A/N I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long, I was going to update on April Fools, I had a great chapter that was a complete joke, but FF.net had just changed the uploading process and I couldn't figure it out. Then there was homework and annoying stuff like that, and then I got sick (warning this chap was written while on Sudafed and antibiotics). Well I'm updating now. Chibi-Chingo hehe, the power (remember everyone I'm on meds, so not quite normal (like I ever was)). Pen Mage I'm sorry this really wasn't fast, good luck with your finals. Zurizip, I have updated (finally). Daemon I have always felt sorry for Thayet, there are many people on ff.net who don't like her, I think that she is REALLY cool. Golden Goddess, I will never answer the questions from your previous review MwaHaha (sorry the meds again). I'm glad you said who you liked and why you liked them, very instructive. Falkin is pronounced like the falcon except I think I have it end more kin than con. HiYa, Thanks for the review. KATHERINE, Leave it to you to point out my flaws tear tear but I'm glad you think it's a good premise. I do let her get hurt though! She breaks many bones. I have been trying not to make her a Mary Sue, you really don't know how hard I have tried, and about the email I sent you, you should have known that I would leap to my story's defense. Hey be grateful I didn't do what I did to you when you changed my poem last year, Thanks for the review though and I will keep your suggestions in mind. Me, I'm sorry I didn't realize that that was a cliffhanger oops. Thanks for the review. Ivy Dragon, I like Thayet a lot. Shae was invited to take the dancing class, it isn't very important so I didn't describe it but that was what happened. She's a noble so it wouldn't have been improper or anything. Lady Redbird (cool name) that sucks that you couldn't read one of the chapters. I haven't said much about Old Magic yet (if people want I could write a short thing on what it is). Kalle Merci, tu es une de les deux qui a lit mon chapitre du premier d'avril. Passe un bon weekend. Zumamoonlight thanks for the review. Again to everyone sorry it took me so long to update. Read review and Enjoy (I hope). Thanks to all.
Chapter XIV: Remembrances
"So Princess," Falkin said with a mock bow. "How is your knight master treating you?" Zira laughed.
"Neal's fine. He's going through a phase of trying to get published again. All of the presses in the city are very polite but tell him no," she smiled, Neal was continuously trying either to get his poetry or his philosophy printed and kept getting turned down. Falkin laughed, and slapped the leather reins rhythmically on his hands, they walked on silently for a bit. Finally he looked at her.
"I traveled to Antitheos," he said quietly. She stopped dead, and her eyes grew wide. She hadn't gone home since she had come to Tortall, her mind flew back. She remembered the drought, and famine. She could almost feel the dust in her mouth.
"We have to do something," she heard Abi's frustrated voice. Her father's tired eyes looked at him.
"We can't," was her father's weary reply. "We need It, but Tortall will never give It up." Zira remembered that day well; she had been eight. She remembered her mother and father's haggard faces, and the fact that they hadn't had butter that evening. She remembered Abi's fierce expression and his vivacious seventeen-year-old features. She had looked at him and saw through the Old Magic, his dark purple gift crackling angrily. He had hated that gift, as powerful as it was, it meant that he would never rule. He had been strong, tall, handsome and intelligent, but still he felt cursed. His younger sister, who was barely eight, would always be above him. He had loved her, she was sure of that, but she also had been aware of resentment. He would never be king.
She remembered her mother kissing her father that night before they went to bed, and she remembered sneaking out of her room, bare feet padding on the cold alabaster floors. Her fingers still felt the smooth metal of the ornate doorknob, and her feet, the deep carpeting of Abi's room.
"Zira I have to get it," his eyes had been intense that night. She had nodded eyes wide.
"Yes," she had said, "then you can be king." He had smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Yes I want to be king, you know that, but I also want to end this drought." They had both looked out the window at this, looking at the grapevines, intertwined on his balcony; its leaves were wilted, and drooping. "I must end this drought." Zira nodded.
"I wish I could help you," she had put her head on his lap and he stroked her hair. "Abi," she had said quietly.
"What?" he had said looking down at his little sister, so small and delicate.
"I don't want to be queen," she had lifted her head and looked in his eyes. "Is it wrong of me not to want to be queen?"
"Zira?" She started; Falkin was looking at her strangely. She smiled wanly.
"Oh, I let myself think back," she shuddered. She had told Abi to steal It, but she knew he would have done it anyway. Falkin turned towards her.
"I never really believed it," he said. "Before I met you I couldn't let myself think anything good of Antitheans, let alone understand them. My brother," his voice broke on the word, he cleared his throat. "My brother, always told me not to blame people, but when he died I blamed the Antitheans. I thought How dare they try to steal something of ours, how dare they start a war where thousands of our soldiers died.' They were the enemy and it felt good to have a scapegoat. You helped me understand your people, but still it took going to your country and seeing what it is like there to make me fully understand. Tortall made a mistake. I see that now. I never was one to praise my country's politics, but I accepted that it was in the right." He trailed off. Zira smiled wryly.
"Neither country was fully right," she said. "There are no good guys no bad guys." She sighed. "Did you see my father?" she asked.
"Yes, he is very ill, but he sent you this letter," Falkin reached into his breast pocket and retrieved a piece of papyrus, folded over with the Antithean crest on a wax seal. She took it and placed it into her pocket. She smiled at him.
"Did you have any adventures, or did you just spend your time researching the political situations in different parts of the world." He punched her good-naturedly.
"I had some run ins with spidren and one particularly nasty hurrock, but other than that it was extremely tame."
"You sound disappointed," she laughed. He smiled
"Well yes I am, you always hear about how exciting the life of a knight is but actually the worst things I ran into were violent royalist who practically threw me out of their village when I described my political ideas." Zira laughed.
"I warned you," she said.
"Well I have to spread the idea somehow," he said with a shrug. Then he smiled. "I also learned how to knife fight while in Antitheos," he said. Zira raised and eyebrow skeptically.
"Oh did you now," she said with a smile.
"Yes," he said looking at her. "I learned it from the locals along the way."
"You didn't cut anyone's throat, I trust," she said with a mischievous smile.
"No."
"Well then lets see how good you are." He smiled.
"I don't know you were taught as a child,"
"What a full fledge knight, can't beat a squire, a very bad squire," she said teasingly.
"At her own game?" he asked dubiously. Then he brightened "Well, it isn't as if there's anyone watching if I disgrace myself."
"Good," she said. "I'm tired at being the worst in everything."
"Not everything," he reminded her as he picketed his horse. "Don't you remember the wall run." Zira laughed.
"How could I forget, the Stump was insufferable that day," she mimicked him. "'Don't worry if you can't keep up just try not to break anything today, Antitheos.' Oh yes I broke something but it wasn't my bones." She smiled thinking back to that day.
"How many times did you lap us?"
"I lapped the leaders once and the stragglers twice."
"You were as fast as a cat," he whistled. "It was quite a sight to see you up ahead of everyone else." She drew a circle in the dirt with her knife.
"Here," she said, tossing Falkin a knife from her boot. "Let's see how good you are." She stretched her fingers, and pulled her knife from her hair. They circled around each other carefully. Falkin lashed out. Zira smiled and danced out of reach of the sharp dagger. In one quick cat-like move she sliced through the ribbon tied around Falkin's neck.
"A touch," he said with a laugh. "In this sport it doesn't take brawn, just grace and speed. Two things I lack." Zira patted his shoulder with false sympathy.
"Don't worry, I was out of practice," she then ducked as his hand flew through the air.
"Let's see if you have gotten better at wrestling," he said jokingly.
"Mercy, mercy," she laugh hands outstretched in peace. They continued walking.
"There's the midsummer ball tomorrow night, right?" Falkin said.
"Yes," Zira said, despondently. Falkin ruffled her hair.
"Have you gotten scores of suitors lining up to be your partner?" Zira smiled wryly.
"Not a one."
"What?" Falkin said in surprise. "Well we will have to remedy that." He dramatically went down on one knee before her, and clasped her hand. "Will you go to the midsummer ball, with this humble knight." Zira laughed nervously, she felt faint. She tried to remember back, had Falkin ever held her hand before. She blushed
"Of course Sir Knight," she said, trying to sound as flippant as Falkin. She almost succeeded, but Falkin didn't notice.
"Good," he said. "It should be fun if I went with you. If we get bored we can always scandalize people by revealing the ins and outs of our political ideologies." Zira smiled weakly.
"I'm going with him," Zira thought over and over, looking up at the tall form beside her. Her smile widened.
"You know," he said suddenly, "I have traveled though six countries in the last two years but still you are the most intelligent person I have met."