Celiath looked at her reflection in one of the many mirrors in the Palace hall. She looked almost identical to Stelakar in that they dressed in a similar style, though Celiath's color was turquoise instead of purple. She also walked with slight unease because her high aqua-colored shoes were real, but eventually got used to them. You do not want anyone else stealing your NeoQuest II notes, she told herself in order to walk straight. It does not matter that you're teetering on these stilts. It has to be done, and you have to look like the perfect Laitenla lady.
"All these mirrors are making me nervous," Stelakar muttered.
"I think that's the point," Celiath responded as she glanced at the seven or so reflections of her walking toward the throne room with Stelakar and Kierre so that the Shoyru could present them to the Queen. She then looked at the mirror charm on her hand and the one on her wrist. Why hadn't the ten marks started to fade away yet? Celiath shuddered suddenly at all the mirrors bouncing back images of herself. It almost felt like she could step through one mirror and find herself at home.
A bell rang, and Kierre groaned. "That's the lunch bell," she said. After a few more peals, she continued, "The Queen is summoning her advisors. I'm going to have to go to the meeting and see what's happening now." The starry Shoyru quickly turned down the maze of halls to where the advisors probably met.
"Kierre is one of the Queen's advisors?" Celiath and Stelakar said in unison, surprised.
The doors of the throne room opened, and a familiar-looking faerie Gelert dressed in white quickly spotted Celiath and Stelakar standing outside and walked over to them with a few friends. "Hello," she said to them. "Are you new here? Well, I suppose you are, since I haven't seen you before—but then again I only arrived a few days ago. It's wonderful to meet you. I'm Tikanie Kirmila. What are your names?"
"Seleika Laitenla." Celiath made sure to respond before Stelakar could. "This is my sister Stelakar. You come from Thora Mountain?" Stelakar eyed Celiath, but the rainbow Zafara had no time to explain how she knew this.
Tikanie sighed. "Yes. Dreadful place, Thora Mountain. It's not close enough to the two major cities to really be of much importance. Oh, sure, it's in the legends, but what use are legends? And I'm only the daughter of a distant cousin to the Lord of Thora Mountain. My mother, Briata, is perfectly dreadful. One of the servants warned me that she was going to marry me off to the Lord of Thora Mountain's son, who is absolutely dreadful. So I ran away and decided to come here. I'm glad I did—Ral Mirean is such a lovely place. Tell me, what's Caenta like?"
Oh dear. Celiath reviewed what Kierre had said about the Laitenla family. "I haven't been into the city much," she said, Tikanie's babbling causing Celiath to talk faster. "But it is a lovely place."
At a gesture from a speckled Pteri from behind her, Tikanie started talking again. "These are two of my friends," she said, indicating each of them in turn. "Miraque Tardoela, Thiell Cantalla, Seleika Laitenla, Stelakar Laitenla." Miraque was a faerie Meerca and Thiell a speckled Pteri. Both wore white dresses like Tikanie's.
"Pleasure to meet you girls," Thiell said, though it did not sound like she meant it. "Where do you come from…Caenta?"
Stelakar nodded. "What about you?" Celiath was the only one who heard her muttering that Thiell probably came from the local garbage dump. The Zafara lowered her hands and tried to look as prim as she could. She felt one of the charms moving and suddenly knew something: Thiell is very close to royalty and it's not a good idea to insult her. Miraque is from Gisend and part Cairhellin.
The book told me that, Celiath figured.
Celiath could tell that Thiell was shocked Stelakar did not know where she was from. "I have lived here in Ral Mirean all my life. You know surprisingly little for a Laitenla lady looking to fetch a husband. Though perhaps you could fetch a husband in the poor quarters of the city. Well, I must be leaving…I just remembered my aunt wanted me to be at the meeting with her advisors. See you, Miraque." Thiell flew down the same hall that Kierre had gone down.
Stelakar still looked like she wanted to punch Thiell in the nose, but Celiath spoke first to prevent any embarrassment. "What's Gisend like, Miraque?"
"Hmmm?" the faerie Meerca said. "Sleepy little border town. I'd rather be here than there, especially with all this talk about Cairhel trying to get revenge on us. It's a lot safer here. Let's go get something to eat."
While the four of them followed the rest of the Court, Tikanie occupied most of Celiath's attention. "Life here at the Court has been so lovely compared to life in Thora Mountain. I know you're going to love it. There are so many different people here…don't worry about Thiell, she's like that whenever someone new comes. There's a friend of mine that I'd like you to meet. He's writing this incredible story about a girl who's going off to fight this terrible evil that destroyed a kingdom. You should hear it. He's at this part where she goes to get help from a ghost, and it's so interesting…Seleika?"
Ever since Tikanie had started talking about the story, Celiath had felt her stomach flip-flop. This must be Yialun, the advisor that Kierre had warned her about. He had her notes.
Celiath took a deep breath and tried to get past her fear. "I wrote that story." It was the first explanation she could think of.
"You…did?" The look of excitement was falling off Tikanie's face. "But…why would someone steal it from you?"
"I don't know why he took it, but he did. Did your friend ever tell the beginning of the story?" Celiath's heart beat louder as she went off on this limb.
"No…he just started from when she's talking to a god of some sort and only puts in a little bit of background. How does it go?" Tikanie looked really excited.
"Well," Celiath said slowly, "the girl was exiled from her home city. She goes east to start a new life and finds a mysterious scroll…" Celiath continued summarizing the tale of NeoQuest II, until the place where her notes stopped. "I lost the manuscript after the part when she talks to the god."
Tikanie was leading Celiath somewhere else now. "What does he have against you that he would steal your story? It could make you famous here, I know. I'll talk to him. I want to know why he stole your story! It's an excellent story, I think."
Is this a good idea? Celiath wondered. "Tikanie, where are we going?"
The faerie Gelert stopped. "Oh, right. I forgot you don't know the Court. I'm going to the garden, where Yialun said he would meet me after his meeting, and I'm going to ask him why he stole your story."
Celiath followed Tikanie through the halls, growing more and more uneasy. "Tikanie…why are you doing this for me? I only met you a few minutes ago, and now you're going to try and denounce one of the most powerful people in Larkani for my sake! This can't be a good idea!"
Tikanie stopped and turned to Celiath. "Don't you see? You could be famous, and he's going to steal it from you. It's an excellent story, Seleika. You're my friend, and I'm not going to let this happen to you." Tikanie whirled around and continued walking. Celiath followed her, if only because Tikanie knew where she was going and Celiath would be lost without her. Shivers danced up and down her arms, face, and legs as she followed Tikanie out to the courtyard.
When they exited the palace, Celiath felt the sun on her, but it did nothing to warm the icy core of fear inside her. She continued to follow Tikanie through the outdoor garden and glanced around at trees that were losing their leaves and flowers that still retained their color. Tikanie stopped at one particular bench and sat down. "Now we wait," she declared. "While we're waiting, can you tell me more of the story?"
Celiath nodded. "Which part?"
Tikanie considered for a moment. "The part when she's in the temple."
Celiath thought about that for a moment, chose a part of the story, and then began to speak. "She entered a room filled with books. After looking around carefully, she took one off the shelf and looked inside of it. Mysteries of Mienta, it was called… Suddenly, she heard a cough, and she quickly put the book back where she had found it and pulled out her wand in case it was a monster. She soon put her wand away at the sight of an elderly Acara who greeted her as if she had not seen a living soul for years." Celiath paused at that, since she did not want to check her notes to remember the words that Ilicha had said.
However, it seemed that Tikanie had caught someone's eye. As Celiath watched, feeling a bit of irrational anger at losing her audience, she noticed a red Lenny walking calmly toward them. Celiath immediately blinked her eyes a few times and tried to assume the same calm. I am just an ordinary courtier who has nothing to fear from anyone. She breathed slowly even though she could hear her heartbeat and felt nervous energy collecting in her body.
"Yialun," Tikanie said sharply as soon as the Lenny was in hearing distance, "my friend Seleika wishes to speak with you about the story you are writing."
He turned his gaze to Celiath for one moment, and the rainbow Zafara tried not to shrink before his deep brown searching eyes. He knew. Was there any hope?
Soon, he turned his head away from Celiath and looked back at Tikanie. "It is unfortunate that you should interrupt me now, Tikanie. We are only taking a very short break from our meeting, and I am afraid very few of our issues have been resolved. Seleika, I will meet you at the top of the South Tower at sunset if you still wish to discuss my story. Until then, goodbye." Yialun turned away and continued walking the path through the garden, back to Court.
"Well," Tikanie said slowly. "I'll go to the South Tower with you."
"Tikanie…" Celiath protested, "I don't want you to get hurt too." Her voice was the only part of her body that Celiath felt working, and she hoped she could convey this message to Tikanie. Celiath's instincts told her that nothing good would happen if Tikanie accompanied her. Nothing good will happen if you go, either. You shouldn't meet him on his own terms. It's probably a trap.
But what choice do I have if I want to go home?
Celiath glanced at the charm bracelet. She could probably use the key to take her home, but Stelakar might not be able to leave except by saving Larkani. Celiath took a deep breath and blinked tears away from her eyes. She had to do it. She couldn't abandon Stelakar.
"I will go," Tikanie insisted. "I will help you."
If that's what you want, I can't stop you. Celiath took a few deep breaths and sat up straighter. "I think that Stelakar would want to come along, since she is my sister," she said slowly.