…some work in progress from the Cazique of Poyais story…

From the banks of the Thames in Fulham, on the other side of Putney, a person can make out a church tower and building behind it.  It is not grandiose in the way of a Versailles, though it is certainly a Palace.  The country seat of the Bishop of London, the Fulham Palace has stood for hundreds of years on this spot in slightly different forms.

Noemi, Emma and Jose had ventured slightly further than they wanted in their trek West along the Thames.  Luckily the Fulham Palace was an obvious enough sight to make them stop and get their bearings.  It had taken them a good five hours to walk along the Thames and properly find their way after some wrong turns and stops, so it was afternoon by the time they reached this point where they encountered the Palace.

“How do we find out where to go from here?” Noemi asked Jose.

“I’m not sure.  Perhaps if we wait at the bridge we will come across someone who can give us an idea.”

“Let’s not show the deed for the time being shall we.  Don’t want to show it to the wrong person and get locked up.”

“No of course. The thing is worthless really, but we have to check,” he noted surprisingly chipper like.

She had gained a slight suspicion that there was some funny business between Emma and Jose on the walk and so had wondered if that was why he was so up beat.  It was a remarkable swing back from his recent life as a mute.  Noemi wasn’t complaining.  This was basically most her brother coming back properly, putting aside their differences for the time.  She wasn’t likely to forget the events leading up to this London ramble easily.  They were family though and even some extreme things had to be brushed under the carpet to support each other.

“Very well, let’s get over to that bridge.  Hopefully there is enough foot traffic for us to find a friendly face.”

Noemi rambled on ahead quickly to give Emma and Jose a few moments.  Jose was still elated, as much as he could be, after Emma’s kiss the night before, though even alone with her he wasn’t sure how best to proceed.  She kept on darting looks at him and he only responded with the same.  With Noemi further away, part of his shyness dissipated and he ventured out with his best, most humble try, “thank you for last night, Emma.”

“For talking to you about your Uncle?” She asked, knowing he mostly meant the kiss.

“That, the kiss, for everything that made me feel more alive in the face of all this.  In the face of all my decisions.  It was a good feeling I haven’t experienced since I thought I found our new life wrapped up with a bow.”

Emma did not immediately respond as she wanted to say this right, “sometimes we end up with something which we didn’t originally believe to be the best thing, but it turns out that it is.  What did you want from moving here?”

“Distance from our past.  Some sort of security.  An adventure.”

“Two out of three isn’t bad.  Especially not when you have added another, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“I don’t,” he said grabbing her hand and stopping them in their tracks.  He kissed her and then kept his face close to hers, if just to feel the warmth radiating from her face.

They didn’t say anything further. But simply upped their pace to catch up with Noemi.  There was a lot still to do in this day and it grew later.