NOTE TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS: well, I wrote this for my friend molly, and we thought it would be really fun to put ourselves in this ficcy, so Halia, Areida's daughter is Molly, who you'll meet in this chapter is a spitting image of Molly. And Kitrinia, another girl you'll meet(who knows Aden…muahaha. but since aden's modeled after my brother, and Kit's modeled after me, there is NO threat to Ria there!) is the spitting image of ME. hehe, cool, eh? We put down the exact physical and personality traits, so you're reading about us! ^-^ Tell me what you think!
Ruby- thanks a lot- everyone loves Aden, teehee. :D He's my brother in personality, though not looks- Aden's WAY better looking than my brother!
icepixie- wow, thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you liked my story- I love yours. Well, Aden doesn't really suffer anymore…ALTHOUGH, the three girls DO gang up on him a lot in future chapters :D poor aden, no guys around to help him out. And, mental note to self: read Gone With The Wind! Everyone tells me to, but I still haven't. Well, there's always summer…
chopsuey – whoa, I don't think it's that good! Well, this story is going to be printed out for my friend Molly, so in a kind of way, it will be published, there'll just be one copy :D
with no further ado…
Chapter SixThe next day, they arrived in Amonta. A middle-sized town, it was easy to find the inn. The children pointed in the general direction of the only inn in town, Uti Ockemwe, or The Traveler, while looking curiously at the two travelers. In traditional Ayortha, a lady who wore breeches and didn't ride sidesaddle was rare.
Even when they were bending tradition, Ayorthaians were very friendly to Ria and Aden. The vendors and ladies all smiled at them, although the vendors were probably looking more for a sale. Ria noticed with amusement that all the girls in the market looked flirtatiously toward Aden, and jealously towards her. Don't look daggers at me, Ria thought wryly. I never asked to be with him in the first place- go ahead and take him, for all I care. However, Ria did have to admit, he was a good companion when he dropped all the 'primroses'. Although he might not be her companion for much longer- in about ten minutes, they would arrive at Areida's, and all aliases would be shed.
The inn was small and modest. Riding into the courtyard, Ria dismounted and looked around. The stable to the left, quarters' to the right, and the inn straight ahead. Heart sinking, Ria led them furtively into the stable. She would delay as long as possible.
A man was mucking out a stall when they arrived, and he looked up when they entered.
"Dosse wina pire nou erenina," Ria told him. He nodded, and led them down to two clean stalls. Ria rubbed Stormsong down slowly, and reluctantly left the stable with Aden.
"Nice place," he remarked.
"Yes, it is," she said. "It's been here for ages- Areida inherited it from her parents, who got it from her grandparents, for about ten generations."
As they entered the inn, Ria blinked rapidly to assimilate to the dim light of the inn. Sitting at the front desk, a short slight girl idly read a book. Her long brown-gold hair, brightened by light from the window, hung like a curtain around her face. As Ria and Aden approached, her large vibrant teal eyes looked up in surprise. Recognizing Ria, she scrambled up, book forgotten, color tinting her ruddy cheeks.
"Ria! You're here!" she practically screamed, grabbing her in a tight hug., Her lips, a contradictory pink with a sardonic curve surprising on her innocent face, broke into a wide grin.
"Halia!" she exclaimed. "It's been forever."
"I know. Forever," she said. "Mere's in the kitchen. She's been waiting for you ever since she got the letter. Of course, she's patient to wait- but me? If I hadn't been assigned to see the guests in, I would be outside looking for you. I've been doing it the past week, until Pere got so annoyed that he placed me in here." Halia scowled.
"How's your Mere and Pere? And your Aunts Iflimu and Isti, and Uncle Ollo, and…"
"Everyone in this huge family?" Halia grinned. Ria kept forgetting Halia's huge family tree, having but a small one herself. "They're all fine, though Aunt Isti twisted her ankle. Who's this?" She noticed Aden for the first time. Her eyes took him in frankly and dubiously. However skeptical, she smiled at him, trusting Ria enough to think he was a good man.
"This," Ria said dryly. "Is Aden. He followed me here."
"Followed," Aden shot back. "More like rescued her, then served as her
bodyguard, milady." He bowed slightly to Halia.
"Call me Halia," Halia said, laughing. "I'd love to hear the story..but Mere's waiting! She'll be so excited to see you again, Ria. It's been at least a year and a half."
Halia led them down the hall. Aden raised his eyebrows at
her.
"Ria?" he asked softly, questioning and suspicion beginning to enter his eyes.
Ria blushed. "Um…well…that's my-" she stopped short as they entered the kitchen and she saw Areida. "Aunt Areida!" she exclaimed, giving her a big hug.
"Ria!" Areida exclaimed joyfully, as everyone bustled around. "Oh, I got the letter a week ago- I'm so sorry about your father. But save serious things for later. How are you, child?" She beamed. Ria couldn't help but grin back. Areida was the sweetest lady she'd ever known, Ayorthaian or Kyrrian(besides her mother, but then again, her mother could never be classified as 'sweet.') She could see why her mother was such good friends with her.
They moved to the living room, Areida asking questions. She peered curiously at Aden.
"Who's this?" she asked, smiling at him. Aden grinned back.
"I'm Aden," he said, bowing gracefully.
"I met him in Kyrria," Ria supplied.
"I came to Ayortha with…Ria," he replied, not missing a beat. But Ria couldn't miss the raised eyebrow he sent her way. "Nothing better to do, I suppose."
Halia looked at her, narrowing her eyes, catching onto the truth before anyone else. Later, Ria mouthed at her. Halia nodded.
Areida gave her the letter, in Mandy's handwriting, then ordered Halia to take them to their rooms. As she showed Aden his room, she followed Ria into hers, finally getting to speak her suspicion.
"You didn't tell him, did you," she accused, dropping all royal formalities. She had known Ria too long for that.
"Yes," Ria said sheepishly. "I couldn't."
"Well," Halia said briskly, "All I can say is he's not going to be fair happy with it."
"I know," Ria said miserably.
-0-0-0-
"Your mother's faring well, I hope," Areida said. "She seems to be holding her own, although that Ober is a terrible man. I just can't imagine him taking over Kyrria. Nothing good can come of this." She shook her head.
"And you, an exiled princess," Halia put in. Ria glared at her, but she just returned the gaze evenly. "And Char, sick! Are you sure it's a spell?"
"Absolutely," Ria said surely. "It's Ober. Father's not himself. He told me that Ober could take over control of Kyrria, and you know that Father would never tell that to anyone but Mother."
Areida clicked her tongue sympathetically. "So that's why you need to find the Order. Well, we'll see where we can help. Now, let's get you out of those clothes."
They trooped upstairs again, where baths were drawn, and new clothes given. Ria reluctantly put on a purple calico dress, wishing she could wear her breeches. Looking in the mirror, she saw that she had gotten tan, and there were twice as many freckles on her face. She grinned; what the Ladies of Court would say if they saw her now!
Her grin faded when she stepped outside and found Aden reading a book, lounged in a chair in the hall.
"Um…" she began uncertainly. He looked up, closed his book, and got up swiftly.
"Ria," he said, no trace of smile in his eyes or on his lips. "Hmm. A bit of a deviation from Annia." He didn't let her speak. "Oh, and princess too? I suppose just a little minor detail you forgot to mention? Only of the biggest country of the world! Lesser noble, indeed."
"Aden," she tried. "I couldn't-"
"Tell me?" he said sardonically. "Of course. You're a runaway. Why trust anyone? Oh, but of course. If you know anything about me, Princess Rianna, it's this: I hate being lied to."
"You think I could just tell everyone in Kyrria that I'm the Princess who died? It's still dangerous, Aden! I didn't know if I could trust you!" Ria burst out, laying her cards on the table.
"Yet I'm still here," Aden sneered. "When all of these people talk freely about who you are. You didn't tell me yourself- maybe before we arrived here, prepared me. No, you let the other people do the talking."
Ria had no answer for that. Aden gave her a scintillating glare and strode off. She sighed and turned back into her room. Well, she should have told Aden before. Now that she saw, it was pretty idiotic of her not to.
However, Ria still had her pride. She wasn't going to admit her mistake to Aden. Let him be mad. Digging in her saddlebags, she retrieved her precious fairy book. Opening it, she saw a picture of someone's hand. Frowning, she looked closer at it. Square-fingered and strong, it was a man's. He wore an intricate gold ring that nagged at her mind. She had seen it before…on someone's hand. Looking closer, she saw that there was a little tawny thread running through the weaving of the gold. Thread? No, it was hair…Ria's eyes widened. This was Ober's! How he was controlling Char. She flew for a paper and pen, and wrote a quick note to her mother.
Mother,
I'm at Areida's inn, and well. I don't know if this can get to you, but I must try. You know that gold ring Ober wears on his right hand? There's a piece of Father's hair in there- that's how he's controlling Father. I'll try to get to the Order as soon as possible. Meanwhile, try to get that ring somehow. –Ria
She put it in the back of the book, and whispered "Please, please, send this." She hoped it would. She didn't know the book's capabilities.
Leaving her room, she hurried to find Halia. She needed to know, now, where the Fairy Order was. The sooner she could get to them, the sooner they could vanquish Ober. She descended the stairs quietly, then saw Aden and another girl standing in the hall. Without a noise, she ducked into a corner and peered out.
"Trinian?" the girl asked, disbelief evident. "Is it really you?"
Aden's face broke into a grin. "Kit!" he exclaimed.
The girl wore breeches and a tunic, much like Ria's. Two daggers were stuck in her belt, as well as a scabbard holding a sword on her hip. Her thick dark brown hair, deceptively black with burnt orange streaks, was drawn back in a thick braid falling to shoulders. She had the light brown skin that most Ayorthaians had, with warm brown eyes. Her naturally pink-brown lips were parted in a grin. She was as tall as Aden, and slender.
She must know him, Ria decided. She was most probably a merchant's daughter or a noble; only people like that knew how to use a sword. But why did she call him Trinian?
"What are you doing here?" Kit asked. She had a Ayorthaian accent, but it was faint, as if it had faded out over the years. "Last time I heard, you were still with your caravan, trading somewhere in Halona."
"I'm on my own for a while," Aden replied easily. "Followed a lass from Kyrria."
"Still chasing girls?" Kit teased, laughing.
"Nah," Aden said, grinning. "This one had a secret, so I
followed to find out."
"Always intrigued," Kit smiled.
"And it turns out she's the…well, a high noble," Aden said, catching himself before revealing Ria's identity. She was thankful that even when he was mad at her, he kept his secrets.
Kit grinned. "You expect all girls to tell you everything," she said, "Like you're a god or something. It's good that you got that reality check. Your ego was inflating a bit too much."
"Hey!" he protested.
"It's true," Kit said. "Well, since the last time I saw you."
Aden rubbed his forehead. "How long ago was that? Two, three years?"
"Three and a half," Kit replied, a dark shadow passing swiftly over her face. "A lot has changed since then."
"I can see," Aden said, scrutinizing her. "What are you doing here? And in men's clothes too. Your Mere would have a fit if she saw you now."
"She's not going to," Kit said grimly. "I'm done with her and Pere."
"Good," Aden joked. "Never liked them. But why?"
"Long story," Kit said. "I can tell you later."
"So you left?" Aden asked. Kit nodded.
"I wasn't going to stay. I've been away for about two years now, and I like it," she declared defiantly. "I went to Kyrria for awhile, then decided I was sick of being a servant, so I came here to see what I could find."
"A servant?" Aden teased. "You?"
Kit grinned. "I got a bit of a reality check too."
-0-0-0-
After Aden and Kit had left, going outside to talk, Ria found Halia in an empty bedroom, cleaning up.
"He knows now," Ria told her, voice dry. Halia grinned innocently.
"I just thought I'd speed things up," she said sweetly. She could be evil when she wanted to, Ria thought wryly. "So how'd he take the news?"
"Um…not good," Ria said.
Halia just grinned wider. "He'll get over it. Have you read the letter from Mandy yet?"
"Oh!" Ria exclaimed. She had completely forgot. She fished it out of her pocket, and opened it.
Sweet,
So I hope you've made it to Ayortha. I've sent this to Areida, hopefully it reaches her. If it doesn't, I'll send it by the book somehow.
The Fairy Order is hiding somewhere in Ayortha. There are people who know, you just need to ask. They can guide you in the general direction. All the information I have is this: they love illusions(remember that!), and they are very close to Amonta. I'm not sure where, but in that vicinity. I'm sure there are some commoners who have noticed some strange things going on- just ask around.
But be careful who you ask, watch your tongue, and drink your Tonic.
Love,
MandyRia grinned. Her bottle of Tonic lay untouched in the saddlebag. Mandy had forgotten to remind her to drink it, so Ria had conveniently forgotten to drink it. Now that she had reminded her, though, Ria had to drink it. Sighing, she made a mental note to take a spoonful tonight.
Halia and Ria decided to go to the courtyard, Halia to talk, Ria to look and see if she could find Kit and Aden. She had some questions for both of them; especially Aden- about that name 'Trinian'.
"Look who's here," Halia said wickedly when they entered the Courtyard. "And he's not alone."
Kit and
Aden stood together, about 10 feet away from an empty paddock. On a post, a
white handkerchief hung. There was one dagger already in it, and Kit was
drawing back to throw. Halia and Ria watched, fascinated. The dagger sped
through the air, and landed right next to Aden's. Kit whooped with delight.
"Nice throw," Ria commented,
approaching them.
"I wish I knew how to do that," Halia said wistfully, looking at the clustered
daggers. In Ayortha, however, Halia could probably never learn.
"I could show you how," Kit said frankly. "But he taught me." She gestured to Aden. Ria raised her eyebrows.
"Well, you both are pretty dead-on." She smiled. "I'm Ria."
"And I'm Halia," Halia chimed in.
Kit smiled. "I'm Kit, from Coturri." She named the capital of Ayortha.
"Why're you here?" Halia asked, in her frank way.
"Just dropping by," Kit said innocently. "I'm on my way back to Coturri. You two?"
"I live here- daughter of the owners," Halia said drolly.
"I'm with him," Ria said dryly. Aden raised his eyebrows. "Or I was, at least."
Kit grinned. "You're the girl who lied to him? Don't worry, he'll get over himself eventually."
"I am standing right here," Aden reminded them. "You don't have to talk about me like I'm not."
Kit rolled her eyes. "See?" she said. "Always had a huge ego."
"Requesting that you not talk about me as 'he' or 'him' is egotistical?" Aden asked.
"Of course," Halia and Kit chimed together. They laughed.
"So what lie did you tell him?" Kit asked.
"I told him I was a noble," Ria said. "And I am."
"But a 'high' noble?" Kit asked, grinning to show that she understood.
"A 'high' noble?" Halia asked, confused. "What do you
mean? She's not a 'high' noble, she's the pr-" Ria clapped a hand over Halia's
mouth, but it was too late. Kit was working out the clues herself.
"Ria? Wait..that's short for Rianna, right? Princess Rianna? Of Kyrria?"
she asked, stunned.
"Thanks, Halia," Ria said sourly.
"She would have figured it out, anyway," Halia shot back. "There's not many Ria's in Ayortha."
"See why I'm mad at her?" Aden asked Kit. She stood, thoughtful.
"No," she said finally, laughter tinting her voice. "But…aren't you supposed to be dead?" Her eyebrow furrowed in intense confusion. "Unless the tavern information is awry, and it usually is accurate."
Ria sighed. "My death was staged," she explained wearily. "I had to escape a betrothal Ober, the interim king, made for me. He's ruining the country, so I have to find the Fairy Order, which is somewhere near here, so they can vanquish him. That's the story, in a nutshell."
"Nice tale," she said, but showing that she believed it. "Wish I had one as good as that."
"What's yours?" Ria asked. Aden grinned.
"You might relate, primrose," he said.
"Does that mean that you're not mad at me anymore?" she asked.
"Of course not."
"I was a merchant's daughter in Coturri. That's why I know Aden- his family and mine traded with each other often," Kit explained. "I was betrothed too, so I ran away."
Ria stared in amazement. A girl who had done the same thing as her! She grinned; she had found a friend in Kit. Standing with her three friends, one old, two relatively new, she felt that her impossible quest was possibly achievable.
-Alqualyne
