Nixiesocean: So, I was surprise by how quickly I got 5 reviews, so here I am, updating IotA! Big reward for all those who reviewed::Hands out a plat of chocolate chip cookies:
Onto the Q&A!
Lilyflowr33::Innocent look: Twisted? Me?
Sandra Starck: Thank you, I have a pet peeve if the grammar is incorrect (you're using Word for heavens' sake! Use the spelling and grammar check!)!
It's not "cursive" but italic. And it depends when it is. Sometimes it's an accent such as "You did what?" But, it could be a flashback or dream, as in the end of chapter 8. It also could be a name, such as my italicizing your screen name.
I refuse to answer that question. Also, she would know that she will have a girl because of the pact. Then again, the Amazons could be lying. I guess Kayla will have to have her child for Lilka to find out whether or not it could happen.
I'm so glad you caught that! Yes! "Dre Pronz" is "Der Prinz"!
Yay! Another reader for LiSA!
Rush of Waves: You did have to change it, didn't you::Sigh:
minor: Oh, but is it? Is there another way I could've done it? I don't know, that's the way I wanted it to happen. So, that's the way it's going to happen (no offense intended, please don't take my tone too angry, more teasing).
Actually, I thought originally of this story as a separate realm of fantasy. I was thinking about the Amazons before going to bed, and this idea popped into my head. It's just, I thought my LiSA readers might be intrigued about Katharine's mother, and this fit in so nicely.
Also, I never said she spent the whole day. That would mean that David and Brian were talking for at least a half-day, then Brian would have to wander the palace for another half-day. Isn't that stretching it a bit?
"Thying"? Never heard of such a term. Could you explain that more?
Don't worry. Captain David talking to Kayla wasn't random. It just looks random.
hazeleyedbeauty: Oh, I'm happy that I'm pleasing you with decent-length chapters. Any longer and I get really bored and any shorter and I get really testy about it.
Thank you, I pride myself on twists and turns.
Again, thank you. I'm glad my story is long enough for you to appreciate it!
Onto the story. Hopefully, this will please some readers…
P.S. your questions didn't affect the story. I was planning this already.
Chapter 9: Autumn's Rain
Lilka was startled out of her dream. The sun still shone brightly, yet in her dream, that was ever so vivid, it was night. She rolled over to face the other occupant; Brian snored lightly. She gave him a loving look and lightly kissed his forehead before getting out of bed, making sure not to awaken him.
The floor was cold so she quickly picked up the random piece of clothing and dressed in a light "summer" dress, donning slippers to keep her freezing toes warm. She wrapped herself in a fluffy robe and snuck out of the servant's door she had used so long ago. She reentered the main halls, hurrying down them towards her friend's door. Of course, she had to ask a servant about where she was staying, since she didn't know. When she got to the appointed door, she lightly knocked. She saw Kayla's face appear in a crack in the doorway.
The door immediately opened. "Lilka! It's late afternoon, what are you doing?"
"May I come in?" Lilka asked quietly, Kayla moved aside, nodding vigorously. "Thank you." Kayla shut the door.
"What's wrong? I know that face." Kayla asked, holding her friend's spare hand.
"Nothing's wrong per se." Lilka said deviously. "More like what's afoot."
"I heard about your lady project, Lilka." Her friend said seriously. "Do you think it's a good idea to teach these people our fighting?"
"Absolutely." Lilka affirmed. "These women are too helpless, they need to be taught they can fight men and they can win."
"You sound like you already are done." Kayla observed. "But, I have a reason to believe this is not just a social visit."
Lilka hung her head, dismayed that Kayla had found her out so easily. "I dreamt." She said quietly.
"We all dream."
"This wasn't just a dream, Kay!" Lilka said, astonished her friend would take her lightly. "In my dream, I dreamt about you and Captain David."
There was no mistaking the surprise in Kayla's face. "What… about us?"
"You were talking to him, you were looking out over the balcony, toward our Isle." Lilka remembered. "Captain David had questions… about me. About you, about Amazons."
"Did he say why, in the dream, that is?" Kayla asked absently.
"No."
"There's something else, Lil, what is it?" Kayla asked, touching Lilka's forearm. "There's a change in you, something different." Lilka blushed bright red. "It's Prince Brian, isn't it?" Lilka nodded, the blush never fading. "What – Oh, that." Lilka smiled while biting her lower lip. "I knew it, Lilka, I knew it." Her friend grinned.
"Oh, stop that!" Lilka playfully slapped Kayla's shoulder. "Really!" Kayla shook her head. "Come on, let's go eat." Somehow, Lilka knew she wasn't hungry.
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I awoke. The warm presence that had fallen asleep next to me was gone. I opened my eyes. The sunlight was dimming as it started to set, letting the moon rule while it slept. I curled around the covers, desperate for warmth. Finally realizing it was futile, I got out of bed, dressing up into normal clothes. I took out a comb and attempted to brush my lightened black hair. I washed out my mouth and headed down for… was it dinner?
I yawned and left my rooms, not noticing the small figure slip out the servant door. The hallways were already lit with candles. On my way to the dinner room, I met Captain David, who always seemed to know where I was.
"Hullo." I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "Any updates?"
"No," He said quietly. "None. The guard was found hiding at his parents' house, he's on his way here now."
"Good." I replied absently. "When's the sun to set tonight?"
"In two hours or so." My Captain said in answer to my question.
"Any minstrels scheduled for entertainment?"
"Yes, a bard." Huh… bards were decent enough. Not a piper, whose instrumentals always left me asleep, but not an orator, whose droning always made me wonder why they were used so often. Bards were a beautiful mix.
"Good." I replied. "Anything else?"
"Tonight is 'Honey-roasted ham with northern yams. Vanilla pudding and fresh fruit are dessert.' The cook said." He quoted, giving me the meal menu.
"Awesome." I said. We were almost there. We entered. Lilka and Kayla sat side-by-side speaking the elegant, yet harsh-sounding, language.
"Ah, the prince has arrived." My mother said in greeting.
"Good evening, Brian." Lilka said, standing and walking over. Something her and Kayla had talked about had made her more pleasant… She pecked me on the cheek and slipped her hand into mine. We walked over to our seats, David on the other side of me.
"Evening, sweet." The reaction was immediate. I had forgotten she didn't know about pet names. She was pleasantly surprised. Lilka, being herself, was rarely surprised. I brushed her cheek with my lips and the honey-roasted mutton was brought out.
Dinner had never tasted so wonderful. Then again, no breakfast or lunch will do that. The vanilla pudding was like icing on a cake. I could tell Lilka loved the pudding as much as I do. She and Kayla ate with gusto, as if they didn't eat fast enough, the pudding would disappear.
The other women of court were staring. I nudged Lilka. I nodded over to the women. She ate slower. She spoke to Kayla softly, then she too ate slowly, placing the spoon in her mouth and rubbing the pudding around, tasting the sweet mixture.
Dinner was over soon and the bard was brought out. I was expecting a she. Bards, due to the singing necessary, were mostly women. This was a male bard. He walked up to the queen and gently kissed her hand. She smiled gently at the bard who then mad his way to Lilka, and repeating the gesture of goodwill. She blushed. He made his way to the center of U-style tables. He sang in a melodic tune that floated through the air and caressed our ears.
"Beautiful is a flower,
Gentle is a summer breeze,
None so gentle nor as beautiful,
As the lady of the castle.
Beautiful is a still lake,
Gentle is a lamb,
None so gentle nor as beautiful,
As the lady of the castle.
Beautiful is the sunset,
Gentle is the doe,
None so gentle nor as beautiful,
As the lady of the castle."
The loudest applause was from the women of the court. The bard bowed and started another song. And another, and another. The whole thing took about an hour. We left, with Lilka's hand carefully entwined into mine. We silently stole away to our quarters, the near-gone sunlight dappling our bed. We slipped into bed and fell asleep.
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Two weeks passed after that beautiful day. Each day had grown steadily drearier as autumn rains poured lightly the next day; the gently harder each and every day after that bard had come. Each morning, starting a few days after the Bard's Day, as I called it, I had run to privy, being sick. I didn't tell the doctors, I was healthy enough without them bothering Brian about me. I did however tell Kayla. She was as joyful as I was depressed. I had never been sick.
"Lilka!" She squealed. "Don't you know what this means?"
"No…" I replied, totally confused. "That pudding," I had eaten pudding every day since then, though, I was still training Kiera on my fighting and language. "It's making me fat." I touched the "fat". It didn't wiggle.
"Incorrect, my dear friend." She teased. "You're pregnant!" I swear her voice jumped two octaves (it's a singing term, I was told when I asked once).
I felt the blood in my face drain. Pregnant? But- I couldn't! I couldn't train Kiera… I couldn't spar! I couldn't run until I was exhausted! "No…"
"Lilka!" Kayla reprimanded. "It's a wonderful thing!" She touched her growing belly. "To think another person is growing inside you, it's a wonderful thing!"
"Kayla- you don't understand," I said anxiously. "I'm training people. I can't spar with this in my way!" I gently touched my stomach, willing it to bounce back like fat did. "What'll I do?" I wailed. "I'll die of boredom!"
"Here's what you can do." Kayla said, setting an arm on my shoulder. She pulled out a scrap of paper. She wrote one word on it and handed it to me. "You can go back to your room, tell your husband and take it easy for the next nine months. When the babe is born you can go back to exercising and sparring. Until then, Lilka-" I was looking away. "Look at me." I did, not wanting to meet those knowing eyes. She gave me the paper and spoke. "Until then, you have to look out for this little one." She touched the swelling bulge in my middle. "Do I have a promise?" I nodded glumly. "Good. Now, what are you going to do?"
I sighed heavily. "Go back to my rooms, tell Brian and go to bed." I repeated. She smiled and gently pushed me to her door. I walked through the halls, not noticing servants or nobles. I followed where my mind told me to go, a path often taken for me. My room to Kayla's, Kayla's room to mine. My feet found the door to my room. I gently opened it, peering inside. Everything was in perfect order, even my stacks of books that I used to learn more about Calain. Then, I realized how quiet it was. Normally around this time, I would find Brian sitting and playing an instrument.
I heard a muffled voice. I turned, to my horror; Brian was tied to a chair in the library. I hurried to him. Before I noticed the pleading in his eyes, two strong arms took me from behind.
"Well, well, well." A silky voice said. "Tut, tut. From what I've heard, you'd have never fallen for that age-old trick a week or so ago. Your senses are dulling, my dear servant-girl." I knew the voice. Before I could crane my head to see, Lady Sera's form came from the bathing room.
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My attempts had failed. Lilka had fallen into the trap, Lady Sera's devious trap. The one I too had fallen into. That time, however, it had been Kiera. The poor girl didn't know enough to keep her from being taken from behind, like my sweet Lilka. Lilka of the Eagle's Eyes the common folk called their princess.
I made a muffled attempt at speaking. Lady Sera heard it and came over, her hands reaching out to touch my cheek. I shook my head to keep her from placing her vile hands on me. "Your guard was no problem, Prince Brian of Calain. He desired me; I noticed that. All it took were a few words, a few gestures and he fell right in." She smirked. She untied the gag. "What do you have to say."
"If you take Lilka again, so help me-" She put a hand on my lips.
"Tut, tut, Prince. I learned last time. I do learn. No, this time, I'll leave your country in strife. Oh, yes, I'll take their dear, beloved prince from them. They'll be left with a foreign princess for the heir. Then, all I have to do is get rid of her, your marriage annulled, then you can marry me. And we'll rule Calain." Her touched my cheek, I turned my head in attempt to bite it. As I turned my head, I saw the tears falling down Lilka's cheeks. A weakness.
"You power-hungry worthless chit!" I swore. As another man untied me, I kept talking. "You're nothing more than a commoner in noble's clothes!" To a normal noble, that'd be enough of an insult to stay them. Lady Sera only laughed. "I bet you aren't even a virgin, you wh-" My mouth was roughly gagged again.
"Such naughty words from a prince," she laughed again. "We'll have to clean up that mouth of yours, Brian of Calain." She turned around and smacked Lilka. Obviously, she wasn't dumb enough to strike a prince. "Every time you insult, resist or any other form of resistance, your precious wife gets a lash." Such a harsh penalty she had given. Lilka had wiggled out enough to get a few words out.
"At least let me say goodbye!" She squeaked as the man's hand covered her mouth.
Lady Sera rubbed her chin. "Ah, yes, a passionate goodbye." She grinned evilly. "I can allow a goodbye." My gag was removed and Lilka released. She came over, leaning in for a kiss on the lips. Our lips had barely met when she was yanked back… but not before a scrap of paper was shoved between two fingers. I was thrown over a man's back and forcefully removed from the palace.
It would be a long time before I read the word on the paper. And an even longer time before its meaning would sink it,
The word, ever so simple, said, Pregnant.
Sorry this thing was so short, but, it was a delightful place to stop.
I request another five (5) reviews before updating. When I get five (5) reviews, I'll post five days later. Each review above five (5) will make me update faster.
Thanks, have fun, and don't forget to review!
Nixie.
