with the children. Tepo was home with the older two a lot of the time, and I was very glad of her presence, especially as I was pregnant with some little Verdin babies. I wasn’t sure how many: I’d never managed to work that out, but I could definitely tell that it was more than one again. Adri Adrin’s reckoning was triplets again. Quinoa got rather stressed when I went into labour as well! I did point out to her that this could well be happening to her one day. She didn’t seem to find this very comforting. Adri Adrin was right about the triplets. Dulcie, meaning sweet, Fidelia – faithful – and Emma, which meant whole. Sweetness, faithfulness and wholeness – I thought these were apt names for Verdin children. They were always the nicest of all the children. The others had been lovely children, but the Verdin children were something special. Only Amaryllis (and Yolande and Zoe, by all accounts) had been more lovely. My maternity clothes, however, were not going to survive another pregnancy, I went and bent Jenny’s ear about it – and asked for a bit of a change as well. A different colour, maybe. I did like the new style she was developing though, and said so.
“I’ve got some more ideas as well – but it all takes time! Still, we’ll get there. Rilla, did you know that if you hadn’t agreed to have us all, they would have run out of time? As it is, they can carry on delaying their aging for just long enough – to marry us, and our daughters. You can only put it on hold for so long, you see.”
“So what happens to your sons?” I asked, interested.
“We hold their aging up, and they marry our granddaughters! We should be able to mix the gene pool up enough that way – and then after that, it gets easier.” Seeing as I had an escort with me (and someone at home minding the triplets) I decided to go and see what Galantha, Iris and Heartease had done with the swimming pool. It looked lovely! They’d made everything so clean and bright. They’d begged green and white plants from Adri Verdin, and Adri Caldin had organised some muscle to transport and plant them. The neighbourhood was beginning to change for the better, quite noticeably now. I had a go on the hopscotch grid, out of sheer nostalgia. It had been one of our standard yard games at the orphanage – funny how some things are universal. Up at the barracks on the hill, W had grown up. She had dreamt of blue eyes staring into hers the night before, restless dreams in which she tried to run away, but couldn’t escape. Or of arriving at a fork in a path, and not being certain which way to go. And when she looked round for some guidance, there was a tall, dark, hooded figure saying, “Look me in the eyes – if you dare.”
But when she woke, it was as if her mind had made itself up while she slept. She knew what she would choose. Still, however, there was a lingering feeling of having turned her back on a dream that had once seemed precious to her. Her changing lacked the exuberance of Verity’s, or the quiet sweetness of Xanthe’s. Instead, there was a slightly bittersweet flavour to it. And as she washed the dishes and cleaned the sink, W too felt slightly saddened. Autumnal, she thought – and then thought, no, like the passage from Autumn to Winter. She looked at Sapphire and Topaz, sitting on the floor, doing their homework with their father and uncle helping them, and thought: I won’t have that. I don’t think that family life is ever going to be mine. Reaching for a book off the shelves however, she thought again. “I do have sisters though. The first thing to do is to make friends with my Xydin sisters. I wonder where Zoe, Amaryllis and Yolande are?”