I decided to kick this one off with a little bit more of Flauvic before we got to Elestra. I think her Name Day party will come in a couple of chapters…I hope…

.:Flauvic:.

As usual, Flauvic woke up early to get a head start on the day. He knew that everybody would still be asleep other than the servants, but he had not gotten in their way and therefore they stayed out of his way when he decided to come out of his room.

He pulled on some clothes quickly and looked outside, realizing it was almost noon. He looked at his knife, and muttered a few words, which enabled him to see what was happening in Elestra's room. Once he planted the rose in her corner, it disappeared from view, but it gave him a good viewpoint to see everything that was going on in the room. All he needed to do was look at a shiny surface and say the words to see.

Flauvic watched as she slept, making sure she was fine after the events of last night. As he walked down the stairs, he recalled his fury. Why had he been so mad? Normally, he wouldn't be this feeling about somebody else's well being. He only ever cared for himself…Perhaps it was the time he spent to get to know her when he kidnapped her two years ago. Maybe that made him soft.

He sat outside with the bread he got from the kitchen, where he absently walked to while he was thinking. Breaking off a piece and chewing it slowly, continued wondering what was happening to him as he sat in one of the many luxurious gardens. It used to be that nothing fazed me. I was able to intimidate people by not showing reaction. But after what happened when I kidnapped Elestra, I've been wondering…I do not even know how to act around her. So I resort to formal tendencies when I'm around her. What does she think of it? Why do I even care?

And so this continued until about noon, when he was snapped out of his reverie by, whom else, but Lady Jenna. She was walking out in the sunlight, which made her seem even more pale than she already was. Flauvic frowned. This woman was a constant annoyance to him. She always hunted him down at social gatherings (which she forced him to come to) and then clutched to his arm as if he was her lifeline. As hard as he tried to shake her off, she never stopped buzzing about him like a mosquito that he wanted to smash very badly.

"Oh! Is that you Flauvic?" She smiled in what she was a very pretty smile. "Flauvic, we are going riding today, are we not?"

Forcing a smile, he said, "Yes, of course we are. Have you seen Galen or Brenna?" He prayed that they were going as well. Of course, he knew Elestra was going, but with Jenna there, he would not get to say more than two words to her because of Jenna's need for attention.

"Yes I have, they will meet us at the stable within the hour." She moved to link her arm with his, but he moved away, although he made it seem as though he didn't realize she was trying to.

"If you will excuse me, I need to go get the Princess Elestra. She will be accompanying us today."

Jenna's face fell considerably after that. However, she looked up hopefully and said, "I will come with you to get her!"

"No! I mean… There's no need for that. Why don't you go choose a horse for yourself while I go get her?"

Jenna looked crestfallen. "All right…" she conceded reluctantly.

Flauvic hurried away in relief and took out his knife when she couldn't see him anymore. He paused and checked to see if Elestra was awake just in time to watch her fall off the bed. He chuckled quietly to himself as he remembered the time she fell flat on her face in the mud. As she went through her wardrobe, he realized he'd better give her privacy as she changed. Concealing his knife in his wrist-sheath, he made his way to her room to escort her to the stable.

.:Elestra:.

Elestra fell off her bed in the morning with a thump. Before she knew it, all her covers and pillows were in a heap on top of her. She thought she could hear a faint chuckle somewhere, but when she finally climbed out of her mountain of blankets, she looked around to realize she was alone. She said some quite unladylike words under her breath as she piled her blankets on her bed. She stretched and yawned loudly. Elestra was energized and ready for the day.

Without pausing to think, she began pulling some dresses out of her wardrobe and began to change. In the middle of pulling her on dress, she recalled the events of the night before, including the mysterious vanishing rose. Looking back in the corner where she saw it last night, she thought she saw a flickering outline of a flower. If that rose was what she thought it was, then Flauvic had been watching her the whole time, even when she was changing.

Turning red as a cherry, Elestra finished changing as quickly as possible. After she was done putting her clothes on, she sat at her dressing table and began brushing her hair. Thirty seconds later, she was ready to roam about the castle. But first, Elestra wanted to open the curtains. She opened them wide and was astonished to see that it was nearly noon. Standing there, gaping, she was hardly aware when somebody walked in behind her.

Hearing a laugh behind her, she whirled around to face her father. He was leaning on a chair that was at her drawing table in the middle of the room. "I couldn't help it," he said, still laughing, "You looked exactly like a fish!"

Elestra couldn't help but smile back at her father. His good humor was contagious. However, it didn't last for long. "El, I need to know something.

Here we go… she thought to herself. Aloud she asked innocently, "Yes?"

"Some of the servants came to me this morning and said something about hearing noises last night…"

Elestra winced. She had a feeling this was going to happen. "About that…"

"Don't lie to me, El. You know you can tell me anything."

"Yes. Well, last night -- "

She was cut off by a light knock at the door. "Yes?" she called out.

"May I come in?" came a voice she really didn't want to hear right then.

"NO!" she replied, a bit louder than she intended. Naturally, the door opened and her brother waltzed in. "Alec…I really didn't want you in here…" she grumbled.

He gave her a grin and flopped onto her bed saying, "I need to talk to Father. And I figure I can wait in here for him to be done. After all, whatever you say to him, you can say to me too."

Elestra pleaded with her eyes to her father, who decided to say, "Alec's right. Besides, this might help teach him how to handle problems that come up in the castle when he's king….Or a father," he added after the thought came to him.

Alaraec was bouncing on her bed. He paused mid-bounce and his eyes widened. "On second thought," he began, but was cut off by his father the king.

"Now, Alec. This is what responsibility is. You need to be able to handle it. You're staying here." Alec nodded in defeat. Danric turned to Elestra. "What happened last night?"

She sighed. Could you be any more blunt? "Last night, I was -- "

But she was cut off again by another knock at the door. Since the door was open this time, everybody turned to see who was at the door this time.

Flauvic showed no expression when he asked Elestra, "Are you ready to go?"

"Go where?" asked her brother and father at the same time.

"She and I are going riding today with Galen and Brenna…and Jenna too," he added.

"When did you decide to go?" her father asked her.

"Last night," Flauvic said smoothly while he walked over to her side.

Her father raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Last night?" he repeated.

"Yes."

"What were you doing here last night?"

"Last night, I was here rescuing your daughter from a mysterious assassin who thought she was an ideal target." Out of her father's view, Elestra pinched Flauvic hard, trying to get him to shut up. He showed no pain, however, and continued speaking. "We agreed that she was coming riding with me today and then maybe spar for a little while."

Elestra couldn't take it any more. "WE?!" she burst out. "We didn't decide anything. You assumed. Well, I am saying NO."

Flauvic laid a hand on her arm to calm her down. It worked too. He bent he neck so his mouth was next to her ear and said quietly, "Just calm down. I know what I am doing. Trust me." For some weird reason, she did.

He straightened up again and said louder, "Then shall we leave?"

Slightly dazed, Elestra said, "Yes…Let's go."

Her father was at a loss for words. Just as they were about to walk out the door, he stopped them and said, "Wait! Elestra, I need to tell you something!"

They stopped and Elestra walked back to her father. Alec walked toward Flauvic.

"Yes?" she said to her father.

"Elestra, I want you to be careful, okay? Try not to get hurt. And make sure you're on your guard the whole time you're with them."

She smiled. "Of course." She hugged him and joined Flauvic at the door again. Alec was busy trying to stare down Flauvic, who was yawning at him.

"I swear…" Alec began viciously. "If you do anything to her, I will…"

"You don't need to worry about your sister. She is in safe hands with me." Flauvic was beginning to sound annoyed. He linked Elestra's arm through his and led her out the door, down the corridor, down a flight of stairs and out into the breezy summer day.

I want to change the title of this story. Please feed me ideas along with your reviews.