A/N Sorry this chapter is rather short, but it wanted to end where it did.
Golden Goddess I'm happy you liked the title of the chap. I did too. This
chapter I must say isn't longer, sorry. Poor Myles, I didn't really want
him to die but he was getting to the point that he was practically
immortal. Shadowflame, thanks for the review. Puddles did I say anything
about the dominion jewel? Thanks for the review. Tara do I know you? Thanks
for the review. I hope you all like this chapter. Please read and review.
Enjoy.
Chapter IX: Measures Taken
Daine approached the cat carefully, hands outstretched; the cat came towards her purring. It rubbed its head on her legs.
"She's a normal enough cat," Daine said with a sigh, "We can continue."
"Well," Jonathan said, Thayet moved behind him and place a hand on his shoulder he placed his own hand on hers. "What do you all think of her? Zira I mean."
"She is amazing." It was Duke Nealan who started. "She knows all about Antithean history, a field in which there are few people who know anything."
"Neal, the girl though, what do you think of her. Not her knowledge of what number of kings wore blue and what number wore red. You are the only one who cares." Neal narrowed his eyes at King Jonathan.
"The cats around the palace say that she is very nice to them," Daine said tossing her mass of brown curls. "They can't seem to get into her room though."
"So has anyone seen the interior of her room?" King Jonathan asked. "We must find out if she has any magical devices, which could be harmful to Tortall. Have any of the pages been into her rooms?"
"Lord Wyldon says that none of the boys have entered her chambers. That actually her maid defended them quite fiercely," Alanna said.
"That would be natural though, wouldn't it?" Thayet said. "Look what happened to Kel when she left her doors unlocked as a page."
"Yes my dear, but any abnormal behavior we must know about. How else will we be able to react."
"I think you have already made a pretty big mess of things your majesty," Neal drawled. "Why don't you just give the Antitheans what they want. It isn't as if they invaded you for it." King Jonathan stood up and glared at Neal from across the desk.
"How dare you question my choices, until you know all the facts you have no right to say that I made the wrong decision."
"With all due respect I do know the facts. That girl is just trying to do what is right for her country, like it or not your Majesty she is a princess, and from what I have seen of her, nothing and no one can change it." Neal's intense green eyes met Jonathan's equally fierce blue ones. Thayet put up one hand.
"There is no use in fighting among ourselves. Jon calm down, Neal, please realize that Jon is doing all he can. We mustn't fall apart. The girl is going to stay here, so I suggest, that until we can think of anything else, whatever the Antitheans may wish to take be transported immediately to Pirate's Swoop," Thayet looked around the room. "Alanna, you and George can protect it there." Jon bowed his head and Neal sat down. Everyone in the room looked from one to the other. Then Jon raised two fingers in a sign of consent.
"It shall be done. Alanna, you must travel with it. So you will leave tomorrow at dawn." Alanna nodded and everyone left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tobit looked at Liam in disbelief.
"What the in the name of Mithros were you doing in there?!" he said. Liam looked at him his blue eyes smiled.
"I was trying to find a way into the PRINCESS' chamber. The door is obviously out of the question, so I was probing the ceiling with my gift."
"Liam you are a fool," Tobit said with a smile. "What possessed you to think that right outside of Master Numair's office is the place to try a spell. He'll catch you for sure." Liam shrugged.
"That wench is hiding something, and I am wondering what. I am the prince after all, I deserve to know what's going on in my own palace."
"Come on," Tobit said. "You need to study. Not find ways of tormenting little girls, you should have gotten over that years ago. Any way, Duke Nealan won't forgive you again if you don't do another assignment." Liam rolled his eyes.
"What is the point of being prince if people don't make exceptions for you. What do I have to say about the political situation?" Tobit laughed outright at this. Liam punched him in the shoulder.
"No one laughs at a prince," Liam said with a smile. "What could that idiot Falkin have to say about the situation? His family isn't even allowed into the parliament." Tobit hated it when he was in the middle of the enemies. He sighed, Falkin was an idealist and a radical. Tobit hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for his ideas. In Tortall you could say and think what you wanted to, but still there were some less than reputable nobles who would not want a young radical stirring things up.
"He has some ideas about ways of making trade free for everyone not just the appointed classes. He also believes that a government head elected by the people should replace the monarchy." Liam looked at him in disgust.
"Who would want that, not the nobility I'm sure." Tobit sighed. He liked his idealist friend's dreams but he knew that they would never become reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira fled down the hall, running, running faster than she ever had in her life, sliding at corners and bumping into anyone in the way. She needed to get to her room.
"The mages in Tortall think they are so great. They have nothing compared to Old Magic. The magic that created the Gift, they have nothing." Her amber eyes glowed; amber fire consumed her from the inside. She heard her mother's voice in the flames.
"I must get It, for Antitheos I must get It," she breathed over and over. She flew threw locked doors not even bothering to turn the tumblers they merely melted before her anger.
"Eimar be with your people," she said and she heard her mother say after each time,
"Amane." She reached her door, and burst through. Shae jumped up from the bed where she was sitting and watched the lithe form of the black and white jelico cat change before her eyes into the slender figure of Zira Princess of Antitheos.
Chapter IX: Measures Taken
Daine approached the cat carefully, hands outstretched; the cat came towards her purring. It rubbed its head on her legs.
"She's a normal enough cat," Daine said with a sigh, "We can continue."
"Well," Jonathan said, Thayet moved behind him and place a hand on his shoulder he placed his own hand on hers. "What do you all think of her? Zira I mean."
"She is amazing." It was Duke Nealan who started. "She knows all about Antithean history, a field in which there are few people who know anything."
"Neal, the girl though, what do you think of her. Not her knowledge of what number of kings wore blue and what number wore red. You are the only one who cares." Neal narrowed his eyes at King Jonathan.
"The cats around the palace say that she is very nice to them," Daine said tossing her mass of brown curls. "They can't seem to get into her room though."
"So has anyone seen the interior of her room?" King Jonathan asked. "We must find out if she has any magical devices, which could be harmful to Tortall. Have any of the pages been into her rooms?"
"Lord Wyldon says that none of the boys have entered her chambers. That actually her maid defended them quite fiercely," Alanna said.
"That would be natural though, wouldn't it?" Thayet said. "Look what happened to Kel when she left her doors unlocked as a page."
"Yes my dear, but any abnormal behavior we must know about. How else will we be able to react."
"I think you have already made a pretty big mess of things your majesty," Neal drawled. "Why don't you just give the Antitheans what they want. It isn't as if they invaded you for it." King Jonathan stood up and glared at Neal from across the desk.
"How dare you question my choices, until you know all the facts you have no right to say that I made the wrong decision."
"With all due respect I do know the facts. That girl is just trying to do what is right for her country, like it or not your Majesty she is a princess, and from what I have seen of her, nothing and no one can change it." Neal's intense green eyes met Jonathan's equally fierce blue ones. Thayet put up one hand.
"There is no use in fighting among ourselves. Jon calm down, Neal, please realize that Jon is doing all he can. We mustn't fall apart. The girl is going to stay here, so I suggest, that until we can think of anything else, whatever the Antitheans may wish to take be transported immediately to Pirate's Swoop," Thayet looked around the room. "Alanna, you and George can protect it there." Jon bowed his head and Neal sat down. Everyone in the room looked from one to the other. Then Jon raised two fingers in a sign of consent.
"It shall be done. Alanna, you must travel with it. So you will leave tomorrow at dawn." Alanna nodded and everyone left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tobit looked at Liam in disbelief.
"What the in the name of Mithros were you doing in there?!" he said. Liam looked at him his blue eyes smiled.
"I was trying to find a way into the PRINCESS' chamber. The door is obviously out of the question, so I was probing the ceiling with my gift."
"Liam you are a fool," Tobit said with a smile. "What possessed you to think that right outside of Master Numair's office is the place to try a spell. He'll catch you for sure." Liam shrugged.
"That wench is hiding something, and I am wondering what. I am the prince after all, I deserve to know what's going on in my own palace."
"Come on," Tobit said. "You need to study. Not find ways of tormenting little girls, you should have gotten over that years ago. Any way, Duke Nealan won't forgive you again if you don't do another assignment." Liam rolled his eyes.
"What is the point of being prince if people don't make exceptions for you. What do I have to say about the political situation?" Tobit laughed outright at this. Liam punched him in the shoulder.
"No one laughs at a prince," Liam said with a smile. "What could that idiot Falkin have to say about the situation? His family isn't even allowed into the parliament." Tobit hated it when he was in the middle of the enemies. He sighed, Falkin was an idealist and a radical. Tobit hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for his ideas. In Tortall you could say and think what you wanted to, but still there were some less than reputable nobles who would not want a young radical stirring things up.
"He has some ideas about ways of making trade free for everyone not just the appointed classes. He also believes that a government head elected by the people should replace the monarchy." Liam looked at him in disgust.
"Who would want that, not the nobility I'm sure." Tobit sighed. He liked his idealist friend's dreams but he knew that they would never become reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira fled down the hall, running, running faster than she ever had in her life, sliding at corners and bumping into anyone in the way. She needed to get to her room.
"The mages in Tortall think they are so great. They have nothing compared to Old Magic. The magic that created the Gift, they have nothing." Her amber eyes glowed; amber fire consumed her from the inside. She heard her mother's voice in the flames.
"I must get It, for Antitheos I must get It," she breathed over and over. She flew threw locked doors not even bothering to turn the tumblers they merely melted before her anger.
"Eimar be with your people," she said and she heard her mother say after each time,
"Amane." She reached her door, and burst through. Shae jumped up from the bed where she was sitting and watched the lithe form of the black and white jelico cat change before her eyes into the slender figure of Zira Princess of Antitheos.