Disclaimer: Don't own Black Jewels. My characters are obvious.
"Lucivar!"
The tall man sighed and turned around. He counted to three slowly, waiting for the girl to come around the corner. What happened this time?
Right on time, the girl-no, young woman; she was sixteen- came through the door. Her perfectly straight, white-blond hair was tousled, her green eyes fiery, a fierce expression on her face.
Lucivar looked at her questioningly.
She pointed at the door she'd just come through. "He did it again!"
As if on cue, Daemonar strolled in nonchalantly. He shrugged when Lucivar gave him a scalding look.
"Daemonar, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Don't teach the Arcerian kittens to pounce!"
"You do it."
"That's different. I'm teaching them to hunt. You're teaching them to scare the shit out of Shayna."
Shayna glared at Daemonar. "Do it again and I'll use you for target practice."
Daemonar shrugged again. "I'll put you in the dirt as payback."
"Like you could! I just had you down two hours ago!"
They continued arguing and walked out of the room, but arms around each other as friends.
Lucivar rubbed his temples. Shayna, being nearly four years younger than his son, usually lost their battles, but on this matter Lucivar was firm. Nineteen-year-old Daemonar should have known better.
Jaenelle popped her head in. "Same old fight?"
"As usual," Lucivar replied. "I'm close to the point where I'm going to take that boy out and show him a few things he never learned in practice."
"Oh, so dunking him in the fountain won't work?"
Lucivar laughed. "I only did that to Karla."
"You did it to everyone and you know it."
"Lucivar!" a voice rang out.
Lucivar and Jaenelle looked at each other. "Not again."
Gabrielle and Karla sat in the inner garden. Gabrielle had her feet tucked up underneath her, and she and Karla were talking about the latest antics of the Dark Council.
"I know that Jaenelle had always wanted it to be more difficult to travel from Realm to Realm, but this is ridiculous," Gabrielle was saying.
"Not only do we need passports now, but we need to have proof of identification and spend twenty-four hours under the supervision of a travel agent. Even if we're only going to the Keep!"
"Jaenelle's going to have a field day with this one," Gabrielle replied.
They were silent for a moment, just wondering how exactly Jaenelle would phrase her complaints, and smiled at the result. Then Karla asked, "So when are you going back? I know you have some reforms to make in the court, but I didn't know if you were staying for the next Council meeting."
Gabrielle let out a dramatic groan. "I'm going as soon as I can convince my daughter to come back with me. She's staying in Ebon Rih these days, but she needs to see how the court runs. She'll make the Offering in a few years, and she has to understand what being Queen means, especially for a Dea al Mon witch."
Karla smiled. "I think she has a deeper understanding than you know. I've talked to her before, and Saetan has mentioned the same thing; she seems to have a deep respect for the power she's going to have. Mother Night, Gabrielle, she could wear the Black!"
Gabrielle nodded. "She's not going to be Witch, though. When she made the Offering and came away with the Red, I talked to both Saetan and Jaenelle, and we decided that she shouldn't be Witch. There wouldn't be any purpose for it, and besides, everyone still looks to Jaenelle for that kind of thing. I don't think Shayna wants that kind of power anyway."
"She'll be a good Queen- just like her mother."
"Thank you. I do hope so," Gabrielle replied.
Shayna sat out on the rolling hills near Ebon Rih, watching the sun set. Kaevaria, Kaelas' youngest daughter, sat with her, contentedly soaking up the last rays of warmth for the day.
Shayna sighed. She was going back to Dea al Mon tomorrow with her mother. Gabrielle wanted to give her a taste of authority as she would rule next.
She was a strong witch, and she knew it. She also knew that there wasn't anyone else more powerful than she her age, so there was no one to take the throne from her and her family. She didn't really want to rule, but she would do it out of a sense of duty to the rest of the Dea al Mon- and to her family.
Kaevaria stirred, and looked at Shayna. *Is it time to go already?*
Shayna shook her head. "We're leaving tomorrow morning."
Kaevaria put her head back down and replied, *I'm staying out here tonight.*
"I am too."
*Your father will let you?*
"He's not here to stop me, is he?" Shayna laughed. "Besides, it was more Lucivar and Daemon that had a problem with it. I swear, they're like older brothers."
*They just want to protect you.*
"Uh huh. Just like Daemonar was just teaching the kittens to hunt when they pounced on me this morning."
Kaevaria made a sound that was the Arcerian equivalent of a laugh.
"Glad you find it funny."
"Shayna!"
Shayna and Kaevaria both turned to see Daemon walking up the hill toward them. Shayna sighed again. He was probably going to tell her, again, that she shouldn't stay outside tonight. And she would tell him, again, that she wanted one last time with the Black Mountain before she had to go back to Dea al Mon- and the court.
"Your father is here," Daemon said as he approached. "he wants to see you for a few minutes before he leaves for home."
"He's leaving tonight?" Shayna asked in surprise.
Daemon shrugged. "He wants to get back tonight, I guess."
That's interesting, Shayna thought to herself, and walked with Daemon back to Lucivar's cabin. Her father was waiting there, talking with Marian.
"Dad?" Shayna asked as she crossed the threshold.
Chaosti looked up. "Shayna! I'm going back tonight, but your mother wanted to let you know that the meeting with the court was postponed. Someone found something strange in one of the Provinces or some such nonsense. You mother's taking the First Circle to check it out, so the meeting is scheduled for fourth-day, but she still wants you to be back tomorrow."
Shayna nodded. "I'm getting up early tomorrow morning to leave."
"You're traveling alone?" Chaosti asked disapprovingly.
"Yes, I'm going alone! What's the big deal, I've done it dozens of times before," Shayna said exasperatedly.
Daemon cleared his throat. "I think you ought to go with Daemonar. Either that or with twins- they could use the practice riding the Winds."
"I guess I'll go with Daemonar then, because I am not taking Tristan or Tyler. They're really annoying lately."
Daemon and Chaosti laughed. "They're seventeen, what do you want?"
"I want them to act their age!"
"They are," Lucivar replied, coming inside. "Daemonar was the same way, or do you not remember?"
Shayna shuddered. Lucivar laughed. "All right, so are you staying out there tonight?"
Shayna nodded. "If this is going to be my last night here for a while, then I intend to enjoy it."
So now I've got two chapters up. I really want to know what you think, so review!
"Lucivar!"
The tall man sighed and turned around. He counted to three slowly, waiting for the girl to come around the corner. What happened this time?
Right on time, the girl-no, young woman; she was sixteen- came through the door. Her perfectly straight, white-blond hair was tousled, her green eyes fiery, a fierce expression on her face.
Lucivar looked at her questioningly.
She pointed at the door she'd just come through. "He did it again!"
As if on cue, Daemonar strolled in nonchalantly. He shrugged when Lucivar gave him a scalding look.
"Daemonar, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Don't teach the Arcerian kittens to pounce!"
"You do it."
"That's different. I'm teaching them to hunt. You're teaching them to scare the shit out of Shayna."
Shayna glared at Daemonar. "Do it again and I'll use you for target practice."
Daemonar shrugged again. "I'll put you in the dirt as payback."
"Like you could! I just had you down two hours ago!"
They continued arguing and walked out of the room, but arms around each other as friends.
Lucivar rubbed his temples. Shayna, being nearly four years younger than his son, usually lost their battles, but on this matter Lucivar was firm. Nineteen-year-old Daemonar should have known better.
Jaenelle popped her head in. "Same old fight?"
"As usual," Lucivar replied. "I'm close to the point where I'm going to take that boy out and show him a few things he never learned in practice."
"Oh, so dunking him in the fountain won't work?"
Lucivar laughed. "I only did that to Karla."
"You did it to everyone and you know it."
"Lucivar!" a voice rang out.
Lucivar and Jaenelle looked at each other. "Not again."
Gabrielle and Karla sat in the inner garden. Gabrielle had her feet tucked up underneath her, and she and Karla were talking about the latest antics of the Dark Council.
"I know that Jaenelle had always wanted it to be more difficult to travel from Realm to Realm, but this is ridiculous," Gabrielle was saying.
"Not only do we need passports now, but we need to have proof of identification and spend twenty-four hours under the supervision of a travel agent. Even if we're only going to the Keep!"
"Jaenelle's going to have a field day with this one," Gabrielle replied.
They were silent for a moment, just wondering how exactly Jaenelle would phrase her complaints, and smiled at the result. Then Karla asked, "So when are you going back? I know you have some reforms to make in the court, but I didn't know if you were staying for the next Council meeting."
Gabrielle let out a dramatic groan. "I'm going as soon as I can convince my daughter to come back with me. She's staying in Ebon Rih these days, but she needs to see how the court runs. She'll make the Offering in a few years, and she has to understand what being Queen means, especially for a Dea al Mon witch."
Karla smiled. "I think she has a deeper understanding than you know. I've talked to her before, and Saetan has mentioned the same thing; she seems to have a deep respect for the power she's going to have. Mother Night, Gabrielle, she could wear the Black!"
Gabrielle nodded. "She's not going to be Witch, though. When she made the Offering and came away with the Red, I talked to both Saetan and Jaenelle, and we decided that she shouldn't be Witch. There wouldn't be any purpose for it, and besides, everyone still looks to Jaenelle for that kind of thing. I don't think Shayna wants that kind of power anyway."
"She'll be a good Queen- just like her mother."
"Thank you. I do hope so," Gabrielle replied.
Shayna sat out on the rolling hills near Ebon Rih, watching the sun set. Kaevaria, Kaelas' youngest daughter, sat with her, contentedly soaking up the last rays of warmth for the day.
Shayna sighed. She was going back to Dea al Mon tomorrow with her mother. Gabrielle wanted to give her a taste of authority as she would rule next.
She was a strong witch, and she knew it. She also knew that there wasn't anyone else more powerful than she her age, so there was no one to take the throne from her and her family. She didn't really want to rule, but she would do it out of a sense of duty to the rest of the Dea al Mon- and to her family.
Kaevaria stirred, and looked at Shayna. *Is it time to go already?*
Shayna shook her head. "We're leaving tomorrow morning."
Kaevaria put her head back down and replied, *I'm staying out here tonight.*
"I am too."
*Your father will let you?*
"He's not here to stop me, is he?" Shayna laughed. "Besides, it was more Lucivar and Daemon that had a problem with it. I swear, they're like older brothers."
*They just want to protect you.*
"Uh huh. Just like Daemonar was just teaching the kittens to hunt when they pounced on me this morning."
Kaevaria made a sound that was the Arcerian equivalent of a laugh.
"Glad you find it funny."
"Shayna!"
Shayna and Kaevaria both turned to see Daemon walking up the hill toward them. Shayna sighed again. He was probably going to tell her, again, that she shouldn't stay outside tonight. And she would tell him, again, that she wanted one last time with the Black Mountain before she had to go back to Dea al Mon- and the court.
"Your father is here," Daemon said as he approached. "he wants to see you for a few minutes before he leaves for home."
"He's leaving tonight?" Shayna asked in surprise.
Daemon shrugged. "He wants to get back tonight, I guess."
That's interesting, Shayna thought to herself, and walked with Daemon back to Lucivar's cabin. Her father was waiting there, talking with Marian.
"Dad?" Shayna asked as she crossed the threshold.
Chaosti looked up. "Shayna! I'm going back tonight, but your mother wanted to let you know that the meeting with the court was postponed. Someone found something strange in one of the Provinces or some such nonsense. You mother's taking the First Circle to check it out, so the meeting is scheduled for fourth-day, but she still wants you to be back tomorrow."
Shayna nodded. "I'm getting up early tomorrow morning to leave."
"You're traveling alone?" Chaosti asked disapprovingly.
"Yes, I'm going alone! What's the big deal, I've done it dozens of times before," Shayna said exasperatedly.
Daemon cleared his throat. "I think you ought to go with Daemonar. Either that or with twins- they could use the practice riding the Winds."
"I guess I'll go with Daemonar then, because I am not taking Tristan or Tyler. They're really annoying lately."
Daemon and Chaosti laughed. "They're seventeen, what do you want?"
"I want them to act their age!"
"They are," Lucivar replied, coming inside. "Daemonar was the same way, or do you not remember?"
Shayna shuddered. Lucivar laughed. "All right, so are you staying out there tonight?"
Shayna nodded. "If this is going to be my last night here for a while, then I intend to enjoy it."
So now I've got two chapters up. I really want to know what you think, so review!