Chapter 19)

Tredorian for only the second time in his life found himself escorted through the grand halls of the Royal Court. To his surprise, his journey did not end there but continued through the gardens and into the Palace itself. He found himself in a warmly appointed sitting room with a pianoforte among other luxuries. "If you'll wait here sir, she'll be right with you." He was told.

Tredorian occupied himself for a few minutes, wandering around the room. The lid over the pianoforte's keys was up and idly he played a few keys. When the door opened he started in surprise, looking up with an apology on his lips. What he saw was such a surprise he nearly swallowed his words.

Elegantly garbed in a simple lavender bodice and creamy muslin shift and skirts, with her hair loosely braided back and falling over one shoulder stood Asrai. She was so unlike the girl he'd first seen in a tavern and then so often at the theatre that the playwright blinked. This girl looked every inch of royalty and sweetly lovely.

Automatically he bowed and heard her exasperated chuckle. "Oh honestly Tredorian, I hope this is the last time you ever do that." She crossed the room and took his hand as he rose. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She told him quietly. "I was afraid no one would give me the chance to act if they knew who I was."

"We might not have." Tredorian admitted. "But I'm glad for the deception, fool as I am for being deceived." He looked at Asrai and shook his head. "In the course of three weeks, I have been deceived by two women and myself. Yours was the kindest, and easiest to forgive."

"Lady Julia has cut you off then?" Asrai asked softly. Seeing his unhappy nod she sighed. "I'm sorry Tredorian, I know you loved her."

Tredorian gave her a sad smile. "As you and your mother predicted, her love was no such thing, and mine…well it dies a painful death, and my heart dies a little with it."

"I'm sorry for it." Asrai took his hand again, squeezing it comfortingly. "Will you be able to write without your muse?"

The dark haired young man uttered a bitter laugh. "I don't know that I want to." He said darkly. "Acting and playhouses are for dreamers. Look what the dream brought me." His hand pulled from Asrai's as he gestured and began to wander about the room again.

"It brought you a wonderful play." Asrai told him as her eyes followed him around the room, "It brought me the chance I'd been waiting for, and new friends."

"Yes." Tredorian smiled slightly. "I have gained a new friend." He turned back to her and his smile grew as he thought of how she'd baited and inspired him to write. Her teasing and sweet smile had been constantly in his mind as he'd written Juliet. And her practical streak and the wisdom that seemed so at odds with her youthful face. "Perhaps my new friend was as much my muse as Julia was, if not more."

Asrai looked at him and shook her head with a wry smile. "Tredorian, your muse is love." She told him. "It doesn't matter what kind, only that you love. It is inside you and has been the entire time. Now and then you just need prompting." The smile on her lips grew to a grin. "I owe you though, a great deal, for my parents are allowing me to attend school in Silverymoon."

"Really?" Tredorian pushed a hand through his hair as he regarded her incredulously. "You're not being punished are you?"

"No." Asrai shook her head. "Momma and Poppa agreed that I might go when I asked them. I need to be away from Cormyr for the better part of the year." She looked up as the door opened again. "And Faith is coming with me." She said as the dark girl entered.

"Faith?" Tredorian blinked and looked at Asrai. "I got the impression that…" He stopped awkwardly and the princess giggled.

"Tredorian, Faith is my Watcher." Asrai got the words out between giggles.

"Translated, it means I'm her body guard." Faith said dryly. "Babe, you're gonna get the hiccups you keep that up." She tilted her head regarding Tredorian. "As far as everyone is concerned, Asrai and I just met this morning. Let's keep it that way." Tredorian nodded still slightly shocked in spite of himself and Faith grinned as she looked over at the girl. "She's still a baby, and she will be for a while yet, but that's all right."

The young man nodded again and smiled finally as Asrai slid her arm around Faith's waist and the exotic leather clad girl kissed the princess' pale cheek. "So have you told him yet babe?" Faith asked.

"Told me what?" Tredorian inquired a bit uneasily.

"My parents were hoping you'd write another play." Asrai said hardly able to contain her excitement. "Something more cheerful they hope."

"And even if my muse isn't lost, who would my hero be?" Tredorian inquired testily. "The saddest wretch in all the world? Sick with love?"

"It's a beginning." Asrai said thoughtfully. "Let him be…a duke. And the heroine?"

"Sold in marriage and halfway across the world." Tredorian's voice was tinged with bitterness as he thought of Julia marrying her Huntsilver.

Asrai looked at Faith uncertainly and the other girl grinned. "So, at sea then…a voyage to Waterdeep?" The Watcher suggested.

The princess nodded. "She lands upon a vast and empty shore and is brought to the duke…Orsino."

Tredorian smiled, despite himself he knew he was caught. "Good name."

"But fearful of her virtue, she comes to him dressed as a boy…" Asrai said softly.

"And thus is unable to declare her love." Tredorian concluded.

"But all ends well." Asrai smiled.

"How does it?" Tredorian inquired an answering smile teasing his lips.

"I don't know." Asrai tilted her head looking up at him. "It's a mystery." She gestured to a table in the corner. "There are quills and parchment." Her smile grew wider. "Why don't you tell me?"

Tredorian smiled moving towards the table as Faith and Asrai settled onto the sofa nearby. Looking at the two of them he began to write, speaking to the cuddling girls as he did so. "My story starts at sea…a perilous voyage to an unknown land…a shipwreck…the wild waters roar and heave…the brave vessel is dashed all to pieces, and all the helpless souls within her drowned…all save one… A lady…whose soul is greater than the ocean...and her spirit stronger than the sea's embrace. Not for her a watery end, but a new life beginning on a stranger shore…"

He looked up at Asrai and Faith. "And her name will be…" His eyes fell to the tiny flowers braided into Asrai's hair. "Viola."

Asrai smiled at him and Faith waited curiously. With a tilt of her head Asrai asked Tredorian. "What country friends is this?"

"Yes!" Tredorian actually laughed in delight and his hand began to speed over the page, almost spattering the ink as he wrote.

Faith kissed Asrai's cheek. "Will it be finished before we go?" She murmured in Asrai's ear.

Asrai touched the other girls hand and looked up at her. "I don't know." She teased. "It's a mystery."

Here Endeth the Tale