Disclaimer: refer to chapters one and two.


I awoke some time later because of a sharp pain radiating from my stomach. I was hungry! Still half-asleep, I wondered what the sailors were going to feed me today: fish, fish, or more fish. I was really getting tired of eating the same thing every day.

It wasn't until I opened my eyes and saw the shiny white walls surrounding me that the events of the past two days came flooding back to my mind. I wasn't still being held captive on the boat. I was in some strange flying craft that had saved me from the sea.

My brain was wrenched away from these thoughts by another painful pang in my stomach. I looked around as if hoping that sustenance would just materialize right in front of me. It came as quite a shock when my eyes reached the bedside table and found a plate piled high with food resting on top of it. I was so hungry I didn't question what I was eating, even when it came to consuming the slimy, green, plant-like stuff that smelled faintly of the sea I had just left. All of it was delicious.

When my hunger was sated, I sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what to do next. I thought that it would be rude to just go wondering through someone's house, but after waiting for a considerable amount of time, I rose to go look for my host.

I was so exhausted when I first arrived that I didn't take any notice of my surroundings—I did so now. I know that my description of it isn't really like how Tanith Lee described it, but this is just how I always saw it. The walls were such a bright shade of white that they almost seemed to glow; they were also slightly curved and I wondered why that was until I remembered the shape of the craft from the outside. From the few exposed areas I could tell that the floor was also white, but those areas were rare due to the abundance of carpets and rugs. The majority of the—well, I'm going to call it a house—was all one big open space, although a living room and dining area were clearly distinguishable. A small two-person—I can't imagine why it would need to be two-person because surely the snake-thing didn't need to eat—table marked where he ate. I couldn't see a kitchen anywhere so I had no idea where the food even came from. The living room was comprised of two chairs and a couch, all made of what appeared to be white leather, that were roughly arranged in a circle around a long coffee table; there were also bookshelves lining the back wall. There wasn't any need for lamps because--as I didscovered later-- the walls actually did glow and provided the whole house with enough light. Down a hallway that led off of the main room were other rooms, including mine. I assumed that two of them were his room and a bathroom, but I couldn't guess what the other ones were for.

After taking stock of my surroundings, I resumed my search for my host. It didn't take me long to locate him. I found him in the living room sitting in a chair with his back towards me reading a book. It didn't look as if he had noticed me. Suddenly, I felt nervous and shy and was now very reluctant to disturb him.
I had just decided to try to tiptoe quietly back to my room when he said, "Good evening. You have been asleep for a good 20 hours. I was beginning to wonder if you'd slipped into a coma." I had no idea what a "coma" was, but I didn't care. I was mesmerized by his voice. It sounded somehow familiar, but I couldn't quite figure out why.
"Well, at any rate you are awake now. I trust you have been fed, yes?" I just continued to stare dumbly at him. I hated that this kept happening to me. Why had I all of a sudden become incapable of speech? A hundred questions flooded my brain, and one bubbled to my lips.

"Who are you?" This seemed to be the most important question to ask. He seemed to know that this would be the first question I would ask and answered without hesitation, "Prince Venaryonillarkaslemidorus, but that is much too long for everyday use. Just call me Venn."
What shocked me even more than his absurdly long name was the word preceding it. PRINCE! He's a PRINCE! I really had no idea why this shocked me so. I mean, Nemian was a prince. Plus, this would explain the perfect, lordly voice in which he spoke.

My shock dissipated quickly, however, and before he could say anything else I blurted out another question.

"What is that snake-thing?"

"Her name is Yinyay and she controls everything to do with the ship from its flight path to the preparation of my meals," he responded.

Yet another question.

"Why did you save me?" I asked this one more quietly; partially because I was afraid of his answer. "Oh, I'm just putting up with you until I can sell you as a slave. You'll make me a nice profit too."

He sat there thinking for a moment, but answered before I really had time to worry. Luckily, what he said was nothing like what my wild imagination had concocted.

"Was I mistaken? Were you not in need of rescue? Were you not about to die out there?"

"Well, yes, but…" I stuttered.

"So what is the problem?" he asked.

"I'm just wondering why you cared, why you bothered?" I clarified

"Wouldn't you have done the same thing were you in my position?"

I didn't answer. Of course I would have. I would have done it just because it was the right thing to do. But that's different argued some little part of my brain. I'm no one important. He on the other hand should be above such things. But then again, Argul was the leader of his tribe, and he would do everything he could to save a person in need. Why couldn't I apply the same logic to the Prince as I could with Argul?

"There you have it," he replied after a few seconds of silence knowing that I had reached the same conclusion he had. For the moment, I had run out of questions. I knew that there were so many more, but I couldn't think of them. Taking advantage of my silence, the Prince now started to interrogate me.

"Now you know who I am, but I still don't know who you are. What's your name?"

"Claidissa Star, but please don't call me that. It may be my name, but it doesn't belong to me; that is not who I am. I am and always will be Claidi," Silence followed this statement..

"What is it?" I asked suspiciously. He didn't think that I saw the flash of recognition in his eyes, but I did. It was brief, and he quickly covered it up, but that didn't change the fact that it had been there. He knew me. He didn't answer my question, but merely shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not meeting my eyes. I pressed him further.
"Do you know me?" Still no answer. "Tell me!" I was shouting by now and had risen from the chair that I didn't even remember sitting in in the first place.
He didn't seem at all bothered by the fact that I was screaming in his face, but grudgingly said, "I had been notified of your imminent arrival; although, I think they said your name was 'Claidis' instead of 'Claidissa' but it's close enough." My brain was still having trouble processing big words and complex thoughts so I had no idea of what he had just said.
"In plain English, please," I said irritably, although no longer yelling.

"I had been told you were coming," he simplified.

This I understood perfectly. He knew I was coming, which meant he knew what was happening. Everyone knew what was going on with my life but me and I was sick of it!

"You knew where they were taking me?" My voice was now dangerously low and for the first time he seemed truly frightened of me.

"Taking you? You make it sound as though you were being held captive. I realize that you have to spend a considerable amount of time on a boat to get to the island, but if you didn't like boats, then you shouldn't have demanded to go. Even you, thick as you seem to be, would have asked how you were going to get there."

Now I was really angry. My voice turned into a loud roar.

"WHAT! YOU THOUGHT I WANTED TO GO…WHEREVER IT IS THEY WERE TAKING ME! YOU THOUGHT I WANTED TO LEAVE MY HOME AND MY FAMILY AND MY FIANCEE TO SPEND A MONTH ON A STUPID SHIP ON AN ENDLESS SEA GOING GOD KNOWS WHERE! YOU THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MY WISH TO LEAVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE I LOVE BEHIND! DO YOU!"

I never thought that I could ever be this angry, this enraged. I wanted to choke the life out of the Prince simply because he was sitting there with completely the wrong idea. Surely, he must have just been misinformed, but I didn't care. I wanted to kill something and he was the only living thing in sight.

He just sat there, terrified, listening to my screeching, looking as though he would like nothing better than to melt into the white leather chair that he was now pressing himself harder into. Beneath this look of fear, however, I saw that he was also incredulous, as though he thought I had no clue what I was talking about and that I was blowing it way out of proportion.

"DON'T YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY!" I said this even though I knew that at the moment I probably did look insane.

"Maybe if you read the letter you would understand why I'm having such a hard time believing you," he said.

"What letter?" I snapped, though not as loud as before.

"Hold on. Let me get it. It's in the study." He jumped up out of his chair and ran from the room.

I waited there for what felt like eternity, though it couldn't have been more than 2 minutes. He came back with a piece of heavy white parchment in his hands—he still had that look on his face as if he thought I were making everything up, as if I were lying.

This is the same letter from the book. I did not think of this myself, nor did I intend this to be copyright infringement. Tanith Lee wrote this entire letter.

TO PRINCE VENARION YLLAR KASLEM-IDOROS:

WE TRUST YOU ARE IN GOOD HEALTH AND PLEASANTLY OCCUPIED AMID YOUR LUXURIOUS JUNGLES.

IT HAS BECOME NECESSARY THAT WE ASK YOUR ASSISTANCE. WE MUST ACCORDINGLY INSTRUCT YOU TO ACCEPT, INTO YOUR PALACE, A YOUNG WOMAN OF THE TOWERS. YOU WILL KNOW HER AS THE LADY CLAIDIS STAR.

IT IS OUR SAD DUTY TO WARN YOU THAT SHE IS AN IMMATURE AND EXCITABLE CREATURE, GIVEN TO RAGES, TANTRUMS, AND SHALL WE SAY, TO INVENTING QUITE CONVINCING STORIES OF HER OWN LIFE. (SHE MAY EVEN DENY HER OWN NAME.)

WE ARE AWARE THIS IS NOT THE MOST SUITABLE GUEST FOR YOU TO RECEIVE, WHEN, IN ANY CASE, YOU ARE MORE AT EASE WITH THE MECHANICALS AND TOYS OF YOU PALACE. UNFORTUNATELY WE MUST INSIST. THIS CLAIDIS STAR HAS CAUSED QUARRELS AND UPSETS IN SEVERAL PLACES, WITHIN THE CITY AND OUTSIDE IT. HER DEMANDS TO VISIT THE RISE, WHICH SHE DECLARES NEEDFUL FOR HER EDUCATION, CAN NO LONGER BE IGNORED.

OUR GRATITUDE TO YOU, PRINCE VENARION, WE HOPE WILL OFFSET, TO SOME EXTENT, THIS DISRUPTION TO YOUR PERSONAL ROUTINES.

WE REMAIN GREATLY IN YOUR DEBT –

WE

The letter fell from my numb fingers, and I sank back into the chair I had just vacated. Beneath all the shock of finding out where I was going and whom I was going to, I felt something else stir within me. I was furious. But then again, it went so much more beyond fury. It was the blind hatred that makes a person feel capable of murder—and I was. I knew in my heart that if I had been in that tower right then, for there was no doubt in my mind that the people of the Wolf Tower had written this, I would have killed everyone in sight. I would have taken my revenge.
In some still rational corner of my mind I was shocked; usually I favored the "run away" approach rather than the "stand and fight" approach. Nevertheless, I loved this feeling. As anger pulsed through my veins, through every fiber in my body, I felt a new wave of life course through me. I was focused and had a purpose. I would make them pay if it was the last thing I did.

I let anger stew and build inside me, for this was the type of anger that could only be truly appreciated if one was left to think about it for a while. As I started to formulate my plans, I realized that it was folly to think that I would actually return to Wolf Tower—I was still too much of a coward. Nevertheless, I would make sure that they would not succeed. If I found Argul, that would mean that they failed. If I found Argul, I would win and I would be free of them forever. Again, some part of me knew that they would never give up, but I let myself hope—hope that they would leave me in peace with my husband and family if I could ever find them.

As I came out of my reverie, I noticed the Prince staring at me, still cautious as if anything he said would set me off again.

"So. You think I'm making this up? That I'm—what was it—" I picked up the letter to consult it. "—oh yeah, 'given to rages, tantrums, and inventing quite convincing stories of my own life'?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm, not betraying any of my true emotions.

"Well… you see…it's just that...I haven't heard anything that would change my mind as of yet." He cringed as he said this, thinking that I would start yelling again.

"I guess it doesn't really matter. Once I'm back on solid ground again, you'll be rid of me, and you won't have to put up with my 'lies' anymore," I replied.

At this point I stalked off, not wanting to stare into his disbelieving face anymore.


Hope you liked it!

If you have any ideas as what I should do next, please tell me. I know what the next chapter is going to be like, but it's mostly fluff and doesn't exactly make the story go anywhere.

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