Caedwulf has a warning

Emma squirmed out from under her blankets, a task made difficult for her by Colban, who sat upon them.

“Is it time to get up?” she mumbled.

“No,” Colban said. “Caedwulf said I had to come. He’s getting Brit.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Both were too sleepy after the festivities of the last two days to say any more until Caedwulf had arrived with Britamund in tow.

“Well, children, that’s it,” Caedwulf said drearily after they had all settled in.

“What?” Britamund asked.

“She’s here, and now everything will be different.”

“Why?”

“Oh, yes,” Emma smiled dreamily. “Eadie lives with us now, forever. Now I shall call her Mama.”

“No, you shall not!” Caedwulf cried.

“Why not?” Emma asked, abashed. “Papa said I might!”

“Because she isn’t your Mama. She is only your stepmama, and that is not the same thing. I shall call her Eadgith, and so should you.”

“But she will be our Mama—Papa said!”

“I’m telling you, Em, it won’t be the same. Look—you know that every morning Father gets up at dawn and comes to get me, and we have breakfast together and talk about the day. Well?” he asked, waving a hand at the window that looked out onto the rosy sky. “It’s past dawn, and I waited and waited and he never came. Because he’s with her.”

“Perhaps he’s tired from the wedding,” Colban said. “I am.”

“No, he simply likes to be with her better. You will see. Well, you won’t because you won’t even be here. But perhaps you are lucky. Nothing will be the same here, either, and at least you will have the fun of doing new things, and you will have new knives.”

“I should rather stay here,” Colban muttered miserably.

“But it will be different for the rest of us,” Caedwulf said. “You will see, Brit—perhaps Father won’t take you riding any more, because he will like to take Eadgith instead. And perhaps Father won’t play with you so much any more, Em. And do you know what’s worse?”

“What?” Emma asked hesitantly when the other two wouldn’t.

“They will have more children. And you will see how things are then. They will like them better.”

“No!” Britamund cried. “I don’t believe you. I think Cenwulf likes Baldwin better than Ardith.”

“That’s only because Baldwin is a boy. If Edris has a boy, you will see that he likes it better.”

“I don’t believe it,” Britamund said fiercely. “Eadie has been here every day, and nothing was different, except that we had Eadie even when Papa was busy. And I’m certain it will be the same now.”

“And I’m certain it won’t! Look!” Caedwulf said. “Did he come to get me this morning? No!”

“I shall call her Mama,” Emma blubbered. “Papa said I might.”

“No, Emmie, listen,” Caedwulf sighed. “I don’t say that we shan’t love Eadgith. We already do. And she’s our cousin, too. But we must remember that she isn’t our Mama. We must remember who we are. We are Maud’s children. We must remember her forever.”

“I don’t remember,” Emma whimpered.

“Yes, you do. She had soft, chestnut-​colored hair, and dark eyes, just like you. And she was so gentle that the deer would come to eat out of her hand. Don’t you remember?”

“I remember the deer,” Emma sniffed.

“That’s right.”

“I remember her,” Colban said softly.

“And I know Brit does,” Caedwulf said. “So, we all agree. We shall always remember our real Mama, and love her better than Eadie, even if we love Eadie somewhat. And we shall always stick together, no matter what, because we are brothers and sisters. Agreed?”

“Yes,” Emma said.

The other two looked at him skeptically.

“Cubby, you must stick with us even though you are far away. Don’t forget who you are. Understand?”

“Yes,” Colban said.

“And you, Brit?”

“Well,” Britamund huffed, “I already love Mama a little more than Eadie, and I believe we already do stick together, so I don’t mind agreeing. But I can’t believe that things will be different now. Or, if they are, they will be better.”

“You will see,” Caedwulf said, shaking his head grimly.