Disclaimer: Some characters, some places, the world, and some basic plot based around CCD. Credit goes to Sherwood Smith for the creation of the afore mentioned. I claim nothing but an over-active imagination.
A/N from Erkith: Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and readers (who vastly outnumber my reviewers... 9 reviews... 106 hits lol). Yay! An update! I've got sort of mixed feelings about this, since I was supposed to go on a date tonight instead of finishing this... guess we know what happened there. Sigh. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy more Betrothed, and achem review.
Erkith
Recap:
Ignoring my resident witch, I watched Alec as his hands gestured subtly behind him. I looked up into the gold eyes of the man leaning against the corner of the room.
Eldenwood.
Betrothed
Chapter Three: Branded
Those eyes held mine, for a moment, before they scanned me head to toe.
I let my own soak in his long, dark frame. The skin slightly tanned through his father's colouring, which was similarly dark. His hair was black, rather than close to it as mine was, but I got stuck again on the eyes. Incredibly gold.
Our eyes locked again at the same moment.
Neither of us said a word. Several breaths came and went, but neither of us spoke because we were much too busy glaring at each other. A silence fell over the room. Everyone had frozen. The air was full of sizzling energies.
"Anders!" Kitten broke our tableau by striding, actually with Kit it's really a lot closer to gliding, over to Eldenwood. She took his hands excitedly. "It's been so long!"
I felt a stab of disbelief as my sister smiled up into his handsome face. She was genuinely happy to see him. I mean, yes, of course it was a distraction from the awkward silence, but she wasn't faking the laugh and smile that accompanied her words. Kitten was genuinely happy to see Eldenwood. What was the world coming to?
"It has. But the time has been kind to you, Lady, for unless my memory makes a fool of me, you are lovelier than ever." Eldenwood replied with a small smile.
Kit's fan flicked into a motion for unalloyed gratitude. "And unless mine does the same to me, your tongue is quick as ever it was."
"I would never be so bold as to question a lady's memory."
I watched their flirting with morbid fascination. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Alec caught my eye, and I lifted an eyebrow in silent question. His lips twitched. Apparently we both found this equally amusing.
I glanced at the others in the room. It's a habit of mine; people have the most interesting reactions. I was not to be disappointed. The Duke's dark eyes caught mine and winked, and Lady Elenet's small smile gave her away; she too was amused by the banter. Papa was frowning, but it was Nita's reaction that was the most fascinating. She was staring straight at me with her fan snapped closed and demanding that I go see her.
Right, I thought sarcastically, and turned my back to her.
"Shayla," Nita said so loudly that I winced. "A word please."
I clenched my teeth and knew that my head had cocked ever so slightly to the right. My danger sign exposed, I turned to her. I let her know without words that if she wasn't careful there was going to be a scene – a big scene, and she already knew I wouldn't care a whit.
I spread my hands. "Certainly."
Nita stopped moving to the door when she realised that I had no intention of following. "Outside," she specified tightly.
I paused in the doorway and swept a general curtsey to the room. "Forgive me," I said blandly. And though I didn't meet them, I could feel Eldenwood's gold eyes measuring me as I left.
"Took your sweet time." Nita said as she dropped the tapestry into place.
I gave her an even look. "Forgive me, but decorum demanded a certain graciousness in exit."
"Like you give a fig!" My stepmother hissed angrily and gestured at my dress with badly surpressed rage. "I had your servant girl..."
"Renn," I interrupted.
"... set out an appropriate dress. And you wear this monstrosity! It's a good twenty years out of date! You're Tlanth's heir, you and should behave like one and not the spoiled brat you are."
I gave the witch a long, cool look. "Spoiled?" I repeated. I was spoiled? Well, then I wouldn't wish such spoiling upon even the worst of my enemies. "Look at yourself, Nita. Dressed from head to toe in the finest of fabrics and gems and painted up like a doll. The only work you ever do is lecturing me on proper behaviour, which incidentally brings no income into the family. Oh, and of course, spending our money!"
She slapped me hard across the face. "You ungrateful wretch! You will not speak to me like that! I'm your mother!"
It stung. Oh, it stung and burned across my cheek as if branding it.
Furious, I lowered the hand that had risen to my face, and said in a low, hard tone. "I have no mother."
"I am your mother! I feed and clothe you and keep a roof over your head..."
"Really?" I stepped towards her, forcing her to take a step in retreat. "I was under the impression that the staff fed and cared for me, and – as I do the finances – that it would be me who kept a roof over your head. As for clothing, it's no secret that you've done the bare minimum for me."
She was stunned silent by my sudden defiance, so I continued somewhat bitterly. "I actually bought it for a while. You know the "Kit's the heir, so she must shine" thing. I didn't actually mind that much until I took over the finances myself. Then I realised you spend just as much on yourself, if not more, and as I got older it got worse, Nita. Even when it became apparent that I was to be Tlanth's heir you countered by forcing unflattering styles onto me."
"You ungrateful..."
"Quiet!" The order rocked through me, as natural as breathing. I'd had more than enough of her.
"I was going to let it go, Nita. I really was. You would be flattered by the amount of excuses I made for you, but in truth that's exactly what they were – excuses. I suspected it for a long while. But I knew for sure when I confronted you with the ledgers in the library last month.
"Do you remember what you told me?" I asked contemptuously. I watched with growing disgust as she shook her head. "You told me that it was of no great importance, and that all I had to do was raise my taxes."
I glared at her with unveiled hatred. My emotions were fire hot. Raise taxes. No trouble at all, the peasants can afford to pay a bit more. And if we need more? Well, just raise them again! Why not? Why not! Didn't she realise that that's how it starts? The greed that spreads like wildfire through a prairie field...
"But you knew, didn't you, Nita, that I wasn't going to let this go. You knew, and so you convinced father to betroth me. Don't pretend you can't fathom the price for that."
The room echoed my anger in its stones even after I left.
The corridor was much cooler than the room I'd just left. I paced up and down it a couple times to break the worst of my temper before entering the dinning room that was only two dozen paces beyond the room where I'd left Nita.
I approached the great doors with confidence born of anger. Inside, the excited conversation was about horses, naturally, with the Duke – well, technically the Count – of Orbanith present. There was nothing Deric liked more than the races.
I joined them, careful to keep my left cheek turned away. I was thankful for the flickering light, for it hid what I was sure was a large red mark where she'd hit me.
Nita declined her invitation to dinner, and sent a very terse Oria to claim illness. The others gave me a few curious looks, but they made no reference to our conversation.
I rather enjoyed the company. Eldenwood was careful not to catch my gaze, speak to me, or even challenge anything I said, and I did the same. So dinner past quite agreeably. And Alec had seated himself in front of me, so when we tired of the adults' conversation we held our own.
Occasionally curiosity got the better of me and I would glance in Eldenwood's direction for a moment to find him absorbed in something else. He didn't notice my attention. We were pulling this off rather nicely, I thought. When two people are equally involved in not speaking, it becomes a rather effective method of avoiding argument.
I thought none were the wiser. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
"Branaric," Lady Elenet said in her soft tones. "I've not yet had a chance to see all the lovely repairs."
My shoulders tensed, and I looked at her with thinly veiled horror. I knew where she was going with this.
My father gave her an excited look. He was always willing to display Oria's work.
"I'd be happy to give you a tour, Elenet." I said quickly. But it wasn't going to help me. There was a small smile gracing her mouth.
"Oh, I don't believe that's necessary, dear child. I'm sure your father and Alec would be most happy to show me."
Papa was nodding enthusiastically. "Indeed." He said in a voice brimming with good cheer. "You could hardly show them what's new, Shayla. Light! You weren't even born yet!"
"Wonderful!" Elenet murmured, ignoring my accusing stare and rising to her feet. "Come, Deric. Alec."
I followed them to the doors. In a last effort, known only to the desperate, I appealed to the Duke. "Would you care for a cup of coffee, Deric?"
He smiled. "I would," he said, "but my wife's likely to get impatient with me. Perhaps Mistress Oria or Julen could whip some up for me later."
"Undoubtedly."
I admitted defeat. It was a conspiracy.
The doors shut with an omnious clank, leaving me staring at them. I was alone with Eldenwood.
I felt his breath stir the hairs on the back of my neck as he whispered in my ear. "Well that was subtle."
I startled away from him. Unspeakably unnerved by his unexpected proximity. "And to think I was starting to like your parents, Eldenwood."
"Actually, Tlanth, I was referring to the coffee." It was said very mildly, but it still stung.
"Oh, you're a fine one to lecture on subtlety!"
Both of us must have snapped back to the time that I referenced, because neither of us spoke for a moment.
"True enough."
It was said quietly, and for some incomprehensible reason it made me feel worse.
"Shall we propose a truce?" Eldenwood asked, watching me. Those golden eyes of his were slightly narrowed in a manner that reminded me of the way a cat observes a mouse.
I glared at him. "Why ever would I agree to do that?"
An eyebrow lifted in mocking question as he replied. "One would think that an obvious lack of restraint of our tempers could lead to some difficulties in future. Or perhaps you have not noticed that every time we cross words, so to speak, it results in an unpleasant scene."
"I'd rather not speak to you at all."
"The problem with us being married, Tlanth, is that we will be forced to speak to each other on occasion."
"I hardly think it's the problem. Believe me, Eldenwood, when I say that I can name dozens of problems with us being married."
"I don't doubt it, Lady. However, for one reason or another we both need this to work, so..."
It was pretty darn clear why I needed it, but him... what possible use could Tlanth be to a family composed of counts and duchies? Leave that for another time, I told myself. "Alright, we will speak and be civil in public."
"Thank you."
I could feel a major headache settling in. "Could we discuss the rest later?" Like at a time when no one's drilling a hole into my head? I thought sourly.
"At your convenience, Tlanth."
I moved to the doors and was about to rap on them to be let through when I heard him speak again.
"Lady."
The tenderness in his voice called me back. Tears threatened to spill over and storm as he lay a hand gently against my left cheek.
"She shouldn't have hurt you."
I escaped to my room and the darkness. What was I supposed to say to that?
A/N: Good? Bad? Ugly? Let me know! And feel free to flood me with ideas! REVIEW! Pretty pretty please!
THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS
Gwendeleryn: Thank you for the wonderful review! I really loved the Hill Folk and thought there should be more of them in the series... lol draw your own conclusions as to what that means. I like the idea for Eldenwoods pt of view, and if I use it, it will be in a couple chaps... although the companion fic would work better... the Mel and Danric fic would pick up where Court Duel leaves off. Again thanks for reviewing!
Wake-Robin: Hey I updated... soon for me! lol stepmom is most definitely evil! I swear I have no idea where the slap came from though... seemed like the right thing at the time. As to Bran loving her... well you'll see cackles evily lol couldn't resist. You MUST update! And I'll get down to the Mel/Danric asap (could mean january : p)
FelSong: Coriander is indeed an herb that means... scrambles around in papers... lol I'll get back to you on that... I have it written somewhere. And I think it's a pretty name too. Lol glad you like Shay... you're supposed to : p About the Elenet/Deric – oops! But, anyways, thank you for the advice with the love/hate thing! Have any more useful tips?
Seeker 143: lol you think she stuck up to Nita then... lol what you must think now! Please do review and tell me! I'm going to put more of Coriander (lol who is fated to be called Eldenwood for quite some time) in the next chaps. And as I said earlier... possibly a companion fic from his pt of view.
Cinnamon: lol Cruel and unfeeling? Lol try exhausted and numb! I write really late at night. Lol not that I take offense – very used to it as my Tamora Pierce readers complain about my cliffies regularly... lol poor things.
Rootbeergirl19: Glad you're so happy about that! Lol thanks for reviewing, it's nice to know someone gives enough of a damn to take 30 seconds to review.
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