Anniya: the third ball

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" Robert, what are we going to do," Anniya whispered as a squire opened the coach door. Robert climbed out, and offered Anniya his hand. She expected it, and it closed firmly on her hand, as if he never wanted to let her go. It was reassuring, and she squeezed his hand as they entered the great ball room for one final time.

That night, Anniya looked as lovely as ever. This gown was far more beautiful then any of the others, and the material was soft to the touch. She had found it in the inn the previous night. As promised, West hadn't returned to the inn that night. But to Anniya's uttermost surprise, a maroon gown had laid on the bed. Next to it, there had been a note. Anniya had picked it up and read it quickly. It was in West's left hand scrawl, short and simple.

" Didn't steal this one. Bought it at the market place, thought you'd like it. You and Robert be careful. -West," Anniya had read out loud to herself.

A genuine smile had crossed her face, and she had scooped up the dress in her arms. It was indeed lovely. But it would of looked better on Esperanza. It would of went well with her olive complexion.

Neither of them bothered with circulating this time. Robert merely took Anniya's hand, and led her out into the midst of dancing couples. This was the final ball; it was now or never.

" Robert, we have to do something. We don't even have a bloody plan! Better to go kill the man now and sacrifice ourselves before we let him----," Anniya began passionately in elfin, only to be cut off by Robert.

Robert shook his head. " Think Anniya. He's planning a murder tonight. He'll be on his guard, and he's already suspicious of you."

" Well, that's the best chance we have, we've already discussed it," she began, and was cut off by Robert once again.

" We decided against it. He'll likely let us live, and then it'll be a public hanging for us all. I have an audience with the King and Queen with half an hour; I'll speak to them then," Robert told her.

" And let Char be killed while your having a bloody tea party? That is beyond insane! Why are we even doing this? You are a prince of Kellia, not of Kyrria! And West is Kellian born as well, and Esperanza is from Ayothora! And me......I could be from the bloody Fens for all I know! The bottom line is this: none of us have no attachment or loyalty to this country, and we're putting our lives on the line and risking it all just to keep a certain ruler on the throne!," Anniya exploded, her temper flying.

She was filled with anger, and for once, it wasn't just for the Count. She was sick of it all. She should of just let Robert kill the unicorn that year and a half ago.

Robert waited to see if she was done with her speech before speaking.

" Because of justice. And because of Char. The Count is not a good ruler; he would almost certainly wage war on Kellia if he could make it possible. People would die. The difference between him and Char is this: Char will rule because it is his duty. The Count will rule because it will benefit him."

Anniya sighed. " You make too much sense sometimes."

Robert chuckled. " I know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



Anniya watched Robert disappear into the crowd as he made his way toward the King and Queen's room. Anniya closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing slightly. She wished that she knew where Gleex was; he was perhaps the only thing that could of taken the stress of her at that moment. If Gleex was even still alive. She hadn't seen him since that day in the Fens. And didn't really expect to see him again.

So wrapped up in the memories of her beloved dragon, Anniya thought nothing of the tap on her shoulder. Sighing, she turned around to tell the man that she didn't want to dance.

" Milady, the honor of this dance," Count Frederick Di Fallon asked her, sweeping a deep and elegant bow.

His mustache had been styled, and as well as his hair. He was attired in a dark green, with black boots and a golden sword in his sheath. One could see that he had been handsome in his younger days, and was good looking for a man of his age.

At least he didn't pretend to be friendly. His tone and manner were polite enough, but as soon as she met his eyes, Anniya saw the anger. They were as cold and as harsh as that first day she had met him. That didn't frighten her in the least; Anniya was glad the anger was there, glad that she had caused it. What frightened her slightly was the amused look in his eyes, as if he were in on some sort of private joke. As if this were just all a big game. It unnerved Anniya slightly, but not enough to keep her from dancing. This time Esperanza or Robert wasn't here to cut in and excuse her from dancing with him. But Anniya didn't care. She wanted to dance with him.

Just looking at him repulsed her, to think of all those innocent lives that had died at his hand. Anniya wondered how he managed to fool so many people into thinking he was chivalrous, with good intentions for Kyrria.

She met his gaze with freezing green eyes, and placed her hand in his. She knew that both Robert and West would slaughter her if either of them saw her. But West wasn't in attendance, and Robert was off with the King and Queen. It wouldn't of mattered if they were there. Anniya would of bloody done it anyway.

She smiled, but it was not a sweet smile. " I would be honored," Anniya told him cooly, putting emphasis on the word honored.

Without another word, the Count took her hand and led her into a spirited gavotte.

" Where is she," Anniya asked him quietly, no sooner then they were caught into the dance. The Count looked at her, amused. She waited for him to answer, resisting the urge to hit him.

" Where is my stone," he asked evenly, and abruptly switched directions. Anniya was surprised, and stumbled. He was strong. Very strong.

" You know where it is. I ask you a final time, where is my stone," the Count asked her, and this time there was no trace of amusement in his voice. Anniya met his gaze evenly.

" Where is Esperanza? What have you done with her," she snapped back, and pulled back from him. She wanted to be as far from this...creature....as possible, even when dancing with him.

To Anniya's surprise, he didn't deny it. In fact, to her horror, a smile spread over his face. He didn't answer her.

" What have you done to her," Anniya demanded, trying to keep her voice level and quiet. The Count raised his eyebrows.

" Then I repeat, for the last time, what did you do with the stone?"

" Your bloody stone can rot in hell. I destroyed it," Anniya lashed out angrily, her patience finally gone.

" Exactly. And that is exactly what will happen to you and your gypsy friend in the end. I really can't believe that you are as innocent as you appear to be," the Count told her, his voice smooth and silky.

" Believe is all you better do," Anniya told him angrily, her voice shaking. In the back of her mind, she heard almost what sounded like a dragon cry, but ignored it.

The Count let out a particularly loud laugh, and couples around them smiled.

" I have other business matters to attend to tonight, so I must leave you now, to your disappointment I'm sure. Oh, and I wouldn't suggest talking to any of the royal family, particularly the prince. It be in your best interests to stay clear of him."

" Give me a bloody reason why I should listen to you," Anniya hissed, resisting the urge to spit in his face. She would not sink to his level.

" Many eyes are going to be kept on you. If you try to talk to him, I wouldn't be surprised if you find yourself hanging in a noose because of attempted assassination."

In other words, he would frame her. So she would die while he would carry out his plan and get away with it. Anniya had no doubt that he could twist the situation to look that way.

The dance ended, and she twisted away from him. Meeting his icy gaze for a final time, Anniya curtsied.

" I'd advise that you watch your back as well, milord."

He walked away, giving her a final chilling smile. Anniya didn't flinch. There wasn't enough time. Even without the bloody stone, he was going to work it out some how. Robert was still meeting with the King and Queen. West was god knew where. It was up to Anniya.

She scanned the ball room for Char. Her eyes settled on him, and Anniya couldn't of been more horrified. He was dancing toward the edge of the ball room with that masked girl who was working for the Count! And there wasn't a thing Anniya could do to stop it.

Wringing her hands in frustration, Anniya looked desperately around the room, looking for anyone who could warn Char.

Her eyes settled on the least likely unintelligent messenger in the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



" I've danced with him three times so far," Hattie of Frell told the other girls smugly. True, she had been forced to ask him every single time, but he could of declined. It was only good manners that kept him from asking her; he had to be fair to all of his guests. And that annoying 'Lady Lela of Bast' girl occupied most of his attention. Some wenches would stoop to anything to intrigue a man.

" Hattie," a musical, clear voice asked her.

Hattie turned around, and immediately wished she hadn't. Anniya stood there, several inches shorter then Hattie but much more graceful. The girl irritated Hattie to no end. It was bad enough that a quarter of the men in the room were fawning over her; it was even worse that the only two princes in attendance were as well. Hattie had no desire to listen to the girl, and was about to turn around when something Anniya said caught Hattie's interest.

" Hattie, oh you will not believe the horrible rumors that are going around about Lady Lela. I felt it was my duty to inform you, since everyone knows how close you are with the prince," the tiny blonde girl breathed, looking at Hattie with admiration.

Well, perhaps the girl wasn't that bad. She recognized royal potential. Hattie awarded her a smile, encouraging the girl to go on. She had known something was wrong with the girl! She was probably a kitchen maid or something of that sort.....maybe even better, she would be scarred.

" I have heard from a reliable source that Lady Lela's face is covered with terrible scars and burns, from a fire far back. She seeks revenge on Char, for she blames the fire on him and his father! But Char does not recognize her, and he could be dead within the hour! I tell you this because you are closest to him! You must go tell this to him immediately, that he will be dead within minutes if he does not find his father," the blonde girl went on in a rush.

A triumphant smile crossed Hattie's face. So this Anniya girl wasn't as close to Char as some might think. For she trusted Hattie with this information! Hattie didn't even hesitate to wonder how a fire could be connected with Char, or how Anniya had come by the information. As charming as Charmont was, Hattie was certain that he wouldn't marry a Queen with hideous scars all over her face.

" My Lady, do you wish to dance," the Earl of Demby asked Hattie, startling her thoughts. Anniya sent Hattie a frantic look, and Hattie knew what she had to do. But on the other hand, the Earl was quite rich and good looking. She didn't want to give up a dance with him.

" Hattie.......," Anniya said nicely, averting her eyes in the direction of Char. Hattie let out an exasperated sigh, and nodded at Anniya before taking the Earl's hand.

" Let us dance over there in the corner," Hattie demanded. She fluttered her eyelashes sweetly as the Earl reluctantly made his way over toward Char. Hattie couldn't resist smirking. Too bad for Lady Lela. She looked over and saw the Anniya girl glancing around. Even she didn't realize that the Duke of Kenton had a knife in his hand.

".............Marriage is suppose to be forever, but friendship can be forever too," Hattie heard Char say. How could he talk of marriage with that girl? Hattie was sure that she was worth twice of Lela! She was almost in reach of the girl's mask. Her midnight black hair looked familiar, and it earned a frown from Hattie for several seconds. Oh well.

"Will you......"

Without waiting another moment, Hattie snatched off Lady Lela's mask, a feeling of triumph surging through her. The girl let go of Char and covered her face, but not quickly enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

" Ella!," Hattie shrieked.

" Ella?," Char gasped.

The girl broke away from him and began to run as the clock struck midnight. Anniya saw a flash of a dagger.

" Char! Look out," she screamed, and slammed into Char as the Duke of Kenton swung the knife. Char fell to the ground, as did Anniya.. It knocked the wind out of her, and she lay there a few moments. But only for a few moments. The knife clattered to the ground, and Anniya reached for it as the Duke dived for it.

" He has a knife," someone screamed. Heads turned, and alarm rose.

" Run Char," Anniya shouted, and used her magic without thinking about it. She heard the dragon roar in her head once again, only this time it was closer. The knife rose in the air and flung itself into the bushes. The entire room stared at Anniya and the Duke.

Anniya hadn't even noticed this Duke man, until she had seen the glimmer of the knife. He had simply carried out the plan's wishes, and hadn't planned it. This wasn't the man she was after.

An arrow of one of the king's guards thunked into the Duke's chest. Anniya looked around frantically, searching for a sign of the Count. She caught a flash of green in the outer hall way, and leaped in that direction. People immediately crowded around her, preventing Anniya from following him.

" Are you alright, milady?"

" Someone's trying to kill the prince!"

" We're going to die!"

The words became blurred, and Anniya hastily tried to push her way through, to no success. He was going to get away! There was only one thing left to try. Time to see if this magic would really help her out. Anniya shut her eyes and concentrated.

Her head exploded with pain, and she nearly lost concentration. A green glow covered her, and Anniya disappeared from the ball room.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~



The moment Anniya opened her eyes, she leaned over and vomited. Her head spun, and her feet wobbled. If she had known what the side effects would of been, she might of skipped that whole disappearing act. She had wished to go where the Count went. So where was she?

Anniya closed her eyes and laid down on the floor. The wave of nausea passed after several moments. She opened a single eye.

Anniya gasped. She had never been in such a beautiful place that was not in nature. It surpassed the ball room by far. For the ball room had been replaced with a spacious study. Thousands of books lined the walls, in all different languages. Rugs and art from foreign lands were everywhere. Furniture that were no doubt valuable heirlooms was scattered across the room. The table near her was fairy made. Just by looking at it, the engraved flowers seemed to bloom, and Anniya could smell their sweet scent. A jewel encrusted mirror hung on one wall, the reflection swirling. The fire place was magnificent, marble along with the finest wood in the land. Twin dragons were on both sides, and occasionally, when the fire began to die, they would each blow flames on it. Glittering steel swords hung on the walls, glistening and polished. To Anniya, who was beginning to fall in love with education, this was a place of wonder.

And yet, at the same time, there was something unsettling. Anniya couldn't pinpoint what it was, but she could feel it. But perhaps it was her imagination.

A sudden realization that the Count could come in the room at any minute occurred to her. For caution, Anniya crawled under a table. The table cloth would hide her from view. Hopefully.

Several hours passed. Anniya was glad that she had relieved herself earlier, before coming to the ball. At last, she peeked beyond the cloth. Still no one was in the room.

Against her better judgement, Anniya stood up and brushed off her maroon dress. She was glad she had it on now. The room was freezing, colder then it was outside. Despite all the danger, she needed to walk around and find out where she was besides the Count's study. And might be something of importance in here. Hugging herself, Anniya walked over to the book cases. She pulled out the first book she saw, one that was written in Kyrrian. ' The Ogre tribes of Kyrria, Ayothora, Kellia, and Bast', the title read. Anniya frowned, and flipped the book open. A page had been book marked. Out of curiosity, Anniya read what it said.



" THE MNIQA TRIBE:

Out of all the ogre clans, the Mniqa is the largest and the most dangerous. They occupy most of the Fen's plains, and are the oldest known race of ogres known. Documented papers in the archives of the fairy lands show that the Ogres occupied most of Kyrria before some unknown force drove them back into Fens. Lesser clans have tried for years to overtake the lands of different countries. The only recorded attempt of seizing a major piece of land for the Mniqa was back in the Ogre wars. There are several things that differ the Mniqa from other clans, and make it the most powerful. It is the only clan with one leader. Others can have up to ten leaders, and wars break out within. The second reason is that unlike other tribes, the Mniqa are willing to co-operate with different creatures( humans, goblins, dwarves, etc) in order to achieve certain needs. The final reason is perhaps the most unusual. All ogres have the ability to command creatures with their honey slick voices, but that is not the extent of the Mniqa's talents. They have the ability to morph into any living being they have come in contact with. There are only two things in which one is able to tell if it is an ogre or not: the eye color, and reflections. The ogres cannot change their eye color, and their reflection will always show the true image. The Mniqa are also capable of learning sorcery like humans, and are the only race of ogres who have that ability.



Anniya finished reading the selection, and closed the book, putting it back in the place she had found it. Strange. What was the Count doing reading about ogres. The distant memory of the two soldiers in the woods came back to her. But what did the Count need the ogres for?

She strode a bit down the aisles, and pulled another book out. This one was full of fairy tales, and Anniya read it some time. But the uneasy feeling would not leave her, and Anniya stood up to continue weaving her way through the rows. She wished she knew where a ladder was, so she might be able to get the books on the upper shelves.

Anniya walked further and further back in the shelves. The further she went, the older the books seemed to get. She sneezed several times from the dust, and sent a spider scurrying from it's web. It looked as if no one had been back here in years. But back here, Anniya felt slightly more safe. Towering book shelves hid her from anyone entering the room.

A particularly battered book caught her eye. The way it was hidden by other gigantic texts, it was a miracle that she had seen it. If not for her keen eyesight, she would of walked right past it. It was a faded scarlet, lined with gold. It would of been a beautiful book, if it had been kept in good condition. Anniya plucked it off the shelf, and opened it without a second thought.

" Speak thy name and thy purpose," A voice rang from the book. Anniya nearly dropped it. She stared as a face formed on the page she had flipped to. Sorcery.

She hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say. She knew that she couldn't lie, for the book would see right through that. Trying to keep her voice from shaking as much as possible, Anniya finally spoke.

" Anniya of.....well, currently Frell. I was just wondering what you were about," she said slowly, but clearly. The book chuckled, it's pages rippling.

" I am not of stories, I am a key. What is thy purpose, Anniya of Frell?"

Anniya thought about telling the book that unfortunately there was no door that he could be a key to, but she didn't think it would be worth pointing out.

" My purpose is for justice, to help my friends, and the good of Kyrria," Anniya said firmly. It wasn't a lie.

The book let out another chuckle. " Indeed, it is those things. But are there other reasons?"

Anniya blushed before replying. " And because I'm curious."

" An answer very much like another's, once. It seemed to be only yesterday, but from the way you have grown, I think not.. But Anniya of Frell, do you truly wish to go inside? There is no telling what you will find."

The way she had grown? His answer troubled Anniya for a moment, but then she realized that she had no idea what this book could see, or know. It could be several centuries old or of ancient magic, for all she knew.

" Yes, I do," Anniya told it, ready to read what it had to say. The book suddenly went limp, and the face disappeared. Anniya picked it up eagerly, and flipped to the first page.

Before she could start reading, the book shelf against the wall made a creaking noise. Anniya looked up at it, startled. It creaked a bit more, and then suddenly swung open. Anniya gaped, and then looked at the pages in the book. They were blank.

So it had been a key. Without much more waiting, Anniya stepped inside.

She coughed a bit, and brushed the spider webs out of her way so she could see the stone steps that led downward. After several moments, Anniya arrived in a small room. Little did she know that she was one of the only four people who had ever been in this room.

Anniya knew that she had to be underground at the moment. The room had no windows, and was moist and clammy. The only light came from a fire place that had an eerie black glow over it. There were several shelves of books, and a desk with papers on it.

A rush of fear combined with excitement raced through Anniya's veins. She walked over to the book shelves and grabbed several books off. She flipped through the pages, and it confirmed her suspicions. The books were filled with dark magic and spells. It was sorcery.

Hardly able to contain her excitement, Anniya walked over to the desk. She pulled open the drawers.

Hundreds of letters were in there. Anniya picked up one and flinched. Though she couldn't read it, she recognized some of the ogrese language. How long had the Count been keeping correspondence with them? Anniya picked up another letter. This one was in Kyrrian. It was from a captain, detailing to the Count about a green dragon.

Anniya stared at that letter for a moment. That's where Gleex had gone. Shaking, she picked up yet another letter. It was a miracle that he hadn't burned these. But then again, the Count probably didn't let anyone in his library, and he probably didn't think that anyone would find that book if they did. And the book probably wasn't suppose to let anyone in without the Count anyway.

Anniya grabbed a wad of letters, including one detailing the planned murder of Char and a letter from the ogres asking for instructions. It was all evidence that would lead to the man's imprisonment, or more likely, execution. She put them in the bottom of her slipper, and then put her shoe back on. She had no where else to put them.

Anniya rifted through a few of the spell books, but put them back after a few moments. An uneasy feeling crept up her. There was no place to hide in here, and it only had once entrance. She had to get to Char as soon as possible. And besides, no one knew where she was. If anything was to happen, Anniya knew that she could be killed, and no one would ever know what happened to her. She shivered, and scanned the room a final time.

Because of the darkness, Anniya hadn't noticed it at first. But now, to her excitement, Anniya could make out a portrait above the fire place. She stepped closer. Cobwebs covered it, and the painting was now smudged. Toward the bottom, it had been slashed at.

Anniya brushed away the cobwebs and the dust, and stood back to look at it.

The Count stood there, much younger then he was now. His gray eyes weren't cold as steel, and a smile actually played his lips. His attire was gay, and his hair was a raven color. He had indeed been handsome in his younger days. A woman stood next to him. She was wildly beautiful, and a full, cherry red smile covered her face. Her brown eyes twinkled, and her lovely blonde hair cascaded down her back. Her blue gown made her look ethereal. Her arm was entwined with the Counts, and one could tell by looking at the picture that they had been in love.

But Anniya merely stared, and could think of no words. For around the beautiful's woman's neck, hung an emerald green necklace.

The portrait was of the Count and Anniya's mother.



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***Author's note***

Yes!!! I have been dying to write this cliff hanger for a loooonnnngggg time! I've been dropping little hints through out the story, and thankfully no one's mentioned it in the reviews. You guys might want to reread the chapter called ' Count Frederick', where I dropped a rather large hint. It's the one where I first introduce TSSal of Mniqa, if I'm correct( that guy has SUCH a fun character to right, I swear.) And congrats to Chava, who guessed the whole thing with Hattie pulling off Ella's mask. I know that I'm evil for leaving you guys with my best cliffhanger so far, but it would ruin the effect if I went into Anniya's past right after dropping that bomb. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!!



Note on Mermaid: To those of you who were blackmailed into reading it and sorta liked it so now ya want me to continue, the next chapter will be postponed for a month or so until Anniya is finished. I'd like to just concentrate and put all my effort into this one and just finish it off. But as soon as this fic is done, I'm going to concentrate on mermaid.