Date:August 24, 2001
The two girls wandered through the gardens,chattering about this and that. When they had reached the rose garden, however,they were quiet.
" What's he like?" Raine asked as theyentered the rows of roses in full bloom.
" Master Jai?" Paige asked grinning. " He'snicer than one could believe. He treats everyone as his equal, and worksincredibly hard at being a page. He hates mathematics lessons, for all he's awizard at it. I've never seen anyone whip through figures like he does."
Raine nodded off handly. " But as a person,what's he like?"
" Well, as I said, he treats everyone as anequal, no matter their station…He's possibly the nicest knight-to-be I've evermet. With the exception of Nealan of Queenscove, and Roald of Conte` when theywere training. Never down talked people unless they deserved it, and even then,they were kind about it" Paige gave Raine a calculating look. " Why do you wantto know?"
" Oh. No reason." Raine replied quickly,avoiding Paige's gaze. They were silent for a few moments more.
" You've taken afancy to him, haven't you?" Paige asked abruptly as Raine was sniffing aparticularly pretty fire rose.
Raine stopped, opened her eyes, and turned toface Paige. " What do you mean?"
" I've seen the way you look at him." Shesaid, not sounding accusatory in any effect, more explanatory than anything.
" No." Raine said,trying to prove it by staring Paige in the eyes as she said it. " He's just afriend. Really!" She added seeing Paige's somewhat disbelieving look. Paigenodded, but Raine had the sinking feeling that she didn't really believe her.To be honest, she didn't really believe herself. She didn't really know how shefelt about him.
* * *
An hour or solater, when she returned to the room she had been lent, she found Salma, againsitting on her bed.
" Child, you areto have your interview with the Queen in an hour."
" AN HOUR?" Raineexclaimed, looking at her haggard appearance in the mirror. She had completelylost track of time, was it really nearly third bell? Salma nodded, smilingslightly. Then, she swept out the door, leaving the girl to her own devices.
Raine ran to herwardrobe, and began rummaging through it, looking for some sort of attireappropriate to meet the queen in. After a moment, she realized what she wasdoing. Laughing sheepishly, she pulled out one of the nice blouses, tunics, andskirts. Then she took a luxurious bath. When she got out, she dressed in theclothing, and sat in front of the mirror, careful not to wrinkle them, as shepulled a few small pots of cosmetics out of Zoe's saddlebags, which she had yetto unpack.
Finally she wasfinished, and she began to pace the room, waiting to hear the bell ring thehour. Right as the bell rang, startling her out of a daze, a knock sounded ather door. She threw it open, and practically ran over Salma in her hurry to goto the interview.
" Nervous, areyou?" Salma asked, as they wandered through a maze of corridors. She laughed atthe withering look Raine gave her. " Good. It proves you're human." Rainesighed, and the pair stopped in front of a door with two guards standing oneither side. Salma knocked as Raine tried to straighten her skirts even more.As the door started to open, she stiffened, regaining her normal composure.
In front of themstood a maid in an actual dress. Simple, yet it was still a court fashion.Raine envied her luck at being able to wear such an outfit. As they wereescorted into a sitting room, Raine resisted the urge to turn around and runfull out. They were told to have a seat, and that her Majesty would be withthem shortly.
Moments later, atall woman with raven hair and vivid green eyes much like her own walked intothe room. Raine rose with Salma, and the two curtsied deeply.
" Please sit down."She said in a musical voice, sitting herself in a chair across from them. "Hello Raine."
" Hello, yourMajesty." She said quietly, tearing her eyes from the floor to glance into theQueen's.
Too Raine'simmense surprise and relief, the woman laughed. " Call me Thayet, girl. Andplease don't stare at the floor. I'm not going to bite you."
Raine looked upgrinning. " All right."
Thayet smiledwarmly. " Now. I'm sure you know by now that I'm in need of a personal maid." Rainenodded. " Well, can you tell me what sort of tasks you can perform?"
" Well," Rainebegan, thinking. " I can cook pretty well, I can mend and sew, and I can cleanjust about anything." She told her.
Thayet waved ahand." What about a Lady's tasks?"
" I know how to writeinvitations, dance, eat at banquets, accept flowers and gifts if need be, and curtseyto every nobility. Well, Except 'supreme ruler of the Universe' perhaps, becauseI wasn't aware we had one." She replied with obvious distaste.
Thayet laughed.She had a warm laugh. Like bells ringing on Midwinter's Day. " Can you fight?"
Raine's eyeslighted. " I know a lot of Shang techniques, I can use a bow and arrow, knives,staff, glaive… The only thing I haven't mastered is lance and sword, but I canlive against most mediocre swordsmen." Thayet looked thoughtful.
" Might you beable to use her, majesty?" Salma asked.
" Yes. I think she'sthe perfect candidate. Raine, would you like to work for me?" Raine noddedfervently. " Then it's decided. Salma, can you have Timon or someone transferher belongings here?"
" Yes milady."
" Good. Now,Raine, I'd like to get better acquainted with you, if you don't mind. Would youcare to take dinner here with me?"
" All right."Raine said rather uncertainly.
" And one lastquestion, how old are you?"
Raine didn'treally think when she answered. " I'm fifteen. Well, nearly sixteen."
" Really?" Thayet looked interested. " When's yourbirthing day?"
" Midwinter's day." Raine near whispered. She had alwaysbeen thought of as possessing evil powers because of her birthing day. Thayetdidn't seem the least perturbed. As a matter of fact, she simply asked a maidto make some tea.
* * *
A month later,Raine found herself sitting in the window seat in Jai's room, giggling overcourt gossip with Paige while sewing when Jai was at lessons. She was wearing apair of breeches and a loose shirt with an embroidered patch identifying her asThayet's maid. Thayet had thankfully not made her wear traditional servant'sgarb.
" Did you hear?"Paige said through giggles. " There's a new lady coming to court."
" Really? Who?"Raine asked, she hadn't heard this one yet.
" Um… her name's acolor, I know that… or was it a gem? Anyway, she's coming from fief Starbrookto be presented at court." Paige exploded in giggles again. Raine forced a few,but sat thoughtfully. Soon, the only sounds were from the rain pounding on thewindows.
" Sapphire?" Raineasked Paige quietly.
" Yes! That wasit. Do you know her?"
" N-no." shestuttered. " I met her sister once though. I wonder whatever happened to her."
" Oh, I heardthat. They're all saying that she ran away from home, and they found her bodyin Lake Naxen… she drowned herself."
So that was thestory they had concocted. She should've expected something like this. " Hmm.Pity. The sister was nice."
* * *
Later that evening,long after sewing in Jai's room, Raine was still brooding about Sapphire'srumored coming to court. She was staring in the mirror at her reflection. Sheglared at her upper left arm where a snaking black band encircled it. In themiddle was a star, with an elaborate 's' and 'b' joined in the middle. TheStarbrook tattoo. Every young noble from the family was given this tattoo. Itwas a matter of identification in the case of murder.
She was quite sureno one had noticed yet, that she never wore sleeveless gowns or shirts, and itwas her luck that they were out of fashion at the moment, but come springpeople would start asking questions. She could see about having it magicallyremoved, but that would involve telling someone who she really was. Not that itdidn't feel bad lying to Jai and Paige, her only friends; and Thayet, heremployer.
Shrugging it off,she slipped into her nightgown, and slid into bed. Right as she was about tofall asleep, she heard one of the other maids -Jezebel it sounded like- scream.Seconds later, she found she had a knife at her throat.
" Scream, and I'll end it girl.' A harsh voice whispered.Raine swallowed her stillborn cry, and attempted to pinch the webbing betweentheir thumb and first finger. It achieved nothing, and the knife simply pressedharder against her throat, drawing a little blood. " D'you think I'm kidding,wench? I know who you are, oh indeed I do."
" Who am I, then?" She managed to croak.
The person laughed harshly. " The Starbrook wench. Now,they aren't offering much for your capture," he drew something out of hispocket. " Oh, hell. They're not offering anything worth my trouble so how aboutI just kill you now, wench, eh?"
The knife pressed harder still, and Raine's vision wasbeginning to go blurry. " See you in the Dark God's realm, i ptyle='mso-bidi-pont-style:normal'Raine."
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So, what do youthink? R/R please, I'll try and get the next chapter out soon.
~ Cass
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