Chapte 13-Guys and Dolls
Jalen walked over to join Zaccheus, who was standing by the railing. They watched the ship's sleek movement through the water in silence until Jalen asked, "So what've you been doing with yourself? You look awful."
He grimaced. "Thanks ever so. What did they do to you at the university? Or was it the traveling?"
Jalen laughed. "I don't waste my good moods on princes who are too exhausted to appreciate it," he replied airily. His hair had already been rumpled by the wind, but he further disturbed it by running a hand through the short golden locks distractedly.
Zaccheus smiled at this: it was a familiar gesture. Stirred by memories of the past, he asked softly, "And where have your travels taken you, Jalen?"
"All over the continent. But I have a story that should make you smile-I was being my usual careless self, trying to hike my way through the Asianne Mountains. I managed to lose track of time, and before I knew it, I found myself caught in a late-season snowstorm." He paused, a faint smile on his face.
Zacch's green eyes were fathomless as he turned their light upon Jalen. Dryly, he said, "If you're stopping for dramatic effect, you needn't bother, Jae. We already know that you survived--I'm cursed with your presence at the moment."
"Why, you–" He mock-punched the elfin prince on the shoulder, and they laughed together. It was like old times, for an instance. Jalen's face grew sober first, and he continued, "But being the lucky scamp that I am, I somehow made my way to the warriors' retreat. It was my original destination, and I practically fell against the door."
"It's fortunate that they let you in." Zacch joked, "I wouldn't have."
"That's why they say elves are the most inhospitable of the folk!" Jalen countered.
"Now, that's where you're wrong. In truth, the naiads are worst hosts, because their underwater domes are so damned hard to get to!" The grin on Zacch's face faded when he thought of his fruitless search for a certain water nymph.
Hastily, the other man asked, "Are you ever going to let me finish my story? Now, the lovely door warden seems to have been of the same mind as you–she let me in, but she wasn't too happy about my humble self. You two would get along famously."
Curiously, Zacch inquired, "And have I met this goddess-like personage?"
"She's traveling in our company. I'm sure you can guess which one."
Zaccheus shrugged. He didn't really remember, exactly, who the other two women were or what they looked like. In fact, he didn't think that they'd been introduced. He'd been too busy blowing up at Mina to take much notice of them. He commented, "So you find her attractive."
"Who wouldn't?" Jalen countered offhandedly. "But we're merely friends. Our relationship doesn't extend past that of a teacher and his student."
He raised his eyebrows. "You're teaching her? Since when did teaching become your chosen profession?"
Gloomily, Jalen replied, "It didn't. I wasn't planning to. Besides, you're ruining the flow of my story. We're supposedly to be going in chronological order, and I haven't gotten to that part yet. Doesn't anyone gainsay you at the palace? You've become very casual about interrupting people. I'm afraid you've been spoiled."
Zacch grinned. "Well, I'm afraid you're not being your naturally-charming self."
"That got me into a spot of trouble. Honestly, all I did was smile at a few girls and thank them for nursing me–frostbite is a serious matter, Zacch, so you can stop smirking at me. Anyway, Reisha--she's the one who was on guard that night–somehow got the misleading impression that I'm a ladies' man."
The prince burst out laughing. "Admit it or not, you're a flirt at heart, Jalen Eridian."
His answering smile was a little more wicked as he said haughtily, "I'm going to ignore that comment, Zaccheus. At any rate, Rei isn't fond of womanizers, and when I started to pay her a little more attention–and I had a perfectly legitimate reason!–she let me know exactly what she thought of me."
"I hope it was a good lecture. Did you take notes?"
"Did I–that's not funny. With a little persuading on my part, her teacher agreed it was time that she saw a little more of the world. Rei's lived at the temple all her life, you see. Of course, she protested furiously, but she had to go. There was an old priest there that understood; he seemed like a sort of grandfather-type figure to her."
"Are you ever going to explain why you decided she had to leave?"
"I'm getting there! It's actually very difficult to explain. There was some part of me, some part of my magik, that said she was important. I had a splitting headache for two days until I resigned myself to the fact that the magik wasn't going to let me go my merry way without her."
It was as though a curtain had been drawn over Zaccheus's face. There was no hint of amusement, curiosity, or any emotion at all to be read. "So she went with you," he stated softly.
"Yes. I began teaching her about her magik. She accidentally set something on fire." He smiled at the memory. "She's quite powerful. Her magik is much stronger than mine. Ami's continued the teaching for me lately.
Rei and I were attacked by bandits on the road in the mountains. She was injured, and I rode like the devil–both of us were on one horse, because the other ran away. Silvana smiled upon us that day, though. I had no idea where I was going, but we somehow managed to find Ami. She has this cottage some distance from Arcelia."
"Arcelia?"
Jalen stopped short. "Right. You did know that she was living there, didn't you?"
"No. I didn't think to look there."
"You know, I didn't mean what I said before. That it was all your fault. I shouldn't have said it."
Zacch sighed. "Jae, you said what you thought was true. Besides, I'm not entirely sure you aren't right. And after Arcelia?"
Jalen glanced at him warily. Gone was the lazy, impetuous joker of his youth: here was a prince crushed under his burden of duty, self-judgement, and regret. "Oh...yes. Arcelia. Ami and I haven't given up on the prophecy, Zacch. And we found it. It does exist, Zacch."
"I know. It's a pity."
Ignoring the bitter tone, he said, "From Arcelia, we headed towards Tiassale. We bumped into Darrian and Serenitatis in the forest one day...literally. Darrian and Rei practically shot each other. After some quick negotiations in naiad-speech, we determined that Darrian hadn't kidnaped the princess, that he probably has more folk blood in him than human, and that we all wanted the same thing.
I don't know if we could have found the scroll without their help. It was the strangest thing, Zacch. There were two sets of hand prints, and their sizes indicated that one was for a man, the other for a woman. First Ami and I placed on our hands on the wall–the wall turned translucent, but it was still there. Darr and Rei tried their luck next. Darrian pulled his hand away when power began shooting all over the place, but Rei kept her hands there. I put my own next to her, and the wall disappeared.
Then I, being the idiot that I am, tried to grab the scrolls. There were floating above a pedestal, and more power started ricocheting all over the place–I'd activated the guard spells. It didn't stop until Darrian and Seren combined their powers; he grabbed the scroll and we all ran for it. The tunnel started caving in, and we barely got out in time."
Zacch shoved his hands into his pockets roughly. He didn't like the sound of those magikal occurrences...and what made he even more wary was the mention of certain pairings unlocking the spells. "And then you met up with Nath?" he asked neutrally.
"Yes. And...well, that's about it. So tell me what you've been doing that's worn you out so much."
He glared at Jalen, but his bloodshot green eyes only furthered his blunt statement. "If you'd been through what I have, you'd look just as bad," he informed the blue-eyed one.
He shrugged breezily. "I think I've been through enough, thanks. But I have to say, that's a spectacular bruise you have across your cheek."
Flushing, Zacch muttered, "Thanks ever so. I actually got that a while ago. It all started when I decided to make a betrothal agreement with Lady Malina, who was rather adverse to the idea."
Jalen raised an eyebrow. "What, were you just being your usual charming self or did you say something infinitely stupid?"
"I–if I ever need a friend to sing my praises, I'll make sure it isn't you. All I did was tell her that what I needed was queen. I told her I wasn't going to fall in love with her, and furthermore, that I didn't believe in love."
"You were hurt that bad, huh?" His eyes were grave and sympathetic, but Zacch refused to look at him.
"Something like that. It's not as pathetic as it sounds, Jae."
"No," he agreed quietly.
"Anyway, the day we were officially betrothed, Mina ran away with Nath for company in the middle of the night after a very bad party. I went after her, and I was somehow roped into this crazy scheme. Did you know that Nath is just as prophecy-crazy as you are?
By the time I caught up to them, they had run into Lita, who was trying to escape from a slaving crew. They had quite a few folk aboard the ship, so Mina and Lita had the wonderful idea of rescuing all of them. Mina had swiped the keys from one of the sailors, and we were playing a game of catch until one of the biggest slavers went for her. His fist connected with my jaw, and you've pointed out the after-effects to me quite well, thank you.
We stole the ship, they sailed up the shore while I was still unconscious, and by the time I could think–and see–straight, it was too late to turn back. So here I am." Zacch sighed deeply at the finish of his story, which seemed more eventful but less amusing than Jalen's.
"You've been away from the kingdom for weeks," Jalen noted in a surprised tone.
"I know. It's been on my mind for some time, but the best I can do is get home as soon as possible after our little detour to the capital."
Jalen then came to a sudden realization. "It's risky, this rescue attempt. Infiltrating the palace is hard enough as it is, but getting a heavily-guarded prisoner out will be near impossible. You're practically the only living heir to the elfin kingdom left, besides that nasty second cousin of yours."
He nodded sadly. His younger brother had been kidnaped over ten years ago, and his mother had been murdered searching for him. Even after the king had paid the ransom, the young prince had been killed. It was no wonder that his father had never been the same.
Quietly, Jalen asked, "How's your father?"
Zacch shrugged helplessly. "I hope he's managing. I've never been away from the kingdom this long, and you know his health is deteriorating. He asks about you often."
He hesitated for a moment, then swallowed his pride. "Jae...won't you come home, after this mad quest is over?" he asked softly.
Jalen ignored Zacch's calling their adventure a "mad quest." Their clashes over the prophecy were not to be repeated. He'd dreamed, often, about returning to live with the elves, especially during his years at the university and the long, cold nights he'd spent camping in unfamiliar terrain. He wondered if his home would be as he remembered it.
"Please, Jae." They had known each other all their lives, and Zacch didn't know how to say that he'd missed him. "I don't want to do it alone. I need you there with me, laughing at all the pompous ambassadors and charming all the women effortlessly."
"I'll see what I can do. Just wait and see...before long, you'll get so tired of me that you'll throw me out–permanently." Zacch grinned in relief, but Jalen continued more seriously, "You don't really need me there, Zacch. Not since you've accepted the responsibility of being king."
"I need my friends."
"You need a queen."
He burst out laughing. "Who did you have in mind? Mina?"
"No," Jalen replied all-too-patiently. "Ami."
He pointed out, "I'm betrothed to Mina. Besides, what makes you think that I still...have feelings for her?"
"Only a fool--and a blind fool at that--could have missed the way you were looking at her."
"Why couldn't you have been a blind fool?" Zacch muttered.
"Anything to oblige you," Jalen drawled.
He didn't have a smart reply for that. Finally, Zacch leaned over the railing, debating whether or not to ask the question that lingered on his mind. He didn't want to ruin the revival of their friendship. It had gnawed at him for so long that he had lost his closest friend, and Jalen seemed to have just let go of his anger. But Zacch had to know the answer. And so, he took a deep breath and gathered up his courage. "Why didn't you tell me that you also loved her?"
"Think about what you would have done if you'd been in my place, Zacch. You meet this beautiful, shy girl whose intelligence is staggering. I was her first real friend. I didn't even realize that I had feelings for her, and how could I have told her about them?
So I introduced her to you, and suddenly, it became a fairytale romance. How could I have told you, Zacch? Would you have told me if it'd been the other way around?"
"I don't think so," he admitted.
"Thank the gods you're still honest." He didn't admit it, but he felt justified in his actions at last.
Zacch smiled ruefully. "Would it help if I told you I was sorry?"
"No. What difference does it make? Things would have worked out the same, most likely," he mused.
"Does she know?"
Jalen shrugged indifferently. "Do you want her to?"
"That's not for me to decide, Jae."
"I wouldn't be surprised if she'd already guessed."
"No," Zacch agreed softly. And then--"Do you still love her?"
He mock-glared. "How come it's become your turn to ask all the embarrassing questions?"
He subsided slightly. The levity in Jalen's character had returned, the sober inner self withdrawing. It was the genial, friendly person that Zacch had trouble analyzing. "We can stop, if you like. Find the others..."
"No. Let's resolve this once and for all. Do I still love Ami? The question should be 'Was I ever really in love with Ami?' Maybe. Then again, maybe not."
Jalen smiled at his friend's surprise. "I can honestly admit that I was attracted to her three years ago. I still think she's a wonderful person, and our friendship means the world to me. I do love Ami, and she's very special to me. But I'm content in our relationship staying just as it is--friendship and nothing more. And it will never change, Zacch."
He nodded slowly, and Jalen watched narrowly as the shade of doubt in his eyes faded slowly. He let out the breath he had been holding.
If he hadn't been so preoccupied today, Zaccheus might have wondered if Jalen had been telling the complete truth. Usually, he preferred being honest--but it didn't mean he couldn't lie with the best of them. In fact, Jalen was probably the best liar Zacch knew....because he didn't know when Jalen had ever lied to him, and that in itself was an impossible feat.
Jalen smiled mischievously then. "I wish you all the luck in the world in resolving your differences, because you'll need it." When Zacch made a face, he laughed and said, "Now, it's my turn to ask you the same thing. Do you still love her, Zacch?"
"Would it matter if I did?"
"I think so."
"It's been three years--as you've just reminded me. I don't even know her anymore, Jae. Has she changed? Have I changed?"
"You know I can't answer that for you. You'll have to find out yourself. For now, I'd say it's around dinnertime. I'm starved."
Zacch grinned. "Me too. Race you there?"
****~**~****
Over the next few days, the occupants of the ship basically followed the same schedule from sunrise to sundown. No one had much to say at breakfast except Jalen, Serenitatis, Aerlene, and Dallin. Aerlene was a young elf who was very smitten with Zaccheus, who seemed completely unaware of her admiration. Dallin was a talkative land nymph whose nature was so sunny that it was impossible for any of them to let him know how annoying his chatter could be.
At any rate, those four were the only four willing to converse so early in the day. Their companions were taciturn, still asleep, or frighteningly grouchy.
Lirita's cooking skills improved, mostly because the others were unafraid to be critical (sometimes she doubted that this was a good thing). Darick, one of the elves, proved to be surprisingly experienced with cooking. His knowledge of herbs equaled hers, and they enjoyed each other's company. Mina had gotten quite a rise out of Nath one day when she'd teased him about Lita's new friend. The third cook in the kitchen was the land nymph Talasi, who was sweet and hardworking but as timid as a mouse.
For the rest of the morning, fighting lessons commenced with Darrian, the nymphs Cathair and Aloysius, and Chayne (an elf) as the teachers for hand-to-hand combat. They taught their students how to fight if they were unarmed and unhorsed with kicks, punches, and blocks. Chayne Oak-Hearted was the best fighter among them, but he was pleasantly modest about his skill.
Privately, Zaccheus told them that the older elf (in his younger years) had served as second-in-command of an Alvarie battalion. The Alvarie were the elves' elite military force and went through intense training. The word meant, literally, "army of elves" in the old tongue. Their numbers had decreased drastically after the Great War with the humans, and they had begun drafting at a very young age. Chayne had survived the war and refused to be promoted to second-in-command of the entire army. He had left, tired of fighting, only to be captured by slavers a few years into his quiet retirement. No one mentioned the Alvarie to him, but their respect for the grave, kindly soldier increased.
After a hearty lunch, lessons concerning staves, knives (swords for those who had them), and bows and arrows were given.
Ami refused to participate in any of the fighting. She and the other naiad, Althia, spent their time brushing up on their healing skills. The injuries incurred during the daily sparring matches gave them more practice. They had gone searching for local herbs each time Nath had docked the ship so Darrian and Jalen (delegated because both were human) could restock on food and other supplies.
As for Mina, Lita, Rei, and Seren, they all participated. Even if Seren hadn't been eager to learn, Darrian would have insisted. She'd given him a blistering lecture about how she could think for herself already, and he'd backed off with a look of befuddlement on his handsome features. Reisha was the best archer among them all, and Lita was a good hand with a staff. Mina proved adept at most of the weapons they had on board to experiment with, but she hated being trounced in hand-to-hand combat.
After dinner, some of them stayed in the galley to tell stories late into the night. Those who couldn't cook were forced to take their turns at washing the dishes. One night, Serenitatis, Malina, Lirita, Reisha, and Amity were gathered in their room and settling down for the night. It had been a long day for all of them, and they decided to sit out on the nightly tale-telling (Mina said that if she heard another word about ghostly sailors, haunted shipwrecks, and nasty monsters at the bottom of the sea from Nath, she'd send him down there so he could see that none of the myths were true.
Lita smiled sleepily from the pallet in the center of the room. She rather liked Nath's stories...although her attention had been focused more on the shadows playing across his face and the gestures his hands made than the actual story. It was her turn to sleep on the floor: Mina and Seren were bunking together to her left, and Ami and Rei slept on the right side of the room.
Ami was also smiling to herself as she lay on her bunk, but for a different reason. She cast a fond look at the bunk above her, where Rei was brushing her long hair. She had come above-deck that afternoon to see how the combatants were doing. What she had seen was much more interesting than the teaching.
Rei had been working with Leanna, one of the more hapless elves who clearly wasn't suited to fighting, showing her how to aim properly. Jalen had been watching Rei, and Ami had been watching Jalen. For her part, Rei hadn't realized that anyone was observing, so she was less self-conscious than she would have been.
Her temper had always been infamous at the warriors' retreat; everyone knew that the littlest things could tick Rei off. But she was also a good people person. She saw that Leanna was trying hard to grasp the concept, so she kept her temper in check.
If she hadn't been working diligently, Rei would have had the chance to blow off some steam: she didn't like living in such close quarters. She'd lived seeing only the people at the warriors' retreat for ten years straight, but at least then Rei been able to escape and roam the surrounding area. Now she was stuck sharing a room with four other women. She had even less privacy now than she'd had while traveling with Jalen, and it was grating on her nerves.
But as Leanna watched her movements carefully, her oak-brown eyes shining, she smiled back and continued her instructions. When another half-hour had gone by, the others were finished. Reisha made some minute criticisms first, telling her what she had to work on, but she also complimented Leanna on her improvements.
When her student had walked away, beaming and flushed with praise, Ami went over to her to say what she knew Jalen couldn't. But she saw the proud, admiring look in his eyes. "It was nice of you to help Leanna," Ami said softly.
Rei had given her a strange look. "We're all helping each other, Ames."
"I know. But you taught her so pleasantly that she didn't become resentful or bored. It's a gift, you know–having the ability to be a good teacher."
She smiled radiantly. "Does that mean you'll let me teach you after all?"
Ami had laughed lightly. "Not today. Another time, if you must."
She turned so that she was lying on her side, looking at Lita, Seren, and Mina. What she was thinking about, however, didn't concern them. Reisha and Jalen... Ami closed her eyes, envisioning them standing next to each other. Her raven-dark hair was dramatic in comparison to Jalen's bright golden locks.
The image became a memory that had occurred not so many days ago, of Rei and Jalen standing before the seemingly-impenetrable wall. They had gone through together, her mind recalled. Ami frowned. Her pulse began to race. And she thought of the prophecy.
Each partner will never be completed by one so well
As the one whom they are destined for.
They will be drawn to each other
For all eternity, together apart:
A curse, a blessing, inescapable fate.
She knew that part, unfortunately, was very true. There were four more stanzas after, however, that she was more concerned with.
The third pair are two truly marked by fate:
The male a half-breed, born of human and elf, with the best qualities of both but alone in life until he finds
His passionate warrior woman who ignites in him a fire matching her own.
A half-breed elf...with human blood. Or, she reasoned, an human with an elfin parent. Rei was a warrior. She was passionate, and the fire... Ami thought back to when Jalen had been filling her in on the magik he'd walked Reisha through. He'd been awed by her attachment to fire. 'I wish...I wish it wasn't such a coincidence.' But if they were the third couple, the last section of the prophecy made more sense.
Should these fated ten fail,
The land will fall into utter chaos: all goodness wiped from existence, leaving evil and darkness
To inhabit a forsaken world
Their ultimate task: to break a world apart, to bring it back together, to restore a lost dynasty to the second throne, and
To love one another.
The lost dynasty and the second throne had to be the Zurielis line. Rei was the Zurielis princess. And that made everything even more difficult, because Jalen couldn't know. Ami had promised Rei that she wouldn't tell him.
'We're insane,' she thought, exasperated, 'we find this prophecy, and we think everything's wonderful now. Everyone's all ready to start gallivanting on ridiculous quests and rescue missions. We didn't even bother thinking about the prophecy and what it predicts, and when it finally holds true, we'll have no idea what to do about it.'
****~**~****
Throughout the day, Mina often depended upon Lita to help keep everything in order. She and Ami kept their distance, although Mina resolved to remedy the situation as soon as possible. She sought out Seren for company and a return to sanity. The princess was always light-hearted, understanding, and ready to see the best in other people.
The others came to Seren, as well, mostly when they were upset. She listened to them, soothed them, and even managed to defend those who had roused their tempers. Hers was a forgiving nature, and she turned back the tides of their anger so that harmony was restored.
Malina and Darrian were undisputedly in charge of just about everyone on board. Although Darrian, being a man, was assumed to have more authority than her, even the men came to Mina with certain issues they felt could be better handled by her. She dealt with what she had to (and some things she didn't) with amazing ease and grace, and she was able to keep a smile on her face while doing so.
Lita was content in her role as head cook. She didn't mind the falls and bruises she took in fighting, and the fact she was quick to laugh and very easy-going made her popular with everyone. There was only the matter of her obstinacy–she was as stubborn as the roots of mighty oak trees, and when she felt that she was in the right, she was going to prove her point until her last breath.
Lita also hated being ordered around by those she felt had no authority over her. She was willing to listen to Mina, Darrian, and those who taught her, because they had earned her respect. If anyone else tried to tell her what to do, she refused, point-blank, to follow their orders.
Like many of her fellow folk aboard, Lita was homesick. She desperately wanted to return to the forest she had lived all her life, among the trees that sang in the sunlight and the animals that had no reason to fear people, for they had rarely come in contact with humans. The dryads were protectors of the flora and fauna of their home, and although they were a peaceable people, they could fight fiercely for those they loved.
She had told Seren, Rei, Ami, and Mina, wistfully, about the tree-binding ceremony that she had yet to take part in. Every adult dryad in the forest was heart-bound to a tree. The ceremony was beautiful, simple, and private, but when it was concluded, all the dryads could tell when one of their number had become the life-mate of a tree. It changed them, made them wiser and closer to nature...but it was a two-fold relationship.
In trees, there existed no spite, no hatred, no anger. But dryads could bring these emotions to the trees and hurt them. Most of the time, they drew strength from each other and shared in the joy of life. Once a dryad was bound to a tree (and it had to be a voluntary process), (s)he was bound to protect that tree for life. If the tree died, the dryad was marked for a swift death.
However, if the dryad died before it was the tree's time (as was usually the case), the tree lived on. Sometimes it chose a new dryad as its companion for several more decades; sometimes it chose to wait a lifetime or two to mourn its previous protector.
Most dryads became bound to trees during adolescence, and the binding helped them to mature. Lita, however, had yet to find the tree she would take as her life-mate. She was still considered to be very young among the dryads, but she was past the average age that most dryads were at the time of their ceremony. She hoped to return to the heart of the Sylvan Forest soon, so she could be reunited with her family and resume her search for her tree.
Reisha was finding it an interesting experience, becoming so close to the four girls she roomed with. At the temple, she had spent most of her time developing her skills and fighting with the men to give her equal treatment. Alec and Adalicia, for all their warmth and acceptance, seemed very different from those she had met in the span of approximately a month, and they seemed so far away from where she was now.
She liked the feeling of acceptance and respect she was receiving, but she was also reminded of the profusion of cousins that had kept her company at Zurielis Court. It hurt when she remembered them and her parents. It hurt more to think about the memories and love she had missed out in during the ten long, hard years of her life after the empire had collapsed. She had been torn from everything she had ever known, and everyone she had loved had been killed. As she grew older, her memories also grew more vague.
Rei had avoided Seren during the first few days they had traveled together. She had spent a long time lecturing herself and trying to overcome the prejudice she had against the Divine family. It was very hard for her to do so and even harder for her to see the purity and goodness in Seren. Somewhat against her will, Rei had begun to like Seren for the person she was. She thought it might be impossible for anyone to dislike Seren, disregarding the obvious exception of her mother.
But it was still difficult for Rei to overcome the bitter resentment that she had harbored for so long. She didn't think of Seren as "the Divine princess." Despite her fiery temper, Rei was a people person. She understood their thoughts, identified their motives, and rejoiced in the beauty and resilience found in all souls.
But sometimes, after she dreamed about her deceased family at night, she was reluctant to face Seren. Ami understood, and she was the only one Rei felt she could fully confide in. But Rei still believed that Jalen loved her.
The thing that made the situation the hardest to bear was the fact that Seren had so much faith in Rei. She respected her for her fighting skills least of all (although those brought Rei the most merit among the men); she was more in awe of the beauty, pride, and fire of Rei's spirit.
Sometimes Rei felt guilty, almost as if she was betraying Seren by not telling her that she was the Zurielis princess. She wondered if the name would even have significance for Seren, sheltered as she had been. But she told herself it was a ridiculous sentiment. It was dangerous that even Ami knew who she was. Were there another naiads who remembered her childish features, who could see the resemblance in her face now?
At times, Rei thought it might be easier to have the whole secret out in the open. She could be free of it...there would no longer be a need to be careful about what she said and who she got close to. But Reisha knew that she wouldn't be free until the spirits of her parents and those who had served them were avenged. The time would come, she had promised herself ten years ago.
She didn't blame Seren for what her mother had done. It would have been unjust, and Rei was a person who needed to see justice served to the end. But she would not be at peace with herself until vengeance was carried out. And until then, after then, she didn't know how she could face Seren. It was clear that Seren still loved her mother, and it was not surprising, given her personality.
But Rei didn't know how to tell Seren that she wanted to kill her mother. And when it was done, she didn't know how they would mend the rift that would undoubtedly spring up between them. She wondered, sometimes, whether Darrian was also plotting the death of Queen Serenitatis Divine. It was an unsettling fact of the matter that she and her daughter had the same name.
For now, Rei concentrated on her day-to-day goals. She had to keep herself alive to get out of the upcoming fray, and then...then she would deal with what she had to. Whenever she needed a reminder of why she was driving herself so hard, she thought of her beautiful, stately mother.
Rei had been difficult as a child: headstrong, lively, and almost impossible to keep still. But Queen Zara had instilled the desire to be a lady in Rei, and her daughter had been deeply loved. Zara was the one who had gifted Rei with most of her looks, and the name Rei carried now was the shortened name of endearment that her mother had given her: Reisha, from Reishiara.
She sometimes wondered whether she should have chosen just the first syllable of her name when the warriors at the temple had asked for her name. It was shorter, less conspicuous. Rei was the name she held in her heart, but Reisha was the name she would never let go of.
****~**~****
AN: Don't worry...the action will be coming up in probably the chapter after next when the gang decides to infiltrate the capital, and I finally pay more attention to Kentan ^^;;. Sorry!!
And didn't we all enjoy the nice recap at the beginning of the chapter? ^.~ I needed it, at least. This chapter still isn't done yet ^^;; so I'm spilling over the other half into 14. At least some of it's written! :) More talk and character development coming up...
Important character interaction coming up in the next chapter:
Mina and Ami
Ami and Lita
all the gals
all the guys (but this uncertain)
Important character relationships:
Seren and Kent
Zacch and Mina
Mina and Nath
Ami and Rei
Rei and Seren
Important character relationships to watch out for:
Darrian and Kentan
Kentan and Zacch
Ami and Kent
Darrian and Rei
Zacch and Lita
Nath and Jalen
Jalen and Seren
Rei and Mina
and much, much more...thank you for reading! ^.~
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