A/N:  I put this chapter out so quickly to make up for the huge gap between the last two, when I was suffering from my writer's block.  But don't expect the next one to be as speedy—I've got papers and assignments coming up so I'll be swamped!

Renebre ~ Clichés?  gasp!  Actually, I'm quite aware of the clichéd nature of the plot… and I never viewed the thing as being all that original.  My focus, however, has been more on the characters than anything else, and even those might not be so innovative.  But I'm just here to entertain and have a little fun myself. J

Kirjava ~ I'm not quite sure where the confusion arose, but just to clarify: in Ch.12, what I meant was that David had dressed both Terry and Becca.  That make sense?

Xaviera ~ blinks  A request for an appearance?  Wow, I've never had one of those before.  I'm glad you like David so much, and just for you I added a scene with him that wasn't originally going to be in this chapter.  As for Luke, I don't think it's Val himself he admires, so much as the hold he has over people.  The blind desire to please… that's something that Luke would just love to have directed toward him.  You're right though, Luke would have a hard time really respecting anyone.

Chapter 13

Intersections:  "Aftermaths"

Vivienne was still fuming when she returned to the party to seek out her personal confidante, her sister.  She located her shortly, identifying her from afar by the color of her dress.  At the moment, she happened to be engaged in a conversation with David and Virtue.  She approached the group swiftly, the abundant skirts of her dress flouncing, and her rage leaking from every pore, a sure warning sign to the three young people who turned to greet her.

"What's wrong?" Lillith quickly asked, her smile disappearing as concern colored her voice.

"What's wrong is that I had the misfortune of ever coming into contact with that pig-in-a-crown over there," Vivienne returned, inclining her head to indicate the general direction in which Valor had returned to his own awaiting assemblage.

"Who, Val?" Virtue replied, confusion etched on her face.  "Why, what'd he do?"

Vivienne let out an inelegant snort.  "The list is so enormous, I don't think we'd have time to go through it all.  But he most recent thing would be the way he's been flirting all night with every creature of the two-legged variety."

She glanced about the group and was surprised to see David's cheeks coloring mildly, while Lillith made an earnest attempt to hide a smile.  Virtue gave a dismissive shrug.

"Oh, that.  Don't worry about it," she said, looking completely unperturbed.  "That's just who Val is… it doesn't mean anything.  He just has to play the part of the debonair host to the hilt.  And the incessant flirting—well, I think that's something he picked up from dad.  Really, you shouldn't worry about it."

But Vivienne was not to be so easily pacified.  "If it doesn't mean anything, then he shouldn't be doing it.  I mean, of all the times for such behavior… doesn't he possess any self-restraint?"

"Viv," she heard as Lillith put a warning hand on her arm, a gesture meant to convey that she should be more watchful of what she was saying.

Vivienne shook it off and continued, unheeding.  "He is an absolute, childish, spineless jerk, who shouldn't even be considering marriage until he grows up and learns the meaning of the word 'adult'!"

"Now wait a minute," Virtue finally interrupted her little tirade, her dark blue eyes glinting with her own anger.  "I know Val isn't perfect, and he hasn't been his usual personable self in his encounters with you, but he is not the absolute ogre you make him out to be.  If you want him to treat you nicely, then maybe you could extend him the same courtesy.  And he may be childish, but he's not the one throwing a temper tantrum every fifteen minutes, and he doesn't go around bad-mouthing you behind your back.  And, above all, he is my brother.  So if you have any issues with him, could you manage to keep them to yourself at least while I'm around?"

At that, Virtue stalked away, leaving a stunned Vivienne in her wake.  That was the second time that night a member of the hosting family had left her in such an abrupt manner.  Her own ire and confusion raised, for a moment she contemplated what to do.  Finally, she too chose to depart, heading in the opposite direction toward the exit.

~*~*~*~

Lillith sent alternating glances in the two paths the princesses had taken.  While she agreed with Virtue, Vivienne was her sister and she probably needed someone to talk to after that harsh reprimand.  Finally, she glanced toward David who, although not caught between the opposing forces as she was, seemed unsure of whether or not to follow Virtue.

Lillith decided to aid him in his decision.  "How about I go after Vivienne, and you go after Vir?"

David sent her a worried look.  "Are you sure that's a good idea?  Maybe Vir needs some time to herself."

Lillith suppressed a sigh.  "No, I doubt she should be alone.  That'll only make her seethe and stew in her own anger, with no one there to distract her.  And it might make her think that we agree with Vivienne so we're avoiding her."

David appeared surprised.  "You don't?  I mean, she is your sister and all…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"Yes, she's my sister.  So I, above all, should know just how unreasonable she can be.  Besides, don't tell me you agree with everything your siblings do and say?"  She gave him a pointed look, clearly indicating the less-than-amicable relationship he had with Luke.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, glancing away.  After a moment's consideration, he conceded.  "Okay, I'll go."

"Good," Lillith grinned.  "Now, I have to catch Viv before she breaks anything… including the bones of unsuspecting bystanders."

David gave her a look that read 'I hope you're kidding' before he departed.

As it turned out, Vivienne was not in quite the rage Lillith had expected of her sister.  In fact, she looked downright apologetic.  Lillith found her standing alone outside in the cooling night air, arms wrapped about herself in a strangely vulnerable gesture.

"Hi," Lillith ventured, coming up from behind and hoping not to startle the other girl.

"Have you come to berate me too?" Vivienne asked with a sigh.

"No, of course not.  Not to say that I don't agree with Vir—because I do.  It's just not why I'm here."

Vivienne continued to stare up at the sky, refusing to meet her gaze.  "Then why are you here?"

"To see how you were doing.  And to clean up the path of destruction you left behind.  Or rather, I should say, the path of destruction I expected you to leave behind."

Her sister sighed again, a weary set to her shoulders.  "I'm not angry."  And it was obvious from her tone that she was telling the truth.  What had brought upon this change of heart, Lillith couldn't determine.

"Are you sure?" she replied hesitantly.

Although Vivienne's faced was mostly turned away from her, Lillith was sure there was a small smile on her lips.  "Of course I'm sure.  All else faults aside, I can certainly identify my emotions."  Then, on a more serious note, "No, I'm not angry… not with Virtue, at least.  She was only defending her brother.  And she was right too."

"She was?"

"Yes.  Even if I thought all those things, I should never have said them in front of her.  I shouldn't have said them in front of anyone.  What you and I talk about is different—we're sisters—but I shouldn't say such things to others.  I mean, I hardly even know David, and that didn't stop me from blurting that all out.  What must he think of me?"  She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and silently turning the thoughts over in her head.

"Even if?" Lillith finally broke in, unable to keep from asking.

Vivienne's head came up as she turned to face her sister.  "What?" she replied, confused.

"You said 'even if' you thought all those things…  Are you saying that you don't?"

A warning look entered her sister's face.  "Don't even start that.  I don't like the guy; that is a fact.  And a few harsh words from his sister are not enough to change it."

"You don't know him well enough not to like him!" Lillith shot back, her patience finally wearing thin.  Vivienne may have been older by three years, but Lillith knew that it was she who was infinitely more mature of the two.  "It's just your anger clouding your judgment."  She took a calming breath and continued more quietly, "And it's not even Val that you're really angry at, anyway… you're angry at mom and dad, but you're displacing.  Vir's right—he's not that bad a guy.  Heck, he's even willing to marry someone he doesn't know, someone who has made it clear she can't stand him, just to please his parents."

"He's willing to comply to ensure he gets the throne," Vivienne denied.  "You heard him say so himself."

"Oh really, Viv, I can't believe you bought into that," Lillith replied with exasperation.  "If they don't give the throne to Val, who else would they choose… Vir?  You know, I like the girl and all, but I hardly think her parents would want to leave her their kingdom."  She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.  "No, I'm pretty sure that Val's got his place set, and that whole reason is just an excuse that keeps up his image."

Vivienne digested this all quietly, for once putting her anger aside to think things through clearly.  When she didn't respond for a while, Lillith realized that she must have gotten through to her at least a little.

When she did finally speak, her tone was light and a little teasing, "And aren't you eve so observant?"

Lillith sighed and let a small smile creep up on her face.  "You know how it is; it's always the quiet ones, sitting back and watching as everyone else does all the talking."

Vivienne scoffed, though the gesture was playful and not at all malicious.  "Seems to me, you've been dong an awful lot of talking lately."

She chose not to reply, instead returning to the more serious matter.  "But what really made you think that Vir was right?"

Her sister groaned.  "I should've known better than to think you would just let this thing drop already."

All she received from Lillith was a stern look demanding answers.  She was not fooled by Vivienne's casual attitude, and knew that there would had to have been more than just Virtue's words to change her mind.  Mere words never seemed to persuade the elder princess, unless she were repeatedly knocked over the head with them so there was no escape.  In that way, she was very much like their mother, Ella.

"Oh, fine!" Vivienne finally yielded.  "If you must know, it was just seeing him, the way that he was acting with everyone else… and how that all changed the moment he saw me… I realized that maybe—maybe—he wasn't as truly atrocious a person as I'd originally thought.  Maybe it was me who was bringing out the worst in him."

Lillith's eyebrows rose.  Coming from her sister, that was quite the concession.

"But, I still don't—" Vivienne quickly began.

"You still don't like him," Lillith interrupted, finishing the comment before her sister could.  "I know, I know.  You've made that abundantly clear."

There was a long pause and the pair lapsed into silence.  Lillith was pleased with the progress she had made with her stubborn sister, and she didn't want to push her luck.  Vivienne, no doubt, wanted the conversation to end as quickly as possible.  She had no desire to dwell on the subject of just how wrong she had been.

At last Lillith spoke up.  "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go back inside."

"I think I'll stay outside a while longer.  Maybe take a walk through the garden first."

"All right," Lillith replied, knowing there was probably a lot on her mind and she needed a moment to herself.  "But don't stay out too long, okay?"

"What are you, my mother?" Vivienne returned.

"If I were mother, I would have told you to come inside before you caught a cold because a runny red nose is sure to turn away any potential suitors."

Vivienne responded by sticking out her tongue, and as Lillith turned back to return to the ball, she thought, 'Yep, definitely the mature one.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

David found Virtue sulking alone on a terrace—coincidentally, the very terrace where her brother and Vivienne had had their own confrontation.  Her back was to him, but from the hunched way in which she stood, with her elbows resting on the railing, he could sense the weariness coming off of her.

"Hi," he said softly, coming up beside her.  Instead of facing her though, he chose to direct his glance in the same direction as hers, out into the empty courtyard below them.

"Hi," she mumbled in return.  There was a brief moment of silence and then she shifted uncomfortably, the long material of her dress making a swishing noise as she did so.  "I hate these things."

"What things?" he asked curiously.

He could see her shrug from the corner of his eye.  "Parties.  Dressing up.  Dresses.  I always feel so out of place.  And this is so uncomfortable," she complained, indicating the gown.

Now David did turn, taking in her appearance; how the blue of her dress brought out her eyes, how the usually unruly mass of auburn hair had somehow been tamed into a lovely train of curls that fell down her back.

"I think you look really nice."

Immediately after saying the words, they both blushed.  Of course, in the darkness of the veranda it was difficult to tell.  But there was an uncomfortable quiet that followed.

It's not that David hadn't meant the words… it was just that he wasn't used to having such conversations.  And from her reaction, he judged that neither was Virtue.

"Do you think I was wrong?" she asked abruptly.

Grateful for the change in topics, he quickly replied, "No, I don't, and neither does Lilly.  I mean, Val's your brother and there's only so much you can be expected to listen to."  He didn't really know the other prince, but he assumed it was the least amount of defense he would have afforded Terrence if he were ever in the same situation.  Maybe even Luke—because brothers were brothers, even if this one wouldn't have returned the favor—but it was a big maybe.

Then he added, knowing that it might help, "Lilly went to talk to Vivienne, so hopefully she'll see it the same way."

There was another pause as Virtue seemed to absorb and contemplate his words.  Then, after a while, she let out a sigh and leaned into David's side.  "Do you mind just staying out here for a while?  Like I said, I don't really like these things…"

"Sure," he answered.  And, because it seemed like the right thing to do, he cautiously reached over and placed an arm around her shoulders.  When she didn't hit him or ask him what the hell he was doing, he let himself relax and a smile spread across his face.

TBC

A/N:  I was afraid that Vivienne might be coming off as too temperamental, and a little overly harsh on Val, so that's why I wrote this as I did.  On another note, I just realized that I was originally spelling Lillith's name with one 'L' and then sometime later I switched to two.  So if anyone else noticed it, don't bother pointing it out—I'm just too lazy to go back and change it.  Let's just go with two from now on, 'kay?