Chapter 12: Lady Maria

A very special thankyou to Hyacinth for telling me how to work the Italics and stuff! You're the best! Yay for you and you're niceness! Is that a word? Niceness? Hmmmm……

Thank you's:

Morgan Ariela Cassandra Nunavan Lianis: lol, I dunno if they have gypsies, I just decided they did because I find gypsies amusing, and yes John is the son of Roald and Shinko, thanks for reviewing!

Chaucer(): Thank you! I always do love to be complemented!

Aer: lol, no I don't need a new beta reader, mine lives, and I do try to make Lia's life interesting, most of the very odd things come from my own life. Lol, Thanks for reviewing!

Rhiannon: lol, at the moment I think I'm the only one writing about Neal's daughter, there was another one for awhile that only got to 2 chappies and died, (yes!) Thanks for the review!

Mandas()\: is there supposed to be the 2 parentheses at the end? Or is it just my computer? I dunno, yah I know I mess the where/were thing up I've done it sense I was little, that's why I have a beta reader, any who Thanks for the review!

White-wolf: lol, yah I miss Erikk to, I dunno when he's commin back, hmmmm anywayz Thanks for reviewing!

And that's all for review thank you's! 

~Lady Maria~

"Lia, wake up, they need you in the library." Alex was poking her. Lia groaned and got up.

"When'd you get here?" Lia said walking into her dressing room.

"Yesterday night, just as you walked into the library, actually. They had me stuck in the library all night trying to figure out who this guy is. Alanna and Numair got here early this morning and said the guy all but disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Great. Let's go." Lia said. "So, how's life as a squire?" Lia asked him as they walked to the library.

"It's okay. He's very nice, and he works me hard. He's teaching me all kinds of fun things to do to people. He taught me a spell as to turn people's skin green." Alex said with a broad smile.

"Wait, you ended up with a practical joker?' Lia was horrified at the thought.

"Yup, oh I ran into your old friend Jasson while in Corus. He actually seems to be straightening out." He said with an odd look on his face.

"I'm glad he's behaving. Don't change the subject. What else has he taught you?"

"Never tell your secrets. They come back and bite you." Alex opened the door. "Milady."

"Just the people we where looking for. Exactly what color was this guys gift?" Kel asked.

"I've been thinking about that, I'm not sure it was his gift. It seemed like it was someone else's gift. But the gift itself was a eerie neon green." She said confused.

         "And you saw the gift?" A man who could only be the famous Numair Saliman asked.

"Yes."

"Most people cannot see gifts working. Did you know that Yazlia?"

"No sir." Lia didn't like the tone of his voice. She was also getting a headache.

"So how is it you saw this gift?" He didn't seem to believe her.

"I just can. I know what color all of your gifts are right now; I can see them inside of you. Yours, Master Saliman is black. The Lioness' is purple, violet really. Alex's is a deep red. Are you satisfied now Master Saliman. Because for a great mage, you seem a little naive, and if you wouldn't mind getting out of my head I would be greatly appreciative as you are giving me a headache.' Lia said at length. I shouldn't have said that last part. Oh well. She thought. The room stood in stunned silence for a while.

"I must say miss Yazlia you yourself seem quite rude." The Lioness butting in cut him off.

"It's not nice to pick on people who are oblivious to all things simple Lia. Numair, listen to what she's telling you, I've had a truth spell and a sanity spell on her this entire time. She is both truthful and sane. There is no reason not to trust her. So, Lia you can see peoples gifts? Both in and out of use?"

"Yes." Lia wasn't sure why this was important.

"Well, thank you. You have been a great help." Alanna said. It was a dismissal, and Lia took the cue and left. Walking down the hall Lia went to get breakfast. She felt like corn muffins, Lia's childhood obsession with corn muffins was coming back to haunt her. Corn muffins didn't even taste good. One of the things squires often-tortured people with were their tales of days eating stale corn muffins. Lia had thought them insane, but maybe it was just her. Eating corn muffins daily sounded like a treat.

"Lia." a little girl said. She must have taught her at one point; she was on her third class right now, of twenty kids. She had one morning advanced class in the morning that consisted of gypsy kids and thieves. It was quite interesting some of the time. Lets just say arguments broke out quite frequently. But they were learning to live with it. As we all must at one point in our lives.

"Lady Lia?" the little girl asked again.

"Yes?"

"Mistress Kantianzi said that if you get a chance that you should come see her. There is someone she'd like you to meet."

"Oh, tell her I might be able to escape this afternoon." Lia smiled. It didn't seem like anyone needed her today, that was two days in a row.  Maybe life would get easier. The girl ran off and Lia made her way to the kitchens, she had to ask about that job for Renna.

"So, you think she'll work out?" Lia asked the head cook.

"You bring her in tomorrow and we'll see what she can do. And don't forget to make that little girl. I don't want her sitting in one of those houses all alone." Then the woman went back to cooking. Lia ran all the way down to the city.

"Renna." Lia said pounding on the door. She hoped someone was home. "Renna, Carri, open up someone!" Lia leaned against the door. And fell backwards as the door opened. David, she thought that was his name, had opened the door. And now she was sprawled at his feet looking up at him.

"Hello." She said, trying very hard not to be overly embarrassed.

"Hi, watcha' doing?" He asked looking down at her. His face was backwards. She rolled over and sat back on her knees.

"Actually, I'm looking for Renna."

"I guessed from the yelling." He said sardonically. A wry grin twisted on his face.

"So, do you know where she is?" Lia asked.

"I think she's at, Kanti's house. Is that right?" Lia made a face.

"Yes. Thanks!" Lia ran off down the street. Kill two birds with one stone.  Knocking on Kanti's door Lia brushed some of the dirt from her knees.

"Lia, darling so nice to meet you. Kanti's in her room."  Lia nodded and smiled and ran down the hall to Kanti's room. Peeking through the door she saw Renna and Kanti smiling and laughing. Lia knocked and entered.

"Lia, you came! Come on we got to go see Maria. Renna, you come too. We can talk on the way." Before she knew it she was being tugged out of the door.

"Hello to you too. Renna, I got you that job. Kanti where are we going?"

"Did you? Lia, that's wonderful! Thank you so much. Did they say if I could bring Carri?"

"They said you had to bring her. They weren't going to let you leave her at home. Kanti, where are we going?" She asked again. She threw Renne a questioning look. She just shrugged and tried to keep up with Kanti's fast pace.

"To see the Lady Maria, she wants to see you. Something about a priest? I don't know." She opened a door with a plant surrounded with a brown circle. The brown circle was the sign of a healer.

         Entering the building Lia inhaled the scent of peppermint and lavender. The walls where covered in dried herbs. A large fire burned in a hearth on the opposite wall. There was a spiral staircase next to it leading to an upper level. An old woman entered the room through another door leading to what could only be her kitchen.

She was of medium height. With long graying hair that at one time may have been brown. She had eyes the color of midnight, with flecks of silver in them. The same eyes as the priest if she thought about it. Her face was old and held the wisdom of many wrinkles. All together this woman emanated respect.

         "Kantianzi how nice of you to come. And Renna, it's been along time. Now girls I'd love to chat but you brought Yazlia and I do desperately need to speak with her. So shoo, bye girls it was nice to see you again." And with that she shoved them out of the door and locked it behind them. Lia was still standing in front of the hearth. "Well sit down girl. Tea?" Lia sat as told and nodded when tea was offered. Lia could have sworn that the teapot that was pulled off the hearth was not there earlier the old woman poured tea and sat down across from Lia.

"I expect that this is not what you expected from a visit to Lady Maria." She said looking straight into Lia's eyes.

"Kanti said you know something about that priest?"

"Yes, yes I know Lord Poronte. He is the one who said I must teach you all I know. And I will starting right now." She said with a slight frown.

"Wait. Do you know what I have to do?" Lia asked suspicious.

"No, he didn't tell me that. Now come here. What is this plant used for?" So Lia spent what seemed like an entire day holed up in Maria's house learning hundreds of uses for plants. How to grind them up for certain politics. How to cut them up for others. So when a bell rang for the hours mark Lia just about died.

"Well, girlie that's enough for today. Come back at this same time tomorrow. And take the bruise balm you made with you, gods know you need it. And take a nap when you get back. In reality we've only been at this an hour. But in unreality we've been doing this for a day." Maria said the last part with an evil grin and Lia sighed a walked out of the door shaking her head.

Soooo? Did the most wonderful author do good? Hmmm? Well if you think so, or don't think so as the case may be tell me! I would really like to know what y'all think…. Personally I thought it was slow, so if that's what you think to, thanx!