"Quite talented, isn't he?" King Barnesh, ruler of Maren remarked to his guest, an ambassador from Tusaine.
"Quite, your Majesty." The ambassador agreed as the two watched the string quartet on the small dais in the ballroom. The musician in question was the first violinist, a slight young thing who was currently leading the dancers in a spirited waltz.
"A real prodigy, I think. Does my royal cousin have any court musicians such as him?" Barnesh inquired, silently wishing that they did not.
"Not quite, your Majesty, our musicians are a bit more . . .reserved, I'm afraid to say." The ambassador replied as the violinist began a sweeping counter-melody to the rest of the quartet.
Slowly, the dancers turned to watch the string players on the dais as the first violinist began to wind up and down the strings at an ever-quickening pace. The second violinist soon followed the first's lead as the viola and cello kept a semblance of the original tune. Suddenly, with a flourish, the quartet ended the song to the sound of applause from the guests of the ball.
"A good deal more reserved, your Majesty." The ambassador repeated.
Barnesh could only grin contently as the quartet began a slow, alluring song with the air of a tango. Shortly thereafter, the ambassador's wife came to take her husband off to the dance floor.
'It appears we have a bargaining chip.' Barnesh thought, as he observed the ball that was being held in the Tusaine delegation's honour. His gaze drifted back to the now subdued quartet. 'We do indeed.'
~~
The ball had finished late into the evening, but that didn't mean that Raven could escape so easily. Currently, girls, admirers to be exact, surrounded Raven.
"You're so talented." One started, "Do you give lessons? I've always wanted to play an instrument."
"Yes, do you, Master Raven?" Another added, latching onto the said musician's arm. Raven on the other hand did not feel flattered; Raven felt repulsed.
"Uh…sorry, I do not give lessons." The uneasy violinist responded as she extricated her arm from the girl's hold. 'Bubble brains, what do you want from me? I'm only 14! And I'm a girl, you dunderheads!' Raven felt like shouting, but instead sent a look to the rest of 'The Roses', who were laughing amongst themselves.
"Useless fools." Raven muttered under her breath, pulling out of the knot of young girls who were fooled by her disguise. "Sorry ladies, I'd love to stay and chat, but unfortunately I . . . have to go and.. .um, see ya!"
With that, the lithe Raven broke out of the group of girls and slung her violin case on her back. She then proceeded to run down the hall until she saw a window at the end. With a burst of speed, Raven leapt and burst through the shutters as one of the girls called 'Wait!'
The fall from the window, plucked her quartet's green beret from her head, letting loose her long, black braids to splay out behind her. Landing gently, as to not knock the violin strapped to her back, memories hit Raven. You see, Raven used to be a thief up until three years ago when a young nobleman took her in and taught her violin.
Holding back tears, she bent and scooped up her beret, as that young man was now dead. She dusted the beret off and placed it back on her head, strolling towards her quarters.
" . . .Sure about this?" The sound of a man's voice met Raven's ears, sending her instinctively into the shadows.
"Of course, I'm sure." Another, harsher, voice responded. "He needs to die, no doubt about it. We did not travel all this way to have him flaunt his riches at us. We came on business and if Barnesh is not so inclined to give us what we want then perhaps his heir would be."
"Alright, when will the negotiations begin?" the first voice asked as two men came into sight. One was tall and well built; the other was rather scrawny, in Raven's opinion.
"We'll discuss that with the ambassador later." The tall man spoke; his was the harsh voice. The two then walked onward and Raven came out of hiding when she could no longer hear them.
'What was that all about?' She wondered as she continued to her room, 'Wait . . . what was that about Barnesh and his heir? Uh-oh.' Raven thought as realization dawned on her.
~~~~~~~~
Raven had not slept well. She had tossed and turned all night, as her brain refused to stop speculating what she heard. 'Perhaps his heir would be' sounded a bit more than threatening to her.
She shook her head and exited her room.
Her hair, as usual, was pinned up under a brown beret. She wore a pair of loose green breeches along with a simple tan shirt and green vest. For all appearances she was a young boy out to get his breakfast.
Raven sighed scratching at a pin, she wished that the disguise wasn't necessary but it was, Demetrus had said so.
'Remember this Raven, in the palace men and women hold different jobs. As a woman, you'd be restricted to being a servant or cook. As a boy, you can share your talent worry free. No one will try you as well.'
His words were still in her mind despite the years since his death.
'And thank the Goddess I listened to you Demetrus,' she thought as she remembered the rumour of one of the servant girls and the king. 'Good ol' Sticky Hands.'
By this time she had reached the servants mess where she and the other 'Roses' ate. Looking in she saw the others laughing and eating. She wasn't quite sure if she should tell them of what she had heard the night before. It wasn't that she didn't trust them; this was just a delicate matter.
Her mind continued its debate as she went to the counter and got her food. She then turned towards 'The Roses" table and arrived just in time to hear the blond Korosh, the cellist, finish another joke as the other two laughed (well, one laughed, the other smiled politely). She rolled her eyes; to Korosh the world was a stage and he was in the spotlight eternally.
"I hope you gentlemen realize that there is nothing particularly funny about ladies' undergarments fluttering in the wind," she informed them as she sat between Korosh and Draguen, the violist.
"Aw, c'mon, Raven, how can you say that? You know, maybe in two years, you'll find it amusing too." Korosh retorted, turning his blue eyes on her.
"Actually, in another two years, maybe she would be more mature than that." Draguen pointed out. He was the one who had smiled politely.
"And how would you know?" Thetar, the second violinist, asked the blue-haired Draguen. In response, the eldest quartet member merely gave Thetar 'the look' and sipped his tea. Raven watched the exchange with amusement before her conscious reminded her of the task at hand.
"Um...Draguen's likely correct actually, considering that I am female." Raven reminded them quietly. "Uh...There's something important you should know-"
"What...who's the lucky g-?" Korosh started before Thetar clapped his hand over the young man's mouth.
"Continue..." he said once he was sure that Korosh would keep silent.
"Thank you. You know last night how I leapt out the window to escape those...fan girls?" The three men nodded. "Well I heard some things I'd rather not have heard. There's a conspiracy under foot here." With that she told them about the two men and as much as she had gathered. "Well? What should I do?" she asked once she had finished recounting her story.
"There is only one thing to do, inform His Highness." Draguen stated causing the other three to look at him surprised. "We are now privy to a plot against the king, if we do not inform, logically, we could be tried and convicted of treason. Besides, His Highness has provided us with a home, his heir is not quite so fond of music as him."
"Logically." Thetar stated with a grimace. Running a hand through his cropped brown hair, he replaced his green beret on his head and stood. "Well, let's not keep Sticky Hands waiting."
With murmured agreement, the others followed suit while Draguen quietly berated Thetar for 'his lack of respect for one who treated us so kindly.'
~~
"Well, that obviously didn't work." Korosh stated as he massaged his arm where he had been grabbed. The quartet had just approached the King's study when they were (quite rudely, as Draguen put it) thrown aside by the two guards by the door.
Neither sentry had believed them that what they had to say was of utmost importance after Barnesh's secretary came out to tell them that the king was busy and 'not to be bothered by court entertainers'.
"Obviously..." Raven agreed, "Well we tried, so can I go back to my breakfast?"
"No... there are still approaches we've yet to try." The blue-haired Draguen replied in deep thought.
"What are you suggesting?" Thetar's voice rumbled. Many who had met Thetar could not believe that he played a violin for a living (or that he could join Raven in reckless abandon while doing so). His build, voice and look said blacksmith or carpenter, however Thetar was not one to follow the craftsmen of his family.
"I'm suggesting Raven." The blue-haired man replied quietly as they turned to look at her as the girl fiddled with her vest. The three men exchanged looks of understanding. The oblivious Raven looked up to meet their identical grins.
"Uh, guys...what's with the look?" The three moved in as one. "Um...guys?" she tried again as they herded her towards their wing, where Draguen broke off towards the supply closet.
~~
"I'm not coming out. No way!" she yelled through her door. At first it seemed like a good idea, but now that she looked at herself, uh-uh, nothing would make her come out...except maybe Korosh storming in and physically dragging her out. Which is what he did, while she protested and beat his arm.
"Raven, who knew you cleaned up so well?" He teased once he had deposited her in front of Thetar and Draguen who both nodded in approval.
"I did, which is why I don't!" her long black braids had been undone and her hair had been curled so that it framed her face. Who knew that Draguen was so talented with hair, then again his was pale blue and it looked natural. "I look like a girl." She whined.
"You are a girl, as you had so kindly reminded us this morning. Now stop whining, everything is going to be okay. You just go in, tell him all you know and go out. I don't think Sticky Hands will try anything, you have no curves." Korosh pointed out matter-of-factly.
"You didn't have to rub it in." she replied after swatting at him.
"Raven, please?" Draguen's quiet accented voice cut off anymore banter. "I know you are not particularly happy with this, but honestly, this is the only way without sneaking in." Raven turned her amber eyes onto the tall, blue-haired man, he sounded so…sincere.
"Alright," she conceded.
"Good, now come with me Raven, it's time to meet ol' Stick- His Highness." Thetar quickly changed the word he was going to use after a glare from Draguen. Thetar was to be her 'escort'. His light brown hair was now dyed coal black and his brandy coloured eyes were now somehow green, likely more of Draguen's 'magic'. On his back was slung Raven's violin case. Seeing her case she raised her brows at him.
"Expecting trouble?" she asked.
"No more than usual." He replied leading her down the hall. However, Thetar's definition of 'usual' could be quite different than other people.
~~
Raven sat in the king's sitting room feeling out of place. Thetar had been barred from entry, so Raven was alone in the richly adorned room. She shifted nervously as she examined the room. 'Scratch that,' she thought, 'very out of place.'
She wore a simple linen gown with pale green overcoat, also made of linen. To the untrained eye, Raven could be the daughter of a successful merchant despite the fact that her hands were callused in all the spots of a musician and her nails were un-manicured, in fact, they were quite short. A soft thump brought her to her feet as King Barnesh strode into the room. Upon looking at her he frowned a little bit but quickly hid his disappointment. You see, Barnesh has a thing for a pretty girl, and while Raven was pretty, she was obviously too young. Raven curtsied and introduced herself as 'Miss Katherine', before Barnesh motioned for them to sit.
"So my dear, what brings you here? I was told a young woman wished to speak with me, but you seem more of a child, I'm sorry to say." Barnesh began seemingly bored.
"No harm done, Your Highness," Raven brushed off the comment, "I'm here for your safety. The other day as I was walking through the public gardens, I came upon two men. They seemed to be in deep conversation so I stepped quietly as not to distract them-" damn! Acting proper was hard.
"Please come to the point," Barnesh cut in.
"Yes, of course, Your Highness. What I meant to say is that those two men were conspiring against you. They said something about your heir likely being easier to negotiate with, than yourself. I came here to warn you, my Liege."
"Ah, yes, thank..." Barnesh's words died on his lips as the large decorate window behind them shattered. In leapt a tall, slim figure clothed head to toe in black. Barnesh grabbed Raven's hand and pulled her to her feet and tore into the inner chambers of his suite as more figures piled into the sitting room. In rushed the guards as Barnesh pushed Raven behind as he locked the door to his bedchamber.
"Is this what you were talking about?!" he cried outraged. She nodded still surprised that the large, elderly king could run so quickly. Said king threw up his hands in frustration as he began hunting through various chests for a sword. Finally he found the weapon and drew it turning to face the door, however, what his companion said next shocked him more than the attack.
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Currently reposting this story so that it flows better and so that the chapters do not vary greatly in length.
~S.I-E