The Black Rose
Diana sat in the palace of Syric at a loss for words.
"Are you ok mistress?" A passing by servant asked. Diana stood, nodding absently to the servant, before starting down the hall. She was in a daze, thinking about what had happened. Apparently, her father had left, unannounced, and disappeared to the East. Her mother had died by "accident." Diana's green eyes flashed as she thought about this. There was no way this was true. She clenched her fists and quickened her pace, heading for her room. To her surprise, there was already someone there.
"Diana: A tall man with long grey hair, tied back neatly to reveal his widow's peak, with alarming yellow eyes stood in her doorway.
"How nice of you to enter yourself into my room," She retorted through gritted teeth. The man paid no attenention to the comment.
"Is it true what I am hearing?" His voice mockingly cool and relaxed. "Is milady now orphaned? " The smallest of smiles played his lips.
"What makes you think that?" she inquired tartly. The man shrugged.
"Well you've no mother or father, I'd call that orphaned." He scowled down at her, his eerie yellow eyes connecting with her bright green ones.
"Who says I've no father?" She asked, even though she had just heard the very same thing.
"Your father and mother are dead, what does it take to force that through your thick skull?!" The man's face turned hard, while Diana's remained dead calm.
"You're lying, master Aradalen, you're lying." His eyes flashed behind his half moon spectacles, though the rest of him appeared calm.
"Well, milady," He said, controlling himself again, "Is for the subtle reason to offer you a home."
"But you hate me my lord," Aradalen was clearly loosing his cool.
"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about," He said crisply, "Now, pack and we can be on our way."
"I will do no such thing. I am staying here."
"You are but a mere twelve! There is no possible way you could manage this palace alone!"
"It's better than staying with you!" She snapped, sweeping past him and shutting the door.
"Very well Diana, but you know my offer is always open. I would care for you like a daughter." Yeah, when pigs fly, she thought bitterly. She heard his highly polished black boots click away. Diana let out her breath and turned around to face her room. Her room servant, Salma, was standing there. Diana jumped in surprise.
"How long have you been standing there?" She asked. The dark-skinned maid looked at her with wide eyes.
"Long enough," She grabbed a pair of scissors off the night stand. "And I think I have a solution to your problem. I know you well enough to know that you are probably cooking up a plan right now," The maid, who was actually not much older than Diana, at sixteen, grinned. Diana held her hands up.
"Yes, but I can only think of one thing: To run away and go search for father."
"Your father is in the East, where my land is. My cousin has written me a letter saying that he arrived a week ago, being dragged by guards. The emperor has him prisoner." Diana's father had rescued many people from the emperor that he was using as slaves, including Salma. Most had insisted that they were very good at work, and they needed work, so he offered them work here, and pay. They were shocked, but accepted it all the same.
Diana nodded and sat on the stool, letting Salma cut her hair.
"Your mother was murdered, though it was claimed it was an accident. What do you make of the situation?"
"Well, my only chance to get father back is to go to the emperor. I know I can't defeat his armies. The higher status I have, the better." Salma hacked a few inches off of Diana's long hair.
"Think about it! What have you always wanted to be?" Diana looked at the chocolate brown locks on the floor.
"A dragon keeper," She answered simply. It had always been a dream of hers, but only men can have the job. Salma continued to cut Diana's hair shorter and shorter. A few minutes later she handed Diana a mirror. She looked in the mirror and grinned, catching on to Salma's plan. Her hair was cropped short, about to her earlobes. "I can disguise myself as a boy!" They chimed in usion (although Salma said YOU can disguise yourself as a boy). She ran into the back of the room. "Aradalen was here for a dreadfully long time, so I started sewing these." She came out with an assortment of new clothes. "Try them on."
Diana stepped out, dressed in a green tunic, outlined in gold, a white shirt with full sleeves, brown stockings, and knee high black traveling boots. Her chest was bound flat with a special band. She marveled at herself in the mirror.
"You're a genius Salma!" She laughed. The girls danced around the room in celebration of their new plan.
"All you have to do is sneak out and go to the nearest ship, ok?" Salma handed Diana a cloak and bag with traveling supplies.
"Where are the ships heading?"
"Tortall."
"Are you ok mistress?" A passing by servant asked. Diana stood, nodding absently to the servant, before starting down the hall. She was in a daze, thinking about what had happened. Apparently, her father had left, unannounced, and disappeared to the East. Her mother had died by "accident." Diana's green eyes flashed as she thought about this. There was no way this was true. She clenched her fists and quickened her pace, heading for her room. To her surprise, there was already someone there.
"Diana: A tall man with long grey hair, tied back neatly to reveal his widow's peak, with alarming yellow eyes stood in her doorway.
"How nice of you to enter yourself into my room," She retorted through gritted teeth. The man paid no attenention to the comment.
"Is it true what I am hearing?" His voice mockingly cool and relaxed. "Is milady now orphaned? " The smallest of smiles played his lips.
"What makes you think that?" she inquired tartly. The man shrugged.
"Well you've no mother or father, I'd call that orphaned." He scowled down at her, his eerie yellow eyes connecting with her bright green ones.
"Who says I've no father?" She asked, even though she had just heard the very same thing.
"Your father and mother are dead, what does it take to force that through your thick skull?!" The man's face turned hard, while Diana's remained dead calm.
"You're lying, master Aradalen, you're lying." His eyes flashed behind his half moon spectacles, though the rest of him appeared calm.
"Well, milady," He said, controlling himself again, "Is for the subtle reason to offer you a home."
"But you hate me my lord," Aradalen was clearly loosing his cool.
"I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about," He said crisply, "Now, pack and we can be on our way."
"I will do no such thing. I am staying here."
"You are but a mere twelve! There is no possible way you could manage this palace alone!"
"It's better than staying with you!" She snapped, sweeping past him and shutting the door.
"Very well Diana, but you know my offer is always open. I would care for you like a daughter." Yeah, when pigs fly, she thought bitterly. She heard his highly polished black boots click away. Diana let out her breath and turned around to face her room. Her room servant, Salma, was standing there. Diana jumped in surprise.
"How long have you been standing there?" She asked. The dark-skinned maid looked at her with wide eyes.
"Long enough," She grabbed a pair of scissors off the night stand. "And I think I have a solution to your problem. I know you well enough to know that you are probably cooking up a plan right now," The maid, who was actually not much older than Diana, at sixteen, grinned. Diana held her hands up.
"Yes, but I can only think of one thing: To run away and go search for father."
"Your father is in the East, where my land is. My cousin has written me a letter saying that he arrived a week ago, being dragged by guards. The emperor has him prisoner." Diana's father had rescued many people from the emperor that he was using as slaves, including Salma. Most had insisted that they were very good at work, and they needed work, so he offered them work here, and pay. They were shocked, but accepted it all the same.
Diana nodded and sat on the stool, letting Salma cut her hair.
"Your mother was murdered, though it was claimed it was an accident. What do you make of the situation?"
"Well, my only chance to get father back is to go to the emperor. I know I can't defeat his armies. The higher status I have, the better." Salma hacked a few inches off of Diana's long hair.
"Think about it! What have you always wanted to be?" Diana looked at the chocolate brown locks on the floor.
"A dragon keeper," She answered simply. It had always been a dream of hers, but only men can have the job. Salma continued to cut Diana's hair shorter and shorter. A few minutes later she handed Diana a mirror. She looked in the mirror and grinned, catching on to Salma's plan. Her hair was cropped short, about to her earlobes. "I can disguise myself as a boy!" They chimed in usion (although Salma said YOU can disguise yourself as a boy). She ran into the back of the room. "Aradalen was here for a dreadfully long time, so I started sewing these." She came out with an assortment of new clothes. "Try them on."
Diana stepped out, dressed in a green tunic, outlined in gold, a white shirt with full sleeves, brown stockings, and knee high black traveling boots. Her chest was bound flat with a special band. She marveled at herself in the mirror.
"You're a genius Salma!" She laughed. The girls danced around the room in celebration of their new plan.
"All you have to do is sneak out and go to the nearest ship, ok?" Salma handed Diana a cloak and bag with traveling supplies.
"Where are the ships heading?"
"Tortall."