Chapter Five: Disloyalty

The cool evening air flowing through the Temple compensated for all its many faults, including but not limited to candles, "ladies", and Daughters. Almost, but not quite content and carefree, Alceta walked through the familiar hallways as quickly as she could without actually breaking into a run. For that, the rigidly old-fashioned Daughters would most likely assign some new, just as outdated form of punishment. And none of the girls wanted to get their gorgeous white skirts dirty.

She jammed a sliver of metal into the lock on her door and twisted it until the pins clicked and the clasp was released. There was skill in her fingers yet, she smiled approvingly, that had not yet been robbed by the prick of needles. Obviously the lock on her own door was but a starting point from where she could continue if a need arose.

Letting her slender body fall onto the down mattresses, Alceta picked up a book and carelessly flipped through crisp white pages until she found the chapter titled "The Scanran Wars". The barbarians still fought wars against each other, and in this she was amused. Civilization had given up warfare decades ago for the greater good, except perhaps in economics or sciences. And that had been her role in life.

* * * * *

After knocking softly and receiving no response, Carole glided into Alceta's room and frowned at her relaxed posture. "You do know what they would say," she shook her head mockingly, "And you'd do better to avoid it."

Alceta sat bolt upright and looked upon her mentor in her sky blue eyes. "And so what if I do?" she demanded. "I'd lock my room…if I didn't know it was you."

"Of course." Carole cracked into a grin and clapped her pale hands together. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me with the mathematics, seeing you're the only one who understands any of it."

"But of course," Alceta curtsied haughtily, "I would be most pleased." She swept her skirt out and placed the papers on her desk, which was cluttered with quills, parchment, a multitude of books, and the metal puzzle. "Now, it's all about what you define the variable to be…"

* * * **

Half an hour later, she lay on her bed in the same posture as before, straight black hair swept over her face. Without thinking she gently blew the strands away and tucked them behind her ears. While Carole had left with a greater understanding of mathematics, she had been left with an overwhelming hunger for more. More than the Convent or anyone else here could give her. She wanted to see the Bertair supercomputers again, but even to be faced with the classic differentials would suffice. They would somehow inspire her to greatness, Alceta was sure, and it would be a greatness that no one had seen for ten years.

Alas, the future was gone and her pale features were molded into impassivity once more.

Soon she became restless and decided to begin the assignments, but when she reached for the mathematics, her hands gripped empty air. Alceta pressed her lips together, trying to remember why she would have placed it somewhere else. "Never would I…" she mused, and then jumped off the bed hastily. "Carole."

At first, she had expected to be able to find the girl's room quickly, but an unexpected facet of Convent life arose that she could not ignore. It would be socially, as well as emotionally, unacceptable to simply knock on doors until she chanced upon the right one. Each door was identical; the grain of the wood was perfectly even, and machines could have made the brass horseshoe doorknockers. And all were shut as well.

Alceta resigned herself to wandering up and down the hall while hoping for one of the doorways to open and a familiar redhead to pop out when a soft shriek sounded in one of the rooms and a horrified girl, apparently Kandella, dashed out. Curiously she entered but stepped back in confusion. There stood Carole, holding a half-filled glass of water in one hand, and around her were Taria and Elise, along with others whom she did not recognize. Yet no blood or any other bodily fluid had been spilled, and as far as she could see, nothing had been broken or damaged. But that was before Taria began her angry tirade.

"You clumsy little dolt," she snarled with none of her characteristic grace, "I don't know what in the Goddess's name made you do that. We came in minding our own business—"

"And you go and dump that cup of water right over Kandella," chimed in Elise, hands on her hips and furiously glaring at Carole, who couldn't seem to decide whether to shrink away and run or glare right back. Elise, however, complemented Taria so well that they could have been trained to support each other in times of need…or times of verbal assault.

The gentle smile on the brunette's face only outlined the thoughts that were running through her shallow but devious mind. "But of course, we won't report you for this. Just know that if it happens again, you'll be evicted from the Convent like you've always wanted too." Taria paused a moment, as if she were contemplating another matter entirely, like the star of a child-actress she had become in a single week. "And I think you should give me a gift for my kindness," her fingers trailed the edge of the writing desk, "like the book and assignments in mathematics?" They rested upon the heavy volume gracefully, and Alceta suddenly recognized it and stepped farther into the room.

"I do believe that would be mine," she remarked, extending a hand and waiting for the cool weight to fall upon it.

Though Taria was reluctant to give it up, she eventually slipped it into Alceta's waiting grasp. Alceta eyed them coolly, but without another word, turned her back, pointedly ignoring Carole's pleading expression that soon turned to resignation, and then an indescribable, primeval dagger-glare. No one had the right to expect such an alliance with her, especially not so soon…

* * * * *

Leaning against a wall outside, Alceta affixed her gaze to the closed door and folded her hands nervously. Presently, Taria shut the door behind her with a smug smile on her face that evaporated as soon as she spotted the dark-haired girl watching from the corner. Eyes met, neither willing to look away, until Taria finally spoke.

"Is there something you wish of me, Miss," she emphasized delicately, with the hint of a mocking sneer, "Alceta?"

"Merely a proposition, if you will," Alceta replied just as lightly and artificially. "Shall we seek the privacy of a room?" Taria spun around and opened her door just enough to enter. Instead of offering a chair, she stood with a hand on the doorknob, as though she were eager to fling this intruder out.

"Speak then, of this proposition."

"Quite simply, it comes to this. You have a weakness in mathematics," she ignored Taria's impatient foot-tapping, "and I would offer to give my personal experience in that subject for some knowledge of yours." Pausing for a moment, Alceta gave her a shy smile. "You could help me pick a dress for the celebration of the Equinox."

Taria crossed her arms behind her back and considered it for a few seconds. When she looked up again, the expression on her china features was uncertain. "Then never mind," shrugged Alceta. "We have never met in private, remember." She turned the handle of the door and nearly stuck a foot outside when Taria, who was a few inches taller, laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I never said no, did I?' she mused. "Consider us…close acquaintances, then. But don't go around telling people," she hurriedly continued, "since we're not allowed to ask for answers."

"Not a chance," Alceta smiled happily, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Yet when she turned around to leave, she wore a satisfied, not delighted smile.

* * * * *

Three long days and nights had passed since she had assumed a new identity in a new world, but Alceta could not and would not forget her past. The very sensation of light cotton swishing against her legs as she strolled reminded her daily that she was la fremulo, the foreigner; if she wasn't one, she never would have noticed. In spite of the constant internal unease, she had quickly learned to be like the other noble girls, to imitate the way they spoke, to join their noisy gossip sessions and at the same time, to maintain a cool, composed wall to the outside.

Or so she thought.

But court life, even at such a strict, simplistic place as the Temple of the Goddess, was not an exact science. Scandals and heroics abounded, as well as secret dealings and quiet kills. Always one could find an opportunity or a pitfall, and both were reflected in Carole's puzzled blue eyes…

AN: The words in italics are in Esperanto, the international language. I thought it would be appropriate for her to know that since she is from the future of one world, one nation…there'll be more of that later on.

l8er

-cybErdrAgOn