“I’ll let you up when you apologize and tell me how much you love me.” The victor demanded.
“Fine!” The girl in lilac and plum finally submitted. “I’m sorry for making you worry. And I love you bunches. You’re super wonderful and the bestest big sister I could ever hope for! Now let me up!”
“Did you get my money?’
“It’s in my left pocket.”
The sister on top leaned over, making sure to put just a little more pressure to the strained shoulder tendons and stuck her hand into the pocket.
“Now let me up!” Raven started writhing and spitting.
The other girl arched an eyebrow when she saw twenty gullions instead of the ten she was expecting. Pulling on Raven’s pony tail, she asked why there was extra money. “You didn’t get it from Richard, did you? You forgot and you’re trying to lie to me, aren’t you?”
The determined captive continued squirming but found escape impossible. “Would I lie to you? I stopped by his airship this morning to get it. Ask Sarah.”
“Who the hell is Sarah?”
“Probably the blonde you’ve never seen before.” That response earned another open handed slap to the back of the head and the winner scolded Raven for being snarky to the bestest big sister ever.
Then the girl settled her eyes on Sarah. “Is she telling the truth?’
Sarah nodded dumbly in the affirmative, to nervous to speak. Finally the victor stood and dragged Raven to her feet. The two faced each other with wide grins splitting their faces and hugged tightly.
As they pulled apart after a long moment, the girl wiped a bit of dirt off of Raven’s cheek. “I’ve missed you Sis.”
Raven wiped some soot off of her sister’s face in response. “I’ve missed you too.” The two linked arms and headed to the front doors of the castle, giggling and whispering under their breath but pulled up short when Bryson loudly cleared his throat. They turned as one and the older girl walked back over, with Raven in tow, to give the dragon a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks for bringing her home safely.” The girl told Bryson.
“Thank you for the trip Bryson. I’ll open up the door home for you, if you’re ready to go.” The dragon nodded and Sarah watched with great interest. Raven appeared to be grabbing thin air, twisting her arms and pulling something invisible towards her. Finally satisfied, she shoved both hands away from her body.
A large fireball, this one silky green instead of the usual orange, burst from the caster’s hands. It exploded against nothing twenty feet away and the air itself seemed to melt, leaving an inky black void. Bryson uncurled and everyone said their good-byes as he walked into the portal.
When magical doorway closed, Sarah steeled her resolve and walked up to the sister she hadn’t met, figuring it was Rebekah. She meant to introduce herself but the two girls had already turned and started back towards the castle. Feeling snubbed, Sarah watched them leave, unaccustomed to being treated like she was invisible. A warm arm wrapped itself around her shoulder.
“Don’t take offense.” Felicity smiled as she started leading her to the castle. “They’re always like this after they haven’t seen each other for any length of time. They’ll be in their own little world for the next couple of hours but we’ll introduce you at dinner.”
Shortly, Sarah found herself in a room that was easily the size of the work area in her shop back home, and looked to be a good deal more expensive. The floor was rich, dark wood and shone warmly in the sunlight filtering through dark green curtains. A huge fireplace, with a mantle made of the same wood as the floor, occupied one wall with a portrait above it. Four couches and a couple of chairs sat around in what at first glance appeared to be a haphazard fashion, but actually formed a sort of half circle around the fire place. Tall lamps sat between each of them. A dark crimson cloth she just knew would be soft to the touch upholstered the chairs and couches. In front of the fire place lay a thick green rug. A door in the back of the room was closed.
On the wall across from the fire place was a book shelf. Sarah couldn’t touch both sides of it with her arms stretched out and it was a bit taller than her 5’6 frame. The blacksmith figured it held over a hundred books. Another green rug lay in front of it.
“Is this your library?” Sarah loved to read, always had, but Vestavia’s library was off limits to everybody except the upper class and she rarely had money to buy books.
As she ran her hand over the velvet upholstered couch, Felicity explained that this was the reading room; only members of the immediate family and very close friends were ever allowed entry. The library itself was down on the third floor.
Sarah nodded silently and then glanced up at the portrait. It showed a handsome man with bright red hair and a chiseled jaw wearing a military dress uniform. An officer of Valentria, Sarah noted, having studied enough of the country’s history in school to know that much.
“Is that your father?” She asked.
Felicity smiled, perfectly white teeth shining through full lips. “Yes, that is our father, Duke Edward Chandlish.”
“He’s very handsome.”
“Thank you. He was also a bit of a rascal, if the stories are to be believed.”
“So Raven got more than just his red hair?”
Felicity giggled as she guided Sarah to the door at the end of the room, saying that it was the red hair that made them such a handful since all three of her younger sisters’ required constant supervision. When they reached the hallway, Sarah learned just how truthful that statement was.
From the parlor just beneath them, a bellow rose up. It was, of course, Raven. Sarah risked a peek over the railing, wary of any misaimed spells. A large man wearing a gray suit was trying with limited success to pull Raven to the back of a long, rectangular room. Rebekah yelled at the man to let her sister go. Amanda clapped and cheered, thoroughly enjoying the show. Felicity bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing before leading Sarah down the stairs.
They were about half way to the bottom when Raven screamed that he was hurting her and that seemed to be the signal for Rebekah. Leaping onto the man’s back, she hammered at his broad shoulders with balled up fist. The man in gray paid no heed and continued dragging the wailing Raven behind him.
As Felicity and Sarah reached the ground floor, Raven spun and kicked the man’s feet out from underneath him, sending all three into a heap. The two sisters were up in a flash sprinting towards the stairs, Rebekah in the lead, barreling past Sarah and Felicity who barely managed to dodge out of the way.
The man regained his footing and started to give chase but Felicity held out a hand to stop him.
“Felicity, your mother requested that I bring Raven to her as soon as she returned.” His voice, while deep and powerful, was also gentle.
Liz smiled. “I am well aware of what my mother has ordered Stephen, but don’t you remember what happened the last time we tried to separate those two?”
The man turned ghastly white but Felicity ignored the look of dismay. “Don’t worry. I was just on my way to see mom and introduce her to Sarah. She can speak with Raven shortly.”
Sarah studied the man during the conversation. She recognized him from somewhere but she couldn’t quite place it. Even standing still he seemed tense, ready to move in an instant. Strength and confidence radiated off of him in waves that Sarah could almost feel. His black hair, with a few spots of gray, was close cropped. A scar ran down his left cheek, but instead of detracting from his looks it seemed to add a roguish charm. Then it struck her.
“You’re Stephen Alexander.” She exclaimed with a sharp intake of breath. “You had my father make you a sword about 15 years ago.”
The man turned to study her, making Sarah squirm; she imagined it was what a rabbit felt as a hawk swooped from above. Then his face warmed with recognition. “You are the daughter of Thomas Petty?”
Sarah nodded before telling him that she was going into business with Raven.
Steph
en pursed his lips in what passed as a smile. “A true pleasure, Miss Petty, I thought that I recognized the craftsmanship of Raven’s sword. It seems your father has passed his artistry on to you. How is Thomas, by the way? I haven’t spoken to him in far too long.”
Sarah thanked him for the kind words and told him her father had passed away.
“I am sorry to hear that. Your father was an amazing sword maker, the finest I have ever met.” Stephen bowed slightly, “Now if you will excuse me ladies, I have matters to attend.”
Both girls waved as he walked away with Amanda following him. Then Liz led Sarah to a doorway at the end of the room. As they made their way across the marble floor, Sarah couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice.
“That was Stephen Alexander. The Stephen Alexander! He was the hero at the Battle of Lythogran.”
Felicity smiled, “One of father’s most trusted generals. After he died, Stephen devoted himself to our family. He is a constant protector and dear friend.”
Such an amazing family, Sarah thought to herself, still feeling renewed pride in her own father. Then she remembered a snippet of conversation as they entered the great dining hall. Seeing the beautiful table settings didn’t strike her as anything out of the ordinary, though if that was because she was adjusting to the world of wealth she found herself in, or because she was still stunned that Stephen Alexander had just praised her father, she couldn’t really be sure.
“What happened the last time you tried to separate Raven and Rebekah?’ The blacksmith asked nonchalantly, hoping her feigned disinterest would lead to an answer.
“Let’s just say this castle used to be one story taller.”
CHAPTER 7: WICKED STEP-MOTHER
Sarah stammered, trying to ask exactly what happened, but Felicity stopped in front of an ornate double door. Gold leaf trim spread over the intricate designs on the heavy wood and highly polished handles gleamed warmly; all of which Sarah ignored as she tried to imagine exactly what two young girls could do that would make a man of Stephen Alexander’s military accomplishments tremble.
Then Felicity opened the doors and Sarah forgot about Raven and Rebekah. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. The room was made from white marble. A red carpet led to a raised dais near the back on which two thrones set. Large chandeliers cast an even glow over everything. Spaced evenly on the walls tapestries hung from ceiling to floor, huge affairs with stories woven into the material. Sarah recognized the largest in the back, behind the thrones, from stories her mother had told her. Five figures casting a sixth from their precipice: The fall of Azaroth. However it was the woman sitting on the left throne that was easily the most striking feature of the chamber. Even from this distance Sarah could tell the woman was beautiful. There was someone standing in front of the throne but the woman looked over his shoulder and gave a dismissive wave. The man turned and shuffled out by a side door.
“Mom, Raven will come by later. She and Bekah are discussing important affairs of state.” Felicity explained as she and Sarah approached the throne.
The woman Sarah thought beautiful from a distance was absolutely stunning up close. It was obvious where Liz got her looks from. Rich, luxurious brown hair fell straight down to her shoulders. Almond shaped eyes, the color of coffee, sparkled from beneath thick lashes. She wore blue jeans with a white shirt and her boots were covered in mud but still looked elegant The languid, relaxed posture the woman assumed on the throne suggested she paid little attention to the opulence of the room-- the trappings of royalty were hers by right of nature. There was no doubt in Sarah’s mind that this woman wouldn’t be out of place at any high class function, no matter where it was.
The woman smiled at her daughter, crimson lips stretching over gleaming teeth. “Important affairs of state, hmm? Who exactly is sleeping with whom now?”
Liz grinned back. “I haven’t had a chance to ask yet. We’ll find out later.”
Turning her eyes to Sarah, as if seeing her for the first time, the woman’s face still smiled but Sarah noticed her eyes didn’t. “And who might you be?”
Felicity answered for her, which Sarah was thankful for since she couldn’t find her voice at the moment. “This is Sarah Petty, Raven’s new business partner.”
Sarah bowed her head slightly and, after finding her voice, managed stammer, “It is an honor to meet you Lady Chandlish. Thank you for having me in your home.”
The woman on the throne arched an eyebrow. The smile left her lips. “I am the Duchess Elspeth Chandlish.”
Blanching at her mistake, Sarah dropped immediately to one knee. “My humblest apologies, Your Grace, I meant no disrespect.”
Elspeth allowed Sarah to prostrate a moment longer before demanding that she stand. “The fault is not yours. A commoner cannot be expected to understand our world. Someone should have explained it to you in order to prevent this type of situation.” The Duchess Chandlish turned back to her daughter with the smile back in place. “Liz, please inform the kitchen staff that Branwyen’s guest will be dining with us tonight and have one of the maids prepare a room for her as well.”
After leaving the Duchess, Felicity spoke to a maid then led Sarah to a bedroom on the fifth floor so she could take a quick bath. Once again, Sarah found herself astonished at the different world she had stepped into. Her bag sat on a huge four poster bed, trimmed in silk sheets. Heavy curtains were pulled back with braided cords exposing large bay windows. The wall paper was soft brown, decorated with creeping green vines and white petals. On a table beside the bed, a crystal vase held a handful of the white and red flowers she had seen in the gardens.
Sarah heard Felicity say something but was to busy running her fingers over the gossamer bedding to catch the words.
“I’m sorry, what?” She asked, still savoring the feel of the delicate material. To someone born poor and raised poorer it reminded Sarah of the clouds she had flown through earlier that day.
Liz smiled, “I asked if this room is alright. Since you don’t have any furniture in your apartment yet, we want you to be our guest. There are other rooms available if you would prefer something larger, but I thought you might be comfortable in something closer to ours.”
‘Something larger,’ Sarah’s brain tried to wrap itself around that phrase before just accepting it.
“So all of your rooms are on this floor?” Sarah pulled the draw string on her bag open trying to find another shirt to change into.
“Yes, mine is on the right, Raven and Bekah’s room is on the left.” Liz pointed to each direction as she spoke.
“Raven and Bekah share? I thought that you had plenty of rooms?”
Felicity sat on the edge of the bed with a laugh. “We have 52 spare bedrooms in the castle. Bekah and Raven have slept in the same room since the first day they met though”
“So all four of you still live here?” Not that I blame you she added silently.
“No, we don’t often sleep here anymore. I have a house on Brewery Lane; Bekah has an apartment on Tombigbee Street where Raven spends most of her nights while Mandy and her husband live on River Street.”
“If you all have homes why are you staying here?”
“We all wanted to greet Raven’s new friend, of course.” Being shocked by the sheer size and lavishness of the room, Sarah didn’t notice it was the first time since they met Felicity avoided her eyes when speaking.
Raven’s mood was far less chipper than that of her new business partner. She had been having fun but now wasn’t and it royally ticked her off. This conversation could have waited until later tonight or even tomorrow. Unfortunately when Duchess Chandlish wanted something, she demanded it right then and to heck with whoever was inconvenienced.
Not waiting for the maid to announce her presence, Raven marched right into the Chambers of Office. Despite what many people outside of the family thought this was where the large majority of the day to day decisions that kept Valentria running smoo
thly occurred. Lamps placed along the walls lit the room and Raven plopped down in one of the two plush leather chairs situated in front of Elspeth’s mahogany desk. She ignored the stern looks Elspeth and Stephen shot her and proceeded to read the names of the books on the shelf behind them. She’d read every one, most twice, and passed the time trying to remember everything about them while the other two whispered in voices to low to hear. Finally their conversation ended.
“Branwyen, were you able to accomplish the task I assigned you.” Elspeth spoke calmly.
“Sure did.”
Stephen started to interject but stopped when Elspeth raised her hand. She leaned forward and eyed Raven coolly. She knew the girl was lying.
“It is my understanding that the Prime Minister was not at the ball. I believe she wasn’t feeling well. ” Elspeth hoped to catch Raven off guard.
“No, she wasn’t there.” Enjoying the new game, Raven propped her boots on the desk and smiled at her step-mother around the toes.
“Then how is it you were able to find out if she is being controlled? Although I’ve heard rumors that you are friends with more than a few Protectorate sympathizers, I sincerely doubt you’ve managed to infiltrate their inner circle. ”
“I stopped by her ship.”
Clouds of anger were forming in Elspeth’s face and Stephen could feel the tension building. Raven, of course, just sat there, completely oblivious as always. Knowing he’d have to do something to avert yet another major roe between the two of them, he calmly asked Raven to explain everything.
Rolling her eyes to show annoyance, Raven began.
“You’re right about Cassandra not being there. My bet is the spy is tipped them off about what I was up to.” Raven paid no heed to the matching expressions of shock on the other two faces. She and Sis had known there was a Protectorate spy in their midst for some time now despite Stephen’s best efforts to keep it secret.
WINDOWS: A BROKEN FAIRY TALE Page 7
