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Nearly five years had passed since Farid had been back at the Roxane’s farmhouse. He had written, of course, but messengers had become harder and harder to come by the farther he went. He missed Dustfinger greatly, though he would be lying if he said he regretted going. It had been the best thing for him to do. After everything that had happened with Dustfinger and Cheeseface and Meggie… Meggie. He had missed her too, as she had left him to pick up the pieces of his heart, but he had. He even understood it to an extent and they had been so young. Too young and with everything going on around them…
Farid shook his head and let his thoughts turn back to Dustfinger as the old farmhouse came into view. It was early morning, and he had not been able to write ahead that he was coming. He hoped it was Dustfinger that answered the door. He had told Farid that now that she knew the truth, and Dustfinger was alive again, she had softened towards him somewhat but somehow Farid doubted that extended to seeing him on his doorstep at the break of dawn.
The goose let out a loud honk as he approached the gate but Farid brushed it aside with ease, hopped over the wall and knocked briskly on the door. Farid heard footsteps and just as he was thinking about how he should probably take a step back in case it was Roxane, the door swung open to reveal…
Silvertongue!? Farid’s mouth fell open in surprise, and when he noticed that Silvertongue wasn’t wearing a shirt he felt himself blushing. Silvertongue seemed surprised too, as he stammered something about fetching Dustfinger and almost ran back into the house. A few seconds later Dustfinger appeared. He wasn’t wearing a shirt either. Farid shifted uncomfortably on the doorstep.
“Farid!” Dustfinger exclaimed, and pulled him into a hug. “We weren’t expecting you,”
“I didn’t get the opportunity to write ahead,” he mumbled into Dustfinger’s hair. It was good to see him again. He had not realised how much he had truly missed him.
“You’ve grown,” said Dustfinger as they drew apart.
“Yes. Why is Silvertongue here?” Farid did not see the point in beating around the bush. Dustfinger seemed unsure of what to say and was he blushing?
“He’s um… He and Resa were, um, visiting Ombra and couldn’t find a lodging house. Oh, come on in.”
He was obviously lying but Farid didn’t push it. The house had scarcely changed in the five years he’d been gone, and Dustfinger even less. Farid sat at the table while Dustfinger cut him some bread. Silvertongue emerged uncomfortably from a door, fully dressed now.
“Sorry about that,” he said. Unlike Dustfinger, he had aged. Silver streaked his hair and there were lines around his eyes, though he seemed to be in good health. He started to make breakfast. “Resa and I…” Silvertongue trailed off and looked at Dustfinger.
“Were visiting Ombra and couldn’t find a lodging house,” Farid provided helpfully.
“Yes. Yes, that’s it isn’t it Resa.” Resa, who had just walked in, nodded.
“Is Meggie with you?” Farid asked. “Or your other child?” he added hastily, suddenly remembering that Resa had been pregnant the last time he had seen her.
“Dante, our son, is with Elinor and Darius. Meggie is with the Strolling Players.”
“Oh.”
They fell into an uneasy silence. This was not helped when Roxane entered, took one look at Farid, and closed her eyes as if being unable to see him would make him go away.
“Hello,” she said tersely, and set about eating breakfast. Farid nodded in response.
“Is your son here?” he asked apprehensively.
“No. He was taken on as a carpenter’s apprentice.” Farid got the sense that she wasn’t particularly happy about that, but it was hard to tell whether that was just because it was him she was talking to. “And Brianna still lives with Violante, in case you were going to ask about her next.”
Farid nodded and once again the table fell silent.
By the time everyone had finished breakfast it was almost unbearable. Farid excused himself and stepped outside. Dustfinger followed after him.
“I’m sorry, she is trying. It was just a surprise to see you. You are my son. She is trying, just as I am trying with hers but it is not easy.”
Son. Dustfinger had written it before, in letters, but to hear it out loud made Farid’s heart clench.
“It’s ok. I understand.”
Dustfinger smiled slightly in relief.
“Why is Silvertongue and his wife really here?” Dustfinger looked as if he was trying desperately to think up another excuse but eventually, he just sighed and rubbed his head in his hands.
“We’re together.” Farid looked at him blankly. “Dating, courting, in a relationship, whatever you want to call it.” Farid didn’t speak. He wasn’t entirely sure he understood.
“All of you?”
“Yes. All four of us. All dating each other.” Dustfinger looked as if he had aged ten years over the course of their conversation. Despite his many burning questions, Farid decided to leave the subject for today.
“I’m going to go and see the Black Prince later today.”
“You can go with Silvertongue and Resa, if you like. They’re going to see Meggie before they go home.” Dustfinger paused as if to let Farid talk but he was as reluctant to discuss Meggie as Dustfinger was to discuss her parents.
“You still call him Silvertongue?” he said instead of answering.
“Yes. It’s habit now. I can’t break it, even if he is my boyfriend.” Dustfinger stumbled over the word as if he had never said it before. “So are you going to go with them or not?”
“Yes I think I will,” Farid said, if only because he thought they would be more willing to answer his questions then Dustfinger.
The three of them left that afternoon. They travelled on horseback, Resa and Silvertongue riding together while he took his one horse: a black mare he had ‘befriended’ on his travels. For the most part they rode in silence. For all his burning questions, Farid found it hard to bring up them up. Occasionally one of them would politely ask about his travels but little else. It was only when they were nearing the camp of the strolling players that Silvertongue cleared his throat apprehensively.
“Meggie doesn’t know about us and Dustfinger and Roxane,” he said quietly. “We’ll tell her in our own time if you don’t mind.” Farid suspected that ‘their own time’ meant never if they could help it but Farid quickly agreed.
He hadn’t been sure he wanted to speak to Meggie but unfortunately it seemed he didn’t have much choice in the matter for upon hearing the sound of hooves approaching she ran out to see her parents. She had grown up since he had last seen her, though she was still very beautiful. More so, perhaps, in her maturity. She wore a deep blue dress that Farid new matched her eyes, and unlike many of the other women, her blonde hair was pulled back. She was smiling as she ran to greet them, only to stop suddenly upon seeing Farid. She looked to her parents questioningly.
“We bumped into each other on the road and seeing as we were going to the same place…” Silvertongue said, as he helped his wife dismount. He brought Meggie into a hug but her eyes remained fixed on Farid.
“Hello,” he said nervously.
“Hello. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, thank you. And you?”
“I’ve been good.”
“I ought to go see the Prince.”
“Yes. It’s been good to see you,”
“You too,” said Farid, trying to ignore the way his heart was starting to beat. He almost ran to where the Prince was sitting with his bear and several other strolling players. His hair was at the length it had been when they had first met now. He rose when he saw Farid and clasped his hand.
“You look well,” he smiled, and gestured for Farid to sit. “I take it you will be staying with us for a while.”
“If it isn’t any trouble-”
“-Not at all. Let’s find you some place to sleep.”
It took little less then five minutes for the prince to find a tent with a room for Farid, and when the Prince asked how his old friend was, Farid found himself wandering whether he was aware of what was between Dustfinger, Roxane, Silvertongue and Resa. Or had they kept it a secret from him too.
“I’ll let you rest,” said the Prince and left Farid alone. He dumped his stuff and sat on the straw. He hadn’t truly considered what would happen when he saw Meggie again. He supposed he assumed he would just ignore her, and he certainly hadn’t expected to be keeping the secret of her parents relationship with Dustfinger and Roxane.
As it turned out Farid did not half to keep that secret for very long at all, only until that evening in fact. They had sat down for dinner when the messenger arrived. He could not have been sent out very long after they had left and was obviously known to the camp, for no one so much as blinked at his arrival. He approached Silvertounge and his wife bent over, and handed them a neatly folded dress. Farid could not make out what he said but Meggie evidently could. She appeared to be engaged in a an increasingly aggravated conversation until finally:
“You’re dating Roxane and Dustfinger?!” Meggie’s incredulous voice rang out across the camp. She had risen to her feet and was staring at her parents in abject horror. Resa said something but it appeared to only make things worse, for Meggie rushed away and Farid saw tears in her eyes. A boy got to his feet, and rushed after her. Doria, Farid supposed. So they were still together.
The Black Prince leaned over to Farid.
“You wouldn’t mind going after them, would you? After all you are going through a similar thing. And you can easily make a fire.” Farid rather did mind. He had no desire to get embroiled in their family drama but he supposed he already had and the light was already fading so he stood and resigned himself to follow after the couple.
It did not take him long to catch up to the boy. He spun around when he heard Farid approach and looked at him somewhat reproachfully.
“What do you want?”
“The Prince sent me.”
“Oh,” the boy paused for a moment. “She went that way,” he said pointing. “But she said she wanted to be alone.” He sounded almost pitiful. Completely unsure of whether or not to follow her.
“It’s nearly dark,” said Farid.
The boy nodded and then seemed to make up his mind to follow her. Farid summoned fire to his hand.
“You’re not coming with,” snapped the boy.
“The Prince said to-”
“-I don’t care what the Prince said.”
“It’s getting dark,” Farid said again and gestured to the flame in his hand. “And I know what she’s going through?” He didn’t really but he felt reluctant to leave now. The boy finally sighed and nodded in agreement and they set off after Meggie.
He was quite handsome really. The boy. Doria. Soft brown hair framed his face and there was a scar on his forehead he had gotten during the fight with the Adderhead. He was bookish too, Farid knew too, like Meggie. They were far better suited to one another really. The only thing he and Meggie had had in common was circumstance.
They found her sitting on a tree stump not far away from the clearing where they had left. She seemed to be more in shock than upset. She looked up when she heard them approach.
“I said I wanted to be alone,” she said miserably. “And what are you doing here?”
“The Prince told me to,” said Farid. Doria sat next to her and took her into his arms.
“I suppose that’s the real reason you arrived with my parents,” she murmered. Farid nodded.
“How long has it been going on?”
“I don’t know.” Farid told her truthfully.
“I suppose Resa and Dustfinger were very close in Capricorn’s village. And my father and Dustfinger became close when they were fighting the Adderhead. And Resa and Roxane are close. I knew my parents were bi anyway of course. I suppose it isn’t completely out of the blue, I just wish they would have told me.” She leant her head on Doria’s shoulder.
“What’s bi?” asked Farid.
“Bisexual. It’s when you like two or more genders,” said Meggie. She looked at him curiously and he Farid himself flush.
“I call that omni,” he said quietly. ‘As in everything’ someone had once told him. When Farid had told them that he didn’t like everything they had laughed. ‘Well obviously’, they had said. ‘but you could like people of every gender, yes?” Farid had nodded. Then they had kissed him. They had been his second love, the one who had truly help him get over Meggie. They had taught him other stuff to. Like how comfortable a dress could be, and how you didn’t have to be just male or female. By the end of their relationship, Farid no longer considered himself to be truly male. He termed himself genderqueer, for the oddness of his gender, and because he had heard it said in Meggie’s world once, he was sure.
“There are different terms” said Meggie. “Each with slightly different meanings. Bi means two or more, pan means all, often attraction regardless of gender. That’s me by the way. Then there’s poly as well which is some but not all. Some people use multiple labels, some use none, some use one. Depends on the person.”
Farid wasn’t entirely sure what to say to that so instead he changed the topic back to her parents. “Do you want to go back now?”
Meggie seemed to withdraw back into herself and shook her head. Farid set about preparing a fire and gently set the flickering flame on his palm down onto the kindling. Meggie and Doria slipped off the tree stump to sit around. Farid sat opposite them. He thought perhaps he should go but he found himself hesitating.
They were so beautiful. Both of them, for Farid’s eyes lingered on Doria as much as Meggie. He could feel his heart start to beat faster. He shook his head and stood up.
“No, stay. Please.” Meggie looked at him with pleading eyes and Farid sat down again. She looked at him oddly for a moment and then spoke again. “You still have the most beautiful eyes of anyone I’ve ever met.”
Farid wasn’t sure he could deal with this so he didn’t say anything. Doria however tilted his head to look at him.
“Yes, I think your right, he does.”
Oh no. Farid desperately hoped the firelight masked his burning cheeks. What were they doing?
“You seem much happier as well,” said Meggie. “More sure of yourself.”
“I learned a lot about myself while I was away,” Farid told her. “I realised I spent my entire life serving other people, it was good to find out what I wanted and who I was.”
“I’m glad,” said Meggie. Doria nodded and where in the past Farid might have begrudged his involvement in the conversation, instead he found himself welcoming it.
“I would very much like to get to know you, Farid,” Doria said, smiling broadly. “Are you staying long?”
“A little while, yes. I would like to get to know you to.” The words felt code for something but Farid dared not think what.
“I never considered that you could date more than one person,” said Meggie and the unspoken words seemed to get louder.
“It’s a nice idea,” said Farid and he smiled. “I might try it one day.”