The blond-haired man, Valcan, couldn't believe the cheerfulness of this witch. Didn't she know she was about to be sold into slavery? Sold to a new master, a person who would own everything she was?

Valcan looked at her for only a moment with a dismayed expression, but knocked it off his face before she had time to notice.

Now he inspected her. If she was the witch that could summon that much energy, and hold it for a period of time like he thought she was doing, he needed to have her image imprinted on is mind.

She was of average height, with broad shoulders and long, thin arms. She was a little over the slender side, making her torso disproportionate to her arms, proving that she had not been a slave for long.

That and her skin didn't have any scars. Sure, it had the markings of the whip, but those were new. He studied her face when she looked up at him again. It was a thin face. She had distinct cheekbones, which caused her face to look slender; older, despite her age. Her hair was athick, full dark brown. Most of it had fallen out of whatever she used to hold it back, but it was oddly becoming. Her eyes were her most striking feature. They were the color of the ocean, but held a speck of brown in each iris. Almost as if her genes couldn't make a decision about what color to settle for. They seemed to just gaze at their surroundings and analyze, until the truth was seen. They were beautiful and exotic.

And yet there was more to her. Along with the dark energy he had finally identified, he couldn't place what was missing. It called to him however. It urged him to react to it, protect it. Whatever it was pricked his instincts like pins.

It wasn't easy being a Warlord Prince. The title never seemed to do him any good, except when he lashed out. Then it suited him fine.

The line began to move and Ares took a reluctant step. "What will happen once I am sold?" she asked quietly, looking at the ground. Valcan looked away and sighed.

"I've never had the pleasure of being a female servant, so I won't be right on the mark." he closed his eyes briefly, and opened them after a moment. When he opened his eyes, there seemed to be a dangerous glitter shining in them as he remembered past court experiences.

"Your new master will have you do hard labor, whether it be servicing him, or working the fields." The girl furrowed her brow at the former statement, but he continued. "Maybe you'll be lucky and will end up being a servant in the palace, or home."

"Have you done those things?" she asked. Valcan laughed bitterly. "I never had the luxury of doing menial chores, if that's what you mean."

Ares was a little confused by what he said. Servicing him? She never heard that term spoken quite like that. And what did he mean by menial chores? The servants hired at her home were always very helpful and cheerful. They worked hard and took pride in what they did. She just didn't understand the man's bitterness in what he said.

Not wanting to linger on unhappy memories for the man, Ares decided to push her dreaded thoughts out of her mind. Before she could open her mouth to ask another, light-hearted question, the blond man spoke up first.

"So, what is your name?" he asked his tone had changed from bitter to light. She sighed with relief.

Ares smiled and looked up to him. "My name is Arelane. But I'm usually just called Ares." she fell silent a moment with an expression of pensive sorrow.

Valcan frowned. Ares. He liked it, but he wondered why it brought her spirit down.

"Where are you from?" the girl asked. He chewed his lip for a moment before answering. It had been so long since he had seen his home. "I came from a territory called Glacia."

Ares frowned at that. Glacia? She had never heard of such a territory when she studied the geography of Terrielle.

Valcan noted the confused expression and quietly elaborated. "It's a territory in Kaeleer: The Shadow Realm." An amused expression crossed his features as he watched the girl's mouth drop.

Ares turned her head slowly to marvel at the man. Kaeleer? But that is just a fantasy place. It's nothing more than a myth.

The line moved again.

Suddenly Ares' expression turned from disbelief to a broad smile. "Really! Kaeleer?" she hushed her voice upon saying the name, as if saying it louder would make it lose it's majesty. "What's it like there?" she asked excitedly.

Valcan couldn't help but smile. Before he knew it, a small chuckle rolled from his chords. "It, from what I remember, was beautiful. It would snow in the winter and the hills rolled, and sparkled with the white dust." a smile rolled across his mouth as he looked down, envisioning the country side he once called home.

Ares marveled at Valcan's face. He had a wonderful smile. It was the kind of smile that made one laugh, because his joy could be read through it. And then when he laughed...

Ares' eyes opened wide for a moment when she heard that. He had a full laugh. It was the right combination of the menacing growl and the soothing baritone. She wished she could have heard him in a real laugh as opposed to a small chuckle. But it was a start.

Valcan paused a moment, a little shocked. He hadn't laughed in a very long time. And he hadn't smiled a true smile in just as long. How was it this girl could bring that out of him, here at one of the most dismal places in the Realm of Terrielle?

Then he noticed Ares was kind of staring at him in awe and for the first time in a while, he felt sheepish. He said very quietly, "I haven't smiled like that in a long time."

Awwwwww. They're so cute together. He's got a He-man side to him and a teddy bear side.

I'm glad you people enjoy this rambling story. I'm making a conscious effort not to write parts of it that happen way off from where it pauses for every update. Because when I do that, I usually screw it up, facing a writer's block.

mmmmm. Oh yes.

My Legions, since you are all avid Black Jewels fans and I'm deciding to force my art on you, you can view fanart of Daemon and Lucivar at my Deviant account. If you go to my profile and click on the homepage link you'll be able to see them.

Only, Daemon's picture is misleading because I named it 'Hero of the day'.

Saetan's picture is coming too.

ay revoir!