Everybody knew the lady Dulcamara. Her tendency for a sharp tongue and quick hands to a sword hilt kept fey wondering why she was so high in Silarials favor. She was like a ghost for the lady, always hovering just out of sight, right behind her, whispering words in her ear. And strangely enough, always in times of strife inflicted by the Night court, she vanished like mist in the sun. Coward they whispered behind hands they thought the lady could not hack off. The hngry glint in her pale pink eyes told me that move was not far off, one simple betrayal.
Her eyes bored into mine for that one second as I boldly looked at her, and she gave a little half-smile, toying the the knife in her hand. She broke the gaze as she sliced open her index finger, blood dripping grotesquely on the lovely grass.
"Go fetch Talathain now, and if you're good, well. . . ." she smiled in a way that was more than a bit venomous. "Maybe he'll take you along."
"The secrets of knights are not for the Lady's handmaidens to know," I said, my tone ice, aware I was not walking on eggshells, but on knife tips, barefooted. Her smile widened.
"Too true my darling," she said with a small cackle. "You'll soon know more than he—nor I" anger flashed in her pale eyes. "can comprehend." The she was relaxed again, but more threatening now, when she was tense you could tell the cobra was about to strike. "Now run along before you know death better than me."
I turned, quite aware she was playing cat and mouse with me, I could feel her triumphant smile through the leaves as I searched for my brother. He was lying on the soft grass next to Roiben, whose much more composed sister glamored toadstools into many lovely things. Talathain rolled a bunch of daisies between his coarse fingers, flowers growing more and more wilted. Roiben mouthed something over and over, something like Do it and Talathain finally stood up and approached Roiben's sister, clearing his throat and drawing her gray-eyed attention.
"You look lovely today, Ethine," he stumbled through the simple sentence, Roiben watching eagerly from the safety of the grass.
"Thank you, Talathain," Ethine said, her voice smooth. Talathain shoved the daisies into her hands and gave a courtly bow, Ethine started to stutter a response, but he turned and walked away nonchalantly, but we could see the growing red in his face. I caught his arm.
"The Queen requests your presence," I said smoothly, he stared at me in disbeleif. "Go!" I snapped impatiently, he nodded and puffed out his chest, swaggering over the the oak tree, Ethine staring openly at the back of him.
"Ethine!" Roiben said, unable to contain himself. Her head swiveled to him and her eyes narrowed.
"This is not funny one bit, Roiben! I trusted you with the secret of how I felt! My own brother told—!"
She broke off when she realized he was smiling smugly at her, a far shot of the apologetic brother she'd expected.
"I never told him a word, Ethine," he smiled. She stared at him dumbly.
"But he would never—"
"Just think! Me and Sila—." his voice dwindled in his throat as he said her name, but picked up strength as he finished. "And you and Talathain! How happy we shall be!"
"Roiben, you are an optimistic, romantic fool but I love you." Ethine burbled, hugging him.
I forced a smile onto my lips as I stepped away from the two idiots in love; something I'd neither had nor sought to own.
