Chapter 3

"Who was she, Lucivar? I mean come on, I'm in the business of knowing who is the best and even I had never heard of a Shaitara SaDiablo," said Surreal. As Surreal was saying this Beale opened the front door to admit Shaitara, who was more suitably dressed for public. She was carrying a small suitcase.

"Just because you have not heard my real name does not mean that you have never heard of me, Surreal."

"I know that voice," Surreal said as she spun around. "Abby! What are you doing here?"

"My family lives here. I am Shaitara SaDiablo. And to think after all those years I spent training you on the art of being a female assassin after my brother finished with you…you disappoint me. You should have recognized me from my fighting style, I taught you to use the same."

"No, you didn't. You were only on your way to the Tacean training camp then, now I think you have finished, Sugar."

"Firstly, I have finished. Secondly, I have told you not to call me Sugar ever again. And thirdly, yes I did use the same fighting style then because Tacean fighting is entirely mental. Anyway, I must be going if I am to find out where I'm living for the next couple of days. I'll see you at breakfast, Surreal. And since you are here maybe we should brush up on your skills in the morning, meet me at dawn, before breakfast please you know how you are about those stomach hits." Then Shaitara turned back towards Beale in the hope of finding a bed for the night.

"Sorry, but Lucivar here already has the claim on before breakfast practice."

"Then I will be your sparring partner," Shaitara said over her shoulder. "Oh, and don't try to run away again. As you know I will find you and I will be ticked off that you ran." Then Shaitara began climbing the stairs in the direction of the family wing following Beale.

"Mother Night. I thought I had finally gotten the easy end of the stick."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucivar.

"You know how hard everyone works when they are sparring with you?"

"Yeah…but what does that have to do…"

"You're nothing compared to her, Sugar. And even then she doesn't work up a sweat. You saw what she was wearing earlier?" She waited until she got the affirmative from him and continued, "well let's just say that she will always wear something similar when she has to fight in any manner. And if she's worried about a fight she will wear nothing at all save her belt, fully-loaded of course. I've never seen that of course, just heard her tell a story about when she did that. Anyway, it looks like you might get a chance to fight her tomorrow if you want because I will not be able to work with her for very long at all."

"Hmm. I may have to challenge her to get her to respond."

"Just be careful that you are dealing with Shaitara or Shai, when you do that. Tara does not take kindly to that sort of thing. Then again she's Eyrien and your twin so…"

"Huh?"

"Never mind I would never be able to explain it. Just wait until you see them, then you will understand. Also, if you want to try to understand a little more before then you might try asking Geoffrey for Legends of the Blood and History of Askavi. Both of them mention Warlord Princesses, Legends explains what they are and their particular quirks. History of Askavi talks about Heathiaran, the Black Jeweled Warlord Princess. It is speculated that she served in the capacity of Protectorate for Cassandra when your father was her Consort."

"I really didn't think that a Warlord Princess was real."

"Oh yes, at least according to Geoffrey and Draca they are."

"Lucivar! Your daughter has managed to get herself stuck up in the chandelier," shouted Marian.

"Ok…and what do you want me to do about it? Daemonar could go up there and get her."

"No, he is out walking with Titianna. You go up there and get her free again."

"Yes, Marian." As she walked away he just watched her. Then, he said, "Mother Night, I wonder what has her knickers in a twist today."

"Lucivar, maybe you should go get Katarin down from the chandelier, the children are beginning to look up her skirt."

"Alright, alright," he said along with making a placating gesture towards her before he took off flying towards the chandelier.

Abby? asked Surreal as she reached for the mind that had taught her so much and which she respected as she did few others.

Yes, witchling?

Why are you here?

Surreal heard a mental sigh. The Lady I am serving asked me to keep an eye out and I didn't have the heart to tell her no. Also she doesn't tend to ask me to look out unless something is really worrying her. As such, I took it upon myself to come here so that I didn't have to travel to protect my Queen.

I see. So you serve Jaenelle in addition to Saetan, Lucivar, and Daemon.

Yes, I do. Is that a problem?

No, I just thought you didn't serve anyone. I mean you are a woman and men are trained to serve, not women.

Surreal, you are forgetting a rudimentary fact. I am a Warlord Princess. So in effect I am a female Warlord Prince. At the most basic definition, of course.

Of course. So, at a higher level of thinking what are you really?

Do you really want to know? came the thought along with feelings of rage and fear of rejection.

Yes, I do.

Fine. I am a Warlord Princess Sovereign Black Widow. Firstly lets handle the Warlord Princess part. Being a Warlord Princess means that I have the mind and power of a Queen but also the wish…no that's not right the need to serve. I also have the rage and temper of a Warlord Prince. I am as they say passionately violent and violently passionate. So basically I have the power of a Queen paired with the characteristics of a Warlord Prince.

Ok, I can understand that. But then why does Tara exist?

One characteristic that Warlord Princesses always have is a dual personality. Most of the time this is within the same body, but because of my father being who he is he transferred me between both Luthvian's womb and Tersa's. Though I was originally from Tersa's, that's why I am as strong as I am…

But I've never seen you wear your Jewels, interrupted Surreal as she began walking towards the family wing where she could sense Shaitara's presence.

I wear Jewels, believe me I wear Jewels. But because of Dorothea and Hekatah, I can't physically wear them for very long. Anyway, we are getting way off of the subject here. So I spent time in both wombs with Lucivar and Daemon. Though originally I was Daemon's twin, I spent enough time in both wombs for my second personality to become Eyrien and Lucivar's twin. Complicated I know. Shaitara is the culmination of both Shai and Tara. Tara being a Queen and that half of a Warlord Princess. Shai is the Warlord Prince equivalent. Now a Sovereign Black Widow. You know what a Black Widow is?

Yes.

Ok, imagine a Black Widow 10 times more powerful than that. A normal Black Widow handles dreams and tangled webs and has a single venom sac in their right ring finger, the one connected to their Jewels, whether they wear them or not. A Sovereign Black Widow has ten venom sacs, one in each finger. Wait technically that's not true they have a venom sac that sits within their entire hand and then certain fingers have another sac that contain other poisons or cures. It is rumored that the first Black Widow as you know them was the woman who was hit by a scale that fell off of a Sovereign Black Widow Dragon a little while before Draca disposed of her scales to protect the power of her race. Another fact rumored to be true, though I have never tested it is that they can 'unbreak' someone and that they can heal virtually any wound, no matter how long ago it occurred or whether there are parts missing, be these wounds in the mind or of the body.

Mother Night. No wonder you're a scary fucker.

Hmph.

No really, I think you scared almost everyone here when you just showed up from no where and then walked right through a Black shield that Daemon created. Just as Surreal finished that thought she came to the door behind which Shaitara was hiding and knocked on the door.

"Go away," came the reply.

"Abby, come on its me. I think we should talk."

"No," came the reply before there was a whooshing sound and another voice very similar to Shaitara's joined the argument.

"Shai, listen to her. You have always insisted that you need to handle everything by yourself. Maybe you should let just a few people into your heart and mind."

"Go. Away. Tara."

"No, you may not be willing to let other people in but I'm not. I'm going down to that party with Surreal. I want to know my brothers and father, you may not want to but if you are going to keep me from meeting them then you are going to have to call in your Jewels to stop me."

"Bitch. You know why I can't do that."

"Yes I do. But that doesn't mean that you have to hide away from the world. That's what they wanted, that and to humiliate you but you can't let them win that battle. Fight back, Shai. Fight with everything that you are. Now are you coming to the party with me?"

"Fine, just let me get dressed. And you had better not be expecting me to talk to them."

"Nope, not at all."

A few minutes later a woman opened the door. She looked like Shaitara when her wings were solid. She was wearing a low cut tight fitting blood red, almost black, dress with a loose falling skirt that brushed the ground. Her black hair was ornately wound at the back of her head with a gold chain circlet going around the top of her head that ended in a small black chip. Also centered between her breasts was a gold chain necklace holding what appeared to be a Black Jewel.

"Abby, I thought you couldn't wear your Jewels."

"I can't," came a sound from behind the winged woman. "Tara, get out of the doorway. I hate being trapped." To which the winged woman just laughed and moved to one side revealing Shai who was now wearing a dress that was darker than black, almost Ebony and her hair twisted up behind her head. The dress hugged her body like a second skin revealing generous curves, toned arms that were bare. The dress was cut low enough that it revealed enough of her chest to make men drool but still be tasteful. There was a slit up one side to just above her knee that opened and revealed her leg as she walked. The dress had a skirt that just brushed the floor and it also had no back to it as Surreal saw when she began following Shai as she walked out of the room. Surreal also saw something she had never noticed before, a tattoo of a twisting and curling dragon with wings that was surrounding a deep red rose as if protecting it.

"I take it you have never seen her interpretation of her and Jaenelle's relationship," came a voice from behind her.

"No Tara, I never had. Does she really see herself as a dragon?"

"Yes and No. If you have never seen just her in a fight without me then you don't know why I say that. Together we are fatal. Separate I'm fatal, she is downright lethal."

"Why do you make the distinguishment like that? I mean you are both dangerous…"

"People who meet up with just me will almost surely die. People who meet up with her…they may or may not die but they will always be different people after they have tangled with her. She is deadly, she will fuck with your mind until there is nothing left but a drooling husk that still knows what it once was. And that is without breaking you, she will just make it so that you don't know how to reach your power again."

"If you two are done talking about me can we please get going?" came the voice from up ahead.