(A/N Here it is, chapter eight...)

Chapter 8: Unexpected

Six past ten the same evening, Endor Abignail got interupted in her sleep.
"This better be important." she mumbled sleepily and went to open the door. Outside, Marcia Overstrand and two persons that she absolutley didn't reconginize stood.
"Marcia!" Endor exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Long story." Marcia replied, "But if you let us come inside, we'll tell you."

"So," Endor said when they all had settled down in the only room she had, "What are you doing here?"
Joseph, Marcia and Cashmére exchanged looks. Who of them knew the most about it all?

"Cashmére, do you want to start?" Joseph said. Cashmére nodded and begun to tell them about what had happend to her, even the Lucian-part that she hadn't told anyone about. When she was done, everyne in the room was pale. Even Marcia. Cashmére had begun to sob and Marcia felt forced to lay her hand at Cashmére's shoulder.
"At last it didn't happen anything really unpleasant." Marcia said. Cashmére sobbed even harder and clutched onto Marcia's tunic, sobbing into Marcia's hair. Shockingly, Marcia hugged Cashmére.

"It's okay." she told Cashmére.

"Marcia's right, it's okay." Joseph said, "We are going to solve it out."

"Thank you." Cashmére mumbled and stroke away her tears.

"I hope she's okay." Tantibus said, not for the first time.

"I am sure she is, lord." Darius Pollock replied, "Cashmére's a big girl now, she can do fine on her own."

"You are probably right." Tantibus said and sighed, "But I still don't understand..."

"What, lord?" Darius asked.

"Why she ran away." Tantibus answered, "If she even ran away. But I still wonder why."

"If she is her mother's daughter, she certainly will do fine on her own." Darius said, "We both know how Erianna was."

"Yes." Tantibus sighed again, and thought about his departed wife, Erianna. She had died in battle when Cashmére was four, and even before that Tantibus had became emperor.

"She would've made a great empress, wouldn't she?" Tantibus wondered dreamily.

"Cashmére?" Darius asked, "I suppose so, but it's not too late yet."

"What? Cashmére?"

"Yes, it was she we were talking about, wasn't it?" Darius said.

"Oh, excuse me." Tantibus replied, "I was just thinking about Erianna."

"Of course." Darius said, "I know you missed lady Erianna."

"Not only misses." Tantibus sighed.

"I do not want to offend you lord," Darius said carefully, "But haven't you ever considered to marry someone new..?"

Tantibus shook his head. "That's the thing." he replied, "I don't think I would be able to do that."

"You do know that either her or her ghost will come back, don't you?" Darius said.

"Yes, I do know it." Tantibus replied, "But sometimes... sometimes I can hear her talking to me." Sometimes she whispers, sometimes she sings."

"Lord-"

"And sometims," Tantibus's voice was mournful, "Sometimes she's angry, sometimes happy."
Darius was overwhelmed, he never had imagined anything like this before.

Smirking, Lucian removed his ear from the door to the assembly room. "Don't you worry about your Erianna, Tantibus." he thought mockfully, "Because soon, you'll be with her... wherever that place is!"
Meanwhile he walked to his own cabin, he wondered why Cashmére didn't like him. Okay, he was about twenty years older than her, but still... He knew that he looked quite handsome, even though he was fourty. It had to be something else. When he finally reached his room, he looked into the mirror. And indeed, he was right; he was quite handsome. His raven black hair was not too long and not too short, it just reached his neck. He was tall, not as tall as Oberon, but still tall. But he sure was pale and... yes, of course! His eyes, they were yellow and had the same pupil as a snakes. "Rather those than the hideous, lime green Ramasotti-eyes!" he thought. Green, green, green, everything around Ramasottis just had to be green, people seemed to think. Well, green was their family colour, wasn't it? Lucian growled in frustration and, by mistake, he hitted a vase to the floor. He spat at it, but then he flicked with he fingers and the vase repaired itself. Someone knocked violently at his door.

"Come in." he said, trying not to sound angry.

"Lucian." Naomi stepped into the room, "We got to talk."

Lucian turned around. "What is it?"

"Why?" she asked. Lucian sighed irritated.

"I do not understand what you are talking about." he said.

"You branded me, then you made Cashmére run away." Naomi hissed.

"Made her run away?" Lucian shook his head, "What are you talking about."

"Don't try to act innocent!" Naomi said, staring right into his eyes. "We both know that everything you want is power. You are just as the rebels- pretending to be something that you are not."

He slapped her. "How dare you to accuse me for things that I have not done!?" he hissed, "Naomi, aren't the rebels enough? Do we have to tear ourselfs apart?"

"Liar." Naomi snapped, "You stupid, cowardly liar! What did you do to the poor little girl?"

"I have not done anything." Lucian said coldly and flicked dismissal with his fingers infront of her face. "Naomi, leave. Now."

"I know that you did something to her." Naomi hissed, "And when I when- trust me, I will- find out, you are going to pay for it!"

He spat at her. "Leave."

"You won't get away unpunished!" she shouted and was just about to go.

"Naomi, wait." Lucian said, almost softly. Naomi turned around, her hazel eyes burning with hate.

"What?" she snapped. He smiled sweetly at her.

"If anyone is going to pay for anything, you are going to pay for this." he said.

"We'll see." she said coldly.

"No, you will see." Lucian said, "Just wait."

Naomi gave him one last hatefilled look, then she turned her back against him and walked away. He closed the door after her. Lucian laughed. She didn't seem to be affected by the yesterdays happenings. Well, it felt as something really unpleasant was going to happen someone close to her... Perhaps one of her dear friends. He snickered again, imaging what he possibly could do.

"So we can stay here?" Marcia asked Endor.

"Of course you can!" Endor answered. Marcia sighed with relief.

"Thanks a lot, Endor." she said.

"What aren't friends for?" Endor replied, smiling towards Marcia. Marcia returned the smile, slightly feeble.

"But I have to tell you one thing, Endor." Marcia said.

"What, Marcia?" Endor wondered. Marcia looked around, as if she suspected to see someone listening to them. But no one listened to them, they were still in Endors room in the Port, and Joseph and Cashmére sat pretty far away from them and talked.

"I think that Jose is in love with Cashmére." Marcia whispered. Endor smiled.

"What is it with that?" Endor asked.

"Well, Augustus is not ging to enjoy it." Marcia answered lowly.

"Why?"

"Augustus and my father do not like eachother, and that is mostly because my mother and Cashmére's mother did not like eachother." Marcia said.

"So..." Endor replied.

"Augustus is Cashmére's father, and the emperor of the Eastern Snowplains." Marcia whispered, "If he don't want anything to happen, it just won't happen."

"Hold your horses." Endor said, "I don't understand."

"I mean," Marcia begun, very slowly, "That if Joseph and Cashmére would... I don't know, fall in love, that would mean that something very unpleasant could happend to Joseph."

(A/N Creepy, creepy Lucian...)