My hair actually looks nice. A bit weird, but nice. When Meru and Shana had approached me with a pair of scissors, I had screamed, running all over the ship to escape them, much to the amusement of the onlookers.
Rose was my savior, agreeing to supervise and make sure they didn't make any drastic mistakes. But a hidden laughter in her eyes told me she might just let them carry on a bit before intervening. She must have been rather mischievous all those years ago.
Shana and Meru cut off both sides up chin-length, nice and straight (actually they were trying shoulder length but kept having to even it out because it was all lopsided.) But they left the center of the back its original length, up to my waist, before braiding it and winding it around my head and pinning it in place. It looks weird, but Father had grudging admitted that it looked better than letting it loose around my face like some sort of drowned ghost. But I keep wailing about how long it had taken me to grow it that long, bringing the first smile to Father's face in a long while.
When we returned to Fletz we were heroes. Regole now roamed the oceans freely, with Meru's promise to the humans that he wouldn't hurt them, but still he chose Prison Island as his home. Ironic, the name. The threat of the Sea Dragon now no more and the fake Princess Emille disposed of, peace had returned to Tiberoa, and for that we were honored.
King Zior, the "stupid" spell broken, now seemed to be quite well-spoken and intelligent. He said that we were now venerated guests, each of us getting our own guest room, and that there was to be a feast in our honor. He seemed so overjoyed about getting his real daughter back that he didn't even seem to mind when Lloyd said that he had not helped and he did not deserve to attend. Zior merely waved him off, saying, "Nonsense."
Lisa and the real Emille as well, had warmed up to us, being extraordinarily polite and friendly. When they spoke to Lloyd however, he just said that he was undeserving of the feast and the honor, and that he hadn't helped much at all. They stared at him with politely quizzical looks on their faces, smiling and switching the conversation to Father, who was much more talkative.
As we left, I hissed at Lloyd, "Stop being such a downer. It's depressing me and everyone else."
"But what I did…"
"You're coming to the feast tonight and you're going to be smiling and having a good time or I will personally shave you bald." Somehow my nails had found their way into his hand, and he winced.
I have no idea why I said, "shave you bald". Maybe I was still feeling paranoid about my own hair.
I was meditating in my own room (with fresh smelling linen and silver trays with little treats on them and lavender candles to dispel headaches) later on when Shana burst in.
"Claire!" She was crying. "Dart and Rose…they're fighting!"
The news surprised me, I think, but my body refused to show it. My mouth said, "I know," and my legs pushed me off the bed and toward the training room, where I somehow knew they would be.
The others had gathered to watch the fight, and I squeezed past Father and Albert to see.
Rose and Dart were indeed fighting, swords out, additional attacks in full progress. They moved with such grace and expertise that to others perhaps it would seem like an intense sparring session, but the hate on Dart's face and the pain on Rose's proved otherwise. So did the blood.
Rose had a cut along her brow and another on her left arm. Dart had one across his collarbone.
Rage in their voices when they attacked. I remember watching as if from a daze, my own hands clenched into fists at my waist, with Shana tugging on my arm, wailing, "Claire, you have to stop them!" And Kongol and Meru were confused and Albert was yelling and Lloyd was watching and Father kept trying to go forward to stop them before I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"It's a personal issue." I told them. "It's something they have to settle. Just give them a few moments and let them fight it out."
I wasn't sure who I wanted to win. Dart was my son and had the vengeance song, but honestly it wasn't Rose's fault, and she was…a friend.
In the end, Dart won. The soldiers had now gathered around to watch. My son knelt down besides Rose, his blade resting against the vein throbbing beneath the pale skin of her throat. He leaned lightly against his sword, and glared at her. He said something quietly to her, then stood up and took his sword away.
I began to breathe again, exhaling a gasp that had been frozen in my throat.
Dart walked over to me, sheathed his sword, and hugged me.
It was like when he was a child, and had been pushed down by the town bully in Neet. He had come home completely silent, and reached up for a hug, and I gave it to him, and suddenly I understood everything that had happened.
There were tears on his face when he pulled back. I used my sleeve to wipe them away. "It's over now, Dart. You've settled everything, yes?"
"Yes."
"Good. You feel better now?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Then go get some rest, sweetie. You need it. Get ready for the feast tonight then."
He nodded obediently, turned to leave, with Shana following him, fussing over the cuts that he had.
"What was that about?" Father asked immediately.
"…Something that they're not ready to reveal to you yet. You'll learn in due time. In the meanwhile, leave them alone about this, okay?" I responded, and held out a hand to Rose. Her mouth was turned down, and she accepted it.
"Is it really over?" She asked.
"Come on." I told her. "Let's get you to the palace doctor." I never answered her question.
The fight was out of their minds quickly as the feast drew nearer. Father and I wandered the halls, annoying the caterers about the meal. Actually, Father did that, I just followed because I was bored and I knew it made him happy to have fun with his daughter.
When we wandered out onto a terrace, we saw Dart and Shana. They were talking very quietly and holding hands, looking into each other's eyes.
Father noticed them first, skidded to a stop, causing me to crash into him.
And just when they were about to kiss, Lisa's handmaiden walked by, obviously going to talk to them.
"L-Lidira!" I couldn't be sure that was her name.
But she stopped anyway, turning to look at me, confused. "Oh. Libria, ma'am. My name is Libria. How can I be of service?"
"Don't go out there." Father told her. "Don't."
"But Princess Lisa told me to tell them that the feast—"
"Don't go out there." Father repeated.
"But—"
"Libria, darling, listen closely." I smiled at her. "I've been wanting my son to fall for this girl for the past…thirteen or so years. It's happening now and if you go out there, I may have to kill you."
Maybe I went a little far. Her eyes widened and she squeaked. "Yes, ma'am!" And fled down the stairs.
I shrugged sheepishly at Father, who grinned back.
Dart and Shana were then so close, but then what do you know, Fester the stupid annoying nosy astronomy-crazed moron has to walk in. Oops, I'm being mean. I guess I was just angry. But he had slipped by us and by the time we noticed him it was too late.
Father lunged at him, missing him and falling face-flat on the floor. I heard the clunk and lunged too, managing to grab onto Fester's ankle. Unfortunately, it caused him to fall forward too, knocking the doors open and shocking Dart and Shana. It must have been very funny, seeing the esteemed astronomer on his hands and knees, Dart's mother lying on her side clutching his ankle, and her father a few feet behind, also sprawled.
"Mom? Grandpa? Fester?"
"Uh…the feast is in two hours. You two should start getting ready." Fester said, glancing backward.
I released my hold on his ankle, and when the three of us hustled away, I hastily explained to him why I had attacked him and he walked off looking bewildered. By the way, he still seems to be avoiding me. I wonder why?
Libria rounded everyone up for the preparations before the feast, though I noticed that she stayed a safe distance from me and always kept someone between us. It's not like I would actually kill her. Nevertheless, she kept glancing at me nervously.
The two Princesses had sent her to get us ready, which meant, "dress up". Hmm. I hadn't dressed up since…ever, actually. As a child, I was too busy training to go to feasts and the like. And life with Zieg had never called for any special dressy occasions, nor did life in Seles. Besides, I wasn't used to dresses (which had quite upset Shana's mother, who never wore anything but dresses), so I told Libria no, thank you.
To my surprise, Father objected. "I never got a chance to see my little girl grow up or celebrate her birthdays. Most of that is my fault, and I never let her dress up to go out with her friends. I need to rectify that. Claire, could you go put on a dress, just so I could see how you look?"
I did it only for Father, because the dress was horribly itchy on my legs, with some ridiculous poofy satin inside to make the skirt look flowing. The dress was sleeveless, a muted silver color, with sparkling blue threads woven into the bodice. I decided I didn't like it, but the others all complimented me, so I kept it.
Aside from myself, Shana was the only other one who had decided to dress up. Her dress was a beautiful pale violet, and she had a small tiara set into her hair. Her beauty rivaled that of Princess Lisa's, but she didn't accepted the invitations of the many men that requested a dance with her, in fact, she spent most of the night outside on the balcony, talking to Dart.
Meru ate so much food that she instantly became the cook's new best friend and Rose sat through every dance, guzzling goblet after goblet of wine, until the king himself asked her if that was wise, after which she stopped and stood to the side, watching Dart and Shana out of narrowed eyes. Albert and Emille danced together and spent the entire night conversing and Kongol sat awkwardly by himself, occasionally talking and eating.
I don't really know how to dance. Zieg had never been the social sort of husband that liked to appear at soirees and parties. He was more of the sit and home and cuddle type. Oops, now I've got a tear on the page and it smudged the ink. I danced with Father for a while, until they started playing a song that I really didn't like and I took a rest for a while. Then wonder of all wonders, Lloyd, who had been sitting off to the side and drinking (away from Rose, who he still didn't like, or feared, or whatever), came over to ask me to dance.
Yeah right, I was gonna turn down that offer. It didn't matter that my feet hurt. The only problem was that I seemed to have trouble with this song. "Let me lead." Lloyd said, and I did. He danced like he fought.
Okay, so it wasn't a spectacular dance that made every head in the room turn, but it was okay, I suppose, and I had a good time. We danced three songs and would have danced more had Father not began glaring at Lloyd so furiously that the Wingly backed away from me with guilt in his eyes and face. Only then did Father's glares cease. I am not a little girl anymore, must he hound upon Lloyd as if he were a terrible murderer? Oh, bad analogy.
Anyway, I am now out of that terribly itchy dress. Tomorrow we must go on that wretched Queen Fury again and set sail for Mille Seseau. I wonder if it has changed much, and if I can go to see Neet. I must pay my respects and see my town again, to brave the painful memories that it will bring back.