Chapter Three

Author's Note: I got reviews! I'm so happy. Keep it up, wonderful people!

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As Alberich walked into Teren's office, he took in the whole scene in a glance. Arenne was glaring mutinously at the floor, Lanai looked horribly bewildered, Teren looked tired and annoyed, and Bryen was spouting an arrogant tirade.

"Who are they that they should hit me?" The boy demanded, sneering. "Why on earth do you let these Karsite scum into the palace at all?"

Alberich almost smiled. This would be too easy. "I hope in this category you do not me include," He commented in a dangerous tone.

Bryen went white and spun around. "H - herald Alberich," he stuttered. "I - ah - oh - "

Alberich cut him off with a raised hand. "And as to who they are," He continued, "Arenne is a Herald Trainee - and as such she technically holds rank equal to yours - and her younger sister, Lanai, is the ward of the Colegium, and as such is under the guardianship of all Heralds, including several who outrank you."

If possible, Bryen went even paler.

Teren took back his authority. "Herald Alberich is absolutely correct," He informed the white Bryen. "But since you have already received a small punishment for your unprovoked and malicious bullying of Lanai," Teren gestured toward Bryen's rapidly darkening and swelling eye, "We will be lenient." Hope came to Bryen's face, and a slight return of his self confident smirk. "You will only be restricted to the palace complex for a fortnight."

Rage suffused Bryen's features. His older brother, Daryl, had taken to including him with his cronies' excursions into the city. Evidently being banned from this rankled. "My father will hear of this, you just see," he blustered.

"Despite your opinions to the contrary," Teren said bitingly, "Your father is nothing more than a minor lord. He would be far more likely to double this punishment in return for you jeopardising your chances at the palace." Teren stared at the shrinking boy for a long moment. "You may go."

As the boy fled, Alberich knelt down next to Arenne. "How did you hit him?" He asked. Arenne held up a clenched fist, a distinctly confused look on her face. Alberich gently moved her thumb from under her fingers onto the top of her fist. "Next time you decide to start battering a nobleman , hit them with your hand like this."

*

Shortly after the resulting warning not to get in trouble, Alberich escorted them to a part of the palace they had not seen before. He left them in a comfortable room, despite Lanai's entreaties and Arenne's wariness.

Soon, however, two other Heralds entered. :This is Herald Talia, and Queen Selenay,: Natan confided. Arenne smothered a gasp at the identity of the second woman. :Talia's very important too.:

"I told you we were going to meet the Queen," Lanai whispered.

"Hello," The Queen greeted them in slightly accented Karsite. "I don't often greet Trainees personally, but for Alberich's protegees, I'll make an exception." Arenne could sense from her tone that she and Alberich were very good friends. The two Heralds sat down on a sofa.

"You greeted me," Talia commented, again in Karsite. The entire palace seemed to know some snippet of the language.

"She's going to be a Sun-priestess," Lanai said to Arenne, looking at Talia. Arenne shushed her as the Queen began to speak again.

"I just thought I'd say that if you have any trouble - if anyone makes life difficult for you, you can come to me." Arenne did gasp this time. This seemed too bizarre to credit. "Or you can go to Talia if you can't find me. She'll help you get out of trouble." Talia smiled. She was younger than the queen, and her chestnut curls showed no sign of grey. "Don't let anyone prejudge you; being Karsite does not matter here." The Queen rose to leave, and Talia stood to follow her.

"Herald Talia," Lanai called as she was about to leave. Talia paused for a moment. Lanai smiled a happy smile. "It's a boy." As the door closed behind them, Arenne laughed and laughed at the utterly astonished look on Talia's face.

*

When Arenne returned to her room after a leisurely bath, she was surprised to see the lamps all off and the curtains wide. Through the windows shone a faint silvery light, moonlight on the snow. There was a silhouetted shape against the silver-stained glass.

"Lanai," Arenne asked. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking at the stars," The girl said. Arenne walked over and joined her on the window seat. "They're talking to me."

"What are they saying?" Arenne asked.

Lanai turned to look at her. Her pale blue eyes looked dark in the dim light, and they were wide and solemn. "They're telling me secrets." Lanai hugged her knees, gazing out the window again. "There's a Lady up there. Can you see her?"

Arenne nodded silently, sure she could almost see it, caught up, as always, in the story her sister was weaving.

"She's lonely," Lanai said sadly.

"Why?" Arenne asked in a whisper. She could almost believe what her sister was saying.

"She wasn't lonely, once." Lanai told her. "She and her Lord ruled two peoples, and they ruled together. But he was of the day, and she was of the night. They grew apart. His people began to fear the night. Her people remembered him, but she always came first. And so she's all alone." Lanai sighed. "But she won't be alone forever; someday she and her husband will rule together again."

Arenne gathered Lanai into her arms and sat there, staring out at the moonlit, starspangled sky, and thinking of the Lady who walked their, weeping for the daylight and the Lord who fled her coming.

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Author's Note: I know it's short. Sorry. I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this. Suggestions would be welcome.