A/N: I'm kinda sleepy today. Just got done playin' guild wars. It's pretty cool. But I think I might have ADD cuz I got tired with it pretty fast. Oh well, maybe I'll play it tomorrow. Did I spell tomorrow right? I don't know. Well I updated because—do you guys really need a reason for me to update? You'll be happy there's a new chapter . . . or won't, I don't know. Either way I'll tell you. I'm going to my lakehouse today and I don't know when I'll be back so, why not post this now? That was my thinking. So here you go. Have fun. Review. Eat cheese. Or whatever you like, personally I like ramen.

Sorry for the rambling.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. This is not mine. Things you don't recognize are.

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Liam was in his rooms changing into clothes that better served for sparring with Arra. He thought about her often. Her wavy dark sun-bronzed hair, clear crystal blue eyes and soft pink lips. She was more beautiful than most of the court ladies or princesses he had met. But who had ever heard of an actual relationship with a Shang? Sure, they no doubt have been with people but did Shangs ever marry?

She was thin, but even then it was muscle. (He knew that well enough.) But it was not the kind of muscle that was found in the male Shang. She used her body more as leverage if she ever needed to throw somebody but usually she used other methods of beating someone. Now that he thought about it, she reminded him of a whip. Thin, flexible, and a fast strike.

He shrugged. Then he heard Lachran's voice in his head. "Sounds like someone's attracted."

Liam hadn't wanted to admit it in the least. But how could someone deny any kind of attraction to a beautiful woman? In fact, how could someone not be attracted?

There wasn't just physical attraction though, if it were that alone then there'd be nothing. Physical attraction was partly set off by the fact that she was a Shang. The only way you'd get close to her was if she wanted you to.

The only way you'd be able to kiss her is if she wanted you to. That would make things difficult.

So there was attraction there, so what? He had had the privelige to get to know her over the last few of nights. It was amazing not only did she have looks but she wasn't, what was the word she had used? Ah, fake. She wasn't fake. It was the only way he could describe it. Also another trait that seperated her from the court ladies that chased him. Giggles and smiles most of them.

Liam sighed and walked out to meet Arra.

Arra waited out under the stars in the cold outdoors as she usually did. It was the last day of the Midwinter suppers and she was relieved. One, because there were no more formal dinners to go to and two, because Liam would probably be leaving.

A part of her knew she would miss him but the part that had always feared being tied down by some fate was beyond relieved.

Liam came as he usually did, smiling and waving to her. She smiled in response.

They started the spar quickly. They puched, ducked, and dodged jumped and rolled.He's gotten much better from the first bout we had. In her momentary though she found herself trapped in the circle of Liam's arms. Caught. She thought. Arra assumed he would let her go and they would start another. But instead he held her there for a while. His breath was warm and he was getting closer to her. She was starting to get a little testy.

She decided to duck out of his arms and the went low and spun with her leg out, successfully knocking the prince down. She smiled hoping he wouldn't notice pink tinge on her cheeks as a blush, "You took too long." He smiled sheepishly and accepted her help to stand.

"I believe that makes it the one billionth time you've knocked me down." He laughed and Arra joined him.

"Yes, we should have a celebration."

He sighed. "I forget why I torture myself."

Arra shrugged. "Are you leaving after today with your knightmaster?"

Liam shook his head. "No, he wants to stay close for my last year as a squire." Does the world hate me or just the gods? This is going to be a tough year. She looked up to Liam who was taller than her by a three quartes of a head. Maybe it won't be so bad. We're friends, nothing more.

They parted and took seperate ways. Arra was about to walk into her quarters when an old woman's voice stopped her. "The gods don't hate you, dearie."

She recognized that voice immediately. "Where are you? You old Seer!" The only response was a cackle. "You ruined my life you know!"

"No, I didn't. You changed your own life to make it different. But that doesn't matter because everything will fall into place." The voice turned into an echo. "Your falling for him." Then the voice vanished.

How did she find me? What if she tells my parents where I am? No, they won't find me. "Falling for him?" She squeaked.

Arra fell into a troubled sleep. Though after that night she was kept too busy to think about the old woman. Or maybe she forced herself to not think by keeping busy.

Months passed. Liam came and questioned her every so often visiting and talking nicely. It all made her edgy and aware. She woke the one morning in June barely remembering that she was leaving with the pages to have an 'outing' into the Royal Forest.. The one they apparently had every year for the pages. Today was the free day given to them to ready themselves.

Good, Arra thought, I'll have time away from Liam.

She packed everything she might need but that wasn't too much because most of it was what she carried with her normally. Arra then set out to find Ghost. She found the stablehands readying her as well as other horses for the ride tommorrow, all except the pages of course for they were to care to their own mounts. Arra shooed them away from her own mare insisting she would care for it herself.

Ghost understood they were readying to leave. Arra smiled and told her quietly. "Don't worry, we'll be coming back. We aren't leaving this place for good, not yet anyways." The white mare flicked her tale in response and huffed. Arra looked to her saddle. No one had touched it since the last time she had. She laughed quietly to herself at that. She had made the saddle special, buying a nice saddle then making adjustments herself to make it fit her body perfectly. It looked different, and it was, but it worked well for her.

They probably didn't touch it because it looks different. They didn't know if it should be treated differently either, so they played it safe and left it be. Arra thought before she took it down and cleaned it.

The rest of the day she wandered around a bit. Helping here and there with things, speaking to some of the pages and even some squires. Lord Padraid also informed her sometime during the day that the female pages would be under her care for most of the time unless there was teaching to be done. Sleeping and such. But, this being the first amount of free time in months, the whole day her thoughts were fixed mainly on the old woman from the months before.

Who was she? Of course, it was the old woman from when she was younger but she had been careful not to be found. Even used some magic to hide certain features of her face that might reveal her as any kind of noble, covering things such as the high elegant cheekbones she inheirited from her mother and making her looks more dull. Perhaps I didn't put enough magic on though. Arra thought remembering one person had said she had looks, and another saying she had beauty similar to Queen Thayet's. Poppycock of course, no one had looks to match those. Thought it was true Arra didn't use too much to cover her looks, too much would be noticed faster than a little would.

So how had the old woman found her? And more still, what did she want? What was she? Surely not human or Arra would have seen her that night. A god? But gods were never so straightforward in what they asked, or so she heard.

Plenty to ponder. Plenty to ponder. Arra thought watching the sun set in an array of colors then headed to her room.

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A/N: I'm sorry this is so short. Please forgive me. I'm also sorry that . . . it's really boring. Let's just call this a filler chapter. Something to get on to the next one, eh? I'm pretty sure you'll find the next one a little more interesting . . .

though I'm not willing to give any secrets. Want the next chapter out fast? REVIEWING is the key! SO please review! Thank you!

P.S.: I've already written the next few chapters so I'll start working on the length thing from that point. But for the chapters that are already written they end at the point I want them too. If I make them any longer it just might interfere with another chapter. And if I over-explain everything that gets a bit boring and your reading the same chapter with the same amount of information. I'm not telling you guys to stop saying 'make them longer' cuz lord knows I might forget to if you stop. I'm just informing you. Being informed has always been on of my unfulfilled dreams. (my parents don't tell me anything till last minute. )

'oh! Did we forget to tell you we're going to China today?'

why, i never heard.'

you do now!

Geez!. Sorry for the dramatization. It was a little over exaggerated but you get the picture. I've been very talkative today.

Clair-a-net- No, no. You weren't being mean. No worries. I'm glad your enthusiastic!

On top of cloud 9- Why, thank you.

Piglet12345- Personally, I would have listened too. I'm very vain when it comes to people talking about me. If they even say my name I interrogate them till they spill. But as to the reason she didn't, if he had said 'yes i like her' it would have been too much to handle. If there's someone I don't like, I don't want to know they like me!

Ladyknight257- I have never had someone say my writing was good. Except for my mother but she doesn't count. Thank you, it really does encourage me to continue when I get reviews like that. I better not get to thinking I can actually write well or else I'll get overconfident in myself. Lol.