Everyone – sorry for going so long without updating!!!! this chapter's kind of boring; all she really does is think. ^-^ I'm leaving for camp in Illinois tomorrow, if my updates are slower, I'm really sorry(not that they're fast now, anyway… ^-^;;) So…erm, yes, continue on.
Gen – yeah, I'm sittygirl016/elwen in CastleTlanth, I'm keeping quiet because there's already so many ficcy writers there that I don't want to add to the hubbub, although I DO ask annoying questions :D
Felsong – well, I always write short stories, because if I go on too long I always get tired of the story and lose interest. So… this story still has a few chapters left, I'm not quite sure, but I think around maybe three-five.
What Vidanric told me stuck in my head for quite a while. I wondered if I could do magic; not to become a threat like Flauvic, but to protect the kingdom. That had been my mother's intentions, after all, and they were honorable. I should carry them out, if only in her memory. The idea of doing magic appealed to me as well.
I dug out Flauvic's magic books from where Danric and I had kept them, and looked through the pages for a while. I was intrigued. Vidanric had told me I could write a letter. I dashed to the alcove, finding him scribbling away.
"What exactly do I put in the letter?" I announced. He looked up, a smile tugging at his mouth. He knew he had put that idea in my head, and he knew I would pursue it. I scowled at him. "You got me thinking, so tell me what I should write to the Council."
"I believe there's a book outside on it," he replied smoothly. "It has the Guild insignia."
I peered outside, and found the book lying right in the open on a table in the magic section. Vidanric had put it there, knowing I would come. Grabbing it, I headed back to the alcove.
"You," I informed him, "are an insufferable know-it-all." I went over to my usual window seat and sat down. He grinned back at me.
"I wouldn't be half as fun if I wasn't," he said. I rolled my eyes, and opened the book.
It gave rather concise instructions; whoever wrote the book must have been more of a know-it-all than Vidanric. Throughout all the instructions ran a thread of skepticsm. Whoever wrote the book gave several subtle messages that it was highly unlikely that the reader would be accepted to practice magic.
"Whoever wrote this book is the biggest pessimist in the world," I muttered.
"It can't be that bad," Vidanric said.
"Really?" I snorted. "Listen to this: One important thing to remember is politeness. Magicians from the Council are very delicate, and upsetting even a single member could have fatal results."
Vidanric laughed. "I think the writer just didn't want people becoming magicians," he soothed. "You'll do fine."
"I hope," I said, a bit worried. Then I laughed. "Oh well, the worst that could happen is that I get killed!"
I composed my letter carefully, and then sent it off. Since it would take quite a long time for it to get there and a reply to come back, I decided to forget about it for the time being. I had other problems to worry about; including the tiny little issue of becoming a Queen of a country.
I didn't realize how much work had to be done just to become the Queen; it was amazing. Vidanric and I decided to combine the wedding ceremony and the coronation into one big ritual; that meant that I had to memorize long passages and say all the proper things a Queen should say. I had no fortune of having a simple wedding like Nee; as I was becoming a Royal, the ceremony was long and extremely tiring.
I grew extremely tired over reading on the habits of a Queen; what was proper conduct, and such, but I had to. My part in the ceremony terrified me too; I had to memorize many things as well as do the steps just so, otherwise it would be thrown off. I stayed up many nights memorizing the passages, even though the ceremony(we decided on Midwinter) was still months away.
"This is the second straight week you've had circles under
your eyes," Vidanric commented as he came in. He smiled, but his eyebrows were
lowered in concern.
"I'm studying up." I gestured absently to the book I was reading.
"Mel," he said quietly, coming over to my window seat and placing a hand over the book. I looked up.
"Huh?"
"You're running yourself ragged," he said in the same even tone. "Did you even sleep last night?"
I blinked. The night before I had stayed up memorizing the passage I said aloud directly before the crown was placed on my head. "A little," I lied. My mouth didn't cooperate with the fib; it cracked open in a huge yawn right after I made the statement. To try and cover up how large it was, I busily got up from sitting, hiding my face from his scrutinizing gaze.
"I know the things you say are extensive," he continued, "But, Life, Mel, you have four months left!"
"I'm afraid I'll forget," I admitted. "I'm in front of everyone, Vidanric! If I mess anything up, everyone will know! I don't want to make a fool of myself; I've done it enough to last me a lifetime." It was so easy to confide in him, so easy when you knew that he would never tell. His arms circled around me, and I leaned my head into his shoulder; only too aware of how heavy it seemed and how easily it drooped down. Before I could stop myself, I was asleep.
When I blearily opened my gaze again, I was in my rooms and tangled up in my bedsheets. As I slowly recalled what had happened before I fell off, I jerked up. How stupid could I have been? I rubbed my head and knuckled my eyes. How long had I been asleep?
"I hope you realize now how tired you actually were?" a light voice came. I turned to see Danric observing me from where he stood by the window. I could see it was dusk.
"Just how long have I slept?" I asked. When I talked with Danric it had been afternoon- it was now dusk, I had only slept through blue-change, I estimated.
"A day and a half," came his smooth reply. I could detect a bit of hardness in his voice. I whooped in my breath.
"Burn it!" I cried. "A day and a half?" Vidanric walked over to keep me from struggling out from my covers.
"Mel," he said, a grin lurking about his face, "If I had known this was to happen when I asked you to be my Queen, we should have eloped." I managed a weak grin.
"I have so much to do," I said in a half-hearted attempt to get up. He placed a strong hand on my shoulder.
"Mel, you have four months. You can easily memorize everything in one. I don't want you doing this to yourself," he continued, his voice somewhat steely.
"Doing what?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"You're going to kill yourself before you even realize it," he said, holding my gaze. "I think you should go to Tlanth with Bran and Nee. I've asked them; they agreed."
"WHAT?" I nearly screamed.
"Just go for a month or so. You need to relax," he said. I knew now why he had been so severe- he knew I would react this way.
"But I can't! There's so much to do!"
"Exactly. I'll take care of it all. Go
to Tlanth, don't look at a single book, and just be with the Hill Folk again.
You need to unwind," he said. I was ready to argue, but he squeezed my
shoulder, looked at me with an entreating face, and said "Please."
He knew me too well. I could storm, fight, and scream, but my temper was nothing against a plea. Besides, a thought of being with the Hill Folk crept into my mind, and I realized that I had missed them.
"All right," I said grudgingly. "But only for a month."
He leaned toward me and kissed me gently. For a moment all of my weariness fled away from my body as a wave of ice followed fire chased it out.
"A month," he agreed. The fire faded to a pleasant warmth He was so close I could hear his whisper over my heartbeat. "I wouldn't want anymore either."
Awww. More mush and fluff and sap and all-over sickly sweetness(well, not much, but still…)! ^-^ yesss, my preccccioussss…we wantsss you to reviewwwwssss! Kudos for anyone who knows what creature I'm impersonating! (gollum, gollum! Everyone ssshould knowsss this, we would be disssappointed if youss didn't!!)
I'm weird, I know *sweatdrop*. I'm going to camp on June 29 to July 19, but I can still post chapters at the camp, albeit much slower.
-Alqualyne