Ghosts of the Past

The spirit rejoiced. He and the golden girl were becoming closer and closer to joining. If only he could manage to kill the dark haired one. She was a distraction to his beautiful girl and a constant irritation to him.

He could feel Her coming closer to him. His music was like a tether, always pulling her towards him, no matter how far she went, he pulled her back to the theatre. Her love for the theatre, for him, was increasing, more and more it enabled him to block out her other concerns. Her love of her family could be set aside, her sense of duty forgotten, her love for the dark haired girl would die when he finally managed to kill the little thorn in his side. Soon, very soon, he would be one with his golden actress. Once they were truly one, she would be the finest actress the world had ever seen, his creation; his perfect lady of the theatre.

She came as often as she could slip away now. And even when she was at the palace, her mind was more often than not with him, entwined with his music. He had a net around her soul, all he had to do was slowly tighten it until she belonged to him. His talented, lovely golden lady already believed he was an angel. Soon…soon…he told himself. Soon she and I will be one angel…then…oh then…he would live again, in Her.

Sebastian looked around the practice room. Lorelei, Dragon and Briar were there but even as he frowned his older sister sighed. "Andreas isn't here. I don't know what's going on, but he just told me he was going to be stuck with the ambassador all this morning." Lorelei frowned. "I don't have any idea why he'd be stuck with the man, I'm the one who's supposed to deal with him."

The younger prince sighed. "Well, lets do our best. I really won't feel entirely good about all this until you two can adequately defend yourselves against this weapon." He told Dragon and Briar.

"Sebastian, love why are we learning this?" Briar asked quietly with a look at her brother. "I understand that it is very important to you and especially your father, but why?"

Sebastian looked at Lorelei and the two of them sighed simultaneously. "There is an enemy of ours…" Lorelei said slowly. "That uses this weapon almost exclusively, especially against multiple foes. Among the elves they too train, but with a weapon nearly identical to that which we are trying to defend against."

Sebastian said softly. "You see, it takes elven speed and grace, along with strength and height to use these double bladed staffs. Our father fought against one, and barely survived. Many fought and did not live. All we can do is defend ourselves. I don't think any of us," he nodded to himself and his sister, "could fight this enemy and win. So we practice, and we pray."

"A lot." Lorelei added. "And now that you two are marrying into the problem, we teach you."

Dragon looked at his sister who slowly began to limber up. "Then let us learn how to defend ourselves." He said in a mild voice.

Sebastian groaned as there was a knock on his door. Pulling on his tunic and lacing his breeches as he walked through the sitting room he was semi dressed as he opened the door. A page stood there with a note. The prince smiled at the page with slightly stressed good humor and gestured for him to come in and sit down. Opening the note he swore virulently.

"What in the world is wrong?" Briar asked as she rubbed a town over her damp hair. A black robe clung to her figure. "Are we being invaded?"

"That is a most appropriate description." Sebastian groaned. "John is coming." Briar shook her head and Sebastian explained. "John is the Lord of Wheloon. He's a slick, conniving son of a misbegotten slug."

"And he's coming here." Briar said blankly. "Why?"

"The wedding is a convenient excuse even if he is nearly two months early." Sebastian muttered. "It must be because he thinks we'll all be distracted and he'll be able to slip something by my dad or Andreas. If he gets unofficial permission for something he can start whatever it is and then cover himself with that."

"Wonderful." Briar grimaced.

"Oh yes, extremely." Sebastian nibbled on the end of his quill thoughtfully and then began scribbling over a sheet of parchment. Looking at the page he said. "This goes to my brother's lady Maggie. And this goes to my mother." He handed the page two folded and sealed notes. "And if you see my father, let him know, if he doesn't already, that Lord John of Wheloon is in Suzail." The page bobbed a bow and with the energy of a small boy was soon out the door.

Sebastian groaned. "Well, I'm off to talk with Raden about Seltac." He said. "But Asrai, Faith, Dragon, Lorelei, you and I, and Andreas are all meeting early this afternoon to talk about the wedding right?"

"Yes." Briar smiled. "Lorelei and I wanted to let you and Dragon know what was going on. Add to your many appointments in the next few months, fittings for your wedding clothes."

Sebastian uttered another groan. "I truly despise fittings." He told her, "but I know so do you. Actually so do all the women in my family. Something to do with standing still for so long and being poked with pins."

"Not one of the finer aspects of clothing." Briar agreed. "I will see you then beloved."

Sebastian kissed her as he went to pull on his boots. "Yes."

Maggie seated herself at her dressing table and broke the seal on the fold of parchment. With a frown she read Sebastian's warning about John and tapped the note thoughtfully on her table as she considered how to best discreetly warn Andreas that John might try to slip something past him.

The secret door near her bed slid open then and she looked up in surprise dropping the note on the table with her perfumes, brushes and ribbons. "Andreas, my dear!" She smiled as she rose to kiss him warmly in greeting. "I thought you were with the ambassador?"

"I only made the appointment so I could whisk you away from him." Andreas grinned. "We didn't have much to discuss once I told him I had no interest in a hand picked bride, unless I was the one doing the picking."

Maggie groaned and draped her arms around her lover's neck. "He didn't seriously suggest…"

Andreas nodded and rolled his eyes. "He didn't give me a name, and I didn't ask, since I don't want the lady to become personally insulted, but the implication was that she was of suitable birth and would be of interest to me."

Maggie laughed. "How little he knows you." She traced her fingertips over his lips. "To think you would agree to marry a lady you have not even seen, much less met."

Andreas' hands slid down her back and to her waist. "So have you some time to spare for me?" He inquired huskily, his breath stirring the auburn curls and tickling her neck. "Or were you getting ready to go out?"

Maggie smiled up at him sweetly. "For you Andreas, I would willingly be late to any appointment. But I have no appointments until later on today. What would you have of me?" She tilted her head coquettishly, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Andreas touched his lips to hers and pulled her up against him. "Guess." He murmured with a wicked laugh, tugging her towards her bed.

Andreas ran a hand over his lovers limp form and bent to kiss her shoulder once more. "Shall I run a bath for you my dear?" He inquired with a smile. "Perhaps it will revive you?"

Maggie smiled up at him and stretched, rubbing her lush body against him. "I don't know where you get your energy Andreas." She stroked his face. "A bath would be wonderful…will you join me?"

"Only if you promise not to scent it with lavender." Andreas gave her bottom a gentle smack and then bent to kiss the insulted curve. "I draw the line at smelling like lavender, even if I must go about in ruffles at formal functions."

Maggie shook her head at him as he bounced out of the bed, moving to run the bath water in the wide tub. "You'd better skip the oils or bubbles then. They are all scented like flowers."

Andreas went to her dressing table and frowned. "I could have sworn you had something that was more like cinnamon, spicy almost." He looked at her questioningly as his fingers slid among the bottles on her table. Something foreign brushed against his skin and he heard Maggie's sudden, sharp intake of breath. Looking down he saw a square of parchment with a seal of black wax, broken open. He watched his hand, as if from a far distance reach for it, and his fingers closed around it.

Turning he looked to see her face gone white as a ghost and heard himself asking. "What is this?" Looking down he opened the parchment and read the familiar script within. Frowning his confusion he regarded Maggie again. "I don't understand."

Maggie opened her mouth and couldn't find her voice for a moment. "I…" She shook her head, trying futilely to think of an explanation that he would accept.

Andreas stared at her and with a blink thought of the little oddities that he'd simply overlooked in his friendship with Maggie. Her seeming awareness of where everyone was in a room. The nights when she'd slept beside him but in the mornings seemed to have gotten no sleep. The astoundingly accurate rumors she heard that seemed to always give him warning about some courtier's maneuverings political or otherwise. The way she always seemed to have a tiny sharp dagger on her person. And the time he'd awoken before her one morning, and seen the remains of a recently healed wound, an angry red mark across her ribs that had vanished in a way only priests magic could achieve. The deft way she had of deflecting a political conversation when he wasn't completely decided on an issue.

He stared at her and wondered if he even really knew her. Who was she? Who was this beautiful, passionate, gentle woman, with so many skills akin to his brother. His eyes narrowed and as he regarded Maggie, the warm hazel grew so cold they glittered like topazes, or a hawk's predatory gaze. "Do you have an explanation for this?" He hissed out. "A note with instructions from my little brother, telling you to discreetly warn me about John?"

"Andreas…I…" Maggie hurriedly jerked on her robe, sensing that the last thing she wanted was to be nude before him. The friend and lover of moments ago was gone and an angry, chilling stranger was in his place.

His face etched with fury Andreas looked down at the note again, reading again in his brother's writing the instructions for Maggie. "You have no way to explain this to me do you?" The prince crumpled the note in his fist. "You are one of his spies aren't you!" He shouted furiously. "Is there nothing in my life which is safe from my brother and his endless examination?" Maggie just stood before him clutching her robe around her. "By Cyric's black heart, answer me!" He demanded.

"I am your protector." Maggie whispered finally. "Your brother is my superior." One hand reached for him beseechingly. "Andreas please…"

"Do not address me so familiar madam." Andreas practically spat the words. "I hope you enjoyed this mockery of deceit, for it is at an end. I do not have congress with liars and cruel deceivers. I do not wish to have you within my sight again!" Coldly he turned his back and began to dress with deliberate care. Distantly he realized his hands were trembling with his rage. His entire body was stiff with it, and shaking with both fury and disgust.

"Andreas…please…do not go…" Maggie stepped towards him, her expression worried and afraid.

"Stay where you are." Andreas stabbed a finger at her as if commanding a dog to heel, and ground the words out like crushed ice between his teeth. "Do not speak to me, do not touch me, do not let me lay eyes on you again! Gods!" Every line in his body proclaimed his disgust for the fact that he had touched her so with such passionate affection only moments before. He couldn't believe had become so close to this, this, assassin. He rubbed his hands over his forearms as he pulled his shirt on, wishing he could bathe immediately, feeling as if he had just walked the longest road to Aeliara, covered in dust and filthy with deceit.

To Maggie, as skilled at reading him as she was, it was very evident that he hated the very thought of touching her right now. She watched helplessly as he finished dressing, not daring to say another word to him lest she invite another onslaught of hurtful speech. This Andreas bore no resemblance to the compassionate, affectionate prince she called friend. His eyes were cold and filled with repugnance at the sight of her. He avoided even glancing in her direction as he crushed the parchment he held even smaller in his hand. Pulling on his boots he stalked from the room, slamming the door open and then pulling it shut with a loud crash behind him.

Maggie sank into the chair before her dressing table and wrapped her robe tightly around her, wondering why she felt so cold at Flamerule's end. She saw drops of moisture falling and staining the silk and realized they were her tears. A terrible sob burst from her throat and she buried her face in her hands weeping as if her heart might break.

Sebastian sat on the couch with Briar beside him, both of them regarding Asrai with concerned expressions. Since Dragon, Lorelei and Andreas hadn't arrived yet, he'd taken the opportunity to talk with his baby sister as he'd intended days ago. "Asrai are you all right?" He inquired. "You're even more dreamy eyed than usual considering you haven't said a word about this new play."

Briar nodded. "It's not like you to just completely miss a fitting, as you did yesterday." She observed. "Faith, it makes me worry for you too, since you also were missing, presumably with Asrai."

Sebastian frowned. "And you've been sneaking out at night, which I don't know if Mother and Dad are aware of yet." He looked at Faith. "I don't doubt your ability to keep her safe, I just don't like no one else knowing where she is."

"Andreas knows where I've been going." Asrai replied her words only half attentive to whom she was addressing.

"But Mother and Dad don't." Sebastian said. "What if something happened to you?"

Briar shook her head. "Couldn't you-" Briar stopped mid-sentence and stood as Andreas entered the room. Something in the Crown Prince's expression and his stance, fingers flexing and arms rigid at his side, made her rise as if an alarm sounded in her ears. Sebastian beside her, stood automatically as she did, and only after giving her a quizzical glance looked at his older brother. By that time Andreas was only a few feet away and the younger prince barely had time to open his mouth before his brother's clenched fist met Sebastian's jaw.

Briar gasped in shock as Sebastian, caught off guard, tumbled back, a sofa's pillow cushioning his fall. Instinct took over as he came under assault and with a great deal of agility, Sebastian sprang back up his own fists raised guardedly until his consciousness took over again and he realized who had struck him.

Looking at Andreas, Briar had to restrain herself from striking the Crown Prince. She finally recognized who Andreas reminded her of. As he stood, his fists clinched now, his face cut into a mask of anger, she thought back to her tormentor, the one who caused her to flee her home.

Asrai on the sofa with Faith almost immediately leapt to her feet and would have stepped in between her brothers but for Faith who laid a restraining hand on the young girl's arm preventing movement. As Asrai opened her mouth to protest this restriction, Faith whispered. "I'm supposed to keep you in one piece babe. Letting you get in the middle of those two might prevent that." The watcher's eyes continued to regard the two brothers. She knew that if either began to threaten each other mortally she would have to intervene. But, for now it seemed not to be heading to that possibility and Faith thought it best to let the brother's sort out whatever was between them.

Sebastian ignored everyone else, looking squarely at his brother, he demanded. "What was that for?"

Andreas didn't answer him instead throwing another punch. This time, Sebastian stood ready and he easily blocked the blow. To anyone who knew him at all it was easy to see Andreas was in one of his rare rages as he swung so off balance Sebastian easily pushed his brother away again putting some distance between them. "Are you going to tell me-" Sebastian began, but he soon found himself under assault again as Andreas moved to attack again.

As Sebastian either blocked or dodged his brother's blows he could feel his own anger rising with the amount of bruises he was accumulating on his arms. "What in Selena's name is wrong with you?" He shouted in annoyance.

Andreas' reply was to switch tactics and take advantage of his brother's attempt at conversation. Pushing forward, Andreas shoved on Sebastian's chest sending his younger brother to the ground again in almost the same position he occupied after the first blow.

"Get up!" The older prince commanded with a snarl. As he stood over poised to strike again, he saw Briar take a step towards him. Only concern for Sebastian made the young lady waver in interceding with Andreas. Turning, she regarded her betrothed.

Sebastian sat where he had fallen, propping his back against the sofa and looked up at his brother. "What, just so you can knock me down again? Do you take me for that great a fool?" He shook his head. "I don't think so. I want to know why I've become the designated punching bag."

Andreas his body fairly vibrating with fury threw the crumpled ball of parchment, the black wax seal still intact, in his brother's face. Sebastian picked it up from the floor where it had fallen and opened it, recognizing the note he'd written to Maggie regarding John. As the others in the room looked confused, Sebastian leant his head back and sighed, closing his eyes wearily.

"It's true isn't it?" Andreas said. The conversation with Maggie had confirmed this fact, but Andreas asked again, holding out, hoping that he was wrong, hoping that he hadn't been played the fool. The Prince's voice cracked now and all present could see the young Prince was in a great deal of emotional pain.

Sebastian did not answer. Without opening his eyes, he said softly. "My Rose, would you do me the kindness escorting Asrai and Faith out of the room and leaving my brother and I alone?" He felt rather than saw her crouch next to him.

"You do not wish me to stay and tend you?" She asked gently. He felt her delicate touch on his unbruised cheek and nearly smiled opening his eyes.

"An it please you, no." He murmured. "His quarrel is with me and he is still my brother," Sebastian said in a lower tone so only she could hear. "This may prove to be an ugly conversation. I don't think he will take to an audience, or another remembering words spoken with only anger's truth.

Briar sighed and her soft lips trailed over his forehead before she rose. "Ladies let us depart." She said firmly. Stopping before Andreas she watched the other two leave and then turned locking eyes with the Crown Prince who turned to glare at Briar.

In a near whisper so that Sebastian could barely hear her, Briar said, "Remember your Highness you are my future king. But, he is my love and my future husband. Do not have any doubt which of you is more important to me if harm should come to him." Eyes like green ice glittered at him coldly as the unspoken threat hung in the air.

Andreas glared for several seconds and then stiffly handed her the dagger he habitually wore at his belt. "Will this give you peace of mind," He said in a near hiss. Briar pressed her lips together to prevent further speech from escaping and wondered if there was any of the charming and polite Prince within the figure that stood before her. Moving quickly before she could not bear to leave, Briar swept from the room dagger in hand.

Sebastian groaned as he hoisted himself onto the sofa and then stood. Wincing he managed to open the eye that Andreas had blackened. "All right, yes. Maggie is one of my folk." Sebastian held out his hands at his side almost shrugging indicating he didn't seem to see a problem.

"How-" Andreas said then stopped. "Wha-" The young Prince did this for several seconds so filled with rage he could not think coherently. What right did you have to interfere with my life?" Andreas snapped finally getting a sentence out.

"This is my business!" Sebastian retorted. "Like it or not, its my job Andreas and my job involves you."

"To do what?" The Crown Prince sneered. "Spy on your own family? Is that how you always know what's going on in my life? You have my mistress tell you everything?"

"She doesn't have to, I have other ways. And it is my job to protect my family, as much as I am able, even from their own pigheaded stubbornness!" Sebastian shot back.

"Oh yes, I forget, the all powerful Sebastian!" Andreas snapped. "Seeing all, knowing all, needing no one. I'm tired of you meddling with my private life." Andreas pointed an accusatory finger and narrowed his eyes. "You are becoming like the Silver Marches, that you must know everything, even what occurs in the privacy of my bed. What's next? Will you choose a bride for me? Why don't you use magic to spy on me, or have you already?"

Sebastian went rigid with anger and his knuckles whitened his hands fisted so hard. With a great effort he controlled his urge to strike his brother, lashing out instead with words. "Anyone with some discernment and an open mind could pick up the hints of what Maggie is. You didn't. You ignored any clue in front of you because it would interfere with your view of the world and how it should be. You didn't want to know. Well wake up Andreas! This is the real world and you're the future king and everyone around you will have ulterior motives ninety nine percent of the time. You should just be thankful that Maggie is one of mine and not from Westgate or Silverymoon, or some other agency seeking to influence the crown and her only motivation besides affection was trying to protect you!"

"Who the hell are you to decide who needs to protect me and when?" Andreas roared. "If I wanted one of your whores, I'd ask you."

"Keep a civil tongue in your head. She is a lady!" Sebastian snapped. "And you'll have to also face the fact that as the future king you don't have a 'private' life. You're watched every moment. By myself or someone else, and the eyes aren't always friendly Andreas. So get used to it, future king, because like it or lump it, I'm the next spymaster. No one else wants the job of dealing with you." He growled the words, only his oldest lessons kept him from shouting. Andreas was coming dangerously close to pushing Sebastian past a breaking point despite the younger man's vigilant attempts at self-control.

"Fine," Andreas retorted circling Sebastian who moved to continue to stand face to face with his older brother. "If I'm the Prince or King to be and you're the servant, than I'm ordering the servant and the lady to stay out of my life. Throw her into someone else's bed."

"Considering how you're acting," Sebastian said interrupting, "I should leave and check on her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andreas snapped moving to stand nose to nose with his brother.

"It means I wonder what condition you left her in especially in light of how you're treating me," Sebastian explained.

Andreas face drained of color and his body began to shake. "You're more worried about her than how you've hurt me? Why Sebastian? Was she keeping your bed warm too? Is that how it worked? The two of you laughing at me together?"

Sebastian could feel the blood drain from his face as his fury nearly erupted. Stiffly he bowed. "I think this 'conversation' is at an end. Your Highness," He said in a soft chilling voice. "You are obviously too emotional right now to discuss this in a mature and rational manner."

"I'm too emotional!" Andreas shouted in disbelief shoving Sebastian again who took a backward step with the force of the blow. He laughed with a cruel edge to his humor, tears glittering in his eyes. "Are you sure you should be marrying Sebastian?" He inquired mockingly. "You're such a cold blooded son of a bitch I'm surprised you don't freeze poor Briar in her bed!"

Sebastian's eyes went cold and flat, so dark a blue they were like midnight. "You may insult me for as long and as harshly as you like brother, until you lose your breath in fact." He whispered in a somehow even more chilling tone. "But by the Lord of Night, do not let your filthy thoughts lay their twisted tongue on my future wife or any other lady I care about again." He deliberately pulled his daggers free of his clothing and hurled them with blinding speed at the door where all six of them embedded. They were still quivering when he spoke again. "Now, I believe you called me cold blooded? Well you are a misbegotten self pitying fool so wrapped up in your own pain and longing for how you think your life should be or could have been that you block out all those who love you or anyone else who could love you. And then you wail over how isolated and alone you are!"

Andreas swung again as Sebastian's words cut to the heart of his emotional pain. Yet, this time, Sebastian stood ready and easily blocked the blow and countered with his own swing meeting the whisker textured skin of Andreas' jaw.

TBC