** Disclaimer ** I do not own any of the Black Jewels Trilogy. They are Anne Bishop's.
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Lady of Life: You are correct in thinking that Damara is not afraid of Dorothea, but should she be...? To be revealed in a later chapter. I hope that your hand is better. :)
Garnet: Thank you very much for your review.
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Chapter 4
Damara hurried through the halls of the building, feeling the walls closing in on her. She hated having dinner with her aunt; it always left her on edge. She needed open space. Finally finding a door to the outside, she bolted out to be greeted by a gust of wind. The girl reveled in the cool air as it billowed her dress and blew her hair off her teary face. She ran, jumped and spun around like a graceful dancer. Eventually, as she calmed down, Damara sat cross-legged on the ground with her dress pulled down over her knees and stared up at the starry sky.
She felt Daemon sit down beside her. "Daemon, have you ever stared at the sky and felt like you were flying?"
"No, but I do like the stars."
"They're so pretty," she whispered with the stars reflecting in her eyes, shiny with tears. "They're beautiful, but cold. Kinda like you. Daemon...I know that you don't have many people as your friends, but if you ever need to talk..."
"Thank you, Lady Larken. You are wise for your age," he answered quietly.
"Yeah, that's what my mother used to say. I miss her." She paused. "Daemon, how can Dorothea do things like that?" Damara said, referring to the entertainment a few nights before.
"She does cruel acts like that all the time. She's tainted Blood. She doesn't know anything of how things should be."
"If I'm ever a queen, Daemon, I'll make sure never to be like her. I'd be better and be served out of respect, not fear," the girl said, standing up with her hands on her hips, still watching the stars.
"That's the way it's supposed to be, Lady," the Warlord Prince replied with a small smile. "Have you been trained in Craft? Or any other subjects?"
"My aunt never really got me a tutor, but I've been reading books on it...I like books. So I'm smart with Literature. I don't really know any other subjects well, I don't think. She never got anybody to teach me, so I've just learned what I could. She said it's 'cause she's busy, and will get me one soon. But I think she just doesn't care," Damara jabbered as she picked apart a piece of grass that she had plucked from the ground.
"Well, isn't this cute. Hayll's Whore and little Lady Larken. What do you do with someone who isn't old enough for your entertainment, Daemon? Talk?" Kartane's laughter rang out, as he walked up to them.
Daemon's patient smile quickly changed into his typical bored court face and his eyes hardened. "What do you want, Kartane?"
"This doesn't concern you, Daemon. Just me and Damara, here."
"I'm losing my patience, Kartane. Speak quickly; why are you here?"
"Mother sent me to bring Damara to her. She wants to have a talk with her."
Damara cast an anxious look at Daemon.
"I'll walk her there. Take the night off from being your mother's little bitch," Daemon growled.
Kartane's eyes narrowed but quickly sparkled maliciously as he thought of an insult. "I suppose you would know where her room is very well, wouldn't you, Sadi?"
"Just as good as you."
Kartane stalked off, angry but defeated. Daemon turned to Damara. "I'm sorry you had to hear some of that," he said gently.
"It's okay...I guess we shouldn't keep her waiting?" Damara wondered.
"Yeah. Follow me. Just remember one thing whenever you're with Dororthea: hold your head high. You see her for what she really is."
The girl nervously nodded.
In a few stomach churning minutes they arrived at Dorothea's door. Daemon squeezed her shoulder in support and left her. She lightly knocked on the door and waited for Dorothea to take the red shield off. After she had, Damara hesitantly entered.
Dorothea laid on her plush couch still in her dress from dinner earlier that evening. She was sipping from a glass of wine. She looked up at the visitor.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Damara asked.
"Yes, do you want to sit down?" She waved her hand at the open spot on the couch as she sat up.
"No thank you. I'd prefer to remain standing, if you don't mind."
"Nonsense, sit here." She patted the seat beside her. Damara recognized the blade in her silky offer: it was an order. She wavered but slowly sat beside Dorothea who handed her a glass of wine as Damara sat down. Damara took a gulp, her mouth parched out of nervousness, not realizing it was wine. She choked and sputtered on the alcohol and it occurred to her not only should she have tested it to see what it was but she should have also tested it to make sure it didn't have any kind of drugs or poisons in it.
It's already off to a bad start, Damara thought to herself.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Dorothea said in a purring voice.
"I'm fine," the girl croaked.
After she had stopped choking and set the glass on the table, Dorothea turned to her with a motherly, caring face. "I asked you up here because I wanted to know more about you. What kind of things do you enjoy?"
"Um, I like to read."
"Oh, me too," the Priestess eagerly replied.
Damara continued discussing other hobbies, most of which, miraculously, Dororthea also enjoyed. The girl saw through her game and soon became tired of it. She didn't want her as a friend; she did not want to be Dororthea's pet.
"I also called you up here to show you that I'm not as bad as I am made out to be. I'm afraid the entertainment a few days ago gave you the wrong idea, and with some people telling you things that aren't true--" Damara realized this meant Daemon-- "I was worried that you might have an untrue picture of me. Do you understand what I'm saying?" she asked.
Damara was afraid to look into her eyes, afraid of what evil she'd see in them. "Yes. I'm glad we had this talk. A lot of things have been made clear to me."
"Oh, wonderful."
"May I go to my room? I'm very tired," Damara inquired.
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes. Goodnight." Damara got up, walked out, and closed the door behind her.
She walked in the direction of Daemon's room. Spending the extra time she had wandering the halls had given her a better feel of the castle and she was fairly sure she could find his room. It was the only black-locked room in the castle.
She walked toward his room, hoping he wouldn't mind the disturbance and would be there. She wanted to talk to him. Yes, indeed, a lot of things had been made very clear to her. Things that needed discussion.
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Lady of Life: You are correct in thinking that Damara is not afraid of Dorothea, but should she be...? To be revealed in a later chapter. I hope that your hand is better. :)
Garnet: Thank you very much for your review.
********
Chapter 4
Damara hurried through the halls of the building, feeling the walls closing in on her. She hated having dinner with her aunt; it always left her on edge. She needed open space. Finally finding a door to the outside, she bolted out to be greeted by a gust of wind. The girl reveled in the cool air as it billowed her dress and blew her hair off her teary face. She ran, jumped and spun around like a graceful dancer. Eventually, as she calmed down, Damara sat cross-legged on the ground with her dress pulled down over her knees and stared up at the starry sky.
She felt Daemon sit down beside her. "Daemon, have you ever stared at the sky and felt like you were flying?"
"No, but I do like the stars."
"They're so pretty," she whispered with the stars reflecting in her eyes, shiny with tears. "They're beautiful, but cold. Kinda like you. Daemon...I know that you don't have many people as your friends, but if you ever need to talk..."
"Thank you, Lady Larken. You are wise for your age," he answered quietly.
"Yeah, that's what my mother used to say. I miss her." She paused. "Daemon, how can Dorothea do things like that?" Damara said, referring to the entertainment a few nights before.
"She does cruel acts like that all the time. She's tainted Blood. She doesn't know anything of how things should be."
"If I'm ever a queen, Daemon, I'll make sure never to be like her. I'd be better and be served out of respect, not fear," the girl said, standing up with her hands on her hips, still watching the stars.
"That's the way it's supposed to be, Lady," the Warlord Prince replied with a small smile. "Have you been trained in Craft? Or any other subjects?"
"My aunt never really got me a tutor, but I've been reading books on it...I like books. So I'm smart with Literature. I don't really know any other subjects well, I don't think. She never got anybody to teach me, so I've just learned what I could. She said it's 'cause she's busy, and will get me one soon. But I think she just doesn't care," Damara jabbered as she picked apart a piece of grass that she had plucked from the ground.
"Well, isn't this cute. Hayll's Whore and little Lady Larken. What do you do with someone who isn't old enough for your entertainment, Daemon? Talk?" Kartane's laughter rang out, as he walked up to them.
Daemon's patient smile quickly changed into his typical bored court face and his eyes hardened. "What do you want, Kartane?"
"This doesn't concern you, Daemon. Just me and Damara, here."
"I'm losing my patience, Kartane. Speak quickly; why are you here?"
"Mother sent me to bring Damara to her. She wants to have a talk with her."
Damara cast an anxious look at Daemon.
"I'll walk her there. Take the night off from being your mother's little bitch," Daemon growled.
Kartane's eyes narrowed but quickly sparkled maliciously as he thought of an insult. "I suppose you would know where her room is very well, wouldn't you, Sadi?"
"Just as good as you."
Kartane stalked off, angry but defeated. Daemon turned to Damara. "I'm sorry you had to hear some of that," he said gently.
"It's okay...I guess we shouldn't keep her waiting?" Damara wondered.
"Yeah. Follow me. Just remember one thing whenever you're with Dororthea: hold your head high. You see her for what she really is."
The girl nervously nodded.
In a few stomach churning minutes they arrived at Dorothea's door. Daemon squeezed her shoulder in support and left her. She lightly knocked on the door and waited for Dorothea to take the red shield off. After she had, Damara hesitantly entered.
Dorothea laid on her plush couch still in her dress from dinner earlier that evening. She was sipping from a glass of wine. She looked up at the visitor.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Damara asked.
"Yes, do you want to sit down?" She waved her hand at the open spot on the couch as she sat up.
"No thank you. I'd prefer to remain standing, if you don't mind."
"Nonsense, sit here." She patted the seat beside her. Damara recognized the blade in her silky offer: it was an order. She wavered but slowly sat beside Dorothea who handed her a glass of wine as Damara sat down. Damara took a gulp, her mouth parched out of nervousness, not realizing it was wine. She choked and sputtered on the alcohol and it occurred to her not only should she have tested it to see what it was but she should have also tested it to make sure it didn't have any kind of drugs or poisons in it.
It's already off to a bad start, Damara thought to herself.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Dorothea said in a purring voice.
"I'm fine," the girl croaked.
After she had stopped choking and set the glass on the table, Dorothea turned to her with a motherly, caring face. "I asked you up here because I wanted to know more about you. What kind of things do you enjoy?"
"Um, I like to read."
"Oh, me too," the Priestess eagerly replied.
Damara continued discussing other hobbies, most of which, miraculously, Dororthea also enjoyed. The girl saw through her game and soon became tired of it. She didn't want her as a friend; she did not want to be Dororthea's pet.
"I also called you up here to show you that I'm not as bad as I am made out to be. I'm afraid the entertainment a few days ago gave you the wrong idea, and with some people telling you things that aren't true--" Damara realized this meant Daemon-- "I was worried that you might have an untrue picture of me. Do you understand what I'm saying?" she asked.
Damara was afraid to look into her eyes, afraid of what evil she'd see in them. "Yes. I'm glad we had this talk. A lot of things have been made clear to me."
"Oh, wonderful."
"May I go to my room? I'm very tired," Damara inquired.
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes. Goodnight." Damara got up, walked out, and closed the door behind her.
She walked in the direction of Daemon's room. Spending the extra time she had wandering the halls had given her a better feel of the castle and she was fairly sure she could find his room. It was the only black-locked room in the castle.
She walked toward his room, hoping he wouldn't mind the disturbance and would be there. She wanted to talk to him. Yes, indeed, a lot of things had been made very clear to her. Things that needed discussion.