Morning came quickly and the group found themselves sitting on their beds as their breakfast arrived, all except Ophelia and Lenore who ate their lunches on the stairs of the dorm. The court yard was quiet as they all enjoyed their meals or rather pretended to enjoy them. There was a tension in the air that nearly gagged them all when Lenore appeared from behind the dorm.
Jolon was the most nervous of all and ate with small bites as if he was afraid that he would choke on it if the tension got any thicker. Routine was not bothered and seemed to rather enjoy the fact that his dorm mates were finally silent for a single meal.
The rest of the group seemed to be looking between Jolon and Lenore as if they were waiting for one of them to burst into flames, though Ophelia was rather calm. She sat next to the Princess with a smirk on her lips as she enjoyed her berries and cream. It made the boys wonder what exactly the younger girl had been told the evening before.
Lenore was eating her own meal and looked just as neutral as she did any other morning. She stretched out her legs over the stairs as she finished eating, and then placed the bowl on the platform before standing.
"Are you on your way to classes now?" Ophelia asked and watched as Lenore nodded her head before picking up the books and scrolls she needed that were placed next to the stairs. Ophelia abandoned her remaining food and scurried to gather her own items. "I shall walk with you."
As the two women began to head for the dirt path, Anton decided he would embark on the conversation that no one else would. "Lenore?"
The Princess stopped half way through the dirt court and turned to look at the man still laying on his bed.
"What do you plan?"
Lenore raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You spoke last night of proving that anyone can stand against the Prince and the council. I am curious as to what you plan to do." Anton looked toward Santh who seemed to be intently focused on his bowl now while Remus was hiding behind his own.
"As it stands for now, only Ophelia and I are privy to my plans. When it comes time for you to be made aware then you shall be." With that Lenore hurried out of the court with Ophelia in tow.
"What do you suppose she is going to do?" Anton asked.
Routine finished his meal and stood up before grabbing his own books. "There is no advantage to speculating when it comes to Lenore's actions. It will exhaust your time and your mind while remaining a fruitless endeavor as your hypothesis will be proven inadequate in the end." With that he left for classes.
Remus and Santh were next to prepare to leave and this made Jolon and Anton hurry to do the same as they didn't want to walk to the classrooms alone.
As they were packing, Remus began to chuckle which made everyone look toward him to ask what he found so amusing. He looked up at them and grinned, "Am I the only one that finds any humor in this situation we have found ourselves in?"
The three men only stared at him as if he had gone mad all stuck in one position as they prepared for their day.
"Lenore and Lesatan are about to fight to the death, and the Prince is strangely unaware. This morning he is awaking to a peaceful day and prepared to once again leave the sleeping dragon he calls his sister alone. Yet, in a matter of hours, Lenore will be breathing fire upon his castle. It amuses me." He chuckled once more.
None of them seemed humored and all began to walk toward the dirt path.
Remus watched them for a couple seconds before speaking again. "Perhaps, you have to know the Prince in order to see how truly priceless this situation is."
Piera had found herself eating her lunches and dinners with the Prince, but now he insisted that they eat their morning meal together as well. This meant she had to get up earlier to prepare and then walk across the university campus to arrive at his dorm each morning. She had never been pleasant during the day, but in the mornings she was downright angry at the world for even believing they should be awake at such an hour.
Of course, she couldn't snap at the Prince as much as she wanted though she found he never discussed anything with her other than their engagement anyway. The conversations were always the same as if they were putting on a play for an invisible audience at every meal.
No matter how many meals they ate together, Lesatan made no attempt to initiate any sort of physical relationship. She could not decide if he was shy, not attracted to her, or a gentleman. The advisers always left her alone with him and he hadn't so much as patted her hand. It wasn't that she wanted him to try but that she had been on edge about such things for a month and found herself falling into a state of trust that he would not attempt anything.
"I have sent word to the King and Queen about my decision to wed you, and they have both accepted your entrance into the Cromwell family." Lesatan told her as he ate his toasted bread in the same study they always shared their meals.
Piera looked up from the fruit she was picking at. "They have?" Her voice broke when she spoke and she immediately cleared it. "They are aware of my faults, are they not?"
He nodded, "My mother seemed worried, but she informed me that she had dealings in her own past and as long as you were beyond them there would be no issues between you."
She sat quietly for a moment and tried to think of anything she could say that would end this ridiculous idea once and for all. "My Prince, are you certain of this course of action?"
"In marrying you?" He watched her nod, "Yes, I am quite pleased."
"You do not seem to have any interest in me, at least not in a way that other men have shown me. So, I do not..."
Lesatan tossed his napkin onto the table and looked rather annoyed by her which cut off her words with haste. "Until we are formally engaged to the public, I do not wish to do anything that would be seen as improper. As for other men in your past, that will be the last I hear of it. Understood?"
She nodded her head, "Yes, milord." She ate another berry and then looked back up to him. "Though, is it not weird that you wed me and your sister weds my brother?"
Lesatan blanched, "What did you just say?"
"My brother is engaged to Princess Lenore, were you not aware? Your father met with my parents during the tournament and agreed to the terms." Piera felt as if she had spoiled something for the Princess.
For several moments, the Prince fell into a dark silence. He seemed to be thinking over her words and then looked up from his plate. "If Lenore marries your brother then she will be unable to act as my adviser."
Piera thought to answer, but decided that he was just speaking out loud and needed no input from her.
He cleared his throat, "It would also be redundant for us both to marry someone of the same household. Loyalties only need to be collected in one marriage."
For the first time in a month, Piera felt her heart begin to lift. Was he about to tell her that their engagement was worthless and put all this nonsense behind them.
"No, Lenore can not marry him. I will not have it. Sanctioned by my father or not, this will not stand." Lesatan turned his attention to Piera once more, "As my future queen, I demand your discretion in this matter. You will not tell either your brother or my sister that I have learned of this, and you will not inform them that I mean to stop it."
Swallowing, Piera nodded her head. "Yes, milord."
Lenore left her classroom and as she stepped down the short stairs a familiar Mondue walked passed her. He was oblivious to the fact that he had just passed her by and went to wait near another classroom.
With a smirk on her lips, Lenore walked through the crowd of rushing students all who were trying to make it to their dorms or to meet with their friends since classes were over for the day. She stood next to the large man and he noticed her as soon as she came to stand beside him. The smile on her lips lingered and for a brief moment she thought that Santh would return the gesture but he seemed to fight it off.
"Do you know what I realized?" Lenore looked toward the classroom that he was staring at once he turned his eyes from her.
"What is that?" He continued to stare at the nearby door. The look on his face told of his impatience but he didn't seem bothered in the least by the Princess' appearance next to him.
"You have yet to carry my books as per our bet." She held out her books to him. "It's only fair." She added when he merely stared down at them and when he continued to be quiet she tapped the books against his arm.
Looking up into her eyes, he cleared his throat as he pushed the books back toward her. "I can not fulfill that task today. I shall begin tomorrow, but as it stands now I am to meet with Krine."
"Krine? I thought you grew weary of her presence."
"I must speak with her. We have to discuss..."
She cut him off, "You needn't explain yourself to me. I apologize for inquiring." Lenore felt a slight tightness in her chest at being turned down by him for another woman, but she did her best not to show her feelings.
Santh thought it was strange that she would say such a thing as to Lenore everything was her own personal business."I am to walk her home today. I promised her this morning." He informed her still feeling that something was amiss. He didn't understand why he felt the need to explain, however it seemed to him that Lenore was coming to some judgment though he didn't truly know what she was thinking. He never really knew what was happening in her mind, as soon as he thought he knew he had been proven wrong.
The Princess swallowed as she pulled the books back to her chest, "In truth I have been thinking about this bet and was curious as to why you did not attempt to make good on our bargain. I realize now that Krine is involved it would be unfair to her to have you fulfill such an intimate task. I'll think of something less public and that will not cause Krine any jealousy."
"You needn't concern yourself. I will do as I promised. It slipped my mind much as it slipped yours." Santh looked once more toward the door, "Where is she? She knows I am waiting for her. This is most certainly a tactic to keep me in suspense."
"It seems to be working." Lenore mumbled under her breath and with all the students walking by them and chatting her comment went unheard. A feeling of not belonging in this situation filled Lenore's entire being. "I shall think of another task and tell you when I have established it. I need to return to the dorm, so I will take my leave before Krine gets the wrong impression due to my presence."
"What wrong impression could she conceive of?" Santh asked, and once he had that answer he would reinforce that she didn't need to change the bet, but Lenore was quick to slip into the crowd. He thought it was a rather odd conversation and wondered why she had wanted so desperately to change their bet rewards.
He decided that he would worry about the Princess later, as for now he had to concern himself with the conversation that he was about to have with Krine. He didn't know how well this would go but knew it needed to be done.
Santh found himself walking through the busy pathways with Krine walking beside him. The two tall Mondues looked to be a perfect couple, and the way Krine walked next to him looked as if she was telling one and all that the man next to her was in fact hers. Her head was held high and she wore a proud smirk.
The woman had looked thrilled that Santh was actually waiting for her when she left her classroom. Apparently, she had to speak with the professor about one of her tests and an answer that he marked as wrong.
There was no conversation as they made their way towards the girls' dorm, though plenty of conversation were being had around them. As they grew closer to the girls' dorm the voices lessened in the amount of men chatting amongst each other. Ever since the Prince's raid, most of the men were afraid to go anywhere near that dorm.
Once they were at the front gates, Krine turned to him with a smile. Two guards stationed nearby would not allow Santh to go any further not that he had attempted to. "Will you walk me tomorrow as well?"
"No." Santh motioned for them to go to a nearby tree so they would be away from the guards and the foot traffic as well.
Krine followed him onto the grass and then under the tree. It wasn't much privacy but it was enough that they could hear each other and not be overheard.
"I doubt this will make any difference in your attempts, but I wish for you to understand that I hold no affection for you. Your time is wasted upon me and I believe you should look elsewhere to find this mate that you desire." Santh had been practicing those lines in his head all night and all day, but once he spoke them they still did not seem to be clear enough.
She stared at him for a couple moments, "The rules were that you do not take away my hope, and I will not take away yours."
Pressing his lips together, he thought for a couple moments as nearby students walked by and watched them from the short distance. It was unusual for students to be standing on the grass, mostly because they were scolded for doing it.
"I am asking you... no I am pleading with you to end this and return to our old paths. Forget that they ever crossed."
She snorted, "You have barely taken the time to meet me, and I will not be tossed aside as if I am nothing before I am given the proper chance."
Santh stood in silence with her for a moment, before he began to speak. "I know that in our culture it is a sign of weakness for a woman to walk away without a fight, but you must understand that there is no chance of winning."
"Lenore has already won, then?"
He opened his mouth to deny her words, but closed them as if he was unsure where his denial might lead Krine.
"Very well. She may not be a Mondue and I may not be able to approach her in the same manner I could one of my own, but I will not allow her to simply rip this chance away from me." She crossed her arms. "I will inform her of my intentions and she and I will end this like the warriors we are."
When she began to walk away, Santh grabbed her arm. "Stop!" He yelled which caused Krine to turn back toward him.
"Did you just raise your voice to me?"
He took a deep breath, "Lenore doesn't know." Santh couldn't believe the words that were being spoken by his own mouth. "The relationship between us is limited, if you speak to her of this then I fear there will be nothing I can do to salvage it."
Krine swallowed, "Then you agree to allow me to continue and I shall keep silent about what you have just admitted."
Santh took a deep breath before he agreed with a nod.
Lesatan tapped his fingers against the desk before him as Armand and Authin sat in the chairs in front of the desk. Krius and Enoch had been ordered to wait outside in the hallway, as Lesatan had no interest in informing Krius of what he had learned that morning.
"Are the two of you aware of my sister's engagement?" Lesatan finally spoke after what seemed like an hour of silence that neither of the other two men dared to interrupt.
"No, milord." They spoke in unison.
Clearing his throat, Lesatan stood up from behind his desk. He placed his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth next to the wall. "I had to learn this information from my own future bride. I wonder what use three advisers and one potential adviser are when my sister can hide a formal engagement from me."
Armand didn't like that Lesatan was speaking so calmly. It meant that he already had a plan in place and had no interest in what anyone else had to offer. None of them had ever successfully convinced Lesatan to change his mind once the calmness had taken over.
Authin was unaware of what an obviously perturbed but nevertheless calm Prince meant, and he believed there was still time to make amends. "She became very angry when she discovered the truth. I must give her time to mend and then I shall reappear in her life. Pushing my way in at this point would be fruitless. You are aware of how stubborn Lenore is."
"Yes, I am. I am also aware that Lenore isn't one to change her mind radically on how she feels about a person. In truth, I have only seen it once and that was with my own adviser." Lesatan stopped pacing behind his desk and looked toward Armand. "This one is a failure. Find another and ensure that his mouth remains closed."
Standing up, Authin couldn't believe his ears. "Milord, please. I beg another chance. I was very close the last time, but she became too suspicious once I was sent into her dance class. I was even allowed to kiss her. I need for her to take the time so her anger cools and then I will be able to bring her back to your side."
The grin on Lesatan's face told of his disgust with the man. "To know that such inconsequential Royal touched my sister in any manner makes my skin crawl. Remove yourself from my study and never return."
Authin looked to Armand who was not speaking and instead had his head down. He knew that meant that he needed to leave. "Very well, Your Grace. I apologize, I am lacking and have failed you." With that he hurried toward the door and exited the room.
His departure caused Krius and Enoch to enter the room. Krius found his way to the seat that Authin had been using, while Enoch leaned against the wall.
Lesatan sat back down. "We need to find another to woo her over."
"Surely, we have seen this plan to be a failure. There must be another tactic to try." Armand almost seemed to be begging him.
"Authin was right that this almost worked, but we allowed ourselves to grow to close to him. Lenore was able to see passed our farce." He took a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair.
"I beg of you, milord. Allow me to try once more with her." Krius placed his hand on the desk and leaned forward so he could grow closer to the Prince in order to show him his sincerity. "I am certain that I can win her heart once more."
Lesatan frowned and offered a look to Krius that informed him that he was tired of hearing the man beg for his sister's hand. "No one has ever stood in your way while you attempted to try, and yet you fail without so much as taking a single step forward. We need someone more capable."
Remus spotted Santh in the crowd as he made his way toward the East gate. He hurried through the maze of students to capture a spot next to his friend. The large Mondue noticed him as soon as he appeared beside him, but did not seem interested in verbally acknowledging him.
"Did she accept your plea?" Remus asked and watched as Santh slowly shook his head. He took a deep breath, "I am going to check on Ophelia's stand, would you care to join me?"
Santh sucked on his bottom lip as he once more shook his head. "I am going to drink at the den for a while."
The merchant continued to walk beside him as they made their way toward the gate. "You should invite Lenore to join you. She will be out in the hamlet in a couple of hours after she finishes tutoring the commoners."
Santh eyebrows came together as if he was asking why he would do that.
"Camaraderie? Forming a bond? Growing closer?" Remus shrugged his shoulders. "Women fall for the man who makes time for them and wants to be with them."
As they came to the gates, Santh stopped walking suddenly and turned to face his friend. "You take far too much interest in my relationships, when you should be looking toward your own?"
"Excuse me?" Remus raised one eyebrow.
"I speak of Ophelia. You are constantly chasing behind me. Always looking to help her in any way you can find. Taking every opportunity to be near her. You are too obvious in your attempts to win her over."
A smirk formed on Remus' mouth. "I would hope so. To have all my efforts go unnoticed by her would be a great waste, wouldn't you say?"
His comment caught Santh off guard and he simply stared at the man before him as the other students pushed passed them to head out of the gate. After a couple moments of Remus merely smirking at him, he spoke. "Why? Why would you purposely look so desperate?"
He chuckled once before he began to rub one of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows. "I need to grow emotions between us and for that to happen she must know that I am attempting to sow the field."
"Sow the field?"
He gave a firm nod. "One does not just toss seeds down and hope that a field of wheat grows. The soil must be cared for first and foremost, and then it will bring forth a bounty."
"I see." Santh spoke under his breath.
"You never mind the soil. Your soil has been turned and fertilized for years now, put the damn seeds down." Remus smacked his friend's arm. "Eventually, someone else will come along and you'll just be the one that could have been with her."
"Hey! Hello!" Ophelia's voice broke through the crowd as she came upon the two men. She bounced next to them with a giant smile on her lips. "Are you going to check on the stand?" She asked Remus who nodded, "Are you going to come with us?"
Santh shook his head.
"Aw, you haven't seen my stand yet, have you?" She clasped her hands together and offered him her large, sad eyes which he knew worked on many of the men in the dorm.
Remus knew that Santh wouldn't wish to join them. "I am afraid Santh is having a rather hard day and wants no company other then that of a barmaid pouring his ale."
"Oh, then next time?"
Holding out his arm, Remus allowed Ophelia to take it and then looked toward his friend. "Excuse us, we have some tilling to attend to."
Ophelia looked between the two men, "What are we tilling?" She asked as she walked away arm in arm with Remus.
Dalton's nose went up as soon as he saw the dilapidated dorm and the dirt court. He couldn't believe that his sister would actually sleep here, but it was worse to know that she made friends here. To the far right of the court was a few beds that had blankets held up above them as if to protect from rain, and his guess was proven right as he got closer and could smell the mold on the blankets.
The two commoners were sitting on the ground with their desks over their laps. Lenore was standing and speaking to them as Routine sat on a nearby bed. He would chirp in from time to time whenever he didn't like the way the Princess explained an answer.
Lenore took notice of her brother as he grew closer and turned to him before pointing at a nearby desk for him to use. He took the desk that was leaning against one of the beds and sat a good distance from the commoners as he didn't want to receive their fleas.
"Dalton, this is Anton Pugh and Jolon Marsh. Everyone this is my brother, Dalton Vinson. Who will be moving closer to you now." Lenore informed them.
Dalton gave her a glare but did as he was asked until he was sitting next to Anton.
Jolon didn't remember the boy from the tournament. "I knew you had two sisters, but I didn't know of a brother."
Lenore nodded, "My mother had three children with Duke Vinson. Dalton is the eldest if you do not include me."
"Why would you be included?" Dalton finally spoke. "You are not a Vinson and therefore not his daughter."
Anton and Jolon took a moment to look at each other, before turning to see Lenore's reaction to what her brother had just said.
Lenore surprised them all by smiling. "Indeed. I do not belong in anyway to the house of Vinson. Thank you for that reminder, Dalton."
Her brother did not seem pleased by that response but remained silent as Lenore began to teach them after sitting down at her own desk that faced them. She would do her assignments while she instructed them on their own.
"I am confused by this. It makes little sense." Dalton exclaimed while they were working on their arithmetic.
Lenore had gone silent after telling each one how to do their assignment so she could finish up her own. However, they were allowed to ask her for assistance.
Anton looked over at Dalton's scroll. "You aren't carrying your numbers. It's a simple mistake and easily..."
"I spoke not to you!" Dalton barked and turned to his sister. "Show me how this is done once more!"
Lenore watched as Anton lowered his head before she looked to her brother. "Anton was assisting you. We help each other, but if you would prefer to do this alone or act as if I am a paid tutor then you know your way out of the court, I presume."
Dalton attempted to glare down his sister, but she went back to the scroll in front of her and completely ignored him. After a couple moments he spoke again, "Will you not explain this to me? I came here to be tutored by you, and this is the treatment I receive?"
"Apologize to Anton and ask him to finish explaining it. As he said it is a simple mistake, and Anton is actually quite good in this subject." Lenore told him never once looking up at him as she continued her work.
Dalton looked to Anton who hadn't turned his eyes away from the scroll. He then looked to the dirt under his knees while everyone else was sitting on pillows. The air was full of the smell of mold which caused a headache to form. He couldn't believe he had lowered himself down to be in such a situation.
Swallowing, he gently nudged Anton beside him. "Pardon my behavior. I would appreciate having this explained to me."
Anton gave a nod and leaned over to explain the problem.
Lenore turned her eyes up to them and grinned, before she looked over to Routine who was also watching the two boys. When their eyes met, Lenore smiled and Routine bowed his head.
Piera found herself sitting across the dinner table in Lesatan's study once more. She wondered if those in the dorm dining hall missed their Prince or perhaps he was a constant dampener on their festivities.
As she ate her slice of pork, she thought of that morning and wondered if she had gotten Lenore into much trouble. She feared to ask what had come of it as she didn't wish to seem like she was too worried about the Princess and had no concern for the Prince. It seemed to her that he was rather touchy when it came to his sister and she wanted to skirt the issue all together.
"I had this sent over for you." Lesatan took a small wooden box and placed it on the table in front of her.
Taking the top of the dark wood box off, she found a red ruby ring with small diamonds encircling it. "What is this?"
"It is my mother's engagement ring. Well, it has been passed through my family for generations. Countless Cromwell Queens have worn it, and now it belongs to you." Lesatan held a smile on his lips that seemed to be a rare visitor upon his face.
Piera put the lid back on the box, "Milord, I couldn't possibly take this now. Not until our engagement is accepted by my parents."
Reaching his hands across the table, Lesatan took the box and her hand still holding a grin on his lips. "Our parents have spoken and your parents give their consent. We may not be formally announced, but as it stands our engagement is finalized." He told her as he pulled the ring from the box and placed it upon her left ring finger.
Piera didn't know how the ring fit as it did. It was almost as if it had been made just for her, but as he had told her moments before the ring was far older than she was.
"Good, it fits. My mother suspected your hands would be the same as her own. She has a knack for guessing what sizes fit someone be they a woman or a man. Be they clothes or jewelry." He told her with a continued grin that was now making Piera nervous.
She pulled her hand away from his own and looked down at the beautiful ring and then back up to the man in front of her. "Certainly, this is moving too quickly."
"We will not be married until you and I are finished with our schooling. As a Queen to be, you will be able to stay at the university for the entire eight years if you wish."
Swallowing deeply, she looked into his eyes. "Milord..."
"Please, in private I am simply Lesatan now." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with a look of pride covering every inch of himself.
"Lesatan," She tried out the name and it only seemed to make him more prideful. "my past is horrible and I do not believe others will take kindly to my being queen. I can not fathom why you would allow a person such as myself to stand at your side. There must be better women in the world that you would prefer."
"Better perhaps." Lesatan cocked his head to the side. "However, none were chosen by my sister."
Piera felt her heart stop, "The Princess offered my name to you?"
He nodded. "Yes, of course. I have grown to care for your company and realize that my sister has some excellent tastes. Even my own mother was shocked at the suggestion, but she believes it is for the best of the kingdom."
A rage began to fill the Souchan woman and for the rest of the meal all she could think of was the many ways she would destroy Lenore. That woman would receive a piece of her mind in short order.
"Oh, I nearly forgot. Your items will be moved tomorrow from the girls' dorm, but you will begin sleeping in the room adjoined to my own tonight."
That sealed it; Lenore was a dead woman.
Lenore walked in front of her brother as they made their way down the dirt path. Once they entered the flowered court, she turned to face him.
"I appreciate your assistance." Dalton spoke bitterly.
She seemed to ignore his tone all together, "It was our pleasure. Will you be arriving tomorrow as well?"
"I will." He grumbled before pushing passed her and heading to his own dorm in the Mondue area.
The Princess watched him disappear into the distance with a small grin on her lips. The evening had proven to be humorous, but now she had to hurry to run her errands for Remus.
"Greetings, dear Princess." A voice spoke from the bench behind her.
She turned to find Authin was sitting nearby. She wondered how she hadn't noticed him earlier and mentally noted that she needed to remember to keep her guard up. "Authin, I thought I made myself clear. I do not wish any further contact with you."
Standing up from the bench, Authin placed his hand over his heart. "Those words cut more deeply then you know, Princess. I know that my actions were initially impure, but I told you the truth because I wanted to begin anew with you."
Lenore straightened her back and folded her hands in front of her. "I do not know in how many ways I can tell you no, but if you must the test the number do so. However, be aware that my answer will never change."
"I have fallen madly in love with you, Lenore. Did you not feel our connection when I kissed you? It was brief and I so desperately wanted more, but..."
"Enough!" Lenore barked. "This is beneath you, and it only causes rage inside my own heart. I have no interest in you, Authin. Be gone!" With that she turned to walk toward the dirt path.
Anton lurched forward and shoved her against a nearby tree. His lips attempted to attach themselves to her own, but Lenore continued to twist her head back and forth. In one attempt, Lenore jerked her head forward so that her forehead and his nose connected. This caused Authin to stumble back and grab his now bleeding nose as Lenore hurried down the path.
Authin was quick to run after her and he tackled her from behind. Laying on the ground, Lenore was turned over with Authin laying above her. Pinning her arms above her head, he made eye contact with her. "Forgive me, but you must see the truth!" He yelled as blood from his nose dripped down onto her face.
Leaning down he was able to kiss her lips, though Lenore tried to bite him. Whenever she was able to move her lips away, she screamed for the man to get off of her. Every ounce of training she had was over run in those moments as she no longer could use her speed or agility.
"No!" Lenore yelped when she felt his one free hand move from holding her face to her breast, but the fear only continued when she felt him begin to undo the belt around her waist. "Stop!"
That word seemed to make the man fly off her and Lenore was quick to sit up. Santh was holding the smaller man and punched him with all his might sending Authin to the ground with an added injury that would surely be a black eye.
Standing up, Authin didn't choose to fight any longer and was quick to flee after he covered his wounded eye. Standing behind Santh was Remus and Ophelia who had gone to the den after their errands to bring him home.
Ophelia hurried over to Lenore who had tears in her eyes, she pulled her friend close as Lenore began to mumble. "Not again."
"Lenore, are you alright?" Ophelia asked as Santh came to kneel down in front of her. He used his handkerchief to help wipe away the blood. He thought she was wounded but found it only to be that of her attacker.
"Not again." Lenore cried out again and continued to do so as if she was not even present in the moment before them.
Ophelia and Santh made eye contact, before he spoke. "I'll take her to her bed, while you get something for her to drink and clean up with."
When he was about to pick her up, Lenore shove him away. "Don't touch me!"
Helping her to stand, Ophelia looked at the other two men. "You two fetch the water. I'll help her to the bed."
No one spoke anything as they did so. Anton, Jolon, and Routine hadn't heard the fight as they had been behind the dorm washing up as they waited for their dinner to arrive. Everyone remained speechless and Lenore seemed lost in her own world as tears ran down her cheeks.
Piera nearly ran the entire length from the Royal Dorms to the Unmentionable's Dorm. It had taken near next to forever for Lesatan to excuse her. Afterward she had been taken into her own Royal bedroom; it had looked exactly like the Prince's and she had gagged at the awful décor of purples. Lesatan told her that it was decorated just like Lenore's dorm as the Queen thought purple was best for women of power. He spoke it as if it were fact and therefore gave no explanation as to why.
When he finally left her to sleep, she opened the window and crawled down the tress as she knew he wouldn't allow her to go for an evening walk alone. She felt that there would eventually be guards or at the very least one of his advisers would begin to follow her.
Hurrying down the dirt path, she finally came to the court and looked at the beds where Anton and Jolon were laying. "Where is the Princess?" She barked the question.
Both men startled at her sudden appearance and angry tone. With their right hands both pointed to behind the dorm which Piera followed without thanking them.
Moving toward her prey as quickly as possible, she stopped when she found Lenore sitting on her bed with Routine cleaning her face with a cloth. Santh stood nearby as Remus and Ophelia sat on the other bed. Lenore hadn't allowed anyone to touch her except Ophelia but after a short time she wouldn't even let the girl do so. The only one able to keep her calm enough had been Routine and he was talking to her about questions that were on her assignments which seemed to keep her mind occupied.
The scene did not completely register in Piera's mind as she stormed over to stand at the end of her bed. "Did you do this?" She held up the ruby engagement ring that was still on her finger. It felt like a brick had been tied to her hand.
Lenore's eyes fell upon the stone and she spoke with a shaken voice. "Is that Queen Aletta's ring?"
"Did you suggest my name to your brother?" Piera screamed the question at the top of her lungs as Anton and Jolon came around the corner to witness what was occurring. "He is forcing me to wed him! I am to be queen and never once did I ask for you to do this!"
Routine stood up and walked around the bed before grabbing his sister's upper arms. "Enough, Piera. You are lost in a rampage and are impervious to her injuries."
Piera looked over at the Princess and began to see that she was slightly bruised on her wrists and mouth. "What has happened?" She asked with the anger gone from her chest.
"She was attacked that's all you need know." Her brother told her as everyone else stood silent around them. "Return to the Royal Dorms before the Prince discovers your disappearance."
Her eyes turned from the Princess to her brother, "How are you aware of my change in dorms?" Her voice became irritated again, "How do you know that I now sleep there, Byron? Tell me!"
"Our parents informed me. Now take your leave."
Swallowing her pride down as she knew this wasn't the time to investigate this further, she turned around only to find Anton staring at her. His mouth was slightly ajar as anyone would be to discover they were secretly meeting with the Prince's fiancee.
The two knew they couldn't say anything to each other in this moment, but as Piera passed by him she gave him look of sympathy and hoped he understood that she would contact him to explain.
Anton did understand but his eyes went to Ophelia who had noticed their glances, but she continued to frown as she turned her attention back to Lenore. Clearing his throat, Anton moved to the front of the dorm where he watched Piera make her way down the dirt path. Jolon soon followed behind him.
"Lenore almost raped and Piera forced into marriage. This has truly been a troubling day." Jolon mumbled as he laid down on his bed.
Anton agreed with a nod as he laid down himself. He wanted to catch up with Piera to tell her that she had tricked him into something that could easily have gotten him killed, but he knew he could do nothing until they met again.
Jolon was the most nervous of all and ate with small bites as if he was afraid that he would choke on it if the tension got any thicker. Routine was not bothered and seemed to rather enjoy the fact that his dorm mates were finally silent for a single meal.
The rest of the group seemed to be looking between Jolon and Lenore as if they were waiting for one of them to burst into flames, though Ophelia was rather calm. She sat next to the Princess with a smirk on her lips as she enjoyed her berries and cream. It made the boys wonder what exactly the younger girl had been told the evening before.
Lenore was eating her own meal and looked just as neutral as she did any other morning. She stretched out her legs over the stairs as she finished eating, and then placed the bowl on the platform before standing.
"Are you on your way to classes now?" Ophelia asked and watched as Lenore nodded her head before picking up the books and scrolls she needed that were placed next to the stairs. Ophelia abandoned her remaining food and scurried to gather her own items. "I shall walk with you."
As the two women began to head for the dirt path, Anton decided he would embark on the conversation that no one else would. "Lenore?"
The Princess stopped half way through the dirt court and turned to look at the man still laying on his bed.
"What do you plan?"
Lenore raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You spoke last night of proving that anyone can stand against the Prince and the council. I am curious as to what you plan to do." Anton looked toward Santh who seemed to be intently focused on his bowl now while Remus was hiding behind his own.
"As it stands for now, only Ophelia and I are privy to my plans. When it comes time for you to be made aware then you shall be." With that Lenore hurried out of the court with Ophelia in tow.
"What do you suppose she is going to do?" Anton asked.
Routine finished his meal and stood up before grabbing his own books. "There is no advantage to speculating when it comes to Lenore's actions. It will exhaust your time and your mind while remaining a fruitless endeavor as your hypothesis will be proven inadequate in the end." With that he left for classes.
Remus and Santh were next to prepare to leave and this made Jolon and Anton hurry to do the same as they didn't want to walk to the classrooms alone.
As they were packing, Remus began to chuckle which made everyone look toward him to ask what he found so amusing. He looked up at them and grinned, "Am I the only one that finds any humor in this situation we have found ourselves in?"
The three men only stared at him as if he had gone mad all stuck in one position as they prepared for their day.
"Lenore and Lesatan are about to fight to the death, and the Prince is strangely unaware. This morning he is awaking to a peaceful day and prepared to once again leave the sleeping dragon he calls his sister alone. Yet, in a matter of hours, Lenore will be breathing fire upon his castle. It amuses me." He chuckled once more.
None of them seemed humored and all began to walk toward the dirt path.
Remus watched them for a couple seconds before speaking again. "Perhaps, you have to know the Prince in order to see how truly priceless this situation is."
---***---
Piera had found herself eating her lunches and dinners with the Prince, but now he insisted that they eat their morning meal together as well. This meant she had to get up earlier to prepare and then walk across the university campus to arrive at his dorm each morning. She had never been pleasant during the day, but in the mornings she was downright angry at the world for even believing they should be awake at such an hour.
Of course, she couldn't snap at the Prince as much as she wanted though she found he never discussed anything with her other than their engagement anyway. The conversations were always the same as if they were putting on a play for an invisible audience at every meal.
No matter how many meals they ate together, Lesatan made no attempt to initiate any sort of physical relationship. She could not decide if he was shy, not attracted to her, or a gentleman. The advisers always left her alone with him and he hadn't so much as patted her hand. It wasn't that she wanted him to try but that she had been on edge about such things for a month and found herself falling into a state of trust that he would not attempt anything.
"I have sent word to the King and Queen about my decision to wed you, and they have both accepted your entrance into the Cromwell family." Lesatan told her as he ate his toasted bread in the same study they always shared their meals.
Piera looked up from the fruit she was picking at. "They have?" Her voice broke when she spoke and she immediately cleared it. "They are aware of my faults, are they not?"
He nodded, "My mother seemed worried, but she informed me that she had dealings in her own past and as long as you were beyond them there would be no issues between you."
She sat quietly for a moment and tried to think of anything she could say that would end this ridiculous idea once and for all. "My Prince, are you certain of this course of action?"
"In marrying you?" He watched her nod, "Yes, I am quite pleased."
"You do not seem to have any interest in me, at least not in a way that other men have shown me. So, I do not..."
Lesatan tossed his napkin onto the table and looked rather annoyed by her which cut off her words with haste. "Until we are formally engaged to the public, I do not wish to do anything that would be seen as improper. As for other men in your past, that will be the last I hear of it. Understood?"
She nodded her head, "Yes, milord." She ate another berry and then looked back up to him. "Though, is it not weird that you wed me and your sister weds my brother?"
Lesatan blanched, "What did you just say?"
"My brother is engaged to Princess Lenore, were you not aware? Your father met with my parents during the tournament and agreed to the terms." Piera felt as if she had spoiled something for the Princess.
For several moments, the Prince fell into a dark silence. He seemed to be thinking over her words and then looked up from his plate. "If Lenore marries your brother then she will be unable to act as my adviser."
Piera thought to answer, but decided that he was just speaking out loud and needed no input from her.
He cleared his throat, "It would also be redundant for us both to marry someone of the same household. Loyalties only need to be collected in one marriage."
For the first time in a month, Piera felt her heart begin to lift. Was he about to tell her that their engagement was worthless and put all this nonsense behind them.
"No, Lenore can not marry him. I will not have it. Sanctioned by my father or not, this will not stand." Lesatan turned his attention to Piera once more, "As my future queen, I demand your discretion in this matter. You will not tell either your brother or my sister that I have learned of this, and you will not inform them that I mean to stop it."
Swallowing, Piera nodded her head. "Yes, milord."
---***---
Lenore left her classroom and as she stepped down the short stairs a familiar Mondue walked passed her. He was oblivious to the fact that he had just passed her by and went to wait near another classroom.
With a smirk on her lips, Lenore walked through the crowd of rushing students all who were trying to make it to their dorms or to meet with their friends since classes were over for the day. She stood next to the large man and he noticed her as soon as she came to stand beside him. The smile on her lips lingered and for a brief moment she thought that Santh would return the gesture but he seemed to fight it off.
"Do you know what I realized?" Lenore looked toward the classroom that he was staring at once he turned his eyes from her.
"What is that?" He continued to stare at the nearby door. The look on his face told of his impatience but he didn't seem bothered in the least by the Princess' appearance next to him.
"You have yet to carry my books as per our bet." She held out her books to him. "It's only fair." She added when he merely stared down at them and when he continued to be quiet she tapped the books against his arm.
Looking up into her eyes, he cleared his throat as he pushed the books back toward her. "I can not fulfill that task today. I shall begin tomorrow, but as it stands now I am to meet with Krine."
"Krine? I thought you grew weary of her presence."
"I must speak with her. We have to discuss..."
She cut him off, "You needn't explain yourself to me. I apologize for inquiring." Lenore felt a slight tightness in her chest at being turned down by him for another woman, but she did her best not to show her feelings.
Santh thought it was strange that she would say such a thing as to Lenore everything was her own personal business."I am to walk her home today. I promised her this morning." He informed her still feeling that something was amiss. He didn't understand why he felt the need to explain, however it seemed to him that Lenore was coming to some judgment though he didn't truly know what she was thinking. He never really knew what was happening in her mind, as soon as he thought he knew he had been proven wrong.
The Princess swallowed as she pulled the books back to her chest, "In truth I have been thinking about this bet and was curious as to why you did not attempt to make good on our bargain. I realize now that Krine is involved it would be unfair to her to have you fulfill such an intimate task. I'll think of something less public and that will not cause Krine any jealousy."
"You needn't concern yourself. I will do as I promised. It slipped my mind much as it slipped yours." Santh looked once more toward the door, "Where is she? She knows I am waiting for her. This is most certainly a tactic to keep me in suspense."
"It seems to be working." Lenore mumbled under her breath and with all the students walking by them and chatting her comment went unheard. A feeling of not belonging in this situation filled Lenore's entire being. "I shall think of another task and tell you when I have established it. I need to return to the dorm, so I will take my leave before Krine gets the wrong impression due to my presence."
"What wrong impression could she conceive of?" Santh asked, and once he had that answer he would reinforce that she didn't need to change the bet, but Lenore was quick to slip into the crowd. He thought it was a rather odd conversation and wondered why she had wanted so desperately to change their bet rewards.
He decided that he would worry about the Princess later, as for now he had to concern himself with the conversation that he was about to have with Krine. He didn't know how well this would go but knew it needed to be done.
---***---
Santh found himself walking through the busy pathways with Krine walking beside him. The two tall Mondues looked to be a perfect couple, and the way Krine walked next to him looked as if she was telling one and all that the man next to her was in fact hers. Her head was held high and she wore a proud smirk.
The woman had looked thrilled that Santh was actually waiting for her when she left her classroom. Apparently, she had to speak with the professor about one of her tests and an answer that he marked as wrong.
There was no conversation as they made their way towards the girls' dorm, though plenty of conversation were being had around them. As they grew closer to the girls' dorm the voices lessened in the amount of men chatting amongst each other. Ever since the Prince's raid, most of the men were afraid to go anywhere near that dorm.
Once they were at the front gates, Krine turned to him with a smile. Two guards stationed nearby would not allow Santh to go any further not that he had attempted to. "Will you walk me tomorrow as well?"
"No." Santh motioned for them to go to a nearby tree so they would be away from the guards and the foot traffic as well.
Krine followed him onto the grass and then under the tree. It wasn't much privacy but it was enough that they could hear each other and not be overheard.
"I doubt this will make any difference in your attempts, but I wish for you to understand that I hold no affection for you. Your time is wasted upon me and I believe you should look elsewhere to find this mate that you desire." Santh had been practicing those lines in his head all night and all day, but once he spoke them they still did not seem to be clear enough.
She stared at him for a couple moments, "The rules were that you do not take away my hope, and I will not take away yours."
Pressing his lips together, he thought for a couple moments as nearby students walked by and watched them from the short distance. It was unusual for students to be standing on the grass, mostly because they were scolded for doing it.
"I am asking you... no I am pleading with you to end this and return to our old paths. Forget that they ever crossed."
She snorted, "You have barely taken the time to meet me, and I will not be tossed aside as if I am nothing before I am given the proper chance."
Santh stood in silence with her for a moment, before he began to speak. "I know that in our culture it is a sign of weakness for a woman to walk away without a fight, but you must understand that there is no chance of winning."
"Lenore has already won, then?"
He opened his mouth to deny her words, but closed them as if he was unsure where his denial might lead Krine.
"Very well. She may not be a Mondue and I may not be able to approach her in the same manner I could one of my own, but I will not allow her to simply rip this chance away from me." She crossed her arms. "I will inform her of my intentions and she and I will end this like the warriors we are."
When she began to walk away, Santh grabbed her arm. "Stop!" He yelled which caused Krine to turn back toward him.
"Did you just raise your voice to me?"
He took a deep breath, "Lenore doesn't know." Santh couldn't believe the words that were being spoken by his own mouth. "The relationship between us is limited, if you speak to her of this then I fear there will be nothing I can do to salvage it."
Krine swallowed, "Then you agree to allow me to continue and I shall keep silent about what you have just admitted."
Santh took a deep breath before he agreed with a nod.
---***---
Lesatan tapped his fingers against the desk before him as Armand and Authin sat in the chairs in front of the desk. Krius and Enoch had been ordered to wait outside in the hallway, as Lesatan had no interest in informing Krius of what he had learned that morning.
"Are the two of you aware of my sister's engagement?" Lesatan finally spoke after what seemed like an hour of silence that neither of the other two men dared to interrupt.
"No, milord." They spoke in unison.
Clearing his throat, Lesatan stood up from behind his desk. He placed his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth next to the wall. "I had to learn this information from my own future bride. I wonder what use three advisers and one potential adviser are when my sister can hide a formal engagement from me."
Armand didn't like that Lesatan was speaking so calmly. It meant that he already had a plan in place and had no interest in what anyone else had to offer. None of them had ever successfully convinced Lesatan to change his mind once the calmness had taken over.
Authin was unaware of what an obviously perturbed but nevertheless calm Prince meant, and he believed there was still time to make amends. "She became very angry when she discovered the truth. I must give her time to mend and then I shall reappear in her life. Pushing my way in at this point would be fruitless. You are aware of how stubborn Lenore is."
"Yes, I am. I am also aware that Lenore isn't one to change her mind radically on how she feels about a person. In truth, I have only seen it once and that was with my own adviser." Lesatan stopped pacing behind his desk and looked toward Armand. "This one is a failure. Find another and ensure that his mouth remains closed."
Standing up, Authin couldn't believe his ears. "Milord, please. I beg another chance. I was very close the last time, but she became too suspicious once I was sent into her dance class. I was even allowed to kiss her. I need for her to take the time so her anger cools and then I will be able to bring her back to your side."
The grin on Lesatan's face told of his disgust with the man. "To know that such inconsequential Royal touched my sister in any manner makes my skin crawl. Remove yourself from my study and never return."
Authin looked to Armand who was not speaking and instead had his head down. He knew that meant that he needed to leave. "Very well, Your Grace. I apologize, I am lacking and have failed you." With that he hurried toward the door and exited the room.
His departure caused Krius and Enoch to enter the room. Krius found his way to the seat that Authin had been using, while Enoch leaned against the wall.
Lesatan sat back down. "We need to find another to woo her over."
"Surely, we have seen this plan to be a failure. There must be another tactic to try." Armand almost seemed to be begging him.
"Authin was right that this almost worked, but we allowed ourselves to grow to close to him. Lenore was able to see passed our farce." He took a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair.
"I beg of you, milord. Allow me to try once more with her." Krius placed his hand on the desk and leaned forward so he could grow closer to the Prince in order to show him his sincerity. "I am certain that I can win her heart once more."
Lesatan frowned and offered a look to Krius that informed him that he was tired of hearing the man beg for his sister's hand. "No one has ever stood in your way while you attempted to try, and yet you fail without so much as taking a single step forward. We need someone more capable."
---***---
Remus spotted Santh in the crowd as he made his way toward the East gate. He hurried through the maze of students to capture a spot next to his friend. The large Mondue noticed him as soon as he appeared beside him, but did not seem interested in verbally acknowledging him.
"Did she accept your plea?" Remus asked and watched as Santh slowly shook his head. He took a deep breath, "I am going to check on Ophelia's stand, would you care to join me?"
Santh sucked on his bottom lip as he once more shook his head. "I am going to drink at the den for a while."
The merchant continued to walk beside him as they made their way toward the gate. "You should invite Lenore to join you. She will be out in the hamlet in a couple of hours after she finishes tutoring the commoners."
Santh eyebrows came together as if he was asking why he would do that.
"Camaraderie? Forming a bond? Growing closer?" Remus shrugged his shoulders. "Women fall for the man who makes time for them and wants to be with them."
As they came to the gates, Santh stopped walking suddenly and turned to face his friend. "You take far too much interest in my relationships, when you should be looking toward your own?"
"Excuse me?" Remus raised one eyebrow.
"I speak of Ophelia. You are constantly chasing behind me. Always looking to help her in any way you can find. Taking every opportunity to be near her. You are too obvious in your attempts to win her over."
A smirk formed on Remus' mouth. "I would hope so. To have all my efforts go unnoticed by her would be a great waste, wouldn't you say?"
His comment caught Santh off guard and he simply stared at the man before him as the other students pushed passed them to head out of the gate. After a couple moments of Remus merely smirking at him, he spoke. "Why? Why would you purposely look so desperate?"
He chuckled once before he began to rub one of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows. "I need to grow emotions between us and for that to happen she must know that I am attempting to sow the field."
"Sow the field?"
He gave a firm nod. "One does not just toss seeds down and hope that a field of wheat grows. The soil must be cared for first and foremost, and then it will bring forth a bounty."
"I see." Santh spoke under his breath.
"You never mind the soil. Your soil has been turned and fertilized for years now, put the damn seeds down." Remus smacked his friend's arm. "Eventually, someone else will come along and you'll just be the one that could have been with her."
"Hey! Hello!" Ophelia's voice broke through the crowd as she came upon the two men. She bounced next to them with a giant smile on her lips. "Are you going to check on the stand?" She asked Remus who nodded, "Are you going to come with us?"
Santh shook his head.
"Aw, you haven't seen my stand yet, have you?" She clasped her hands together and offered him her large, sad eyes which he knew worked on many of the men in the dorm.
Remus knew that Santh wouldn't wish to join them. "I am afraid Santh is having a rather hard day and wants no company other then that of a barmaid pouring his ale."
"Oh, then next time?"
Holding out his arm, Remus allowed Ophelia to take it and then looked toward his friend. "Excuse us, we have some tilling to attend to."
Ophelia looked between the two men, "What are we tilling?" She asked as she walked away arm in arm with Remus.
---***---
Dalton's nose went up as soon as he saw the dilapidated dorm and the dirt court. He couldn't believe that his sister would actually sleep here, but it was worse to know that she made friends here. To the far right of the court was a few beds that had blankets held up above them as if to protect from rain, and his guess was proven right as he got closer and could smell the mold on the blankets.
The two commoners were sitting on the ground with their desks over their laps. Lenore was standing and speaking to them as Routine sat on a nearby bed. He would chirp in from time to time whenever he didn't like the way the Princess explained an answer.
Lenore took notice of her brother as he grew closer and turned to him before pointing at a nearby desk for him to use. He took the desk that was leaning against one of the beds and sat a good distance from the commoners as he didn't want to receive their fleas.
"Dalton, this is Anton Pugh and Jolon Marsh. Everyone this is my brother, Dalton Vinson. Who will be moving closer to you now." Lenore informed them.
Dalton gave her a glare but did as he was asked until he was sitting next to Anton.
Jolon didn't remember the boy from the tournament. "I knew you had two sisters, but I didn't know of a brother."
Lenore nodded, "My mother had three children with Duke Vinson. Dalton is the eldest if you do not include me."
"Why would you be included?" Dalton finally spoke. "You are not a Vinson and therefore not his daughter."
Anton and Jolon took a moment to look at each other, before turning to see Lenore's reaction to what her brother had just said.
Lenore surprised them all by smiling. "Indeed. I do not belong in anyway to the house of Vinson. Thank you for that reminder, Dalton."
Her brother did not seem pleased by that response but remained silent as Lenore began to teach them after sitting down at her own desk that faced them. She would do her assignments while she instructed them on their own.
"I am confused by this. It makes little sense." Dalton exclaimed while they were working on their arithmetic.
Lenore had gone silent after telling each one how to do their assignment so she could finish up her own. However, they were allowed to ask her for assistance.
Anton looked over at Dalton's scroll. "You aren't carrying your numbers. It's a simple mistake and easily..."
"I spoke not to you!" Dalton barked and turned to his sister. "Show me how this is done once more!"
Lenore watched as Anton lowered his head before she looked to her brother. "Anton was assisting you. We help each other, but if you would prefer to do this alone or act as if I am a paid tutor then you know your way out of the court, I presume."
Dalton attempted to glare down his sister, but she went back to the scroll in front of her and completely ignored him. After a couple moments he spoke again, "Will you not explain this to me? I came here to be tutored by you, and this is the treatment I receive?"
"Apologize to Anton and ask him to finish explaining it. As he said it is a simple mistake, and Anton is actually quite good in this subject." Lenore told him never once looking up at him as she continued her work.
Dalton looked to Anton who hadn't turned his eyes away from the scroll. He then looked to the dirt under his knees while everyone else was sitting on pillows. The air was full of the smell of mold which caused a headache to form. He couldn't believe he had lowered himself down to be in such a situation.
Swallowing, he gently nudged Anton beside him. "Pardon my behavior. I would appreciate having this explained to me."
Anton gave a nod and leaned over to explain the problem.
Lenore turned her eyes up to them and grinned, before she looked over to Routine who was also watching the two boys. When their eyes met, Lenore smiled and Routine bowed his head.
---***---
Piera found herself sitting across the dinner table in Lesatan's study once more. She wondered if those in the dorm dining hall missed their Prince or perhaps he was a constant dampener on their festivities.
As she ate her slice of pork, she thought of that morning and wondered if she had gotten Lenore into much trouble. She feared to ask what had come of it as she didn't wish to seem like she was too worried about the Princess and had no concern for the Prince. It seemed to her that he was rather touchy when it came to his sister and she wanted to skirt the issue all together.
"I had this sent over for you." Lesatan took a small wooden box and placed it on the table in front of her.
Taking the top of the dark wood box off, she found a red ruby ring with small diamonds encircling it. "What is this?"
"It is my mother's engagement ring. Well, it has been passed through my family for generations. Countless Cromwell Queens have worn it, and now it belongs to you." Lesatan held a smile on his lips that seemed to be a rare visitor upon his face.
Piera put the lid back on the box, "Milord, I couldn't possibly take this now. Not until our engagement is accepted by my parents."
Reaching his hands across the table, Lesatan took the box and her hand still holding a grin on his lips. "Our parents have spoken and your parents give their consent. We may not be formally announced, but as it stands our engagement is finalized." He told her as he pulled the ring from the box and placed it upon her left ring finger.
Piera didn't know how the ring fit as it did. It was almost as if it had been made just for her, but as he had told her moments before the ring was far older than she was.
"Good, it fits. My mother suspected your hands would be the same as her own. She has a knack for guessing what sizes fit someone be they a woman or a man. Be they clothes or jewelry." He told her with a continued grin that was now making Piera nervous.
She pulled her hand away from his own and looked down at the beautiful ring and then back up to the man in front of her. "Certainly, this is moving too quickly."
"We will not be married until you and I are finished with our schooling. As a Queen to be, you will be able to stay at the university for the entire eight years if you wish."
Swallowing deeply, she looked into his eyes. "Milord..."
"Please, in private I am simply Lesatan now." He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with a look of pride covering every inch of himself.
"Lesatan," She tried out the name and it only seemed to make him more prideful. "my past is horrible and I do not believe others will take kindly to my being queen. I can not fathom why you would allow a person such as myself to stand at your side. There must be better women in the world that you would prefer."
"Better perhaps." Lesatan cocked his head to the side. "However, none were chosen by my sister."
Piera felt her heart stop, "The Princess offered my name to you?"
He nodded. "Yes, of course. I have grown to care for your company and realize that my sister has some excellent tastes. Even my own mother was shocked at the suggestion, but she believes it is for the best of the kingdom."
A rage began to fill the Souchan woman and for the rest of the meal all she could think of was the many ways she would destroy Lenore. That woman would receive a piece of her mind in short order.
"Oh, I nearly forgot. Your items will be moved tomorrow from the girls' dorm, but you will begin sleeping in the room adjoined to my own tonight."
That sealed it; Lenore was a dead woman.
---***---
Lenore walked in front of her brother as they made their way down the dirt path. Once they entered the flowered court, she turned to face him.
"I appreciate your assistance." Dalton spoke bitterly.
She seemed to ignore his tone all together, "It was our pleasure. Will you be arriving tomorrow as well?"
"I will." He grumbled before pushing passed her and heading to his own dorm in the Mondue area.
The Princess watched him disappear into the distance with a small grin on her lips. The evening had proven to be humorous, but now she had to hurry to run her errands for Remus.
"Greetings, dear Princess." A voice spoke from the bench behind her.
She turned to find Authin was sitting nearby. She wondered how she hadn't noticed him earlier and mentally noted that she needed to remember to keep her guard up. "Authin, I thought I made myself clear. I do not wish any further contact with you."
Standing up from the bench, Authin placed his hand over his heart. "Those words cut more deeply then you know, Princess. I know that my actions were initially impure, but I told you the truth because I wanted to begin anew with you."
Lenore straightened her back and folded her hands in front of her. "I do not know in how many ways I can tell you no, but if you must the test the number do so. However, be aware that my answer will never change."
"I have fallen madly in love with you, Lenore. Did you not feel our connection when I kissed you? It was brief and I so desperately wanted more, but..."
"Enough!" Lenore barked. "This is beneath you, and it only causes rage inside my own heart. I have no interest in you, Authin. Be gone!" With that she turned to walk toward the dirt path.
Anton lurched forward and shoved her against a nearby tree. His lips attempted to attach themselves to her own, but Lenore continued to twist her head back and forth. In one attempt, Lenore jerked her head forward so that her forehead and his nose connected. This caused Authin to stumble back and grab his now bleeding nose as Lenore hurried down the path.
Authin was quick to run after her and he tackled her from behind. Laying on the ground, Lenore was turned over with Authin laying above her. Pinning her arms above her head, he made eye contact with her. "Forgive me, but you must see the truth!" He yelled as blood from his nose dripped down onto her face.
Leaning down he was able to kiss her lips, though Lenore tried to bite him. Whenever she was able to move her lips away, she screamed for the man to get off of her. Every ounce of training she had was over run in those moments as she no longer could use her speed or agility.
"No!" Lenore yelped when she felt his one free hand move from holding her face to her breast, but the fear only continued when she felt him begin to undo the belt around her waist. "Stop!"
That word seemed to make the man fly off her and Lenore was quick to sit up. Santh was holding the smaller man and punched him with all his might sending Authin to the ground with an added injury that would surely be a black eye.
Standing up, Authin didn't choose to fight any longer and was quick to flee after he covered his wounded eye. Standing behind Santh was Remus and Ophelia who had gone to the den after their errands to bring him home.
Ophelia hurried over to Lenore who had tears in her eyes, she pulled her friend close as Lenore began to mumble. "Not again."
"Lenore, are you alright?" Ophelia asked as Santh came to kneel down in front of her. He used his handkerchief to help wipe away the blood. He thought she was wounded but found it only to be that of her attacker.
"Not again." Lenore cried out again and continued to do so as if she was not even present in the moment before them.
Ophelia and Santh made eye contact, before he spoke. "I'll take her to her bed, while you get something for her to drink and clean up with."
When he was about to pick her up, Lenore shove him away. "Don't touch me!"
Helping her to stand, Ophelia looked at the other two men. "You two fetch the water. I'll help her to the bed."
No one spoke anything as they did so. Anton, Jolon, and Routine hadn't heard the fight as they had been behind the dorm washing up as they waited for their dinner to arrive. Everyone remained speechless and Lenore seemed lost in her own world as tears ran down her cheeks.
---***---
Piera nearly ran the entire length from the Royal Dorms to the Unmentionable's Dorm. It had taken near next to forever for Lesatan to excuse her. Afterward she had been taken into her own Royal bedroom; it had looked exactly like the Prince's and she had gagged at the awful décor of purples. Lesatan told her that it was decorated just like Lenore's dorm as the Queen thought purple was best for women of power. He spoke it as if it were fact and therefore gave no explanation as to why.
When he finally left her to sleep, she opened the window and crawled down the tress as she knew he wouldn't allow her to go for an evening walk alone. She felt that there would eventually be guards or at the very least one of his advisers would begin to follow her.
Hurrying down the dirt path, she finally came to the court and looked at the beds where Anton and Jolon were laying. "Where is the Princess?" She barked the question.
Both men startled at her sudden appearance and angry tone. With their right hands both pointed to behind the dorm which Piera followed without thanking them.
Moving toward her prey as quickly as possible, she stopped when she found Lenore sitting on her bed with Routine cleaning her face with a cloth. Santh stood nearby as Remus and Ophelia sat on the other bed. Lenore hadn't allowed anyone to touch her except Ophelia but after a short time she wouldn't even let the girl do so. The only one able to keep her calm enough had been Routine and he was talking to her about questions that were on her assignments which seemed to keep her mind occupied.
The scene did not completely register in Piera's mind as she stormed over to stand at the end of her bed. "Did you do this?" She held up the ruby engagement ring that was still on her finger. It felt like a brick had been tied to her hand.
Lenore's eyes fell upon the stone and she spoke with a shaken voice. "Is that Queen Aletta's ring?"
"Did you suggest my name to your brother?" Piera screamed the question at the top of her lungs as Anton and Jolon came around the corner to witness what was occurring. "He is forcing me to wed him! I am to be queen and never once did I ask for you to do this!"
Routine stood up and walked around the bed before grabbing his sister's upper arms. "Enough, Piera. You are lost in a rampage and are impervious to her injuries."
Piera looked over at the Princess and began to see that she was slightly bruised on her wrists and mouth. "What has happened?" She asked with the anger gone from her chest.
"She was attacked that's all you need know." Her brother told her as everyone else stood silent around them. "Return to the Royal Dorms before the Prince discovers your disappearance."
Her eyes turned from the Princess to her brother, "How are you aware of my change in dorms?" Her voice became irritated again, "How do you know that I now sleep there, Byron? Tell me!"
"Our parents informed me. Now take your leave."
Swallowing her pride down as she knew this wasn't the time to investigate this further, she turned around only to find Anton staring at her. His mouth was slightly ajar as anyone would be to discover they were secretly meeting with the Prince's fiancee.
The two knew they couldn't say anything to each other in this moment, but as Piera passed by him she gave him look of sympathy and hoped he understood that she would contact him to explain.
Anton did understand but his eyes went to Ophelia who had noticed their glances, but she continued to frown as she turned her attention back to Lenore. Clearing his throat, Anton moved to the front of the dorm where he watched Piera make her way down the dirt path. Jolon soon followed behind him.
"Lenore almost raped and Piera forced into marriage. This has truly been a troubling day." Jolon mumbled as he laid down on his bed.
Anton agreed with a nod as he laid down himself. He wanted to catch up with Piera to tell her that she had tricked him into something that could easily have gotten him killed, but he knew he could do nothing until they met again.