Ghosts of the Past

Andreas looked up as Dragon and Lorelei entered the sitting room. "I know." He said, a note of irritation in his voice. "I owe Briar an apology for my words."

Dragon's face lit briefly with a grin. "We didn't come to tell you so as if you were an unruly child, my friend." His rumbling growl of a voice was amused.

"We wanted to make sure you were all right." Lorelei regarded her twin in concern. "It's not like you to react that way."

Andreas sighed. "I know." He met his twin's gaze finally. "I don't like the thought of those I care for in battle." He admitted. "So I get a bit impatient at the idea that Briar can't defend herself."

Lorelei eyed her twin and then looked at Dragon sadly. Again Andreas was shutting her out. At first it had been only little things, she'd noticed. Her brother keeping himself so busy he had no time to talk or shrugging off a somber mood with a grin. But his self-imposed isolation seemed to grow instead of decrease. The princess wondered if Andreas even realized how far he was from her now or if he would ever want to be so close to her again.

A melancholy sigh escaped her as she saw that her twin was once again staring off into space, putting up the walls between them. Lorelei blinked back the sudden tears that stung her eyes. She never would have believed that she and her twin brother could be so far apart when they had been so very close for so long.

Dragon looked at her in concern and she tried to smile, and then just shrugged with a shake of her head. Turning, she slowly left the room.

The tall warrior mage regarded the Crown Prince with a dark unreadable gaze. "Should you ever wish to talk, I hope you know I will listen, my friend and brother." He said quietly. When the prince simply nodded, Dragon turned and followed Lorelei.

Sebastian couldn't help noticing the roses immediately as he entered his rooms. The rich scent of them hung in the air. His eye fell upon the crystal vase filled with glorious blooms of deep burgundy. There were at least two dozen in the vase.

"Sebastian?" His betrothed called questioningly from the bedroom. He pulled his contemplative gaze from the flowers to rest on her face as she came into the sitting room.

Briar smiled and greeted him with a warm kiss, sighing with delight as he embraced her lovingly. "Aren't they lovely?" She said touching the petals of a bloom.

"Very." Sebastian said in a dry voice. He was rather startled to realize he was feeling a bit jealous and more than a bit possessive. He didn't like the idea that another was sending his lady bouquets. "You have an admirer it seems."

Briar looked up at him in surprise. "I don't think he fits that description very well." She said impishly. "Not in the way you mean."

Sebastian felt his jaw clenching and forced himself to relax. "Oh?" He arched an eyebrow as he met her gaze.

Briar surprised him by bursting into her infectious giggle. Even as the corners of his mouth tilted up reluctantly she gasped out. "I can't believe this! Sebastian you're jealous." She hugged him happily and shook her head, her mirth still bubbling out of her.

Sebastian sighed and embraced her again rubbing his cheek against her hair. "Only because you like them so much I wish I'd thought to send you flowers." His lazy drawl became more of a growl. "And I'm feeling rather possessive of you these days my love. So which courtier will I be having a chat with regarding the breach of etiquette in sending courting tributes to my lady betrothed?"

His words sent her into another fit of giggling and she gasped out finally. "Your older brother!" Dark green eyes were several shades brighter with mirth. "Andreas sent the roses as an apology for his rudeness this morning."

Sebastian groaned and regarded her with a sheepish expression on his face. "I've made a fool of myself haven't I?" He brushed a kiss over her forehead.

"Not really. No more than when you were jealous of Dragon." She told him cheerfully. "I don't mind when you act this way. It means you're not perfect."

"Trust me my love." Sebastian said thinking grimly of a green crystal hidden away in his desk. "There is no possible way to consider me anywhere near perfection."

Andreas completed his letter and with a grimace of impatience bounced the quill into its holder. Everywhere he looked, each time he turned around the Crown Prince was confronted with something else that reminded him of the upcoming weddings. The maids sighing about his younger brother's romantic eyes whenever he looked at Briar. A footman with a smile on his face as he saw Dragon bowing over Lorelei's hand.

It seemed the entire palace was bubbling over with enthusiasm and joy for the two couples. No one wished his siblings ill for marrying folk who were not technically Cormyrean Nobility, not among the common folk anyway.

Hazel eyes were nearly ebony with repressed emotion as he rose and roughly pushed his chair back into place. So what was wrong with him? Why couldn't he be happy for his brother and his twin? Because he was tired of everything going so perfectly for Sebastian. Andreas acknowledged to himself. His younger brother had everything and never in his life had the blue eyed charmer followed the rules. While Andreas had always behaved as he ought and now, his beloved was lost to him while Sebastian was to marry his soulmate.

Andreas pushed a hand through his golden brown hair and scowled. And the most aggravating part of it was that there was nothing he could point at in his younger brother as a flaw. His younger brother did everything well. Even his new lessons in magic seemed to be progressing if slowly.

The Crown Prince sighed again and flopped down into a chair. He loved his younger brother, that was the rub. He cared deeply for the next Spymaster, and Andreas needed him in that position. Another sigh escaped him. The flaws were all in himself, Andreas perceived. He needed Sebastian, and loved him, but he'd never had any indication that Sebastian felt the same or needed his older brother for anything at all.

The door opening prompted the older prince to smile and cast an inquiring glance at the door. It was Dragon. Immediately the prince repressed his dour mood and melancholy thoughts, smiling a welcome. "Dragon my friend." He greeted the older man jovially. "What brings you here?"

"Asrai!" The girl blinked as she hard her name and looked over at her older sister. Lorelei was regarding her with both impatience and concern. Beside the princess Briar was frowning slightly as if she too were worried.

"Babe, your sis here has been trying to get your attention for five minutes." Faith remarked. "You've been staring into space like you're seeing things."

Asrai shook her head with a rueful smile. "No, I'm just listening." She murmured. Sometimes the music and the seductively rich voice she heard was so clear she was amazed that no one else could hear it.

"Listening to what?" Lorelei looked at her sister and then to Faith and Briar as if the other two women could answer her question.

"Music." Asrai smile dreamily.

"I promise we'll be finished in a moment." Her sister sighed. "I know Briar is longing for her new violin and I'm aching for my paints. So we sympathize. But if you don't pay me a little attention we'll never decide on a menu."

Asrai nodded. Taking the scroll of sample menus she forced herself to consider it. She frowned after a moment and looked up. "I don't see how I'll be able to help choose. I like all of these."

Briar laid a gentle hand on Lorelei's now very tense shoulder. "Asrai dear, we would simply like an opinion on the fourth menu down. Do you think it's too elaborate? We think to have an afternoon ceremony and an evening ball afterward."

Asrai shook her head. "Its fine." She glanced at Faith who just rolled her eyes.

"You have two offspring of elven nobility marrying two of Cormyr's Royal House." The assassin said dryly. "Can you get too elaborate?"

Lorelei relaxed and grinned. "At last a voice of reason." She said in an equally dry tone. "Briar?"

The warrior and bard nodded in relief. "The fourth one it is then." She took the parchment and carefully circled the menu.

Lorelei shot a concerned look at her baby sister who seemed to be listening to her music again.

Faith smiled slightly. "Don't worry Lorelei, I won't let her topple over a balcony when she's moving around like this."

"Thanks Faith." Lorelei shook her head. "Now if I'm correct my betrothed has part of his afternoon free. I'm going to see if he remembers what his fiancée looks like."

"Little chance of Dragon forgetting your face Lorelei." Briar smiled. "I think he keeps you always in his mind."

Lorelei smiled radiantly as she left the sitting room.

Patience your Highness." The tutor counseled as Briar entered Sebastian's study. "It takes time to acclimate your voice and words to the particular cadence of a spell, even a cantrip."

Sebastian looked up at Briar and his smile was joyful at seeing her and at the same time rueful that he needed the interruption from his studies.

"I take it that your studies progress less quickly than you would like?" Briar queried in her soft voice.

Sebastian grimaced. "Thus far they do not progress at all today. " He looked at the mage who was regarding him with a tolerant gaze. "Much as I like you Seltac I have no desire to take you along on my wedding journey."

The mage snorted in amusement. "I sincerely hope not." He retorted. "Now, the phrase is 'Le sargenl quoi a morte de tournai'. Please try again."

As Briar took a seat beside Sebastian she listened as he tried to repeat the mages intonation and words precisely. The words were not difficult but the way the mage spoke them was very difficult from a normal way of speaking and their rhythm was not a natural one for the shape of the words.

Sebastian shook his head as he finished repeating the phrase. "I would know that was wrong simply by how it sounded even if the results were not supposed to be visible."

The mage sighed and Briar frowned as a thought struck her. "If I may?" She looked at the two men. Sebastian nodded and Seltac looked at her expectantly. "The phrase must be spoken precisely the same way?" As Sebastian nodded again Briar drew her flute from the case she carried. "Will you say it again please?" She asked. The mage obligingly repeated it for her and she raised her flute to her lips. "Once more please." When he repeated it again she played a note for every syllable matching the pitch of his voice. "Again." She requested and slowly repeated the queer melody that resulted.

When she lowered the flute the mage looked at her curiously. "It sounds very like the phrase Lady Briar but to what purpose?"

Sebastian smiled. "To the purpose of my speaking it correctly." He said and Briar smiled sweetly at him. "Play it again beloved." He urged her and as she did so he slowly repeated the phrase back. He repeated it again without the flute and Briar frowned breathing a note to correct him.

With a grin Sebastian carefully spoke the words again and his face relaxed slightly as a tiny green ball of light bobbed in the air before him and then disappeared. Briar smiled and rested her chin on her hand regarding her love proudly.

Seltac looked at the two of them and shook his head. "I am glad for the success but your lady may not always be nearby to play for you." He pointed out.

Briar's expression didn't change but her eyes immediately went opaque as she concealed her reaction to the mage's words. Her betrothed glanced at her and his own gaze darkened as he saw she had donned the public persona of the Black Rose, cool and untouchable and invulnerable. "Her time is in great demand." The prince said carefully, wanting to both reassure his love and at the same time rebuke Seltac. "But I hope to always have my lady near me."

Briar touched his hand with her fingertips and smiled slightly. "I think now that you have a frame of reference in your mind, like a translation, you may have an easier time of it." She paused discernibly as if unsure of how appropriate her next words would be. "If you continue to have difficulties you may wish to speak with Dragon." She cast a glance that was coolly apologetic at Seltac. "For all your tutor's skill, he is fully human." She stated. "You have more than one elf in your heritage my prince, and that tends to influence how we touch magic."

Seltac raised an eyebrow. "Lord Raden would not have sent me if he didn't believe me capable of teaching his protégé." He commented, dismissing the concern.

Sebastian regarded his betrothed with interest and drew her hand to his lips, tenderly pressing a kiss to her fingers. "You have worked magic of your own, have you not beloved?" He murmured his question. "Is that how you knew I would find melody easier to remember?"

Briar's slim shoulders rose in a shrug. "I did work magic, through the harp I carried once. But the spellsong was not completely of my working. The harp played me more than I it."

"Spellsong?" Seltac's ears perked up, his slightly piqued expression taking on a faintly superior cast. "Only the elves have been able to form music into magic." He said with authority.

"Truly?" Briar tilted her head. "I must of course yield to your extensive knowledge on the subject of magic." She rose, a slim hand tucking an errant lock of hair behind one gracefully tipped ear. "My prince I will leave you to your studies. I will be practicing in the sitting room." She bent to kiss his cheek and turned leaving the room with her graceful flowing stride.

Sebastian watched her leave with an affectionate and frankly lustful gleam in his eye and then turned to regard the mage. His drawl was lazier than usual as he spoke. "My, my… Seltac you're just the soul of tact today aren't you?"

"I beg your pardon your highness?" The mage returned his gaze oblivious to any sarcastic undertone in the blue eyed man's voice.

"Having just come from wedding preparations did it not occur to you that my betrothed might not enjoy hearing that she wouldn't always be around me?" Sebastian said softly, his drawl somehow chilly.

Seltac blinked. "Surely she is aware that you will be away at times?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes over the mage's lack of perception. "Regardless." The mage shifted uncomfortably under the cold dark weight of icy sapphires. "And to add insult to injury you decide she could not have possibly performed spellsong."

"Only the elves—" Seltac began and was ruthlessly cut off by the slashing motion of the prince's hand.

"You question her word, as if she were a child or ignorant of her own actions." He said quietly. "If she did such by questioning your knowledge or methods of teaching, you would take insult. When she expressed the thought that I might need additional lessons you dismissed the possibility." The mage opened his mouth but could make no reply as Sebastian slowly shook his head. "Leave it as it is." He told the tutor coolly. "She was not upset, only annoyed. But when you make your pronouncements in the future do attempt to recall that, not only is she a member of Elven nobility through her father, she is a future princess of the Realm. And if Selena no longer smiles on me, one day she might be your queen. Pray that never comes to pass!" Sebastian nearly shuddered in distaste and flipped a page of the spellbook. "Shall we continue?"

More than slightly shaken by the prince's words even if his outer aplomb appeared unruffled Seltac nodded. "Please attempt to read the page aloud, pronouncing the phrases in order to form the spell." He instructed.

Briar tried not to sigh as Lorelei repeated her sisters name for the third time. Asrai had been late for every appointment the three of them had made in the past two weeks. Even when she was with them her mind seemed far away. She was constantly at the theatre again and this frustrated Lorelei to no end since there were so many details to be dealt with.

The princess looked at her brother's betrothed and just shook her head. "We need to decide on the attendants gowns by the end of this week if Marie and her assistants are to have them complete in time."

Briar shrugged helplessly. "Well you know what colors suit your sisters and we both know what we like." She gestured to the watercolor drawings. "They are all lovely…I just have no idea what would be appropriate." She tilted her head. "They must be suitable for evening as well as the afternoon."

"If we went with a rose…a deeper rose…for the attendants and a dark gold for Asrai." Lorelei said slowly. "We can have the same style of gown for all of them."

Briar nodded her agreement. "Then the groomsmen and Andreas will wear what?" She mused. Consideringly she said aloud. "If the groomsmen wear a deep gray, charcoal almost…with your twin in an even darker shade and antique gold a bit darker than Asrai's gown?"

Lorelei nodded eagerly. "Yes!" She exclaimed in relief. "That will work. And then Dragon and Sebastian will be able to wear black and white which will suit them both very well." She glanced down at the watercolors. "Now we must choose a pattern which will suit all of the ladies. Thankfully the groomsmen won't be as difficult. It seems men's clothing is easier to tailor to the figure than a ladies gown."

Briar made a face. "Well do I know it." She said wryly.

Asrai smiled and rose, moving as if half in a dream, she left the room, passing her mother with an absent smile. Faith shrugged and moved to follow the girl.

"You are done I suppose?" Sabine asked in a dry voice. "Since your sister is departing?"

Lorelei looked at Briar and the two of them sighed again in unison. "Well I suppose we must be." The bard said finally. "Lorelei…why don't we go see Marie right now and get her opinion on what is feasible and what isn't."

Lorelei nodded. "Marie is getting older and we don't want her upset with us. Bad enough she refuses to allow anyone else to fit us for our own gowns."

The two rose and Sabine watched with a dark gaze as they left the room each giving her an affectionate kiss on the cheek on their way. She loved Briar like a daughter already but the bard was no where near as skilled as Lorelei at disguising her emotions. Something wasn't quite right and the queen determined she had better learn what it was before the wedding.

Asrai entered her room and smiled as Faith came in behind her. "The theatre again?" The watcher asked without real curiosity.

"Mmm…" Asrai stretched. "Yes… I've been hearing him call me all morning." She smiled. "He wants me to come."

Faith shrugged and sprawled on the bed watching the other girl change her clothing with a gleam in her eyes. One hand snaked out and trailed up Asrai's thigh.

Asrai turned as she was unlacing her chemise. "What was that for?" She asked in a voice more alert than her family would have heard in days.

"Lord babe," Faith drawled in her husky voice, tugging Asrai's hand to move her closer. "Did you ever think someone else might want you too?" Her hands slid around Asrai's waist.

"Really?" Asrai's voice trembled slightly with excitement as she tried to emulate Faith's nonchalance and lazy drawl.

"Yeah, really." Faith's voice dropped to a whisper as she parted the golden haired girls shift completely. "A whole lot more than he does." She gazed in satisfaction at the creamy flesh she'd uncovered and drew Asrai closer.

"Ohhh…" Asrai sighed as Faith's dark mouth closed over the tip of her breast and gently began to suckle.

He raged. The curtains that concealed the stage rippled with the force of his fury and a sandbag fell to the ground. The golden actress was his! How dare that dark upstart try to deny it! How dare she challenge his claim on the golden girls spirit with a cheap tawdry claim on her body.

She would regret her interference the spirit vowed vengefully. She would live to regret it, and then she would die!

Asrai entered the theatre happily, tugging Faith behind her. The music, the voice that called her had grown stronger as she had come closer to the theatre. Now it was almost overwhelming it was so strong and she nearly gasped at the force of it.

'I called and called.' It reproached, 'but you did not come.'

"I had obligations." Asrai tried to soothe that haunting voice. "My sister and brother-"

'Don't need you like I do.' He told her. 'You are my music given voice, my soul given form, I need you with me.'

Asrai nearly sobbed with the sorrow she heard in him. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "They are my family."

The spirit eased somewhat. He didn't want to upset her so much that she ran away. 'My precious one, only come to me and my longing is satisfied.' He told her glibly. 'Only through you do I live.'

"Yes." Asrai murmured. "I know." She moved onto the stage and it was almost as if he enveloped her in his warmth and light.

'Yes, you are my wings.' He sang to her watching as Faith climbed up to the stage, obedient as all women were to the command of his music.

Asrai felt herself drifting on an ocean of music. The voice of the angel was exquisite. It seemed to surround her and melt over her skin.

Faith stood near the edge of the stage listening. The music was beautiful. It called, with endless longing. It seemed to reduce her concerns to tiny insects that floated away. Deep within her the tiny suspicious voice that had been a cynical commentator for nearly all her life whispered that something so beautiful was surely dangerous just as she herself was.

But the voice was very faint and Faith found it amazingly easy to let the music nearly overwhelm her. She could watch Asrai smiling and turning slowly on the stage, as if the princess was dancing, and be glad her friend was so happy.

Asrai felt wonderful now that she was with her angel. His voice seemed to at once satisfy every desire and yet fill her with longing for something more. She could almost see him. A tall stately man with silvered hair and dark eyes. His eyes burned with a desire that almost frightened her but the beauty of his voice smothered that fear. His hands touched her face and the heat of them was like his voice, seductive and luxurious. 'Ah…yes my beauty…' He crooned. 'Yes my darling golden one, my touch will bring us closer together…our spirits will become one.'

Asrai shivered slightly…the hunger in his voice was still a bit frightening, like the heat in his eyes, but the music was pushing her fear away, making her forget why she was worried. She looked up into the burning darkness of his eyes and felt herself begin to nearly drown in them.

A loud crash jarred her momentarily out of the music's grip and the angel vanished. A huge sandbag had exploded from the force of the impact of its fall from the rafters. Faith was at the edge of the stage sprawled just inches away from it. The watcher must have barely thrown herself out of its path.

Asrai rushed towards her. "Faith!" She held her hand out and helped the other girl up. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine babe." The watcher said carelessly. She kept hold of the other girls hand and began chafing it in her own. "You're freezing." She observed. "Your hands are like ice."

Asrai realized that she was shivering and shook her head in confusion. "I was so warm before." She said in a puzzled voice.

Faith looked around, automatically scanning their surroundings and her eyes widened slightly at the angle of the shadows. "Time to go babe." She jerked her head casually at the doors. Asrai looked at her and the girls confusion was apparent. Faith nodded at the shadows. "We've been here for hours babe, you're going to be late for dinner if we don't hurry."

Asrai groaned and the two of them began to scramble off the stage to run for the theatre's exit.

He watched them go, seething with fury. His time would yet come, he vowed. If the dark haired interloper hadn't sensed the danger and moved she would be dead. He could have made the golden one his. Sooner or later he would ensnare the dark one deeply enough to kill her. The golden actress was already bound to him, to hear him calling her across the city. She feared him but the beauty of his voice was enough to stifle her fears. His will would command hers…soon. He smiled and began to send his music to the golden girl again. He would haunt her with music until she was compelled to be with him. Soon… Soon…

TBC