Entwining Loves

Chapter 3: New Buds

By: Lunarian Princess

This chap will focus on Sandry's adjustment to court life and the people she meets. I thought the title was a cute little play on words. I would like feed back, and what you would like to see, in this story. Constructive criticism goes a long way with me, please give me all you can.

So here is my disclaimer: I own none of this, the people, except those you don't recognize, and places, ditto. So other than the new things they all belong to Tamora Pierce, whom I admire greatly.

Prelude

Sandry settled in to her new room quickly. Her maid, Elani, was a young woman who was sweet, and mild mannered. All her bags that had been brought from Discipline had been efficiently unpacked. Her uncle had told her that she would not need to worry about that, since he planned to get her outfitted with new clothes for court and affairs of state.

She currently stood in a shop that her uncle had brought her to. She had told him that she would make all her clothes, and he could buy the fabric. She stood surrounded by attendants. She had chosen fabric for her riding habits, morning dresses and was currently looking for nicer fabric for her gowns. Her uncle had told her she would need a variety of them.

The first color she chose was a muted gold satin that matched her hair and the quality was good. The second was bright scarlet velvet, her uncle liked it, and she got it with a dark maroon sheer net because she thought the red was too ostentatious. Next was a very light green that was mint in color, in a nice satin that shone against her skin. Last was a black silk that was shot through with silver, it was very elegant and somber. When she was done she noticed that she had only found four colors and each reminded her of one of her foster siblings. She soon had more colors of fabric for dresses, a fine purple muslin that was very simple and an orange cotton that would look very elegant in the right style. She also got a deep sapphire blue satin, and a very pale blue silk.

She soon had an entire new wardrobe that she had made. She had learned Elani was a girl who had escaped her parents, who were nobles in Blosym, where Briar currently was headed. They had wanted her to marry a man who was more than twice her age, but she did not love him, she loved another. They could never be together so she ran away. She had found her way into Emelan and was hired in a country estate, after that she had moved to Summersea, she then found a relative of a friend from the country estate, who worked in the citadel. She came to work there and when the duke needed a ladies maid she came to work there.

Court started soon after Sandry arrived. Her uncle had expected her to be in charge of the palace's events and had been preparing her for that as well as sessions of law-making. Sandry was preparing for her first ball, a formal presentation to the court. Her uncle wanted the nobles to know that she was important. Elani was a huge help in getting her ready. Sandry had been there for almost a month so they had become tentative friends, since Elani was wary of nobles and did not expect Sandry to be so nice.

Elani dressed her hair, pulling it up in a coronet around her head and putting a gold net around her hair. Around her neck she wore the gold necklace Daja had given her when she left. It was a beautiful circular weave that was shaped for success, and had a small sapphire in the center. She wore sapphire earbobs that her uncle had given her for her birthday. She slipped the muted gold satin dress on and sighed, it was very comfortable and she loved the feel of it on her skin.

The dress hugged her lithe figure, showing off her trim figure. At the collar and sleeves was gold lace she had made her self. It draped simply and was very conservative while being stylish and striking.

Sandry's New Life:

I'm getting used to my new life in the palace. I am constantly looked down upon, people think me odd for engaging in activity that requires thought and work. My uncle has included me in his life thoroughly, I have breakfast with him, and then we attend sessions of court and legislature. I enjoy them, and I have a penchant for unknotting difficult situations, yet I felt like I was missing something.

Many interesting things have happened in the couple of moths I have been here. I have convinced most of the staff that I am capable and trustworthy, they view me as a powerful, fair, mage and this facilitates my work here. But every day after the midday meal, I enjoy a walk in a small garden that reminds me of my friends.

I walked into the garden and sat at a bench, soon noticing that I had sat in the rose garden, with a metal statue of interweaving lightening bolts and flowers, I laughed at the implications. I had heard from Briar, he had found a number of cures for some of the unknown diseases where he was. I was thinking of my closest friends and wishing they were closer, so I could be reassured. Just then I heard a twig snap behind me, I pivoted quickly slightly startled to find a boy there.

"Hello, what are you laughing at?" the mysterious boy asked. He had black hair and deep brown eyes.

"Oh, I was laughing at a memory of my foster siblings," I said, a thought occurred to me "Who are you?"

"Forgive me, my lady, I am Chancellor Naturace I am a new person at court, and I have heard many stories of your renowned powers, as well as those of your, um, foster siblings, I had hoped to hear a few of them from you," he stated, then he flushed, "I did not mean to be so forward, I just thought..." Sandry giggled at the flustered young man, he was stuttering now. She waved her hand to get his attention.

"Don't think about it, what would you like to know?" I asked, smiling at him warmly. I was used to people viewing me as some sort of court oddity, yet this man seemed different he actually seemed interested. I knew that I had the opportunity to make another friend, since my current ones were making their way in the world. I hope they are doing okay. My thoughts flitted among them. Brave Daja, amazed at the new metals where she was. Briar and Tris are harder to see, my instincts tell me that Briar is frolicking among his plants but if he heard me say that he would be so insulted, Tris is reading a book about a spell or scrying most likely.

"Well, are you the most powerful mages in the world?" he asked with unmasked awe. I wanted to laugh at the inaccurate nature of the question, we weren't as powerful as our teachers, I think. We had ambient magic, which is powerful, but we didn't have the ability of control that our mentors have.

"I don't think so, but others might, but we aren't as powerful as our mentors are," I said with some hesitation, I didn't want to sound presumptuous. He looked surprised when I said this. "What?"

"Well, I don't know, most nobles would proclaim their superiority when ever they could, but you seemed very humble when you said that." He said quietly, as if afraid of offending me. I started laughing very hard, he looked at me as if afraid I had gone mad, when I could catch my breath I said why I had laughed.

"You sounded just like my foster siblings, they are always telling me that I don't act like a noble, would, or should." I dissolved into giggles again, this time he joined me in laughing. He had a deep laugh that sent tingles down my spine. I didn't analyze this, maybe it was the weather. "Where do you come to court from?" I asked curious about this artless stranger who affected no pretenses.

"I am from Summersea, but I have been visiting my aunt in the country." He said and sat on a bench facing the small fountain. He started to hum, a quick little melody that soon had her more cheerful. I smiled at him, glad for a distraction from my longing for my foster siblings.

Chance and I became good friends quite quickly. We thoroughly enjoyed riding through Summersea, acting like regular people, instead of being surrounded by haughty nobles. We walked through gardens often and he came to many of the events we hosted at the citadel. He was a great friend and I must admit that soon I came to see him as more.

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