SPELLBOUND
Chapter SIX: Surprise Spells
Amy
It happened a week later…
The Queen and King returned home from their long stay at Seaside, and since Lady Kaze was so happy to be back she decided to throw a big ball the following Saturday. It was to be a grand affair, neither the Lady Kaze or King Christopher were keen on hosting parties often but when they did it was always sure to be grand.
It was quite a surprise for me when, the day after their arrival, I ran into Lady Kaze in the kitchen. Well, she wasn't truly a surprise; she liked to spend time at the kitchen, especially when Mrs. Sonia was baking cookies and pies, Lady Kaze was always sure to be there when the cookies were ready.
Anyway, the big surprise was really King Christopher; he was trailing along after Lady Kaze.
"Promise me it's not going to be a masquerade!" He was demanding.
"Chris, don't you always say I can do whatever I like?"
"Well… yes but I'm telling you right now, I'm not going to bloody sing in front of everyone! It's always a dammed annoyance when we throw masquerades." King Christopher said and Lady Kaze sighed very dramatically and hung her head as if this was a big disappointment. "Kaze… angel?" King Christopher said cautiously. "I'm so sorry, you know you can do whatever you what?"
"Uh? What? Oh, the dance… no it's all right I was just thinking that Frog chewed on the lace of the last ball-gown I had made so I'm going to have another one made and I'm not sure it will be done in time… But it's all right about the masquerade, if that's what you want we'll have a one. Oh, look, cookies!" She said happily and went to the table where Mrs. Sonia had just placed a plate full of fresh cookies.
"Careful, my lady, they are hot."
"Oh, I know, this is when they test better." She said and took a big bite.
King Christopher just stood there looking utterly lost and perplexed. "What-What did just happen here?" he asked to no one in particular.
Both Mrs. Sonia and I shrugged helplessly.
"Dad…" That was Alec's voice as he charged in with Frog at his heals. "Lord Stannge is... Oh! Cookies!"
"Mommy," Cherith cried walking in just five second after Alec. "Oh, Cookies!"
As both Alec and Cherith made a beeline toward the cookies, Frog padded over to me, I began to pet him.
"Oh, hi Amy!" Alec said while he reached for another cookie, Mrs. Sonia then put out the plateful of Hazel and Chocolate cookies – Alec's favorite – and he was useless for further conversation.
"Amy, dear, how long have you been there? Oh, never mind. I see Frog and you get along well. He's very particular about people, you know?"
"Frog likes Amy because she always smells like cookies or cake or something of the sort." Cherith said, chewing all the way.
I smiled at the lot of them but then my gaze strayed to Alec.
It often did.
By then I was more than halfway in love with him. With his kindness and how he could always make laugh and how he never made me feel like a servant when I was with him and so many other things…I knew it was hopeless… he was a prince and I was a housemaid/cook-helper and that was it. Sadly, falling in love is not something one can do by choice. Still, I was happy just with the sight of him. I didn't need his love, just the certainty that what I felt was strong and true… I never wanted for more.
It was semi quiet for a while – three of the four members of the royal family were eating in earnest, the fourth member, read the king, was just standing, still unsure of what had happened.
Finally Lady Kaze noticed her husband's perplexity. "Oh, Chris, you know I was jut teasing, you know I don't enjoy masquerades anymore than you do."
"I don't mind the masquerades, it's just the singing part… though probably, if you hadn't singed that time when your brother came and Carla insisted on throwing a ball. I would have never noticed you at all."
"Oh, my, how flattering." Lady Kaze said sarcastically.
Completely unmindful of me, Sonia, Mrs. Rose and another three servants that happened to be near by, King Christopher went to Lady Kaze and gathered his wife in his arms and kissed her soundly… they didn't show signs of ever stopping until Cherith cleared her throat – loudly – and called back their attention.
Alec was showing an unusual interest in his cookie – even more than usual, and look that he loved all things sweet – and even Frog had buried his face by the side of my cotton skirts in a most sweet fashion.
To my surprise Lady Kaze blushed almost cherry-red. "Er... I… I got so many things to do, preparations, yes, preparations." She stumbled and the words slurred as she talked fast. "Eh, well, I'll come back later, Mrs. Rose to work on the menu for the dance…well, bye!"
King Christopher didn't even wait a minute before going after Lady Kaze.
Cherith sighed heavily… "I wish they weren't so embarrassing, they aren't twenty anymore! They had been married forever, it's most embarrassing!"
"Oh, hush it Cherith." Alec said. "Would you prefer they were like Aunt Emily?"
"Well… no certainly… but still…"
Mrs. Rose smiled indulgently. "Oh, Little Lady, you don't know yet that kind of love, but you soon will… for ever girl there is a guy and a summer when it all starts."
"Does it has to be summer?" Cherith teased.
"Or autumn or spring or winter or Christmas, it makes no difference. One day love will creep onto you. Life happens."
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Alec
It's always so embarrassing when my parents are all over each other, so I do see Cherith's point of view, but on the other hand I'm so glad they love each other so much. I've always completely blamed my parents for my idealism when it comes to love and that kind of thing: they never let me believe I didn't deserve what I want, never made think I couldn't do what I wanted to do and because of them I completely, adamantly refuse to believe that love can't work.
Anyway, I was pulled back from my philosophical mental reprieve as Amy was sent to the storage room for more sugar.
"I'll be right back!" She said to Mrs. Sonia, the cook, and began to walk outside.
I waited about two full minutes before announcing "I think Frog needs to go out." And stalking from the room as Cherith said. "Yes, I'm sure Frog needs to go out." In an annoyingly knowing voice.
But she knew nothing.
Not yet.
Not when I, myself, was clueless.
All I knew was that I was rather cheerful lately. Annoyingly so, according to Callie and Gerry. And I knew that, somehow, having Amy in my life was a big part of my annoying cheerfulness.
I found Amy in the storage room, trying –unsuccessfully – to pull a sack of sugar out of the racks.
"Dammed, heavy thing…" She was saying under her breath.
"Allow me," I said all gallantly and pulled the sack for her.
"Thank you kind sir." She said with a bright smile. "Now I only have the small problem of carrying this all the way back."
"I could carry it for you."
"No your highness you can not, this is my job." She said half serious half not.
I frowned when she called me 'your highness' I had forbidden her from addressing me as anything other than Alec. See, the way I was raised, everyone who lived in our palace, that was part of the household, was our folk, almost like family, no matter if they were knights, guards or, like Amy, cook-helpers, they were treated with respect and as equals. Regardless of rank, we Windams had stood next to our people for generations, we had ruled through fortune, through hardships, peace and war, always besides the common folk of our valley, and in exchange the people of the valley gave us their unconditional loyalty.
And besides all that, Amy was my friend. If anything else, she was at least that.
"Oh, don't look so serious." She said "If it helps in something I didn't mean it." I nodded and had to smile as she tried to pull the sack of sugar –which wouldn't budge – and promptly fell on her bottom.
"You really should let me carry it for you." I pointed out as she stood up once again and shook her skirts to dust them off. "Oh! I know! I'll charm it so it weights less!"
Amy palled as she always did when the subject of magic was brought about. "I really wish you didn't."
I frowned, curious this time. "Why you don't like magic?"
Part of me expected her to deny her dislike for magic, but I wasn't really surprised when she answered "I got my reasons, and I assure you they are all brilliant and important." It was half a tease, but they way she evaded my eyes told me she did have a good reason and it wasn't pleasant at all.
"Not all magic is bad." I fell compelled to say. "And not everyone uses it the same way. Look at my father… he has great powers, but he rarely uses them at all. My mom has magic too, but she only uses it when she has no other option. As for me and Cherith, Jadzia always made clear to us that we were given powers for a reason, and it wasn't to toy with other people."
"Jadzia taught you magic?"
"Of course. Cherith and I inherited Wind Warrior-powers… it's not a small thing and it's not something to toy with. Like my father, I can control the Hot Wind that comes from Fireland, while Cherith has power over the Icy Wind of the High Mountains that spread over Lhite, Circe and Mhalta. Callie and Gerry have powers too. And Jadzia taught us to control them… she says it's better this way than just waiting around until it's time to call on the Phantom Army – which is the true power of a Wind Warrior- for us to learn to use magic but at first it wasn't this way, if you were a Wind Warrior, you only learned in the face of great danger. Jadzia says it just wasn't practical, so she instructed us personally once the powers began to awake when we were kids."
She blinked.
I knew I had talked too much. I often did when I was excited over a subject, and the valley's history was something I had always particularly liked, same with magic of any kind. "Anyway… really, let me charm it for you. It's completely harmless, I assure you."
"I don't know…"
"Would I ever do something that would harm you in any way?"
"No." She answered immediately. "I don't believe you would."
"Then, allow me." I said grandly and touched the sugar sack, muttering a simple incantation under my breath. "Try it now."
She sighed and hesitated but went to pull the sugar sack anyway… and promptly fell down on her bottom again since she had tugged too hard and the sack hadn't offered any resistance.
It was not gentlemanly, I know, but I couldn't help to laugh. "It's not funny." Amy complained.
"It's is from up here." I assured her but I offered her my hand to help her up and she took it, and then began to tug the sack more gently as she attempted to ignore me.
"I was thinking…"I began as if she wasn't ignoring me as we left the storage room. It was too easy a bait and she took it.
"So now you think?"
I nodded. "Remarkable, isn't it?"
"Quite." Amy answered.
"And yet, I managed!" I exclaimed quite cheerfully. And I saw her suppressing a smile. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was thinking… that I would very much like to go tomorrow to the river side, like, around twilight… and maybe certain someone could be there too… because I would very much like some intelligent conversation before my mother's guests arrive and I'm forced to greet them and have to hear more mindless, dull conversation than what any man ought to."
"That could probably be arranged." Amy agreed. "But only if I finish my chores on time! I won't have Mrs. Sonia and Mrs. Rose yelling at me because of you."
"Go when you can. I'll wait." I said and called for Frog to follow me as I parted ways with Amy.
.-.-.-.-.
It wasn't quite twilight yet, but it was close. I was early; throwing rocks over the river and watching them bounce. Frog was chasing a rabbit a few paces away. I had left the palace early, just as the first of my mother's guests for the ball to be held in two days began to arrive. People were always prompt to answer an invitation issued by my mom.
I heard the quiet sound of small feet on soft grass.
Amy.
It had to be her. She was moving rather noiseless, probably trying to surprise me like that one time she had covered my eyes and giggled a 'guess who' in my ear, causing me to give a pretty bad start.
"Amy! I know it's you!" I yelled without turning.
I heard a giggle that was oddly chilling. It wasn't Amy's, of that I was sure. The wind whispered in my ear the warning of a nameless threat.
I turned.
'Something' struck me in the chest and spread quickly over my person. It hurt and I couldn't quite catch my breath. I fell face down on the earth.
Amy… she better didn't come, I hoped to the sky that she was late, that Mrs. Sonia hadn't let her get away. That Mrs. Rose gave her extra work. Anything. I had been attacked, she could be attacked as well… and I couldn't move, so I wouldn't be able to protect her.
"Amy, don't come." I thought.
My mind began to curl and turn black around the edges but Amy's face remained clear on my mind.
It would be the last thing I would see for a long time…
I was losing myself.
Amy…
My very own last thought.
Amy.
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End of Chapter Six
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Notes:
Connie: I sometimes wish they had kissed too… it happens.
Katty: I aw-ed my self. But it serves the story better
Ashgyrl: Sadly, more downers to come…
Drea: Go Drea, Go Drea, Go Go Go Drea! Heheh. Yep, you guessed right. Le sigh, I know about busyness… me I'm buried in School work… and all I gotta say about it is: poopidity! Hehehe. Hey, did you saw that Kacee is back?
Hoolihoopgrl131: Well… it was the little megalomaniac in me :D Anyway, sorry for the delay, much too much school work pilled up. But I'll try to update again very soon!
Brattier: Precious! Sorry about the kiss, but it worked better this way! I assure you ;)
Masked Dragonfly 0926: Thanks. I love the ring idea…: smiles knowingly, laugh evilly:
Bluchickngods: Thanks so much for your review! It really made my day the day I got it! You're so sweet, and thanks for all the things you said! As I've said I feel kind of funny about the kiss, because the fluff-addict in me wanted it, but it really didn't serve the story that way. I try to bring the past characters as much as I can, without compromising the story so much. But I'm really exited about finally explained what happened and did not happen between Jadzia and Marco… Thanks so much for your review :hugs:
Li'l bling bling: Thanks!
Iloveme2815: Heheh, puzzling indeed…
Adelly-kins: HELLO STRANGER! Long time no see. :) I'm glad you're liking this! Hehe, I know about WW, it had been so much time in my head that I wanted to get it all out and I rushed it. There will be problems for Alec and Amy, you'll see J Frog, I love Frog… sadly there's a small trouble for him in the future as well.
Tami: Thankies! I'll try to keep it up!
EreshkigalGirl: You'll find out a lot more about the evil lady on the next chapter and about Amy's brother. And yes, the complications have begun!
Thanks so much to everyone for reading this! And I just wanted to let you know that from the next chapter on, and until further notice, Alec's P.O.V will be replaced by that of a narrator, you'll find out why soon. :)
Thanks again! You make my days
Cute but psycho,
Clavie.