hey guys- this is the much belated part 7- thanks to all the "reader" for reviewing. you rock on now.
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King Jonathan was just about to open the gates when Numair stormed up to him. "Jon! D'you know what Daine just did?" he screamed softly.
Taking the letter, the King scanned it quickly. He blanched, then stared down at the tiny serving boy who had delivered the letter. "Oh, gods. She went for the Jewel!"
Maybe she would make it past the mages and the archers, Jonathan thought. He hadn't heard any shots taken (yet) so perhaps...
Grimly, he shrugged. "Its a hope we have to take." Turning back to Joren and his army, he announced, "In two days time, our Princess and Nobleman will be wed. Until that time, peace between our forces shall remain."
Would Daine return in two days? They could only hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joren's head popped up as the King gave his small speech. Two days? Just the sight of the Princess...she was young but looked many years older than she actually was. Bah, two more days only.
Walking back to his tent, he checked his reflection in the mirror. Perfect. Flawless teeth, golden hair, assured through and through.
He had to be absolutely ready when she came.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
The group on the wall turned and marched back into the Fort. Once they were inside the doors, Kally whirled and turned on her father. "What? You told me I was leaving today! What happened?"
Jon groaned. Damn. "Daine...she is trying to get the Dominion Jewel. She may be back in time, but if she fails we have to hold to our agreement. May," he added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Collun walked into the Fort with the others. Still not allowed to fight or even guard for his injuries and blood loss, he felt his existance was needless. Would he just stand there, doing nothing, while Kally was led away from him forever?
Catching the sight of her stalking away, he ran up to her.
"Kal!"
She turned. Tears streaked her face, and she had wrung her hankerchief into a big, swollen knot.
"Everything will be alright," he said, then winced as he realized how much that awful statement would hurt her.
"Everything!" she spat. "First, i have to marry that -pig- out there, then they tell me to wait. I dont even know anything! They tell me, they warn me of my doom, scare the hells out of me, and then - oh, wait, we changed our mind!" She paused for a second, her blue eyes flashing.
She burst into a new flood of tears. "And in two weeks i will be fifteen! Spending my maiden-day with him! Being his wife!" Kally glared at him, angry that he could even think about placating her with such a snivelling idea. Well, watch him try!
Collun stepped back. The deluge of angry words that had tumbled from the usually level headed, kind princess had nearly knocked him over.
"And now you tell me everything will be alright!" With that, Kally threw her veil against the wall and ran away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kally ran blindly through the halls until she slammed right into a door. Picking herself up, she heard someone ranting to themself inside. She pushed the door gently to prevent a sound. Peeking through the door, she saw Numair.
He looked up instantly, and blushed. Kally's eyes widened. Was he holding a ring? Catching the meaning of it, she smiled for the first time in hours.
Laughing bleakly, Numair grinned. "Yes, i was going to ask. But what now, I say?" Juggling the blue-grey sapphire from hand to hand, he commented, "Sure wish she were back right now."
"She will be soon," Kally whispered, wishing the exact same thing.
"Will she?" he added dreamily. "They tell me she only has a one in five chance of not being caught on the way. That's why I'm in here, talking to myself." A large teardrop dripped off his nose and landed on the gemstone.
Bowing, Kally left the room. His love for Daine had humbled her. Ashamed for treating Collun that way, she walked slowly to his room to apologize.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hollow sound of wood echoed through his head. Collun stood up and opened the door. To his utter and absolute surprise, Kally stood there.
"Collun?" she said timidly. "I'm sorry."
He thought Kal had hated him. Relief flooded through his body. "Oh Kally. What are we going to do?" His voice cracked on the last note. "What would I do without you? And only two more days!"
She hugged him tightly, and they clung to each other for comfort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Jonathan stalked through the halls. Where was that girl? It was almost midnight! He opened and slammed doors, finding no one.
Finally, he stopped in front of the room he had been avoiding, Collun's room. Would she...? No, this was Kally, barely a woman.
Still, wouldn't it be better this way? Instead of Jaron being first. After all...
Steeling himself, the King knocked on the door. Waiting for five minutes, no one answered, so he gently turned the knob and walked in.
Sleeping at the table were Collun and Kally, collapsed tiredly against the seasoned mahogany. In relief, the father in him smiled. Ah, why had he even worried? Tiptoeing out, he shut the door again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daine flew, exhausted, to the Queen. "Daine!" Thayet exclaimed. "Hello, what are you doing back so soon?"
She offered her cloak. As Daine became human again, she wrapped herself in the fine wool. Shivering, she replied,"I came for the Jewel. The King needs it, hes under attack! And just so will this capital be soon!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King Jonathan was just about to open the gates when Numair stormed up to him. "Jon! D'you know what Daine just did?" he screamed softly.
Taking the letter, the King scanned it quickly. He blanched, then stared down at the tiny serving boy who had delivered the letter. "Oh, gods. She went for the Jewel!"
Maybe she would make it past the mages and the archers, Jonathan thought. He hadn't heard any shots taken (yet) so perhaps...
Grimly, he shrugged. "Its a hope we have to take." Turning back to Joren and his army, he announced, "In two days time, our Princess and Nobleman will be wed. Until that time, peace between our forces shall remain."
Would Daine return in two days? They could only hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joren's head popped up as the King gave his small speech. Two days? Just the sight of the Princess...she was young but looked many years older than she actually was. Bah, two more days only.
Walking back to his tent, he checked his reflection in the mirror. Perfect. Flawless teeth, golden hair, assured through and through.
He had to be absolutely ready when she came.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
The group on the wall turned and marched back into the Fort. Once they were inside the doors, Kally whirled and turned on her father. "What? You told me I was leaving today! What happened?"
Jon groaned. Damn. "Daine...she is trying to get the Dominion Jewel. She may be back in time, but if she fails we have to hold to our agreement. May," he added.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Collun walked into the Fort with the others. Still not allowed to fight or even guard for his injuries and blood loss, he felt his existance was needless. Would he just stand there, doing nothing, while Kally was led away from him forever?
Catching the sight of her stalking away, he ran up to her.
"Kal!"
She turned. Tears streaked her face, and she had wrung her hankerchief into a big, swollen knot.
"Everything will be alright," he said, then winced as he realized how much that awful statement would hurt her.
"Everything!" she spat. "First, i have to marry that -pig- out there, then they tell me to wait. I dont even know anything! They tell me, they warn me of my doom, scare the hells out of me, and then - oh, wait, we changed our mind!" She paused for a second, her blue eyes flashing.
She burst into a new flood of tears. "And in two weeks i will be fifteen! Spending my maiden-day with him! Being his wife!" Kally glared at him, angry that he could even think about placating her with such a snivelling idea. Well, watch him try!
Collun stepped back. The deluge of angry words that had tumbled from the usually level headed, kind princess had nearly knocked him over.
"And now you tell me everything will be alright!" With that, Kally threw her veil against the wall and ran away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kally ran blindly through the halls until she slammed right into a door. Picking herself up, she heard someone ranting to themself inside. She pushed the door gently to prevent a sound. Peeking through the door, she saw Numair.
He looked up instantly, and blushed. Kally's eyes widened. Was he holding a ring? Catching the meaning of it, she smiled for the first time in hours.
Laughing bleakly, Numair grinned. "Yes, i was going to ask. But what now, I say?" Juggling the blue-grey sapphire from hand to hand, he commented, "Sure wish she were back right now."
"She will be soon," Kally whispered, wishing the exact same thing.
"Will she?" he added dreamily. "They tell me she only has a one in five chance of not being caught on the way. That's why I'm in here, talking to myself." A large teardrop dripped off his nose and landed on the gemstone.
Bowing, Kally left the room. His love for Daine had humbled her. Ashamed for treating Collun that way, she walked slowly to his room to apologize.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hollow sound of wood echoed through his head. Collun stood up and opened the door. To his utter and absolute surprise, Kally stood there.
"Collun?" she said timidly. "I'm sorry."
He thought Kal had hated him. Relief flooded through his body. "Oh Kally. What are we going to do?" His voice cracked on the last note. "What would I do without you? And only two more days!"
She hugged him tightly, and they clung to each other for comfort.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Jonathan stalked through the halls. Where was that girl? It was almost midnight! He opened and slammed doors, finding no one.
Finally, he stopped in front of the room he had been avoiding, Collun's room. Would she...? No, this was Kally, barely a woman.
Still, wouldn't it be better this way? Instead of Jaron being first. After all...
Steeling himself, the King knocked on the door. Waiting for five minutes, no one answered, so he gently turned the knob and walked in.
Sleeping at the table were Collun and Kally, collapsed tiredly against the seasoned mahogany. In relief, the father in him smiled. Ah, why had he even worried? Tiptoeing out, he shut the door again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daine flew, exhausted, to the Queen. "Daine!" Thayet exclaimed. "Hello, what are you doing back so soon?"
She offered her cloak. As Daine became human again, she wrapped herself in the fine wool. Shivering, she replied,"I came for the Jewel. The King needs it, hes under attack! And just so will this capital be soon!"
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