"Wh-what is this?" the young blue bug-eyed brunette looked up at her sister.
"It's a short bow. It's a bit smaller than mine, which is better for you, and you can shoot it faster," She beamed back at the little girl, "It was a gift from Jondan. Maker was he...ughh." The older sister shuttered and the girls broke into giggles. "Anyway, it's perfect for you. Now you can have one all your own, and practice when I'm gone with Mother."
The sister's embraced.
"I absolutely hate this 'courting' and all this running around you've done lately, You never spend time with me anymore." The youngest Cousland sadly stated as she ran a hand over her new bow, "So much for sister's first." Addison hugged her sister once more, "I know baby sister, but we're getting older now, and we have to do our duties as Couslands and as-" her sister pouted loudly enough to cut off her statement and Addison had to laugh, "I'll spend any free moments I have here at the castle with you, Promise. And-" she nudged her sister, "You can always target practice with Fergus and Roddy. Maybe from a tree though, high, up in a tree."
The sisters laughed again as one of the young boys they were discussing came before them, "Time to go, Lady Addy." The redhead smiled and outstretched his hand as the elder sister stood and accepted, smiling back.
"I'll see you later Av." She called over her shoulder as they walked away, Avery simply frowned.
She groggily opened her eyes and looked around. She thought she'd heard a noise, but noticed that Joker was asleep at the foot of her bed, tongue flailing, obviously in deep. She nuzzled up next to her companion and pulled his arm over her and close to her chest. He curled in and sighed as he grazed her shoulder with a sleepy kiss. She smiled and closed her eyes once more.
"I thought you said that you could pick it!"
"It DOES require a bit of finesse, and patience Fergus."
"Both, Fergus, which you seemingly lack. Although-" a young Gilmore peered around the corners again before running back to the pair, "You should try to hurry Addy, I think the guards are co-"
*CLICK*
The ebony haired youth smiled brightly back at the two boys, tsk'ing as she went inside the treasury, "So impatient boys are."
The young men were quickly on her heels, as the three managed to squeeze in the close the door just as the guards were arriving back. Fergus hugged his sister and squealed in delight, "Thank you sister! Thank you!" He ran off to the weapon rack and chest in the center of the far wall of the room. The girl chuckled as the red-head curled up to her side.
"We are going to get in so much trouble if caught, and for what, your love of adventure?" He laughed as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as she simply watched her brother and smiled, "Well, for Fergus really. You know how much he misses that switch blade, since showing it to Cailan."
"And cutting one of Anora's pigtails clean off, Hah, yes I know." The boy shook his head at the memory.
"Yup. And, maybe a little for myself. I've never tried picking this lock before." She nudged the boy.
"I knew it! you little," He went to tickle and hug her, but she simply took a step back and smiled, slightly nodding her head to where Fergus was returning to them, trophy in hand. He smiled back, winked, then turned to congratulate his friend on a fine retrieval.
She curled up to his hand as he brushed it across her cheek one last time. how long he'd been sitting here, just watching her, he didn't know, but he was sure he should head to bed before his luck ran out. he stood, and she turned over bed, as if she knew he was leaving. He smiled at the thought and exited the room. The young templar walked down the halls and through the library, daydreaming terribly of the sweet girl, so terribly, that he failed to notice the candle, and the man sitting in her study desk, until he firmly shut the tome on the table.
"You play a very dangerous game, my dear boy." He grabbed his helmet and made his way to Cullen.
"Kn-Knight Captain Hadley! I-I was just..."
The Knight Captain simply chuckled and set an understanding hand on the young man's shoulder, "Even the oldest, and the best of us, have been there. Those lessons hardest learned, and yours to come sooner than later." Hadley walked on, "Come. We've to find Carroll and head to the Harrowing Chamber, you are on watch tonight." The man headed up the stairs with Cullen on his heels.
"Wh-Who is it tonight?" Cullen inquired, then stopped mid-step as he thought about what the Knight Captain might have been implying. Hadley opened the door and stepped through.
"Addison Cousland."
The door shut behind the Knight Captain, leaving a completely perplexed Cullen in the dark staircase.
"Maker! She's amazing!" Even the young Anora was impressed with her prowess.
"I know better than to mess with her, poor Cailan," Fergus elbowed the girl and laughed.
She giggle and blushed, "Poor Cailan indeed, and Nathaniel as well. I'm sure he'll be upset the rest of the day, she certainly gave them a run for their money, I daresay she could give you one too!" The young blonde nudged the boy and giggled again. He smiled warmly at her and rubbed his neck, "Eh- not could, HAS. Twice was enough for me." The two laughed and innocently flirted as the middle Cousland and eldest Howe helped the young prince to his feet.
"Wow...just WOW Addison!" The prince simply shook off his clothes and grabbed her by the shoulders, "You are simply...amazing with those dagger sticks!" He went gushing praise her way while young Nathaniel simply grunted in agreement and folded his arms, clearly upset to losing to a girl, unlike the prince. Addison simply laughed as the trio made their way over to the tree where Anora and Fergus stood.
XXxx~~oo~~xxXX
"Have you even heard a word I said?" the youngest Cousland pulled on his sleeve.
"Huh? Wh-sorry Av, what did you say?"
The girl simply hmph'ed and crossed her arms, "Never mind."
The two were playing chess at a table not far from the others, and instead the game, his focus had been in her fight, and even less on the sister he was supposed to be entertaining. She noticed, and in one irate motion she swept all the chess pieces to the ground and stood, and kicked her chair, "Forget this." She began to walk away.
"Avery! Wha-Where are you going?!" a young Gilmore called, unaware why she was angry, until she replied,
"Where someone will pay attention to me."
The girls slept uneasily, one tossing, the other turning, both unable to fully rest their minds and ease their souls. One alone, longing for a world, loved ones, a life she could no longer have the privilege to experience, the other snug with luxuries and pleasures that she only used to feed selfishness, both with a sadness unique, yet the same, both's true lives, adventures, only just beginning.
This had become her undoing. She could take no more, had endured too long. First Father with Fergus, boys will be boys and she got that, and Mother, with her being the lady of the house and entertaining, salons, and constant visitors, she always hated playing dress up with the old women anyway. But then she took Addison, the one, only person she had to play with, share secrets, get into mischief, her rogue role model big sis, now whisked away to court -she gripped the metal hilt tighter- meeting all these boys, being wooed, getting all the attention, from everyone. So she took to Gil, the son of Father's longtime guard and close friend. They were fast friends, Gil easily catering to her needs, until, -she stood and aimed, readied herself- Addison had decided that she wanted Gil too. -She noticed Fergus to her far left and they in the center, they'd all pay attention to her now- Addison going on about duties, duties, lies the elder made up just to get her way. The younger, seething in her anger and unable to see through her clouded thoughts, her peril of being left to herself, pulled back her arm while grasping the metal tightly in her hand, unconsciously pressing a soft spot in the side before releasing it through the air,
"Think Fast Knight!"
Just as the words left her mouth, her eyes shot wide at the object, a new shiny sharp edge had emerged from the handle. The middle Cousland noticed and shouted as she threw herself in front of the boy, "Roddy, look o-"
She was thrust downward by her shoulders just as the boy took the switch blade underneath his eye. He cursed as he fell to the ground, hands to his face.
"Oh, Roddy!" Addison immediately removed her blouse and tried to put pressure on the wound. Fergus shouted and ran over, giving his button up to his sister, propping Gilmore against a tree while she covered her undershirt.
With tears in her eyes, Avery ran over to the group, sputtering nonsense of innocence when Addison, enraged, shook her from her shoulders, "You miserable little-"
Avery could feel a chill stirring where he sister was touching her, she winced.
"What were you THINKING Avery?!" She pointed a hand down the path, "Go and get the guards, NOW!"
"I-I" The girl took off down the path, then stopped and turned around, "I-I'm sorry Gil!"
Addison breathed in and pointed a fierce glowing green finger toward her sister, "JUST GO AVERY!" as soon as her sister's name left her lips, the green orb exploded into a swarm or stinging and biting insects that flocked toward Avery. Addison stood in shock and utter disbelief as her younger sister cried and ran down the path to the guards rushing to her aid. The elder sister looked at her hand instantly realizing what she had done, before she decidedly looked toward Gilmore, curling her hand into a fist while heading toward the boys. Focusing the energy she could now feel moving inside her body, she placed her hand onto Gilmore's eye and focused her attention on the wound. A faint white light shone in her fingers as Fergus sat back and muttered, cursing silently to himself, while Gilmore simply sighed. Addison jolted, straining to breathe like a diver out of air, before she collapsed into her brother. Her energy drained, she kept her eyes open just long enough to see Gilmore remove the shirt from his eyes, revealing a nasty cut, but no bleeding. She smiled and succumbed to the darkness while Fergus failed at any attempt he made to keep her awake.
She woke gasping for air and swatting at her skin, panicked, and all but screaming for help before she realized she was in her room. Joker was low growling toward the door and Dairren was mid-leg putting his smalls on when he whipped around toward her.
"Dear Maker Avery! Are you alright?!"
She opened her mouth to answer, but Joker beat her with vicious barks toward the door to what sounded like screaming. Dairren brought his ear to the door, "Did you hear that?"
She held her hand to her mouth and nodded as he place his hand on the doorknob,
"I'll go check it out."
There was only soft candlelight dancing in the window to light the room when she woke. Two objects weighed down on either side of the bed she was laying in. She slowly propped her still weak body up on a pillow and examined the room. It was hers, her soft sheets and nice warm bed. Sitting on the right, in a chair, was Gilmore, with an arm over her middle, head turned away, and the to left, in the bed and threatening to steal the covers was Fergus. She smiled for a moment, ultimately frowning with tears threatening her eyes as she recalled the events prior. Her sniffling startled him awake.
"Addison, you're all right!" He turned his head to reveal a patch over his left eye, and she sobbed harder. His eye widened momentarily before he shook his head to reassure her.
"No, please don't cry Addy, it's fine, see?
He lifted the patch and she cringed slightly, he chuckled and replaced the patch
"Yeah, it only looks wretched. Hence, patch. But I can still see, thanks to you." He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. She pulled it away, rubbing both together in her lap.
"Have they been saying anything of me?"
He pushed back a strand of her hair, "Tomorrow afternoon, I think I overheard the Teryn say." he wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I cannot believe it."
"Nor can I."
They sat in silence, save for Fergus' snoring, for a few more moments before she spoke again.
"What of Avery? I broke my promise..." she looked up at his quizzical stare, "I acciden-"
As if on cue, the pigtailed girl burst through the doors, making the couple jump, and Fergus roll over, still snoring away.
"Lies, that's all you have EVER been full of!" she was quiet for being angry, it was early, but it didn't take away from the bitterness and bite Addison felt at her sister's words. She opened her mouth, but was assaulted with Avery's barrage of insults and accusations, ending in one powerful bitter statement before the young girl stormed out of the room,
"I hate you Addison Cousland, you are no sister of mine. I hope your cursed horrid soul ROTS in that tower FOREVER."
She snapped out of her dream just as a prickly coldness was encased around her arm, shaking her. She squealed slightly and tried to wiggle free, to no avail. Two templars, one's gloved hand around her arm, stood over her, pulling her out of bed, and urging her to comply. The room spun wildly as she tried to stand and readjust her footing. She faltered in step and almost fell, but was caught by the other Templar.
"Whoa boy, be easy on the dear lady." The templar helped her to her feet and kept her steady as they headed up through each floor.
"Wha- ugh my head..." Addison whined, holding her head with her free arm, last time she was going to indulge in alcohol again, that was for sure, IF she even got to indulge again she realized as they headed through the templar quarters to a door she'd only heard about.
"Where are we going?" she asked, but deep down she knew, Maker help me.
"It's your lucky day, dear Addison," The nicer templar stated, almost chuckling, "It is time for your Harrowing."
~ a/n -I have GOT to find a better way to get my updates in! Sorry this one took as longer, if not longer, but here it is! Next chapter -Castle Cousland Takeover! msgs reviews, critics welcome! ^_^