Hey, I was moved to write this short fic after reading the sequel to Joust, Alta, which I absolutely LOVE! Anyway, if you were wondering, I think that there should be a third story, but that's not up to me to decide, I just hope that Mercedes Lackey decides the same thing! :) Anyway, here is my fic! If you have not read this book and are planning to in later days, I suggest that you do not read any further since I WILL be giving away big plot points in this mini-fic! ***JUST A WARNING*** Thanks!
P.S. This takes place right before the Prince's 'Accident'
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PROLOGUE
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Amaya paced back and fourth between the bed and chair in her small and crowded room. Her black hair, which she had let grow long, was stringy and wet. Her make-up was smeared from constant rubbing, using her sleeve.
Toreth had told her that he was going to talk to the Magi about what they were doing. They had to listen to him, right? He was their heir after all, the prince of Alta. What parent, or parent's advisor, would not listen to their child?
'Toreth, you said it would not take long, you said you'd come for me after to tell all! But the day is already half gone and you are no where in sight!' Amaya thought about her lover. It was not like him to go against his what he claimed, but what if the Magi had gotten away with punishing him? What if they were torturing him at this moment? Amaya's mind swirled in confusion and she finally had to sit before she passed out cold.
'And what if the Magi turn into filthy little pigs and fly away?' Her mind was asking. She knew that she was overreacting, but she had a right! She and he were in love, even is he was betrothed to another woman! He did not love her, he had only to marry her when the time came and find himself upon the throne, in the place of the Great Ones.
Amaya's head cleared and she stood again, which only resulted in making her pace again. She looked around her room to find that she had unknowingly reeked havoc upon it by throwing her objects about.
Her favourite dress lay on the floor, rumpled and she let out a whimper of regret and quickly swiped the garment off the floor. She quickly shook the dust off of it and replaced in back onto her bed. She was, after all, supposed to wear it to the little get together that her father's cousin was hosting that night. Her parents were hoping that she would find a nice, non-prince, suitor there that she could quickly marry and start a new life with.
'Me? A family, a husband and no Toreth? What are they thinking?' She fumed with anger. She was furious with her parents for not seeing what she and the prince truly had. Amaya shook her head and sat on the chair beside her bed. She wept softly into her hands as she placed them over her face and thought about what Toreth must have been going through. She could only wait and see what happened.
But, waiting was the hardest part of love.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
LATER THAT EVENING
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Evening came and Amaya was even more restless. She attended the get together with her family, which consisted of her father, mother, two brothers and three sisters. All of her sisters lounged where the men could gawk at them and their lovely dresses. Amaya on the other hand, sulked in the dark corners of the hall, which were small and cramped. She had made it through that ordeal with quite a bit of ease, except when a young and shy boy had spotted her and asked for a dance.
Amaya and her family came back to their home much into the night and she found, again, that he had not visited, or even left a note to let her know about his feelings, accomplishments or torturing. She was worried.
Amaya never thought that she would fall victim to sleep, since she seemed so edgy and wild with fear, but the darkness soon gained control and took her from the real world to that of the dreams.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
MORNING
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Amaya woke in the morning to find that Toreth had not yet left any signs of visits. But, since she often left the house to visit the market on that very day, she decided to go to him, and the one place she knew he would be, was the Jouster's compound.
The young woman slipped into one of her softer and lighter dresses, and ventured out of the house after having a slave style her limp hair.
Amaya was determined to find her way to the compound and soon ended up asking for directions. Once the directions had been collected, she set off, with her two confused slaves trailing behind her.
When Amaya entered the Jouster's compound, all was silent and an eyrie feeling had set down on the building. She was worried and knew that all was not good in this part of town.
When Amaya finally found someone, she noticed that it was female, and not a male that was wondering the halls aimlessly. Amaya regarded her face carefully and noticed that tear of, was it grief? Were dried on her slightly pink cheeks.
"I'm sorry to bother in what seems such a horrid situation, but I'm here to see a certain Jouster." Amaya tried to choose her words carefully, but she was anxious to see her lover.
"It is alright. My name is Aket-te, what can I do for you?" She brightened up as Amaya sighed lightly.
"I'm looking for Jouster Toreth. Do you know his whereabouts?" Amaya noticed that the girl's face drained of all colour and she was a white as what a ghost was said to look like.
"Y-you're looking f-f-for Toreth? The prince Toreth?"
"Yes, I don't know of any other Toreth in this city." Amaya was getting impatient.
"You need to follow me then." Aket-te walked briskly away and Amaya had to widen her strides a great deal to catch up.
The two girls and Amaya's slaves walked down hall after hall, until they came to a newly added on section to the compound. Amaya could hear whimpering from some of the cages, and the voices of young men trying to sooth those who were mourning, which oddly enough, Amaya thought might be the dragons.
Aket-te showed her to the second pen on the one side. The dragon inside it was quite big, although not as big as those she had seen hen walking down the hallway. The dragon was scarlet and looked as if she had been greatly disturbed sometime that morning, was there something that made the dragons mourn, maybe a lost one?
"Kiron, are you in here?" Aket-te asked and a young man poked his head out from behind the scarlet dragon. He seemed worn and also had the leftovers of vigorously shed tears. "This girl is here to see Toreth and I thought that you should explain it."
What did the girl me by 'explain it?' Did something happen to Toreth?
Kiron walked slowly towards the girls and stopped short of two feet in front of her. "My Lady, your friend Toreth, he is dead. Killed by a magic sent snake dur-" Was all he could get out before Amaya shrieked and whipped around. She ran from cage to cage, looking for her beloved lover.
When she came to the end of the corridor, she gave up and slumped to the ground and sobbed her heart out.
'Toreth! Toreth, my beloved! Why do you leave me now? Why must the gods take you from me!?' Fear, anger and pure hatred overtook her mind and after she had wept and cried out his name several times, she stood, swiftly, as if she had never left the standing position, and ran back towards the main part of the city, and her house.
She was going to teach the Magi a lesson, one that they would never forget…..
**************************************
Well? What do you think about this? There will probably be only three chapters to this fic. I HAD to add my own character to this story, it's is after all one of my most favourite Mercedes Lackey books! :) Well, I'll put the next two chapter up, probably one day after another. Chapter two will probably be up tomorrow!
P.S. This takes place right before the Prince's 'Accident'
****************************************
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PROLOGUE
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Amaya paced back and fourth between the bed and chair in her small and crowded room. Her black hair, which she had let grow long, was stringy and wet. Her make-up was smeared from constant rubbing, using her sleeve.
Toreth had told her that he was going to talk to the Magi about what they were doing. They had to listen to him, right? He was their heir after all, the prince of Alta. What parent, or parent's advisor, would not listen to their child?
'Toreth, you said it would not take long, you said you'd come for me after to tell all! But the day is already half gone and you are no where in sight!' Amaya thought about her lover. It was not like him to go against his what he claimed, but what if the Magi had gotten away with punishing him? What if they were torturing him at this moment? Amaya's mind swirled in confusion and she finally had to sit before she passed out cold.
'And what if the Magi turn into filthy little pigs and fly away?' Her mind was asking. She knew that she was overreacting, but she had a right! She and he were in love, even is he was betrothed to another woman! He did not love her, he had only to marry her when the time came and find himself upon the throne, in the place of the Great Ones.
Amaya's head cleared and she stood again, which only resulted in making her pace again. She looked around her room to find that she had unknowingly reeked havoc upon it by throwing her objects about.
Her favourite dress lay on the floor, rumpled and she let out a whimper of regret and quickly swiped the garment off the floor. She quickly shook the dust off of it and replaced in back onto her bed. She was, after all, supposed to wear it to the little get together that her father's cousin was hosting that night. Her parents were hoping that she would find a nice, non-prince, suitor there that she could quickly marry and start a new life with.
'Me? A family, a husband and no Toreth? What are they thinking?' She fumed with anger. She was furious with her parents for not seeing what she and the prince truly had. Amaya shook her head and sat on the chair beside her bed. She wept softly into her hands as she placed them over her face and thought about what Toreth must have been going through. She could only wait and see what happened.
But, waiting was the hardest part of love.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
LATER THAT EVENING
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Evening came and Amaya was even more restless. She attended the get together with her family, which consisted of her father, mother, two brothers and three sisters. All of her sisters lounged where the men could gawk at them and their lovely dresses. Amaya on the other hand, sulked in the dark corners of the hall, which were small and cramped. She had made it through that ordeal with quite a bit of ease, except when a young and shy boy had spotted her and asked for a dance.
Amaya and her family came back to their home much into the night and she found, again, that he had not visited, or even left a note to let her know about his feelings, accomplishments or torturing. She was worried.
Amaya never thought that she would fall victim to sleep, since she seemed so edgy and wild with fear, but the darkness soon gained control and took her from the real world to that of the dreams.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
MORNING
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Amaya woke in the morning to find that Toreth had not yet left any signs of visits. But, since she often left the house to visit the market on that very day, she decided to go to him, and the one place she knew he would be, was the Jouster's compound.
The young woman slipped into one of her softer and lighter dresses, and ventured out of the house after having a slave style her limp hair.
Amaya was determined to find her way to the compound and soon ended up asking for directions. Once the directions had been collected, she set off, with her two confused slaves trailing behind her.
When Amaya entered the Jouster's compound, all was silent and an eyrie feeling had set down on the building. She was worried and knew that all was not good in this part of town.
When Amaya finally found someone, she noticed that it was female, and not a male that was wondering the halls aimlessly. Amaya regarded her face carefully and noticed that tear of, was it grief? Were dried on her slightly pink cheeks.
"I'm sorry to bother in what seems such a horrid situation, but I'm here to see a certain Jouster." Amaya tried to choose her words carefully, but she was anxious to see her lover.
"It is alright. My name is Aket-te, what can I do for you?" She brightened up as Amaya sighed lightly.
"I'm looking for Jouster Toreth. Do you know his whereabouts?" Amaya noticed that the girl's face drained of all colour and she was a white as what a ghost was said to look like.
"Y-you're looking f-f-for Toreth? The prince Toreth?"
"Yes, I don't know of any other Toreth in this city." Amaya was getting impatient.
"You need to follow me then." Aket-te walked briskly away and Amaya had to widen her strides a great deal to catch up.
The two girls and Amaya's slaves walked down hall after hall, until they came to a newly added on section to the compound. Amaya could hear whimpering from some of the cages, and the voices of young men trying to sooth those who were mourning, which oddly enough, Amaya thought might be the dragons.
Aket-te showed her to the second pen on the one side. The dragon inside it was quite big, although not as big as those she had seen hen walking down the hallway. The dragon was scarlet and looked as if she had been greatly disturbed sometime that morning, was there something that made the dragons mourn, maybe a lost one?
"Kiron, are you in here?" Aket-te asked and a young man poked his head out from behind the scarlet dragon. He seemed worn and also had the leftovers of vigorously shed tears. "This girl is here to see Toreth and I thought that you should explain it."
What did the girl me by 'explain it?' Did something happen to Toreth?
Kiron walked slowly towards the girls and stopped short of two feet in front of her. "My Lady, your friend Toreth, he is dead. Killed by a magic sent snake dur-" Was all he could get out before Amaya shrieked and whipped around. She ran from cage to cage, looking for her beloved lover.
When she came to the end of the corridor, she gave up and slumped to the ground and sobbed her heart out.
'Toreth! Toreth, my beloved! Why do you leave me now? Why must the gods take you from me!?' Fear, anger and pure hatred overtook her mind and after she had wept and cried out his name several times, she stood, swiftly, as if she had never left the standing position, and ran back towards the main part of the city, and her house.
She was going to teach the Magi a lesson, one that they would never forget…..
**************************************
Well? What do you think about this? There will probably be only three chapters to this fic. I HAD to add my own character to this story, it's is after all one of my most favourite Mercedes Lackey books! :) Well, I'll put the next two chapter up, probably one day after another. Chapter two will probably be up tomorrow!