Title: Sandry's Pride

Summery: Four years after WOTE everything's settled with our Winding Circle quartet until an old threat comes to Emelan. What does he want? And why is he .. pleasant? Shan/Sandry evntly. Lemony Plz R&R!

Arthur's note: I just couldn't let go the fact that Shan was such a Weenie-hole. I liked him too much and the connection he had with Sandry so .. I'm continuing the story in my imagination.

Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce is the genius who owns this magnificent world. I just like to skip around in it.

Chapter 1:

It's His face she sees. His eyes. His smile. His caress. Looking at him, a smile graces her lips. He's so close now. She longs to touch his hands. To have them engulf hers just once more, but she's unable to move. However, why she wants to leave his side, she could not recall.

He leans in to brush his lips ever so lightly along her face. The soft warmth of his lips makes her feel dizzy with a passion she is yet to understand and eager to learn. She inhales his sent and like a slap in the face she remembers. The look in his eyes that was once passion and mischief is now wild and greedy. The hands that held her close now hold her prisoner.

She is filled with panic as he sets his lips firmly against hers. He tries to deepen the kiss, but she won't let him. As stiff as a board she stays obstinate to him. He growls and gently caresses her neck until he reaches her chin and gently pushes down with his thumb to open her mouth. Unprepared for his touch, she opens her mouth to his invasion. She gasps in shock as his tongue touches hers.

"No" her mind shouts silently. Yet even to her ears the plea sounds weak. He begins to trail his hand down her side to rap around her waist and settles on the small of her back to bring her closer to his body. In the back of her mind the thought that she knew they would fit well together like this, escapes before she can stop it.

"I must resist this." This war her mind fights against her body is losing as she starts to innocently rub her tongue against his.

"I am no fool. No." Once again her traitorous body denies her by instinctively moving her body against his.

"No!" Her mind cries mutely. He groans as she bushes up against him for a second time. He becomes more forceful with his assaults and starts to nibble on her ear. She knows she's lost this battle for sense and gives in. Her knees weaken and her arms clasp to his broad beautiful shoulders. Passion starts to blind her vision when he starts to undo her clothing.

"NO!"

With a start Sandrilene fa Toren wakes up in a sweat streaked forehead and nightgown. Gasping for control over her anxiety, she feels her body trembling and blames it solely on her alarm. Even though the, place between her legs ached with a shout at the lies she tells herself.

Alarm. She scoffed. She's had this dream come and go for the last four years. In the beginning it was continuous, but then it had cooled till she thought she was rid of it. But since the last Solace of Celebration three weeks ago, it had come back with a vengeance. The nightmares were starting to get more intense and vivid. Were the dreams had started out with just little kisses and chatting about mint leaves, they'd now turn her into a hot aching body who wanted nothing more than to do a lot of baby-making.

It had been four years since Sandry has seen him and yet he, Pershan fer Roth, haunts her dreams. It was so, because for one moment he had made her surrender to him even though she knew he was a double crosser, a liar, and a cheat. It was the first time she had ever let a person she deemed unworthy breach her shield and made her act disgracefully wonton. Sandry had tried to use these nightmares to remind her that such a thing will never happen to her again. And with that last reminder she stood up to get ready for the day, even though dawn was two hours away Sandry would not risk having another unforgiving nightmare.

Dressed and ready for the day Sandry started to bake. Baking was not her specialty seeing as nobles don't really have to cook for themselves, but she was trying to be more self-reliant since the visit to her cousin Empress Berenene dor Ocmore. Once her biscuits were ready everyone else in the house hold should be waking up. In the mean time Sandry looked over reports from her cousin Ambros fer Landreg, she didn't hear her Uncle come up to the door nor did she expect any visitors so early in the morning.

Duke Verdis IV looked in on his blossoming beauty of a niece. It still amazed him that such a transformation in her beauty had taken nothing but time. His niece had kept her cornflower blue eyes and button nose, but her light brown hair that had grown long and sleek down to her waist now has shimmers of gold to highlight it. Her girlishly plump cheeks now gave her a heart shaped face that skillfully finished with her round mulish chin. She was a fair beauty and now at the age of twenty and one, she had curves in all the places that made him want to flog every male that set eyes on his blissfully unaware niece. He couldn't wait for the day she would find herself a husband that would take the responsibility of making sure the eyes of the young men that stared at her were snuffed. And at the same time Duke Verdis had this thought he discarded it, because he would never wish for his favorite family member to be parted from him.

With that last thought Duke Verdis finally remembered why he had come to Sandry at such an hour. He braced himself for her reaction by clearing his throat.

"Uncle!" Sandry immediately hurried over to embrace her Uncle. It had been two weeks since she had seen him last. He had been over the boarders to settle some disputes and was not due back until next month.

"What brings you to me at this hour? Did everything go well in Yanjing? And what happened to your coat?" As she questioned him his coat was already starting to put itself back together. Which was not a surprise since Sandry was a Stitch Witch.

"Sandry I have some rather disturbing news," he said and with a disturbingly sorrowful countenance that frightened her. He shook his head while trying to find the right words.

"It's okay Uncle, I'm sure we will be able to handle this. No matter what it is" Sandry said very seriously. Not War. Not War, they have no good reason for it. All trade has been managed and we've kept our diplomats and ambassadors happy if not content. No not War. She silently battled with herself.

"I've just been informed that a nobleman is making his way in to Winding Circle from Namorn" Duke Verdis hesitated

"He wishes an audience with you Sandry. He is here to make peace." He still hesitated.

With every part of her being she knew. She just knew.

"Sandry, Pershan for Roth is here to stay until he can convince you of his repentant soul for the offense he has made against you."

Sandry was paralyzed with fear, anger, sorrow, shame, and resentment at what she just heard and yet..

She just knew.

Okay, end of Chapter. Let me know if I'm way off with my information about Winding Circles and stuff and I'll try to fix it. Also I'll try hard to get Sandry's character right but I have a feeling the Shan is going to be OC, since all we see is nasty little Shan, and well I hope you like Shan I'm going to be cooking up for you. Review so I can start my next chapter

Meomy!