The wind caught a tendril of her mahogany hair as she stared wistfully out the window. Before her lay a busy city that come tomorrow she was to rule. She was Briar Veruille, a sapphire jeweled healer Queen. She had been born in this city, raised here and had lived here her whole life. The people had agreed she would now be the one to rule it... that is of course if all went well with tomorrow's ceremony. For a Queen to rule a territory in Kaeleer she needed a court containing at least 12 Warlord Princes who wanted to serve her. It was a rule she didn't really understand...why did one need so many males to serve. Women served just as well. But that was the law in Kaeleer and despite all its ties to Terreille, Little Terreille was a territory of Kaeleer.

Briar jumped as she felt a pair of large hands being placed on her shoulder. she turned her head quickly to see whom it was who had startled her. She smiled when she saw it was only her father, who was now trying to spit out the hair she had flicked into his mouth as she had turned around.

"Oh i'm sorry Papa!" she cried quickly pulling her hair out of his way "You startled me." she explained.

"It's ok... maybe next time i should stomp my way up the stairs so I don't scare you. " Adrian Veruille went to stand next to his daughter and look out over the city of Goth. "It's getting late my dear, you should get to bed. You want to be well rested for tomorrow. It is going to be a long day."

Briar sighed. She was in her nightgown already and twice now she had gone to bed only to get up again as her mind raced with possibilities for the day ahead.

"Alright Papa... I will try and get some sleep." Reluctantly she headed for the large four poster bed and crawled in under the covers. Her father kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Briar turned out the lights with a pinch of craft and turned in her bed. Sooner or later she would go to sleep wouldn't she?

The sun was bright and Briar screwed up her nose and eyes as it hit her in the face. She really didn't want to get up... it had taken her hours to fall to sleep and she still didn't feel well rested enough to face the day. But she knew she must get up and already a made was pulling back the curtains and laying her breakfast out on a tray ready for her to eat.

Within a few minutes the maid had pulled her from her bed and forced a few mouthfuls into her. This was another reason she knew today was going to be a bad day. There was no time for her morning breakfast in my nightgown tradition in the dining room with her father. They both usually wore their slippers and robes and would have fun poking fun at each others choice of slippers. Instead she was forcing a few peices of dry toast down with a glass of milk while the maid warned her not to spill crumbs on her gown.

It was a beautiful dress, the colour of a blood plum. The deep purple symbolising a melding of the dark and the light. Kaeleer and Terreille, the realms of light and dark. Little Terreille standing between. It was perhaps one of the most politically difficult territories to rule in the realm, for the relations between Kaeleer and Terreille had never been easy.

At last she was breakfasted and dressed, with a million pins holding her hair in just the right style, a pair of uncomfortable shoes made the outfit complete and when she stepped out the door she was relieved to find her father waiting to escort her down the stair. He too was dressed up, his shoes polished to shine, no slippers there today. He wore a grey suit with a purple cummerbund that matched her own outfit. Together they must have looked quite dashing.

As they made it to the bottom of the stair and entered the entrance hall they were surrounded by the dignitaries of the court, members of the previous court and various other esteemed guests. Briar gripped her father's arm nervously but politely and confidently greeted their guests whilst making her way through the crowd toward the room of court.

They lead the way into the room of court, Briar made her way to the dais and sat upon the high backed chair there. Then she waited, until around half an hour later when everyone had finally made there way into the room of court.

Briar stood and almost immediately a hushed quiet fell over the room. She added a little craft to project her voice so all could hear it and said;

"I am Lady Briar Veruille, Healer Queen, born of Little Terreille and I Will Serve."

She waited a few moments and then asked,

"I ask now who else will serve?"

The hall still was quiet.

"I will serve" Her father made his way toward Briar and knelt before her. Using craft Briar cut a small nick in her palm and offered it to her father He tasted of her blood and used craft to heal the cut before standing beside her.

"Adrian Verruille will you take the ring and duties of the Steward"

"I will"

The Priestess who had been standing behind them on the dais brought out the ring and presented it to Adrian who took it and placed it on his finger.

Again Briar asked,

"Who else will serve?"

All was silent, no one else answered her call, slowly voiced began talking in hushed whispers

"Who else will serve?" Briar asked again, her voice beginning to quaver as her nerves rushed upon her, making her feel sick to her stomach.

Again no answer. The women in the hall looked to the men and the Warlord Princes, none who had served the Queen before her would look her in the eye. None of these men would serve.

She needed 12 Warlord Princes to begin her rule... and she had one.

The crowd began to talk again and soon enough the hall was filled with gossiping voices. The ceremony was over.

Adrian lead Briar from the dais and quietly together they slipped from the room and retired back to Briar's suite.

"I don't understand... what did i do wrong Papa?" Briar turned to Adrian, tears in her eyes and all of a sudden the young woman and Queen he had known was once again a little girl who had come to him for comfort when she had scraped her knee.

"Nothing my Dear...there has to be some political nonsense at play here." Adrian patted his daughter on the back as he held her talking mostly to her hair as he added "There is no rule saying the Warlord Princes who serve have to be from amongst the Court...We shall just have to find some others who will serve."

Though this did not bode well for a smooth rulership for his daughter.

"They will come... they always do." he added. Warlord Princes were driven to serve, they craved contact with a strong Queen. So... yes... they would come.

The morning dawned bright and early, and though Adrian rose with the sun he was still second to breakfast, he descended the stairs to find Briar waiting for him in the dining room, a plate already balanced on her knee. He took note of her fluffy slippers, and looked down at his own feet; he was wearing a perfectly sensible pair of slippers, the tops covered by the ends of his pajama pants. It was a tradition they had started when Briar was young, as every day dawned they would greet each other in their pajamas for breakfast, before the courtly duties and various other things whisked them apart, so at least every day they could spend some time together.

He took a plate and swiftly filled it with toast and jam. He sat down beside Briar and said politely

"Good morning,"

"Good morning Papa" Briar replied cordially, placing a morsel of scrambled eggs in her mouth. Adrian picked up his own piece of raisin toast and took a bite,

"What do you have planned for this morning sweetheart?" he asked.

"Well first I want to spend some time in the garden with my roses, before

I'm needed in court, then after court I was going to go and take a look at a couple of buildings in Goth, to see which one I might set up as a healing station" Adrian nodded, unable to reply verbally as his mouth was full of toast. Soon enough their meal was over and the pair returned to their rooms to

get dressed before they went in their separate directions. Briar to her garden, and Adrian to his study.

Briar hummed a pleasant tune as she knelt in the soil, and pulled weeds, alternately using her trowel to loosen them and her gloved hands to pull them, she was happy, her troubles momentarily forgotten while she worked and sang to the land, weaving a spell through her sweet voice, to encourage her roses to bloom and grow strong.

"That's a lovely tune, you'll have to teach it to me sometime." A deep and cultured voice sounded behind her, startled Briar's head flew to face him, her hands scattering dirt all around. Behind her stood a stranger, but she wouldn't panic, instead she wiped her hands on her muddy dress and stood, dark patched of dirt scattered her clothes, a smudge of dirt was by her nose.

"Maybe I will" she said coyly, "who are you looking for?" she asked, formally, in the tone she often heard the maids use to visiting guests. He was tall, and quite good looking. Briar graced him with a smile.

"Prince Adrian Veruille actually" he smiled, his teeth white and brilliant "could you point me in the right direction?" he asked.

"Of Course" Briar smiled genuinely, not at all surprised that he was looking for he father, probably here on business, she surmised.

"If you go to the door, you will be greeted by the butler; he'll show you where to go." She saw his face flush red, knowing she had seen through his ploy, to talk with a pretty girl.

"Very well" he replied and hurried off towards the door. Briar laughed quietly, before returning to her place bent over the bed of roses. Even the Manor was big enough for a butler.