Rhiannon looked out her window, it would be the last time she slept
in this bed for a while, maybe never. She shuttered to think of that, she
didn't want to believe Keladry, her parents weren't missing, someone was
wrong. Their parents hadn't been very good but that wasn't their fault they
had to do what the King wished, even if it kept them away.
Feeling sorry for your self again? Rhi spun to stare at her tiger, a gift from Emperor Khaddar when she had turned twelve much t her fathers distress. " No I'm not feeling sorry, well maybe I am who cares!" she sat down hard in her father's favorite chair stroking the soft velvet cushions, it still smelled of him; if she tried hard enough she could still see him waiting to read her a bed time story while ma tried to bathe Joss. Rhiannon smiled, it was the only memory that was good of them, most of the rest were blurs.
Your parents were always there when you needed them Rhiannon; they knew you were strong children that's why they left so much. Rhiannon sighed Tempest was right they were good parents.
" Well we were always well cared for." she began to giggle at the thought of Tidmarsh. " Da had such funny friends."
I don't think that your father was friends with him, I think that you were his punishment for doing something terribly wrong. Rhi laughed and threw several pillows in her tiger's direction.
" Were hardly punishments!"
" I feel horrible for the king."
One Month Later
Jonathan was amazed by the resilience of the twins, here they had come from what he would call a neglectful family and here they were now dining with his court being cased by suitors both male and female to their respective sexes! It amazed him, but their parents had been extraordinary.
He shook his head, again he had used past tense on Daine and Numair, he truly didn't want to think that they were dead but six months was a long time without word from them or his spies. Jocelyn looked just like her with his dark brown curls straight nose and stubborn mouth, Rhiannon on the other hand only had her fathers black hair and height, both had that, not that Daine had been short. Both had peculiar eyes, greener than emeralds he had heard one of Rhiannon's suitors talking and that boy was right. They also shifted with the seasons, as the leaves turned so did their eyes, if Numair was here he would have had a study done on it.
No both he and Daine had decided to keep their children out of the spotlight, John had agreed himself at the time but now he wasn't so sure. Both had a talent for memorization, fencing, hunting and ferreting out information but they had no social skills what so ever up until Thayet got her pretty little hands on them. Leaning over John kissed his wife's palm making her look his way; she smiled but was concentrating on the twins more than he.
" Worried love that they didn't take your lessons to heart?" he whispered so others wouldn't hear. She shook her head; her diamond bobs bouncing with the motion. She looked wonderful tonight in a white velvet dress covered in emerald beads and lace.
" No, they are fine but I fear that.oh dear." John turned his head to see Tempest holding one of the men down showing too much fang and Rhiannon standing beside her cat fists clenched in rage.
" Take it back Rosewood!" she hissed loud enough that everyone could hear. John stood and worked his way through the crowd.
" No you are bastard why should I swallow the truth!" the boy sneered but was silenced when the tiger's jaws came together inches above this well- bred nose.
" Actually Rhi and I aren't bastards our parents were married before we were ever conceived, Master Rosewood you may find the marriage document sealed and dated almost three years before we were born in the archives. I belie they had a small wedding in a lovely little chapel overlooking the ocean, your majesty you were there weren't you." John rolled his eyes, just like his father able to spin any story to make light of the situation.
" Yes I was," it seemed that the tension in the room burst like a bubble with his presence. " It was a beautiful wedding as a matter of fact. Rosewood I'd suggest you apologize to the lady."
" I'm no lady!" he heard Rhi mutter under her breath but keep quiet otherwise.
" I am soooo sorry my LADY Rhiannon, can you ever forgive me?" The tiger had moved to let him stand, and he did bowing to Rhi. John noticed that both Samailitans were tense.
" NO." she barley spoke before she had walked away followed by the beast of a cat.
The room returned to normal after Rhiannon left, now Jonathan was beginning to see what people really thought of the twins..
A hour later.
Joss searched franticly for his sister, she wasn't in her rooms, library or even the barn and her blasted horse was still there! It was like she had vanished like their parents until he heard the thwap of arrows going into a target and a deep throaty laugh.
" That's it little sparrow, hit Rosewood again!" Joss grinned at the sound of Sarge's voice. He would help his sister cool off a bit! Walking around the corner he watched his sister shoot arrow after arrow into the target never missing the bulls eye.
" Lass you would make a bloody fine archer if you wanted too."
" Its just something I got from my ma Sarge, plus that is not what I'm after" from Joss's vantage point he could see his sister clench her hands. " I want to find my parents, or at least kill the person who is responsible for their deaths." Joss almost fell over with anger, what was wrong with her she could be killed!
" Sparrow they have grown men and women looking for them what makes you think you could do any better?" his sisters form became rigid with anger, Joss could feel it beating through him as well.
" Because I'm their DAUGHTER that's why!" she threw the bow to the ground in anger and stormed off. Leaving Sarge alone in the field.
Two months later
" Are you crazy Rhi you don't know the first thing about. any of this!" Jocelyn looked over his sister's notes and maps. She was going looking for their parents; she was insane!
" Well while you were busy trying to look down girls bodices for four months instead of learning about things like these things as you so charmingly put it I have." Rhiannon turned of her over dressed brother who wore nothing but the most expensive silks and satins making their parents money dwindle so quickly that Rhi took on a job at the university to pay for her own schooling, plus her brothers. " When are you going to grow up Joss and see the world around you it has been a year and a half since ma and da disappeared, I'm tiered of waiting for Jonathan to do something about it, so I will." She wore plain traveling clothes consisting of fawn colored breeches and a woolen shirt and her father's black cloak. " I'm going and you can't stop me." She crossed her arms almost hoping he'd try.
Jocelyn sighed giving in to his twin, " Fine but you better take these." he reached down inside his tunic and pulled out a bundle of papers, " this is intelligence that I snuck out of Myles rooms, he never noticed in all that junk." He grinned, " and here you thought that you did all the work. Rhiannon I know that you've been helping with the money, but so have I. just not as much." He scuffed his shoe on the ground looking down. " I'm not much of an out doors man but I can do the spying part, plus I got the magic for it."
Rhiannon nodded amazed as her brother went over the papers with her explaining everything that had been discovered about their parents disappearance, and the answers was not much but it helped. " So they were on the way to Maura's, was she questioned?"
Joss nodded, " yeah she had talked to them about three days before they had vanished, but not since." Rhiannon grimaced, where had they gone.
" What about the wolfs, was Broke Fang questioned?" Joss laughed, " Who could have, we are the only two wild mages with that talent." Rhi smiled at her foolishness.
" Sometimes I forget, so I'll go there first then.." She took the map to look at the marks that indicated where her parents had been, " Alanna's I'll go there too. Jocelyn the trail dies after that!"
" Then make your own! Gods I can't do everything for you!" he cuffed her gently under the chin. " You better go I'll keep Jon off you back for a bit." Rhi stood to embrace her brother. " Goddess bless you sister." " So mote it maybe, and may she bless you.."
Feeling sorry for your self again? Rhi spun to stare at her tiger, a gift from Emperor Khaddar when she had turned twelve much t her fathers distress. " No I'm not feeling sorry, well maybe I am who cares!" she sat down hard in her father's favorite chair stroking the soft velvet cushions, it still smelled of him; if she tried hard enough she could still see him waiting to read her a bed time story while ma tried to bathe Joss. Rhiannon smiled, it was the only memory that was good of them, most of the rest were blurs.
Your parents were always there when you needed them Rhiannon; they knew you were strong children that's why they left so much. Rhiannon sighed Tempest was right they were good parents.
" Well we were always well cared for." she began to giggle at the thought of Tidmarsh. " Da had such funny friends."
I don't think that your father was friends with him, I think that you were his punishment for doing something terribly wrong. Rhi laughed and threw several pillows in her tiger's direction.
" Were hardly punishments!"
" I feel horrible for the king."
One Month Later
Jonathan was amazed by the resilience of the twins, here they had come from what he would call a neglectful family and here they were now dining with his court being cased by suitors both male and female to their respective sexes! It amazed him, but their parents had been extraordinary.
He shook his head, again he had used past tense on Daine and Numair, he truly didn't want to think that they were dead but six months was a long time without word from them or his spies. Jocelyn looked just like her with his dark brown curls straight nose and stubborn mouth, Rhiannon on the other hand only had her fathers black hair and height, both had that, not that Daine had been short. Both had peculiar eyes, greener than emeralds he had heard one of Rhiannon's suitors talking and that boy was right. They also shifted with the seasons, as the leaves turned so did their eyes, if Numair was here he would have had a study done on it.
No both he and Daine had decided to keep their children out of the spotlight, John had agreed himself at the time but now he wasn't so sure. Both had a talent for memorization, fencing, hunting and ferreting out information but they had no social skills what so ever up until Thayet got her pretty little hands on them. Leaning over John kissed his wife's palm making her look his way; she smiled but was concentrating on the twins more than he.
" Worried love that they didn't take your lessons to heart?" he whispered so others wouldn't hear. She shook her head; her diamond bobs bouncing with the motion. She looked wonderful tonight in a white velvet dress covered in emerald beads and lace.
" No, they are fine but I fear that.oh dear." John turned his head to see Tempest holding one of the men down showing too much fang and Rhiannon standing beside her cat fists clenched in rage.
" Take it back Rosewood!" she hissed loud enough that everyone could hear. John stood and worked his way through the crowd.
" No you are bastard why should I swallow the truth!" the boy sneered but was silenced when the tiger's jaws came together inches above this well- bred nose.
" Actually Rhi and I aren't bastards our parents were married before we were ever conceived, Master Rosewood you may find the marriage document sealed and dated almost three years before we were born in the archives. I belie they had a small wedding in a lovely little chapel overlooking the ocean, your majesty you were there weren't you." John rolled his eyes, just like his father able to spin any story to make light of the situation.
" Yes I was," it seemed that the tension in the room burst like a bubble with his presence. " It was a beautiful wedding as a matter of fact. Rosewood I'd suggest you apologize to the lady."
" I'm no lady!" he heard Rhi mutter under her breath but keep quiet otherwise.
" I am soooo sorry my LADY Rhiannon, can you ever forgive me?" The tiger had moved to let him stand, and he did bowing to Rhi. John noticed that both Samailitans were tense.
" NO." she barley spoke before she had walked away followed by the beast of a cat.
The room returned to normal after Rhiannon left, now Jonathan was beginning to see what people really thought of the twins..
A hour later.
Joss searched franticly for his sister, she wasn't in her rooms, library or even the barn and her blasted horse was still there! It was like she had vanished like their parents until he heard the thwap of arrows going into a target and a deep throaty laugh.
" That's it little sparrow, hit Rosewood again!" Joss grinned at the sound of Sarge's voice. He would help his sister cool off a bit! Walking around the corner he watched his sister shoot arrow after arrow into the target never missing the bulls eye.
" Lass you would make a bloody fine archer if you wanted too."
" Its just something I got from my ma Sarge, plus that is not what I'm after" from Joss's vantage point he could see his sister clench her hands. " I want to find my parents, or at least kill the person who is responsible for their deaths." Joss almost fell over with anger, what was wrong with her she could be killed!
" Sparrow they have grown men and women looking for them what makes you think you could do any better?" his sisters form became rigid with anger, Joss could feel it beating through him as well.
" Because I'm their DAUGHTER that's why!" she threw the bow to the ground in anger and stormed off. Leaving Sarge alone in the field.
Two months later
" Are you crazy Rhi you don't know the first thing about. any of this!" Jocelyn looked over his sister's notes and maps. She was going looking for their parents; she was insane!
" Well while you were busy trying to look down girls bodices for four months instead of learning about things like these things as you so charmingly put it I have." Rhiannon turned of her over dressed brother who wore nothing but the most expensive silks and satins making their parents money dwindle so quickly that Rhi took on a job at the university to pay for her own schooling, plus her brothers. " When are you going to grow up Joss and see the world around you it has been a year and a half since ma and da disappeared, I'm tiered of waiting for Jonathan to do something about it, so I will." She wore plain traveling clothes consisting of fawn colored breeches and a woolen shirt and her father's black cloak. " I'm going and you can't stop me." She crossed her arms almost hoping he'd try.
Jocelyn sighed giving in to his twin, " Fine but you better take these." he reached down inside his tunic and pulled out a bundle of papers, " this is intelligence that I snuck out of Myles rooms, he never noticed in all that junk." He grinned, " and here you thought that you did all the work. Rhiannon I know that you've been helping with the money, but so have I. just not as much." He scuffed his shoe on the ground looking down. " I'm not much of an out doors man but I can do the spying part, plus I got the magic for it."
Rhiannon nodded amazed as her brother went over the papers with her explaining everything that had been discovered about their parents disappearance, and the answers was not much but it helped. " So they were on the way to Maura's, was she questioned?"
Joss nodded, " yeah she had talked to them about three days before they had vanished, but not since." Rhiannon grimaced, where had they gone.
" What about the wolfs, was Broke Fang questioned?" Joss laughed, " Who could have, we are the only two wild mages with that talent." Rhi smiled at her foolishness.
" Sometimes I forget, so I'll go there first then.." She took the map to look at the marks that indicated where her parents had been, " Alanna's I'll go there too. Jocelyn the trail dies after that!"
" Then make your own! Gods I can't do everything for you!" he cuffed her gently under the chin. " You better go I'll keep Jon off you back for a bit." Rhi stood to embrace her brother. " Goddess bless you sister." " So mote it maybe, and may she bless you.."