How does Vistra stay in contact with Axe and Danel?

Remember those three pins that Axe had magicked? Well, she still wears hers on her collars, as do the others. And even with her being in the castle, they're still in communicating distance.

Were you aware that Kally made a deal with Jon that if she relinquished her right to become a knight, he would not force her into an arranged marriage?

No, I was not aware of that. Was that said somewhere in the books? If so, which one?

Tortall doesn't believe in slavery.

Yes, I am aware of that. Everyone who has read Daine's books knows how much Carthak's slavery disgusted her. But this Tortall is not the same as her Tortall. We're are many years into the past. I'm sure Tortall wasn't always perfect.

Where's Kalasin?

She's coming…in chapter 15.

Kenrictonerian. Where did you come up with the name?

Pronounced: Ken-rick-ton-air-ee-an. Simple, yes? Well, Kenric was not made up, but I did make up the Tonerian part (I think) and simply put the two together.

Are you part of Sheroes Central?

I've wandered onto the website once or twice… but never actively participated. Should I?

A.N.: The website is being worked on. Hopefully it'll be up by my next update (or, at least, the part with NB's character profiles).

12. As A Servant

Nobles' Bane: Chapter 10

"Alisse, you awake?" a loud voice demanded from the other side of the door.

Vistra, just putting the finishing touches to her makeup, laughed. "I am now," she lied. In truth, she had been up for about an hour, getting prepared for the day.

Delice opened the door to Vistra's room and peeked in. "There's something out here for you."

"Oh? Hold on, let me get dressed and I'll be right out."

Vistra covered a yawn with a hand as she left her room. The other servants, all except for Lousan, stood in the hallway waiting for her.

Rye smiled a crooked smile. "These are for you." He held up a bouquet of flowers.

Vistra stepped back from the flowers that were put so vigorously up to her face. "Thank you," she said, flashing the only male servant a smile.

Rye gave her a generous wink. "Your welcome."

Morna jabbed him in the chest with her elbow. "Shut up, dolt," she said to him affectionately. She turned to laugh at Vistra. "These aren't from Rye, Alisse."

"No? Then who are they from?"

Delice looked at her. "Why don't you read the card?" she suggested.

Vistra reached through the flowers and plucked off the card. The others stared at her expectantly.

"Well?" Morna demanded.

"Read it out loud," Rye commanded officiously.

"All right, all right. Geesh, one would have thought that these flowers were for you instead of me, the way you're pushing me," Vistra teased.

Rye nodded. "Indeed, I get flowers from admirers all the time." He gave her a haughty look.

Morna smacked him over the head.

"It says, 'I'm sorry for what happened yesterday.' And it's signed with a 'K.'"

Delice nodded. "Lord Tonerian. Just as I thought."

Vistra was now glancing at the flowers suspiciously. "Does he always apologize for his father with flowers?"

"Yep," Rye grinned. "He gave me flowers too when General Aleyn--" he stopped speaking and instead chose to duck under Morna's approaching hand.

"They're very pretty," Delice said.

"Oh, aren't they?" Vistra agreed brightly. "Do you want them? I'm afraid that I don't have much of a liking of flowers--"

"You may not care too much for flowers, but be gracious enough to accept the gift," Morna interrupted.

Rye frowned. "But that'll cause a problem, don't you see?" he said in a serious tone.

The rest of them glanced at him. "What?"

"Well, you see," Rye whispered gravely, "we don't have too many vases left because General Aleyn likes to use them to practice his throwing arm--"

Delice and Vistra glanced at each other and laughed when Rye made a face after Morna rewarded him with a smack to the back of the head.

~*~*~

Life as a servant at the palace fell smoothly into rhythm after that first day. And to Vistra's surprise, she found that she enjoyed herself more than she would have expected. The chores were dull, but the others whom she befriended made her life more interesting. Morna snuck delicious snacks into Vistra's pockets whenever Vistra entered Morna's domain: the kitchen. She found herself genuinely laughing whenever she was around Rye. She crossed paths with Delice often, for Delice was in charge of the well-being of the castle residents.

It was Delice who gave Vistra most of her information.

"Queen Janah has been acting oddly for several years. She and her husband do not get along in the least." Delice leaned in towards Vistra and glanced around as if to make sure no one was nearby. "The last time they were in the same room, she tried to stab King Duane with her salad fork."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Athaniel was able to hold her back; he is always with her now. He watches over her and makes sure she takes her medicine."

Athaniel? The man whom she had seen the queen with. The man who had seemed to care for the queen a tad too much to be an impersonal caregiver.

"What about King Duane? What's he like?"

Delice shrugged. "I don't really know. He's usually always accompanied by General Aleyn. You know we do our best to stay away from him."

"Is he always so violent?" Vistra was no longer talking about King Duane.

Delice shivered. "Always. A year ago, he kicked one of the slaves down the stairs. The fall snapped the poor man's neck. He said it was an accident."

"Can't anyone do anything about him?"

"What can they do? I think that even King Duane is afraid of the man," Delice said with a shake of her head. "Here, take this to Morna. She asked for it earlier today." Delice handed something to her and then waved a hand as she left. "I'll see you at lunch."

~*~*~

It was her eighth day as a servant at the palace. It was late; the others were all asleep.

But Vistra was fully awake.

"Wh--who's there?" Vistra placed a fearful quiver into her voice as she peeked into the storage room.

The figure turned, facing the light.

She gave a surprised gasp and dropped into a curtsy. "Lord Tonerian, whatever are you doing raiding the storage closets?"

"Alisse?" He blinked with surprise. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

She smiled reassuringly. "No, of course not. I wasn't even asleep." And even if I had been, I wouldn't have heard you from the servants' quarters outside, she said to herself silently.

"Did you get my flowers?"

"Yes, they were very beautiful," she said shyly. "I've wanted to thank your for them, but I haven't had the time to."

Inside, she was seething. His father had thrown a damn vase at her. And he thought that giving her a bunch of flowers would make that at all better?

Only a noble. Only a noble would think that way.

He shrugged. "I wasn't too sure whether you'd like them or not. After all, the flowers hardly make up for what my father did to you."

She blinked.

"But I decided to get you the flowers because I thought that they might brighten up your mood a bit. Or, at least, your room."

"What are you doing raiding the storage closets at this time of night, Lord Tonerian?" she quickly changed the subject.

Her question seemed to make him a bit uncomfortable. "I was looking for some clothes," he said quietly.

"Clothes? Now? Why don't you just ask Delice for some during the day? And besides, you wouldn't want the clothes in this closet. They're too plain--"

"No, no," he objected. "I like my clothes plain."

Was he daft? He preferred cotton to silks?

"Well, I'm sure Delice wouldn't have minded getting you some plain clothes if you had made that clear to her."

The flame of the candle Vistra held flickered, throwing shadows into the young lord's black eyes.

"I didn't want her to know that I wanted the clothes," he said softly. When he saw her open her mouth to speak, he spoke first. "What have the others told you about me, Alisse?"

That you're kind, compassionate, gentle, caring…

"They've told me that you are decent," she said, almost unwillingly. "For a lord."

A small smile came to his face. "Anything else?"

"That you are not like your father."

The touch of a smile left then. "My father." His eyes got dark with anger as he said the words. But then they softened. "I truly am sorry about what happened that first day. I'm glad you were not seriously hurt."

"Your father is an evil man," Vistra said boldly, wanting to test the lord's loyalty to his father.

But he did not comment on her audacity. He looked sad, resigned. "I know my father is not a kind man. I will not fool myself and others into thinking him so."

How generous of you, she thought to herself. But her thought was not as biting as it would have been a couple days ago.

"I like to wander in Corus during my free time. Have the others told you about that?" he asked her.

She nodded. She had heard that the lord made frequent visits to the city.

"Well, there is something else to that." He ran an absent hand through his black curls. "When I go into the city, I sneak out in plain clothes. And I like to pretend that I'm a commoner."

His words made her mouth drop open.

He became embarrassed with her reaction. "The others don't know this. Only you. Why I've even told you…I don't know."

She closed her mouth. "Y-you're a noble. Why would you want to pretend to be a commoner?"

He opened his mouth as if to speak in his defense, but no words came out. He looked quite uncertain, as if he didn't quite know the answer to her question himself.

"You're right, of course," he finally said. "I am a lord. Why would I want to be anything else?" His words were laced with old bitterness.

"You have everything," she continued mercilessly. "Anything you can ever want, all you need to do is ask for it."

He met her gaze piercingly. "No. Not anything."

She shrugged. "Perhaps not anything. But you are much closer to fulfilling all your desires than we of lesser birth will ever be. You have things that we can only dream of. Do not deny it."

He shook his head, defeated. "You can have it all…I don't want it," he seemed to be murmuring to himself.

But he did not deny it.

In that silence, she scrutinized him, took in his measure. With his black curls and even darker brooding eyes, even she could not deny his being handsome. Her candle's flame showed her the small scars that crisscrossed over his palms and wrists; no doubt his price for being a dedicated swordsman. The mere stance in which he stood made it obvious to her that he was a warrior. And he was of noble birth. General Aleyn of Ra'kaul's son, his only son, no less.

Lord Kenrictonerian of Ra'kaul was wealthy, affluent, handsome, and probably an admirable fighter.

But there was something that he wanted, something that he couldn't acquire from his very privileged life.

What is it that the young lord so desires?

Vistra turned and delicately set the candle down on top of a counter. Then she stepped around the lord and deeper into the closet. She rummaged through the clothing there, hesitating for a moment before pulling some out. She fumbled through some more piles of folded clothing before finally pulling out another pair of breeches and a simple shirt.

Then she turned to face the lord and pressed the clothing into his hands. "They will not fit perfectly, but they will fit you well enough."

He looked down at her, surprised. "You--"

"I will not tell any others about your raiding the storage closets," she continued, not letting him speak. "But the next time you want more clothes, come to me first. I don't want you raiding the closets again." As servant who was responsible for keeping the castle tidy, she was also in charge of the very closets that the lord had been raiding.

He nodded, his eyes still surprised. "Alisse, thank--"

"No," she interrupted. She didn't want any noble's thanks. "Consider it as payment for your taking care of me that first day. I am no longer indebt to you."

Not wanting to hear another word, she quickly picked up her candle and walked away.