Lucivar waited in the hall till the High Lord shut the door behind him… a black lock and shield fell around the room. "Problem?"
"I think your brother would do good with some sleep… unless you have a better suggestion?"
Putting his pain in the ass brother under a stream of cold water came to mind… as well did the fall out form that action. "I think he would sleep better in a bed."
"Then I suggest you go buy him one or rummage through the attic." Seeing the wariness in Lucivar's eye had him regretting that commit. "I'm sorry Lucivar you don't deserve my anger."
"You're right I don't. but all things considered I understand." Lucivar took a deep breath in, "So what are you going to do with your new charges?"
"I don't know… I really don't know." Leaning up against the door to the study he asked for the one thing that he needed right now, "Would you mind keeping an eye on the darlings till evening meal?"
"I'll take them up to the attic and see if anything up there interests them… at least for the day."
"Tomorrow I'll send Mephis with you to Amdarh along with Daemon and the girls."
"Amdarh?"
"The capital of Dhemlan. Lots of shops to find things to interest young girls and for you to get some clothing that fit."
"You gave me this outfit to wear."
"And it looked better on your uncle.' He raised his hand to silent the argument that was starting. "I'm going to my suite to look over this basket of trouble that your brother's handed me."
"In all fairness I don't think one of them had a choice in the matter."
Blandly Saetan said, "No, I presume he didn't." HE paused then added , "What do you know about the golden spiders?"
"High Lord, Until yesterday I didn't even know that the Shadow Real really existed."
BOOM!
"What the Hell?"
Children surprised squeals and dome one saying, "Damn. Damn and double damn." Got both of them moving.
Opening the door to the formal dining room Saetan sucked in a breath. Everything was covered in colored dust. Nothing broke. Nothing out of place except for, "Where is the buffet table?"
Jaenelle bounced over to him. Pink, blue and purple dust covered her from head to toe. "Hello Papa. It is alright if I call you that isn't it? Daemon said I could."
He had caughter her scent when Daemon had brought her in. Had seen the caverns in those eyes when she pinned him with a stare… and now… yes this was the daughter that he had spent a lifetime searching for. "Yes darling it is more than alright for you to call me that" Seeing her eyes light up he continued, "Now would like to tell me what happened while you were eating?"
Suddenly her brightly colored shoe needed her attention.
"Witch-child?"
"Well, we were done eating."
Folding his arms and looking very calm he waited, when she didn't say anything else he did, "That's all well and good, but what happen that you're all covered in brightly colored dust?"
One of the spoke girls spoke up, "It was an illusion. Just a bit of fun."
He didn't know her name but he could see the tears swelling up in her eyes and her lip starting too quiver. "Alright. Since you all need a bit of fun I will say this… We will find a room or wing that you can have fun in. A room to practice spells and such. However, the dining hall is not for spells that are not profected yet."
Little arms were wrapped around him a breath later. It wasn't until all of the girls were more or less hugging him that he caught the scent of caste. 6 priestess, 4 healers, 3 witches and 7 Queens. Plus Jaenelle who was tri-gifted and her sister who was just a witch. "Alright , alright that's enough ladies."
"You don't…"
"I have work that needs done and it's almost time for me to retire. That said, Prince Yaslana is going to take you around the Hall and into the Attics so you have something to ware for at least today. Then in the morning he and his brother's are going to take you shopping."
"Shopping?" Jaenelle said in a tone that sounded like a student learning a new word. And may the Darkness be merciful because that one word terrified the tow dark jeweled warlord princes.
The attic
Lucivar moaned softly. Logically he knew the size of the attic would be the same size as the Hall. The fact that it was stuffed with trucks, furniture and an odd assortment of things that he couldn't guess what they were for, it made him want to weep. At least the girls were having fun.
Happy squeals. Murmuring. And girls tearing though trunks holding this up and making suggestions to others about one thing or another. If this was going to be an event just going threw an attic he could only imagine what shopping was going to bring.
Well at least he wouldn't be alone on that trip.
Terreille
Hekatah found the blasted girl. She was a district queen. Someone worthy to become her new partner.
A male begging for mercy led her to the room where the queen was wating her entertainment.
"Who the Hell are you?' the woman hissed.
"Hekatah SaDiablo. The high Priestess."
"Oh…" her eyes lit with a terrifying kind of glitter, "In that case darling would you like to watch?"
"I'm afraid we have some things to discuss and the entertainment will have to wait."
She pouted out her lip, "Oh fine." Then to her guards, "Take that back to his cell, we'll play with him in a bit."
Slowly walking to the room where she did her business she asked, "Now what kind of business does the High Priestess require from my court?"
"Dorothea SaDiablo named you her heir before she was hurried to the darkness."