Author's note: Sorry for the slip on the first chapter.in the disclaimer I
hinted that Calix's name would be Kaiel, when Kaiel is the character in one
of my other stories that I'm working on currently. So forgive me my little
sins, please.? In any case, my flu's going away finally .I felt so bad
about the wait for the second chapter that I've started writing drafts of
the chapters at school. Anyway, the name contest is still up, and the
preview will be the chapter after the winning e-mail is sent in - or it
will be a preview of the next fanfic I'm going to publish, "My Blue
Heaven." I won't bore you any further - here's chapter three!
Ailani's expression went from darkened with anger to pale. "W-what?"
Aubrey smiled again, the smile charming but nonetheless holding something that utterly repulsed Ailani and made Calix want to get out his twin scimitars and take off the young Lord's head. Yuna, however, smiled in return. To Calix's horror, there was a measure of pride in her smile - was she proud of this incubus of a man that had singled her daughter out for his own? If only he had come with an entourage befitting the Prince of a High Elf community.then things would have been different. In any case, if the High Summoner took pride in this match, then it was really only a last desperate stab to save her daughter's honor and her own.
Ailani looked between them. "You're both mad," she said softly, her eyes holding a last spark of hope amidst the anger and betrayal and hurt. "Tell me I'm not really to marry Lord Aubrey. Mother!"
Yuna's smile did not waver in the least as she looked at her very unhappy daughter and said, "Of course we're not mad, Ailani. You are older than I was when I married your father."
Ailani got up and overbalanced in her haste and rage, and Calix was swift to push her back up. "You cannot talk about my father!" Ailani screamed in a rage. "He was an outcast, as I am! A bastard child by a bastard father! Unworthy!"
Yuna's smile had faded, and she resignedly began to reason with her hysterical daughter. But Aubrey was there first, and performed the one task that would quiet the unhappiest of women.
He kissed her.
Yuna simply froze, and Calix turned away. Aubrey's hands came up to grasp Ailani's shoulders; the young priestess still too much in shock to react. After a few lifetimes, Aubrey lifted his head and smiled cordially at them both. "I trust arrangements will have already been made for the wedding prior to your arrival here, Lady Yuna?"
"Yes, Lord Aubrey. You could wed her tomorrow if you wished."
"I do so wish. Tomorrow, when the sun hits the tallest spire of the Palace of St. Bevelle, we will be Lord and Lady." He turned his attention to a now-squirming Ailani, who was glaring murderously at him.
"If you expect me to be anything beyond civil to this.male you have chosen for me, mother," Ailani shot icily, "You are underestimating a Priestess of Avalon." And she flew out of the room, the black demon of her rage following her. Yuna bowed to Lord Aubrey, then left. Calix was at her heels.
Ailani was outside when he reached the front gate, leaning against the side of the wagon and toying with the hilt of her sword. Yuna was ordering people to go and make ready the temple, completely ignoring the tangible aura rapidly growing around her daughter. As Calix, unsure of what to do, wandered past Ailani, she reached out and grabbed him. "You are the elf from the tavern."
"Yes, My Lady."
Ailani's smiled widened. "Will you do me a favor, Lord Elf?"
"Anything, My Lady."
"Bring me my horse - make sure it is safe in the stables here."
"Yes, Lady Ailani."
Ailani nodded, her eyes half-hidden behind eyelashes as black as he was sure Aubrey's heart was. "Thank you."
The next morning, very early, Yuna stood beside her daughter as the time for the beginning of The Ceremony drew near. Ailani's gown had been her own; the white winged one she had worn on the ill-fated day when her own heart had been rent in two. The day when she had had to choose - quite wrongly, she admitted, in retrospect - between the new, handsome, strong blitzer, and the father of the child she knew she was carrying even a month after the deed had been done between her and Seymour. Unfortunately, she in her naïve teen years had gone with Tidus and not Seymour, as it should have been. When Tidus had faded to a mere dream, twenty-three years ago, and when Yuna's belly had grown round with the impudent warrior-woman she saw before her now, Yuna had seen the error of her ways. And it had broken her.
Lord Seymour, my love, you should have been alive to see your own daughter grow.
Yuna sighed. Sometimes she thought it was the years with Wakka and Lulu that had toughened her daughter. That couple had been the one who allowed her to go to the Isle of Witches for training. And indeed, when Yuna had summoned Ailani home and she had returned she had been trained well. Ailani was skilled in black magics, white magics - she had the Sight of the Old Ones, and always that strange, strange symbol on her forehead, the blue crescent of Avalon. Ailani, her daughter, her beautiful, headstrong, arrogant, magical daughter.
Aubrey hadn't minded, when Yuna had gone to tell him of the desire she had to arrange a marriage between Ailani and he. Aubrey was a good match - strong, a little ruthless, a little overbearing, but most importantly, he had managed to calm her normally unreasonable daughter. Anyone who managed that was worthy of high honor.
Ailani twisted to look back at her mother, fear and hatred dancing a dangerous waltz in her blue-green eyes. "How could you do this to me?" She demanded. Yuna sighed again.
"Ailani, love, one day you'll understand. I'm doing this to protect you."
Ailani turned back to the mirror. "I don't feel protected around Lord Aubrey."
The Palace bells rang.
Ailani's expression went from darkened with anger to pale. "W-what?"
Aubrey smiled again, the smile charming but nonetheless holding something that utterly repulsed Ailani and made Calix want to get out his twin scimitars and take off the young Lord's head. Yuna, however, smiled in return. To Calix's horror, there was a measure of pride in her smile - was she proud of this incubus of a man that had singled her daughter out for his own? If only he had come with an entourage befitting the Prince of a High Elf community.then things would have been different. In any case, if the High Summoner took pride in this match, then it was really only a last desperate stab to save her daughter's honor and her own.
Ailani looked between them. "You're both mad," she said softly, her eyes holding a last spark of hope amidst the anger and betrayal and hurt. "Tell me I'm not really to marry Lord Aubrey. Mother!"
Yuna's smile did not waver in the least as she looked at her very unhappy daughter and said, "Of course we're not mad, Ailani. You are older than I was when I married your father."
Ailani got up and overbalanced in her haste and rage, and Calix was swift to push her back up. "You cannot talk about my father!" Ailani screamed in a rage. "He was an outcast, as I am! A bastard child by a bastard father! Unworthy!"
Yuna's smile had faded, and she resignedly began to reason with her hysterical daughter. But Aubrey was there first, and performed the one task that would quiet the unhappiest of women.
He kissed her.
Yuna simply froze, and Calix turned away. Aubrey's hands came up to grasp Ailani's shoulders; the young priestess still too much in shock to react. After a few lifetimes, Aubrey lifted his head and smiled cordially at them both. "I trust arrangements will have already been made for the wedding prior to your arrival here, Lady Yuna?"
"Yes, Lord Aubrey. You could wed her tomorrow if you wished."
"I do so wish. Tomorrow, when the sun hits the tallest spire of the Palace of St. Bevelle, we will be Lord and Lady." He turned his attention to a now-squirming Ailani, who was glaring murderously at him.
"If you expect me to be anything beyond civil to this.male you have chosen for me, mother," Ailani shot icily, "You are underestimating a Priestess of Avalon." And she flew out of the room, the black demon of her rage following her. Yuna bowed to Lord Aubrey, then left. Calix was at her heels.
Ailani was outside when he reached the front gate, leaning against the side of the wagon and toying with the hilt of her sword. Yuna was ordering people to go and make ready the temple, completely ignoring the tangible aura rapidly growing around her daughter. As Calix, unsure of what to do, wandered past Ailani, she reached out and grabbed him. "You are the elf from the tavern."
"Yes, My Lady."
Ailani's smiled widened. "Will you do me a favor, Lord Elf?"
"Anything, My Lady."
"Bring me my horse - make sure it is safe in the stables here."
"Yes, Lady Ailani."
Ailani nodded, her eyes half-hidden behind eyelashes as black as he was sure Aubrey's heart was. "Thank you."
The next morning, very early, Yuna stood beside her daughter as the time for the beginning of The Ceremony drew near. Ailani's gown had been her own; the white winged one she had worn on the ill-fated day when her own heart had been rent in two. The day when she had had to choose - quite wrongly, she admitted, in retrospect - between the new, handsome, strong blitzer, and the father of the child she knew she was carrying even a month after the deed had been done between her and Seymour. Unfortunately, she in her naïve teen years had gone with Tidus and not Seymour, as it should have been. When Tidus had faded to a mere dream, twenty-three years ago, and when Yuna's belly had grown round with the impudent warrior-woman she saw before her now, Yuna had seen the error of her ways. And it had broken her.
Lord Seymour, my love, you should have been alive to see your own daughter grow.
Yuna sighed. Sometimes she thought it was the years with Wakka and Lulu that had toughened her daughter. That couple had been the one who allowed her to go to the Isle of Witches for training. And indeed, when Yuna had summoned Ailani home and she had returned she had been trained well. Ailani was skilled in black magics, white magics - she had the Sight of the Old Ones, and always that strange, strange symbol on her forehead, the blue crescent of Avalon. Ailani, her daughter, her beautiful, headstrong, arrogant, magical daughter.
Aubrey hadn't minded, when Yuna had gone to tell him of the desire she had to arrange a marriage between Ailani and he. Aubrey was a good match - strong, a little ruthless, a little overbearing, but most importantly, he had managed to calm her normally unreasonable daughter. Anyone who managed that was worthy of high honor.
Ailani twisted to look back at her mother, fear and hatred dancing a dangerous waltz in her blue-green eyes. "How could you do this to me?" She demanded. Yuna sighed again.
"Ailani, love, one day you'll understand. I'm doing this to protect you."
Ailani turned back to the mirror. "I don't feel protected around Lord Aubrey."
The Palace bells rang.