by J P Anderson
"Oh, do you mean when you ran away for eighteen years with no proper authorization leaving me to take the "Elf disobedience" heat all this time?" Alister yelled just loud enough that she knew he was angry but not enough for Genevieve and her peering eyes and ears to hear.
"Yeah, um, that. How's the home coming?" Paige asked, deciding she wasn't going to get small talk out of her fuming brother. She might as well hit the high points and skim through the rest.
"Acruz is here, he is to marry Andria in three days. Steps are being taken to prevent such an event." Alister told her, leaving out as much information as physically possible.
"Alister, why would you try to stop such an event with no proof to the severity of the situation?" Paige asked. "Or in these eighteen years has a power to be patient and wait, drastically developed?"
"I have enough proof." he muttered.
"I will have no part in a flawed plan with an unrealistic outcome if this is where this conversation is leading." Paige fixed with position of her weapons and stepped over a hollow tree.
"Then will you at least make sure the girl stays out of our way, I don't want her throwing herself in the way thinking she is some kind of hero and completely ruining my elaborate years of plans, you hear?"
"Her name is Genevieve, and she can handle herself."
"Well if she is anything like Andria," he said shifting her in his arms "she is all talk but no action. And as cute as they are, pride and courage does nothing when dark magic and hidden agendas that are involved." Alister told her.
"I think you underestimate their abilities, perhaps they will surprise you?"
"As much as I would love to be surprised, half-blood witches do not have powers, and humans, like many other creatures, have a tendency for trying to save the day."
"Yes, because cowering and scheming is so courageous." Paige mocked.
"I never once have I said I was courageous, but I survived when so many did not, what can that tell you about the brave?" Alister asked looking into her eyes for the first time in a long time.
"That they died honorably, and you will die old and alone." she brayed.
"Yes my sister, but I shall be right beside you, when the light finally goes out." he smiled.
"Yes, in a thousand years maybe!" she joked, knowing that their light would never go out.
"What about you? What has life on Earth been like?" Therius asked Genevieve, genially interested.
"I've been in an orphanage my whole life. My only friends where my roommate Sydney and my Peter. Syd's parents where druggies and she was removed from her home at the age of five, you see, so she had some serious issues. My best friend, Peter, and I had been planning to go to a community college but I guess that's not going to happen." She finished. Again, not technically a lie, she thought. She paused and then added.
"So, what's life like living in a castle?" She wanted to ask more but her commando boot was already in her mouth and she might mess up the tiny sibling bond she had created.
"Um, dismal, lonely, a basic hell whole," he answered looking at Ms. Crumm known only an hour ago to her as Paige.
"Oh?" Gen said as if it were a question. Therius put his arm around his sister.
"Don't worry sis, I'm sure you'll have it better than me, you didn't have a constant reminder of the fact you lost a loved one thrown in your face every day." Therius laughed but Gen didn't get the joke. He's insane, my brother is insane. But really, like anyone related to me is going to be normal. Oh wait, he's my step-brother so he isn't related to me at all. Crap, now I have no excuse. There is probably more to the story than people are telling me. Grrr, I hate riddles.
"That must have been hard?" Gen said as more of a question then condolence, on a count a, she actually hadn't a clue what was hard.
"Yeah but, it must have been harder to be alone with no answers, jeez, I mean, talk about a bad guardian." he said pausing as he went, apparently trying to think of something to say. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. She looked down, biting her lower lip. He pulled her chin up.
"You aren't alone anymore Gen, you have family." he stated as if she had just won them in a child's card game and tipped her head down and kissed her forehead. She blushed fiercely and looked at Andria she was still unconscious in Alister's arms as Paige and Alister caught up on resent events in both worlds. Alister looked at her with this cocky glance that made her want to slap and kiss him, her face flushed again at the thought and she looked away. She thought of how many times she wanted someone to say those exact words to her. Her eyes brimmed with tears but she blinked them away, thanking God that she wore waterproof mascara today, she was going to need it.
"I can't wait to meet my father." she said walking double time forward like a little kid on Christmas Eve. I have family, a twin sister that just looks just like me (I know that's redundant but let me have my moment) a brother, strange, eccentric and obviously emotionally damaged, brother and a father.
As they cleared the forest she saw something she did not expect. A town just like any on Earth (well medieval Earth but Earth none the less) with stores and merchants, hustling and bustling as if nothing were strange. But unlike the stores on Earth these had no glass windows and the streets are dirt. Horses trotted in front of her and Gen, for the first time, began to feel dizzy. It just hit her that she wasn't in New York City anymore and everything everyone had told her was actually true. Everything became black and the new strange world she was in turned upside down and her legs disappeared beneath her.
Chapter 10: Koi Pond
Therius stormed through the hall, fuming mad, shoving doors open before the guards could scramble to open them.
"Prince Therius, what bothers you so?" One asked. Therius stopped, pondering if he should reconsider yelling and screaming. He wasn't a little boy, quite the contrary he was only a few years younger than the man people call his father. He only called him that in a forced situation or when he wanted something, never out of fondness. Genevieve and Andria's mother was only a year younger than him when she came here. He supposed that put him in the category of last generation, the same generation as Acruz, Henry and so many others. But unlike most of them, he was not married. Not by his choice. He had been in love with a girl for many years. Filled with hate, because she abandoned him eighteen years ago, he hadn't found the courage to confront her.
"I must seek counsel from the king, where might I find him?" Therius asked, not really answering the question.
"I'm not allowed that type of information, sir." he answered.
"Thank you never the less." Therius said and they bowed to one another.
"Welcome back sir, by the way. The castle hasn't been the same without your presence." he welcomed, shifting awkwardly from side to side.
"I'm afraid that castle will never be the same again, for I am not the company." Therius told the man. Therius walked down the hall until he saw something that made him stop short and hide behind a pillar. Paige stood tall, with her olive skin that always seemed to shine, her beautiful grey eyes and her long brown hair that she was now pushing back, as she always did when she was thinking. Her wardrobe was as temperature rising as always, black halter top and a tan skirt with furry mid-calf ugg-like boots with gold, thick, skin tight, arm bracelets. Her build was perfect, at least to him, she had a flat stomach that was rarely covered, today being no exception. The rest of her was muscle. She had tight thighs and strong tight arms from her days as the king's personal fighting entertainment.
"Paige!" he yelled. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and continued to direct a servant. She pointed down the hall for the little boy and he ran off.
"Yes Therius." she answered in fake coyness.
"Where is the king?" he asked as if that is why he called out for her.
"In his room, asleep, you look terrible, you should sleep prince." She stepped in his way so they were inches apart, his face loosened into a smile.
"Do you remember me?" he whispered, look into his eyes. He
looked like he was going to explode, he breathed heavily.
"Only every waking moment." she answered looking into his eyes with a sense of deep urgency and worry. He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her fiercely she closed her eyes then realized what she was doing.
"N-no. I can't do this. It's illegal. Its treason, it's..." His eyes went from total worship to deep sadness.
"Are you saying your feelings have changed?" he asked as his voice regrettably cracked. She looked down trying to find words.
"Well it's v-very complicated, I-" she tried to explain.
"No it's not. Eighteen years ago, I said I loved you and you said the same. My question was simple, when you left without saying goodbye for eighteen years and I waited for you without a simple glance at anyone else because I knew who I wanted to be by my side..." he breathed trying to hold back tears, or rage. He held her face somewhat violently, making sure she did not look away from him. "You said you loved me...do you still love me?" He looked so young just then, so vulnerable, it almost wasn't fair. She was near tears, she knew that she could never be with him but her heart ached to scream yes, she had dreamed of saying yes for years, she wanted to say that she thought of him every day and wanted to marry him, but it would only cause her pain in the long run. So she did what she knew she was always going to half to do, break his heart.
"No." she said plainly. He let her chin slip from his fingers. He stepped back as if he'd been shot as she walked past him. He didn't let out air, he didn't let air in. He looked like he was being choked. His lip trembled as he tried to clench his teeth. He closed his eyes and breathed out in uneven spurts.
"Calm yourself Caunell, you have work to do." A voice said. He didn't even care who it was he just nodded, forced air out, and kept walking.
...
When Therius reached his step-fathers door he had been rehearsing what he should and should not mention. He never enjoyed Henry as a person and enjoyed him even less of late because he took too much joy in calling him boy, when in actuality. He is only three years older.
"Hello prince Therius lovely day were having?" The guard greeted. Therius usually enjoyed talking to the guards but today he was in no mood.
"Just open the door." he ordered half heartedly. He breathed in and tried to find his inner warrior, the man didn't asked him any other questions, he just did as he was told and opened the door.
"Henry!" Anger exploded sooner that he thought it would.
"Yes my son?" Henry asked. His tone was calm and content but with the nip of arrogance always sullying it.
"How could you do this to your own daughter? Make her marry that retched murderer!" Therius screamed, coming at him from across the room.
"Does no one see? I have a golden opportunity! There will be no fights we will be in complete peace with everyone! I will have made complete peace with everyone! What king can say that?" Henry yelled. Henry had always had the burning desire to be remembered. It burned as his reason and wisdom and poisoned most of the ethics.
"Lies! You have no idea what you have done do you? You have sent your fair, childish, beautiful daughter, who knows nothing of the hatred of the world, to her death, for the sake of a fouls dream of peace."
"You are a boy! What do you know of war and royalty?"
"I know more than you! When is the last time you went to war for your people! Never! When have you bled for them! Never! Your gift to your people is the betrayal of the ones you love!"
"That is enough, I will not be insulted by my own son,"
"I would rather die than be your son, to be related to a coward like yourself would be more of dishonor than-"
"Then to be hopelessly in love with an elf who can never return your love, sort of like that Therius?"
"How dare you talk about Paige-"
"Sir. Your daughter is being fitted for her dress." The man by the door interrupted them.
"Go to bed my son, you look horrible." He told him, still in the presence of the guard, and left him there near tears again.
...
Gen opened her eyes to a strapping young man about her age in ripped clothing somewhat like the cloths Therius was wearing when, Oh dear God! She immediately sat up scaring the bejesus out of him forcing him to drop the bowl of water and food to the ground. She examined the room. It was an Aldura (the Sun of Akadia) soaked room with windows facing the sea on one entire side and fire place opposite the huge oak door much taller an any human. The boy picked the bowl up and stared at her as if she had an arrow sticking out from her forehead.
"I'm sorry Andria; I thought you were getting your dress fitted not in your room." he was babbling on and on about how he was sorry and it was his fault but her mind drifted to what he said about 'Andria' getting fitted for a dress.
"Why is my sister getting her dress fitted?" Genevieve asked, pulling the quilted sheet off of her and trying to sit up.
"Sister? You have no sister..." Joshua began.
"My name is Genevieve, I am the twin of Andria and you are?" she said with little patience to the subject.
"I don't understand…I'm Joshua ma'am," she thought about that for a second.
"Sit." she added hesitantly. She put her hand on the bed signaling him to sit. He stared at her hand, flashed a quick closed mouth grin and sat. He was about eighteen or nineteen years old but his dark stormy blue eyes told a different tale, they looked aged and weary. She looked at the bowl at him and at his clothing and the thought finally crossed her mind. "Where are we Joshua?"
"We are in princess Andria's bed chamber, or where you speak more big scale? This is Akadia, the country. And we are on the planet Akadia. I know, it's somewhat confusing, but you get use to it. Andria likes it when there is something to drink when she comes in, so I replace the water every hour."
"Don't you mind halving to change her water every hour?" Gen asked.
"Miss. Andria is so fair. I would do anything for her." He looked down and his beautiful dark blue eyes smiled as he did with embarrassment. Okay that was more than loyalty. I'll have to ask Andria about that later.
"Can you take me to the king?" she asked in her most impartial tone she possessed.
"The king ma'am?" he looked seriously confused. Suddenly she forgot the urgency of her mission, she got up and ran for the door, turned and inquired.
"Aren't you coming?" he ran after like a little kid to Santa. She realized she had no idea where she really was, or where she was going. '
"Joshua, where is the king right now?"
"I don't know ma'am, I can tell you where your sister is though ma'am…" he answered with awkward ma'ams after every other word.
"It's Genevieve please." she begged.
"Genevieve." he echoed.
"Okay where is Andria then?"
"She would be in the fitting room, it on the other side of the palace. This way ma …Genevieve"
…
"Now that Genevieve is here why do I have to get married to that old coot?" Andria complained as the tailor measured her silk dress for last minute mistakes.
"Because your father is a dumbass," Alister countered as if it were simply a fact of life and slouched further in his favorite leather chair with brass ornate buttons.
"If you don't marry Acruz then our country will go to war with Ranicus." he mimicked Henry to perfection then pulled his black top hat over his face, slouched even more and crossed his arms. Paige walked into the room wiping away her tears before she spoke with indifference.
"What cha doin'?" Paige asked eyeing Alister and running to Andria. She held both of Andria's hands and looked her dress over. Andria mouthed "What is she saying?" but Alister merely shrugged, not exactly sure what cha or doin' was, her assumed human slang.
"It's stunning" she told her, walking over to Alister and hit his hat off his head and far behind him. She giggled and turned and he kicked her butt forcing her away. Genevieve ran into the room like a bat outta' hell, her boots sliding across the black granite floor into the colossal
room, Joshua not too far behind.
"Where's Therius?" Gen inquired.
"He, he's resting…he just got home you know, he was really tired." Paige said side squeezing her and walking her towards the huge mirror to the right of the door. Andria stood on a raised platform in front of the mirror still trying to kick the tailor away. She played with her hair and when she was done it was in a wrapped bun. Gen looked at the door Joshua stood in the doorway staring (if I'm not mistaken) lovingly at Andria from across the room. Gen finally glanced at herself in the mirror.
"Jeez!" she said looking at the perfection of the bun. She pointed to Gen and her outfit poofed into a lavender dress. Gen glared at her and she pointed again the dress turning black. Gen smiled. A man in a very nice velvet cape walked into the room, he saw Gen, and his eyes widened and he looked at Andria as she turned and looked at Gen.
