Title: Rhapsody in Blue
Author: Twilightstaruby
Disclaimers: All Nightworld concepts belong to L.J.Smith but the characters that you do not recognize all belong to me! Please do not take them without my permission, thank you!
A/N: Don't worry, this chapter is not, despite the misleading title, in any way related to Middle Earth or the horror movie : ) Just wanted to make that clear…hehe..Another thing I just want to say: I completed Nanowrimo! Whee! Lol, such an accomplishment...of course, it wouldn't have been done if not for the fact that my friend was there all the while helping me along...
incarnated-soul: Oh dear. I guess this is a little too long for an update...but seriously! I tried to update a.s.a.p.! I swear it on my blackened heart. And I realised the mistake about the repeated parts...I am sorry about my tenses problems, I have tried to avoid making them but somehow, they keep appearing...(sob) But I'll try and improve on whatever you have pointed out. Thank you so much For everything and more!
MerlinHalliwell: Yep, I changed that error...I was wondering myself how come my word count was that much : ) hehe...in any case, thanks for pointing it out! And I am glad you enjoyed the story : )
untilhellfreezesover:I have updated this year No more holding of breath until you're purple in the face (grins) As for the hating part, the reason is revealed none so subtly by me in this chapter...
Tenshisangel: Thank you for reviewing! Hope that you will continue to enjoy the story!
Setus: Of course it will be a happy ending...as for the 'fairytale lover' part, well, all I can say is back to you...
Calita: Thank you for your comments! Hope that this chapter will be to your liking!
soulmated: You are excusedI am flattered that it was worth your reading a second time in an hour! You won't believe how happy you have made me : ) Well, you can always visualise Tigger...lol...
This story is for all of you who have reviewed and all those who have, in one way or another, aide, scolded and nagged me in this long, arduous journey called writing : )
Chapter Four: The Ring
Seraphina knew he saw it even as she hastened to slip the wayward ring back under the neckline of her bodice. She had seen the split second recognition that had flashed through his emerald eyes before he had concealed it again under that inscrutable gaze he had worn throughout the meeting between the two House of Shapeshifters earlier on.
She also glimpsed the confusion in the eyes of Prince Reothe. Apparently, he had forgotten all about their unprecedented meeting the in forests five years ago. And also the girl he had so casually thrown his ring to so that she won't run into trouble with his guards least she ran into one on her way back home.
She felt relieved about his not recognizing and remembering her, but yet, for reasons unbeknownst to her, she felt disappointed. Disappointed that he hadn't remembered her, disappointed that he had only remembered about the ring when he saw it.
"-so we shall leave the two of you to talk things out? I am sure there must be plenty that the two of you might want to talk about."
Seraphina only caught the last of her father's words and Christian's sputtered protests (which was ignored) before she was left alone with the Prince in the room.
For a moment, silence, heavy and awkward, descended on the room and its two occupants.
"Would you like to sit down?" Breaking the heavy silence, he gestured towards the chairs that had been vacated by her father and her family earlier.
As Seraphina took a seat, she wondered how long it would take the Prince to ask the question she was sure he dearly wanted to ask about: the ring.
The silence that had been broken momentarily by their movements fell again.
"The weather is nice today." The prince commented in an attempt to break the awkward that had befallen.
"Yes, it is."
All sunny and windy. And blue."
"Yes."
Seraphina fidgeted in her seat. She was too busy wondering what to tell the prince when he asked about the ring to offer more variation to her replies.
"Your country is beautiful."
"Thank you."
"And a little variation to your answers would be nice," Seraphina's mouth twisted into an amused smile as she heard the prince mutter under his breath.
"So is your country," she commented softly, a smile playing on her lips.
Caught off guard by her sudden response, he only looked at her in incomprehension.
"Your country is very beautiful too. And peaceful." She cast an amused look at him as she elaborated on what she meant.
"You have been to my country?" A surprised look was on his face as he asked her. It was a known fact that the two Houses never could get along with one another well and avoided going over towards the other's country if possible.
"Why yes. I didn't go there alone of course. I went there when my father had to go over for some discussion on the peace treaties."
"I see."
The silence they had so far managed to avoid settled over them again like a blanket, deafening and uncomfortable.
Then, "Where did you get that ring?"
Finally. Seraphina was wondering how long it would take him to ask that.
And she was wondering herself whether or not to tell him the truth or not, should he come to ask her that.
She paused, before saying slowly;" I picked it up when I was wandering through the forests of your country one day."
It wasn't exactly the truth, but not an untruth also.
Then she waited, to see if he would remember.
He stopped, seemingly to deliberate what she had said, brows furrowed in thought. For a moment, she wondered if he remembered.
"I lost a ring five years back. I dropped it in the forests." He paused for a moment, his gaze meaningful as it landed on her. "It was silver signet ring with the insignia of the First house of Shapeshifters on it."
Evidently, he did not remember. It was slightly bewildering, but it did seem to appear that he did not recall anything that had happened that eventful day.
"Then it would appear that this is your ring?"
She drew out the thin silver chain that hung around her neck, the ring nestled in her palm. Then she reached behind and unclasped the necklace, withdrawing it from her neck.
"Then what belongs to you should return to you."
She let the necklace and the ring drop, the pliant silver chain pooling in his palm easily like a silver snake.
Surprise flared in his eyes, turning them from the emerald green they were to a deep forest green. Apparently, he hadn't thought that she would return it so readily to him.
"Thank you."
Then he smiled at her.
It was the first genuine smile she had seen since his arrival. She caught her breath, startled.
"It was yours in any case, your highness." She replied, recovering from her slip, smiling at him slightly.
"Reothe." He said firmly, a sparkle in his eyes.
"Then you must call me Sera. It is short for Seraphina. Too much of a mouthful," She explained with a smile in cheek.
"Then Sera it is,"
He was about to say more, but at that moment, the door opened noisily, admitting a very hostile and suspicious looking Christian who glared at the unsuspecting prince, who looked quite bewildered to be on the receiving end of such undeserved hostility.
"Father requests both of your presence in the meeting room to announce the betrothal." His tone was glacier and clipped in the least and directed to the prince.
He waited until the prince had exited before falling behind in step with Seraphina.
"Did he embarrass you? Or insult our family? Did he touch you?" His voice rose a little at the last thought and he glared at the back of the prince with enough force to kill someone.
"Christian!" Seraphina hissed out, mortified, her cheeks stained in a blush.
She darted a glance at prince Reothe to see if he had heard. Thankfully, the prince was a little far away and he didn't give any sign of having heard Christian's last remark though one can never be sure when one is around shapeshifters.
"He was a perfect gentleman, for you information." She hissed huffily to her obnoxious excuse for a brother as they neared the door.
"Then why did you blush when I asked if he touched you?" Christian, unrelenting as was his nature, demanded in an undertone.
"I did not-ooohhh!" Frustrated, she aimed a death glare at her brother, who simply commented in a bland tone that irritated her further.
"Very primal, sister," he observed.
She let out a huff, stomped on her brother's feet as hard as she could then marched out of the room, pasting a smile on her face as she went to where her family waited.
She took her place between Rosabelle and prince Reothe. Rosabelle looked at her curiously before her gaze shifted to where a very disgruntled looking Christian had just entered the room.
"He was being an idiot again wasn't he?" Rosabelle whispered in a low tone to Seraphina, who rolled her eyes and nodded discreetly.
Suddenly, her mother was pushing her gently in the back, propelling her towards the balcony that stood off one side of the meeting room.
"Come dear. The people are waiting."
A deafening roar and cheers filled her ears as soon as she and Prince Reothe stepped out onto the balcony.
She exchanged a smile with the Prince as her father announced their betrothal in a loud tone that carried above all the noise that was generated by the people.
May peace reign forever in between the Houses of the Shapeshifters.
Seraphina slipped through the crowded body of people gathered in the market, Reothe following closely behind her.
She had wanted to show him her country's real façade outside of the palace walls. What better place than the market place?
The place was always bustling with life and the vendors always had something new and interesting to show and sell. And the people there.
Seraphina never got tired of looking at the different people with their different natures and habits.
Her father had agreed for Seraphina to bring Reothe out of the palace, provided she brought along two bodyguards plus one disgruntled elder brother, who was sulking inwardly as he followed behind them at a slower pace. Somehow, Christian still did not trust nor like Reothe, for reasons unknown to her and Rosabelle.
Rosabelle had dismissed it as childish immaturity and bullish, idiotic brotherly love. Seraphina had given up trying to deduce the exact reason behind her brother's incomprehensible behavior.
The presences of the two palace bodyguards were raising some curious gazes from the people there, which was one of the reasons why she hadn't wanted them along. But decked out as they were in unremarkable long cloaks with hoods drawn right up to their chins, she was certain that no one would recognize them.
Hopefully, it would remain the case through out rest of their visit.
She maneuvered around a cart carrying a load of fresh flowers and stopped promptly as a thought struck her.
A few seconds later, she was carrying an armload of lilies in varied colors and headed back towards where her brother and Reothe stood, eyebrows raised in amusement at the sight she made, her face almost covered by the huge bouquet of flowers she carried.
"Having a flower fetish suddenly, sister dear?"
She simply arch her brow in return before turning towards Reothe, who had remained silent throughout their whole exchange, a smile playing around his lips, his eyes asking the question he did not verbalized.
"Do you mind if we cut this trip short? I would like to pay a visit to a friend."
"It would be my pleasure,"
Seraphina reveled in the quiet of the ride towards where they were heading; it gave her the time she needed to think.
It had been so long since she had visited this particular friend of hers. And she missed him so much.
If only…
The carriage drew up short in front of a peaceful looking glade littered with flowers and surrounded and shaded by trees.
Getting down, Seraphina was only slightly aware that Reothe and Christian had followed behind her as she made her way towards the lone stone slab nestled in the middle.
Years had caused vines to grow over it, yet the place had been given proper care and a fresh bouquet of flowers had been placed by it.
Reaching the slab, she kneeled down running her fingers gently over the engraved name on it.
Silas Gabriel Fritroht.
"Hello, Silas. It is me, Seraphina." She smiled, tears in her eyes.
"Look what I brought you," She laid down the huge bouquet of lilies at the foot of the grave," they are your favorite lilies. I even got the red ones for you."
Soft footsteps sounded then a portly man appeared in front of her. In his arms, he carried too lilies of every colors imaginable.
"Lord Fritroht," Seraphina smiled as she stood up to greet the man.
"Lady Seraphina?" A smiled appeared on his lined and aged face as he came forward to hug her. "It has been so long since you came here."
"I missed Silas." That was all she needed to say.
Tears welling up in his eyes, he nodded.
Then he shook his head, as though attempting to get rid of the unhappiness that was evident in his eyes.
"Dorothy will be so happy to see you. Ah, here she comes," He smiled as a woman came into sight.
"Lady Fritroht!" Seraphina grinned as she reached out to hug the woman who had been as much as a mother as her own had been.
"Seraphina! Look at you! All grown up already! And you too, Christian," She beamed at Christian, who looked a little awkward but smiled as well.
"And who may this be?" Seraphina turned to find the Lady Fritroht looking at Reothe, who still stood with his hood on.
"Oh, let me introduce you." Reothe pulled off his hood as Seraphina continued," Lord and Lady Fritroht, this is Prince Reothe, my fiancé. Reothe, this is Lord and Lady Fritroht."
"My pleasure to meet you, Lord and Lady Fritroht," Reothe bowed to them.
Seraphina tilted her head slightly towards the Lord and Lady Fritroht in confusion when there was no answer in return.
Lady Fritroht was staring at Reothe as though she had seen a ghost.
"Dorothy?" Lord Fritroht asked concernedly, his brows furrowed as he laid a hand on his wife's rigid arm.
"Lady Fritroht?" Seraphina asked anxiously.
Lady Fritroht's mouth finally opened, but what came out was not what anyone had expected.
"Murderer. He killed my son!"
A/N: What do you think of it: ) Reviews will be much appreciated...