Disclaimers:As stated in Chapter 1.
Author's Notes:In which we are introduced to the Lady Holder's nemesis, the Lady Ravella Unaeri...
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At this point, Dairve bounced happily in his mother's lap, green eyes alive with anticipation.
"Oooh, Papa, this is the best part," he said, twisting about so he could get a better view of his father. "Guess who Mama saw!"
Crimson's cobalt eyes met Shavra's amethyst ones over the little boy's head, noting with loving amusement the high color that stained his wife's cheeks. With a chuckle he replied, turning his blue gaze on the boy, "I think I know, Dairve. But shall we let your mother tell the story?"
Dairve crowed happily, nodding his head vigorously. Shavra gave her son a gentle squeeze and resumed her story, amethyst eyes dancing at the memories.
"Sit still, Dairve, love...now, where was I? Ah, yes. There I was, stuck in that tree..."
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Shavra bit her lip in chagrin. Rising to her feet, she crossed lightly from branch to branch to the side of the tree giving the best vantage point over the path which the speakers were taking. Anyone who had chanced to look up at that moment would have thought the spirit of the shade tree had chosen to manifest itself as a slender girl with silver-gilt hair, amethyst eyes watchfully peering through the green leaves.
Before long, the speakers came clearly into view, and Shavra's heart sank as her suspicions were confirmed. Gleaming in the sunlight was the titian hair of the Lord Kai Sink, known as Crimson, the 56th sevalle of Kuruda; also known as the Raze Reme Silver Sword, her tutor in the ways of swordcraft. His teeth flashed white against his tanned face, blue eyes sparkling down in amusement at a remark recently-made by the olive-skinned beauty at his side.
Shavra's violet eyes narrowed as she recognized the fine figure of the Lady Ravella Unaeri clinging possessively to Crimson's arm. Four years older than Shavra, Lady Ravella had dark eyes and hair that made black silk look insipid by comparison. Try as she might, the young Lady Holder could never find it in herself to be more than civil to the heiress of one of Juliannes' oldest families. Merely being in the same room with her set Shavra's teeth on edge, and she made it a point to avoid the older girl as much as possible.
"I cannot like her," Shavra had sighed to Livana once. The Lady Holder had spent a tense evening at the Court function welcoming the Unaeri family to Kuruda, returning to her suite with pink cheeks and eyes moist with angry tears. "The moment she comes into my presence, I feel like a country bumpkin, clumsy and awkward."
"Oh?" questioned the nurse, engaged in the task of brushing out her young charge's hair from its formal coiffure. Shavra sighed and looked down at her figure, which seemed to be composed purely of straight lines.
"You should have seen what she was wearing tonight..."
Livana snorted in a most undignified but extremely expressive manner. "It takes more than a well-endowed figure and fine clothes to make a lady, sweetling. There are things like good manners, intelligence and a loving heart to take into account."
"You're just trying to make me feel better," replied Shavra, turning suddenly to hug her nurse. "Oh, Livana..."
"There, there, poppet," soothed Livana, stroking the shining silver hair with gentle fingers as Shavra released long-held tears. After her young charge calmed, sniffling shamefacedly, the kindly nurse inquired softly, "What did Ravella say, to upset you so?"
Shavra wiped her eyes with the handkerchief Livana handed over. "She made it abundantly clear that it was unseemly for the Lady Holder of Fort Ly'valle to be seen running about Kuruda like a tomboy, in the company of sevalles."
"By Court standards, sweetling, you enjoy the outdoor life far more than is considered proper for a young lady of rank. But then again -- " Livana's eyes sparkled mischievously, " -- no young lady of rank has ever been accepted as a pupil of the Lord Kai Sink before."
Shavra refused to be comforted. "She also said...that it was a merciful thing my mother, a Lady of Light, could not see the disgrace I have become to the Solaris family."
Livana's eyes sparkled again, but not with mischief this time, and she drew in a long breath to calm herself. After expelling it in a long sigh, she answered, "Never tell me that you believe such a ridiculous statement."
"Of course not. But...Ravella has the special gift of making me feel...small. To say that, to me, in front of the Court ladies!" Shavra's chin set in a determined line inherited from her late father. "The merciful thing is that I was in Court dress, without so much as a dagger in my hand; and even more fortunate was that she was hanging onto the arm of the Lord Kai Sink as well."
"Did he have nothing to say to such an arrant piece of nonsense?" asked Livana, resuming her brushing-out of Shavra's silver hair. Shavra's amethyst eyes grew rebellious at the memory.
"He gave me that bland 'this-is-not-the-place' look which I must needs obey or seem the rude girl Ravella made me out to be. Then he proceeded to charm the Lady Ravella into giggles. His reputation as a womanizer is well-deserved."
"Shavra Ly'valle!" breathed Livana in laughing reproof. "Now *that* is a remark unworthy of a Daughter of Light! You'll just have to keep out of harm's way as best you can, till Lady Ravella returns to Juliannes with her family..."
Until that moment, reflected Shavra wryly, "keeping out of harm's way" had been an easy task. Her knowledge of life in the palace royal helped in keeping her life separate from any occasion where she might meet the Lady Ravella. But now, by sheerest mischance, here she was, caught in a situation where only a miracle of Souma be of any help to her now.
The couple's destination was unmistakeable: the very tree from which she was observing them. To stay hidden meant becoming an unwilling witness to the mutual flirtation -- and perhaps more -- that would soon follow. To climb down now, however, meant providing more fuel to Ravella's snide remarks at the next Court function; something Shavra was equally determined to avoid.
Already Crimson was settling Lady Ravella into the swing. Shavra inched along the branch on which she was perched, melting into the dappled shadows cast by the leaves. Once again, an urgent prayer was lifted up to the morning sky: "Mama...send me a miracle, please..."
end part three