Chapter Thirteen - Explanations...at least a few.
******
A/N - I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed.
Moriana and Mani - Thanks a lot. Glad some new people are giving me feedback. Not
that I don't love the regulars!
******
Arian nervously observed the dancers from a dark corner of the ballroom. She wasn't
used to crowds of people and it made her uneasy. She had never been to Ethon before.
Well at least not in her memory. A young man about her age had insisted that she had
visited once when they were children. It had turned out that he was the King of
Ethon's son but she couldn't for the life of her remember his name. He was tall with a
cheerful round face and flaming red hair and looked as though he should be wearing a
school uniform instead of all his regalia.
"So are you sure you don't remember?" said the young prince, looking disappointed.
"I'm afraid not." said Arian.
"Really? I taught you archery and you nearly killed me."
Arian's eyes narrowed with concentration then shot open to their full inky-black
potential "Theo?" she said.
"That's right."
"Oh! I remember now. I was five and you were seven. How are you?"
"Not too bad. My father threw this ball to present me as his official heir, starting the
two year period of apprenticeship. Then I will be expected to co-rule with him until I
have a son of my own and he can retire." he boasted and leered at her. Arian figured
that she had probably blocked this idiot from her memory as opposed to simply
forgetting him. After all he was the one who had teased her and insisted on playing
war games when they could have been reading.
"So that's how it works."
"Only in Ethon. I'm not sure about the surrounding kingdoms. How about you?"
"Same old, same old." Arian lied. She knew her new position as an heir to the Goblin
Throne was highly unorthodox among the Fae nobility. And the prince Thoedorus
looked like the type of person who would laugh in her face if she told him.
"Is your father still terrorising mortals and stealing their children?" Theo chided.
"Not for a while, no." she growled. Her feelings aside, she did not like to have her
home and family ridiculed. "And he doesn't steal them. They ask for him to take
them." she defended, but it sounded whiny and pathetic.
"What ever you say, my dear." he said boredly. Arian's eyes smouldered with anger.
"Would you care to dance?"
How could he just blatantly insult her then hit on her at the same time. Arian was
disgusted and stormed off towards the king of Ethon's library, hell-bent on revenge.
******
Erestine glanced in her granddaughter's direction only to notice her striding away
angrily from the Crown Prince of Ethon himself. Well, to be fair, prince Theo was not
the type of person to be called 'himself'. In many way, he was just an irritating little
schoolboy. The Queen Mother of the Labyrinth raised an eyebrow with amusement as
Arian returned shortly with a notepad and pencil and scribbled something down.
Immediately she could hear screams around the young prince as his face swelled up
with a putrid crop of disfiguring boils and pimples. Erestine sighed nostalgically. So
like Jareth...
******
Arian fought back the giggles as she put he paper and pencil away in one of the folds
of her dress.
"That wasn't very mature, was it." said a kindly voice by her side. She swung around
to look into the playful blue eyes of her grandmother. She knew! Of course she knew,
nothing got past her grandmother.
"It was worth it." she replied realising there was no point in asking questions yet.
"That's quite a clever little trick." said Erestine.
"Does Father know?"
"I gave him a few clues but he's useless at taking hints." said the older woman
"Happens every Mother's Day." Arian laughed. "Besides, it's your job to tell him.
When you're ready of course."
"I'd rather keep it secret for now." said Arian.
"It would make him very happy though." said Erestine.
"Why?"
"He thinks you can save our kingdom and bring stability."
"Oh, so it's not so he can just bugger off and leave me with all the work to do, because
the impression I keep getting!"
"Mind you language." snapped Erestine. "I assume you know, the Labyrinth has been
beaten? Yes well, since then it has been slowly deteriorating and there's nothing we
can do to stop it. With a short hundred years it will be reduced to dust. Your father
was a total wreck after the defeat and couldn't bear the thought of watching his people
die, powerless to stop it. Then you came along, radiating all this magical energy with
only a name and a Black Star. Do you know what that means?" Arian shook her head
"Arianhad was the name of a great spirit. The bringer of Destiny. The Black Star was
once an important symbol both here and in the Above World. It's true meaning was
lost but has always been linked with the supremacy of free will."
"So what does that mean?" asked Arian.
"It means, little one, that you alone hold the power of fate and freedom in your
hands..." said her grandmother and quickly left before she could question her further.
******
A/N - I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed.
Moriana and Mani - Thanks a lot. Glad some new people are giving me feedback. Not
that I don't love the regulars!
******
Arian nervously observed the dancers from a dark corner of the ballroom. She wasn't
used to crowds of people and it made her uneasy. She had never been to Ethon before.
Well at least not in her memory. A young man about her age had insisted that she had
visited once when they were children. It had turned out that he was the King of
Ethon's son but she couldn't for the life of her remember his name. He was tall with a
cheerful round face and flaming red hair and looked as though he should be wearing a
school uniform instead of all his regalia.
"So are you sure you don't remember?" said the young prince, looking disappointed.
"I'm afraid not." said Arian.
"Really? I taught you archery and you nearly killed me."
Arian's eyes narrowed with concentration then shot open to their full inky-black
potential "Theo?" she said.
"That's right."
"Oh! I remember now. I was five and you were seven. How are you?"
"Not too bad. My father threw this ball to present me as his official heir, starting the
two year period of apprenticeship. Then I will be expected to co-rule with him until I
have a son of my own and he can retire." he boasted and leered at her. Arian figured
that she had probably blocked this idiot from her memory as opposed to simply
forgetting him. After all he was the one who had teased her and insisted on playing
war games when they could have been reading.
"So that's how it works."
"Only in Ethon. I'm not sure about the surrounding kingdoms. How about you?"
"Same old, same old." Arian lied. She knew her new position as an heir to the Goblin
Throne was highly unorthodox among the Fae nobility. And the prince Thoedorus
looked like the type of person who would laugh in her face if she told him.
"Is your father still terrorising mortals and stealing their children?" Theo chided.
"Not for a while, no." she growled. Her feelings aside, she did not like to have her
home and family ridiculed. "And he doesn't steal them. They ask for him to take
them." she defended, but it sounded whiny and pathetic.
"What ever you say, my dear." he said boredly. Arian's eyes smouldered with anger.
"Would you care to dance?"
How could he just blatantly insult her then hit on her at the same time. Arian was
disgusted and stormed off towards the king of Ethon's library, hell-bent on revenge.
******
Erestine glanced in her granddaughter's direction only to notice her striding away
angrily from the Crown Prince of Ethon himself. Well, to be fair, prince Theo was not
the type of person to be called 'himself'. In many way, he was just an irritating little
schoolboy. The Queen Mother of the Labyrinth raised an eyebrow with amusement as
Arian returned shortly with a notepad and pencil and scribbled something down.
Immediately she could hear screams around the young prince as his face swelled up
with a putrid crop of disfiguring boils and pimples. Erestine sighed nostalgically. So
like Jareth...
******
Arian fought back the giggles as she put he paper and pencil away in one of the folds
of her dress.
"That wasn't very mature, was it." said a kindly voice by her side. She swung around
to look into the playful blue eyes of her grandmother. She knew! Of course she knew,
nothing got past her grandmother.
"It was worth it." she replied realising there was no point in asking questions yet.
"That's quite a clever little trick." said Erestine.
"Does Father know?"
"I gave him a few clues but he's useless at taking hints." said the older woman
"Happens every Mother's Day." Arian laughed. "Besides, it's your job to tell him.
When you're ready of course."
"I'd rather keep it secret for now." said Arian.
"It would make him very happy though." said Erestine.
"Why?"
"He thinks you can save our kingdom and bring stability."
"Oh, so it's not so he can just bugger off and leave me with all the work to do, because
the impression I keep getting!"
"Mind you language." snapped Erestine. "I assume you know, the Labyrinth has been
beaten? Yes well, since then it has been slowly deteriorating and there's nothing we
can do to stop it. With a short hundred years it will be reduced to dust. Your father
was a total wreck after the defeat and couldn't bear the thought of watching his people
die, powerless to stop it. Then you came along, radiating all this magical energy with
only a name and a Black Star. Do you know what that means?" Arian shook her head
"Arianhad was the name of a great spirit. The bringer of Destiny. The Black Star was
once an important symbol both here and in the Above World. It's true meaning was
lost but has always been linked with the supremacy of free will."
"So what does that mean?" asked Arian.
"It means, little one, that you alone hold the power of fate and freedom in your
hands..." said her grandmother and quickly left before she could question her further.