Mel sighed as she leaned into her sofa. The week was almost over and Vidanric had still not found her attacker. Because there were no more attacks Vidanric had loosened the security, and today was the first day that she was allowed to walk around without guards, though Mel suspected there were still spies. She also suspected that he wasn't telling her everything about current events.
While Vidanric may seem unreadable with his masked features to everyone else, that wasn't so much the case anymore for her. She knew him well enough that she could read certain movements or twitches that betrayed his emotions. When he told her about the Mages wishing to meet with him about finding new students the other night, Mel was sure she saw something in his eyes that suggested he was holding something back. She would have pressed it more at the time, but then she had been thinking about other things.
'I want to learn magic.' It just seemed neat, she always felt out of place here and there. In her town because of her status she didn't fit in, and here in court she didn't fit in because she still didn't know the customs and ways due to her upbringing. Even amongst the soldiers she didn't fit in as they were taught since they were young how to fight and she only learned last year. 'Mama was very talented with magic, I wonder if I would fit in more if I knew magic.'
"Good afternoon Countess." Spoke the lady Tamara. Mel blinked. She had been so taken in by her thoughts that she hadn't even realized that she had changed into her afternoon clothes and had started to take a walk. Taking a look around Mel hadn't even realized where she was.
Seeing Tamara's calculating eyes Mel banished her thoughts and quickly replied. "Thank you, good day to you too."
Tamara smiled. "I take it you've come to see the mages arrival." Tamara turned to a group of robed men walking up. There were a few other nobles watching.
Mel had finally gotten a good look around and realized they were standing near the entrance into the city. Looking down at the mages she saw lots of peasants and children, and soon saw why people were coming to watch the mages appearance. A few children ran along side them with flowers in there hands, they soon laughed and giggled when the flowers turned into butterflies and flew around in many different colors.
'Magic.' Mel thought, and a smile graced her features.
"Apparently they like to put on small displays whenever they come." Tamara spoke from behind. It was then that Mel realized that she had crept up closer to get a better look. She turned to look at Tamara for a short while, gave an even wider smile, turned back and gasped.
One of the mages was looking right at her. He had short, dark brown hair and appeared to be rather young. He was quite tall and just a little intimidating. And he was still looking straight at Mel.
Mel didn't quite know what to do, what to think. If he had glanced at her that would have been fine, but he was full out staring and that was starting to unnerve her just a little.
Tamara caught the stares the mage was giving Mel, and Mel's confused face. Seeing the confusion turn to worry she found herself worrying slightly too. "Meliara." She spoke softly but firmly.
Mel's attention was broken and she stared at Tamara. That was the first time Tamara had called her by her name.
"Let us take a look at the garden. There's this special flower that is very beautiful and it only blooms for one week out of the whole year." Tamara turned back towards the way they had come inviting Mel to follow.
The two ladies walked along the given paths until they reached their destination. Along the way they had small talk. Tamara asked about the colorwoods of Tlanth, and Mel asked questions of the flowers in the gardens.
"Ah, here it is countess. I confess I don't remember the name since it rarely blooms. It's rather foreign and the name was always hard to pronounce." Tamara lightly cupped the bottom part of the foreign flower. It was graced with dark blue and lavender colors. One would think the two colors would not make too spectacular a combination, but the colors were dotted in certain places and blended in others that it one did find themselves truly mesmerized by its uniqueness.
"It's so beautiful, yet you say you don't remember the name? Perhaps Nee or someone else might know."
"No one else knows about this flower."
Mel turned to look at her. "No one? Surely someone has seen this before."
Tamara shook her head. "No one, it's been here as long as I've been alive I think. Probably much longer."
"But I don't understand, how could people not know?" Tamara smiled and Mel found herself truly impressed with Tamara's beauty, it came out more when she wasn't being her conniving self.
"I found this when I was a little girl. I had been upset with someone over a childish matter and had run into the gardens to cry. After I had sobbed to my hearts content I sort of walked around the gardens my mind kind of hazy until I saw this flower. It brought caught my attention and it was all I could think of for the next few days. To my dismay, three days later, it was gone. I had searched the whole garden and couldn't find it. I thought that maybe I had been hallucinating until a year later I saw it again. I went everyday until it was gone. After a few years I learned that it only grew in that one spot and only for a week."
"But surely someone else has seen or noticed it, I mean it stands out so much more then the rest of the flowers."
Tamara suppressed a small giggle as she looked over at Mel. "You really are a rustic countess." Mel frowned and almost glared had she not caught the look on Tamara's face that showed no ill intentions. "It may not seem much to you, but for other people this is an uncomfortable spot."
"What do you mean?" Mel looked around and saw that they were off the path, and pressed between two bushes with leaves that snagged at their dresses. "Oh."
"Most people would avoid coming near this area seeing as how the other flowers are not as great and unless you stand in this area you can't see the flower. Also," Tamara cupped the flower again, "If you notice the leaves on this plant are so similar to the bush next to it, you really couldn't tell the difference between the two plants unless you saw the flower."
Mel was impressed. She had always been on better terms with Tamara after the wine incident, but with today's events she had found herself looking up to Tamara. At the same time, she realized that Tamara had probably done the same to her seeing as how she revealed such a special secret. "Thank you." Was all Mel could think to say.
Tamara smiled another true smile and placed one finger to her lips. "It'll remain our secret, no one else can know." She turned her eyes back to the flower. "I used to watch the gardens all the time during this week every year to see if anyone else would come by, but as of yet no one has had the luck of coming by this place during this time. The very few books that mention this flower are hard to find, and I think there is only one in the main library." Tamara paused, than smiled again. "I have two of them myself."
Mel and Tamara continued to talk and familiarize themselves more with each other for the rest of the afternoon. Before they parted their ways Mel found herself promising to tell of her adventures the year before, but this time for Tamara only and not at a big party.
Mel smiled and headed back towards her rooms. It wasn't until she was back in her room that she thought again over the weeks events and slightly cursed herself.
'Burn it I'm such a fool! I complain about Vidanric not sharing court news and here I am still avoiding court. It's probably true whatever Vidanric is keeping from me is probably not mentioned in court where every one else can hear. If I went though, I'd probably be able to figure out more answers for myself.'
!#$$#!
Vidanric's mind had been thinking about Mel all day. He had dealt with many people so far in court. Giving answers, promising answers, and the occasional denying of answers when the subject was so trivial and foolish. The mages had avoided coming that day surprisingly. He was a little worried that they might have taken that time to confront Mel already. 'Ah Mel again, what to do about her... I suppose marrying her and locking her inside the bedroom all day probably isn't the answer' Vidanric had to be careful not to let his thought stray too far into that idea, it could lead to dangerous temptations. 'Though if I did marry her soon I could have more of a claim to her, more authority, and really just send those mages on their way and not have them bother her again. I could also...'
"My lord." Vidanric focused his eyes on the woman in front of him. She was foreign he could tell, a unique and sweet scent floated over to him and he thought it to be her perfume. Her clothes covered her up, but they were so tight they left little to the imagination.
Vidanric mentally slapped himself. 'Here I am thinking slightly inappropriate things of Mel, and then this foreigner comes along and my thoughts are easily transferred to her. What's wrong with me?' Slightly disgusted with himself Vidanric focused all his attention on what she was saying and tried hard not to notice her long black hair, or fair eyes.
After she was done pleading her case he promised her a time with his response and ended court for the day. He spent an hour discussing the topics with the other nobles before he left for his rooms.
Once again he noticed not the pairs of eyes that followed his figure down the halls. Nor of course could he hear the unsaid thoughts of the mysterious figure. 'He's a hard one to catch. He put showed more resistance than the others. But I'll get him in the end, he'll eventually be mine. Just like all the other ones.'
Aiyah! I've never written this much before! I'm so proud of myself. I know it's not much to compare to the length of others. Still it is an improvement.
I thought it might be neat to have Tamara and Mel be friends. I figure Tamara could give her great insight on things that Mel might be ignorant or oblivious to.
I'm going to reply to those that have review for chapter 5, and I'll reply to those that review afterwards. There's just too many to reply for the first 4 chapters. I'll also answer any reviews that had questions attached.
FallenAngel: yes, Evil Oni does mean Evil Devil. Though I'm not really evil, I just like the name from one of my storybooks when I was little. It was of a Japanese woman that liked to make rice dumplings.
Rane2920072: umm, yeah I'm working on that. Look I've already updated another one before anyone else.
FelSong: yeah I had to read it all over again. At first I wasn't sure what happened next, but then I remembered some of my plan.
FuzzyFurry: glad you like it. I hope you still do after this chapter.
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