Sunrunner's Fate
Chapter Two
Quietly, Andrade slipped out of the room, closing the door silently behind her. She was glad to be home, but sometimes Milar was impossible. Andrade had found that a good solution was to quietly absent herself from wherever Milar was at that time. Rude it might be, but she had never been good at being polite, and at least Milar got her point when she did that.
It was hard, sometimes, to be around Milar too much. Andrade had known for ten years that she would never be beautiful, that her twin sister had all the luck where looks were concerned. At the moment, with her father contemplating the chances for his daughters in the marriage market, Andrade found it almost unbearable to sit and stand quietly next to the sister who would sweep every single man she met off his feet with a mere glance from her blue eyes. It was likewise impossible to not see herself in that picture a moment later, trailing in Milar's shadow, with not a glance thrown her way. Andrade bit her lip as the image entered her mind.
Truly, she scolded herself, it should not come as such a surprise! It's probably a good thing I'm the one who turned out to be faradhi. I wouldn't get far questing for a husband - I'm not even sure I want one - and Milar will do much better as some man's wife than I would.
The thoughts were true, but they did not stop her heart from giving an involuntary twist at the thought of her coming humiliation. Once her father made it known that his two daughters were ready for marriage, suitors would come to Catha Freehold, and then the unpleasant image prevalent in her mind would come true.
Thinking of visions drew Andrade's mind inexorably to the vision she had seen by the Womantree when she was sixteen, three years ago. As always, an icy shiver raced up and down her spine as the unknown man's face blotted out the picture that had been in her mind before. Andrade gripped the sconce on the wall that held a torch, not caring that the metal sconce bit into her palms and pressed her Sunrunner rings into her fingers. She wondered who the man was, and whether or not she was doing whatever would keep her out of his grasp. Don't live life in fear of him, she warned herself, remembering the Lord of Goddess Keep's words to her three years ago, but the words were very faint in her head next to the much more real image of that man's face.
Suddenly Andrade tore her hands away from the wall sconce. She had not looked for the man on the sunlight. In fact, she had only just received her ring for being able to do such a thing, and this was the first time the thought had entered her mind. Andrade snatched her skirts in both hands and ran for a tower, any tower where the sun reached.
She was in luck. Close to her room was a small tower directly in the path of the noonday sun. Wondering with half her mind if the location of her room had been chosen for the convenience of this tower, Andrade ran up the stairs leading to the top and burst out onto the parapet. The sunlight called to her, teasing her, asking her why she had not called on them before for help.
Andrade smiled at its silent implications and raised her hands. Her rings sparkled as she wove the sunlight with utmost care and sent her mind out onto it. The sunlight showed her Catha Freehold, the golden sands of the Desert, and the disputed island of Kierst-Isel. It wandered over Princemarch and flew to the other side of the continent, but Andrade did not see any man with the face from her vision. I suppose it's a blessing, she thought. At least I don't have to look at him yet.
But she did not withdraw from the sunlight. The feeling of riding the light was exhilarating, and she caught her breath and leaped with it, plunging and jumping everywhere it reached, giving herself momentarily to the joy of the sun. She wondered briefly what it would be like to stay one with the light forever - and then she remembered that she could so easily be shadow- lost that she turned and started quickly back to her body.
Her path took her over the roads from Princemarch to Catha Freehold, and as she went briskly along the sunlight, she caught sight of a train of people making their way to her home as she was. Here comes the first suitor, Andrade thought, and on a whim dived down the sunlight to see who aspired to her hand or Milar's.
It was a huge train. There were two large wooden carts full of gifts in the middle, and many people in fine clothes rode before, after, and around it, along with the servants. Andrade was impressed in spite of herself as she looked at the finely-clothed riders. One of these was her prospective suitor, and it would be to her benefit to know who he was. She scanned and discarded ten men before she found the eleventh - and her heart nearly stopped with fear and dread. She knew that face - or rather, she knew what it would look like in about thirty years. She recognized the eyes, the mouth that could so easily curl into a sneer that would send chills down her spine and along her flesh. This was the man from her vision three years ago, the man who fate would have her marry and hate.
Andrade flew back along the sunlight to her body, and reentered it with a gasp and a jolt. It could not be coming true! It could not be; after all this time, he was coming to claim her, his destined prize. Not when she had fought against the mere thought of him for three years, not when the vision that had made her cold in the pine grove was all too vivid before her eyes. Andrade clenched her hands into fists. He was a day away from Catha Freehold at the most.
In one day she would have to meet her fate and make the decisions that could cast her away from that path forever or draw her inexorably onto it.
Her mind went blank, and the stones on the floor rushed to meet her.
***
"Andrade? Andrade, wake up!" She knew that voice. It was Milar, sounding utterly panicked. "Oh, Andrade, please wake up!" her twin pleaded. Her hands touched Andrade's shoulders hesitantly.
What was she doing here on the floor of the tower? Andrade opened her eyes to her sister's worried face - and remembered why she had collapsed on the tower floor. She sat up and caught Milar's hands. "Milar," she gasped, staring her sister in the eyes, "has Father said anything about a suitor? Anything at all?"
Milar looked down from Andrade's face to her hands, bearing her Sunrunner rings. "Is this - did you see something?" she asked slowly. When she raised her eyes to Andrade's again, they were fearful.
"I did." Andrade swallowed. "Answer me, Milar. Has Father said anything?"
"N - no," Milar stammered, unnerved by her twin's feverish eyes. "No - well, only that he expects they'll start arriving soon."
Andrade stood slowly and walked to the parapet, looking out over the land. "They will," she said heavily. "They will."
Only the swish of silk on stone and near-silent footfalls told Andrade that Milar had withdrawn. Andrade remained on the parapet for a long time, staring silently out at the plain over which the man would soon ride.
But even though she had been forewarned, she was not ready when, at breakfast the next morning, she heard the gates opening, and saw a servant run in, bow to her father, and gasp, "Prince Roelstra of Princemarch is here to visit, my lord!"
Quietly, Andrade slipped out of the room, closing the door silently behind her. She was glad to be home, but sometimes Milar was impossible. Andrade had found that a good solution was to quietly absent herself from wherever Milar was at that time. Rude it might be, but she had never been good at being polite, and at least Milar got her point when she did that.
It was hard, sometimes, to be around Milar too much. Andrade had known for ten years that she would never be beautiful, that her twin sister had all the luck where looks were concerned. At the moment, with her father contemplating the chances for his daughters in the marriage market, Andrade found it almost unbearable to sit and stand quietly next to the sister who would sweep every single man she met off his feet with a mere glance from her blue eyes. It was likewise impossible to not see herself in that picture a moment later, trailing in Milar's shadow, with not a glance thrown her way. Andrade bit her lip as the image entered her mind.
Truly, she scolded herself, it should not come as such a surprise! It's probably a good thing I'm the one who turned out to be faradhi. I wouldn't get far questing for a husband - I'm not even sure I want one - and Milar will do much better as some man's wife than I would.
The thoughts were true, but they did not stop her heart from giving an involuntary twist at the thought of her coming humiliation. Once her father made it known that his two daughters were ready for marriage, suitors would come to Catha Freehold, and then the unpleasant image prevalent in her mind would come true.
Thinking of visions drew Andrade's mind inexorably to the vision she had seen by the Womantree when she was sixteen, three years ago. As always, an icy shiver raced up and down her spine as the unknown man's face blotted out the picture that had been in her mind before. Andrade gripped the sconce on the wall that held a torch, not caring that the metal sconce bit into her palms and pressed her Sunrunner rings into her fingers. She wondered who the man was, and whether or not she was doing whatever would keep her out of his grasp. Don't live life in fear of him, she warned herself, remembering the Lord of Goddess Keep's words to her three years ago, but the words were very faint in her head next to the much more real image of that man's face.
Suddenly Andrade tore her hands away from the wall sconce. She had not looked for the man on the sunlight. In fact, she had only just received her ring for being able to do such a thing, and this was the first time the thought had entered her mind. Andrade snatched her skirts in both hands and ran for a tower, any tower where the sun reached.
She was in luck. Close to her room was a small tower directly in the path of the noonday sun. Wondering with half her mind if the location of her room had been chosen for the convenience of this tower, Andrade ran up the stairs leading to the top and burst out onto the parapet. The sunlight called to her, teasing her, asking her why she had not called on them before for help.
Andrade smiled at its silent implications and raised her hands. Her rings sparkled as she wove the sunlight with utmost care and sent her mind out onto it. The sunlight showed her Catha Freehold, the golden sands of the Desert, and the disputed island of Kierst-Isel. It wandered over Princemarch and flew to the other side of the continent, but Andrade did not see any man with the face from her vision. I suppose it's a blessing, she thought. At least I don't have to look at him yet.
But she did not withdraw from the sunlight. The feeling of riding the light was exhilarating, and she caught her breath and leaped with it, plunging and jumping everywhere it reached, giving herself momentarily to the joy of the sun. She wondered briefly what it would be like to stay one with the light forever - and then she remembered that she could so easily be shadow- lost that she turned and started quickly back to her body.
Her path took her over the roads from Princemarch to Catha Freehold, and as she went briskly along the sunlight, she caught sight of a train of people making their way to her home as she was. Here comes the first suitor, Andrade thought, and on a whim dived down the sunlight to see who aspired to her hand or Milar's.
It was a huge train. There were two large wooden carts full of gifts in the middle, and many people in fine clothes rode before, after, and around it, along with the servants. Andrade was impressed in spite of herself as she looked at the finely-clothed riders. One of these was her prospective suitor, and it would be to her benefit to know who he was. She scanned and discarded ten men before she found the eleventh - and her heart nearly stopped with fear and dread. She knew that face - or rather, she knew what it would look like in about thirty years. She recognized the eyes, the mouth that could so easily curl into a sneer that would send chills down her spine and along her flesh. This was the man from her vision three years ago, the man who fate would have her marry and hate.
Andrade flew back along the sunlight to her body, and reentered it with a gasp and a jolt. It could not be coming true! It could not be; after all this time, he was coming to claim her, his destined prize. Not when she had fought against the mere thought of him for three years, not when the vision that had made her cold in the pine grove was all too vivid before her eyes. Andrade clenched her hands into fists. He was a day away from Catha Freehold at the most.
In one day she would have to meet her fate and make the decisions that could cast her away from that path forever or draw her inexorably onto it.
Her mind went blank, and the stones on the floor rushed to meet her.
***
"Andrade? Andrade, wake up!" She knew that voice. It was Milar, sounding utterly panicked. "Oh, Andrade, please wake up!" her twin pleaded. Her hands touched Andrade's shoulders hesitantly.
What was she doing here on the floor of the tower? Andrade opened her eyes to her sister's worried face - and remembered why she had collapsed on the tower floor. She sat up and caught Milar's hands. "Milar," she gasped, staring her sister in the eyes, "has Father said anything about a suitor? Anything at all?"
Milar looked down from Andrade's face to her hands, bearing her Sunrunner rings. "Is this - did you see something?" she asked slowly. When she raised her eyes to Andrade's again, they were fearful.
"I did." Andrade swallowed. "Answer me, Milar. Has Father said anything?"
"N - no," Milar stammered, unnerved by her twin's feverish eyes. "No - well, only that he expects they'll start arriving soon."
Andrade stood slowly and walked to the parapet, looking out over the land. "They will," she said heavily. "They will."
Only the swish of silk on stone and near-silent footfalls told Andrade that Milar had withdrawn. Andrade remained on the parapet for a long time, staring silently out at the plain over which the man would soon ride.
But even though she had been forewarned, she was not ready when, at breakfast the next morning, she heard the gates opening, and saw a servant run in, bow to her father, and gasp, "Prince Roelstra of Princemarch is here to visit, my lord!"
