The Kalderran Archives
Disclaimer and Other Notes:
This is my first time writing an OC fanfic! As most of you can probably tell, I am not a professional writer. I change perspectives throughout the story. I usually let you know through a marker or by a new chapter. I DO NOT OWN any of the characters, places or themes from Middle-earth. J.R.R. Tolkien and his family estate owns all of that.
Pronounciation:
Mílathiel= MEE-la-thee-el (emphasis on the Mee)
Chapter One
Míla woke with a gasp at what she had seen in her dream. It was probably the strangest dream she had ever had in her 160 years of life. She took a few calming breaths and tried to settle down the beating of her heart. She snuggled into the warm bodies on either side of her and sighed, completely comforted and calm. The dark room around her was a mess: a shirt was thrown haphazardly over her vanity chair, pants were on a heap on her rug in front of the balcony door, shoes with missing pairs could be seen underneath her dresser, and her favorite pillow was nowhere to be found.
Remembering her appointment with His Highness, she started to disentangle herself from two pairs of legs and arms with silent haste. It took some lifting, bending and folding of limp limbs, unclenching of hands and knees, pushing and pulling of midsections and constant tugging and rearranging of warm sheets.
When she finally was standing beside the bed with just her wrist held captive by a hand, she heard a little voice say, "Sissa, where you going?"
Míla shushed her 14 year old sister, knelt before her and said, "Masha, my love, you don't want to wake Serafima do you?"
Míla wiped the dirt stain from her youngest sister's adorable baby face and kissed her nose. She glanced at Serafima, their other sister, to make sure she hadn't awakened.
Masha pleaded with her sleepy, grey eyes and whined, "But I love yous sissa… don't leave me here alone with her. She's a grumpy cat now.."
Míla interrupted her, holding her face in both hands. "Then don't wake her. I will be back later, my beautiful. Get some more sleep. It's too early for little doves to be up." She brushed back Masha's light grey hair while she settled back into the bed.
Míla looked back at Serafima and rearranged the covers to cover her. She looked at Serafima's sleeping face and then tucked her dark blue hair behind her ear.
She glanced back at Masha and saw that her eyes were again closed.
Míla got up and scrounged around her messy room for her clothes. She found a plum colored dress and put it on. She grabbed a brush at her nightstand and started to brush the knots out of her wavy dark brown hair.
Like every night, her sisters had snuck into her bed, not wanting to sleep alone. She laughed.
It was interesting that the rumors that the royal family spread of her were somewhat true. It was gossiped that Mílathiel Swiftwater was notorious for bringing consorts to her room every night. It was said that she had wooed the whole royal council with her activities in bed.
Míla always smirked at the fact that the no one in the council would appreciate her bedtime stories and tickle fights as much as Serafima and Masha. She then wondered how her said-to-be-consorts would react to her bedtime stories of dashing princes and damsels in distress.
Putting her long dark hair into her traditional warrior braid, she got up from the nightstand and went to her closet to find her formal shoes. She slipped them on and went back to the bed to kiss her sleeping sisters both on the cheeks. She went to the door and looked back at them one last time, wishing she could climb back into the warm covers with them. She then sighed, closed the door and walked out into the dark hall.
The whole hall was made out of brown, polished wood: the floor, the walls and the ceiling. There was a green long runner rug that ran down the middle with lamps on the walls. It was tight and compact, unlike the living quarters, and it gave off a feeling of being underground. All of the various doors in the wooden hall were closed and, except for Míla's room, were empty.
As she walked down the hall she heard loud moaning, a loud bump, followed by a curse, and some girlish giggling. Turning the corner, Míla opened the door to the closet and found Jerelia straddling and kissing one of her male conquests. They were chest-to-chest and breathing loudly. Her hands were on his shoulders and his hands were up past the hem of her dress, which was high past her hips revealing her legs and everything else Míla did not wish to see.
"Oh gross!" yelled Míla, slapping her hands over her eyes and trying her best to rid the rotten image out of her mind.
Eyes still closed, she put her forefinger and thumb on the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Jerelia. How many times….."
She tilted her head back and opened her eyes with a big sigh. She then turned her attention back to the lovers.
Míla was trying her best to avert her gaze as the man staggered to stand, with no clothes. She gathered up her courage and anger and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Sir," she said in an angered whisper, "YOU are NOT supposed to be here! These are the private living quarters of The Veranda! If you have paid for Lady Jerelia's wares, then I propose you take her to the pleasure section of the villa! Please put on your clothing and get out!"
Finally noticing who she was, the man grabbed his trousers and belt, bowed at Míla several times and rushed out of the small door.
Jerelia, who had been left on the floor with her dress all askew, looked up at Míla with a bashful smile. She got to her feet to leave and was about to exit the closet when Míla's strong, toned arm barred the doorway.
"Lia…. You know…. You are lucky you are my best friend. My mother would throw you OUT of her business otherwise! Providence shines on you, yet again, at the fact that it was I that caught you two in here and not Serafima or poor little Masha! AND it is barely dawn! AND…WHO the blazes was THAT?! Weren't you working on one of the councilmen? ….DID he even pay you?"
Jerelia looked at her best friend with a smirk and said, "Good morning to you too."
At least Míla addressed her in her nickname "Lia." It was a sign that Míla was in a good mood this morning. But Míla's "lectures," were always short, sweet and too the point.
Putting her hands on her hips Míla said, "So… who is he? Is he paying you good?"
Then Míla's face lit up, "Wait…. Are you in love?"
Lia made a face of disgust. "Eww noo! Never that!"
Lia started straitening up her blonde hair. "He was just a really good looking sea merchant. Gosh did you see how gorgeous his eyes were? WHY did you have to chase him away?!"
She pouted and stamped her foot as she looked at Míla, who just stood there with a blank expression. "Psh… Look at whom I am asking. You see Míla, unlike you; I am lucky when I get the chance to be in the company of handsome males. You, on the other hand, are never unnerved by a handsome guy because you are always around the most gorgeous men in the kingdom."
Míla let go of the doorway and said, "Psh… yeah they may be decent looking, but they are all a bunch of idiots. "
Lia smacked her best friends stomach and scolded, "Don't talk about your family that way! They are the sexiest men I've ever seen! It doesn't matter if they are idiots."
She started whining again, "Míla! Ugh he was a really good kisser! Why'd you have to interrupt us?!"
Míla laughed and rolled her eyes. She patted Lia on the back and said, "I'm sorry. You can go after him and finish upstairs: where things like that are SUPPOSED to happen. You can't keep doing that stuff here, around the girls."
Lia looked at Míla's attire and said, "Are you off to see His Highness today?"
Míla's smile left her face so fast it was as if she had caught the smell of something bad. "Oh Shoot! I have to go! Love you Lia. " She hugged her friend and ran down the hall. Lia shook her head and smiled at her friend rushing out the door.
Rushing through The Veranda, Míla didn't take time to notice the lush pillows and the sheer curtains that decorated her mother's villa. Like downstairs, this floor was all polished wood. It was an open floor plan with lots of windows and open patios that let the gentle breeze of the Blue Realm come through. Like all of the establishments and buildings of the Blue People, it was built on stilts and situated on the calm ocean water.
Many respectable people came to this peaceful paradise for relaxation, healing and companionship. It was a place for pleasure, yes, but it was also a place for entertainment and art. The Ladies that performed here were the most talented and wonderful women that Míla had ever known.
Míla rushed across the welcome room and into a side door that led to the kitchen. There she found an apple and took a bite into it.
As she was turning around to go outside a voice said, "Mílathiel!" Míla winced and slowly turned back around, knowing her mother's scolding tone.
Swallowing the chewed up apple in her mouth, Míla looked up at her mother.
Harika, the owner of the Veranda, had dark blackish-blue hair that shone just like the twinkle in her dark black eyes. She was of medium height and had a perfectly curved and soft body. She had regality to her that women of the royal court couldn't even try to imitate. She was a woman of art, pleasure and softness, but she held herself as if she was a woman of war, pride and fortitude.
"Are you going to see His Highness like that?!" Harika strode over to Míla and put her hands to her hair to try and straighten it.
She then proceeded to fiddle with Míla's dress as she said, "Do you want me to do your makeup? Maybe a different hairstyle? Have you been using the face cream I gave you? Oh this dress!"
Míla whined trying to push her mother's fretful hands away, "Mom… my face is fine how it is. Yes I still use the cream…Gah! Don't touch me there! Hey! I like this hairstyle!"
Míla jumped back swiftly with her hands in front of her, "Please….I'm not a little girl anymore."
Harika looked at her oldest daughter with a frown. There was a long pause before Harika said, "What about your hair? Mílathiel why do you always need to wear this braid?"
Míla looked at the offending braid and said, "It shows my status as a warrior mom. You know that. Remember Uncle Ril said to always be proud to wear it. Thank you offering help, but please, I just need to go. I'm going to be late."
Harika then put up her hands in apology, "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But you're my daughter and all I want is the best for you."
Then changing the subject she said, "What do you think he wants today? I hope he isn't making you leave Kalderra again. The little cuties would hate it."
Míla grinned as she said, "Mom, Serafima isn't little anymore."
She then added in a sober tone, "She started her courses last night."
Harika then exclaimed, "What?! She didn't tell me! I must go to her! Wait, I shouldn't, it's too early for little doves to wake up. Why didn't she come to me? "
"Well, you were busy mom. The Lunar Festival is no small event." Míla said smiling at the family quote. "Isn't it funny how every woman in our family starts on her hundredth year? She's one of the Blue Women, there's no doubt now. She's been even more moody, if that's possible." Míla chuckled.
Harika sighed, "What are we going to do with her? How is she to attract a husband if she is grumpy and quiet all the time?... What am I saying?… She's too young for marriage. Way too young."
Harika refused any of her three children to ever become a pleasure Lady. That is why she worked so hard for them. They were everything she had in this world and they didn't need to lower themselves to that.
"Ok then, my love. Off with you! You shouldn't keep him waiting. Also you don't want to give HER opportunities to cause you grief. Remember your manners, keep your back straight, head high, and remember: I love you."
"I love you too mama." Míla said as she hugged and kissed her mom on the cheek and headed out the door.
XXX
King Elathion sat at his throne, waiting. His face, which was usually smiling, was now in a frown at what had just transpired during the council meeting. He was going to lose his best Blue warrior for who knows how long. He cursed those warlocks that ruled the favor of the court.
He glanced at Míla's uncle who was amongst his men, on the right side of the throne room. He was going to be outraged when he heard the news. All of his finest officers, that weren't off in some other land, were here to receive instruction on the newest mission.
They were just waiting on Míla.
Finally the doors opened and in rushed Míla. She came to the foot of the throne and kneeled in her dress, put her forehead to the floor, and stretched her hands neatly in front of her.
Head down she said, "Your Highness."
Frowning, the King stood from his throne and lifted her up to stand and said, "Daughter, why are you always late?"