Chapter 19:
Tessandra sat on the large bed, subconsciously running her fingers over the embroidered silk coverlet. She wasn't listening to her sister Ava, who was fluttering around their room, talking merrily about something.
The more Ava kept talking, the further compelled Tessandra felt to just sit quietly and stroke the embroidery. It was comforting in a small, strange way. It distracted her from the more puzzling and disturbing aspects of her life.
For almost her entire life, Tessandra had been getting mistaken for Ava. It was a simple mistake; physically, the two girls were nearly identical. Petite, with long, curling flaxen hair, delicate features and wide eyes. Their only real physical difference was their eyes.
Ava's eyes were a bright, mesmerizing, but cold crystalline blue. They showed her true nature behind the façade she kept up. Tessandra's eyes on the other hand were an unsettling violet, but unlike her sister's eyes, there was no coldness in them.
It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul and especially in the sister's case, it was true, as well as alluding the their true natures. Ava was cold and calculating, bold and domineering, but hid this under a façade of warmth. Tessandra was gentle and sweet, timid when compared to Ava. Unfortunately for Tessandra, people who both liked and disliked Ava mistook her for Ava and she had to do much convincing that she was not her sister.
"Tessandra! Tessie! Hello! Is anyone in there?" Ava said brashly, startling Tessandra from her thoughts. Tessandra looked up to see that her sister had stopped her bustling was poised to ask her a question.
"What?" Tessandra asked, quietly.
Ava rolled her eyes at her sister and continued, "Heavens, Tessie. Sometimes I just really think that you aren't that bright. Well as I was saying, which dress do you think I should wear? The red or the blue?"
"For what?" Tessandra asked clueless, having no idea what her sister had been rambling about.
"To make the King fall in love me, duh! Cause if I make a killer impression tonight, he'll love me for sure, and then I can be queen."
"Tonight? What's so important about tonight?"
"There is a welcoming celebration for an incoming dignitary from Fiary. The prince's sister or someone else important and boring, I think. "
"Why are dignitaries from Fiary coming to Antar?
"Something about making peace I imagine."
"But Fiary doesn't make peace, only war."
"Who cares what they do and don't make? So what if they make war? I heard that their prince is quite the fox. But that's not important right now. The only thing that is important is what I am going to wear tonight."
"The blue. It brings out your eyes."
"You're right! Plus, the royal colors of Fiary are scarlet and black, so chances are the entire set of dignitaries will be wearing those colors, then I certainly won't stand out," Ava agreed, holding the blue gown up against her frame and turning to examine herself in the mirror.
Tessandra watched her sister in amazement. She had no idea how Ava got to be the way she was; so hell bent on being queen. What was so great about being queen anyways? All that pressure and expectation, plus you would never be fully left alone. Who would willing choose to live a life like that? Tessandra remembered a time when she and Ava used to do everything together, with equality in their relationship, and were truly happy. But the Ava she once knew and still loved was gone, replaced by a stranger, and to be perfectly honest, Tessandra had no idea when that had happened.
"Do I get to go?" Tessandra asked cautiously.
Ava stopped admiring herself in the mirror and stared at her sister like she had sprouted a second head. "You? Why would you go? You would just get in the way. Also, no one really cares for you anyways."
Tessandra felt a sudden stabbing pain in her chest and felt the tears burning in her eyes. She knew that Ava could be cruel, but this was just going too far. Ava was always making fun of her and telling her how stupid she was, but to say that no one liked her and she wasn't invited was just plain mean.
"Oh, you're not going to cry are you? Because that's just foolish. I was only telling you the truth," Ava responded, turning back to her reflection.
Tessandra slid off the bed, stood up, and made motion to brush the tears from her eyes. She stepped towards her sister, a new emotion suddenly filling her. She wanted, for the first time, to hurt her, to tell her how she really felt, to provide some sort of payback for the way she was currently feeling.
"You want to know what I think, Ava, I think that you will never be queen. A queen is supposed to be kind, and caring, and respected by others. You are none of those things. You are just a cheap whore!" Tessandra said, speaking these words with all the anger she felt suddenly pouring forth.
"What did you say?" Ava answered, turning towards her sister and narrowing her eyes.
"I said you shall never be queen unless it is as the queen of the whores!" Tessandra screamed.
Ava walked towards Tessandra and slapped her hard across the face. She then said in a cold voice, "No, dear sister, I will be queen, and you shall forever be alone."
Tessandra put her hand to her cheek and just looked her sister in shock. After a moment, she ran from the room. She ran out of the house and out into the streets. By the time she'd reached the streets, the tears had started to flow, and she only paused for a moment before continuing to run through the streets. She ran until she a placed where she could be alone and that she knew her sister would never find her. A place that always provided comfort. She ran to the gardens of the monastery.
Tessandra slowed down once she reached the monastery's gates. It was a monastery full of monks dedicated to Valiant Protector. Across the road from it was the temple for the Virtuous Oracle. She wondered if perhaps today, she would be better suited to seek guidance from one of the Oracle's priestesses. She shook her head, dismissing that thought in favor of solace from the Protector, who might just save her from her sister.
She walked inside the temple's gates and followed one of the paths until it led to her favorite tree. This tree was ancient, standing there for as long as the temple had been in existence, its bark was thick and its braches were winding. Underneath the tree sat a bench. She sat down on the bench and leaned back against the trunk of the tree.
She had only lost herself in her thoughts for a moment when she had them interrupted by a soft-spoken male voice. She opened her eyes to see that it was Kieran one of the monks that she happened to be very close to. There were moments, actually, where she almost wished Kieran wasn't a monk so that she could be with him, but she marked those up to girlish fantasy. Kieran was nothing, but a great friend.
"Why do you cry, sweet lady? Today is a day for hope, not sorrow," Kieran said gently, as he sat down next to her.
Tessandra looked at the sky and said, with pain in her voice, "My sister."
She turned her face towards him and continued, "She said that no one like me and that I will always be alone."
Kieran reached his hand to her face and brushed away the tears that were slowly sliding down her cheek.
"Your sister is hard and cruel. The Protector punishes those who torment those who they believe to be weaker than them. The Protector disciplines those who forget the saying that blood is thicker than water without any just cause," he paused for a moment before continuing. "You, on the other hand, are beautiful and kind, just like the Oracle. There are great things planned for you. And I assure you, lovely Tessandra, you will never be alone."
Tessandra couldn't speak. Words had failed her, leaving her mind a blank slate. She just looked at him. He was so beautiful and kind to her, and it hurt her heart to know that she could never have him; that this would only ever be a dream. It was few minutes before she spoke again.
"Thank you, you're too kind, but I am far from being anything like the Oracle."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Today, I called my own sister a whore. A kind and virtuous person doesn't do such things."
"Your sister has said far worse than that to you. I believe you were merely telling the truth."
Tessandra laughed feebly at that.
"Even if I was, her wrath will nonetheless be quite impressive. Who will protect me from her?" she asked sadly, looking at Kieran.
"I will. I will protect you, Tessandra, always. Always," he answered with quiet seriousness.
And all that Tessandra could do in response to that was stare.
Hey Guys! First and foremost, I would like to say this: I am sooo sorry for not updating in over a month. Sure I have had absolutely no time, but still it's unacceptable. If I expect others to update their fics, I should give example by updating my mine. Will you guys forgive me? Please keep reading!! I'll be good! Chapter 20 is almost done at the time of this writing! this is b/c I got really inspired late Sunday night & wrote all of Ch. 19 & most of 20…guess that ends my writer's block
Anyways, to those who reviewed since my last update, some thanks is in order:
Trude: Thank you for being my most consist reviewer ( I love you to bits & pieces)! Also, thank you for forgiving me, I would really hate to be in the doghouse (tho, if I had a roof over my head, it wouldn't be so bad ). And yeah, I think it does count a little bit in the dark side factor if you prefer Darth Vader, but I can relate, when I was younger, I used to only cheer for the bad guys, cause I thought it was really unfair that the good guys always one!! But don't fret…the dark side can be pretty fun.
Mt Gazer: Yay! You're back reviewing! Thank you for saying that I write Alex well; that's a really awesome compliment (especially since he is sort of a major part of this story). And I hope you're quite satisfied with the rest of the past; it gets pretty different. Also, good guess on who Kalisandra is; it was right on the money.
the-pink-dahlia: You know what they say about better late than never! I'm glad that you like the story and that you dig the "flow". And you're right, who doesn't dig a cliffhanger? It makes everything so much more exciting.
Adam: Merci de la revue. Je pense que c'etait le meilleure revue qui j'ai obtenu. Continuez à lire, satisfaire! Thank you for the review. I think that it was the best review that I have gotten. Continue to read, please!
Thanks to everyone who read and didn't review (shame on you!). Hope this keeps everyone's interest & I hope that everyone can figure out who Kieran is (I hope that you have picked up on Tessandra and Ava already, cause I gave them away ages ago).
Please review! It gives me incentives! Plus I am 10 away from 100! Thanks again!
Gifted Empress
P.S. This chapter was brought to you by Keane. A great band, who manages to have sweet ballads and fun more upbeat songs all on one CD. I am personally partial to the songs "Your Eyes Open" and "We Might As Well Be Strangers". They're just that good.