Author: Raven Shadowrose
Title: Fated Propehecy
Rating: Mature
Pairing: ?/?
Disclaimer: I do not know or own any of the characters from Legend Of The Seeker, any original characters and the story are my property.
A/N: This story is the sequel to the one shots I have been writing; Tides of Time, Somewhere, When You're Alone and I Know Where You Sleep. I would help you to read those first, so you can understand what has happened before this story.
Chapter One... Alienne Quenell.
I was sat at the table in my small kitchen, it was a dangerous time to be in D'Hara. Lord Rahl had been killed by the seeker months ago but somehow he had managed to return from the Underworld and was once again ruling from the People's Palace. I try to keep the information from Eva, she is an innocent young girl and the less she knows about the events in the world the better. Especially the rumour that the Keeper is after Lord Rahl for betraying him.
With our brother, William, in Brennidon working for a scribe it is up to me to protect Eva, I will not fail her. There have been many strange events of late, boxes of food and a toy or two for Eva appearing on the doorstep. It had started a few months before and then stopped all of a sudden and then a few weeks ago it started again. I checked the food carefully before either of us ate it, I had inherited some hearth craft from my mother and part of my gift was that I could sense poison even when hidden in food and drink. Whenever the food was left I tried to see the person that did it, but they were nowhere in sight. William sent us whatever money he could, I told him about the food being left and he said as long as it was safe to eat then we should just accept it.
Eva told me that there is a man who sits at the window and watches me sing to her at night, she says that he is the one that is leaving all the food. I have never seen anyone and I have looked many times. I cannot rule out that she has an imaginary friend but neither can I rule out that this man is real, especially if he is a threat to us. Young girls went missing on occasion, some were victims of the Mord'Sith and others went into the People's Palace and never came out again.
I was keeping back some of the money that William sent to us, once I had enough I would take Eva and we would leave D'Hara, we would go as far as possible to somewhere that she would be safe. Keeping Eva safe was my main concern in life, I taught her what I could, she was a smart girl and she learned quickly but I had limited resources. If we could get to Brennidon then William would teach her more than I could.
I had sent Eva out to the garden to play, she loved being out with the flowers, as much as I wanted to keep her inside and keep and her safe I could not deny her the time in the garden that she enjoyed so much. If I kept her inside she would want to know why and no amount of good intentions would be able to keep the truth from her. I stood up and went to the window, it was time to check on her again. My heart nearly stopped when I saw a cloaked man stood with Eva, I picked up the sword that once belonged to my father and quietly went outside.
I couldn't hear what the man was saying to Eva, before he turned around I touched the sword to his back. 'What do you want with my sister? Think very carefully about your answer, remember that I have a sword at your back.'
'I mean her no harm.'
'That's not what I asked.' I pushed the sword a little more into his back to let him know how serious I was, no one would take my sister.
'Alienne, he's not here to hurt me, he's the man at the window, the one that comes to hear you sing.'
'What? Turn around, slowly.' He did as I asked and I put the sword back, level with his heart. 'Get inside, both of you, now.' I was surprised that the man did as I asked, he was likely to be much stronger than I was and yet he did nothing.
I closed the door behind us all and carefully latched it. 'Sit down, at the table.' I gestured with the sword and the man did as he was asked. 'Eva, I want you to tell me exactly what is going on. Do not leave anything out.'
'He is the man who comes to watch you sing, just like I said. He doesn't mean us any harm.'
'I thought he was just an imaginary friend.'
'I am no imaginary friend, I am very real as you can see.'
I did not ask you to speak, I will get to you in a minute.' His voice was very familiar. 'Eva, please go to your room, I need to talk with your friend.'
'As long as you promise not to hurt him.'
'I promise.' Eva looked at the man one more time and then went to her room as I had asked her.
I turned to the man once she had gone. 'What is the meaning of this? I have my younger sister telling me that there is a man sitting at her window at night, a man who turns out to be you. Why have you been coming here?'
'I just wanted to listen to you sing, that is all.'
'You say it like it is so simple. Who are you?'
'Do you wish to know?'
'Yes, you have been coming here and intruding on my sister and I, the least you can do is tell me what your name is.'
'My name is Darken Rahl.'
'Right, and I'm the Creator.'
'You don't believe me?'
'No. Take off your hood, prove it.'
'Are you sure?'
'Yes.' The man lifted his hands to the hood and pulled it back and sure enough the man sat in front of me had Darken Rahl's face. 'Just because you have his face doesn't mean you are him. I've heard about the double that is kept in the palace.'
'That double no longer exists.'
'Fine, whatever you say.'
'You don't believe me?'
'No, chances are you would have killed me by now if you were.'
'Fair point. I don't want to kill you though.'
'What do you want?'
'It's quite simple, I was going to have my soldiers bring you to the palace but as I have been caught I will ask you myself. I have heard you singing and I want your skill at my command, it would be quite a treat for my guests and for myself. You will be very well rewarded if you agree.'
'I don't understand, why me, surely there are better people for this job?'
'I have decided that I want your skill, no one else will do. As a sweetener for the deal my scholars will teach your sister.'
'Do I have any choice?'
'Not really. I get what I want.'
'Very well, you should know this though, I am doing it for Eva, not for you.'
'As you wish, I'd remember that having me on side could be very good for you.'
'If the villagers don't mark me as a traitor I'll be lucky.'
'I can have them taken care of.'
'No, I know what your methods are for taking care of people and I will not have any part of it.'
'Fine, be at the People's Palace tomorrow for noon, do not be late.'
'Noon, right, I've got it.' Lord Rahl stood up and left, if he even was Lord Rahl that is, he must have known that I wouldn't take the chance and that I would be there at the People's Palace tomorrow.
I had no choice but to agree, if I didn't show up then he would send soldiers after me and bring me there by force, I couldn't risk anything happening to Eva, she would be leverage to make me comply. Lord Rahl knew that he had me, I didn't like him, he was a creep of the highest order, he had decided that my skill must be at his command. I felt sick that I had agreed to his request, as long as he kept his hands off me then I might be able to get through singing for him and his odious guests.
I went to Eva's room and knocked on the door, I let myself in and found her playing with the doll that mother had bought for her before she died. 'Has Darken gone?'
'He has. He asked me to do something for him.'
'What was it?'
'He wants me to sing at the palace for him and his guests.'
'What did you say?'
'I said yes.'
'But you didn't want to?' Eva had always been able to tell when I was less than happy about doing something, it was like she knew what I was feeling before I did.
'No, he offered me an education for you. I had to take it.'
'He's not a bad man, I think he's just lonely, that's why he came here.' Eva always saw the best in people, I didn't want her to lose that quality.
'Possibly, I think we will know more when we go to the palace tomorrow.'
'Tomorrow?'
'Yes, we have to go to the palace tomorrow.'
'Are you going to sing for him?'
'I don't know, he didn't say a lot, just that I had to be there.'
'I'd give him a chance, after all he did bring us food, he can't be that bad.'
'Maybe not, I'm not sure. Are you going to stay in here and play with your doll?'
'For a little while.' I nodded and left Eva to play with her toys.
I went back to the kitchen and sat back at the table. When I was sat here earlier my biggest worry was how soon we could leave this place. Now I was having to worry about the fact that a tyrant wanted to claim my skill for himself, what if he decided that he wanted more than my singing, would I be able to give it to him? I don't think that I could, I just had to hope that it didn't come to that one day. I knew the risks involved and yet I had to take them. I would be laying down some rules tomorrow, tyrant or not Lord Rahl had to know the score. I know that there are Mord'Sith in the palace and I will not tolerate them laying even one hand on my sister.
It might not be so bad, Eva would get a decent education and I could tolerate just singing for Lord Rahl, if it got too bad then I could take Eva away before he could even get to us. I must be mad, how long would it be before he lost his temper and would he take it out on Eva or myself? I was quite able to handle myself, my father had taught me to disable someone that was intent on hurting me. I was glad of his tutelage, he could have insisted that I learned to sew lace and be like the other women but he had given me the tools I needed to look after Eva. I would use that skill if I had to, I wasn't afraid of hurting someone that meant me harm. It wasn't my mission in life to hurt people but if it was a choice of me or them then it was no contest.
I decided that I would take Eva's advice and give Lord Rahl a chance. I would make sure to keep my wits about me every time that we were in the palace. I didn't know why Lord Rahl was so willing to pay for someone to sing to him, he had a different agenda than what he said. I was good at reading people and whatever Lord Rahl wanted it wasn't just an entertainer. The mystery intrigued me, I hated to admit it but Lord Rahl had interested me, what was beneath that tough exterior? I wanted to find out.
