Everyone – yes, I know it's short, but the main point of this chapter is mostly transitional. Nothing really important in this chapter, it's just to tide us over to the next one. Which, I haven't started writing yet. I claim the excuse of the end of school! School is ending for my June 6, so I promise I'll write more then. I'm also working on the plotline of my next CCD story, which I think will have definitely more plotline than this one. Personally, I'm really excited about this new CCD story- it's going to be funfun! Once I've figured out the snarls of the plotline I'll tell you guys. Anyway, enjoy this extremely short (I know it is) chapter.
Azmus came at my summons, looking much as I remembered him.
"Any covert plots going on?" I asked teasingly as he came in wearing a goldsmith's garb. He sighed ruefully.
"Not this time, my lady," he said. "However, I am working
for some merchants. Not as exciting, but it suits my aging limbs."
"Well, I was hoping you could make me a crystal bracelet and necklace," I said.
"Of course. What for?"
I smiled mysteriously. "I'll tell you
once they're made," I said. I enjoyed the mystery of it, but I wanted Azmus to
know before Court.
We drew designs for the rest of the morning, finally settling on circular crystals hanging from a silver chain. Mine only had three- a pendant and two small side stones. Vidanric's glittered all the way around his wrist. Satisfied, I went off to tell Vidanric.
I found him talking to Savona and Renna about something in the gardens. Approaching slowly, I smiled at all of them.
"I was just telling them about our mysterious visitors," Vidanric said as I came up.
"Huh?" I asked. "Please don't tell me Flauvic had more sorcerers behind him."
"They're in the Throne Room right now," Vidanric said solemnly. "I'm wondering what to do with them."
I let out a little gasp. "What?" I squeaked, then ran off to the Throne Room. Vidanric and Savona followed me, and I heard Renna laughing behind.
When I reached the Throne Room, I realized that I had, once again, taken a joke too seriously. There were no sorcerers, or any sinister looking villains. Instead, there was a group of what appeared to be Sartorians gazing up at the goldenwood tree in awe.
"Ha ha," I muttered, when Savona and Vidanric caught up. "You could have explained."
"I was going to," Vidanric said, unperturbed. "But you ran off."
"Life, Meliara," Savona wheezed. "You run fast."
"I run fast when I think there are sorcerers in the Throne
Room," I retorted. "Not Sartorians. Are they?"
Vidanric nodded. "Came all the way to look at Flauvic."
"You're serious?" I asked. "They've heard about
him?"
"Of course," Savona said. "I think everyone knows by now. They want to see for
themselves."
"But all the way from Sartor…" I shook my head. "That's amazing."
"I think there will be more in the future," Vidanric said softly. "The Hill Folk have never done anything of this magnitude."
"We should charge them," I joked. "We'd get a lot of coin for the treasury."
Vidanric and Savona laughed, and the noise caused the Sartorians to turn from their gaze at Flauvic Merindar. They saw us, and their eyes widened. I walked forward to greet them, and Vidanric and Savona followed. They stared at me as I approached, and I wondered if something was on my face.
"Are you Lady Meliara Astiar?" one of them said in an accented voice.
"Uh…yes, I am," I answered, wondering where this was going. To my chagrin, all of them kneeled in front of me, heads touching the floor.
"We bow to the one who the Hill Folk hold in such esteem," said one of them. "Your presence awes us."
"Erm," I stammered. I saw Savona choking back a laugh, and I glared at him. Vidanric's eyes were crinkled in amusement. "Please don't do that. I'm not that important."
They got up, clearly confused. "But, my Lady, you deserve to be bowed to," one of them said.
"Actually, I'm not," I said shortly. "The Hill Folk did that." I jerked my head toward the tree. "I didn't do anything except live near them when I was growing up."
"But they hold you in such esteem…" trailed off one.
"That's because I grew up with them," I repeated. "You try it. It would work."
The one I spoke to look clearly awed.
"So," I said, lightening up the mood in the room. "Where are all of you from?"
They introduced themselves, and I introduced them to Savona and Vidanric. They were clearly awed at meeting the future king, but didn't kneel to the ground. They were nobles from Sartor who had heard of the tree. Everyone in Sartor was dubious of it, so they sent them to see it. They assured me they would go home telling everyone that it was indeed quite true.
After they left, I turned to see Vidanric and Savona looking at me, grinning. Renna was at the end of the hall, clearly having followed us to the Throne Room at a more leisurely pace, and viewed the whole debacle. She looked just as amused as Vidanric and Russav.
"What?" I asked, glaring at them all. "It wasn't that funny."
Vidanric and Savona burst into hoots of laughter, which I found extremely odd, especially for Vidanric. Renna came to us, suppressing her laugh.
"I think you're becoming a legend, Mel," she told me.
"What?" I squawked. "ME?"
"Unfortunately," Vidanric said, brimming with mirth.
"I wonder if everyone who'll visit Flauvic will bow to Mel like that," Savona thought aloud. "It would make for a great amusement."
I snorted ungracefully. "It was weird," I told them.
"Get used to it," Vidanric said, smiling. "It might happen again."
"Life, I hope not!" I exclaimed. The other three just laughed.
The story of the kneeling Sartorians got around quickly, thanks to Savona and Renna. Vidanric didn't tell anyone, but whenever he heard the story, his corners of his mouth would deepen, and his eyes would crinkle in unholy amusement. I just rolled my eyes whenever I heard it, even though it got many a laugh from Court. Vidanric told me that I should get used to it, because I had become somewhat of a legend to the outside world.
I wasn't entirely comfortable with the fact that I, the scrawny, once illiterate Countess, was a legend. I wasn't exactly the material sagas were made of. I tolk that to Danric, and he told me I was rewriting history as the reluctant heroine.
I liked that one.
-Alqualyne