title: Elusive Thoughts | Chapter 4
rating: PG
author: Mir
email: incandescence@juno.com
website: http://cathedraldragon.tripod.com/sm/
disclaimer: Sailor Moon, et al. belongs to Naoko Takeuchi,
etc., etc., and so on and so forth ^_^. The other characters
belong to me...for whatever that's worth. I have no money
to speak of, so suing me will not make you rich. Yes, and
this story was inspired by Melanie Rawn's *Dragon Prince*.
Kudos to her, it's an excellent novel.
AN: Oh, I promised action, didn't I? Then I apologize,
for there isn't overly much of that in this chapter either. I
had a wonderful time writing it, though - I guess I'm just a
hopeless romantic. So if you're looking for running and
screaming, you may have to look elsewhere. Otherwise,
please feel free to sit back and enjoy the show. ^_^
*Chapter 4*
The Great Hall was a buzz with hushed conversation. At tables
illuminated by soft yellow candlelight various Lords and vassals murmured low
words of impatience. Their places had been set with immaculate care, the
silverware polished until it gleamed, the china spotlessly white. At each setting
sat a delicate wine goblet spun out of blue glass. Dark twilight in color and
inlaid with tiny golden stars, they added a finishing touch of formality to the
event, a formality fitting for a pre-coronation dinner. But the guests fidgeted
restlessly in their chairs, and even Ariane was tapping her fingers against the
table in irritation. For nothing could begin until the Prince arrived, and Darien
was conspicuously absent.
Serena wound a stray strand of hair around her finger nervously.
She couldn't help but notice Lady Ariane's quiet impatience beside her, and
she wondered why, of all people, she was sitting at the high table. As the
strand brushed her lips she caught it with her tongue and chewed on the ends -
until Ariane put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. Serena blushed
in embarrassment and quickly swept her hair safely behind her ears.
She'd felt so confident before the dinner, so sure that she could
converse maturely with people who were so much more important than herself.
But she hadn't counted on their prejudices against those of the Moonlight.
She could feel their eyes following her as she walked beside Lady Ariane,
sense their suspicion and, in some cases, fear. She couldn't help but notice
when their conversations faded away at her passing, couldn't fail to sense their
relief that she wasn't going to sit at their table. Only hours after meeting him
she'd already taken Darien's acceptance for granted. 'He knew what I was,
and he didn't care', she thought with thankful relief.
She was beginning to become worried that he wasn't going to
show up, and was about to turn to her companion and inquire if the Prince
was often late, when the doors once again opened, and a familiar silhouette
appeared in the doorway. He nodded politely to the doormen and paused
at the entrance long enough for all conversation to fade into silent anticipation.
Then, with lightly echoing footsteps he strode through the sea of tables, head
high, eyes dancing over the faces of the guests with calm assurance. His
attitude was one of complete ownership and absolute confidence - until he
met her eyes.
Serena's heart beat rapidly, and she quickly averted her eyes,
not out of a feeling of inadequacy but rather in fear that she might cause
Darien, her Darien, to lose the assured jauntiness to his step. He did falter,
but only briefly, one foot raised hesitantly in the air. Then it descended with
the sharp sound of boot against tile, and he continued along his path to the
only empty seat in the hall.
When he reached the table he stopped and for an instant
appeared to be unsure of what to do. He looked down at his place setting,
and Serena wished more than anything that she could dash over to stand
by his side, take his hand in hers and reassure him that he looked absolutely
stunning. Dressed from head to foot in black with hints of silver at collar
and cuffs, he seemed to carry his new responsibility with an ease that she
envied.
Just when the silence was becoming noticeable Darien cleared
his throat and, placing his hands firmly on the table, addressed the Hall.
"My Lords and Ladies of the Desert, I welcome you to Crystal Castle...and
only regret the reason for our gathering here tonight. By now the smoke from
your fires will be visible in other lands, and perhaps those who could not be
with us tonight are celebrating the life of our Princess Kerri as well. There
will be ample opportunity for me to introduce my policies on another occasion.
Tonight isn't the time for such matters. I only ask that you remember my sister,
remember her for who she was and don't think that her passing was in vain."
It seemed for a moment like he was going to continue, but then the Prince
nodded his head and gestured expansively, a sign for the food to be brought
out.
Serena watched as he sat stiffly in his chair, unable to relax
under the watchful eyes of his vassals. Not that she could blame him.
- - - - - - - - - -
Darien hadn't realized that he would be expected to address
the hall and was berating himself for not planning out a speech beforehand.
He'd been fine until he saw her, a shimmering cloud of white and gold,
perched beside Ariane at the high table. Her eyes, the lightest of blue
and sparkling with nervous excitement, met his, and his step faltered.
'Please don't let anyone notice that I can't even look at her without
melting' he though to himself, concerned with how he was going to maintain
the charade at the Caucus.
He barely noticed the food before him, and afterward couldn't
have told anyone what it was that he'd put into his mouth. For all his outward
show of confidence he was dreading the actual ceremony, dreading having to
sit in the seat his sister had occupied only days before. Nonetheless, he
gradually relaxed into the evening with a certain natural ease that comes as
second nature to those born into the spotlight of attention.
He avoided turning in her direction, questioning Andrew on the
status of his horse breeding program instead. His brother-in-law was not of
noble birth and so had been forbidden by Desert law to take the title of
"Prince" beside Kerri, but he'd been a co-monarch in all but the title. 'I can't
imagine ever losing her now' Darien thought, giving into impulse to steel a
glance across the table.
Her head was bent over her dinner plate, wisps of hair just
barely missing the gravy as she pushed the food around with her fork.
He'd had been selfish when he'd asked a place be set for her at the high
table. He'd needed to have her near, wished she were beside him. 'At
least she has Ariane. Andrew's nothing but a mental wreck...not that I can
blame him'.
He was startled when she suddenly jumped to her feet, chair
tipping over behind her and landing with a crash on the ground. She was
staring at a point somewhere over his left shoulder, eyes wide in fright, arms
stretched out before her. The entire hall seemed to let out a collective gasp,
and Darien was suddenly reluctant to discover what was behind him. But as
Serena began to tremble, and he threw aside hesitation and pivoted sharply,
drawing his sword in readiness.
Whatever he was expecting, whatever he'd imagined - was not
was he saw. A man, heavyset with dark hair, was less than two feet behind
the table, knife clutched in his right hand. But more amazing, a wall of pure
light, a shimmering transparency of silver moonlight, surrounded the attacker,
blinding him with its brilliance.
Behind him, Serena leaned against the table, and the wall faltered,
then fell, its energy sinking soundlessly into the ground. Darien prepared himself
to fend off an attack, but the man collapsed into a ball, curling up on the ground
and holding his head. "Darien!" It was Andrew who appeared by his side first;
the rest of the hall seemed to be paralyzed by the turn of events. "What the Hell
happened?" He strode over to the man and poked at him with the toe of his boot.
The attacker didn't stir.
"I...I don't know," Darien replied, still frozen where he stood. He
looked from Andrew to the man, then back over his shoulder to where Serena
was trying, without great success, to right her chair. His sword fell to the
ground, forgotten, and he was by her side in an instant.
- - - - - - - - - -
She didn't know what had made her look up at that instant, and she
couldn't remember how she knew what to do. 'Never use the Moonlight to kill' -
the ancient creed flashed across her mind, and she stilled her hand, not letting the
circle of light contract further. It was the only thing that mattered, sustain the
energy until Darien turned around.
But then he turned, and she grabbed onto the table to stop from falling,
unsteady with exhaustion. Her fingers trembled, unwilling to cooperate, and she
knocked over her blue goblet, crystal splintering as it collided with the floor. She
closed her eyes and tried to calm down, squatting and groping to her left and
right for the chair she vaguely remembered tipping over. But instead of a wooden
object, her hands found someone's leg, and her eyes flew open in wide surprise.
She let him pull her into his arms, resting her head against his chest
and listening to his heartbeat. They were silent, blissfully unaware of the dozens
of eyes squinting in their direction. Then Lady Ariane cleared her throat and
appeared at Darien's side. "Errumph...if you two have finished drooling over
one another, I have a feeling that the rest of the guests might like it if you rejoined
them."
Serena blushed crimson, consoled only by the fact that Darien's face
was the same shade, if not darker. "Yes, Lady Ariane," she replied quietly and
began to slip from the Prince's arms back towards the table. But Darien only
gripped her tighter. "Wait - are you sure you're alright? How did you do...make
that wall - " She struggled, and he, not one to leave bruises on other people's arms,
let her go. "Later...I promise. But your guests are growing impatient," she insisted,
eager to get out of the spotlight.
"No." His reply startled her; she hadn't been expecting it. Her eyes
flashed dangerously, angered by the fact that he'd just brushed her off. But
Darien took no regard. Instead, he took her hand, straightened his shoulders, and
turned to face the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for the disturbance
that you were just witness to. Believe me, I had no intention of letting such an
event transpire tonight. As some of you may have seen, I own my life to the fair
Lady Serena who is now by my side." He smiled, ignoring her attempts to free
her hand. "And on behalf of the Desert and my family, I'd like to, in thanks, bestow
upon her this gift."
It was a small locket, star-shaped and glittering with tiny diamonds,
that he pulled out of his pocket and fastened around her neck. Her gaze
changed from irritation to wonder, and he whispered in her ear, "It was Kerri's,
but I'd like you to have it." She brushed the top with her fingers and heard the
faint hum of music. "Thank you...you shouldn't have." Darien glanced over his
shoulder at Ariane, reassuring her that he wouldn't forget about his guests again.
"Nonsense, I wanted to." He grinned, then left her, jauntily saluting to the hall and
returning to his place.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of color and sound. She'd
watched him alight to the throne after coronation ceremony and couldn't help
but notice the empty seat beside him. She couldn't recall which of her friends
had led her back to her room afterwards...Ami...that's who it was, always there
when she needed help. Then she'd sat on the edge of the bed, bare feet
swinging off the side, locket pressed next to her ear. She hummed along softly
to the tune, memorizing the intonations.
A rap on the door disturbed her. "Lady Serena?" The speaker was
a boy, no more than fourteen, with bright red hair and excited green eyes. She
nodded. "Milord Darien sent me to see if you could join him in the garden
tonight." It was clear from his clothes that he was the Prince's squire, and Serena
couldn't help but smile at the eager go-between. "Yes, yes of course. Tell him
I'd love to...but that I don't know the way." And Justin nodded, "That's what
I'm here for Milady. Are you ready to go? He's by the pond."
- - - - - - - - - -
Darien stood in the calm darkness of the gardens, hands clasped
nervously behind his back. Andrew was forever berating him for pacing back
and forth, but there was no brother-in-law to stop him tonight. His boots rasped
against the pebbled walkway, polluting the tranquility with noise. He didn't notice
the soft approach of a presence behind him, the presence he'd been waiting
for. "Darien."
He pivoted quickly, smile spreading across his face. "I knew you'd
come." The moonlight illuminated his hair, glittered off of his silver trim. "I'm
sorry about tonight." She was the one to close the gap between him. "I think you
owe me an explanation." And he wondered where his timid sprite had vanished
to, wondered but appreciated her confidence more.
"I know, you deserve no less." She raised an eyebrow, unwilling to
be sated by flattering words and caring eyes. "Tell me what you plan." Darien
sighed, gesturing to a nearby bench and taking a seat beside her. "Do you know
about the Caucus of Princes?" She nodded. "It's this summer..." And as he
explained, as he had to Ariane, she squinted, forehead wrinkling.
"I...I don't know," she replied, at the same time leaning against his side. "I
want to trust you, so much, but I'm just not sure." Darien reached down,
arm slipping around her protectively. "I can only promise that I'll never hurt
you purposefully, but I that promise with all my heart." She snuggled closer,
smiling quietly to herself. "The I guess that'll have to do, don't you think?"
He nodded. "We'll have to do this sometimes when we're married."
"But what'll your people think when they know that their Prince
has to sneak around at night to spend time with his wife?" she asked, giggling.
"Oh, Justin's discreet enough - he's nice, isn't he?" he replied, evasive, as
usual. Serena look up, eyes glowing, "I bet you were cuter when you were
a squire." Then before he had realized what happened her lips brushed his
cheek and her shadow disappeared into the night. He brought his fingers up
to feel the spot she'd touched, and he whispered softly to himself, 'I love you'.
*end of Chapter 4*
Sorry this part's taken me so long...I meant to get it out fairly
expeditiously, but then vacation began...You know, spending an entire day
on an airplane isn't too fun, that with layovers and all. Anyway, my apologies,
and I'll start on the next chapter right away. I've also got a shorter work in
progress - Happy holidays!
- Mir 12.20.00
.
rating: PG
author: Mir
email: incandescence@juno.com
website: http://cathedraldragon.tripod.com/sm/
disclaimer: Sailor Moon, et al. belongs to Naoko Takeuchi,
etc., etc., and so on and so forth ^_^. The other characters
belong to me...for whatever that's worth. I have no money
to speak of, so suing me will not make you rich. Yes, and
this story was inspired by Melanie Rawn's *Dragon Prince*.
Kudos to her, it's an excellent novel.
AN: Oh, I promised action, didn't I? Then I apologize,
for there isn't overly much of that in this chapter either. I
had a wonderful time writing it, though - I guess I'm just a
hopeless romantic. So if you're looking for running and
screaming, you may have to look elsewhere. Otherwise,
please feel free to sit back and enjoy the show. ^_^
*Chapter 4*
The Great Hall was a buzz with hushed conversation. At tables
illuminated by soft yellow candlelight various Lords and vassals murmured low
words of impatience. Their places had been set with immaculate care, the
silverware polished until it gleamed, the china spotlessly white. At each setting
sat a delicate wine goblet spun out of blue glass. Dark twilight in color and
inlaid with tiny golden stars, they added a finishing touch of formality to the
event, a formality fitting for a pre-coronation dinner. But the guests fidgeted
restlessly in their chairs, and even Ariane was tapping her fingers against the
table in irritation. For nothing could begin until the Prince arrived, and Darien
was conspicuously absent.
Serena wound a stray strand of hair around her finger nervously.
She couldn't help but notice Lady Ariane's quiet impatience beside her, and
she wondered why, of all people, she was sitting at the high table. As the
strand brushed her lips she caught it with her tongue and chewed on the ends -
until Ariane put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. Serena blushed
in embarrassment and quickly swept her hair safely behind her ears.
She'd felt so confident before the dinner, so sure that she could
converse maturely with people who were so much more important than herself.
But she hadn't counted on their prejudices against those of the Moonlight.
She could feel their eyes following her as she walked beside Lady Ariane,
sense their suspicion and, in some cases, fear. She couldn't help but notice
when their conversations faded away at her passing, couldn't fail to sense their
relief that she wasn't going to sit at their table. Only hours after meeting him
she'd already taken Darien's acceptance for granted. 'He knew what I was,
and he didn't care', she thought with thankful relief.
She was beginning to become worried that he wasn't going to
show up, and was about to turn to her companion and inquire if the Prince
was often late, when the doors once again opened, and a familiar silhouette
appeared in the doorway. He nodded politely to the doormen and paused
at the entrance long enough for all conversation to fade into silent anticipation.
Then, with lightly echoing footsteps he strode through the sea of tables, head
high, eyes dancing over the faces of the guests with calm assurance. His
attitude was one of complete ownership and absolute confidence - until he
met her eyes.
Serena's heart beat rapidly, and she quickly averted her eyes,
not out of a feeling of inadequacy but rather in fear that she might cause
Darien, her Darien, to lose the assured jauntiness to his step. He did falter,
but only briefly, one foot raised hesitantly in the air. Then it descended with
the sharp sound of boot against tile, and he continued along his path to the
only empty seat in the hall.
When he reached the table he stopped and for an instant
appeared to be unsure of what to do. He looked down at his place setting,
and Serena wished more than anything that she could dash over to stand
by his side, take his hand in hers and reassure him that he looked absolutely
stunning. Dressed from head to foot in black with hints of silver at collar
and cuffs, he seemed to carry his new responsibility with an ease that she
envied.
Just when the silence was becoming noticeable Darien cleared
his throat and, placing his hands firmly on the table, addressed the Hall.
"My Lords and Ladies of the Desert, I welcome you to Crystal Castle...and
only regret the reason for our gathering here tonight. By now the smoke from
your fires will be visible in other lands, and perhaps those who could not be
with us tonight are celebrating the life of our Princess Kerri as well. There
will be ample opportunity for me to introduce my policies on another occasion.
Tonight isn't the time for such matters. I only ask that you remember my sister,
remember her for who she was and don't think that her passing was in vain."
It seemed for a moment like he was going to continue, but then the Prince
nodded his head and gestured expansively, a sign for the food to be brought
out.
Serena watched as he sat stiffly in his chair, unable to relax
under the watchful eyes of his vassals. Not that she could blame him.
- - - - - - - - - -
Darien hadn't realized that he would be expected to address
the hall and was berating himself for not planning out a speech beforehand.
He'd been fine until he saw her, a shimmering cloud of white and gold,
perched beside Ariane at the high table. Her eyes, the lightest of blue
and sparkling with nervous excitement, met his, and his step faltered.
'Please don't let anyone notice that I can't even look at her without
melting' he though to himself, concerned with how he was going to maintain
the charade at the Caucus.
He barely noticed the food before him, and afterward couldn't
have told anyone what it was that he'd put into his mouth. For all his outward
show of confidence he was dreading the actual ceremony, dreading having to
sit in the seat his sister had occupied only days before. Nonetheless, he
gradually relaxed into the evening with a certain natural ease that comes as
second nature to those born into the spotlight of attention.
He avoided turning in her direction, questioning Andrew on the
status of his horse breeding program instead. His brother-in-law was not of
noble birth and so had been forbidden by Desert law to take the title of
"Prince" beside Kerri, but he'd been a co-monarch in all but the title. 'I can't
imagine ever losing her now' Darien thought, giving into impulse to steel a
glance across the table.
Her head was bent over her dinner plate, wisps of hair just
barely missing the gravy as she pushed the food around with her fork.
He'd had been selfish when he'd asked a place be set for her at the high
table. He'd needed to have her near, wished she were beside him. 'At
least she has Ariane. Andrew's nothing but a mental wreck...not that I can
blame him'.
He was startled when she suddenly jumped to her feet, chair
tipping over behind her and landing with a crash on the ground. She was
staring at a point somewhere over his left shoulder, eyes wide in fright, arms
stretched out before her. The entire hall seemed to let out a collective gasp,
and Darien was suddenly reluctant to discover what was behind him. But as
Serena began to tremble, and he threw aside hesitation and pivoted sharply,
drawing his sword in readiness.
Whatever he was expecting, whatever he'd imagined - was not
was he saw. A man, heavyset with dark hair, was less than two feet behind
the table, knife clutched in his right hand. But more amazing, a wall of pure
light, a shimmering transparency of silver moonlight, surrounded the attacker,
blinding him with its brilliance.
Behind him, Serena leaned against the table, and the wall faltered,
then fell, its energy sinking soundlessly into the ground. Darien prepared himself
to fend off an attack, but the man collapsed into a ball, curling up on the ground
and holding his head. "Darien!" It was Andrew who appeared by his side first;
the rest of the hall seemed to be paralyzed by the turn of events. "What the Hell
happened?" He strode over to the man and poked at him with the toe of his boot.
The attacker didn't stir.
"I...I don't know," Darien replied, still frozen where he stood. He
looked from Andrew to the man, then back over his shoulder to where Serena
was trying, without great success, to right her chair. His sword fell to the
ground, forgotten, and he was by her side in an instant.
- - - - - - - - - -
She didn't know what had made her look up at that instant, and she
couldn't remember how she knew what to do. 'Never use the Moonlight to kill' -
the ancient creed flashed across her mind, and she stilled her hand, not letting the
circle of light contract further. It was the only thing that mattered, sustain the
energy until Darien turned around.
But then he turned, and she grabbed onto the table to stop from falling,
unsteady with exhaustion. Her fingers trembled, unwilling to cooperate, and she
knocked over her blue goblet, crystal splintering as it collided with the floor. She
closed her eyes and tried to calm down, squatting and groping to her left and
right for the chair she vaguely remembered tipping over. But instead of a wooden
object, her hands found someone's leg, and her eyes flew open in wide surprise.
She let him pull her into his arms, resting her head against his chest
and listening to his heartbeat. They were silent, blissfully unaware of the dozens
of eyes squinting in their direction. Then Lady Ariane cleared her throat and
appeared at Darien's side. "Errumph...if you two have finished drooling over
one another, I have a feeling that the rest of the guests might like it if you rejoined
them."
Serena blushed crimson, consoled only by the fact that Darien's face
was the same shade, if not darker. "Yes, Lady Ariane," she replied quietly and
began to slip from the Prince's arms back towards the table. But Darien only
gripped her tighter. "Wait - are you sure you're alright? How did you do...make
that wall - " She struggled, and he, not one to leave bruises on other people's arms,
let her go. "Later...I promise. But your guests are growing impatient," she insisted,
eager to get out of the spotlight.
"No." His reply startled her; she hadn't been expecting it. Her eyes
flashed dangerously, angered by the fact that he'd just brushed her off. But
Darien took no regard. Instead, he took her hand, straightened his shoulders, and
turned to face the room. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for the disturbance
that you were just witness to. Believe me, I had no intention of letting such an
event transpire tonight. As some of you may have seen, I own my life to the fair
Lady Serena who is now by my side." He smiled, ignoring her attempts to free
her hand. "And on behalf of the Desert and my family, I'd like to, in thanks, bestow
upon her this gift."
It was a small locket, star-shaped and glittering with tiny diamonds,
that he pulled out of his pocket and fastened around her neck. Her gaze
changed from irritation to wonder, and he whispered in her ear, "It was Kerri's,
but I'd like you to have it." She brushed the top with her fingers and heard the
faint hum of music. "Thank you...you shouldn't have." Darien glanced over his
shoulder at Ariane, reassuring her that he wouldn't forget about his guests again.
"Nonsense, I wanted to." He grinned, then left her, jauntily saluting to the hall and
returning to his place.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of color and sound. She'd
watched him alight to the throne after coronation ceremony and couldn't help
but notice the empty seat beside him. She couldn't recall which of her friends
had led her back to her room afterwards...Ami...that's who it was, always there
when she needed help. Then she'd sat on the edge of the bed, bare feet
swinging off the side, locket pressed next to her ear. She hummed along softly
to the tune, memorizing the intonations.
A rap on the door disturbed her. "Lady Serena?" The speaker was
a boy, no more than fourteen, with bright red hair and excited green eyes. She
nodded. "Milord Darien sent me to see if you could join him in the garden
tonight." It was clear from his clothes that he was the Prince's squire, and Serena
couldn't help but smile at the eager go-between. "Yes, yes of course. Tell him
I'd love to...but that I don't know the way." And Justin nodded, "That's what
I'm here for Milady. Are you ready to go? He's by the pond."
- - - - - - - - - -
Darien stood in the calm darkness of the gardens, hands clasped
nervously behind his back. Andrew was forever berating him for pacing back
and forth, but there was no brother-in-law to stop him tonight. His boots rasped
against the pebbled walkway, polluting the tranquility with noise. He didn't notice
the soft approach of a presence behind him, the presence he'd been waiting
for. "Darien."
He pivoted quickly, smile spreading across his face. "I knew you'd
come." The moonlight illuminated his hair, glittered off of his silver trim. "I'm
sorry about tonight." She was the one to close the gap between him. "I think you
owe me an explanation." And he wondered where his timid sprite had vanished
to, wondered but appreciated her confidence more.
"I know, you deserve no less." She raised an eyebrow, unwilling to
be sated by flattering words and caring eyes. "Tell me what you plan." Darien
sighed, gesturing to a nearby bench and taking a seat beside her. "Do you know
about the Caucus of Princes?" She nodded. "It's this summer..." And as he
explained, as he had to Ariane, she squinted, forehead wrinkling.
"I...I don't know," she replied, at the same time leaning against his side. "I
want to trust you, so much, but I'm just not sure." Darien reached down,
arm slipping around her protectively. "I can only promise that I'll never hurt
you purposefully, but I that promise with all my heart." She snuggled closer,
smiling quietly to herself. "The I guess that'll have to do, don't you think?"
He nodded. "We'll have to do this sometimes when we're married."
"But what'll your people think when they know that their Prince
has to sneak around at night to spend time with his wife?" she asked, giggling.
"Oh, Justin's discreet enough - he's nice, isn't he?" he replied, evasive, as
usual. Serena look up, eyes glowing, "I bet you were cuter when you were
a squire." Then before he had realized what happened her lips brushed his
cheek and her shadow disappeared into the night. He brought his fingers up
to feel the spot she'd touched, and he whispered softly to himself, 'I love you'.
*end of Chapter 4*
Sorry this part's taken me so long...I meant to get it out fairly
expeditiously, but then vacation began...You know, spending an entire day
on an airplane isn't too fun, that with layovers and all. Anyway, my apologies,
and I'll start on the next chapter right away. I've also got a shorter work in
progress - Happy holidays!
- Mir 12.20.00
.