I own nothing:) i just added a plot twist. just a heads up, i wont be adding a disclaimer to every chapter but when i dont, know that i am not claiming anything from that chapter. nothing, i just didnt add a disclaimer.
A week later, Sandry laid spread across her bed, chatting with Thayet, Daine and Alanna. Daja was talking with the local smithies, Tris was in the library with Numair and Briar was examining the local plants. Because of Sandry's unique abilities she quickly became friends with all the ladies and had plenty of requests to make ball gowns.
"So, back where your from, you said something about being related to a ruler?" Daine asked. "What was his name?"
Sandry flinched and Daine quickly reworded her sentence, "Is his name, what is his name."
Taking a deep breath, Sandry formally introduced herself, with all the titles and relations she owned. The whole thing.
Alanna whistled softly. "So back where your from, you're pretty much royalty. On both sides of the family to boot."
Sandry nodded as she put the final stitches on an embroidered gown, not wanting to seem stuck up.
"But it doesnt mean anything. I'm just Uncle's hostess for now, I only help and advise him with things not actually make any big decisions on my own."
They all noticed modesty when they saw it and exchanged knowing looks behind her back.
"So how did you become to be living with you're Uncle?" Daine asked curiously. "Do your parents live there too?"
Sandry's face lost some of it's shine but she continued on, determinedly cheerful. "Oh no, my parents died years ago in the Hatar smallpox epidemic."
She tried keeping her voice light but they could still hear sadness.
"I'm sorry, I lost my mother when i was thirteen and i didnt know my father until i was sixteen so i understand what you're feeling." Daine sympathized.
"It's really ok. I was only ten when they died and our teachers have always been like mothers to us as none of us have parents except Tris except thats complicated. So yes i miss them but i have Uncle, my brother and sisters and foster mothers so it's really not that bad." Then she turned to Daine. "But how did you survive without parents or connections?"
Sandry had been briefed on the background of everyone over the past few days so she knew that Daine was originally a commoner. "I dont want to sound stuck up but i've always had people there for me, you must have had it so much harder."
Daine gave her a half smile. "Its alright. In answer to your question, I traveled until i found work and ever since then i've been stuck with this lot." She playfully jabbed Alanna in the ribs, who laughed back and winked, causing Sandry and Thayet to giggle. "Onua, the horsemistress, hired me until i took up the job as wildmage for the king. Ever since then me and kit have been doing whatever jobs need to be done, spying and suchlike."
Noticing the looks she was getting from Thayet and Alanna she sighed. "Seriously, who is she going to tell? Our enemies? It doesnt concern her so why would she?"
They reluctantly agreed after Sandry's assurances she wouldnt tell anyone.
Hey, come to the queens personal gardens, there's something i want to show you. Briar's voice sounded in her mind.
The queen's personal gardens? Briar they're personal for a reason, you shouldn't be in there. Sandy admonished.
Oh hush just come. Bring the queen and the purple eyed bag too. The animal mage can come if she wants.
Sandry knew he would never be that disrespectful with anyone other then her, Tris or Daja so her just mentally sighed and released the magic she had going on in the room - she had had several dresses knitting themselves for the ladies at court - before standing up.
"I'm sorry but Briar says he wants me to meet him and has requested that you all accompany me as your presence might be needful." Sandry carefully rephrased the directions she had been given so as not to offend.
Thayet looked at her, confused. "But how can you know this? No message has been delivered." The other too seemed to be thinking along the same lines and all leaned in to hear her reply.
Sandry mentally cursed herself for they had agreed not to tell anyone that they could talk non-verbally unless absolutely necessary. Well i guess this is necessary now. She pretended to be confused before smiling at them, as if at her folly.
"We must have forgotten to tell you earlier. My siblings and I can talk mind to mind without being in contact with each other. I'm guessing it's a bit like how Daine talks to animals, how she hears them in her mind and are aware of what they're thinking or doing. We can shut off the connection but we all prefer to keep it open after it was almost the downfall of us once."
They Tortallan women knew when they were being played and they recognised the signs of fake innocence. They knew that they hadn't been not told this information through a mere accident. However though, all of them understood the reasons for keeping it quiet and let the slight insult slide.
"How interesting, maybe sometime we could get the story of how that happened, for i assume you werent born that way as you come from such different lives."
"That would be nice, it is an interesting story. But we really should be hurrying to see Briar, he doesnt like to be kept waiting." She hinted.
"Oh yes of course."
They all hurried to stand up and follow Sandry out the room.
"Do you need instructions anywhere?" Thayet offered, "The palace is quite large and easy to get lost in."
Sandry smiled sweetly. "No thankyou, i know exactly where i'm going."
Thayet looked doubtful but didnt say anything else and fell into step next to Alanna. They walked for a few minutes until they arrived at the door to Thayets personal gardens when Sandry finally stopped.
"These are my personal gardens, no one can get in here without my permission, and i haven't given it to Master Moss. He cant possibly be in there."
Sandry pulled on a look of completely innocence. "Oh didnt we mention that Briar was a theif before he met us?"
The tortallans frowned. "You sure are forgetting to mention quite a bit." Alanna muttered under her breath.
"It must have been the trauma from crossing over dimensions. I'm so very sorry." Her eyes were wide and mouth trembling slightly, the perfect image of an apologetic 18 year old.
Everything was quiet for a moment before Daine laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "You sure are interesting Sandrilene Fa Toren."
Sandry just smiled and gestured for Thayet to open the doors, which she did after a moment of hesitation.
All four of them walked inside and immediatly saw a young man sitting on a bench among the flowers, almost completely covered in greenery that were stretching from everywhere to try touch him. Sandry sighed and continued walking forwards until she was standing directly in front of Briar. He was still oblivious to his company so she stepped forwards and flicked him on the forehead. Immediately he jerked out of his trance and his eyes focused on the scowling brunette in front of him. He gave her a lopsided grin and climbed off the bench, shooing away the plants that didnt want to release him just yet.
"Now look at you, all covered in dirt and in formal company." She scolded. "These aren't your gardening clothes Briar. There's no point to me making them for you if you aren't ever going to wear them."
"I didnt plan on doing any gardening so there's no need to go glaring at me like that. It was needed so can you fix my clothes now?" Briar retorted, smiling the whole time.
"There's no point, those stains aren't going to come out." Thayet mentioned.
Sandry whirled round to stare the queen in the eye. "Im sure they wont mind coming out for me?" she replied before turning back to Briar.
After quickly inspecting the clothes to see just how crumpled and dirty they were she sighed and laid her hands flat against his shirt and slightly flicked the fingers of her right hand. Immediately all the dirt slid of the fabric like water, to fall into a neat pile at their feet. Then she tapped both hands and all the crumples and creases fell away and smoothed out. She turned back to the others, fighting to keep a smug smile off her face. The three women were staring at her in open mouthed wonder.
"That was amazing!" Thayet, Alanna and Daine all said at the same time.
"Yes, yes very nice. Thanks Duchess." Briar said, used to such things. "Now this is important."
The women all turned to him, curious to hear what he had to say.
"I was looking over your gardens when I noticed this among a bunch of dead flowers." He pulled a dead flower from his pocket and showed it to them." I asked Tris to look it up in the library and it turns out this flower is called a Perjost Amber and is native to only the mountains of Jesitch. The toxin causes hallucinations, fever and permanent physical disabilities, like paralysis, organ failure or blindness ectera, and eventually leads to a slow and extremely painful death. If it is planted anywhere else besides the mountains it releases the deadly toxin that is stored in it's body into the ground then dies. This one was already dead when i found it. By the looks of it, it's been dead for some time now, at least two weeks, and has already released the toxin, hence the other dead flowers."
He paused for a moment to let them absorb the information before chucking another bomb on them. "And thats not the worst bit. This flower was placed over the water system. Any day now people are going to start getting sick all over the city."
Hey guys, so just a little update on what im thinking. The sickness was literally a last minute decision, like last five minutes. I'm sorry if i make thayet out ot be different then t.p. does but i like alanna and daine more and one of them had to be the doubtful one. I dont know where im leading this story so far so i cant say much but just know that pretty much everything if not all is going to be in sandrys point of view because i like her the most.
im open to any advice or anything, good or bad, so please let me know what you think:)
