Nixiesocean: I'm back! Yay! I know, I've been gone a long time, but I've had little time to update and all that good fun stuff. So, enough chatter.

Responses:

Single Anais Petals: Wait… did you change you s/n? I didn't even notice! I like the old one better… :-D What was odd about the ending?

simplegrl007: This chapter should answer your questions about Hyane (the native) and Ade. Actually, until I read your review, I never thought about Lord Coven claiming it was his child… good idea… maybe I'll implement it…

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Chapter 15: The Natives

I returned to my mother for some herbs, stronger than the ones I had in my rooms. She sat there grinning broadly. I sighed and spoke, "Why are you smiling?"

"You do remember that you will have a sibling, do you not?" She asked sweetly.

I didn't.

"I – I'm what?" I asked. "Mother, you need to stop joking! I'm really stressed right now." My blue eyes met hers.

She straightened, as if slapped. "I'm quite serious."

I shook my head. "Dragons rarely have more than one!" I nearly died from the overload of stress. When her eyes showed she was truly serious, and not just joking, I added, "When?"

She smiled. "In a month." My eyes widened. "I know you didn't notice. A certain Human was on your mind at the time. Plus, I went back and forth between Dragonhold a lot." My thoughts were warm at the mention of Ade. I brushed them away. It was highly improbable he could find Dragonhold without aid from a Dragon. My mother's face betrayed her thoughts. "You didn't!" She cried.

I was completely confused. "What?"

Her soft blue eyes grew hard. "You slept with him!" She pointed a finger at me. "You sneaky little thing!" I took a step back. I should've left after she mentioned her own pregnancy. "Prince Ade! The father!"

Oh, Goddess. She didn't! "Mother – I –"

"You told me you'd get married first! I tried for months!" She yelled. "And you go and sleep with a HUMAN?" She shook her head and turned her back on me. "I don't believe you! You've tainted our line."

I turned on my heel. "You'll have another child to keep your line pure. As for me, I'll stick to love." I opened the door and slammed it behind me.

The audacity of the woman! I growled some Furdian curse words under my breath and went to my study to balance the treasury and write invites to my next ball (all the ladies of the court insist I hold one).

Mira Eyen was in my study. She curtsied. "Pardon me, Ceara Adele." She murmured.

I was confused. Was it nine bells already? "Yes, Mira Eyen?"

She blushed deeply. Red spots on a girl with brown eyes and gold hair looked fairly odd. "I came here early." I smiled. "I wanted to start learning so badly…"

I cocked my head. "Why are you here, Mira?" I kneeled and held her chin in my fingers. "Did Lord Coven send you here?" She couldn't hold my gaze. "Mira…"

Tears began to form. "Y – yes." She simpered. "H – he…" She trailed off into weeps. I held her close until she could begin to speak properly again. She swallowed her sobs. "Lord Coven wanted me to visit your study – to see if h – I could find anything."

I cocked my head. "There are plenty things in his own study. Why, Mira, did he send you?" I made my voice compassionate. "Tell me straight off."

She looked down. "He wanted to know who your lover was." Her gold hair covered her eyes. "I'm sorry." She mumbled in Common. Immediately, she switched to Draconic. "I will leave, Your Majesty." She turned. "With your leave?"

I stood tall. "I do not give it." She stiffened. "Tell me, exactly, why you obeyed Lord Coven?"

I heard a faint sound that was something like a snort. "My Lord Coven is nobility. What can a poor serving girl do besides his biding?"

I had heard about his reputation. Never had I thought that Mira might fall prey to this man's lusts. I held her shoulder. "Mira Eyen, you have every right to disobey. My privacy is my own. Even nobility cannot invade on it."

She shook. "Yes, Your Majesty."

I took my hand away. "The next time someone tells you to spy on another person, come straight to me." I stepped back. "No one else. You may leave, Mira."

I heard her whisper, "Yes… Ceara." She left my study in a hurry. I sighed and sat down. I pulled out my journal from its locked confinement and trimmed a quill. I breathed deeply and gathered my thoughts.

Journal,

Mother's angry with me for… everything. She told me I would have a sibling. A sibling! Imagine… a small little brother or sister to talk to, one to play with… no. That child will be pampered and set on "the right path" by my mother. If only it wouldn't be nearly eighteen years apart, me, the queen, and my new sibling only a connection to the royal family.

Lord Coven will pay for Mira. He will pay for every crime and every woman. He will pay for trying to get poor Mira to pry into my business and he will pay for trying to read my emotions.

He will pay, by the Goddess, he will.

I am too angry to write.

Ceara Adele.

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Mira walked along the halls. A hand shot out. It pulled her into a small cleaner's closet. She was still too small to put up much resistance. Don't speak. The voice said. I'll give you instructions.

She knew who her captor was. Lord Coven.

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I silently glared at my 'Mistress'. Her name was Hyane and she spoke precious little Common and even less properly. Hyane was the chief's daughter, and still unmarried. Hyane was an annoying, very abusive mistress. Luckily, I wasn't to occupy her bed. For that, I felt relief. That was one thing I would outright object to and refuse to comply. She could hit me; whip me: I didn't care. I wouldn't do it, and no one would make me.

I was in leather ropes, signifying my enslavement and a small brand on the inside of my right arm. It had a flying eagle on it. Did we have eagles in Furde? In any case, I learned a bit of their language. 'Mua' meant go.

That's about it.

"Mua, Ayde." 'Ayde' is how my name is pronounced among the natives. I fear I will start writing it with the extra y-sound. "MUA!" Whack! "Mua, Ayde." I got hit for not moving fast enough. Hyane knew well enough not to try to explain her instructions in her own language. "Water fetch well go." She said in her broken Common. She repeated it in her language so I'd learn it.

Trying to sort out her speech was enough brainwork. I went to the small village's well and brought back her water. She nodded and added another task. "Mu'er uan Fra." This, of course, she didn't repeat in Common. Instead, she smacked me for not understanding her.

I hate Hyane.

"Go get her mother." A small voice whispered in Furdian. I resisted the urge to turn and see my benefactor. Instead, I bowed and hurried off to fetch Hyane's mother. I returned with another bow.

"She will be here shortly." Before she could raise a hand to strike me, I added, "Mistress."

"Yaon biys anotah." She muttered rolling her eyes. "Dismissed." Obviously, she knew that word. I turned to see a dark-haired head bobbing through the crowd. "Back be two." She added. I nodded to show her I understood and left.

I chased the brown-haired lady through the crowds. She stopped to look around for me. I caught her shortly after her hesitation. I grabbed her wrist. "Why did you help me?" I asked in Furdian.

She gasped and turned. I knew her face… from where? "You are my prince, Ade." She replied in a murmur. "I would not have you so disgraced, Your Highness."

I narrowed my eyes. "What is your name, maiden?"

She scoffed. "Fiona Smith, Your Highness." She curtsied.

"Averill's ex-maid!" I exclaimed. "Fiona…" I hugged her. "It's so great to see a friendly face."

She looked down. "Forgive my saying so in such bold terms, but, Your Highness, I'm – I…" I saw her eyes drawn to a black tattoo around her right wrist. I guessed at the meaning.

I smiled kindly. "You are married."

She nodded with a blush. "Yes."

I gave her another hug of gratitude. "Sorry, I've been gone from Court a long time."

She curtsied again. "I would be glad to teach you the language, Your Highness. My husband is out tonight. A celebration."

I smiled. "A celebration?" She nodded. "For what?"

Her eyes flashed up. "A man. He's got a silver streak in his hair. They say he's Dragonborn."

I gasped… could it be… Everett? "Does the man have girls?"

She nodded her head. "He's to be killed in a months' time. Celebrations every night from now till then." When I caught and held her eyes, blue as ice, she admitted, "He has no wife, alive that is. I spoke to him last night. He wails about his daughters."

I bowed. "Thank you, Fiona. If you ever need a favor-"

"Get the man away from this village before he is killed. That is my favor. I cannot bear the sight of murder – and I'll have to attend." She interrupted. "I do not hold boons long. Save that man and your debt is paid for whatever I help you with." With a last curtsy, she headed away.

Everett. The carpenter. I'd be Goddess-blest lucky if I managed to get Everett away from the curst village. With the brand (which hurt a lot) I'd be easy to find by the tribe. Syan and Sara had to be worried sick about their dear father.

The big clamor of tribesmen and women slowed at it reached the second hour past noon meal. I rushed back to Hyane, Goddess curse the woman. Hyane was displeased, but couldn't hit me because I had arrived on time. Obviously disappointed she assigned me various tasks, all of which she did in Common, then in whatever language she spoke. I was beginning to pick out minor bits of Furdian in her speech. Was our Furdian a descendant of her language?

My head swam with questions. When Hyane dismissed me for the night, I made my way to the prisoner's tent, where Everett would most likely be chained up. I walked inside. A crumpled form was chained to a pole of wood. If they thought he was a god, wouldn't they have treated him better? Sighing, I went over to the body.

I lifted his head. It was a beat-up, bedraggled Everett. I bowed my head. He was bleeding. I tried to press a wound, but he jerked at the pressure.

"Shh." I whispered. "I'm trying to stop the bleeding."

He groaned. "Adam…?" He mumbled.

"Yes." I replied. "What happened?"

"Syan and Sara!" He exclaimed. "What'll I do?" Apparently, a friendly face was enough to rouse him to sense. "Ade!" He was speaking in Furdian, since most natives didn't know it. "I thought you were-"

"I'm fine." I cut through. "If I set you free and we make sure Syan and Sara are okay, will you and the girls help me find Dragonhold? I need to see Ceara."

He shook his head. "I don't know where Dragonhold is. I've heard of it and Mia went there once, but I've never been there." He gulped. "Water."

I nodded and went to get water. Fiona entered the tent and curtsied. I nodded and she went over to dress Everett's wounds. I got a scoop of the water in a jug and brought it over.

"We can't escape yet, she doesn't trust me. I'll need to wait a bit." I said. "I need some sleep, she rises with the sun." I bowed to Fiona and to Everett and left the tent, heading to my smaller tent. I lived in a tent since I wasn't a tribesman.

I shook my head. How could I get Everett out of the village? Maybe even Fiona, if she chose to come. We'd need to leave quickly, and get to a large town to hide with everyone else. My planning only halted when true sleep, and weariness, overtook my senses.

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Please review!!!

Thank you to Single Anais Petals (formerly Classy Lady Elegance) and to simplegrl007, even though you didn't review last chapter, I forgive you! When you review, your reviews are extraordinarily helpful!!!