YASMINE
Aweek later, Yasmine stood in the great hall, looking into the dining room, and feeling amazed at the difference seven days could make.
Jax was smiling broadly as he applied brilliant yellow paint to the wall to color in Romulon, the larger of Ulfgard’s two suns, which were among the many wonders pictured on the mural.
Four other kids were painting as well, and the Ulfgard public radio station was playing cosmic jazz in the background.
Some of the kids were talking and joking. Though Jax was still quiet, he looked relaxed and content to be part of the group. These were definitely his people, and his artistic talent and enthusiasm had been evident from the day she had met him. Yasmine could not have been prouder of her gigantic son-to-be.
Ba’sh was in the study, chatting with the mayor of Pirn, who had decided to pay them a visit.
Pia and the Mayor’s daughter, Calipha, were in the family room giggling.
Yasmine strode down to see what was going on.
“Now, my family has rules for hide and seek, and they’re very important,” Pia said.
“We don’t have rules for hide and seek at my house,” Calipha said, sounding curious, not judgmental.
“We have to have them for me,” Pia admitted. “Because I’m really, really good at hide and seek. I don’t want to scare my grown-ups.”
Yasmine stifled her own laughter. Pia had the right idea now.
“What are the rules?” Calipha asked.
“You have to keep your bracelet on,” Pia said. “And if a grown-up asks you to come out at all, or if a child asks you to come out and says I’m serious, you have to come out right away.”
“Okay,” Calipha said.
“But if someone makes you come out, you don’t automatically lose,” Pia said.
“Okay,” Calipha repeated. “Want to play?”
“Yes,” Pia sang out.
Yasmine stepped back into the hallway to let them have their fun.
“Miss Hall,” a familiar voice said.
She turned to see Mrs. Slaite standing in the hallway, her hands clasped in front of her.
“I’d like to talk with you, if that’s all right?” Mrs. Slaite said.
She was twisting her fingers together a little.
“Of course,” Yasmine said. “Is everything okay?”
Mrs. Slaite walked out to the patio overlooking the gardens and Yasmine followed her, wondering what this was about.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Mrs. Slaite asked after a moment.
“Yes,” Yasmine agreed.
“Being outside brings me peace sometimes,” the older woman said. “But not always. Maybe, not being from here, you don’t know that I have a story that is not so different from yours.”
Yasmine blinked at the other woman.
“You don’t know then,” Mrs. Slaite said. “And Ba’shir didn’t share it with you. That’s like him.”