Disclaimer: nothing's mine!

In the last chapter, seems there was some confusion in the one part. Where Bree's talking about Aria and her mother, she's basically saying that Aria and her mother are as close as Bree and Aria are. Sorry bout that!

Whee!! Updating cause I got three reviews!!! That excites me! *big grin* umm but what's a Mary Sue? Hehe, kinda a newbie here at ff.net. Tell me quick, so I don't disappoint you, haha.

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            I was soon sweating. It was hot in that inner kitchen. We worked quickly; Countess Ranisia didn't like to be kept waiting once she was seated in the formal dining area. The bread must be served almost immediately, so that it was still warm. A while later, the breakfast would be brought out.

            I wiped my face with my apron before I headed out the door. My chin was steady, as were my hands as I placed the two plates on the table. My eyes were not allowed to focus on anyone in particular, but out of the corner of my right one, I studied one of the heralds. He was young. And quiet, simply listening to what one of the other men was saying.

            "His Majesty, King Alaerec, and Her Ladyship, Meliara, both agree that it's time. King Alaraec has sent us out on royal decree."

            I caught the end of what the man said as I turned to leave. My forehead wrinkled, thinking hard. Meliara, the Old Queen, had long since ceased taking part in governing the country. Once King Vidanric had died, Prince Alaraec had been sworn in less than two years later. Princess Oria was living in Sartor, a rather talented mage, if rumors are true. And Princess Elestra went with her sister, a famous playwright over there. Some of her plays have gotten back to Athanarel and, again, if rumors be true, she, too, is talented. King Alaraec had married a Sartorian princess. They'd had one daughter, Princess Mabrie.

            I frowned to myself. This must be important, if the Old Queen was taking part. My curiosity took hold of my senses and I debated guesses back and forth as I continued preparing the meal.

            Aria winked at me when I placed her food in front of her, slipping a piece of paper into my apron. It was a practiced gesture; no one at the table noticed anything odd about it. My eyes stared carefully forward, my hands were at my sides as I left the room once more.

            My job was done now, for the heralds seemed to have brought some servants with them and I felt guilty about complaining. Marla gave me leave and I took off my apron, hanging it on its peg beside the door. Strolling absently down the lane, I opened up Aria's note.

Bree-

            Meet me at midday.

                        -Aria

            It was simple. I crumpled it up, dropping it in a waste basket I was passing. I had a while before I had to meet her. They would not finish their meal until a little before midday and then Aria would change before coming to find me.

            I headed to the stables, but there was nothing there for me either. I knew it was Dera's mother's day off, so I didn't bother heading down there. Instead, I headed down the barn aisle, grabbing my horse's bridle on the way.

            "Morning, boy." Pride snorted at me, indignant until I produced his usual morning carrot. He's my pride and joy and so thusly named. I live for that horse. I bought him cheap off a traveling vendor who didn't know what he had. He's worth about ten times what I paid.

            He'd been kept in last night, so I only needed to check his hooves for stones. Then, I bridled him and led him outside, mounting from the ground in a half-leap gesture that the head trainer had made me practice until I had it down perfectly. The colt settled into his long, swinging walk before I'd gotten my balance, as he always did. It was his way of telling me he was impatient to get going and so I'd never bothered to break him of the habit. No one rode him but me and I didn't mind the minor vices he'd picked up in his short lifetime. I actually wasn't sure whether he'd been properly broken before he'd come to me. So I was more lenient with him than I'd be with one of the Tlanth owned horses.

            I decided not to go up into the hills; we'd end up going too far in our explorations and losing track of time when Aria would be waiting. Sometimes Pride is the only companion I need.

            Instead we went down to one of the open fields and had a good run. We hadn't been down there in a while and so Pride was fresh and full of spunk, pulling at the reins and giving me blisters that I'd curse him for later. Then again, it was my own fault for leaving my riding gloves in my room.

            A young, half-broken colt has never been considered an acceptable mount for a lady or even any kind of woman and so I received quite a few stares as we rode through the market place. Pride is quite a horse to look at; he must have come from some noble family that breeds them. He's tall, long-legged, and muscular, with intelligent, wide-set eyes. Even the head trainer agrees that he's the finest horse to grace the Tlanth stables in quite some time and has encouraged me to enter the races, but I'm waiting for Pride to grow up some. I'm confident he'd win me some extra pocket money, but there's no need to tire him out with an excess of training when he's so young.

            Pride pranced for the onlookers and I reined him in, hiding my smile as I met each person stare for stare. Finally we passed them and I could see Aria waiting for me at our usual meeting place, a large oak tree on the path from the castle to the marketplace.

            Pride lengthened his stride eagerly; Aria always had a carrot for him. When we reached her, I dismounted and as Pride chomped on his carrot, I fixed up the reins in a safety knot and left Pride standing there in the shade as we sat down with our backs against the trunk of the tree.

            "Oh, Bree, it's horrible!" Aria exclaimed, her green eyes earnest. She reached out with one perfectly soft hand to hold my own callused palm.

            "What's horrible?" I inquired, arching a brow at her.

            "Great-Aunt Meliara! She's…terribly ill." Tears filled Aria's eyes and she looked down. Meliara had been out here to Tlanth only once, but I knew Aria had always looked up to her great-aunt. "The heralds say she won't make it to winter's start."

            "That is horrible." I thought of the brown-haired queen I remembered from her visit so many years ago. She'd shown signs of aging, but her eyes had expressed only a youthful mischievousness. I hadn't known the end was so near for her. Of course, everyone here at Tlanth knows the story of her and her brother, Aria's grandfather, and their duel for the crown of Remalna. It was quite a tale, but I'm sure you know of it as well.

            "When…when she didn't come out for Grandmother's funeral, Mother says she started to suspect. And then when Grandfather died…and she still didn't come…Mother says she was really suspicious. But now we know…" I reached out to hug Aria as she paused. The deaths had been so close together, leaving Ranisia with Aria and Tlanth to support, for her husband had fallen from a horse and died a month before Aria was born. It was a tragic story and anyone but Ranisia would have been shattered by the three hard losses, but if she'd broken down at all, it had been in private. Aria had rarely spoken of her grandparents, except to say once in a while that "Grandfather would have found it funny."

            She hugged me back, but then continued speaking. "Mother is going to Athanarel. She cannot let Aunt Mel go without a goodbye."

            I sucked in a breath. "But what about you? You can't…"

            She interrupted me. "I'm not going. But you are."

            I started to laugh, pushing her away slightly. "Good one, Aria."

            She shook her head. "I'm serious. You're Mother's only maid right now, she's hiring more. You're to accompany her and then be servant to her once she arrives at Court."

            "But Aria…"

            She tried to force a smile. "I am to stay here. We can't leave Tlanth without a ruler, can we?" I tried to smile back and failed miserably. "Mother's advisers are going to help me. She says it's time I started to learn about being a Countess anyway, since it's not like she's going to have a son to replace me as the heir."

            This was where she broke down, really crying now. "I'm not ready, Bree. I don't want you to leave." I had never cried before. Not even when I fell off Pride and he accidentally kicked me in the back. Not even when I grabbed a pan out of the oven without a glove on and scorched my hand. Not even when I tripped going down the stairs and broke my arm. I had never cried before. But I confess my throat started choking up and feeling hoarse and my eyes started burning.

            We parted eventually, a long while later. She headed back up the castle, but not before dropping another bombshell on me. We would be leaving in two days, maybe sooner if Ranisia could get all of her Court dresses packed fast enough.

            It was starting to get dark. I had done nothing all day. And yet my whole life was being turned upside down.

            Pride and I walked a little ways down the lane, before I mounted up again. I urged him into a canter and soon we were thundering down a little used country lane. I had only the stars to light my way, but I knew exactly where I was. I knew these woods like the back of my hand, the paths and rivers and trees intricately woven like the pale scars I bear with a roguish pride, both the paths and the scars faded from age.

            A familiar sound caught my attention and Pride's ears pricked up; he slowed to a collected canter as we came around a bend in the trail. Reed pipes filled the air and I closed my eyes, smiling peacefully as the music gave my soul a gentle massage. The Hill Folk were out, seeming to know I needed calming reassurance tonight.

            I didn't see them, but I heard them and felt their presence as Pride and I traveled through their hills. It was finally time to turn back and I immediately felt despair. Why couldn't Pride and I just disappear out here and live among the Folk that I understand so much more than my own kind? Because you would ruin Aria's life, you dolt, I thought ashamedly. I couldn't stand to disappoint her and I couldn't stand to make her sad, not when she'd had so much sadness in her lifetime already.

            All the same, how was I ever going to survive outside of Tlanth? This was the place I'd lived my whole life, the place I loved with a fierce passion. How was I going to be able to leave? How?

            The questions tortured me as I slowed Pride to a walk, seeing the castle in the distance, torches glowing like a bright beacon. I hung my head, letting Pride take us home.

            How?

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Well, I dunno. If I knew what a Mary Sue was, I could judge whether my idea is okay or not, haha.

I kind of like Bree. Aria's kind of the nicer of the two, and a whiner, yeah. And then Bree is more bold.

Tell me if you like it by reviewing! And then you'll get another chapter and we'll all be happy! Yay!