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Rainfall on Judgment Day
Chapter 7
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present
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The first round is completed, and as the sun begins to climb higher in the sky, the participants leave the arena to take shelter among the carts and stalls covering the fairground, eating and drinking away the time until the tournament resumes once more. Sain watches with a smile as the victors of the first round clap each other heartily on the back and shoulders for a job well done, yet every so often he finds his gaze drawn toward the young Sacaean girl.
He is pleased to see that she is among those who did not manage to advance to the next round congratulating the victors on a job well done before disappearing into the colorful array across the fairground. Something, he notices, about her actions is achingly familiar—in the way she nods curtly to the other participants, a barely indecipherable bob of her head, and how one hand always rests on the hilt of her sword, ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice.
It cannot be, Sain thinks as he watches her make her way among the cacophony of noise and color, her dark hair stark against fairer coloration of the Lycians, both of Caelin and other cantons, making merry at the festival; she stops only once, to purchase a sweet roll of some sort from one of the stalls, before disappearing behind it. It cannot be, and yet…
"Milord?" Arden's voice, though not unpleasant, is suddenly a grating sound in his ears; it is a distraction, pulling his mind away from the strange girl and the familiar aura surrounding her. "Would you care for your meal now?"
Sain shakes his head. "I am not hungry," he says, "but thank you for your concern." He smiles at the young commander. "What about yourself? You haven't eaten all day."
"I am—" Arden begins, but a growl from his stomach stops his words. The man fights admirably to fight down the blush forming on his cheeks, and Sain cannot help but chuckle a bit.
"Go," he says gently. "Take a break. I will be fine."
Arden shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Chancellor," he says, "but it is my duty to ensure your well-being."
Duty. "Very well." Sain stands up, and Arden takes a step back respectfully. "I will see you shortly—go ahead and see that everything is in order. The participants fought well; they deserve their reprieve."
"Of course, sir." With a bow Arden leaves, and Sain turns to follow shortly after. He glances over his shoulder briefly before passing through the arching doors leading from the balcony into Castle Caelin, and for a moment wonders if he has imagined the low rumble of thunder in the warm summer air.
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Xirysa Says: Alright, so this chapter wasn't much longer, sorry. Many thanks to Asherien and Improvisation for putting up with my constant questions and requests and opinions on everything, and a slew of people over on LJ for awesome character discussions that put me back in the writing mood. (Even though can tell I struggled with this a lot.) Thanks for reading—feedback is appreciated!
