The Dramatic Reveal
Even though it had been raining the other day, the camping trip went forward as planned the next day. People were in better spirits and Camille had even mustered a performance for her father the night before. The performance had gone a long way to assuaging his fears. Of course his wife hadn't switched the babies at birth. Camille was the one singing for goodness sake! Camille was the one that had those amazing political insights. Insights that she always seemed to have after a day or two locked in her room with Daivya…
"We won't be far, little one," Jonathan said, hugging his daughter close. "Just shout and we'll come down the hill looking for you."
"I know that daddy," Camille smiled up at him. "You worry too much," she giggled. "I'll be perfectly safe. The Nylexons have been doing this with the royals for decades without incident. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Jonathan watched his little girl go to the campsite with her faithful servant in tow. He hadn't bothered to tell his family that their favorite punching bag was leaving their employ. He figured that would be the ultimate test. Have his daughter give a Khaleesi performance once she was separated from her servant. That would put his mind at ease once and for all.
"Is everything alright, Johnny?" Lillian asked with a smile "You've been so quiet since yesterday. I know you're worried about our little girl, but she's going to be fine. It's only for one night after all."
"Yes, I'm sure that everything will be alright with Camille and Little Diva." Lillian flinched at the mention of the servant. "Why do you hate her so much, my love? She's never done anything to warrant it. And if you hate her so much, why do you insist on her serving our daughter?"
"I don't want to talk about that nasty servant. She's nothing more than a fat-"
"Lillian! Whatever your issue is with the girl, you're going to have to let it go. She's served us faithfully for years."
"I told you, I don't want to talk about her tonight," she removed a strap from the shoulder of her sleeveless dress and looked at him seductively. His mind suddenly on things other than the servant, he leaned forward to taste his woman.
Camille sang for her new friends that night. She was making up for the depression that had gripped the land earlier. People bowed to her willingly and she liked that part best of all. That fat, selfish bitch wouldn't know what to do with this power. It was better in her hands. And she would have it any time she wanted it for the rest of her life. As long as the Khaleesi stayed under her thumb, she could always enjoy this fame, this notoriety.
Happy that things were back to normal, the princess enjoyed her night among the royals, all of whom studiously ignored their servants. The servants, used to this treatment, partied among themselves. They frolicked among themselves, the conversation was lively and exciting. No one tried to include Daivya though. She was trouble; everyone had witnessed the Imladris Queen's cruelty towards her. No one wanted to risk bringing that kind of trouble down on themselves. It was bad enough that the berserker prince was stalking her. Oh, everyone in the group who had been here before knew that Adam was a fake. If the princess of Imladris wanted to marry royalty, she would have to marry the violent man. The little Khaleesi didn't seem to realize that herself though.
In the meantime, Diva watched the parties from a distance. She observed the servant's party, absorbing the comradery of the group in case Camille wanted to sing again. She was tired. She was so damn tired of playing this game. She was miserable not being allowed to talk or even look at the berserker. Her first friend in her whole lonely life lost to her because of the Queen's fear. Well, at least she'd managed to fix that one thing. Once this trip was over, she could walk away. No more beatings, no more fat taunts. No one actually knew what she looked like, it would be easy to disappear. This thought cheered her and she was ready when Camille decided to sing again using her power. She was bleeding from her mouth, ears, and eyes from all the power she was transferring to the selfish girl, but she kept at it. This was the last time the princess would have access to her power. Finally, blessedly, the girl fell asleep in Adam's arms. Diva sagged in relief. It was the middle of the night by now, most of the people in both groups were asleep. Now all she had to do was slip down to the lake and clean herself up. No one would care about a loner servant leaving the group.
"You smell like blood, Bliss," Tyr said angrily. She froze, cursing herself for a fool. While it was true that he couldn't see her, she wouldn't have the ability to mask the scent of her blood from him. Nylexons were known for their sense of smell.
"I'm not allowed to speak with you," the young woman said dully. She was starting to feel the urge to sing herself and ruthlessly repressed it. The last time she'd felt that urge, the queen had her beaten half to death. She moved slowly away from the man, wishing for a moon in the sky.
The berserker stalked his prey down to the lake. She smelled of blood, yes, but it didn't obliterate the scent of lilacs and warm summer nights surrounding her. She was his mate and the new moon was in the sky. It was time to claim her now that the scent of fear and depression was gone. He turned her to face him and blinked.
"Why are you covered in blood, Diva?" She gasped, automatically reinforcing her illusion.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. He shook her, then held her tight.
"Stop hiding from me. I can easily see through Zarkonen illusions. Your scrawny body is covered in blood right now! I-"
"You can see me?" she cried in shock. He looked her over and smiled gently, sitting her down by the lake and taking her cloth from her to clean her.
"Yes, little one, I've always seen you," he said smoothly, wiping the dried blood off of her face gently but firmly. He held her body so that she couldn't escape, though she wasn't trying to at the moment. "Why don't you want people to see you?"
"If her majesty ever tried to have me killed - which she will when she learns that I've escaped her clutches - she'll be looking for a fat slob of a servant, not me."
"I would never allow that cruel woman to harm you." The blood was gone, but he was still caressing her face through the cloth.
"You wouldn't be able to stop it, she's the queen. She's already ruined my life by taking you away from me." He noted that she was leaning into his touch even as she talked about the evil queen. He put down the cloth and daringly touched her cheek. Her eyes slipped closed and he had to resist the urge to roar with triumph. Instead, he continued to stroke her face, his other arm ready to clamp into her shoulders firmly when she tried to get away. The woman was completely relaxed at this point, humming and leaning into his touch. Tyr saw the soft glow on her and put two and two together.
"You're the Khaleesi," he said firmly, stopping his caress. The girl tensed.
"W-what would make you say that? You've seen Her Highness sing all evening." She went to stand up and whimpered when he wouldn't let her. "Let me go! I have to go watch over the princess." He held her down more firmly as she struggled, but his grip didn't bruise her. Her glow had disappeared when he'd accused her of being the healer female, but he was as sure of the fact as he would have been his own name.
"Never," he whispered against her ear. "Khaleesi or not, you belong to me."
"No I-"
"Your scent is intoxicating on the air, little one. That combination of lilacs and warm summer nights calls to me. You'll never be able to escape me."
"We're not allowed to speak anymore," she said quickly, surprised when he suddenly released her. The first notes of a song ring out in the night air and she pulled out a small, extremely sharp knife to stop it. Tyr plucked it out of her hands and threw it into the lake.
"Sing for me," he commanded softly.
I can hear you
But I won't
Some look for trouble
While others don't
There's a thousand reasons I should go about my day
And ignore your whispers, which I wish would go away
Oh-oh-oh
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Oh-oh
Ah-ah-ah-ah
She glared at the man, determined to get away from him and that infernal smirk of his.
You're not a voice, you're just a ringing in my ear
And if I heard you
(Which I don't)
I'm spoken for, I fear
Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls
I'm sorry, Secret Siren, but I'm blocking out your calls
I've had my adventure
I don't need something new
I'm afraid of what I'm risking
If I follow you
Into the unknown
Into the unknown
Into the UNKNOWN!
The girl covered her mouth at this lyric. She'd gotten too loud. She glared at the Nylexon again and continued her song.
What do you want?
'Cause you've been keeping me awake
Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake
She blushed and looked the attractive man over as he followed her down the hill to the campsite.
Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me
Who knows deep down, I'm not where I'm meant to be…
Everyday's a little harder as I feel my power grow
Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go…
Into the unknown
Her illusion melted away suddenly.
Into the unknown
She was suddenly clothed in a gown of pure light and glowing brightly.
INTO THE UNKNOWN!
The girl let down her knee-length hair and smiled at her mate.
Oh-oh-oh,
Are you out there?
Do you know me?
Can you feel me?
Can you show me?
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Oh-oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh-oh!
Oh-oh-oh-oh…
Where are you going, don't leave me alone
How do I follow you
Into the unknown!
Tyr chuckled, unable to take it anymore, and covered her lips with his. He bent her over backward in her rush to possess her. Everyone was awake by now and staring at the luminous servant. Only Camille seemed to recognize her as her fat slave.
"Daivya?" The girl broke apart from her Nylexon with a guilty start, her light dimming. People were starting to whisper. The princess wasn't a Khaleesi? How was that possible? Why was this servant the one glowing? Wasn't she grotesquely fat before? That last question was easy enough to answer. Zarkonens could cast illusions on themselves to change their appearance. That's where the phrase 'there's no such thing as an unattractive Zarkonen' came from in the first place. It raised even more questions though. Camille looked around her, watching confusion start turning to accusation and betrayal, and said the one thing that she knew would get the fat fuck back for this humiliation.
"I'm telling mother." The light went out like a candle snuffed by a strong wind. Camille smiled evilly, turned, and started running back towards the castle.
Diva watched her go, looking utterly terrified "I have to go now," she said fearfully. The girl started trying to work her way free of the berserker.
"Please don't go, dear Lady," one of the princes said loudly. He'd been scarred in a chemical fire as a child, half his face burnt even with magic at his disposal. When Camille had sung earlier, he'd been hoping for a miracle, but he'd gotten nothing. Now the scar was completely gone after only part of a song from the true Khaleesi! His words seemed to break the paralysis of the rest of the group and they got out of their toasty bedrolls, servants and royalty alike, and crowded in on the young woman. Unlike the princess, however, this only seemed to terrify the girl instead of calling to her need to show off.
"Let me go," she whimpered. Tyr pulled her out of the crowd, growling to make them back off. Figuring that he might as well get some answers out of the struggling girl, he held her more firmly.
"The Queen knows about this? "
"Who do you think gave Camille the idea? She's not that inventive. Let go of me!"
"What about the king, Bliss?"
"Let me go, Tyr," she whimpered again, not caring that she was making a scene. Everyone was gawking at her anyway. "I don't want-"
"King Jonathan, Diva!"
"The king can never know," she finally admitted, leaning almost backward trying to get away from her captor. He growled angrily and pulled her towards him. She crashed into him just as he caught a giant knife that would have embedded itself in her back. He threw it back into the woods with wicked accuracy and released her to chase down his quarry.
"Why don't you sing for me, pet?" another of the princes said seductively. The Princes and Princesses started talking over each other to be heard by the extraordinary woman. She crouched down and started sobbing, covering her head as if she were being beaten. The servants joined in, desperately trying to get to the woman around the rabble and find out what was the matter. By the time Tyr got back to his woman, the misery and depression around her was tangible. She wasn't responding to anyone, only crying like her heart was being broken in two. The ones that had spoken to her were kneeling before her, shouting in what they could see of her face.
"Get away from my woman," the Prince of Nylexia shouted suddenly, his power unleashed with his rage. Everyone responded immediately, scrambling away from the trembling girl. Soon the only sound in the whole area was her heartbroken gasps and sobs. He pulled the girl to her feet and she came willingly enough, hiding in his muscular chest. He held her until the trembling stopped, then tilted her chin to look at her tear-streaked face. "What's the matter, my love?"
"These… none of these frauds wanted to be friends with me before and now they're crowded all over me," she whined, beginning to shake again. This triggered half the group to start denying the accusation while the other half was just as quick to apologize. The girl wanted none of it. She just wanted to disappear. She wanted everyone to go away and leave her alone. To her dismay, the parents of the royal children were coming to add to the chaos, led by the last person she wanted to see right now, King Jonathan holding his half-naked wife by the arm and his daughter by the arm as well. Seeing them she tried to make a break for it only to be restrained by her mate.
"Show yourself," Jonathan shouted at the shivering girl. She started sobbing again and lowered herself to the ground in the berserker's powerful grip. He yanked her back up, disgusted with her attempts to get away. Then she hiccupped and he sighed. Khaleesi weren't strong women. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her senseless, smiling against her lips when she relaxed and started glowing brightly. People watched in amazement as wounds and ailments began to heal. Barbarossa slashed deeply into the palm of his hand and held it up. It healed almost before the blood could spill.
"This is amazing! Why was Princess Camille pretending to be the Khaleesi all these years?
"Daivya is very shy in the presence of others," the spoiled princess tried to save face. "I offered to-"
"You mean 'you selfishly stole'," one of her servants said loudly, hoping to curry favor. "You and her majesty have been abusing the Lady for years."
"And what have you done to stop it, Judith?"
"Well… Nothing, sire. I'm just a servant."
"Exactly. Know your place." Judith immediately quieted herself. Jonathan turned to the dazed girl. "Daivya, I need to see who you really are. Drop your illusions. All of them. Please."
The girl cringed from the words. "I… I've had illusions attached to me since I was a baby, your majesty. I don't know if I can undo all of them."
"Please try, little one. I'm dying to meet you." Slowly, the layers of her illusions rolled back, showing her for what she really was; an unhealthily scrawny, sweet-looking girl who happened to be the spitting image of her mother. The king hissed and threw his wife to the ground.
"The oracle told me that I would have a Khaleesi for a daughter, Lillian. Only you knew that. You betrayed me."
"Please! You have to understand, Johnny! She was such an ugly baby. And here, right beside her was an angel. I had to! And then when she came up as a Khaleesi like your oracle predicted… It was easy to get her to place her powers in our beautiful little girl. I-"
"She was never my little girl, Lillian! You lied to me! For twenty-one years, you have been lying to my face about my daughter. She was never ugly, she was just living down to your expectations," he motioned to his guards. "Take her away. I want her locked away until I can figure out what to do with her. In fact, take this selfish, treacherous child away with her. I don't want to see either of them until it's time to pass judgment."
"Daddy, please," Camille pleaded.
"That's 'your majesty' to you, slave," he said coldly. Camille flinched, never having heard her father be so cruel to her. But he really wasn't her father, was he? As far as he was concerned, he'd never been her father. She'd just lost her whole family in one fell swoop.
"This is all your fault," she spat at her former servant. The girl went to her thicker appearance, hiding behind the berserker in fear at the hatred in her eyes. The girl didn't dare look into her mother's eyes. The two allowed themselves to be led away without a fuss after that, the hatred and disapproval of the rest of the group weighing down on them.
"You should know that my true child intends to marry your daughter," Victoria told the king of Imladris. He looked over to see the berserker caressing Daivya's face before leaning in for a gentle kiss that she eagerly returned. He nodded his acceptance of this arrangement, seeing how happy his daughter was with him.
Nothing like getting yours, eh? ::laughs::
I have an epilogue, but this story is pretty much wrapped up. Compared to my other stories, this one is very, VERY short. But I wanted to get this idea out of my head since it's been there for quite some time. Please review. For better or for worse, I'm dying to know what people think of my work! ^_^
