A/N: Look! A real chapter w/ all your favorites! Thanks for all the reviews in the last chapter!

DISCLAIMER: B/c I don't think I had one in the last chapter. But whatever. Characters belong to me. Places however are borrowed from the Almighty T.P. :D

Answers to krizsta's questions: Who's the old man? A random old man that I could afford to kill. Who's the boy/young man? Ah...can't answer that one yet. Why did he kill the old guy? Another secret yet to be revealed. What's with disliking his parents being in love with each other? ::laughs:: I don't know. That'd be something to ask him when I next meet with him.

Lady Ribyyn of Hadic II: Shadows

Chapter 1 - Getting to Know the New You

"Ribyyn?" called the soft voice of Jessalyn of Goldenlake. Ribyyn glanced over at her young friend. Jessa's golden locks glowed in the bright sunlight, giving her an angelic look. Ribyyn was not fooled by this; Jessa could be horrible if she wanted to be.

"What is it?"

"Is something wrong? You've been quiet the whole trip."

Ribyyn smiled. "We only left this morning. Besides, I'm fine. I've just been thinking. That's all."

Jessa grinned. "Thinking about Darin?" The tone at which the young noble spoke had just enough underlying hints to make Ribyyn blush bright red.

"Maybe," she said looking at her toes with interest. "But that's none of your business."

"Yes it is. I'm your friend, I've a right to know."

"Jessa, keep your pert little nose out of other peoples business," said Mindalyn of Conté. Though the king had left the day after Lord Alden's betrothal party, Min had decided to stay. She told her uncle it was because of Ribyyn. This made sense to the king, since his niece was once betrothed to Ribyyn's older brother; the boy's murder was the only thing that kept that from happening. It was Ribyyn, in fact, that knew the truth of the situation. Min had stayed so that she could spend more time with Hayden, who had left for Corus two days beforehand.

That was, in fact, where the three girls were headed. They were joined by Jessa's family; her father, his betrothed, and her younger brother and sister, as well as Min's two bodyguards. It was unseasonably warm for Midwinter, especially when the last week had been bitterly cold. The three teenagers had decided to take advantage of the lapse of cold weather, and were riding outside the carriage, rather than in.

Ribyyn was perched atop her horse, Bittersweet, a lovely honey colored mare with a dark mane and tale. She was a Midwinter gift from Slyde and Roank. The two men had made her promise to write weekly (or at least biweekly) and threatened to visit if she did not heed their request. Ribyyn had already written two letters. The last thing she wanted was her former guardians dropping in on her unexpectedly.

Jessa rode with Min behind the driver's seat of the carriage. Min had been hesitant about this at first, but after seeing how much the younger girl enjoyed it she could no longer resist the temptation.

Jessa sighed, leaned forward, and tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Will we be there soon?" she asked sweetly.

"M'lady, if ye keep askin' me that, I'm goin' t' have t' ask ye to go back in th' carriage."

"Jessalyn!" cried Lord Alden's deep voice, "Leave the poor man alone!"

Min grinned and Ribyyn giggled, as the driver chuckled to himself. Jessa merely pouted and slumped in her seat. She had the feeling that if they didn't reach Corus soon it was going to be a long ride.

~*~

Corus was, in short, the most amazing sight that Ribyyn had ever seen. Port Caynn was separated from the Tortallan capital by hills, which was very convenient when it came to sightseeing. The Oloron river cut through the colorful city and the castle towers gleamed in the sunlight. There was a maze of buildings and alleyways that was the Lower City, and then there was the colorful marketplace, with its bright tents and fruit stands. Past the market were the Nobles' Quarters, condominiums for the nobles that weren't staying in the palace. Beyond that was the temple district; its green gardens contrasted with the red brick road that ran right up to the palace gates. And after the palace gates, the palace itself in all it's glory.

"What's that?" Ribyyn asked pointing to a high tower on the palace. The scaffolding around it showed that it was still a work in progress.

"That tower?" asked Min. Ribyyn nodded. "That's Balor's Needle. Uncle's having it commissioned in honor of the court's black robe mage." She glanced around and called over one of her bodyguards.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"May I ride with Ribyyn into the city? I want to show her around." The man hesitated, but upon seeing the pleading look in his charge's eyes he folded.

"Can I come too?" asked Jessalyn.

Min faced the younger girl and said softly, "I think it would be best if you went with your family." Jessa's face fell so Min quickly added, "But I'll take you tomorrow. I promise!"

The young girl whispered, "You're going to see them aren't you?"

Min winked and smiled at her. "Shhh. Not a word."

~*~

Hayden Alexzander sat in a chair at the back table of The Inn, the Thief King's favorite place of residence. Darin had several others scattered around in various places of Corus; two in the lower city, one in the marketplace. There was also one hidden in the sewers of the Nobles' Quarters, but Darin didn't particularly like going there.

Hayden heaved a sigh. Corus was not as exciting as he'd thought it would be. To make it worse, Min had yet to arrive. He missed Min more than anybody else that had been in Port Caynn. That wasn't to say that he didn't miss Slyde, his brother, or Roank or his mother. He did. And he supposed that he missed Ribyyn a little, though it was hard when Darin missed the young woman enough for himself, Hayden, Slyde, and Roank combined.

Darin sat across from his younger friend. The boy had been miserable ever since they'd arrived in Corus. Darin could understand it though. Not only was Min not here, but she was the heir to the throne. Even after she arrived she would be spending most of her time at the palace, a place that was off limits to anyone in the thieving community.

Hayden sighed again and Darin rolled his eyes. "What're ye tryin' t' do? Collapse a lung?"

Hayden smiled weakly at the older man. "I'm bored, Darin," he wined.

Darin snorted. "Ye sound like Ribyyn."

"Been around her too long," Hayden said, trying to excuse his actions. His face took on a pensive look. "Ye think that's why I'm bored? 'Cause she ain't around here to cause trouble?"

"Ain't here yet, ye mean," Darin corrected him. "Just you watch. The second she arrives you'll wish she was back in Port Caynn."

~*~

Ribyyn and Min road quietly through the city. Ribyyn was fascinated by almost everything, even though Port Caynn had twice as many market stands. In Port Caynn you could smell the sea, but here in Corus it was a different smell. A mixture of fresh air and river water. The same scent that was up at Hadic, but dulled because of all the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Min, do you know where we're going?"

"Yes," Mindalyn answered. "I've been to The Inn before."

"You have? By yourself?"

"No, with a cousin that's training for knighthood. He likes to go down there and flirt with the, erm-" She paused, searching for a word. "The, serving girls," she finished. Ribyyn raised a brow, knowing full well what serving girls did in their spare time. Min continued, "He didn't know I was there. But the place really is rather nice. I'm sort of surprised Darin told us that's where the thieves like to meet."

Ribyyn smiled. Perhaps being in Corus wouldn't be so bad if she had Min for a friend.

The two girls rode down a narrow street until they reached a whitewashed building. It was a rather quaint looking place, with a front porch and a swing on it, which was a rare find in any city. The building was large and looked as if it had once been a lower noble's household. Or perhaps the household of a higher merchant. Either way, it certainly didn't look like a place where a knight-in-training would go for a drink and a bit of fun.

Tying the horses up to the porch, they leapt up the stairs (there were only four) and pushed the door open. Ribyyn stopped at the doorway while Min continued on inside. The place didn't look anything like the places where the thieves in Port Caynn met. In fact, it closely resembled the sitting room in the Alexzander's home. There was a couch and a few well-stuffed chairs, as well as a fireplace, two tables, and a bookshelf. And it was clean.

"Ribyyn, are you sure we're in the right place? I'm no longer so sure that Darin told us The Inn."

"Well I'm sure he did," said the ex-thief. Full of confidence, she walked right up to a man who was sitting behind a desk next to a staircase. She stood there for a moment until the man looked up and met her eyes.

"May I 'elp ye?" he asked politely.

"Yes," said Ribyyn. "I'm looking for a Darin Smith. I was told he was staying here."

The man leered at her, his face losing its polite mask. "Aye, he's 'ere. Who wants t' know?"

"Could you tell him that Rib and Minnie are here?" asked Min, stepping forward.

The man looked at them skeptically. Finally he gave a nod and told them to stay where they were while he went off to deliver their message.

~*~

"Y'er 'Ighness?" said a man by Darin's elbow. The king of thieves turned to find Errol, the man that had recently been put in charge of The Inn's front desk. "There's a couple o' ladies waitin' out in th' sittin' room for ye."

"Ladies?" Hayden asked, sitting up.

"Aye," Errol answered. "Two o' 'em. Say their names 'r Rib an' Minnie."

Darin leapt out of his chair, rushed out of The Inn's back room, and sprinted down the hall. Hayden was in close pursuit until the younger man tripped over his own feet. Darin ignored his friend's cries for help as he tried to right himself. Errol was left behind in the noisy, beer smelling room, confused and bewildered.

~*~

Ribyyn examined a painting hanging in the alcove of The Inn. It was a portrait of a young woman. She wore a gown of deep violet that contrasted sharply with her pale, creamy skin. Her dark, brown curls were done up on the top of her head and her full, shapely eyebrows rested over her intelligent blue eyes. She was very beautiful, almost flawlessly so, except for a small bump on the bridge of her nose, which was either inherited or the result of a break.

Ribyyn heard someone sigh over on her left. "What do you think is taking them so long?" asked Min.

"Maybe the man got lost," Ribyyn suggested in an attempt to appease her friend.

Min rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, ready to scold Ribyyn for saying such nonsense when a male voice cried out, "Ribyyn!"

Ribyyn whirled around to see Darin running down the hall. His blonde curls bounced around his face and his perfect teeth were in a wide grin. In a few moments he had her in his arms and was swinging her around in circles. She laughed gleefully. The last time she'd been swung through the air was when she was twelve. Her brother, Kalvin, had done it every time he saw her. He'd said it was because he loved to hear her laugh.

"Gods," Darin whispered in her ear, "I've missed you so much."

"Darin, you've only been gone for three days. At most!" Ribyyn said, pulling away from him and looking up into his sparkling green eyes.

He looked down into her bright blue ones and played with the end of her braid of long, deep red hair. "I know," he answered. "But I still missed you."

"Oh," sighed Mindalyn. "That's awfully sweet. Are you going to put your tongue in her mouth now?"

Ribyyn glared at the Heir. "Min!" she cried out, "That's disgust-" The remainder of her sentence was cut off when Darin's lips covered hers.

"Aren't they cute together?" said a familiar voice in her ear as Min watched her friend melt in the arms of the King of Thieves.

She turned to Hayden and smiled. "Do I get a welcome like that too?" she asked motioning over to the enamored couple. Hayden laughed, pulled her to him, and gently, but quickly, kissed her lips. Min sighed. "That's not the same welcome."

Hayden grinned at her. His dark curls stuck out every which way and his emerald eyes were bright. After three days of moaning to Darin, Min was finally here in his arms. And now he found that he never wanted to let her go. He chuckled and brought his lips down to hers again.

Someone behind them cleared their throat. The two broke apart to see Darin and Ribyyn looking at them with great interest. Min blushed a deep red and Hayden just glared at the man. The Thief King raised a brow. "No more poking fun. Agreed?"

Hayden sighed. "I suppose." He dropped his arm from around Min's waist and gave her hand a squeeze. She looked up at him with an affectionate smile.

"If yer all finished swappin' spit, ye can come down here and introduce me t' yer lady friends," came a feminine brogue from down the hallway. A young woman stood there. She had coppery hair with shimmering golden highlights running through it. She looked to be about seventeen, though she was shorter than Ribyyn. Her stormy, gray eyes seemed to be filled with anger.

Darin smiled at the woman. "Copper," he said, "This is Rib and Minnie. Ladies, this is the infamous Copper Reslin."

Ribyyn smiled at the young woman. Copper glared at her and turned on her heel, heading towards the back. "Ferris's got a message fer ye, Darin. Says 'e wants ye t' meet 'im upstairs."

Darin sighed and released his hold on Ribyyn. "I'll be along in a moment, Love," he said to her. "Hayden, take 'em t' the back and get 'em something t' drink." Ribyyn grinned in anticipation. Darin saw this and smirked, "Something non-alcoholic." He heard the noble girl growl and he chuckled to himself and headed up the stairs.

~*~

"Ye wanted t' see me, Ferris?" Darin asked as he entered the upstairs room.

"Aye, Majesty," the man nodded and handed his king a piece of parchment.

"What's this?" asked Darin as he opened it up. Unfolding the letter, he quickly scanned it..

"So," he said quietly, "The old coot's dead?"

"Seems t' be. They say it's old age, but obviously yer man thinks different or 'e wouldn't be warnin' ye." Ferris closed his eyes and ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair. "I ain't sure what t' think though. If 'e was knocked off, an' I wouldn't blame somebody fer doin' it, they ain't left any clues. Whoever did it was a trained assassin an' trained well."

"D'you think it's got any connection t' last week's murder?"

"Perhaps, sire. But I'm only supposin'." Ferris stared at his king, his pale, blue eyes unblinking.

"Well," Darin sighed, "with so little information, there ain't nothin' I can do. We'll just have t' wait till he fouls up."

"If 'e fouls up," the Thief King's Second added.

Darin smiled at the older man, "Everybody fouls up sometime."

~*~

By the time Darin rejoined Ribyyn, it was dark outside. Despite all the noise in the room, the Thief King could hear the palace bells tolling twenty-first hour. It was late and he watched as Ribyyn and Min's energy wore away. Finally he grinned and pushed his chair back.

"C'mon, girls. We'd best get you back t' the palace."

"Palace?" asked Copper, raising her brow. She'd been a bit hostile towards the newcomers at first, but after a while she'd opened up. "Ye've brought nobles in here?"

"Yes," Darin answered as he helped Ribyyn out of her chair. "If you've anything t' say against it you can take it up with me tomorrow mornin'."

"I ain't sayin' anythin'," she said with a grin. "Ye always did have a soft spot fer th' upper classes."

Darin grimaced and the red-head laughed merrily.

He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but somehow he found himself headed for the palace, riding on Bittersweet with Ribyyn wrapped in his arms. Min rode ahead of them, quiet and tired. When they reached the end of the temple district he turned the horse into the shadows and dismounted. Min waited by the gate and watched her friends closely. Taking Ribyyn's hand, he held it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "You'd best go in, Rib," he said quietly. "They're probably worried."

"Where can I find you the next time I want to visit?"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Love," he chuckled. "I'll find you. Now come down so I can say good-bye like a proper gentleman." He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her off the horse.

"You?" she giggled as he held her close, "A proper gentleman? Hardly!" He smirked at her and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly. She sighed and tried to keep herself from moaning when he pulled away. Her attempt was unsuccessful.

"I hate to interrupt," said Min softly from where she stood, "but we really should go in now."

Ribyyn sighed and pulled away. "I suppose." She gave Darin a quick kiss and then mounted back up onto Bittersweet. "Come on, girl," she clucked to the horse. Silently, she and Min walked through the gate to the palace. Ribyyn turned around to wave a final goodnight to Darin, but when she did she saw that he was already gone.

A/N: Okay, that was kinda boring. But it was a first chapter, and entirely necessary. I just really wanted to get it over with. The next chapter will be better I promise, though it might not be up until after Christmas as I leave for Utah in a week. Review and I'll give you a cookie.