A/N: Hey all, it's been a few weeks since the last update on this story, so I thought I would leave this here for you all.

Chapter 8

The fire was easily put out, but the damage had been done to the dry lands that sat just outside the city walls. The rain and ash had made the ground sticky like mud, and as she walked through the area, she realized just how much had been eaten away. "If this was the will of the earth, it isn't exactly happy spirit." She murmured, lifting a twisted tree branch that was still smoking, the bark blackened and warm to the touch. "Do you think this will continue to keep up for as long as the warm season lasts?"

"I do not know." Neil said, as he gently guided the tired woman away from the sight before them. "However, since you have put out the fire, I would strongly suggest we go back to the castle."

"You would for my safety." Nike said, but brushed the warning aside. "Yet, there is no danger."

"You push yourself hard, too hard I think." His glasses were fogged by the smoke and steam in the area. It made the land hard for him to see, but, none the less he kept as careful a vigil as he could. "Livius would demand you return to him. The night dictates that you should both be where you belong."

"You worry over Mira." Nike said, realizing this was more than just his gentle reminders of her position in these lands. "You are more urgent than you let on." She smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Neil, for caring for her in such a way."

"Please, don't thank me for worrying about what I know to be only truth." He said with a gentle husk that drenched itself in embarrassment. "I do care for her, but, it was not my desire to provoke uncanny responses, least of all from you."

"I am her sister, it would be me. Go to her, Neil." She murmured to him as she stood looking at the sights. "Mira would like that. She secretly loves being fawned over. As the eldest she was left forgotten while we were growing up, and she never complained about it."

"And you?" He asked, but the queen merely held up her hand.

"I'll be fine." She told him with a smile. "Go to her, as your queen, that's an order. Livi wouldn't reprimand you for my insistence."

"But…the horse…" He said slowly, but she shook her head.

"I have my own duties tonight." She told him as she spread her arms wide, a stance she would use before singing. Instead of words, a soft humming escaped her as she nodded to the man to bid him farewell. The stars grew brighter in the sky, softly glittering as what little clouds she could summon began to gather around her, a mist gathering at her fingertips, scattering in the air around her as she continued to hum.

Her music was as soft as a prayer.

She didn't know how long she sang for, the mist something that had become a deep fog, cool to the touch. The trotting of a horse alerted her, and through the mist, she saw Livius upon his white stallion coming to greet her as he dismounted the tall but gentle beast. "You should have come home." He said quietly, noticing that her long strands of damp hair clung to her. The scent of rain engulfed her, and it dripped from her crisp and clean.

"Forgive me, Livi." She murmured, as she took his hands in hers, guiding them to her hips as she kissed him, his warm body contrasting with the chill on her skin. "I wanted to bless the ground that the fire burned, but doing so takes a bit of time, and it is a ritual that far exceeds the whims of most…that is to say…it requires that there be no audience."

"Pray tell, what reason is that?" He asked, swallowing hard at the beauty of her in the dim light of the full moon.

"It is because of the nature of the summoning being not rain, nor snow, but rather a simple condensation in the air." She told him, the mist around them beginning to disperse. "It can sometimes be a bit dangerous. The weather is a temperamental thing, even when we try to appease it with our voices." She smiled at him, running her fingers through his short hair. "Mother nature can be quite the harsh mistress."

"Then why would you summon it?" He asked, worry tinging his features.

"Because…" She looked around uneasily. "I needed to know for sure that I was strong enough. I wanted to make sure I could still be the chosen one to bear the gifts of my people."

"Odd woman." Livius sighed, taking in the scent of her rain kissed skin, his lips pressing gently to the nape of her neck. "Of course you are, that's an indisputable fact." He pulled back, and shook his head as he unfastened the cloak around his torso to drape it over her. "If ever you should question such a silly thing again, come to me."

"As if you're the authority on the matter." Nike laughed before the smile on her lips fell, a faraway gaze making her sigh. "I needed to know my heart still speaks to the skies...that I'm even worthy of consideration." With a shy, bitter little laugh, she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "How else am I to know if I'm a woman of my people, with the powers expected of one?"

"I'd like to pretend that I am the authority on that. I say you are indeed a woman of your people, and now, you are of mine as well. That is enough, because I say it's enough." Livius grumbled as he clicked unhappily, ushering the horse to come to his side. "Allow me to ease your worries just as you quell mine. Now, if that's settled, it's been a long day, and I would like nothing more than to go home."

"I'm not finished here." Nike answered, only to be interrupted with a kiss.

"It would be nice to have you warm my bed without concern for your mystic ways." Livius said then, unwilling to take a negative answer. "You should consider that you are the chosen one, no matter what doubts you may have. After all, if you weren't chosen, then you'd have no need to doubt, now would you?"

In spite of how she felt on the matter, Nike had let it drop, for fear that she wouldn't be able to keep her powers forever. Part of it came as merely a simple truth, as the power itself was a fickle thing. Still, even if one day her title of the chosen songstress would pass onto another of her family's bloodline, she had other matters for her mind to dwell on.

Mostly, that she was the queen to a very vast and complicated land. Though she was sheltered from most of the kingdom, the city that surrounded the castle knew her by both appearance and name. It was also inevitable that they knew she was a defiant young woman, who insisted to help out far more than her role in the kingdom deemed appropriate.

It also came to pass that much the same was murmured of Nike's eldest sister, who was unfortunately guilty of the tasks by accusation alone. Regardless of her willingness to behave quietly, and her lack of ruckus, she was still as fawned over as the queen herself...perhaps even more so, as the commoners took to gussying the docile woman up at every turn.

"This is all over the top, wouldn't you agree Nike?" Mira winced as her corset strings were tied tightly, another dress impressed upon her by the famed dressmaker.

"Get used to it." Nike said as she stood perfectly still, having gotten used to the violent tugging, as if she were a piece of cured meat being hung by twine. "Nothing is done here halfway, and the people aren't happy unless their breasts are about to spill from their proper place."

"Simple cotton bindings work just as well." Mira retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"That may be, but don't suggest that unless you really want to torture yourself." Nike nipped on her lower lip as the fabric constricted around her midriff uncomfortably for a moment. "They know nothing of our garbs."

"Or of our ability to dress ourselves." Mira sighed, having come to the conclusion that this would be a normal event in her life. "Am I so unable to choose an outfit for myself?"

"Even the simple concept of binding with cloth is apparently unheard of here." The eldest woman said with a laugh, looking at her nieces. "All of the fuss aside, Mira you'll look lovely in that dress. Truly a beautiful bride ready to take her first steps into a spiritual union." She then appraised Nike, nodding with a smile. "Yes, yes, I see it all too clearly. You are both very much your mother's daughters." Then a thought came to mind. "Nike, did you also wear a dress such as this?"

"Mine was a bit less fancy, but yes, I did wear a white dress." Nike nodded. "The only reason she's in that fluffy thing is because she didn't put up much of a fight."

"Your mother would approve." The wise woman said, almost a tear in her eye. "If only she could see this, and bear witness to the wedding itself."

"We will arrange another visit again." Nike said. "After Livius and I bring forth an heir, I'm sure he will want to publicly announce that in grand ways. A travel would amuse him, I'm sure."

"Yes…" Mira nodded. "It would also cause an uproar at home, you understand?"

"As Livi would want." Nike complained, but smiled the entire time. "Neil is the same way, I'm afraid. Get used to being pranced around."

"What is it like?" Mira asked quietly. "To be a proper wife, I mean…especially after the nuptials, it would be fitting if I know what I am to do."

"It's trying in the best of times, disheartening at worst." Nike said after a moment of thought. "We will never be like mother, who finds herself worried over every moment of every day. We have jobs to do, and, unfortunately enough, you're getting married into a very obstante household, with one very bullheaded family." With her corset tied, and her dress pulled over her, she examined the fitting of it one last time, gazing over at Mira, who was also doing the same. "In spite of that, Mira, I have learned to love Livi with all of my very soul, and I wouldn't cast that aside for anything in this world."

Feeling a little weak in the knees, Mira nodded slowly and took a seat carefully, studying herself in the mirror. "This is simply all too much." She finally laughed at the pure white gown. "My body drowns in this fabric."

"So it does." Nike agreed with a smile. "Grandmother would have kittens."

"She would do more than that, child. Likely she would beg the heavens to smite the garb when no one was looking." Layla said, trying not to laugh, knowing that the old woman was very set in her ways, almost always to a fault.

"Enough of that for now…" Nike said, humor lacing her voice thickly. "We have to get into our other formal attire. An introductory ball is being held in your honor, and if we don't show up on time, we'll give Neil a panic attack of the worst sort."