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She licked her lips as her eyes widened with delight. “Gen, you shouldn’t have spent the money on this. You should have bought another loaf of bread, but…thank you anyways.”
I smiled and nodded at her. She went to the table where Jordan, the oldest of our little gang, was rationing the bread. Lily placed the jar down on the table. Nil and Kara’s face lit up as they jumped up and down for joy.
That was Lily, always caring and sharing whatever she had with others. She was the most selfless person I had ever met. She had nothing, and yet she gave more than I had seen anyone else give, including the sisters and monks of the church. Lily wanted to become a nun just like Sister Ester. She admired the woman to a fault. She wanted to give back and help those around her in need. Even though it was never a life I would choose to live, I could honestly say Lily was going to make a wonderful nun.
The door to our little hovel flew open just as Jordan began handing out the bread. In came Conner, who was sixteen. He had a grin plastered across his freckled face. His brown eyes sparkled, and his dusty blonde hair looked like he had awoken from sleeping in the hay. We all looked at him in silence. His smile faded as he dropped his head and stared at the floor.
Jordan asked sternly, “and where have you been? You were gone before I even got up this morning.”
“What, I can’t go out for a walk without your permission now?” Conner asked, throwing his hands in the air.
Jordan and I were like the father and mother of our little tribe. We tried to keep them all safe and in check, but from time to time we had to bring the hammer down, especially with Conner. He was a rebellious little troublemaker and didn’t care who he put in harm's way as long as he got what he wanted.
“You were with the advisor’s daughter again, weren’t you?” asked Jordan.
“So, what if I was?”
Jordan threw the bread knife to the table in frustration. “Dammit, Conner! Do you want to get thrown in prison, or worse?” he yelled. “You’re just asking for trouble. If Advisor Harren finds out who you are, he will not hesitate to make an example of you.”
Conner replied, defensively, “Danielle and I are just spending time together, that is all. Nothing to get yourself worked up over.”
“Do I look stupid? You still have hay in your hair, in God’s name,” Jordan spat.
Lily stepped in between the two boys, trying to act as a barrier. “Conner, Jordan is just worried is all. He doesn’t want to see you get hurt. Advisor Harren wouldn’t react kindly if he found you and his daughter together,” she said softly.
“And why is that? Because I’m a homeless, worthless, human? Because I am nothing and will never amount to anything?” yelled Conner.
“That’s not what I said,” Lily replied, taking step back.
“I am better than this. Better than all of you and one day I will prove it to everyone in this pathetic town.” Conner stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I turned to the others; their faces were long and defeated.
“Stefan, go with him. Make sure he stays out of trouble,” ordered Jordan.
Stefan, who was also sixteen, nodded and left.
We all gathered around the table and ate our bread in silence. Conner was indeed smart and clever. He came from a family that had once been in the advisor’s inner circle, but due to bad investments and trading deals, his father erased his family fortune and their social status along with it. Conner was only nine when his whole life was turned upside down. A year later, his mother left his father and Conner without a single goodbye. A few months after that, his father was found dead at a gambling club.
Sister Ester knew the boy and his parents from before their tragedy. She graciously took him in and tried her best to give him a sense of purpose, but Conner was never able to let the past go. He strived to regain his family's stature and make something of himself. If the odds weren’t so heavily stacked against him, I would have said he had a fighting chance; but no one would ever be able to look at him and not see his father’s son. No matter how smart he was or who he fell in love with, he would never be seen as anything more than a fool's offspring.
Chapter 2
“Just sit down and let me work,” demanded Lily, pushing me into the seat in front of the small mirror in our room.
“This is a waste of time. I’m just going to have to cover it up with a hat,” I said as she pulled a brush through my dirty head of thick, curly black hair.
“You will wear a scarf around those little pointed ears of yours today so people can admire my work,” she said, crossing pieces of hair around one another to create delicate little braids.
“You know, for wanting to be a nun, you sure do like a lot of recognition. Are you sure that’s the life you want?” I asked. I would support Lily in anything she chose, but I knew she adored children and desired a love of her own. Things she would never be able to have if she chose a life dedicated to God and God alone.
“If someone is good at something it should be admired and complimented, no matter who they are. And yes, I am sure.”
“What about Evan? He’s obviously interested in you, and you seem to be entertaining the idea.” She knocked me in the head with the brush, causing me to flinch. I looked back in the mirror to see a scowling Lily. I laughed, seeing her all stirred up. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, I reveled in the moment.
“There’s nothing going on with Evan. He’s nice to me and I enjoy hearing his stories about working in the stables. That is all. You know how much I love horses,” she said innocently, but I knew better.
Evan was another member of our little pack. He was eighteen and recently got a job working with horses at the town stable. He began to show interest in Lily a year ago. Though she was still young and had very little experience, she could turn on the charm faster than I had ever seen another woman do. Which made me question her desire to become a nun even more.
“He has a good income now and he would be able to provide a good life for you and a family. Won’t you even consider the possibility?” I asked.