Title: Knotted Destiny
By: QT
Edited By: buttons7
Summery: A new era is arising as darkness sets over the vast kingdom of Tortall. People are slain ruthlessly, cities are destroyed, people's hope diminishes rapidly. The only one who can turn the tide and return things to a balance is an unknown and unexpected hero.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's characters, however, I do own this plot.
"..." Talking
'...' Thinking
Kalasin of Conté, heiress to King Jonathan and Queen Thayet of Tortall, swirled her spoon around in her soup, her appetite leaving her slowly. The air these days smelled of smoke, and tasted unclean. The daylight was unnaturally short for the last two months, and peoples' minds were never at rest.
At the head of the table sat the King, to his right the Queen, to his left the Duke followed by his son, and next to the Queen sat the Princess. Barons and their wives sat on either side, their children sitting at a seperate table flirting with one another. All but the children were deadly silent, even the servants were unusally muted. The look on most people's face was that of weariness. Kalasin herself looked annoyed. Getting fed up with the silence, she looked over to her father and noticed gray strands of hair that shouldn't be there. The creases around his azure eyes were deeper and his complexion looked paler than normal. He slumped over slightly as he sipped the contents from his spoon. "How goes the war, Papa?" she asked softly.
Immediately, all who were present gazed up at her, their eyes cold as the corners of their mouths twitched or their spoons dropped into their bowls. Silence, even from those who had previously been talking, appeared.
"We are not at war with anyone, Kalasin. We are merely fighting raiders. This is not proper talk for dinner, or for a young lady, such as yourself, to hear or care about." Immediately he recognized his mistake, but it was too late to correct it.
Kalasin's sapphire eyes flashed dangerously at him before she also let her spoon drop into her bowl, arrousing a loud clang. Pushing away from the table, she nearly knocked her chair over as she stood up, her eyes now blazing with fury. "It's not something I should care about! If I don't care about it, who will! You all obviously don't, otherwise you'd continue to share information and discuss matters to find new solutions! Those are my people out there getting murdered, just as much as they are your people! I will not stand by while they suffer such a death, not while there is breath within my body. If you refuse to do something about this, then I will!" Storming off, ignoring her mother's calls, she marched into her room and slammed the door loudly behind her.
Thayet frowned and layed her hand upon Jon's arm, shaking her head when he went to get up. "Let her be, dear, she's just upset because she's helpless, and being as passionate about the lives of others as she is, being helpless is the worse thing for her. She'll be better in the morning, she just needs her space."
Jonathan nodded slowly, sitting back down and glancing at the others at the table who also nodded. "Is there any word of Roald?"
Duke Gareth the elder looked at his king, "Prince Roald's coming back in two days, Raoul will be here tomorrow, and Alanna's going to be visiting her family."
Jon nodded slowly, letting the discussion turn into that of the latest fashion, and issues in neighboring kingdoms as he sunk deep in thought. His daughter's words had bit into him, and still they stung.
Stefan, a stable boy with wild magic involving horses gazed down at a lad who was silently walking along the stalls, looking carefully at each horse. He looked to be no more than fourteen; slender and short, his build like that of a child's. Climbing down from the hay loft, Stefan walked up behind the boy and cleared his throat.
Kalasin nearly had a heart attack as the noise that came so close behind her broke the silence. Turning around quickly, she stared ahead of her, and then looked up to see a shadowed figure. Frowning she measured him up. He had blonde hair, was a good two heads taller than herself, and he had a slight belly that bulged a bit, like his ice blue eyes. 'Stefan...that's who this must be.'
"What business do you have here, boy?" spat Stefan, suspecting that the "boy" was a thief.
"Why, sir," Kalasin said, making an effort to deepen her voice as well as have a commoner's accent. "You see, I have a message that must reach m'lord Prince Commander Roald. It's urgent news from th'almighty Highnesses in that yonder castle."
Stefan 'hmphed' and glared down at the child. The lad wore black breeches and a cream-colored tunic. At his waist was a nice leather hilt with a decent looking dagger being held within. Black leather boots covered his feet and blended in with the breeches, all of the black making the unevenly cut ebony hair stand out, but what stood out most were the piercing blue eyes that were filled with so much emotion that they were unreadable.
"If it's really this urgent, I sure aint gonna keep ye, but lemme see that there parchment to make sure this aint no trick a street thief would try to pull."
"Why, I never!-" began Kalisin, but she was silenced when the man's expression became suspicious.
Holding up a bag, she glared dangerously at him, "'tis here sir. So 's I don't lose it. It's involving the newest plans, and ya didn't hear this from me, but I overheard his magesty thinkin' of pulling his armies back a bit. He's gettin' nervous he is."
Stefan nodded, knowing that was true, and pointed to a snow-white mare three stalls away from them. "Take Mavaiya. She's our fastest, she'll get you t' their location within a few days' ride. Good luck to ye, lad."
Kalisin nodded and dashed over to the mare, holding out her hand to the mare before slipping her hands to either side of the horse's nose and blowing into it to show who was boss. She had seen Daine, the wild mage, do this multiple times to the riders' ponies.
Stefan, holding a saddle and reins in his hand, gazed at the diminishing figure of the ivory beauty and the shadow upon her back. 'He's riding bareback!' the man thought, flabbergasted. He knew only two people that managed to ride that swiftly bareback: Daine, and Princess Kalisin. 'It can't be...can it?' he thought to himself shaking his head.
Kalasin moved with the horse, gripping the mane firmly yet gently. Her strong legs gripped the sides of the mare firmly as she urged the mount onward into the darkness of the forest. Taking in her surroundings, Kalasin realized she was on the well-used path that the pages-in-training took deep into the forest that was forbidden to all. Rumor had it that the thicket of plants were enchanted by the Goddess herself.
Kalasin always loved these tales and told them over and over again to her younger sibblings. Pouting at the memory and the minor pang in her heart, the young girl slowed the mare down to a trot to save energy. Proceeding on their path, Kalasin glanced back and only saw shadowy branches reaching up into the moonless sky. Ahead, she knew from riding with her mother and the Queen's Riders, there was a main road leading to a small town. 'There,' she thought to herself, 'I can stop at an inn. I grabbed all the coin I had, and a couple of gowns to trade for items. I can also hunt if I sleep outside, however, there is Mavaiya to tend to, so that will cost me a bit.'
Hours passed by as the princess and her mount travelled ahead until they reached a clearing. "Come on Mavaiya, the town's just over this hill. I'll pay a nice man to give you lots of hay, you've been good to me," cooed the girl as she ran her fingers along the mare to recieve a snort. Picking up the pace, the mare raced inbetween the town's gates and only stopped when Kalisin tugged on her mane at the front of an inn.
Sighing tiredly, the girl slid off of the horse and looked around, seeing a small boy staring at her. Smiling she pulled her saddle bags off of her shoulder and reached in one of the pockets. Pulling out a leather pouch, she slipped a coin from it and held it out to the boy who shook his head and continued to stare.
Not one with much patience, Kalasin narrowed her eyes at the boy. "What are you staring at! I'm sure you've seen horses before. I would appreciate it if you could put her into the stable and give her fresh water and hay, and I'm positive I'm not under paying you-"
"No sir," interrupted the boy abruptly, his green eyes still wide but twinkling. "I never did see a bare-backer 'afors. Ya looked like a god on that there horse, all glowy with the mist settlin' in. Yessir, I'll take good care o' her." Taking the coin from Kalasin's fingers, he bit it to make sure it was real and then slipped it into a pocket before beckoining the mare to go with him.
Kalasin sighed and nodded to Mavaiya when the horse turned her head to look at the girl with a look that said, "I have to go?"
Once Mavaiya was put into a stall and the boy dashed off to fetch fresh water, the girl walked silently into the inn only to be greeted with noise of people laughing and talking or telling stories. There were a few soldiers, but the rest looked like normal travellers. 'Normal, but dangerous,' she thought to herself as she glanced at their weapons hanging at their belts. Scantily dressed women were also hanging over many of the men, flirting with anyone who would listen. Disgusted, she walked over to the bar and looked at a stocky well dressed man.
"Excuse me sir," she said softly.
The man gazed down at her and smiled, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, are you the owner?"
"Yes, lad, ya want a room?"
"Yes please, just a small but comfortable one, with a bath waiting if you please."
"Of course-" The man stopped abruptly when he saw she was holding out a gold coin. Hesitating a moment, he finally took it and walked out from around the counter, standing in front of her. "This is a lot of money for a wee lad like yerself to be havin' on hand-"
"Sir, I am not thief if that's what you're getting at and I'm tired, dirty, and hungry. I would also like a meal with that bath."
"Of course," the man said sounding more reassured that it wasn't stolen coin. "Right this way."
Kalasin followed the man up some stairs and was directed to a room on her left. Being let in, she nodded approvingly and set her bags on the fluffy bed in the corner of the room. Turning around, she saw that the man was still standing there. "Yes?"
"What is a lad like yerself doing alone?"
"My business is my own, Mr..."
"Alden Beardon, if it pleases you."
Nodding, Kalasin glanced at a couple of maids who were holding a tub and bucket of hot water. Turning her back to them, she waited until all three people left her room and shut the door behind them before stripping her clothes from her body. After settling in the tub of hot water, her previously aching muscles relaxed and her lids felt heavy as sleep threatened to envelop her. "I wonder what Papa and the others are doing right now, if they even know I'm gone."
A loud rapping on the door interrupted her thoughts and caused Kalisin to scramble out of the bath. Drying herself, she slipped her breeches and tunic back on before opening the door to admit a maid who smiled coyly at her. "Yes?" blurted Kalasin, unsure of how to respond to someone of the same sex flirting with her.
The lady pouted and then shook her head, "Master Beardon said to fetch ya for a meal. He thought ya might'a drowned. Ya've been in here for a good hour or so."
"I see. Well, I am hungry...tell him I'll be down in a moment."
"Very good, sir," replied the maid as she fled the room.
After hiding her saddlebags, Kalasin walked on down the stairs and took a seat at a table in a corner, thanking the lady who gave her a plate of food and a glass of water. Picking at her food, she didn't notice some people pointing at her from accross the room, nor did she notice that one of them stood up and was walking towards her.
The man grinned when the lad finally noticed someone was standing next to him and looked up. Kalasin on the other hand wasn't grinning at all and had slipped her hand to the knife in its sheath at her waist. Scanning the man over, she noted that he was a knight and very well built, even attractive; when he moved, his muscles were visible under his well-worn tunic. A long blade hung at his waist as well as a double-headed axe. Realizing she would be easily beaten by him if he started any fights, she moved back a little and continued to look up until her gaze settled onto his face.
Her sapphire eyes went wide and her ivory skin paled. She reccognized this knight from being served at dinner one time with him and from questioning Roald, her brother, about who his friends were. This was Merric of Hollyrose. His red hair had browned and was tousled a bit from having fingers run through it. His usually light skin was sandy colored with a noticeable tan. He had a broad nose, slightly thin lips, and somewhat rosy cheeks. 'He's grown up so much,' she thought to herself as her mouth fell open. She wanted to say something to him, but quickly she snapped her jaw shut.
Merric raised a brow and then asked if he could sit down. Taking a seat before Kalasin had time to respond he looked the boy over and then smiled. "You look familiar, are you one of the new squires?"
Kalasin frowned and shook her head. She pouted mentally while part of her thought it horrible that he didn't recognize her, the other half of her thinking it wonderful. 'Ah, but he does recognize me, he just doesn't know it yet. He says I'm familiar to him, but he can't put his finger on it,' she told herself and smiled at the man sitting by her.
"Why no, sir, I'm no squire, page, or any of that sort. Not legally at least. Momma and Papa said no when I begged them to let me fight...they said I needed to grow up and be a proper la-" Stopping herself she blinked. She almost gave it away. "A proper lad..."
"I see. Where are you off to?"
Shrugging, the disguised girl took a sip of her drink as she looked at the table where Merric had been sitting and choked on her drink when a set of intense blue eyes settled on her own. "Roald!" she croaked out in horror.