This chapter is dedicated to Jilla Kala and Jon25me, my faithful subjects who review my story even though no one else will. Thanks guys, I'm only carrying on this story for you.
CFW x
Chapter 4.
Alanna was awake but dazed. The drugs Duke Baird had fed her hadn't worn off completely. Voices outside made her shake her head to clear the fuzz. She hated the pitiful way she was at the moment, no one would see her like it. Lianne, Jasson and Roald ran in and threw themselves on her, hugging her almost to the point of sufffocation. She cuddled them , but woodenly. Lianne's big purple eyes reminded her of her beautiful children, Thom and Alianne. Oh where were they now? Jon came in and she smiled goodnaturedly. Until she could find out what had happened to her, she would pretend to be Jon's wife, so as not to alarm him. Behind him was a woman dressed all in close-cut cream silk with a thigh-high slit along which embroidered silver butterflies danced. Sahara had managed to wash and change before meeting the Queen. Whilst alone and on the road, she couldn't care less what she wore. But the Queen was supposedly a bit of a fashion guru and she was dying to impress. The woman lying in bed was very beautiful but Sahara guessed when she was made-up then she would be radiant. Plus there was something recognisable about her.
"Alanna, dear," Jon said, slowly as if he was talking to a child. Alanna narrowed her eyes.
"Don't patronize me Jonathan," she snapped. "I'm ill, not stupid."
Sahara had to smother a giggle. Usually, well in every other country she'd visited, it was the Queen who was meek and quiet and the King who was commanding- not the other way round!
"Sorry dear. This is Sahara Silverrain. A mage."
Sahara stepped forward and grasped Alanna's hand. Alanna felt the callouses on her palms and smiled. This wasn't another pussy book mage like Numair, this Sahara actually went out and got her hands dirty. Sahara gazed into her violet eyes and suddenly it all came back. The black portal, the man inside, the mirror. She stepped away suddenly. Jon frowned.
"Sahara?"
"King Jonathan, your wife is being spied upon. Her every move, breath, action."
Alanna smiled icily.
"Mage, hadn't you better explain?"
Sahara sat down and explained everything to Alanna and Jon. Everything she had seen on that day. When she got to the description of the man Alanna swooned and even Jon had to sit down. Both royals were as white as snow.
"Have I said something wrong?"
"The man you just described was Duke Roger of Conte, my cousin," murmured Jon, gobsmacked.
"Was?" Sahara was puzzled by their reactions.
"He tried to kill me twice. Both times Alanna killed him. The second time he had gone for good, well at least we thought he had."
"He seems to be caught in limbo. We can go and see the portal when your wife is strong enough."
"Hell no," cried Alanna, leaping out of bed. "We'll go right now."
"Not exactly my dear," said Jon, putting a hand on her arm. "If you are well enough to go chasing arch nemesises, then you are well enough to go to the Beltaine Ball tonight."
Alanna looked daggers at Jon but his mind was fixed.
"You are forgetting your manners dear husband. Sahara, will you attend?"
"I'd love to."
*
Alanna was a little unsteady on the great staircase. her sexy ruby red dress was slit all the way up the sides, from floor to chest; the only thing holding it together were some flimsy gold lacings. Her long red hair was crowned by a gold tiara interwoven with amethyst, the Goddess' ember token hung around her neck. Jon was dumbfounded when he saw her. Alanna equally so when she set eyes on him. His white shirt was snow-bright and it complemented his black breeches perfectly. A sapphire blue cloak with silver runes set off his eyes and his silver crown nestled among coal-black hair. They descended to a roar of applause.
Sahara was equally beautiful, golden hair pinned up with a few random ringlets cascading down to her shoulders. She wore a vibrant green kimono with golden dragons curling up the front and a bronze obi. A white fan with gold framework showed to those knowledgeable about the Yamanis, she was an Imperial princess. She hung around the top of the stairs waiting for an escort.
"Sahara?" It was Numair, all in black. As usual.
"Yeah it's me. Lonely, escortless me." She could hardly keep herself from crying.
"I will..."
"No you won't!" cried someone, mock angrily.
Daine had appeared. Numair's jaw dropped. She was like he'd never seen before; in pale pink silk with a pearl covered white surcoat.
"Sorry Sahara..." he started to say but the mage waved him on.
Raoul passed with Buri on his arm, Gary with Lady Cynthera, Myles with Eleni. Sahara was just about to leave when someone touched her arm.
"Kimiko-Yukiko?" The accent was Yamani, her old name pronounced perfectly.
"Prince Hiroshi?"
"You remember?"
"How could I not?"
Hiroshi was quite a low-grade Prince, but one nevertheless. Sahara had loved him once.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I have become good friends with Duke Gareth and Lady Cynthera. They invited me to stay at the country home for a while. You?"
"I'm a mage now, best in the world. I'm here because, well... you won't believe me."
"Go on. I will."
"Well I was compelled. In a dream. By Mithros, the King of the Tortallan gods."
"Wow. I was just wondering Kimi-Yuki, if you would be my date."
Sahara took his arm with a dazzling smile.
"It'd be my pleasure."
Roger's in for it now isn't he? Jilla Kala and Jon25me- whatcha think? Feed-back please.
CFW x
Chapter 4.
Alanna was awake but dazed. The drugs Duke Baird had fed her hadn't worn off completely. Voices outside made her shake her head to clear the fuzz. She hated the pitiful way she was at the moment, no one would see her like it. Lianne, Jasson and Roald ran in and threw themselves on her, hugging her almost to the point of sufffocation. She cuddled them , but woodenly. Lianne's big purple eyes reminded her of her beautiful children, Thom and Alianne. Oh where were they now? Jon came in and she smiled goodnaturedly. Until she could find out what had happened to her, she would pretend to be Jon's wife, so as not to alarm him. Behind him was a woman dressed all in close-cut cream silk with a thigh-high slit along which embroidered silver butterflies danced. Sahara had managed to wash and change before meeting the Queen. Whilst alone and on the road, she couldn't care less what she wore. But the Queen was supposedly a bit of a fashion guru and she was dying to impress. The woman lying in bed was very beautiful but Sahara guessed when she was made-up then she would be radiant. Plus there was something recognisable about her.
"Alanna, dear," Jon said, slowly as if he was talking to a child. Alanna narrowed her eyes.
"Don't patronize me Jonathan," she snapped. "I'm ill, not stupid."
Sahara had to smother a giggle. Usually, well in every other country she'd visited, it was the Queen who was meek and quiet and the King who was commanding- not the other way round!
"Sorry dear. This is Sahara Silverrain. A mage."
Sahara stepped forward and grasped Alanna's hand. Alanna felt the callouses on her palms and smiled. This wasn't another pussy book mage like Numair, this Sahara actually went out and got her hands dirty. Sahara gazed into her violet eyes and suddenly it all came back. The black portal, the man inside, the mirror. She stepped away suddenly. Jon frowned.
"Sahara?"
"King Jonathan, your wife is being spied upon. Her every move, breath, action."
Alanna smiled icily.
"Mage, hadn't you better explain?"
Sahara sat down and explained everything to Alanna and Jon. Everything she had seen on that day. When she got to the description of the man Alanna swooned and even Jon had to sit down. Both royals were as white as snow.
"Have I said something wrong?"
"The man you just described was Duke Roger of Conte, my cousin," murmured Jon, gobsmacked.
"Was?" Sahara was puzzled by their reactions.
"He tried to kill me twice. Both times Alanna killed him. The second time he had gone for good, well at least we thought he had."
"He seems to be caught in limbo. We can go and see the portal when your wife is strong enough."
"Hell no," cried Alanna, leaping out of bed. "We'll go right now."
"Not exactly my dear," said Jon, putting a hand on her arm. "If you are well enough to go chasing arch nemesises, then you are well enough to go to the Beltaine Ball tonight."
Alanna looked daggers at Jon but his mind was fixed.
"You are forgetting your manners dear husband. Sahara, will you attend?"
"I'd love to."
*
Alanna was a little unsteady on the great staircase. her sexy ruby red dress was slit all the way up the sides, from floor to chest; the only thing holding it together were some flimsy gold lacings. Her long red hair was crowned by a gold tiara interwoven with amethyst, the Goddess' ember token hung around her neck. Jon was dumbfounded when he saw her. Alanna equally so when she set eyes on him. His white shirt was snow-bright and it complemented his black breeches perfectly. A sapphire blue cloak with silver runes set off his eyes and his silver crown nestled among coal-black hair. They descended to a roar of applause.
Sahara was equally beautiful, golden hair pinned up with a few random ringlets cascading down to her shoulders. She wore a vibrant green kimono with golden dragons curling up the front and a bronze obi. A white fan with gold framework showed to those knowledgeable about the Yamanis, she was an Imperial princess. She hung around the top of the stairs waiting for an escort.
"Sahara?" It was Numair, all in black. As usual.
"Yeah it's me. Lonely, escortless me." She could hardly keep herself from crying.
"I will..."
"No you won't!" cried someone, mock angrily.
Daine had appeared. Numair's jaw dropped. She was like he'd never seen before; in pale pink silk with a pearl covered white surcoat.
"Sorry Sahara..." he started to say but the mage waved him on.
Raoul passed with Buri on his arm, Gary with Lady Cynthera, Myles with Eleni. Sahara was just about to leave when someone touched her arm.
"Kimiko-Yukiko?" The accent was Yamani, her old name pronounced perfectly.
"Prince Hiroshi?"
"You remember?"
"How could I not?"
Hiroshi was quite a low-grade Prince, but one nevertheless. Sahara had loved him once.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I have become good friends with Duke Gareth and Lady Cynthera. They invited me to stay at the country home for a while. You?"
"I'm a mage now, best in the world. I'm here because, well... you won't believe me."
"Go on. I will."
"Well I was compelled. In a dream. By Mithros, the King of the Tortallan gods."
"Wow. I was just wondering Kimi-Yuki, if you would be my date."
Sahara took his arm with a dazzling smile.
"It'd be my pleasure."
Roger's in for it now isn't he? Jilla Kala and Jon25me- whatcha think? Feed-back please.