Chapter 16: Love Won, Love Lost

A/N: ACK! Sorry everyone for being gone so long… Basically, I got back from Xmas break and got EXTREMELY busy for a while… Then my computer died, and it's taken over two months for me to get a new one and get it all set up… So now, I have all of my (thankfully) rescued documents, and I'm going to post up a bunch of new chapters this week… Just expect this story to be a saga, because I'm already on Ch. 16, and I'm nowhere near done with the story… It might reach past the 40 ch. Mark, but I promise I'll try not to bore you.. And now, it's Kili's fave characters time! Lily, Yvete, Ames, Haalen, Alen… Fun, fun!

Review Replies: Thank you to everyone that kept reading and reviewing…

Lisa, I love you babe! Thanks so much for all of your support on my many escapades into storyland… I miss you so much!

Yvete could hear the other girls giggling as they entertained the men.  Vilottea and Franscce would be at the fountain, and the others would be in the garden at this tine of night.  The Blue Hound was a middle Companion house in the Blue faction, dealing with mostly merchants and higher peasants, with a few of the lower nobility mixed in.  And finally, she was leaving it.  "Eva the Lordling's Daughter" was to become Lady Yvete of the Blue Moon.  She could use her real name and title, finally.  This place was miles better the Blue Bloom, the lower Companion house of the Blue faction, but she couldn't wait to move on.  This wasn't her profession of choice or anything.  When her parents had sold her to the Master of Blue in exchange for enough money to keep their fief going for a little while, she had been installed, regardless of her choice, in the bottom rung of the Blue Companions.  She had been quickly taught the cruelty of life.  The peasant men seemed to enjoy being hard on a girl of seven.  Of course, many of the nobles did too, but they had to pay very well for that privilege.  As she had grown older, she had become like the daughter of the Mistress of the Blue Bloom, and Mistress Roset had taught her to be cultured and refined enough to get to the courtesan level.  And that was exactly where she was going.  She turned to her things and began to pack.  She had saved up as much money as she could by scrimping and saving for years.  With it, she had bought three gorgeous gowns and enough jewels and face paints to get through a few days.  After the fifth day, if she hadn't earned enough to at least have her dresses cleaned properly, she would be expelled.  With what little she had left over, she had bought herself a new supply of herbs.  She had been taught by Mistress Roset how to use herbs to cure illness, abort, and prevent pregnancy.  Many of the courtesans would pay dearly for someone they could trust who would provide them with that kind of help.  She finished packing her bag and threw a cloak over her shoulders.  Within the hour, Eva would disappear from the Blue Hound, and Lady Yvete would appear at the Blue Moon.  She stopped to say goodbye to the girls, and to wish them luck, and to say goodbye to Mistress Threta, who had succeed Mistress Roset as her foster mother and teacher.  After her goodbyes, she slipped out of the building and stepped into a dark carriage.

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          Lily giggled and ran out towards the barn.  Alen followed close behind her, carrying her cloak.  They had planned a picnic, but as on all planned picnic days, it was raining.  Lily had still wanted to ride, and Alen had eagerly consented to accompany her anyway.  Suddenly, Lily heard a "splat!" and felt a squish.  She turned her head back and discovered that he had hit the back of her dress with a mud glob.  She chuckled evilly and scooped some up, hitting him in the chest with her deadly aim.  He, in turn, threw one that landed on her bare arm.  She growled playfully and jumped on him, both of them tumbling to the ground.  For a few minutes, they slipped and slid, grabbing onto each other and trying to keep their balance, but failing miserably.  Instead of straightening each other up and becoming dignified once again, they ended up sprawled in the mud, laughing hysterically.  After a minute, Alen offered Lily his hand, and helped her up.  She wiped most of the mud off of her dress and finger-combed it out of her hair.  They sat together on the bench where he had laid her coat to let the rain rinse the rest off.  Lily smiled and leaned back and a little to the side so that her body and Alen's met perfectly, like puzzle pieces.  She turned her head a bit and saw that Alen was not so content.

          "Alen, what's wrong?"

          "Hmm? Oh, nothing…"

          "Are you sure? You seem a little upset."

          "No, no, I'm sure, I'm okay…"

          "Well, alright..."

          They sat together for a few more minutes, when a young bird burst out of the bushes and barely missed crashing into Alen's head before falling into some plants on the other side of the small clearing.

          "You'd better help it Lily."

          "Why would I make a difference?"

          "Because you have the power to."

          "How… how do you know?"

          "I know a lot of things about you, Liliath Sarra Salmalin."

          "Are you… are you…"

          "The stalker? No, Lily, I'm not.  But I know who he is.  My sister hired him."

          "Who are you?"

          "My name is Haalen, Lily.  I can't tell you any more than that, except to say that my sister is Lythiiraen, and she wishes to destroy you and your family.  I am doing everything I can to help, but you are not to know the details of that."

          She blinked, and his eyes had gone from brown to blue.  His hair seemed to be lengthening and becoming darker until it was a warm golden-red color, and the bones in his face were slightly more defined.

          "I love you, Lily.  I truly do.  Believe it or not, the evil Ice Prince found his Fire Princess to warm his heart, just like all of the stories.  You are my flame, Lily.  I don't know if I can ever see you again, but just know that I am helping you, and that I am looking over your shoulder."

          He touched her face and ran his thumb down her jawbone, then kissed her quickly.  She took a small step backwards, confused, and looked at the ground.  When she looked up, he was gone.

          "Why? Why do you love me?"

          There was no answer.

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          Krani tapped into Yvete's Gift, and Yvete felt the now-familiar tingle under her skin, and stood up to let Krani begin.  Krani was priceless in her two gifts.  One was tapping into other people's Gifts, and the other was making women beautiful.  Yvete felt the tingle in the base of her stomach as her own magic touched her.  She simply daydreamed and rehearsed in her head as Krani prepared her.  She snapped out of it after about an hour, and Krani led her to the full-length, three-paneled mirror.  Yvete's curly chocolate-brown hair was pulled back so that it was out of her face, and formed a cascade of curls down her back.  Her hair was her pride, and she hadn't cut it for years.  It was one of the few pieces of her that was whole.  Krani had also secured tiny periwinkle blossoms in the cascade of curls, and had set a thin diamond tiara on her head.  There were no pins in this design, as that would be inconvenient.  Instead, it was held up by Yvete's Gift.  She examined her makeup carefully, noting the gold powder that had been mixed with all part of it, causing her to glow.  Her milk-white skin was untouched by any makeup, but her lips were a brilliant red, and her hazel-green eyes were smoked with kohl and eye-powders.  After examining the cosmetics, she turned her attention to her dress.  She was wearing a periwinkle dress in the Gallan style, with a corset-style top and a long, flowing skirt.  The corset top, unlike many of the court ladies' was laced in the front, so as to be undone and redone easier.  The effect of the corset pushed her chest a little higher and squeezed in her waist just a bit, though she didn't need it.  Her slippers were made to slip on and off easily, and her jewelry had quick-release clasps, which would allow the jewelry to seem to be ripped off without actually damaging it.  She wiped her skirt off one last time and picked up her fan, then walked out the door, leaving the door cracked open.

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A/N: *cackle* I love that, don't you? Probably one of my favorite chapters so far… Next up: Amery and Yvete meet… and do much more than greet! And Haalen and Lythi have another nice little chat…