What will your new fic be about?
I'll have more information on my new fic in the next chapter. I might even include an excerpt from the new fic's first chapter if I'm in a good mood.
Why couldn't Roald have time traveled into the future with Kaprice?
Because that would still be bending the rules. He would be existing in two different times as two separate people. Even when Kaprice had time traveled, there wasn't another Kaprice still living in the desert. Kaprice time traveled for one purpose: to revert the Devastation. Now that that's finished, she must return back to her rightful place. Going seventy years into the future with Kaprice was not Roald's rightful place. Roald's rightful place would have been staying right where he was…which would have also caused lots of strange, complicated problems. And also, after Kaprice talked to the gods after her job was finished, they took their power from her. That was one of the main reasons the gods even brought Kaprice to them afterwards. They wanted their power back. And since Kaprice no longer had any powers, the gods had to return her to her time. And even if Roald would have been alive…I doubt the gods would have sent Roald with her. The whole 'there are rules' thing: they had just saved the world from chaos. Bring Roald back and splinter the natural order again…I doubt they would have risked it.
Will I be a writer after school is finished!
School will never be finished! It is the devil!!!!
Er….I have considered it, but it is not my number one career choice at the moment. So I'll just have to keep on writing fanfiction unless I change my mind.
29. The Epilogue: Part I
"Kaprice!"
Kaprice froze, one leg still thrown over the window sill. She turned her head over her shoulder and glanced at the woman who had just entered her room.
"What?"
"'What', she says," Eliva threw up her hands in exasperation. "'What', as if she isn't trying to sneak out of her room on her own birthday."
Kaprice smiled and pulled herself back into the room. "Eliva--"
"Don't 'Eliva' me!" The servant woman snapped. "You have callers waiting in the sitting room, what do you think you're doing, sneaking out?"
"Ghris and I were planning to meet Rose in Corus before riding to Grandmother Delora's manor."
"Oh? And you have to sneak out the window? Whatever happened to using the door?"
Kaprice shrugged. "The door's boring. Sneaking out the window is much more fun--"
"In other words, you don't want to deal with your callers," Eliva observed.
Kaprice made a face. "No, I don't."
Eliva tried to keep a stern face, but failed. "Oh, all right. Go, go through the window. Such a spoiled young woman, why I even try to deal with you, I don't know," the woman said.
Kaprice smiled and gave the woman who had looked after her since her birth a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Eliva."
Eliva scowled at her, but then a scowl from Eliva was equivalent to a smile. "Go, go. Off with you now, you don't want to keep Grandmother Delora waiting." Grandmother Delora was actually only Rose's grandmother, but everyone referred to her as Grandmother Delora.
Kaprice pulled herself out of the window and slowly started to climb down the wall.
Eliva's head suddenly appeared over the sill. "And you better be in time for supper," she threatened. Kaprice half expected the older woman to shake a fist at her. "Your parents and I have a surprise for you for your birthday."
Kaprice gave the older woman a last smile before hurrying into the stables.
Moments later, Kaprice was riding away from her parents' estate on one of the mares.
When Kaprice got to the designated meeting place, she frowned when she saw that there was no one there.
Kaprice settled herself under the shade of a nearby tree. "If Ghris doesn't hurry up and arrive--" she started to say to herself.
Something suddenly fell out of the tree and hit her over the head before bouncing to the ground. Kaprice looked down and found herself staring at a nibbled apple core.
Kaprice slowly raised her head and squinted into the branches of the tree.
"Well, well, Look who's finally decided to arrive," Ghris teased her as he lowered himself out of the tree.
"Happy birthday" he said, pulling her into a hug.
"A fine gift you give me," she said with a mock grumble, "dropping an apple core on my head."
Ghris laughed.
"Where's your horse?" she asked, glancing around.
"I left it at the bottom of the hill, where you wouldn't see it," he started to explain as she lifted herself back onto her horse.
"Lady Kaprice!"
Two figures approached them on horseback.
"Damn," Kaprice cursed. Ghris gave her an amused look.
"Lady Kaprice, here you are! Did the servants not alert you to my arrival at your parents' estate?" Lord Cowell of Geraine frowned. "Oh well, luckily, I saw you leaving through the window and my sister and I were able to catch up."
"Lady Kaprice," Lady Mindy, Cowell's younger sister who had just returned home from the convent, nodded at Kaprice in greeting.
Kaprice gave the very callers whom she had wished to avoid her best smile. "Please accept my apologies. I actually was aware of your presence back at the estate," she said. She didn't want the servants blamed for something that was not their fault. "But I was late for an appointment. Lord Ghris and I are planning to meet with another friend at Corus for lunch in celebration for my birthday."
"Since my sister and I do not have any other engagements, perhaps we'll join you."
Kaprice did her best to keep her smile from turning into a growl. "Very well."
Cowell fell into line beside Ghris while Mindy rode by Kaprice's side as they first went to fetch Ghris' horse before heading toward Corus.
"I've had the pleasure of meeting Lord Ghris' younger sister Lady Lonna at the convent when I was still there," Mindy said.
Kaprice perked up a bit. She and Lonna had been friends before Lonna had been sent to the convent. "Oh? Is she well?"
"She is well, although life at the convent does not suit her. The ladies who run the convent are bent double with frustration. Lady Lonna will never be the perfect lady." Mindy smiled, and although Kaprice couldn't describe it as malicious, it definitely wasn't kind.
Then Mindy continued to talk about life in the convent. She went on and on about how she was praised for her good looks, her impeccable manners, and flawless embroidery.
Kaprice had never been so bored in her life.
"What do you think of my dress? Isn't it beautiful? I always try to wear silk. Any other type of cloth irritates my skin and turns it red." Mindy looked over Kaprice and her clothes with a disdainful eye.
Kaprice realized then that her own skin was slightly pink, the result of spending too much time in the sun.
"Oh yes, red is horribly bad for my complexion. But at least I don't have black hair. Black hair especially makes red skin stand out. Black and red just clash horribly, you know."
Kaprice hid a scowl by flipping a lock of black hair over her face. Mindy had a way of breezing through insults in such an indirect way that one did not know the insult until too late. Kaprice itched to slap the arrogant look off the younger girl's face.
Just when she thought it was over, Mindy suddenly switched topics and jumped into a single-sided discussion about her latest beau.
"His body is perfect, well-muscled but not too big. His golden hair is thick and shiny, and he has eyes that I would die for," she giggled. "He came visiting three times last week, and twice already this week. He's quite stuck on me," she boasted with a satisfied smile.
"How wonderful," Kaprice said in a bored tone.
Fortunately, Mindy's tedious conversation came to a pause when they arrived in Corus.
"Oh, Cowell, did you see that beautiful scarf!" she exclaimed, pointing to one of the venders' stalls. "I just have to have it! I have a dress that it'll match perfectly with!"
"Why don't you and your sister enjoy the market while Ghris and I look for Rose," Kaprice said to Cowell, not waiting for a reply.
"If I have to listen to one more comment about Mindy's beau's perfect nose, I think I'm going to vomit," Kaprice said flatly to Ghris.
Ghris shook his head. "No sympathy here. I had to listen to Cowell talk about himself and how great he is." He stopped and glanced at the building they stopped in front of. "The Smoking Barrel. This is the inn Rose said that she'd be waiting for us in."
Kaprice nodded. "I'll go into the stables and get her horse; you find Rose." Kaprice suspected that Ghris had feelings that included more than just friendship for Rose. She wanted to give him a chance to greet her first.
Just as she was finished with saddling Rose's horse and was ready to lead him out of the inn's stables, a shadow filled the doorway.
"Kaprice, I've brought a gift for you for your nineteenth birthday."
"Lord Cowell, that really wasn't necessary--"
Cowell entered the horse's stall and loomed unnecessarily close. "Here," he said, taking out a small package and handing it to her.
Kaprice took it unwillingly and slowly started to unwrap the package. Inside, she found a lovely golden ring with a delicate green jewel embedded on top.
"The emerald matches the green in your eyes," Cowell pointed out.
Kaprice started to hand it back. "No, please take it back. It's much too expensive and--"
Cowell smoothly took the ring from her and got a firm grip on her hand. "Why don't you just try it on first?" he said as he slipped it onto her finger.
Anger started to settle around Kaprice's expression. "Lord Cowell," she said in objection, taking her hand away from him.
Cowell pressed her back against the wall. "It's beautiful," he said, his hands creeping up her waist. "Like you." His face advanced towards hers.
Kaprice suddenly stepped closer to Cowell and pressed her hands onto his broad chest. She trailed her fingertips lingeringly onto his chest before lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck. A look of triumph crossed Cowell's narrow face. She leaned up to him on tiptoe and pressed her mouth teasingly by his ear.
"Two can play in the game of seduction, Lord Cowell. But are you the better player?"
She gave him a moment to absorb her words, and then she promptly kneed him in the groin. Hard.
Cowell fell to the floor with a groan, both hands over his crotch.
"I'll take that as a no," she said with her sweetest smile.
And with that, she started to lead the horse back out of the stall. She privately hoped that one of the horse's hooves would 'accidentally' step on Cowell.
Deep, husky laughter came from the doorway.
A look of annoyance crossed her face as she started and glared at the stranger who blocked the stable's only exit.
"You might want to give him his ring back," the stranger drawled.
Kaprice glanced down at her hand. She had forgotten about the ring. She let out a sigh of regret. "It is actually quite pretty. Too bad I'm not as impressed with its giver." She pulled the ring off and threw it over her shoulder, in the general vicinity of Cowell.
"Well?" she demanded, turning back to the stranger.
He raised a tawny brow. "Well, what?"
She glared at him. "You happen to be blocking my exit."
"Oh?" he said innocently. He moved to the side. Giving her just enough room to squeeze by with the horse.
"You must be Lady Kaprice," the stranger said as she went by him.
Her retort was cut short by someone's shout.
"Kaprice!"
Kaprice laughed and returned Rose's hug. They had been friends for as long as she could remember, united in the beginning with the knowledge that both were named after flowers. Unfortunately, they got to see one another less and less as they got older. Rose, following in line with the tradition in her family, had become a Rider, while Kaprice had remained at home, cajoling her way out of going to the convent, but not able to convince her parents to let her be a lady knight. Rose had gotten off from Rider business just to see Kaprice and celebrate with her for her birthday.
"Well, it's about time you decided to show up. You were gone for so long that we thought that Rose's horse had eaten you," Ghris said.
Kaprice gave Ghris an innocent smile. "You should have known better than getting your hopes up."
Everyone laughed.
Rose turned and frowned at the stranger whom had been blocking Kaprice's way out of the stables. "We started worrying about you too."
"Worrying about him?" Kaprice frowned in surprise. "Why?"
"We sent him into the stables to find you, but since you don't know him…er…we were concerned that…" Rose frowned with the effort to word her concern in a manner that would be diplomatic.
At that moment, Cowell stumbled out of the stables. There was hay stuck in his hair, his clothes were rumpled and smudged, and he smelled heavily of horse.
He glared at the rest of them when he saw that they loitered in front of the stables.
Ghris raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What happened to you?"
Cowell turned an unpleasant shade of red. He glared daggers at Kaprice.
Rose caught his glower and looked at Kaprice. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. When she saw that Kaprice was not about to say anything, she turned her look onto the stranger. "What happened in there?"
The stranger caught Kaprice's gaze with his own and winked.
Rose sighed, understanding that she wouldn't get an explanation until Kaprice was ready to give one. "Kaprice, I'd like to introduce you to my friend--"
"Lord Ryker!"
Mindy appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and practically threw herself at the stranger, who looked as startled to see her as everyone else was.
"Ryker, I didn't know that you'd be in Corus today," Mindy purred, latching a hand over his arm.
At this, Kaprice raised an eyebrow. "You're Ryker? Mindy's beau?"
He seemed even more startled at this. Mindy threw Kaprice a warning glare.
Kaprice stepped back and stared at the stranger contemplatively. She eyed him up and down, taking in the narrow hips, nicely muscled chest, strongly chiseled chin, silky golden hair, and twinkling hazel eyes that met her challenge head on.
Then she turned back to Mindy. "So you were right after all, Mindy." She cocked her head to the side with a speculative look. "He is as pretty as you say."
Mindy turned a brilliant crimson. She pulled herself away from Ryker and looked as if she wanted to scratch Kaprice's eyes out.
Kaprice gave Mindy a concerned look. "Is that a blush spreading on your face, Mindy dear? You must be careful, remember how you told me that red was bad for the complexion? Fortunately, you don't have black hair like I do."
Mindy turned and practically ran in her haste to escape.
Ghris looked as if he was trying hard not to laugh. "Well," he finally said. "That was certainly very interesting."
Rose shook her head. "And you wondered why we were worried about sending Ryker into the stables after you."
"I'm not mean to everyone," Kaprice protested.
Ghris snorted. "Name five people who you actually act nicely to."
"You. Rose." Kaprice struggled to name more people. "Lonna, before she left for the convent. My parents and Eliva."
Rose shook her head indulgently while Ghris gave her an amused look.
"But I'm also nice to…er…my horse."
Ghris laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Perhaps we should leave now for Grandmother Delora's manor. Before you find more people to humiliate."
~*~*~
a.n: the next chapter will pick up right where this one has ended, it'll continue the conversation. Aren't you happy that Ryker isn't quite so dead after all?
Well, I've updated for you. Now I must go. I have to see LOTR: Two Towers. I haven't seen in yet. Which is insane.
~krizsta