Cruel Fates
Chapter 6
By: IceQueen

AN: Hi, all! I'm back again! YAYA! I'm having a major creative storm right now. (With this story that is. ^_^) This chapter will have Silvara in it. I promise. ^_^ It'll be cool. Very... well, you'll see. It takes place when Damien is 18 and Silvara is 16. (Yeah, I know, major time jump, but it's necessary in order to get to the important stuff.) Anyway, it's one year after Silvara's party.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Black Jewel Trilogy, or characters and settings taken from it. I do own the characters the emerged from my own brain, so don't steal. Please.



Silvara yawned from her position next to Jaenelle on a tiny couch. She tapped her fingernails, impatient for dusk to come. Jaenelle gently lay a hand on her own. "Don't worry, little one. He will be fine," she said, before returning to her stitching.

Silvara looked around, bored out of her wits. Everyone around her was tense, waiting to see what Damien would come out wearing. All of his friends and family were there. 'There' being the Keep. Damien was deep inside of it, making the Offering. Titian was there, on the other side of the room, beside Daemonar, worrying her finely manicured nails.

All were worried, anxious, upset, the whole caboodle. She'd admit it, so was she. After all, Damien was her friend too. Silvara glanced at the clock for the sixth time in the past hour. 5:04, she thought, twenty-six more minutes until sunrise. She didn't think she could stand it. She wondered how Jaenelle and Daemon could sit still. It seemed an impossible feat!

She picked at the invisible lint on her pants, pushed her cuticles back until they bled, twirled pieces of hair around her fingers until they got yanked right out. Finally it was 5:32!

There was a huge stampede for the door, so Silvara decided wisely, that she'd hang back and be the last one out of the room. She walked out and was greeted by quite a scene. It would have shocked her had she not seen it before. Dea al Mon, Dhemlan, Glacian, and Eyrien . Even Kindred were there. It was an odd sight at first, but anyone, even a perfect stranger, could see the love and affection the group had for one another. It made her feel like an outsider.

Finally the crowd stepped far enough away from Damien that she could see him. He had purple circles under his eyes from sleep deprivation, and his hair was messed up. "You look like shit," she said warmly as she stepped up and gave him a hug. "You always know just the right thing to say, Silvie," he replied to her. "I try," Silvara or rather Silvie, told him as she pulled away. "You succeed stunningly well," Damien said with a wry smile.

"Damien," a sibilant voice said from behind him, "If you would come with me. I have some food waiting for you." Damien and Silvara turned to see Draca, the Keep's seneschal, standing behind them. She turned and began to walk away, assuming that he would follow. And follow he did. Silvara hesitated for a second and then went along with Damien. It's not like she'd be needed back there.

She walked alongside Damien, her head held high, as usual. 'Never show weakness to an enemy or when in unfriendly territory,' she recalled Falonar saying to her once when she had been staying with Titian over the summer.

Draca led them to a set of rooms, and opened the door to the first one, a sitting room. Silvara stepped in first, followed by Damien. Then Draca closed the door with a click. Damien, exhausted from his ordeal, plopped onto the couch gracelessly. She rolled her eyes and sat next to him. "Eat something," She ordered, and nudged the tray full of food closer towards him. "Yes, ma'am," Damien replied and began to stuff himself full of food. "Don't forget to chew. I'll be quite mad if I have to perform the Heimlich and lose my comfortable seat," Silvara told him. He sent her an unreadable expression, and went back to his eating.

Long minutes later Damien sat back with a contented look on his face and a full belly. "I don't recommend eating all your meals like that. You'll get fat. It'll make you even uglier than you already are," 'Silvie' pointed out to him. "Oh, don't worry. I can always work it off," He replied nonchalantly. Suddenly he lay down, his head landing in her lap.

"Um..." Silvara started, "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Taking a nap," Damien replied with a yawn. "Hm. Would you mind doing so elsewhere?" She asked. "Yes as a matter of fact I would. You make a nice pillow," He told her. "Oh," she replied, but thankfully remained silent after that. Silvara remained in a frozen, awkward position for awhile, with her hands raised so as not to touch Damien. After all, it was the first time a male had decided to nap on her.

Soon enough though, she relaxed and lowered her hands. Her left hand splaying itself on his chest, while her right hand rested on his hair, stroking it softly. Damien's breathing became deeper as he was lulled into sleep by the Queen's scent permeating the air around him.

Silvara was stunned by his childlike passivity. Normally he would've said some sort of remark about her petting him. For that's what she was doing-- petting him. He must really be tired, she thought as he nodded off. She became mesmerized by the texture of the strands of hair between her fingers. Almost feels like... silk, she thought to herself.

Honestly, what are you doing? Part of her chided herself.

I have no idea. I was hoping you knew. She replied, feeling that sinking in her stomach as she realized the voices were back. She built up a wall around herself, keeping the voices blocked out.

~Jaenelle's POV~

It is well past dinner, and I decide to look for Damien. He's been absent since he came out from the Offering. I know he's exhausted, but really, we have guests. I take a left turn in the Keep's hallways, and open a door on the right of this hallway.

What do I see? Something I never anticipated in my life. Damien's asleep on the couch, his head resting in who's lap? Silvara's-- that's who. I swear, I can feel my jaw hit the floor. Silvara looks up from Damien and puts a finger to her lips, shushing me. I collect my jaw, nod, and leave the room.

Well, that was interesting. I think to myself. Wait till Daemon hears about it.

AN: Lol. That was fun to write. Did you like it? If you did (or didn't) you should review. Reviewing is good. Yes, another short chapter, but I felt like writing a bit of fluff. This is an important and necessary part in the story. ^_^ It'll come up later, and if it doesn't it's still nice to read, right?