Raine 5

" Describe the tattoo please, Baird. It would help if I knew what it looked like." Myles all but growled.

Smiling slightly at his friend's folly, Baird proceeded to describe the tattoo. Halfway through the description, Myles sat up straight and began to scribble furiously.

" I'll get back to you." He snapped, and the figure in the crystal went dark.

"Scholars…" Baird muttered disgustedly, wandering off to whatever it is healers do when they are without patients.

* * *

Jasson stood in an antechamber in his parents' wing of the palace. He could hear whispers through the Yamani style screens separating himself from his mother's office, and it drove him mad.

" Why do girls have to always whisper and giggle, so?" he muttered to himself.

" I suppose to keep us interesting." A dry alto he didn't recognize said stoutly. " And you had better not let your mother hear you speak like that."

Jai's head snapped up. She was about five feet even in height, but what she lacked in stature, she more than made up for in appearance. She had laugh lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth, and worry lines etched deep into her forehead. Her copper hair was pulled back in a severe bun. She almost had the look of Alanna, though her eyes were a cheery hazel instead of a vibrant violet; and prior to his guess based on voice, she didn't look any older than himself, if as old at all.

" I'm Alianne. Now, you're mother is waiting to talk to you. As is mine." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. " Would you like to be buried, or cremated?" Jai swallowed hard, and she started laughing.

Almost timidly he peered around the corner. His mother sat in her wing-backed chair by the fire; an eerie profile of her in the dark room stood out. In the matching chair across the fire was the profile of his godmother Alanna.

" You wanted to see me, mother?"

" Yes. I did." The formerly warm room gained an icy chill. Jai stood at attention, the way he had been taught from a very young age; trying not to shiver. Though whether the urge was from fear or cold, he couldn't tell.

" What were you thinking?!?" she growled through clenched teeth.

" Excuse me? Thinking, Mum?"

" What. Were. You. THINKING?" She exclaimed.

" I'm afraid I don't follow…" Jai said haltingly, prepared to run if need be, although there weren't many places he could hide in the palace.

" Don't be pert with me, boy. What were you thinking giving your affections to one of my handmaidens?" Thayet was pacing now. Like an angry tiger in the menagerie.

Jasson stood there flabbergasted. His mouth kept opening and closing, but no words came out. He looked like a fish. For ten minutes he stood there, his mouth opening and closing, while his mother ranted in the background. His mind was racing with the accusation, and he was saying things to his mother he had never even dreamed of saying. Finally, his tongue caught up with his mouth, and he managed to yell back.

"Give my affections? Mother, Raine is simply a great friend of mine, I hold her in the highest respect." That should have been that, but oh no, he had to continue ranting. " And what's more, even if I had ' given her my affections' why would it matter in the least? It's not a liability to the crown, now is it?" He glared at his mother, slightly out of breath from his short but eloquent tirade.

Sighing, Thayet put a hand dramatically to her forehead. " Why can't you be like Roald?"

" What you want me to be a player?" He threw up his hands exasperated. " Mother, listen to me. Raine is a friend. Nothing more, nothing less, do I make it clear enough, or must I write it down?"

For the first time in this little family lovefest, Alanna spoke up. " Let him be, Thayet. There's nothing more to say that won't provoke further argument."

Thayet sighed, but nodded her agreement, and waved Jai out of the room, who strode off still looking furious.

* * *

Raine jumped into the shadows behind the screen as Jai stormed past, muttering to himself. Alianne began giggling helplessly, and waved Raine into the room.

Shaking her head, Raine went the opposite direction, toward her room, instead of the study, and the only sound that gave away her entry, was the soft clicking of the door closing behind her, and the quiet scratching of a pen on paper.

* * *

Jai continued his muttered tirade as he strode down the dark corridors back toward the stable, nearly halfway there; he collided with someone very hard, as though the other fellow had been running.

Jai's cloak was wrapped around his face, distorting his view of the person's face in what little moonlight there was. As the two clawed blindly at eachother to find a way to stand up, a lilting soprano voice reached them.

" Oh Le-e-e-e-e-af!" A giggle followed as a picturesque blonde entered the brightest shaft of moonlight.

Finally Jai could see, and the large, turquoise eyes he was looking into were filled with terror. He pushed the other boy off him, and shakily rose to his feet, all thought of the earlier argument erased, as he surveyed the Lady Sapphire. She curtseyed, or rather; she bowed her head, then grabbed leaf by the arm, and began making furious apologies.

" Oh, your Highness, I apologize. Leaf and I were just playing a game of Hide and Seek, and he didn't want to be 'it' even though it was his turn." She giggled, and the boy; who turned out to be about the same height as Jai, looked nauseated. " If you'll excuse us, you Highness, we must be going back to our quarters."

Jai nodded curtly, and continued down in his previous direction, but he went slow enough that he could hear fierce reprimands being made in that soprano, now full of venom rather than its previous lilt.

* * *

Sir Myles paged through an old book of family insignia, one that included fiefs from each book, from Gold to Bronze. Even markings of the Rogue courts of several countries were included. Finally he found what he was looking for. Fief Starbrook.

The members of the Starbrook clan are marked at the age of 8 by a tattoo. This tattoo's purpose was originally to decipher who belonged to clan, for they had several members who tried to turn to the Rogue or other less than noble causes.

Originally this brand was simply a design of the North Star; but it has evolved over time to be more, or less ornate, depending on the current Lord.

From there it went to display a drawing of the different tattoos through the ages, and there was the latest, smack dab in front of Myles. It was exactly the design Baird had described. A Bazhir type band; rather snake-like, with the north star in the center, and in the middle of that star, an elaborate 's' and 'b' joined.

" Hmmm…" He thought aloud. " Perhaps I should see if Thayet would care to take some tea or such with me tomorrow. Along with her maid."

* * *

Paige glared out the window where a week before, she had sat with Raine, sewing and giggling like mad little girls. Jai was once again at lessons. Nothing really new, and Paige was bored.

Her sewing sat cast aside. She had mended all that needed mending. She had cleaned everything, whether it needed it or not, and to be quite frank, the other servants were a pretty lot of ninnies, wandering around, gossiping all day long.

She was about to leave for the stable, to groom Corona yet again, when there was a soft tapping on the door. She walked quickly and carefully to the door, and opened it a crack.

Before her stood Raine, looking scared, but she carried her sewing basket all the same. Paige threw the door open and gave Raine a hug.

Hours later, Jai returned to get ready for dinner to find two girls once again sitting together, sewing, and whispering secretively. He was late, so in his rush, he failed to notice that the other girl was Raine, which was fine with her, because she was convinced that males couldn't be trusted. Ever.

She told Paige so, who hid a grin. Playing matchmaker would be easier than she had originally thought.

* * *