A/N: I know, I know. An update is grossly overdue, and I am terribly sorry to have not posted sooner. I've been so busy with school, but it finally ended today! YES! So here it is, a wonderful (and possibly my favorite) chapter!
Chapter Seventeen
Over the nest week or so, families arrived at the fortress and we scurried to accommodate everyone. New bed halls were set up, sectioned off by screens creating "rooms" for each family. The children spent most of their time on the outside balcony, playing knights and ogres, but were forbidden to leave that area. The women and their older daughters cooked meals, cleaned the dusty halls, and gossiped. A lot.
Once, an older woman approached me and asked, "Is it true that you sleep in the boy's hall?"
When I answered yes, she gasped and walked back to her group of crones, where they began to whisper furiously and glance my way.
I walked to them, and they quickly shushed and smiled fakely. "Ladies," I said, obviously annoyed at their constant belligerence, "I believe Prince Jerrold would want you concentrating on more important things than where I sleep."
A younger wench named Kimberly smirked. "Lady Daria, we feel like Prince Jerrold should be concentrating on more important things you," she replied smugly.
I looked at her, clenching my jaw. "Beg pardon?" I retorted.
"Well, don't you think that this revolution is more important than your personal agenda to become queen?" she replied in a syrupy voice.
My fist flew at her eye, making contact and knocking her down. "Lady Kimberly, I suggest that you keep your speculations to yourself, for my relationship with Prince Jerrold has nothing to do with you," I spat, turning on my heel and walking away.
I saw her the next day, a ring of black and blue around her eye. I just laughed silently to myself.
I'd never questioned my agenda with Jerrold before. I didn't like thinking about being queen; it made me feel like that was why I liked Jerrold, and that wasn't true.
Ah, Jerrold. He was so passionate. We were rarely alone, what with the constant meetings we both attended, but when we were, we'd not speak of the revolution. He'd cradle me between his arms, and we'd talk of our dreams and ideas. I'd stroke his soft hair, he'd rub my knee gently. He was such a wonderful companion.
The gnomes were the first to arrive. Over 100 squat, leathery men and women arrived, their children with them. They came with their full bark armor on, dragging crude rock cannons. Jerrold and I received them at the main entrance.
I wide gnome stepped forward and addressed Jerrold and myself, in Kyrrian. "My name is BrAfzY, and I am the Gnomish Chief. We are please to come and join your cause and fight King Ludwig and Queen Drusilla," he proclaimed.
He raised his arm and bowed, and the rest of the gnomes followed suit.
"Thank you," Jerrold said. "Lady Daria will show you to your rooms."
I shot him a pleading look, but he just laughed. Huffily, I led the gnomes to their bed hall, which was prepared by the boys who went to the gnome's caverns. The floor was covered in moss 'beds' and muslin blankets.
"I hope there's enough," I remarked to BrAfzY.
He smiled a toothy, green smile. "There will be," he said. "Are you Prince Jerrold's wife?"
I coughed. "No," I replied awkwardly. "We're just, um, comrades."
Comrades? What?
BrAfzY took my hand and stared intently at my palm. "You walk with a powerful man," he said. "But there is another who wishes for you. Beware of him," he said vaguely.
"Who?" I asked, interested.
"I know not," BrAfzY replied.
And so it went. Jerrold and I would greet whoever came to our fortress, and I'd show them to their rooms. Fifty elves, one hundred fairies, and ten giants came, each of them bringing a leader and unique weapons.
Two nights after everyone arrived, we held our council. Jerrold, Tom, and I were the Kyrrian representatives. The gnomes sent BrAfzY and the elves sent Lenwat, their chief, as their representatives. The giants sent Munaxy, their king, and the fairies sent their queen, Maub. The seven of us sat in the meeting hall to discuss how to go about our revolution.
"First," Jerrold said, "what are our goals?"
"To restore peace to Kyrria," I said.
"To be allowed into our mines," replied BrAfzY.
Lenwat answered, "To sell our goods in markets."
"Giants just want to live peacefully on our farms," said Munaxy.
"Practicing magic without punishment," remarked Queen Maub.
Jerrold nodded. "So we each have our own goals," he decided. "And the only way to achieve all of these goals is to set up a new monarchy?"
There were calls of 'yes' from around the table. "All right," Jerrold said, "how do we achieve that?"
"Attack," Lenwat said simply.
"No, you misunderstood me," Jerrold replied. "How do we attack?"
Tom cleared his throat. "When I saw them take the Ayorthaian army, it was very odd. They fight dirty. We need to force them into a space and keep them there, so they can't try anything new," he suggested.
"So let's assume," I began, "that we can lure them into our meadow-"
"No," warned Queen Maub. "If we went into their territory and won, our victory would not be contested."
BrAfzY nodded. "Her majesty is right," he said. "But where do we attack?"
"The palace," grunted Munaxy.
The meeting went on, as we planned an attack on the castle in two days, in broad daylight. No one was to kill the king or queen. Everyone would fight except for the fairies, who'd act as healers for our knights.
"No women are to fight," Jerrold said.
My jaw dropped. "No!" I cried.
"Yes," Lenwat said. "It'd be unsafe."
"That's not fair!" I protested. "This revolution means as much to me as it does all of you!"
Jerrold glared at me. "Daria," he said seriously, "you are under no circumstances to fight. Do you understand?"
"You're not my keeper!" I said angrily.
He sighed. "We'll discuss this later," he said.
The nest day, we took our army outside and ran tactics with them. Was it useful? Not really. But we did get to see the gnome's rock cannons. They were pretty interesting. The giant's sheer size made them almost invincible; all they had to do was run through the other army, plucking their swords. Elves had these giant, knobby staffs with points at the end that they launched, well, threw, further than anything I'd ever seen. Fairies disappeared and reappeared, calling for random herbs to heal. Although it was big magic, which they didn't like doing, they decided that these times were an exception to the rule. The men and boys practiced together, clanking their swords and dancing around each other gracefully.
This would have been exciting, too, if it hadn't been for the fact that I was excluded from their games. I stood, alone, on the balcony, my arms folded in resentment.
I deserve to be out there.
That night, after dinner, I approached Jerrold from behind.
"Daria," he said without even seeing me, "I am aware that we need to discuss the thought of you fighting tomorrow."
I sighed and sat on his bed next to him. "Jerrold, it's not fair! I'm just as passionate about this revolution as anyone, I could handle myself in battle," I whined.
Jerrold took my hands. "Daria, if something happened to you, Roan would never forgive me. I'd never forgive me," he said seriously.
"But-" I retorted.
"No," Jerrold said. "Daria, please. Promise me you won't endanger yourself."
I looked into his eyes, the stormy gray color serious. "Fine," I said grumpily.
That night, I lay awake in my bed, fingering the arrows of Delilah's. I don't know who Jerrold thinks I am. I sat up and walked silently to a boy's closet. But he should know I'm not one to sit by and watch.
A/N: Okay everyone! Was it worth the wait? I think it was! Next chapter is very exciting, and will be up much sooner than this one. Please Please Please review. I just love getting them. By the way, I seemed to have misplaced my tattered copy of Ella Enchanted. Is it spelled Ayorthaian or Ayorthian? I'm so confused!! REVIEW!