All right. Finally, a chapter. And it only took - um, a long time. It's
sorta random sometimes, but oh well. Oh, and it anyone didn't get it - the
necklace? The one Aiven gives Laeliena at the end of the last chapter?
Everyone pull out your Ella Enchanted. It's the necklace that Ella gets
from her mother, the one Hattie takes. Yeah. (Happy birthday Dinah! Deena?
Dina? Diana? Well, you.^_^) Enjoy!
**************************************************************************** ****
Bast. The Golden Empire. City of Riches.
It was a huge, sprawling capital, far bigger than Cyri, and three, maybe four times the size of Lonyar, Sontái's capital. Three times the Bastian Emperor's had tried to build walls to contain their city, but it always kept growing. Now the walls contained different districts. Inside the first circle was the original size of the capital, as big as Lonyar, with palace and grounds, the nobles' district, the rich commoners and the famous market. Rich gardens and courtyards decorated this well kept center. Inside the second wall the middle class lived, with many more markets, inns and gambling places then the more aristocratic center. Beyond the second wall, contained by the third, was a mix of middle class cityfolk and different ethnic cultures who liked to live near each other in this great city. Beyond the last wall, it was anyone's guests, with dark twisting allies of the thieves mixed with opulent city homes of nobles who could not it within the first wall.
I stared down at what I could see of the city from atop the hill we had stopped at. I could make out the tall, splendid palace on the horizon, at the center of the city. Many turrets and balconies stuck out from it, in particular two graceful towers that arched high into the sky, connected by bridges.
Aiven brought his horse alongside Dewdrop as I drunk it all in. "Impressed?" he asked.
Before I had a chance to answer, a party of about two dozen thundered up to us. "Aiven!" cried the young man in the lead. "Imagine seeing you here," he said with a grin.
"Managed to escape Kavahtar, I see," Aiven said, leaning away from his horse to grasp the other youth's hand in welcome.
"Harder then you'd expect. I thought the old man would die on the spot and I'd have to safeguard his knowledge until his successor is found."
I looked at the newcomer, frowning. Something seemed familiar about him, a little bit different from everyone else . . . My eyes widened in realization and I could have hit myself at the obvious answer. He was a Seer - the familiar air he had was like Aiven - that of a not quite normal person. And Aiven had told me there would be a gathering of many Seers in Bast.
Aiven turned and gestured at me. Ah, so I hadn't been forgotten, I thought as I nudged Dewdrop up to them.
"I've brought a guest," Aiven said with a small grin on his face. "This is -" he hesitated, as if not sure how to explain me now that he'd brought me up. "Who we've been looking for," he said softly.
The other Seer started, staring at me. "You mean - Her daughter?" he asked, eyes never leaving my face. He looked absolutely stunned.
"Yes," Aiven said. "I found her."
The youth's look slowly turned to an expression I didn't recognize, but seemed to be a cross between awe and amusement. "Did you?" he said, hitting Aiven's shoulder. "Imagine that! Our warrior!" Aiven frowned at him, but the Seer only laughed.
I looked from Aiven to the other Seer in confusion, but Aiven just shook his head a little, so I swallowed my questions. For now.
The other Seer was laughing his head off at the moment, whether at me or at Aiven I wasn't quite sure. He looked like he would be awed if he could just stop laughing for a moment.
"Damslae," Mariva said from behind me, and giving Aiven and his friend a parting glare, I moved Dewdrop next to her mare. "Look at them," she told me, nodding towards a group of men and woman who had ridden up to meet us. Aiven immediately greeted them, and after a few words they surrounded us. My brows shot up. Exactly why did we need an armed guard when entering a friendly city?
Mariva giggled when I mentioned this. "They're an honor guard, silly," she said, hitting my shoulder. Oh. That DID make more sense.
I looked curiously around me as we rode through the different distracts of the city. As we neared the royal palace, our horses were taken away and we were separated into different groups. But when Mariva and I learned we were being split up, we stubbornly refused.
"But my ladies," the servant speaking to us said a little nervously faced with our defiant looks, "royalty always gathers in the southern wing, and the Lord Seer Aiven was most insistent that you," he nodded to me, "be placed in the Cavor'shin Tower."
"I'm only cousin to royalty, not actually royalty," Mariva protested, while at the same time I said, "Well, I'm sort of royalty as well. I mean, I am. A princess." The servant didn't understand a word either of us said, and just looked worriedly from one of us to the other.
Mariva sighed. "Well, we might as well just do what they want for now. We'll fix the arrangements tonight - I just have to complain to Tullon -"
"And I'll complain to Aiven," I finished, and we allowed to separate servants to show away.
***
Two towers rose in front of me, the ones I had seen from the hill, made of glistening white marble streaked with black. I stopped a moment to stare at them, the maid showing me to my temporary quarters continuing onwards. The peaked tips were capped in gold. The towers reached higher then any other part of the Bastian castle. Five bridges spanned the distance between the towers, made part of marble and part of thick, finely made glass. I could see people walking above them, far above my head.
"M'lady?" The maid had finally turned back to me and noticed my awe- struck gaze. Apparently used to the looks, she sighed and rattled off in a much repeated tone, "These are the Cavor'shin Towers, built half a millennia ago by King Cavor'shin the first. They are made of marble cut across the seas, and mages have cast spells of protection and defense on them - they are often called the Indestructible Towers. They are now used as guest quarters for important guests to the realm." With that, she began to walk towards the towers again, and I followed.
At the door the maid handed me over, like so much baggage, to another servant. With a bow, the man led me up a narrow, circular staircase in the center of the tower. We finally stopped at a doorway, my legs aching as I panted for breath. "I don't suppose," I gasped, wondering why they made honored guest climb the wretched thing, "that there's an easier way up."
"The Mage-Way, of course," the man responded, also out of breath. He looked like he wanted to collapse. "Most take it."
"Is there a reason we didn't?" I complained.
He gave me a startled look, probably not used to guests actually speaking - or surprised at my ignorance. "You must a Mage token, for permission."
I made a mental note to yell at Aiven about this when I saw him.
The servant let me into my room, then gave me the key. The room was tastefully and richly decorated in a soft purple hue, with a little table fountain on a - surprise - table. Its quiet burbling made a soothing noise. There was an elegant bed, large table, dresser, closet and two armchairs before a fireplace. A bookshelf stood against one wall, holding several different books, and on another wall was a view of the city. Looking down on it in the middle of the day, it was a huge, bustling place, but none of the noises or smells reached me in my room. Off through a side door there was a bathing chamber, complete with several different fragrances and thick white towel emblazed with the Emperor's crest.
It was the definition of "pleasant" and that unnerved me somewhat.
Aside from the fact that it was entirely too perfect, there was the fact that it didn't seem like Aiven would be here either. Where was he going to be? "I'll see you tonight," he'd said. It was early afternoon. Did he actually expect me to sit in my room all day?
I'd find Aiven, I decided, and he would tell me where Mariva was. Even if I had no idea how to find Aiven, it was better then sitting here doing nothing.
I left the room, hanging the key on a thread I pulled from the rug and hanging it around my neck, under my gown. Closing the door, I ventured up the stairs. I wasn't more then half way up yet, and though I didn't know what I was looking for I figured I'd find something.
I did. One door I passed was more elaborate then the others, with curling carvings on the frame. "Communal room" it said, and I pushed the door open.
"Excuse me," I said as I entered, almost knocking the door into what looked like a foreign noble. I moved away from the door and took the view in. The room was huge, taking up that entire level of the tower, excepting the core that was the staircase. The room was beautiful, with a creamy tiled stone floor and clusters of couches, tables, and bookshelves scattered about. Large windows afforded a magnificent view of the Emperor's castle, and the rest of the royal city. I stared at it a moment before gazing around the room for someone I knew, preferably Aiven.
The room felt like a ballroom, despite all the furniture. The airy style of everything, the richly dressed people talking, it all gave it an elegant feel. I slowly began to walk around the room, avoiding guests and the servants that circulated with platters of food and drinks. I must have walked around the room three times when one of the servants approached me.
He bowed slightly. "My lady," he said formally, "may I help you find something?"
Let me guess, I thought sarcastically, irritated that I hadn't found anyone, I'm ruining the atmosphere with my pacing. "I was looking for one of the Seers," I told him.
He kept his face masked, giving me another bow. "The Seers' keep their rooms in the second tower," he said politely, but firmly. I got the feeling he thought I was looking for a Seer to gain myself prestige and power if he became attached to me.
"Would you tell me how to get over there?" I asked, now slightly amused. To no surprise, he did the little bow again before he answered.
"My lady, the Seers wish not to be interrupted while they stay in their accommodations. If you wish to meet them, I can certainly give you a schedule of events of public ceremonies they will be present at . . ."
"Can you give one a message for me?"
He still bowed, but for a moment his eyes showed disapproval. "I am afraid they do not wish to be disturbed, my lady."
"Look, I came to Bast with a Seer, along with a prince and his cousin. And I really need to talk to the Seer right now. I won't be disturbing him, trust me. We've known each other for a while. Please, can I speak with him?"
"I am sorry, my lady, but without a Mage or Seer token no one is to be allowed entry to the second tower." He didn't bow.
I REALLY needed to get one of the tokens.
I left the communal room and went down the staircase, feeling annoyed. Down a few curves, a few more steps - I was at one of the doors I had noticed when I went up the stairs, a door to one of the bridges.
It was locked, to no surprise, and I had none of my old lockpicks with me. It probably would be locked with magic as well as mechanics, knowing my luck. Pointlessly, I tried to turn the doorknob, wondering if there was another way to the second tower.
Windows.
I looked over the idea in my head. There were windows on the tower, I knew that; if one was located looking down on the bridge I could climb out of it, crawl across the curved top of the walkway, and through a window on the other side. The height didn't bother me, nor did the danger; I had seen enough in Cyri to be used to them.
Still, it was very high. Did I *really* want to get to Aiven that badly?
Why not, I though a second later. It wasn't like I had anything else to do.
***
Several minutes later I was staring down at the walkway. The door to these rooms had been left unlocked, so it was easy to just walk in. The window was fairly large, with the walkway about four feet below it. I swallowed hard. The walkway itself was made of marble, but its side and top were curved glass, and probably not made to be walked on. The distance between the two towers seemed abnormally long, and the ground was very, very far away, with ant-like humans walking around, oblivious.
I am such a stubborn idiot, I thought, swinging my legs over the windowsill. I centered my weight on the glass, and slowly slid my hands down the side of the building as I moved to a crouching position. On all fours, I turned myself around and slowly began to inch across the glass roof. The slippery, domed, extremely high up glass roof. The sweat on my hands made them slip on the glass. I looked down, mesmerized at the sight of the small houses and people below me. It wasn't so bad when I wasn't moving; it was the moving I had a problem with.
I gasped when I saw a person leave the second tower and head across on the bridge. Don't look up, I prayed. Don't look up, don't look up. One glance through the clear roof and I was doomed. I watched the man as he made his way across the bridge, stopping to admire the view. Thankfully, he did not look upwards. As soon as he was gone, I dragged myself forwards again, crawling to the other side. I slowly stood up, grabbed onto a window above me. My hands were shaking as I fumbled with the lock. Steadying my hands through sheer willpower, I managed to open it, and hauled myself into the room. I collapsed in a heap, breathing hard.
"Well," I said aloud, "that wasn't too bad." I managed a shaky smile, checked my dress in a conveniently placed mirror, and strolled out of the room like I had every right to be there.
I walked down the circular staircase, with no idea where I was walking. After awhile, I reached an elaborate door reading "Audience chamber." The door was open, and I slipped quietly into the chamber, my slippered feet making no noise as I crept along the walls. I quickly ducked below a conveniently out of the way table with it's cloth reaching the ground. Then I closed my eyes and recalled what I had just seen.
I was in a circular room; the Bastian architects seemed to enjoy circles. However, this room was domed, the ceiling painted with pictures depicting the founding of the Bastian Empire and it's first ruler. Quietly, I lay down under the table and opened my eyes, pushing my head out from under the table, right next to a wall. I stared up at the small section of ceiling that I could see. The painting was extremely detailed, each depicted jewel shining with painted sunlight. The entire ceiling shone slightly, as if it was pained glass the sun shone through, instead of a painted ceiling with many more layers above it.
I withdrew under the table again, and focused on calling to mind the rest of the room. I drew my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. In the center of the room there was a round table on a slightly raised dais. About twenty seats sat around it, filled with man all dressed in silver robes identical to Aiven's. Around the table, more chairs were gathered, men sitting in all places. I estimated there were about seventy men in the room. I had no doubt that they were all Seers, though I wondered briefly why no royalty was present. Then I concentrated on their words.
"The rest of us will be arriving within a week," a light baritone voice said. The owner of the voice sounded about Aiven's age. "Emperor Sair will be giving us the second largest audience chamber when the rest are here. In a tenday we will all gather for our first meeting. We will be joined by our royalty the day after. Please inform your royals of all important decisions. The Seer's Council will meet in five days." He paused a moment. "The reason we are together now is because Aiven of Sontái has something to discuss."
There was a scrape of chair and a rustling of fabric; someone - Aiven - was standing up, and the others were probably turning to look at him. "Well, Sontái? What's so important you have to immediately inform everyone, not wait another second?" someone asked sarcastically.
"More important than anything you've discovered," Aiven returned. I choked back laughter at their childish exchange.
"Really. Go ahead."
I could practically see Aiven glaring at the other Seer.
"I've found the daughter of the Eternal Lah'nayin," Aiven said meaningfully. To say the room went silent was an under exaggeration. Forget a pin; you could have heard a feather dropped.
Finally the leader spoke. "Thank the Lady," he said, voice trembling a little. When he continued, I could hear a smile in his voice. "Who would have thought *you* would find her, Aiven?" I heard several soft laughs, and snickers. I raised my eyebrows, wondering what the was about,
"So maybe I was an unlikely one to find her. But I did."
The room was silent again, until a new voice murmured, "A street rat from Cyri almost forced to become the bride of Yvonhe's prince. Daughter of a goddess, beautiful as Annoia. The single person who can save us or destroy us, if she does not try to leave us first. In your care." I heard several strangled laughs. "Found, by you, the one Seer who would rather be on the battlefield, who resisted his destiny, who denounced the daughter of the Eternal Lah'nayin, who said we did not need her - you're now her protector."
He denounced me? I thought, surprised. I heard the voices increase as everyone tried to make themselves heard. Suddenly they all stopped, and everyone was silent for a minute before Aiven spoke, voice steely. "What I said of her before does not matter. Besides," and his voice turned darkly amused, "don't you want to know her name?"
"We'll bite, Aiven," drawled the Seer from before. "What is she called?"
"Her name," Aiven said grimly, "is Laeliena."
The shocked silence lasted a quarter of a second before a babbling of confused and excited voices broke out, rising to an ear-throbbing crescendo before the Seer in charge thundered, "Enough!" The room was instantly ruled by silence, and the hosting Seer growled in a low voice, "Explain."
"The vision never gave me her name," Aiven said seriously, "so when she gave me a false name, I had no reason to disbelieve her. We met with an old acquaintance of hers who called her Laeliena. That night, I summoned a Seeing." A low murmur circulated the room. "She is indeed Laeliena, along with the Eternal Lah'nayin's daughter."
The room was collectively awed. I shifted uncomfortably under my table, wondering exactly what all these high-ranking Seers expected of me, and wondering if I was capable of doing all of it. What exactly was I?
"How is that possible?" someone asked in desperation. "You must be mistaken! She cannot -"
"Fjorln." This was the hosting Seer. "Aiven has never - never - incorrectly scryed. His blood makes that impossible, as you well know."
I stifled a groan. This was confusing me even more. What did Aiven's blood have anything to do with anything? Weren't his family farmers?
"This does complicate things," the Seer continued. "We did not expect the princess for another four hundred years. It seems the girl will have more distractions then we expected, being the princess."
"She has her own war to fight," another Seer said. "Princess Laeliena will be - has been - born to re-create her country of magical beings."
"Then we can use that to convince her to stay on our side," the Seer in charge said firmly. "If we promise to help her take her country back when our war is over, she will hopefully stay with us."
"I'm not sure that will assure her help," Aiven broke in. "She has no memory as princess -"
"What?!" a few voice cried out. I frowned. Was I supposed to remember another lifetime?
"Meeting disjoined," the head Seer said. "We are allowing ourselves to become to riled to speak properly. You will be informed at the Assembly in s tenday when this information is better understood. Good day."
There was a murmuring of farewells and a scraping of chairs and feet as everyone began to exit the room. All the Seers were talking in excited, high voices, and everything I heard concerned my name - or one of them. Finally the hall seemed empty.
"By the First Seer, Aiven!" exclaimed the head Seer, sounding much younger and excited now that he and Aiven were alone. "You found her! YOU! Hah!" There was a noise that sounded suspiciously like a punch on the arm. "Hello, warrior, you've found the most important girl in the world - excusing my love, of course - and you didn't want to!" I grinned. The head Seer seemed to have no restraints about making fun of Aiven when he had no one he was supposed to be a leader to around.
"Thanks, friend," Aiven said sourly. "I didn't go looking for her, you know, like the rest of you were doing. It just -sort of - happened."
"And what else 'just -sort of - happened'?" the Seer said in a teasing voice, and I heard another thump as something was hit.
"Nothing," Aiven said, laughing. "*I* know she's off-limits."
"Oh, give in. She's supposed to be the most beautiful girl in the world."
"Well, she's certainly the most temperamental." I rolled my eyes. Would it kill Aiven to admit I was pretty?
Though I'd admit saying I was the most beautiful girl in the world might be a little much.
"She can't be that bad," Aiven's friend protested with a laugh.
"You haven't met her," Aiven said darkly, and I felt a twinge somewhere around my heart that I chose to ignore. Since when did I care what Aiven thought about me? I thought defiantly, then immediately thought, don't answer that.
"Yes, she's beautiful," Aiven continued, "and she's spirited and independent as well. Far more then any of us were expecting. As for disposition, I'd say it's more along the fiery lines we expected for the Princess Laeliena then the docile girl we were hoping to be Her daughter. And she has a temper, Corln," he warned. "Not to mention she has no qualms about stealing things. She was a thief, for the Lady's sake - it's in her nature to betray and backstab!"
I couldn't take it any longer. I rolled out from under my table and quickly unfolded to my feet. "I didn't know you thought so little of me, *warrior*," I spat, shaking with anger. I had no idea what the "warrior thing meant, but several people had alluded to it before.
Both of the Seers spun around to stare at me, faces draining of color. "*First Seer*," Seer Corln swore shakily. Aiven didn't say anything. I raised my brows, waiting for something, anything - though preferably an "I'm sorry." He didn't say anything.
"Wanted me to be docile, did you?" I asked angrily. "Well I'm not. Wanted to force me to help you? What happened to just ASKING? Think I betray and backstab, Aiven?" I asked softly, whole body quivering. My hands were clenching and unclenching at my sides as I stared at Aiven in anger. "Think once a thief, always a thief? If that's the way you view me, fine," I said, voice shaky but slowly rising in volume, "but you can fine someone ELSE to fight your *damn war*!" With that, I spun and marched from the room, barely hearing Corln moan and say, "this is exactly what we wanted to *prevent* from happening!"
**************************************************************************** ****
Bast. The Golden Empire. City of Riches.
It was a huge, sprawling capital, far bigger than Cyri, and three, maybe four times the size of Lonyar, Sontái's capital. Three times the Bastian Emperor's had tried to build walls to contain their city, but it always kept growing. Now the walls contained different districts. Inside the first circle was the original size of the capital, as big as Lonyar, with palace and grounds, the nobles' district, the rich commoners and the famous market. Rich gardens and courtyards decorated this well kept center. Inside the second wall the middle class lived, with many more markets, inns and gambling places then the more aristocratic center. Beyond the second wall, contained by the third, was a mix of middle class cityfolk and different ethnic cultures who liked to live near each other in this great city. Beyond the last wall, it was anyone's guests, with dark twisting allies of the thieves mixed with opulent city homes of nobles who could not it within the first wall.
I stared down at what I could see of the city from atop the hill we had stopped at. I could make out the tall, splendid palace on the horizon, at the center of the city. Many turrets and balconies stuck out from it, in particular two graceful towers that arched high into the sky, connected by bridges.
Aiven brought his horse alongside Dewdrop as I drunk it all in. "Impressed?" he asked.
Before I had a chance to answer, a party of about two dozen thundered up to us. "Aiven!" cried the young man in the lead. "Imagine seeing you here," he said with a grin.
"Managed to escape Kavahtar, I see," Aiven said, leaning away from his horse to grasp the other youth's hand in welcome.
"Harder then you'd expect. I thought the old man would die on the spot and I'd have to safeguard his knowledge until his successor is found."
I looked at the newcomer, frowning. Something seemed familiar about him, a little bit different from everyone else . . . My eyes widened in realization and I could have hit myself at the obvious answer. He was a Seer - the familiar air he had was like Aiven - that of a not quite normal person. And Aiven had told me there would be a gathering of many Seers in Bast.
Aiven turned and gestured at me. Ah, so I hadn't been forgotten, I thought as I nudged Dewdrop up to them.
"I've brought a guest," Aiven said with a small grin on his face. "This is -" he hesitated, as if not sure how to explain me now that he'd brought me up. "Who we've been looking for," he said softly.
The other Seer started, staring at me. "You mean - Her daughter?" he asked, eyes never leaving my face. He looked absolutely stunned.
"Yes," Aiven said. "I found her."
The youth's look slowly turned to an expression I didn't recognize, but seemed to be a cross between awe and amusement. "Did you?" he said, hitting Aiven's shoulder. "Imagine that! Our warrior!" Aiven frowned at him, but the Seer only laughed.
I looked from Aiven to the other Seer in confusion, but Aiven just shook his head a little, so I swallowed my questions. For now.
The other Seer was laughing his head off at the moment, whether at me or at Aiven I wasn't quite sure. He looked like he would be awed if he could just stop laughing for a moment.
"Damslae," Mariva said from behind me, and giving Aiven and his friend a parting glare, I moved Dewdrop next to her mare. "Look at them," she told me, nodding towards a group of men and woman who had ridden up to meet us. Aiven immediately greeted them, and after a few words they surrounded us. My brows shot up. Exactly why did we need an armed guard when entering a friendly city?
Mariva giggled when I mentioned this. "They're an honor guard, silly," she said, hitting my shoulder. Oh. That DID make more sense.
I looked curiously around me as we rode through the different distracts of the city. As we neared the royal palace, our horses were taken away and we were separated into different groups. But when Mariva and I learned we were being split up, we stubbornly refused.
"But my ladies," the servant speaking to us said a little nervously faced with our defiant looks, "royalty always gathers in the southern wing, and the Lord Seer Aiven was most insistent that you," he nodded to me, "be placed in the Cavor'shin Tower."
"I'm only cousin to royalty, not actually royalty," Mariva protested, while at the same time I said, "Well, I'm sort of royalty as well. I mean, I am. A princess." The servant didn't understand a word either of us said, and just looked worriedly from one of us to the other.
Mariva sighed. "Well, we might as well just do what they want for now. We'll fix the arrangements tonight - I just have to complain to Tullon -"
"And I'll complain to Aiven," I finished, and we allowed to separate servants to show away.
***
Two towers rose in front of me, the ones I had seen from the hill, made of glistening white marble streaked with black. I stopped a moment to stare at them, the maid showing me to my temporary quarters continuing onwards. The peaked tips were capped in gold. The towers reached higher then any other part of the Bastian castle. Five bridges spanned the distance between the towers, made part of marble and part of thick, finely made glass. I could see people walking above them, far above my head.
"M'lady?" The maid had finally turned back to me and noticed my awe- struck gaze. Apparently used to the looks, she sighed and rattled off in a much repeated tone, "These are the Cavor'shin Towers, built half a millennia ago by King Cavor'shin the first. They are made of marble cut across the seas, and mages have cast spells of protection and defense on them - they are often called the Indestructible Towers. They are now used as guest quarters for important guests to the realm." With that, she began to walk towards the towers again, and I followed.
At the door the maid handed me over, like so much baggage, to another servant. With a bow, the man led me up a narrow, circular staircase in the center of the tower. We finally stopped at a doorway, my legs aching as I panted for breath. "I don't suppose," I gasped, wondering why they made honored guest climb the wretched thing, "that there's an easier way up."
"The Mage-Way, of course," the man responded, also out of breath. He looked like he wanted to collapse. "Most take it."
"Is there a reason we didn't?" I complained.
He gave me a startled look, probably not used to guests actually speaking - or surprised at my ignorance. "You must a Mage token, for permission."
I made a mental note to yell at Aiven about this when I saw him.
The servant let me into my room, then gave me the key. The room was tastefully and richly decorated in a soft purple hue, with a little table fountain on a - surprise - table. Its quiet burbling made a soothing noise. There was an elegant bed, large table, dresser, closet and two armchairs before a fireplace. A bookshelf stood against one wall, holding several different books, and on another wall was a view of the city. Looking down on it in the middle of the day, it was a huge, bustling place, but none of the noises or smells reached me in my room. Off through a side door there was a bathing chamber, complete with several different fragrances and thick white towel emblazed with the Emperor's crest.
It was the definition of "pleasant" and that unnerved me somewhat.
Aside from the fact that it was entirely too perfect, there was the fact that it didn't seem like Aiven would be here either. Where was he going to be? "I'll see you tonight," he'd said. It was early afternoon. Did he actually expect me to sit in my room all day?
I'd find Aiven, I decided, and he would tell me where Mariva was. Even if I had no idea how to find Aiven, it was better then sitting here doing nothing.
I left the room, hanging the key on a thread I pulled from the rug and hanging it around my neck, under my gown. Closing the door, I ventured up the stairs. I wasn't more then half way up yet, and though I didn't know what I was looking for I figured I'd find something.
I did. One door I passed was more elaborate then the others, with curling carvings on the frame. "Communal room" it said, and I pushed the door open.
"Excuse me," I said as I entered, almost knocking the door into what looked like a foreign noble. I moved away from the door and took the view in. The room was huge, taking up that entire level of the tower, excepting the core that was the staircase. The room was beautiful, with a creamy tiled stone floor and clusters of couches, tables, and bookshelves scattered about. Large windows afforded a magnificent view of the Emperor's castle, and the rest of the royal city. I stared at it a moment before gazing around the room for someone I knew, preferably Aiven.
The room felt like a ballroom, despite all the furniture. The airy style of everything, the richly dressed people talking, it all gave it an elegant feel. I slowly began to walk around the room, avoiding guests and the servants that circulated with platters of food and drinks. I must have walked around the room three times when one of the servants approached me.
He bowed slightly. "My lady," he said formally, "may I help you find something?"
Let me guess, I thought sarcastically, irritated that I hadn't found anyone, I'm ruining the atmosphere with my pacing. "I was looking for one of the Seers," I told him.
He kept his face masked, giving me another bow. "The Seers' keep their rooms in the second tower," he said politely, but firmly. I got the feeling he thought I was looking for a Seer to gain myself prestige and power if he became attached to me.
"Would you tell me how to get over there?" I asked, now slightly amused. To no surprise, he did the little bow again before he answered.
"My lady, the Seers wish not to be interrupted while they stay in their accommodations. If you wish to meet them, I can certainly give you a schedule of events of public ceremonies they will be present at . . ."
"Can you give one a message for me?"
He still bowed, but for a moment his eyes showed disapproval. "I am afraid they do not wish to be disturbed, my lady."
"Look, I came to Bast with a Seer, along with a prince and his cousin. And I really need to talk to the Seer right now. I won't be disturbing him, trust me. We've known each other for a while. Please, can I speak with him?"
"I am sorry, my lady, but without a Mage or Seer token no one is to be allowed entry to the second tower." He didn't bow.
I REALLY needed to get one of the tokens.
I left the communal room and went down the staircase, feeling annoyed. Down a few curves, a few more steps - I was at one of the doors I had noticed when I went up the stairs, a door to one of the bridges.
It was locked, to no surprise, and I had none of my old lockpicks with me. It probably would be locked with magic as well as mechanics, knowing my luck. Pointlessly, I tried to turn the doorknob, wondering if there was another way to the second tower.
Windows.
I looked over the idea in my head. There were windows on the tower, I knew that; if one was located looking down on the bridge I could climb out of it, crawl across the curved top of the walkway, and through a window on the other side. The height didn't bother me, nor did the danger; I had seen enough in Cyri to be used to them.
Still, it was very high. Did I *really* want to get to Aiven that badly?
Why not, I though a second later. It wasn't like I had anything else to do.
***
Several minutes later I was staring down at the walkway. The door to these rooms had been left unlocked, so it was easy to just walk in. The window was fairly large, with the walkway about four feet below it. I swallowed hard. The walkway itself was made of marble, but its side and top were curved glass, and probably not made to be walked on. The distance between the two towers seemed abnormally long, and the ground was very, very far away, with ant-like humans walking around, oblivious.
I am such a stubborn idiot, I thought, swinging my legs over the windowsill. I centered my weight on the glass, and slowly slid my hands down the side of the building as I moved to a crouching position. On all fours, I turned myself around and slowly began to inch across the glass roof. The slippery, domed, extremely high up glass roof. The sweat on my hands made them slip on the glass. I looked down, mesmerized at the sight of the small houses and people below me. It wasn't so bad when I wasn't moving; it was the moving I had a problem with.
I gasped when I saw a person leave the second tower and head across on the bridge. Don't look up, I prayed. Don't look up, don't look up. One glance through the clear roof and I was doomed. I watched the man as he made his way across the bridge, stopping to admire the view. Thankfully, he did not look upwards. As soon as he was gone, I dragged myself forwards again, crawling to the other side. I slowly stood up, grabbed onto a window above me. My hands were shaking as I fumbled with the lock. Steadying my hands through sheer willpower, I managed to open it, and hauled myself into the room. I collapsed in a heap, breathing hard.
"Well," I said aloud, "that wasn't too bad." I managed a shaky smile, checked my dress in a conveniently placed mirror, and strolled out of the room like I had every right to be there.
I walked down the circular staircase, with no idea where I was walking. After awhile, I reached an elaborate door reading "Audience chamber." The door was open, and I slipped quietly into the chamber, my slippered feet making no noise as I crept along the walls. I quickly ducked below a conveniently out of the way table with it's cloth reaching the ground. Then I closed my eyes and recalled what I had just seen.
I was in a circular room; the Bastian architects seemed to enjoy circles. However, this room was domed, the ceiling painted with pictures depicting the founding of the Bastian Empire and it's first ruler. Quietly, I lay down under the table and opened my eyes, pushing my head out from under the table, right next to a wall. I stared up at the small section of ceiling that I could see. The painting was extremely detailed, each depicted jewel shining with painted sunlight. The entire ceiling shone slightly, as if it was pained glass the sun shone through, instead of a painted ceiling with many more layers above it.
I withdrew under the table again, and focused on calling to mind the rest of the room. I drew my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. In the center of the room there was a round table on a slightly raised dais. About twenty seats sat around it, filled with man all dressed in silver robes identical to Aiven's. Around the table, more chairs were gathered, men sitting in all places. I estimated there were about seventy men in the room. I had no doubt that they were all Seers, though I wondered briefly why no royalty was present. Then I concentrated on their words.
"The rest of us will be arriving within a week," a light baritone voice said. The owner of the voice sounded about Aiven's age. "Emperor Sair will be giving us the second largest audience chamber when the rest are here. In a tenday we will all gather for our first meeting. We will be joined by our royalty the day after. Please inform your royals of all important decisions. The Seer's Council will meet in five days." He paused a moment. "The reason we are together now is because Aiven of Sontái has something to discuss."
There was a scrape of chair and a rustling of fabric; someone - Aiven - was standing up, and the others were probably turning to look at him. "Well, Sontái? What's so important you have to immediately inform everyone, not wait another second?" someone asked sarcastically.
"More important than anything you've discovered," Aiven returned. I choked back laughter at their childish exchange.
"Really. Go ahead."
I could practically see Aiven glaring at the other Seer.
"I've found the daughter of the Eternal Lah'nayin," Aiven said meaningfully. To say the room went silent was an under exaggeration. Forget a pin; you could have heard a feather dropped.
Finally the leader spoke. "Thank the Lady," he said, voice trembling a little. When he continued, I could hear a smile in his voice. "Who would have thought *you* would find her, Aiven?" I heard several soft laughs, and snickers. I raised my eyebrows, wondering what the was about,
"So maybe I was an unlikely one to find her. But I did."
The room was silent again, until a new voice murmured, "A street rat from Cyri almost forced to become the bride of Yvonhe's prince. Daughter of a goddess, beautiful as Annoia. The single person who can save us or destroy us, if she does not try to leave us first. In your care." I heard several strangled laughs. "Found, by you, the one Seer who would rather be on the battlefield, who resisted his destiny, who denounced the daughter of the Eternal Lah'nayin, who said we did not need her - you're now her protector."
He denounced me? I thought, surprised. I heard the voices increase as everyone tried to make themselves heard. Suddenly they all stopped, and everyone was silent for a minute before Aiven spoke, voice steely. "What I said of her before does not matter. Besides," and his voice turned darkly amused, "don't you want to know her name?"
"We'll bite, Aiven," drawled the Seer from before. "What is she called?"
"Her name," Aiven said grimly, "is Laeliena."
The shocked silence lasted a quarter of a second before a babbling of confused and excited voices broke out, rising to an ear-throbbing crescendo before the Seer in charge thundered, "Enough!" The room was instantly ruled by silence, and the hosting Seer growled in a low voice, "Explain."
"The vision never gave me her name," Aiven said seriously, "so when she gave me a false name, I had no reason to disbelieve her. We met with an old acquaintance of hers who called her Laeliena. That night, I summoned a Seeing." A low murmur circulated the room. "She is indeed Laeliena, along with the Eternal Lah'nayin's daughter."
The room was collectively awed. I shifted uncomfortably under my table, wondering exactly what all these high-ranking Seers expected of me, and wondering if I was capable of doing all of it. What exactly was I?
"How is that possible?" someone asked in desperation. "You must be mistaken! She cannot -"
"Fjorln." This was the hosting Seer. "Aiven has never - never - incorrectly scryed. His blood makes that impossible, as you well know."
I stifled a groan. This was confusing me even more. What did Aiven's blood have anything to do with anything? Weren't his family farmers?
"This does complicate things," the Seer continued. "We did not expect the princess for another four hundred years. It seems the girl will have more distractions then we expected, being the princess."
"She has her own war to fight," another Seer said. "Princess Laeliena will be - has been - born to re-create her country of magical beings."
"Then we can use that to convince her to stay on our side," the Seer in charge said firmly. "If we promise to help her take her country back when our war is over, she will hopefully stay with us."
"I'm not sure that will assure her help," Aiven broke in. "She has no memory as princess -"
"What?!" a few voice cried out. I frowned. Was I supposed to remember another lifetime?
"Meeting disjoined," the head Seer said. "We are allowing ourselves to become to riled to speak properly. You will be informed at the Assembly in s tenday when this information is better understood. Good day."
There was a murmuring of farewells and a scraping of chairs and feet as everyone began to exit the room. All the Seers were talking in excited, high voices, and everything I heard concerned my name - or one of them. Finally the hall seemed empty.
"By the First Seer, Aiven!" exclaimed the head Seer, sounding much younger and excited now that he and Aiven were alone. "You found her! YOU! Hah!" There was a noise that sounded suspiciously like a punch on the arm. "Hello, warrior, you've found the most important girl in the world - excusing my love, of course - and you didn't want to!" I grinned. The head Seer seemed to have no restraints about making fun of Aiven when he had no one he was supposed to be a leader to around.
"Thanks, friend," Aiven said sourly. "I didn't go looking for her, you know, like the rest of you were doing. It just -sort of - happened."
"And what else 'just -sort of - happened'?" the Seer said in a teasing voice, and I heard another thump as something was hit.
"Nothing," Aiven said, laughing. "*I* know she's off-limits."
"Oh, give in. She's supposed to be the most beautiful girl in the world."
"Well, she's certainly the most temperamental." I rolled my eyes. Would it kill Aiven to admit I was pretty?
Though I'd admit saying I was the most beautiful girl in the world might be a little much.
"She can't be that bad," Aiven's friend protested with a laugh.
"You haven't met her," Aiven said darkly, and I felt a twinge somewhere around my heart that I chose to ignore. Since when did I care what Aiven thought about me? I thought defiantly, then immediately thought, don't answer that.
"Yes, she's beautiful," Aiven continued, "and she's spirited and independent as well. Far more then any of us were expecting. As for disposition, I'd say it's more along the fiery lines we expected for the Princess Laeliena then the docile girl we were hoping to be Her daughter. And she has a temper, Corln," he warned. "Not to mention she has no qualms about stealing things. She was a thief, for the Lady's sake - it's in her nature to betray and backstab!"
I couldn't take it any longer. I rolled out from under my table and quickly unfolded to my feet. "I didn't know you thought so little of me, *warrior*," I spat, shaking with anger. I had no idea what the "warrior thing meant, but several people had alluded to it before.
Both of the Seers spun around to stare at me, faces draining of color. "*First Seer*," Seer Corln swore shakily. Aiven didn't say anything. I raised my brows, waiting for something, anything - though preferably an "I'm sorry." He didn't say anything.
"Wanted me to be docile, did you?" I asked angrily. "Well I'm not. Wanted to force me to help you? What happened to just ASKING? Think I betray and backstab, Aiven?" I asked softly, whole body quivering. My hands were clenching and unclenching at my sides as I stared at Aiven in anger. "Think once a thief, always a thief? If that's the way you view me, fine," I said, voice shaky but slowly rising in volume, "but you can fine someone ELSE to fight your *damn war*!" With that, I spun and marched from the room, barely hearing Corln moan and say, "this is exactly what we wanted to *prevent* from happening!"
