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I knoe, it's been a while. I suck you can say it. This isn't a particularly interesting chapter. We find out about Lenn's mom to an annoying degree or at least I think so and I bloody wrote it so yeah... and some other stuff so um yes... And to my beyond good friend Beth, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOSER! This little part was written a little after her birthday and still in early September. Other than that, I have my own laptop now so I can just go about my merry way writing this. And I should really be doing that. Ya knoe, writing... Later, ska chan!
Chapter 11
All my life I have wondered about my mother and why I was left to her friend instead of staying with her. I knew she was beautiful and powerful but I never knew how powerful. Panaa had said she had worked for my mother since before I was born, back in San d'Oria and that's why I went to her instead of some Elvaan. But when ever I asked who she was, Panaa would give simple answers that didn't deal with my mother's place in Vana' diel. It wasn't like that tonight.
Perih Vashai led me into her home where Panaa sat waiting. She smiled up at me, motioning for me to sit before her. I knelt slowly, like some one in a trance. My mind couldn't grasp it. So much had happened since the sun left the sky. I was officially a woman, I love yous, which I had so longed to hear, were being whispered by a man who I wasn't even sure I had feelings for, I was heartbroken by his best mate and now. And now... my mother and her reason for abandoning me. All of these things swirled about my head , so concentrated that I missed Panaa's words.
I blinked. "Lennia, arre you even listening?" Panaa called. Nodding slowly, she began again. "Well than." She took a deep breath. "To be honest, I don't know wherre to begin. Funny how you can spend eight teen yearrrs prreparring forrr something and when the time comes, you can't find the starrt. Perrhaps I should start frrom herrr birrth." Wasn't expecting that.
"Catriona," she never rolls the r in her name, "was borrn into a generral's house. She's one of two daughterrs, actually. Currilla, yourrr aunt, and Catriona stayed in the Chateau for the majorrity of theirrr childhoods, play mates to the Old King's sons. Currilla neverrr took a parrticularr liking to the young princes then, at least not in the way herrr sisterr did. Catriona's fondness of one of them led herrr to herrr place in life." If that was a hint, I hadn't gotten it.
"She was denied herrr Love's hearrt at fourrteen. He had said she was too weak and dull frrom neverrr leaving the grounds," she growled. "She cried forrr many days beforre choosing to take herrr life into herrr own hands. Arrmed with only a daggerr and white magic, she left herrr fatherr's house and started herrr trravels. She had gone from Windurrst to Bastok and La Thiene to Garlaige and eventually to Norg, my birrthplace. She was almost neverr alone though. On her jourrney, she met many people and many of those many people asked herrr to join them, wanting some one who could heal theirrr wounded and rraise theirr fallen close at hand until they rreached theirr destination. So therre she was, in Norg, looking forr a way home and she found me. I was 19 then and searrching forrr my purpose. She gave it to me in the shape of a mythrril degen. Said she wanted to go home and didn't want to die on the way. So, with a full purrse and a determined mind, I took herrr. We became frriends, as trravelerrs often do on long jourrneys, and exchanged ourrr life stories. I was moved by herrr tale of woe and sworre to herrr it would be different next time.
"We enterred San d'Orria, afterrr thrree long weeks of rrough terrain, and fell into the firrst beds we could get. Catriona said things were off, the people seemed on edge. Worried, we went to herrr fatherr the following morrning, and afterrr a warrm welcome, we werre told the fate of San d'Oria. The King was nearring death and his sons quarreled over who ought to be next on the thrrone while warr was brreaking with the Orc trribes frrom the norrth. Curilla now led the arrmy in place of theirr rretired fatherr and wasn't happy to see us. We-"
I had to interrupt. "Panaa, what does this have to do with her leaving me in your care?"
Both of the Mithras smiled. "You neverrr had much patience. All rright," Panaa sighed, "I'll skip a few yearrs of battling orrcs.Yourr motherr eventually hirred me full time to help herr exterrminate the orcish plague that had fallen upon San d'Oria. Fame grrew between us as we helped the people, and afterr a long while, herrr sisterr's troops. Well, the fame had become so grreat that one of the princes, Trion, sent an invitation to us forrr a dinnerrr parrty. They had stayed close by the whole night and by the end of the evening, he prroposed. Catriona of courrse said yes, having known him all herrr life and having gotten overr herr hearrtbrreak long ago but she did not love him. His brrotherrr was furrious. I'll neverr forrget that night, how those two men fought over her. Afterr days of endless thrreats and plots and duels, Purrille was defeated. Catriona told me beforre she married Trion how if she had known Purrrille would have fought forrr herrr the way he did and knew he loved herr, she wouldn't have agrreed to herrr marriage to Trrion. She was not too enthusiastic about wedding Trion but she did it anyway forrr herrr fatherr and the rrest of San d'Oria, who needed something to be joyful overrr durring the warrr."
Everything after 'Trion asking for Catriona's hand and she said yes' part I barely heard. After Panaa had said that it hit me like a brick attached to a rusted iron pole to the face. If Panaa was looking at me instead of the small fire between us, she would have seen my eye twitch and my gaping mouth. My body began shaking, my palms grew moist, and my breathing quickened. I gasped and Panaa looked up to watch me pass out from shock.-
I could hear voices outside the door. Opening my eyes, I found the familiar walls and furniture of my room. Propping myself up on my elbows, I listened as the voices became distinct and words clear. It was my mother and Meekale. She was thanking him for carrying me to our home but it didn't seem like he was too happy about why he needed to.
"What happened in there?" he asked again. "What did you tell her? What did you do to Lenn?"
"Meekale, calm yourrself. Lennia is perrrfectly healthy, she just got overrrwhelmed." There was silence.
After a moment, Meekale muttered, "Well that answers all of my questions, doesn't it?" I would think that Panaa sighed then, she always sighs instead of raising her voice. It's how she expresses annoyance or anger, or in this case, both. The sound of feet shuffling could be heard, Meekale was pacing. "I just want to know. What did you say to Lenn that would make her react like that? Why did she pass out?" His voice was softer now, trying to stay calm. I smiled to myself, thinking how sweet he was to care and trying not to think of the facts Panaa had given me to keep from going under again. I sighed to myself, rolling on my side but still listening.
"If," Panaa finally said, "Lennia would like you to know what went on inside Madame Vashai's hut, she will tell you. I won't." I suppose Meekale made some face or something because Panaa went on to say, "No. I do not wish to hearrr it. Young man, you may stay herre until she is awake and ask herrr yourrself but do not question me again. I will not be disrrespected in my own house and especially not frrom some young perrson like you." With that, she padded away to do who knows what. I tried not to laugh. I really did. But...Meekale had just been talked down to by an old woman. -
: POV CHANGE::::
My shoulders slumped as Miss Fom walked away, her tail straight with anger. She's angry, I thought. I don't even know what's going on anymore! Why can't she just te- A giggle came from the other side of the door. I should have known. I threw open her door to watch her pretty eyes squeeze shut and her body shake with held in laughter. I shook my head and jumped onto the bed, making Lenn fly up for a second. She stopped holding in her rich laugh and instead hugged her ribcage. I smiled, watching her laugh, having no clue it was at my expense. The laughter died down after a minute and she took a much needed breath and looked back at me with those eyes. Oh Altana, those eyes! I'd start and win a war just to see those eyes again. Well I guess you already knew that, huh? But anyway, she looked up at me, mixed emotions in her eyes and said, "I already know what you want from me."
No she didn't. "Oh really?" I asked. She nodded. "So will you give it to me?" My lady shook her head and her smile melted. She hid her eyes from me as she shoved her face into a blanket. I probably shouldn't have but I went down to her level, put my mouth close to her delicate ear and instead of kissing it, I whispered, "Are you sure? You can tell me anything. I promise not to tell."
She stopped killing herself in blanket and turned her beautiful face to mine. She's an evil girl for that. Her lips were so close, I could have barely moved and had them on me. I wish I had. That would have been nice. But no, I didn't. She wanted to say something and hearing her speak is better than kissing her. I would guess anyway. A serious face on her too, makes me glad I didn't ruin the moment. "Meekale," she whispered, "what do you think of me?" I could feel her warm breath on my lips. So tempting!
"Uh..." What kind of question is that I ask you. What did I think of her? I think she's perfect, I think she couldn't get any better and I wouldn't want to change a thing about her. But of course I wasn't going to say that. Too much of a wuss. "Um..." I was stalling. I couldn't tell her the things I wanted to but that's all I could think about. "I think...you're a sweet young woman with unbelievable amounts of love and grace and that you know it, deep down, but you deny it because you're modest." Should have just told her what I was thinking. Altana I'm stupid.
She looked down, a sad expression on her face. It made me want to cry. "Do you like me for that?"
"Lenn, I love you for that. I love you for everything you are and do." I wish she had taken me seriously when I said I love you...
"But you barely know me. How can you love me for everything I am and do?" she asked.
Barely know her...yeah. "Just because I haven't known you longer than a few days doesn't mean I haven't seen the way you act, it doesn't mean I haven't heard the depth of your words, seen your kindness and wit. Lenn, just because some one doesn't' know some one else their whole lives doesn't mean they can't be the best of friends in just a few hours."
My lady sniffed. "Would you like me no matter what?" I nodded. "Nothing would change your mind?" I nodded and moved a lock of hair from her face. "Meekale...even if-"
I put my hand over her wonderful lips. "What ever was coming after that if I'm going to say yes. You're Lennia. No matter what you do. No matter what you say or how you look. Under everything you might do to change that, I'll still see you as you are right now. You'll always be Lenn to me."
A tear fell from her eye, disappearing into the bed. I took my hand away to wipe away the remnants of it. "Even if I'm a San d'Orian princess?" she choked out, her eyes squeezing shut to keep back tears. I stared at her, my mouth agape. She sniffed and opened an eye. "M- Meekale?" she squeaked. I couldn't answer her. I just stared.
Oh but they don't know the half of it. And neither do I. Or you. So collectively, none of us knoes nothin'. Sorry this took so long to write. Alot happened in this chapter and by alot I mean not particularly. So in conclusion...thanks for reading, Nerdicus I love you and yay you're coming EXTREMELY soon, and uh...leave me a good review peoples! Later, ska chan.