The Dragon Priestess
AvalonReeseFanFics
A/N: The Second part of the second episode, this is where we start seeing Van and Brooke getting closer and a little bit on the life inside Fanelian castle walls. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope that you'll enjoy it to, don't forget to tell me what you think about it.
Chapter 5: The Girl from the Mystic Moons pt. 2
Brooke was led into a small room where she found a large chair behind an equally large wooden desk. The whole room was dressed in royal greens and warm brown hues. The large Scarred Man ushered the two teens in and shut the door quickly. Van quickly removed his sword from his belt and threw it onto the table along with the glowing pink gem.
Van crossed to the large chair and threw himself down it, sighing with utter contentment. The Scarred Man glared down at him. "Van what have you done?" he snapped.
"It's not my fault," Van growled. "I didn't ask for anything, she brought me to her world, she helped me a bit and then she hitched a ride home when she sent me back."
The Scarred Man turned to Brooke who was trembling, a single tear fell down her cheek. "That's not true. I didn't bring him anywhere. I helped him because if I didn't he would have died and I didn't want him to die. And now I'm here and I'm stuck and he's lying!"
He turned back to Van with a disappointed look on his face. "Van," he snarled in a disapproving tone.
"Alright, so she said she had no idea how she got me there, but it had to be her, Balgus. She was the only one there, and she was the one who was there to send me back!"
"Van," he repeated in that same disapproving tone.
"Well I brought her back with me, didn't I?" he snapped jumping to his feet. "I could have left her in that field, but I didn't. I did the right thing."
The Scarred Man, Balgus, turned to Brooke and smiled down at her as her tears continued to leak. "I know you're scared, but I need you to answer a few questions for me."
Brooke sniffed. "I'll try," she whispered.
"You said you saved him, that you didn't want to but you did. How did you know he needed saving?" he questioned.
Brooke paused. "Because... I... I saw it," she said quickly. "He was just standing there, that huge tail coming down on him and he didn't even notice. What was I supposed to do? Now I wish I had left him, if I had I'd be at home, instead of here!"
"Like you had a home to go to back to, you're an orphan remember?" Van snapped.
Tears fell out of Brooke's angry eyes. "Oh thanks, way to make me feel better, you spoiled little brat!"
Van flushed with anger, his cheeks reddening when he saw the disappointed glare on Balgus' face. "What is wrong with you, my lord!" he hissed. "You of all people should understand how she feels."
He turned back to Brooke. "As long as you are here, you will be welcome in our city and in this palace until we can find a way to send you back home. You have saved our King's life and for that we shall forever be in debt to you."
Brooke blinked her eyes at him before turning to Van who was sulking and staring down at the empty desktop. "Is that true?" she asked him.
Van looked up to her, his composure regained, but she could see the anger flashing through his eyes. "Yes," he said stiffly. "I shall have you moved into the Tethys Room, it's the best guest room in my wing. I'll have to get you accustomed to our culture, starting with your clothes."
Brooke looked down to her outfit and frowned. "What's wrong with them?"
"You look ridiculous. People will know right away you're not from here, and that can be dangerous," he replied.
Brooke wiped away the rest of her tears and nodded. "Okay... thank you..."
Van stood. "Someone else will see you to your rooms, I have things to do," he snapped and stormed away. Brooke watched him go and frowned. Sure this place was beautiful but she wasn't sure she'd be able to put up with Van
The room was nice painted a soothing pastel green. The bed was huge filled with down feathers, it was the softest bed she had ever slept on, not including the one she had in her old room with her family. Nothing would ever be as good as sleeping in a bed knowing your twin is in the bunk above you and your family is just a shout away. There was no getting that back now though, and Brooke kept trying to remind herself to think of the positives. This bed would do just fine.
There was a vanity set, complete with large ovaline mirror and a little green plush stool. There was an empty trinket box standing beside a row of empty make up shelves and little holes meant for brushes. There was one brush awaiting her and that was a hair brush.
The wardrobe stood in the corner, completely empty with the promise of a shopping spree in her near future. She even had a balcony. A large wooden structure jutting out from the stones, it had a flower box filled with blue and white flowers she had never seen before. From her balcony she could see the whole of the courtyard. Brown stones covered in ivy and carvings of dragons.
When she had seen all she could see, her tired mind forced her to rest. She had napped for hours, in a deep uninterrupted sleep. Wrapped in the warmth of a down blanket, in the clothes she had been transported in.
When Brooke awoke she climbed out of the bed, sleepily wondering where she was. It surprised her that she wasn't scared when she awoke somewhere completely new and completely foreign. It was almost like she recognized it, but that couldn't be right, she hadn't ever been there before.
Regardless Brooke went to her gym kit and examined the clothes she had in there. Van had mentioned that her school uniform had been unsuitable. She doubted that short-shorts and a tee-shirt would be any better. She threw them back in the bag and went back to the vanity. She brushed her tangled black hair back into a pony tail.
She went out on the balcony again, to find that the little courtyard she had seen only hours before had been completely transformed. There were rows of benches for spectators, red flags with yellow crests flew from every window she could see, a red carpet was being rolled and flowers were being tossed into the wind.
She remembered Van mentioning that he was going to be crowned king soon, she didn't think that meant this soon.
He was going to be king. She had met a King, she had saved a King, slapped a Kick, and continued to give attitude to a King. She couldn't help herself with him it was like she had no off button. She knew better after all, she knew how to talk to royalty, manners and all, but with him they all sort of... shut off.
So she stood there, thinking of the soon-to-be king, as her world hung in the sky above her, completely unnoticed. She stared at it, why was she so okay with seeing her world above her. Honestly she was amazed at how had her priorities gotten so skewed in such a short amount of time, but even as she thought that she heard Van's mocking voice in her mind. He was right, she didn't really have much to go back to, now did she?
Here she could have a new start, a clean slate, the unwanted ward of a King. Not like she couldn't just leave, he didn't want her here and beauty was only skin deep. There was a new planet out there, a place for her to explore. What was stopping her from going on out there and finding a new home… her own people?
"Stay away from him."
The voice had rung clear and true and Brooke knew immediately who belonged to it. She looked up and found the cat girl hanging from her roof, upside down mind you, every bit of her hanging the wrong way. Her hair, her necklace, everything except her dress, that seemed to be going the right way, Brooke didn't know how. Maybe cat girl physics was different from people physics.
Brooke took a step back as the cat girl dismounted, she was smaller than Brooke, she only came up to her shoulders. She extended wicked looking claws and regarded them for a long time before she turned her patient glare onto Brooke. "I told you to stay away from him."
"I heard you," Brooke said. "But unless you can't see, I'm not with him. I'm in my room, very far away from him."
"But you're in his wing, why are you in his wing?" the cat girl snapped.
"He put me here. If you don't like it, take it up with him!" Brooke cried.
The cat girl continued to glare at her before taking her eyes off of her and rushing towards Brooke's bag. Suddenly there was a whole typhoon of clothing and accessories as the cat girl tore through all of Brooke's stuff and up heaved it from the bag.
"Hey! That stuff is mine!" Brooke cried.
The cat girl turned, in the light something gleamed from the bed side table. Right beside the glass of water she had asked for but hadn't gotten around to drinking, too busy passing out to drink, sat the necklace from Brooke's mother. The last thing Brooke had from her family, the last link to the happy past she dreamt of finding again. The two eyed it, but the cat was faster. Darting to the bed side table she snatched the pretty trinket and ran to the door.
"Thanks for the gift," she taunted before disappearing.
"Hey! No! That's important!" Brooke cried back giving chase. It wasn't like she had much of a chance, she was horribly slow and the cat was running on all four legs. Bloody cheater.
Still Brooke gave chase, yelling insults after her, but even Brooke had her limits. She slowed to a stop catching her breath, watching the cat girl turn the corner and run away. There was a clang of clashing metal and she saw the tell-tale red sparks out of the corner of her eye and when she turned she saw Van lodged in a duel with the large Scarred Man.
She turned back to the corner and shouted quite clearly. "You have till the count of three to give me back my necklace or I will go in there and kiss your precious Van!" she threatened. She knew Van was looking at her, she had just announced her intentions, he was no doubt worried she meant to go through with it.
She was met with silence. "One... two..." The cat girl's head peaked around the corner, necklace still in hand and warning glare on her face.
"You wouldn't dare."
Brooke didn't bother to say three, she turned and ran at Van. "Come here!" she ordered. Van tried to back away but Brooke was faster, stronger, there really was some truth about the whole adrenaline thing, she was like an out of control train.
She took a hold of him, by the front of his shirt and pulled him to her. Her other hand entangled in his hair, pulling his lips down and she tilted hers up. It wasn't much of a kiss, just a whole bunch of lips mashed together, Van rigid with terror his arms out at the sides frozen mid-attempt to push her away.
It didn't last long either. With one tremendous pull the cat girl had her away from him and as Brooke fell away from him she could have sworn she saw something akin to regret in his eyes, almost like he didn't want her to go. The cat girl was on her in an instant and Brooke had more important things to worry about. One fur covered hand with those damning wicked claws came was poised to strike, only to be caught by a hand gloved in white.
"Whatever it is you took, Merle, give it back," Van ordered.
There was a two second pause and Van pulled Merle to her feet and off of Brooke. "Give, it, back," he repeated with a dangerous growl.
Merle seemed unafraid, but still she tossed the necklace at the Brooke. "There, don't know why she was being such a baby, I was only going to borrow it."
Van let her go and Balgus walked past them. "Hello, I trust you enjoyed your rest," he said to her.
Brooke nodded as she got to her feet. "Sorry for the disturbance, I'm not usually like that, I just... I wanted..."
"You see Van, she has the mind of a warrior. Went straight for Merle's weakest point with such drive and determination. That's the sort of aggression and determination you should take when charging me, then you will not be so easily deflected."
Van folded his arms over his chest, his pale cheeks reddened unattractively as he looked away from where Brooke was standing. "I know, I just don't like mortal sword combat," he snarled.
"Stop Lord Van, it is a poor thing for a man who is about to become king of all Fanelia to hold such weak sentiments," Balgus roared.
Van went a deeper shade of red. "It's not like I'm becoming King because I want to."
"Don't want to be King? How could you not want to be king? I thought you wouldn't be able to wait to become king," Brooke cried, she suddenly paused. "That nearly became a Disney song."
"Disney?" Van echoed. "I've never heard of that minstrel."
Brooke waved away the thought of even trying to explain. "Yeah, well you lot are from the middle ages and I come from a place with electricity and TVs, don't ask me to explain it though I never got to that unit in school. Got kidnapped by the only Prince to not want to be King," she said wagging her eyes at him. "Say there, if he doesn't want to learn how to sword fight can I learn?"
Van was glaring at her now. "You're a girl. Shouldn't you learn to sew instead?"
Brooke shot Van a dry look. "I'm in a foreign place, if I'm staying here I should learn to protect myself correctly. I already know some basic defense, couldn't we let me join your sword fighting practice?" she asked almost pouting.
"We shall think about it," Balgus said. "Van behave, remember what I said."
Van scoffed and Balgus walked out of the room. Brooke turned to Van with a wince. "I've upset you haven't I?" she asked him.
Van looked her up and down before saying curtly. "It's time I got you a change of clothes."
She had been walking arm and arm with him and Van couldn't help but feel some sort of pride. The vendors were closing down, he was getting stares, mostly about her out-of-place clothing. He didn't mind though, all he wanted was to get her something she could wear to his coronation tomorrow. Balgus had told him he had to be nice to her, that she was just lost and scared so that was why she was acting out. Van honestly just wanted to put her in the dungeon.
They stopped at a stall with readymade clothes, the vendor bowed lowly to him. "I need dresses," Van said. He side stepped to reveal Brooke. "Make her look like us."
The vendor looked Brooke up and down quickly. "Such strange clothes, where ever is she from?" the kind lady asked.
Brooke turned to Van not sure what she was supposed to say to that? Van had a calm look about him. "Not from around here," he answered.
The lady nodded and went into her stock. Brooke turned to Van and made a mental note to ask him about creating a cover lie to explain where she had come from, she didn't know any of the countries or city so he was going to have to help her with that. The lady turned and had a stunning blue dress in her hands. It had short sleeves and a blue and white striped ribbon to wrap around her waist. It looked very much like a kimono.
"It's lovely," Brooke said. "Is it expensive?"
"It's nothing for the King," she said. "Will she need another for the coronation reception?"
Van shrugged. "Sure, and the matching shoes."
"How about one in green, it will suit her complexion and her hair," she said softly. "You two look so alike, are you related."
"Course not," Van snapped. He handed Brooke the dress. "Try it on then, see if it suits you."
"Where? Here? In the middle of the street?" she asked.
Van pointed to the curtains set up and said: "In there."
He watched her walk away and into the changing area, wondering if all of this could really work. Could she learn to blend in and live with them until he found a way to send her back? She interested him, the girl who had the gall to treat him like a commoner. How odd it was to want to know everything about someone who made him so very angry with just a glance.
"That necklace Merle took, why is it so important?" he asked absently as he doled out the coins. The vendor took them and handed Van two pairs of flats.
"It was my mother's," came Brooke's reply. "The cat girl seems really keen on you. She your girlfriend?"
"No, we've been friends since... well forever," Van replied. "She won't bother you again."
Brooke came out, the sash wasn't tied correctly but the vendor had been right, the deep blue suited her. "It's not on right," she said blandly. "Does it look okay though?"
Van nodded, she most definitely could look the part. The vendor came to help her with the sash, showing her how to tie it and Van watched. She certainly was lovely, he could see the beauty in her, he wouldn't say it affected him in any way but he could definitely see it. He handed her the shoes and she handed him her clothes, he didn't have to ask to know she'd want to keep them, so he tucked them in to the other clothes he had bought her. Two dresses, two pairs of shoes, that would be enough for now. He'd get her more after the coronation.
"She won't leave me alone you know," Brooke said as they walked back to the palace. "I kissed you, she'll have to kill me now."
Van's eyes narrowed. "Why was that? It was particularly spectacular, it won't happen again... will it?"
Her green eyes were on him and he felt himself heating, that kiss hadn't been anything but nerve wracking. He had no idea what to expect, and then what was he supposed to do with his hands? It had been terrifying and that had sucked any enjoyment on it.
She smiled coyly at him. "That was your first wasn't it?" she asked. Van blanched, how had she known that? "It's alright, I won't tell anyone, but I could tell, you know. You didn't know what to do, I hadn't stunned you, you just didn't know."
"Well how was I to practice? I've got bigger thing to worry about than girls," he snapped.
"Yes, but you're a boy, a teenage boy and you're a Prince. I refuse to believe that you've had no prospects," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe you just don't notice them, or you scare them away with your grumpiness."
"I am not grumpy!"
"Sullen then."
"You can't talk to me like this!" Van snapped.
Brooke paused, she frowned lightly and then said, "I know, but someone needs to keep you grounded, or all that power's going to go straight to your head."
Van shook his head. "I won't be tolerant of you much longer," he warned.
"That's alright, I won't be staying much longer," Brooke shot back.
She sashayed away from him, disappearing into his castle. For some reason the thought of her leaving upset him.
When Brooke awoke there was a lingering burning from the terrible nightmare that was already slipping from her. All she could remember was the terrible raging fire, not what started it or why, just the embers burning in the night air. Brooke sat up in bed, sweating terribly in her borrowed nightshirt that she was pretty sure was one of Van's cast offs. She hated having nightmares, especially alone, especially in a new place. She sat there in her borrowed bed chewing the inside of her cheek and feeling a panic attack coming. She hadn't had one of those in a very, very long time.
She didn't have anyone to run to, didn't have anywhere to hide, she was alone and finding it very, very hard to breathe. Getting out of bed, she didn't have a plan in mind, she just knew that she knew only one person here and he was right across the hall.
She threw the doors to Van's room open and then just stood there. He had a single candle blazing as he sat on his bed. It looked like he hadn't slept a wink, in fact he wasn't even asleep at that moment, he was just sitting up in his bed. He stared at Brooke his ruddy-brown eyes wide with surprise. He didn't ask her what she wanted, no, the question was in his eyes.
"I keep having nightmares," she whispered, her voice hitching as the panic attack hit her again full force.
"I can't sleep either," he said patting the bed beside him.
Brooke quickly scampered towards him to sit beside him. As she settled into the bed beside him she asked: "So why can't you sleep? Pre-coronation jitters?"
Van looked away from her. "I guess," he said stiffly. "What was your nightmare about?"
"Fire," Brooke replied. "Everything was burning."
"You mean your home… or orphanage?"
"No I mean here, here was on fire, all of it. Not just the palace the whole city… it was… it was terrible," she whispered.
Van was staring at her, almost horrified. "Fanelia won't burn"
"Well of course not. It was just a dream, the point is I've never had a dream like that before. It felt so real and I was so bloody terrified. I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep."
Van stared at her almost sympathetically. "Would you like to see where I go when I have a bad dream?"
Van took Brooke to his own balcony and then helped her climb up to the roof. When he had her safely sitting beside her watched her turn her face up to the night sky and suddenly he felt quite proud of himself.
"Wow, look all of those stars. They're so beautiful," she breathed out. "You can never see so many stars where I'm from."
Van turned his own eyes up to the sky, that seemed kind of sad. "Yeah, I guess," he said trying to shrug it off as nothing when it was anything but. "Well whenever I have nightmares I stare at the stars, calms me down."
Brooke turned that radiant smile to him and all of a sudden, the late night intrusion wasn't bothering him as much anymore. "Thank you for taking me here, for letting me stay and for the clothes."
"Balgus says that you lash out because you're scared. He says I do that all the time so I really shouldn't judge you for it."
Good god why had he said that to her? He hazarded a glance to her and found that she wasn't angry or anything she just looked contemplative.
Brooke nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry for all of that. Honestly, I'm usually much better behaved."
She turned her pale face back to the starry sky and he continued to look at her. "Did you lose them recently?" he asked. Her smile faded and a spasm of pain hit her face that she quickly masked. He understood that look. "Your family I mean."
"No, I lost them when I was little," she whispered. "When did you lose yours?"
"When I was little as well. It wasn't at the same time though, gradually, piece by piece they were taken from me," he replied.
"Ah, so you and I are basically the same," she said. "Two lost little children trying to find somewhere to call home."
"I have a home," he whispered.
"Good point. So maybe we're not alike."
They were silent for a moment before Van turned to her and said. "I never thanked you for helping me."
Brooke chuckled. "No you didn't, did you?"
"It's been a strange couple of days, okay," Van said smirking himself. "For what it's worth you're sort of growing on me."
Brooke took her eyes off the sky to face him. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, I could get used to having someone around me, always telling me what I need to hear," he admitted.
Brooke smiled again. "Not too annoying?"
"Naw," Van said. "And, as Balgus said, I will do everything I can to send you back, back home that is."
Brooke sighed again. "I don't know if I want to go back. I mean, you were right after all. I don't have anything to return to back there."
"And what then? Stay here?" Van wondered. A little light of hope blinked on in him, almost uncontrollably and he didn't know why.
"I don't know, maybe, I mean would that be so awful?" she asked softly. "There's a whole world out there for me to explore, I'd like to see it."
Van lounged back and looked up to the sky. "Maybe we can see it together," he whispered.
Brooke edged closer to him. "I'd like that," she replied. Slowly she put her head on his shoulder and he found that he rather liked that too.