A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers, and here is the anticipated Chapter 7! This chapter explains a lot, but also raises some new questions. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: None of this world is mine. I'm just planting my characters in it.
Silence and Shadows: Chapter 7
Kei wiped the sweat from her forehead and faced the Shang Wolf across from her. His piercing hazel eyes watched her every move as she went through the practice pattern of steps, blocks, punches and kicks. She paused for a moment before jumping, kicking out at neck level with enough force to drive a person backwards. Barefooted, she landed on packed dirt of the practice court, pleased. She had just started to begin the next set of steps when the Shang Wolf stopped her.
Striding forward, he told her, "Keianna, you are relying on those thieves' tricks again."
Kei blushed, ashamed that he had caught her using the tricks that the Rogue in Corus had taught her. She had tried to do the Shang exercises as he had taught her, but as he demanded more of her and the exercise got harder, she found herself relying on the fighting arts the thieves had taught her even more.
She looked up to find the Shang Wolf regarding her critically. The Shang warrior was tall, lean, and stern-faced. His long, graying brown hair was tied in a horse tail, and his hazel eyes seemed to take in everything. He stared at her a moment more, then moved off the practice court. Kei watched him go, wondering if she was done for the day, when he turned back.
"Keianna, practice those new drills I taught you," he instructed, "and try to keep from falling back on your old habits." A wry grin crept onto his face, and at Kei's resigned look, consoled her, "Don't worry, Keianna, you weren't raised to be Shang, so it will take you longer than usual to master the art."
Turning, he left, his bare feet making no sound on the packed dirt of the courtyard. Kei stared after him in wonder. The Shang Wolf, also known as Shyam Alden, had taken them in two weeks ago after the bandit attack. He had told them that he was somewhat of a nobleman, even if he was Shang. His house was what any true nobleman would consider slovenly, but seemed too extravagant forthe commoner-turned-noblemanthat he was.
Turning away, Kei sighed, resigned to her task. Walking over to the canteen that hung on the fence that surrounded the practice court, she splashed some on her sweaty face before drinking almost half of it. Looking around, she noticed a blur of golden fur as Tacy leapt from the fence where she was perched to land at the feet of someone who stepped out of the shadows of the house, towel in hand. The golden tabby wound herself around the person's ankles, and then leapt into his arms. Tacy settled herself comfortably on the shoulder of none other than Lord Jamal, purring.
Kei grinned at the unexpected sight of her cat being so affectionate to anyone other than her or Alec. She grinned up at Jamal, blue-gray sparkling. "Somebody likes you," she commented, and Jamal grinned back, brown eyes amused.
"So it would seem," he answered, petting the purring tabby on his shoulder as the cat watched her mistress with content green eyes.
"You know," Kei observed, "she's not that affectionate to anyone she hasn't seen before; she must have made an exception for you."
Jamal grinned, and Kei's stomach fluttered pleasantly. Strange new feelings had emerged whenever she was around him, and Kei didn't know what quite to make of them or what to do about them.
"Then I must take that exception as an honor," Jamal commented, not seeming to notice Kei's silence, but effectively drawing her mind back to the conversation. "Here." He offered a towel, and Kei accepted it gratefully, blushing as their hands brushed for an instant.
Thanking the gods that her already red face hid the blush, Kei brushed sweat off her forehead, cheeks and nose. Done, she hung the towel over the fence to use for later. Looking up, she noticed Jamal staring at her, the strangest expression in his dark eyes. Kei returned the look, trying not to blush. Jamal reached out a hand and delicately brushed it over her cheek. Kei was too surprised to move away or say anything.
She watched him, blue-gray eyes meeting brown, and Jamal stepped closer to her. Kei watched, unable to do anything, even if she wanted to, numbed by his closeness, and yet, aware of everything around her at the same time. Kei watched him move steadily closer, until he stood mere inches away. He watched her, seeming to look for some signal.
Reaching out with his hand again, he brushed her raven black hair off her face, and Kei stiffened slightly before relaxing again. He had moved closer again, Kei noticed, almost as if in a dream, and she realized that both of his hands had reached out to cup her chin. His face was moving steadily closer to hers, and it seemed like he was going to—
A horse's shrill whinny rang out, breaking the afternoon silence and the raw tension that was in the air. Seeming to come out of a daze, Jamal looked startled and moved away from Keianna as if burned. Kei, after finally remembering to breathe again, watched him go, her stomach fluttering madly. Jamal didn't look at her as he gently deposited Tacy on the ground and left as silently as he had come.
Kei gazed after him, wondering what had just happened and what exactly was going on. A sharp claw in her ankle made her look down. Tacy stood there, staring up at her mistress with an almost accusatory look in her green eyes. Kei gazed back at her cat and suddenly felt defensive. Sighing, she broke the staring match and turned back to practice court, beginning her original assignment, her mind whirling.
Not too far away, Kaelyn strolled through the rose garden that Shyam Alden had cultivated, enjoying the scent of hundreds of perfumed roses in the air. Walking down the garden path, she managed to find a familiar handsome young man, who was sitting on a nearby bench, reading a book.
Kaelyn grinned and sat down next to Alec, who didn't seem to notice her until she cleared her throat. At the interruption, he looked up, and smiled. Kaelyn offered a soft smile, trying to ignore the feeling that erupted in her stomach every time Alec was around.
"Isn't it nice here?" Alec asked, and Kaelyn nodded her agreement.
"The better question is, will Kei ever want to leave?" She grinned, expecting Alec to share her amusement, but for once, he looked solemn.
"I don't know," he answered quietly. "She has wanted to be Shang for so long, I don't know if she will ever want to leave. It has already been too long since we left Corus."
"Surely she won't want to stay here until she is a true Shang?" Kaelyn asked, and Alec shook his head.
"I don't know," he shrugged. "She might. Once she gets an idea in her head, she doesn't usually let it go."
They sat in silence for a moment until Alec turned to Kaelyn, blue eyes serious. "Kaelyn, what are you going to do when we get back to Corus?"
Now it was Kaelyn's turn to shake her head. "I don't know. I will probably leave with the rest of the delegation for the Copper Isles."
Alec took Kaelyn's hands in his own, blue eyes sincere. "I would miss you," he told her truthfully as she blushed. Green eyes met blue, and Kaelyn saw that he meant what he said.
"I would miss you too," she told him, and Alec's eyes brightened. Blushing againunder Alec's strong gaze, Kaelyn tried to quell the fluttering in her stomach. Alec leaned forward, watching her with bright blue eyes, and instinctively, Kaelyn leaned forward too. Their lips were about to meet when—
"Kaelyn!" Flustered, Kaelyn pulled away, gazing over Alec's shoulder to see her brother, looking a little flustered himself. She glanced at Alec before going over to Jamal. Was it just her, or did Alec's eyes show a distinct disappointment at the interruption?
Moving to her brother's side, she looked him over. He looked flustered, and almost guilty. He bowed to Alec as the Tortallan stood up, and apologized, "Alec, I'm sorry for stealing my sister away, but I need to talk to her."
Alec's face was unreadable as he replied. "Of course, milord, she is your sister after all." At Kaelyn's puzzled look, he grinned at her, and she smiled in return before following her brother into the Shang Wolf's home.
Slumping down into an armchair by the fire in the library, Kei almost felt guilty about what she was doing, but her need for a rest overpowered her common sense. Slouching down, she made sure that no one had seen her come in. She was hiding from the Shang Wolf, because after two weeks of Shang practice, she was getting tired of the incessant practices. While one part of her head argued that it was for her own good, this is what she wanted, another part of her just wanted abreak from the grueling practices.
Kei jumped about a foot when Kaelyn appeared next to her. One look at Kei's shushing motions and scared face told Kaelyn all she needed to know. She grinned, asking, "Hiding?"
Kei nodded, getting up to close the door. When she came back, Kaelyn was poring over the stack of books on the low table. One in particular seemed to have caught her eye, and she pulled it out. As Kei came to her side, she revealed the title: The Royal Families of Tyra: Past to Present.
Kei snorted. "A history book?" She asked incredulously.
Kaelyn glared at her. "This is interesting, you'll see," she promised, and flipping open to the first page began to read. "The history of the Tyran royal families began in 100, when the country was formed. At that time—"
Kei interrupted. "Can we skip to the current royal family? Learning about the present ones always interested me the most."
Kaelyn glared at her again, annoyed at being interrupted, but nonetheless flipped to one of the last chapters of the book. Kei settled down in her armchair, feeling the fire's warmth and strangely soothed by Kaelyn's voice.
"The history of the current royal family of Tyra is shrouded in mystery," she began, "and there is a great uproar about who is to be on the throne. The king, Francis—" she stopped and looked at Kei.
"Now why does that name seem familiar?" She wondered, and Kei looked up, also puzzled by the familiarity of the name.
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Maybe you read in a book somewhere."
Kaelyn kept on reading. "He died recently, two years after his beloved queen and wife, Aminia." She stopped again, and looked at Kei, frustrated.
"Now I know that name has not been mentioned at the peace talks," she mused, "so why does it seem so familiar?"
Kei once again shrugged, but memories seemed to betrying to unearththemselves from the back of her brain. She shook her head, ridding herself of the nagging feeling, and Kaelyn continued.
"Rumor has it that the two first-born twin princesses—" Kei looked up, annoyed, as Kaelyn stopped reading for the third time.
"Kaelyn?" She asked, concerned, for Kaelyn's eyes were skimming down the page. Her face was white, and her mouth moved wordlessly. "What?" Kei asked, and in answer, Kaelyn shoved the book at her and pointed the passage she had stopped reading.
Kei took the gilded book and read: Rumor has it that the two first-born twin princesses will take the throne after their parents have died. Both princesses have mysteriously disappeared, so the nephew of the king, Prince Namir, has taken the throne. The rumor is that Princess Keianna and Princess Kaelyn will be found one day and will reclaim the throne that their parents have left them to jointly rule.
There was more, but Kei couldn't read any more. She looked up at Kaelyn, glad she was sitting down. She felt the blood drain from her face. Numbly, through the shock, words floated into her brain. Twin princesses…Tyran throne…
Kaelyn swayed where she stood, and as the eyes of both girls met, one word emerged from each incredulous mouth.
"Twins?"
"Princesses?"
"Why yes," a familiar voice behind them said pleasantly, "didn't you know?"
Kaelyn looked up, green eyes wide, and Kei jumped up and whirled around, just as surprised, and confronted the speaker.
Shyam Alden, the Shang Wolf stood there, smiling pleasantly.
A/N: Cliffie! Tell me what you think by pushing that purple button down there!