Today was the last day I would ever spend at Apisarn. It also means that in a few days, I will be wed to Ane. The journey to this day was not a simple one, as Ane was forced to give up her rights as heir to her sister in order to wed me. I had insisted that she should not and that we not marry at all, but she assured me that I would make everything up to her one day.
As I sit in this carriage that is taking me back to Pachant, I have sworn that I will do everything within my power to give her back what she has lost not only for her, but for our unborn children as well. Lucius has already promised me a role at his side, which will give me a direct path to accomplishing these goals.
Unfortunately, it seems that the path is more near than I had expected. As I was preparing to leave Apisarn only an hour ago, Lucius practically clung to me like a child whose father was heading for the front of a battle field. It is well known that his father is deathly ill and has been so over the past year. Lucius will be King very soon, and from what Pymus had told me "it would be within the month if I were a betting man." Which he is, so I do not understand why he would add that last bit.
"I demand you return with me to Arthes!" Lucius barked and pointed at his carriage.
"Lucius, I will be married within the week, I must return home." I had tried to reason with him, but Lucius' eyes were dark from lack of sleep and perhaps he had even been crying that morning.
The Prince did not appreciate that answer and he shoved my chest. It was not powerful enough to move me, but the intention was clear. "I need you at my side!"
Pymus was quick to move in between us. "I will go to the capital with you, your grace. Once Varden is married, he will follow." He turned to look at me and I agreed with a nod.
This seemed to settle Lucius down and he turned toward the carriage without another word.
"Forgive his selfishness, Varden. He knows how important your wedding is to you. In fact, before his father became ill, he was furious that he would not be able to attend. He even attempted to allow the wedding at the palace, but alas his parents thought it might be offensive to the family that disowned her." Pymus patted his shoulder. "Of course, this means I can not attend either. I will send gifts and my good wishes, as will Lucius."
I placed my hand on his shoulder and we stood there together. "It has been years since I have gone longer than a day or two without seeing one of you."
"See us less, and her more. With that you will feel less lonely. Ah, but my own wedding is in a couple of weeks and mine will be taking place at the castle. So, please remember to bring your lovely bride. I would be pleased to share the reception, if you will allow it."
I had grinned at him, "I would need to ask Ane before I gave any answer."
He nodded.
"Are you staying?" Lucius screamed from the carriage.
"His royal highness grows grumpy and in desperate need of a nap. Farewell, Varden. I shall see you soon."
"Farewell." I watched him hop into the carriage and then heard Lucius yell for them to quickly make their way.
Lucius had left a carriage behind for me which the driver told me that he was also to be used in my wedding and to take me to Arthes when the wedding had finished. It was a nice gesture, and made me realize that Lucius was not serious about making me stop my wedding plans.
I once worried that when my learning was done that Lucius and Pymus would vanish from my life, and it had rather haunted my time at this university. However, in the last week, Lucius refused to allow me to disappear. It seemed he trusted me more than any of his advisers, and he wanted to give me work as head of the guards at the palace, once the current officer retired which I understood would be within the next year or two. He informed me that once I proved my worth there, that he would find me higher positions until I could make my way into the coveted Royal House.
This is my goal. I will take Ane and place her even higher then that which she gave up for me. I will make her overbearing, selfish sister jealous, but most of all I will provide the absolute best for my family.
Remus waited in the Prince's study and looked over a study scroll that had been left on his desk. During the week, he had received word that he needed to speak to him on the next rest day during the lunch hour. He had nearly forgotten that he had made such a deal with the Prince, as he was constantly trying to discover the proper way to tell Ophelia the truth about his future.
Of course, Lenore did not make his life easy as she would glare at him whenever Ophelia offered him any sort of kind or loving gesture. Judgmental, pretty princess who thought she knew what was best for everyone and for some damn reason was almost always right.
"Good, you are here." Lesatan came to sit down behind his desk as Remus rolled up the scroll and replaced it.
Piera entered the room and took the chair next to Remus. He bowed his head briefly at her and she returned the gesture as if forgetting that she would be Queen someday.
"I have spoken to the council and encouraged them to give half of the royal ball budget over to this endeavor. You will have the university guards train peasants from the hamlet, and during this time, guard stations will be built with supplies. Each guard will need to be at their assigned stations for at least two weeks at a time before the next group of guards will be stationed there. I have placed Krius in control of scheduling the guard duties." Lesatan spoke with certainty and looked directly into Remus' eyes.
Remus nearly respected the man sitting in front of him, of course then he remembered that this was the same boy who kidnapped his sister a week before. "It sounds like a solid plan, milord."
"I spent all week convincing the council that this would benefit the school. If this plans fail, we will both lose faith in the eyes of these boys that will one day be powerful men. Do you understand?" Lesatan placed his hands firmly on the table.
"I have no intention of failing, milord. With guards from the hamlet, we shall place more coin into the economy that alone will be worth the effort. The stations and guards will allow more products to enter into the hamlet so that not only the rich can benefit from what may be seen as luxury items now." Remus stood from his chair. "I have great faith in this endeavor, and I shall work until it is completed. Even if I am silently a part of this, it is my legacy as well. I shall not fail."
The Prince pressed his lips together and frowned, "The grand speech was not needed."
The merchant didn't bother to look embarrassed, "A grand speech is always needed, milord. Perhaps if you gave some than people would stand behind you more often." He bowed, "I shall take my leave, then."
"Hold." He ordered.
Piera continued to sit in silence as she watched as everything fell into place. She had wanted to speak but knew there was a time and a place for her interruptions.
Remus looked down at the sitting Prince, "Yes, milord?"
"My sister... have you heard anything about this lover of hers?"
He shook his head, "I thought that the matter was resolved and that you were no longer interested in her private affairs."
"Varden Aguilar's son... she shows great interest in him."
Remus' back stiffened, but before he could lie, the prince interrupted him.
"My father has always spoken highly of his father, I suppose if this is true..." He shook his head, "No, even if it is, I can not condone it. I wish that I was capable, but my sister's marriage is of great importance to my own rule. I have many places to put her that would be of benefit to us both. So, if you see any such relationship between them, I would demand to be informed."
Remus bowed his head, "I will do so without fail." He turned to leave and dashed out of the door.
"Why is Santh not approved? His father won his family a title and lands in the Royal House. All Santh need to do is take it." Piera asked.
Lesatan looked over at her. "If he did so, then perhaps I might change my mind."
Lenore was moving around campus as she hurried to finish her father's plans. This was not something that she could complete over a summer, though she felt she needed to give her father more progress since he seemed uncertain of her commitment.
As she turned a corner, a large shadow fell over her and she looked up to watch Santh head toward the gates. After working on her plans all day, she decided that she wanted to unwind and there was no one else better to do so with than Santh.
Hopping over to him, she smiled as she came to walk beside him. "You have been avoiding me all week. Is this about seeing you naked?"
Santh looked at her out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "It has nothing to do with my undressed state."
"Oh, I thought you might be embarrassed because you were completely naked." She saw the way that he slightly flinched whenever she said the word naked, and it gave her a good idea on how to tease him. Also, he looked around at others that walked passed them when she spoke the word out loud. She clicked her tongue, "Is it about the fight after seeing you naked?"
"Stop saying that." He snapped under his breath and turned to look at her.
"Stop saying what? That I saw you naked?" She grinned.
Santh continued to frown, "Enough, Lenore."
The seriousness in his voice made her grin melt away, "Is something troubling you, Santh? You do not seem yourself today."
He couldn't understand this woman. One moment she was teasing him and now she was pretending to be concerned for him. "I am tired of your teasing and harassment. I want you to leave me be. Act as if we are strangers that happen to share friends." He told her in a firm voice.
Lenore seemed shocked by that response. "Why?"
"That was my next question. Why do you keep bothering me?"
The Princess' shocked expression left and she smiled again, this time gently pushing his shoulder. "I have answered that question on many occasions."
"Tell me in no uncertain details."
She chuckled, "Oh, alright. You want me to confess first then. Well, very well. I am tired of playing cat and mouse with you."
Folding his arms, Santh stared down at her as if to inform her that the answer was not good enough.
"We have been courting each other. You would get upset over things I did because you did not approve of them, and I would tease you in return for your care. Then we started to more openly care for one another, because we do care for each other." Lenore's words almost sounded like a question as she looked at the stern expression on his face. "I like you, why else would I..."
Santh snorted, "What?"
"I thought you felt the same." She mumbled.
"You believed that I was attempting to court you. I despise your very existence, Princess. I yell at you because your actions harm others that I do care for, and you are too much of a spoiled child to realize what you have done. I yell at you because every one else in the world allows you to get away with the filth you create. I will never feel any thing toward you but contempt." He was trying not to speak so loud as to allow others to hear him, but he wanted his tone to show his seriousness. "We are dorm mates, nothing more."
Lenore blinked a couple times as if she was coming out of a nightmare, and then she swallowed before giving him a grin. "Well, then I apologize. I thought I had company on this island, but it appears I am alone. I will do my best from this moment forward not to interact with you or give you cause to speak to me on someone else's behalf."
Santh watched her walk away, he lifted his hand to grab her wrist to stop her from leaving as he already wanted to apologize, but he dropped his hand to his side. "This is for the best." He told himself as he headed toward the gates. His thoughts were on the grin she had given him had been truly the only false expression he had ever seen on her face.
Piera was excited that her brother had come to see her at the Royal Dorms. She took him to her study where a table was set and she was able to feed him tea and cakes. Though, he didn't look too interested in eating or drinking, and when the quiet became too much Piera began to speak of Lesatan.
"He is truly not as evil as I thought he was. That doesn't sound like the compliment that I wanted it to be. He is actually rather wonderful when he is not throwing fits, and I believe that I might be happy at his side." She told her brother as she bit into one of the pastries.
Routine was sitting in the chair and only staring at her.
When she swallowed her food she continued. "I was terrified of meeting him and moving to the dorms, but now that I am here I realize that he was a monster in rumors only. He is just a misunderstood man who needs someone to understand him." She chuckled, "Have I said how truly happy I am, Byron?"
"It is favorable that you are pleased with this arrangement, after all this engagement was acquired through the death of my own." Routine told her as he leaned back in his chair.
The smile faded from her lips. "I am sorry that this was the outcome. I know that she was your closest friend."
He looked directly into her eyes. "Initially, the engagement was orchestrated to procure time, however I began to find the idea of marrying Lenore appealing. In fact, she was the only person whose touch I did not find repugnant, and therefore I could possibly impregnate."
Piera seemed stunned by his confession. "You thought of actually... with Lenore?"
Routine kept a straight face, "It is not as if I was yearning for her, Piera. I found myself not repulsed by the idea."
She took a deep breath, "I already felt terrible for what has occurred, and now this makes it truly feel like my happiness is built on your misery."
He slowly shook his head, "She and I have disconnected. As we are no longer companions in one room, she has stopped appearing before me, and no longer needs my assistance."
"I am certain that is not true. Have you told her how you feel? Perhaps, she is just busy and does not realize that you have been left to the side." Piera placed her hands on the table. "I know it is difficult for you to tell others when you need their attention, but Lenore knows you very well. If you talked to her, she would give you her time."
He shook his head, "Her time is the property of Santh Aguilar."
His sister raised an eyebrow, "Byron, are you jealous? Are you upset that you must share Lenore with someone else?"
"Preposterous!" He snapped, yet after a moment he sat back in his chair after leaning forward. "Envious, perhaps. Her time was once mine to monopolize, as she cared for no others."
"The dorm became rather crowded this year." Piera spoke with sincerity. "Last year, the Princess and you shared a room and Remus and Santh were separated, but now everyone wants some of her time. I always thought that she disliked people as much as you did, but it seems that she is just not trusting of most people. After being around Lesatan's mother, I can understand why."
Routine sat quietly for a couple moments. "Santh will never lay claim his father's title and lands." He said as if he was ignoring his sister completely.
"Then all the better for you, as you can sit patiently and with some time I think mother and father could be convinced that being twice married into the Royal family is for the best. After all, Lenore will become a Souchan and provide cousins."
"I am not so callous, Piera." He stood from his seat. "I do not plot against my friends, and if I hear of your involvement in any conspiracies against Lenore again, I shall fracture your engagement in a public forum."
"Ah, so that is why you came?" She chuckled as she took a sip of tea. "Do not fret. I will keep my conspiracies away from Lenore."
Remus found Ophelia down by the stream as she washed some thing in the water. As he approached, he made out the tabard but it was green and not dark blue. He frowned as this was not the setting he wanted to inform Ophelia of the truth.
"Are you washing Lenore's tabard?" He asked with the thought that Lenore was now leaving her clothes to be laundered by her dorm mate.
Ophelia smiled, "I spilled my drink on it. If I do not wash it now, Lenore will be forced to wear it during classes tomorrow and smell of mead." She sighed as she held it up to look at it. "Do not tell Lenore, I am hoping it will dry before she returns."
Her answer softened his heart toward the Princess, "Of course. May we speak?"
Ophelia nodded as she squeezed the last of the water from the tabard and then violently shook it to release the wrinkles. "Are you alright?" She asked when she stood up and looked at him for the first time. "You seem pale."
"I am fine."
She seemed to take him at his word and walked back to the dorm to hang the tabard up on a line that the girls placed with the canopy posts. "If she did not leave her clothes lying about, I wouldn't trip on them and spill." She sighed as she clipped it to the line and then turned to face Remus.
Sitting down on the platform, she patted the area next to her, but Remus decided this would not be a good idea. He would more than likely prefer to hold her then tell her the truth.
Standing in front of her, he took a deep breath. "Ophelia, my father informed me that I am to be his heir."
Her face went immediately blank. "You received a letter today?" She knew that his father had left earlier in the week.
Remus knew he had been caught withholding the truth from her. "No, he informed me the last day he was here."
"You didn't tell me as soon as you heard?" She didn't let him reply. "I suppose it was a difficult thing to say and that I should be grateful to have had one last week with you." Ophelia sat silently for a moment without any emotion on her face. "I suppose our gigantic dream ends here then."
"You could reject the king's command and join me on my throne." He knew that she wouldn't agree to such a proposal, but he wanted to hold on to the slight bit of hope that her pride wasn't as strong as her love for him.
Ophelia chuckled, "I can not fail my family. My father brought dishonor to our name, and by marrying you and abandoning the fortress, all the lies about my family just being traitors and cowards will all be true. I must prove that my father acted alone and that my mother and I belong in the fortress."
"I understand. I have a duty to my family as well. My brother is a great warrior, but a business man he is not. There would be no one to head the guild if I were to walk away now." Remus' heart carried a heavy burden and every piece of him but his mind wanted to forget the Merchants' Guild and follow Ophelia.
She stood up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You won't move from this dorm, will you?"
He snorted, "Of course not. I have many plans that revolve around this dorm, and do not go back to the girl's dorm. I hear it's run as if it were a prison."
She chuckled as she stepped away from him and held out her hand. "Lord Remus, I hope our houses work well together in the future."
He took her hand, "The Merchants' Guild will always be at your service, milady."
Remus began to walk away and held back tears that he hadn't wanted Ophelia to see. Ophelia walked onto the platform and sat on her bed to watch Remus leave and then immediately began to cry silent tears.
Lenore walked to the back of the dorm, her heart ached from the comments that Santh had made toward her. With her head down, she did not see Remus turned the corner and with his head down, he did not see her either. The two collided with each other, but Remus was quick to catch balance and grabbed Lenore's upper arms.
There was too much hurt in her heart to say anything to him at that moment, but when she looked at him she could see the tears in his eyes. She said nothing as she knew it would hurt his pride.
"I have told her. Please, act as her comfort tonight."
"I would even if you did not ask." She told him as she walked passed him and toward the canopy.
She found Ophelia sitting on her bed with her head down and her legs stained with tears. As she walked up the platform, her eyes fell on her tabard that was hanging near her bed.
"I spilled mead." Ophelia informed her.
Lenore said nothing as she sat down on her own bed across from Ophelia.
"Remus will become his father's heir, therefore there was no point in continuing our relationship. It would only torment us." Her voice was strained as she spoke.
"I was informed, I am sorry." Lenore didn't truly have any words that would comfort her friend, but she decided that Ophelia would deal with the word quota and she would merely have to listen.
Ophelia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "My life is always this way. When I believe I finally have something for myself, the world snatches it away." Her eyes finally turned up to her friend who was smiling bitterly. "Lenore, are you alright? You do not look well."
"My problems are not what this moment is for, Ophelia."
Her young friend snorted, "Did Santh do something?"
Lenore chuckled, "How did you know he did?"
Ophelia spoke with conviction, "No one makes you upset other than him. He is the only one that can cause you to have that emotion."
"I suppose so." Lenore took a deep, "I admitted my feelings and intent clearly to Santh, so he took my heart and stomped on it." She swallowed which was more of an attempt to hold back tears.
Ophelia's brows came together, "That can not be right. He must have..."
"There is no need to give me hope or encouragement, Ophelia. My days of chasing after him are done. I will allow my brother to chose my husband." She sighed, "At least then it will appease the Queen, and she will not be so suspicious of me."
"What did Santh say?"
Lenore chuckled bitterly, "He laughed at me when I said I thought he was courting me, and then he said that he despised me. That he was just protecting others from me, and that he has no emotion for me except loathing."
The words hurt Ophelia's heart and she grabbed a bottle of mead from the ground. "This is far too much heartbreak for one day. Shall we drink ourselves asleep?"
Lenore shook her head, "If I drink when I feel like this, I might do something I would regret. Like cry in front of him. I have to put on a brave face and not allow him to know he has hurt me."
"That sounds like pride." Somehow talking about Lenore's love life made Ophelia capable of forgetting her own. In truth, she wanted to do anything but speak about Remus in those moments. Part of her was angry with him, though she understood him.
The Princess looked into her friend's eyes, "My pride is so wounded right now, Ophelia. It mirrors the pain in my heart."
Ophelia watched a tear run down Lenore's cheek. She had never seen her friend like this before, but decided to say nothing as she didn't wish to hurt her pride more.
Lenore had been surprised when a small group of four guards approached her after Ophelia had passed out on her bed after downing her entire bottle of mead. They asked for her to accompany them to the Royal Dorms as Lady Piera wished to see her.
Her first thought was that Piera was falling into her role quite well and that thought continued when Lenore entered into her study where Piera had fresh tea prepared for them. The room was decorated with purples and Lenore knew immediately that this was either meant to be her study or the Queen had redecorated it. The entire room smelled of lavender but Lenore pinpointed it to the tea that Piera had brewed.
It was nearly nine in the evening and she wondered why the girl had thought it was appropriate to invite her at this time of night. They would have class early in the morning and the last thing she desired was to cause more issues with her brother as she had enough of her own now.
Piera sat down at the table poured them both a cup of tea. "Please, sit." She motioned toward the white chair next to the small table.
Lenore folded her hands behind her back as the guards left the room and shut the door behind them. "I would prefer to stand."
This made Piera look uncomfortable though she accepted her decision as she took a sip of the tea. "I brewed it especially for you. I was told that it is your favorite."
Lenore tried not to grin bitterly, "I was told that it was my favorite too by the Queen. Unfortunately no amount of ordering me to like something actually made my tastes change."
This news upset Piera as she placed her tea cup back down on the table. "My brother visited me this morning. He was quite upset." She waited for Lenore to respond, but she seemed to be waiting for further details. "He misses you and says you have grown apart."
"Now that our engagement has ended it is appropriate to distance ourselves so as not to confuse either party... I am mostly speaking of the parents in this matter." Lenore informed her blatantly.
"Wouldn't such a thing happen naturally when you graduate, must it be now?"
The Princess could see that the woman in front of her was being sincere though she didn't understand why this matter warranted a late night visit. "I will consider offering him some of my time. Is that all?"
"No." Piera cleared her throat. "It was my plot to toss you into that bedroom the day of the tournament." She knew that Lenore would become very angry but waited patiently to counter her with what she thought were reasonable excuses.
Lenore nodded. "Considering that I had heard my brother was treating you harshly, however immediately after he offered you kindness that was the conclusion I had already come to."
"Will you forgive me?" She asked with uncertainty to Lenore's reaction.
"There is nothing to forgive." Lenore spoke plainly and without emotion. "As long as Aletta is Queen or even alive this will be our relationship. However, one day she will be gone and if we manage to control the damage enough Lesatan, you, and I will have a relationship without betrayal." She looked at the future Queen's face as she stared down at her tea. "I will hold no ill will towards you as I hold none for my brother, you two are pawns in the Queen's game. Now, never summon me here again, lest you incur Lesatan's wrath and suspicions. We are not friends or allies. Know your place and protect yourself."
With that Lenore turned around and marched out of the room to head back to the dorm. The curtain moved near the window behind Piera as the door shut behind the Princess. Lesatan came to stand next to Piera and looked down upon her.
"I trust that you are true completely, and I thank you for allowing me to be privy to that conversation." He informed her, but when Piera looked up at him he was staring at the door. His face held a troubled expression.
Santh slowly made his way toward the dorm by walking down the bank of the stream. He knew that this was the way he usually walked because he would be forced to pass by the girls' canopy, and a nagging voice in his head told him to enter from the dirt path. That was his sober self, but his now drunk persona was in control and he wanted to just get one glimpse of Lenore.
As he walked toward the canopy, he looked down the stream in the direction of where Lenore had caught him bathing. He smiled at the memory however bitter he had made it that day. He only hoped that Lenore believed his lies better than he did, as he could only continue this way if she turned her back to him. No more flirtations and no more eyes staring at him as if expecting something from him that he could not give her.
"You bastard!" A voice came through in the dark and Ophelia appeared. Her hair was a mess and she looked half asleep and half drunk. As she approached the much larger man from the canopy, she began to slap his right arm.
Santh was so startled by this reaction from her that he simply tensed up and allowed her to continue her assault, which caused him little pain as her slaps didn't mean to be stinging. Unless they truly did, and Ophelia was just that weak.
Ophelia continued to hit his bended arm and shoulder as she yelled. "You are a stupid, stupid man! Stubborn and stupid!" She spat. "I gave up on my love for you because I knew that you loved Lenore and she loved you."
Santh was shocked to hear her belated confession though he had never thought of Ophelia as anything more than an annoying younger sister, and had always thought their relationship worked both ways.
"I know you want Lenore! I know you chased Krine away because you did not wish to be without her. Krine told me herself that you admitted to loving Lenore!" She barked and continued to hit his arm.
This attack was not something that Ophelia would normally do and Santh decided that the smell of alcohol in the air was not entirely from his own breath. His heart dropped slightly and he looked down at the saddened girl. Remus had told him about being named the heir, and he knew immediately that Ophelia must have discovered the information that day.
"I will not champion you to Lenore any more!" She hit him one more time, but was growing tired and uneasy on her feet. "Instead, in her eyes I will make you a horrible monster, even worse than her brother! I have many contacts and I will find someone so wonderful for Lenore that you will be nothing compared to him. You will have to live your life staring at her as she loves someone else and know you never gave her a chance to love you!" She slapped his arm again, but looked too exhausted to continue further.
Santh put his hand on top of her head to steady her and before he spoke he swallowed. "Remus informed me what will be occurring, is this how you will mend yourself, Ophelia?"
She looked up into his eyes with disdain though his hand was still on top of her head.
"Then do so, find Lenore someone, as you will only assist me with this process." He went to remove his hand but Ophelia grabbed his wrist and kept it there for a moment before speaking.
"You are a very bad man, Santh." She began to sob. "A very bad man. You made Lenore..." She stopped herself because even if she was drunk, she knew a line that would betray her friend's confidence. Lenore's crying was something done in front of her only and she specially said that she didn't want Santh to know.
He waited for her to finish her sentence, but when she didn't he pulled his hand away and began to walk toward the front of the dorm. However, when he looked back, Ophelia was standing in the pathway teetering from side to side. With a heavy sigh, he made his way back over to her and lifted her up by her waist as he walked her over to the platform, and placed her on it next to Lenore's bed.
Ophelia did not thank him, and laid down in her friend's bed. "Very bad man. Mean." She mumbled as she fell back into her slumber.
Damek held his tea cup and took a sip as he sat in his dark study behind his desk. In front of him was Dalton, who he knew had been coming and going from the Unmentionable's dorm for some time. He heard it was to study and Dalton had admitted he rarely saw his sister there. However, he continued to invite the boy to his study once a week for a short chat.
Dalton was uncomfortable as the only light in the room came from the blazing fire place which left the entire room shadow filled. He couldn't make out any colors, but he could smell the harsh tea that had been brewed. It smelt strong and overbearing. His father had often told him that you could tell a great deal about a person from the tea that they drank.
His sisters, except for Lenore, and his mother drank fruity and sweet teas. Though that did not mean anything to him except that they were hiding the true flavors behind sugar and fruit, as they hid their own true natures. Lenore had always drank teas without any frills to them. Just a purist when it came to her tea and nothing to come between her and the flavor of the leaves. No milk and no sugar.
He loathed coming to these meetings with Damek as he always felt there was an underlining conversation that they were having. Something was being said but he still didn't understand what, though he knew it was unsavory.
"The King marries a Royal though of Mondue bloodlines, and now the Prince will marry a Souchan." Damek spoke out loud. "We used to only marry those within the Royal Houses."
"The Royal Houses are mixed well." Dalton retorted and looked at this own cup of tea sitting before him on the desk. He had not touched it. "My family may have originated from the Mondues, but we have married Royals and Souchans alike, just as yours has."
This did not seem to make the King's nephew pleased. "The Royal House has standards to uphold. Marrying from a mixed Royal House that has been well stirred is an honor, stealing from another party's stable is not."
"The Nicolettis are more than pleased with the arrangement and I hear were disappointed to have to end their engagement with the Princess so that their daughter could marry the Prince." Dalton informed him as he reached for the tea and pretended to take a sip.
Damek cocked his head to the side. "Lenore was engaged to their son?"
"Briefly."
Sucking on his bottom lip for a moment, Damek thought. "Perhaps, Piera's engagement is intend necessary then."
Dalton didn't understand exactly why he had changed his mind though he knew not to ask as Damek would only spout lies or dance around the question. Whenever he came to see Damek, he spoke about nothing but the Royal House's family and insulted them consistently. Dalton didn't know why Damek felt comfortable making these complaints to him, but he decided to remain silent to all else on the matter.
Though he seemed to dislike the entire Royal Family as a whole, Lenore seemed to gain exceptions in his eyes from time to time. He did not speak as harshly about her, and the one time that Dalton had gained the courage to ask why, Damek had explained that they had similar situations. Though Dalton did not understand what he meant by those words as their childhoods had been very different. Considering the cousin had grown up in a large estate with a loving mother and father, even if his mother had previously been a prostitute. Something few would ever speak to Damek about.
"Well then, I suppose it is time to lay down for the evening." Damek stood up and watched Dalton follow him. "Goodnight, and sleep well."
"Goodnight." Dalton bowed his head. He did not call Damek by any title as he had ordered him not too as if he was forcing a friendship between them.
Making his way out of the room in a hurry, Dalton could feel his heart beating in his chest. That man made him very uncomfortable even though he had done nothing to him.
The last few weeks of classes passed by rather quickly, and the group found themselves ready to begin their long break. Out in the court of the soon to be destroyed dorm, everyone readied themselves for the hard work that would be before them by tomorrow.
Anton looked over the plans with Jolon. He would act as Jolon's assistant as no one else understood carpentry well enough. The two discussed how they would build the dorm's frame after they had created a foundation. They bickered some about the dorm but the others didn't bother to pay them any attention.
Remus and Ophelia sat far apart and had barely spoken to one another. He was looking over his books and the notes given to him by Krius as to the on going training of the guards. Several stations were already built and many caravans were beginning to make their way to the university. One of particular importance carried stone and wood that the group would be needing soon enough.
Ophelia was creating tabards for everyone with the new colors they would all be wearing next year. She used Lenore's old green tabard for herself as she had decided that it would bring her luck though she had to alter it some to fit her. Santh, Remus, and Routine would be leaving their bright reds behind for a darker red that was closer to the color of blood than anything else, and the two commoners would find themselves in dark blue. She had to buy dark green fabric for Lenore's new tabard as no one else had a fourth year tabard saved to be reused. She smiled at herself as she made all the tabards as she never thought she would be doing this for a third year, especially for so many friends.
Saena also joined the group as she would have no work over the break, she wanted to help build the dorm that she would live in. Over the break, she would take her test and enter the university, and therefore she was studying near Routine, but not close enough to bother him unless she had a question to ask.
Routine sat on his bed with Lenore sitting beside him. Her head laid on his shoulder just as they had once done. She had never informed him that she had seen Piera and what the girl had to say, instead she simply took her place beside him back. He never questioned why nor did he fight her on the issue.
Reading his book, Routine would wait for Lenore, who read slightly slower than he did and laid her head on his shoulder, to get to the end of the page before he would turn it. Neither were aware of the man sitting in the corner, who was pretending to read his own book though couldn't help but to glare at the back of each of their heads. Santh would look back down at his book from time to time, but the jealousy stirred within his chest.
Lenore had made good on her word, and had not spoken to him. She did not tease him anymore or cause any issues that he could wiggle his way into in order to yell at her. Initially, Santh was pleased with himself but over time found himself to be looking for places to insert himself. The small amount of times he had located certain places, Lenore had quickly walked away after apologizing.
As everyone else did their work, Authin sat at the edge of the forest on the ground. He had a bottle of mead in one hand and looked over the group with a grin on his lips. He was aware of what had been going on between the groups of people and was glad that he was part of this but not so close as to be part of their on going issues.
He would chuckle to himself whenever Remus or Ophelia would take a brief moment to look at the other one without notice. His head would shake as he watched Santh seethe in jealousy only a few feet away from the couple that had their backs turned toward him. Jolon and Anton sounded like an old married couple as they bickered with one another which would get further laughter from Authin. The only person that he didn't seem to have any information on was Saena. She seemed perfectly content to study.
It was a strange group, and he wondered if they could all succeed in their plans over the break. He wondered if they knew how much importance they would bring to the Unmentionable's dorm and how much unwanted attention. If this worked for generations to come people that the world did not want in this university would be housed in a dorm built by the hands of two Commoners, a Mondue, a Merchant of no small station, two Souchans, one of exceptional power, and two Royals, one of whom was the future King's own sister.
This place would have to be amazing to show the world what could be created when all the houses work well together. Which was why Authin decided that tomorrow, he would ensure he was an intricate part in all of this and not just a bystander.
As I sit in this carriage that is taking me back to Pachant, I have sworn that I will do everything within my power to give her back what she has lost not only for her, but for our unborn children as well. Lucius has already promised me a role at his side, which will give me a direct path to accomplishing these goals.
Unfortunately, it seems that the path is more near than I had expected. As I was preparing to leave Apisarn only an hour ago, Lucius practically clung to me like a child whose father was heading for the front of a battle field. It is well known that his father is deathly ill and has been so over the past year. Lucius will be King very soon, and from what Pymus had told me "it would be within the month if I were a betting man." Which he is, so I do not understand why he would add that last bit.
"I demand you return with me to Arthes!" Lucius barked and pointed at his carriage.
"Lucius, I will be married within the week, I must return home." I had tried to reason with him, but Lucius' eyes were dark from lack of sleep and perhaps he had even been crying that morning.
The Prince did not appreciate that answer and he shoved my chest. It was not powerful enough to move me, but the intention was clear. "I need you at my side!"
Pymus was quick to move in between us. "I will go to the capital with you, your grace. Once Varden is married, he will follow." He turned to look at me and I agreed with a nod.
This seemed to settle Lucius down and he turned toward the carriage without another word.
"Forgive his selfishness, Varden. He knows how important your wedding is to you. In fact, before his father became ill, he was furious that he would not be able to attend. He even attempted to allow the wedding at the palace, but alas his parents thought it might be offensive to the family that disowned her." Pymus patted his shoulder. "Of course, this means I can not attend either. I will send gifts and my good wishes, as will Lucius."
I placed my hand on his shoulder and we stood there together. "It has been years since I have gone longer than a day or two without seeing one of you."
"See us less, and her more. With that you will feel less lonely. Ah, but my own wedding is in a couple of weeks and mine will be taking place at the castle. So, please remember to bring your lovely bride. I would be pleased to share the reception, if you will allow it."
I had grinned at him, "I would need to ask Ane before I gave any answer."
He nodded.
"Are you staying?" Lucius screamed from the carriage.
"His royal highness grows grumpy and in desperate need of a nap. Farewell, Varden. I shall see you soon."
"Farewell." I watched him hop into the carriage and then heard Lucius yell for them to quickly make their way.
Lucius had left a carriage behind for me which the driver told me that he was also to be used in my wedding and to take me to Arthes when the wedding had finished. It was a nice gesture, and made me realize that Lucius was not serious about making me stop my wedding plans.
I once worried that when my learning was done that Lucius and Pymus would vanish from my life, and it had rather haunted my time at this university. However, in the last week, Lucius refused to allow me to disappear. It seemed he trusted me more than any of his advisers, and he wanted to give me work as head of the guards at the palace, once the current officer retired which I understood would be within the next year or two. He informed me that once I proved my worth there, that he would find me higher positions until I could make my way into the coveted Royal House.
This is my goal. I will take Ane and place her even higher then that which she gave up for me. I will make her overbearing, selfish sister jealous, but most of all I will provide the absolute best for my family.
---***---
Remus waited in the Prince's study and looked over a study scroll that had been left on his desk. During the week, he had received word that he needed to speak to him on the next rest day during the lunch hour. He had nearly forgotten that he had made such a deal with the Prince, as he was constantly trying to discover the proper way to tell Ophelia the truth about his future.
Of course, Lenore did not make his life easy as she would glare at him whenever Ophelia offered him any sort of kind or loving gesture. Judgmental, pretty princess who thought she knew what was best for everyone and for some damn reason was almost always right.
"Good, you are here." Lesatan came to sit down behind his desk as Remus rolled up the scroll and replaced it.
Piera entered the room and took the chair next to Remus. He bowed his head briefly at her and she returned the gesture as if forgetting that she would be Queen someday.
"I have spoken to the council and encouraged them to give half of the royal ball budget over to this endeavor. You will have the university guards train peasants from the hamlet, and during this time, guard stations will be built with supplies. Each guard will need to be at their assigned stations for at least two weeks at a time before the next group of guards will be stationed there. I have placed Krius in control of scheduling the guard duties." Lesatan spoke with certainty and looked directly into Remus' eyes.
Remus nearly respected the man sitting in front of him, of course then he remembered that this was the same boy who kidnapped his sister a week before. "It sounds like a solid plan, milord."
"I spent all week convincing the council that this would benefit the school. If this plans fail, we will both lose faith in the eyes of these boys that will one day be powerful men. Do you understand?" Lesatan placed his hands firmly on the table.
"I have no intention of failing, milord. With guards from the hamlet, we shall place more coin into the economy that alone will be worth the effort. The stations and guards will allow more products to enter into the hamlet so that not only the rich can benefit from what may be seen as luxury items now." Remus stood from his chair. "I have great faith in this endeavor, and I shall work until it is completed. Even if I am silently a part of this, it is my legacy as well. I shall not fail."
The Prince pressed his lips together and frowned, "The grand speech was not needed."
The merchant didn't bother to look embarrassed, "A grand speech is always needed, milord. Perhaps if you gave some than people would stand behind you more often." He bowed, "I shall take my leave, then."
"Hold." He ordered.
Piera continued to sit in silence as she watched as everything fell into place. She had wanted to speak but knew there was a time and a place for her interruptions.
Remus looked down at the sitting Prince, "Yes, milord?"
"My sister... have you heard anything about this lover of hers?"
He shook his head, "I thought that the matter was resolved and that you were no longer interested in her private affairs."
"Varden Aguilar's son... she shows great interest in him."
Remus' back stiffened, but before he could lie, the prince interrupted him.
"My father has always spoken highly of his father, I suppose if this is true..." He shook his head, "No, even if it is, I can not condone it. I wish that I was capable, but my sister's marriage is of great importance to my own rule. I have many places to put her that would be of benefit to us both. So, if you see any such relationship between them, I would demand to be informed."
Remus bowed his head, "I will do so without fail." He turned to leave and dashed out of the door.
"Why is Santh not approved? His father won his family a title and lands in the Royal House. All Santh need to do is take it." Piera asked.
Lesatan looked over at her. "If he did so, then perhaps I might change my mind."
---***---
Lenore was moving around campus as she hurried to finish her father's plans. This was not something that she could complete over a summer, though she felt she needed to give her father more progress since he seemed uncertain of her commitment.
As she turned a corner, a large shadow fell over her and she looked up to watch Santh head toward the gates. After working on her plans all day, she decided that she wanted to unwind and there was no one else better to do so with than Santh.
Hopping over to him, she smiled as she came to walk beside him. "You have been avoiding me all week. Is this about seeing you naked?"
Santh looked at her out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "It has nothing to do with my undressed state."
"Oh, I thought you might be embarrassed because you were completely naked." She saw the way that he slightly flinched whenever she said the word naked, and it gave her a good idea on how to tease him. Also, he looked around at others that walked passed them when she spoke the word out loud. She clicked her tongue, "Is it about the fight after seeing you naked?"
"Stop saying that." He snapped under his breath and turned to look at her.
"Stop saying what? That I saw you naked?" She grinned.
Santh continued to frown, "Enough, Lenore."
The seriousness in his voice made her grin melt away, "Is something troubling you, Santh? You do not seem yourself today."
He couldn't understand this woman. One moment she was teasing him and now she was pretending to be concerned for him. "I am tired of your teasing and harassment. I want you to leave me be. Act as if we are strangers that happen to share friends." He told her in a firm voice.
Lenore seemed shocked by that response. "Why?"
"That was my next question. Why do you keep bothering me?"
The Princess' shocked expression left and she smiled again, this time gently pushing his shoulder. "I have answered that question on many occasions."
"Tell me in no uncertain details."
She chuckled, "Oh, alright. You want me to confess first then. Well, very well. I am tired of playing cat and mouse with you."
Folding his arms, Santh stared down at her as if to inform her that the answer was not good enough.
"We have been courting each other. You would get upset over things I did because you did not approve of them, and I would tease you in return for your care. Then we started to more openly care for one another, because we do care for each other." Lenore's words almost sounded like a question as she looked at the stern expression on his face. "I like you, why else would I..."
Santh snorted, "What?"
"I thought you felt the same." She mumbled.
"You believed that I was attempting to court you. I despise your very existence, Princess. I yell at you because your actions harm others that I do care for, and you are too much of a spoiled child to realize what you have done. I yell at you because every one else in the world allows you to get away with the filth you create. I will never feel any thing toward you but contempt." He was trying not to speak so loud as to allow others to hear him, but he wanted his tone to show his seriousness. "We are dorm mates, nothing more."
Lenore blinked a couple times as if she was coming out of a nightmare, and then she swallowed before giving him a grin. "Well, then I apologize. I thought I had company on this island, but it appears I am alone. I will do my best from this moment forward not to interact with you or give you cause to speak to me on someone else's behalf."
Santh watched her walk away, he lifted his hand to grab her wrist to stop her from leaving as he already wanted to apologize, but he dropped his hand to his side. "This is for the best." He told himself as he headed toward the gates. His thoughts were on the grin she had given him had been truly the only false expression he had ever seen on her face.
---***---
Piera was excited that her brother had come to see her at the Royal Dorms. She took him to her study where a table was set and she was able to feed him tea and cakes. Though, he didn't look too interested in eating or drinking, and when the quiet became too much Piera began to speak of Lesatan.
"He is truly not as evil as I thought he was. That doesn't sound like the compliment that I wanted it to be. He is actually rather wonderful when he is not throwing fits, and I believe that I might be happy at his side." She told her brother as she bit into one of the pastries.
Routine was sitting in the chair and only staring at her.
When she swallowed her food she continued. "I was terrified of meeting him and moving to the dorms, but now that I am here I realize that he was a monster in rumors only. He is just a misunderstood man who needs someone to understand him." She chuckled, "Have I said how truly happy I am, Byron?"
"It is favorable that you are pleased with this arrangement, after all this engagement was acquired through the death of my own." Routine told her as he leaned back in his chair.
The smile faded from her lips. "I am sorry that this was the outcome. I know that she was your closest friend."
He looked directly into her eyes. "Initially, the engagement was orchestrated to procure time, however I began to find the idea of marrying Lenore appealing. In fact, she was the only person whose touch I did not find repugnant, and therefore I could possibly impregnate."
Piera seemed stunned by his confession. "You thought of actually... with Lenore?"
Routine kept a straight face, "It is not as if I was yearning for her, Piera. I found myself not repulsed by the idea."
She took a deep breath, "I already felt terrible for what has occurred, and now this makes it truly feel like my happiness is built on your misery."
He slowly shook his head, "She and I have disconnected. As we are no longer companions in one room, she has stopped appearing before me, and no longer needs my assistance."
"I am certain that is not true. Have you told her how you feel? Perhaps, she is just busy and does not realize that you have been left to the side." Piera placed her hands on the table. "I know it is difficult for you to tell others when you need their attention, but Lenore knows you very well. If you talked to her, she would give you her time."
He shook his head, "Her time is the property of Santh Aguilar."
His sister raised an eyebrow, "Byron, are you jealous? Are you upset that you must share Lenore with someone else?"
"Preposterous!" He snapped, yet after a moment he sat back in his chair after leaning forward. "Envious, perhaps. Her time was once mine to monopolize, as she cared for no others."
"The dorm became rather crowded this year." Piera spoke with sincerity. "Last year, the Princess and you shared a room and Remus and Santh were separated, but now everyone wants some of her time. I always thought that she disliked people as much as you did, but it seems that she is just not trusting of most people. After being around Lesatan's mother, I can understand why."
Routine sat quietly for a couple moments. "Santh will never lay claim his father's title and lands." He said as if he was ignoring his sister completely.
"Then all the better for you, as you can sit patiently and with some time I think mother and father could be convinced that being twice married into the Royal family is for the best. After all, Lenore will become a Souchan and provide cousins."
"I am not so callous, Piera." He stood from his seat. "I do not plot against my friends, and if I hear of your involvement in any conspiracies against Lenore again, I shall fracture your engagement in a public forum."
"Ah, so that is why you came?" She chuckled as she took a sip of tea. "Do not fret. I will keep my conspiracies away from Lenore."
---***---
Remus found Ophelia down by the stream as she washed some thing in the water. As he approached, he made out the tabard but it was green and not dark blue. He frowned as this was not the setting he wanted to inform Ophelia of the truth.
"Are you washing Lenore's tabard?" He asked with the thought that Lenore was now leaving her clothes to be laundered by her dorm mate.
Ophelia smiled, "I spilled my drink on it. If I do not wash it now, Lenore will be forced to wear it during classes tomorrow and smell of mead." She sighed as she held it up to look at it. "Do not tell Lenore, I am hoping it will dry before she returns."
Her answer softened his heart toward the Princess, "Of course. May we speak?"
Ophelia nodded as she squeezed the last of the water from the tabard and then violently shook it to release the wrinkles. "Are you alright?" She asked when she stood up and looked at him for the first time. "You seem pale."
"I am fine."
She seemed to take him at his word and walked back to the dorm to hang the tabard up on a line that the girls placed with the canopy posts. "If she did not leave her clothes lying about, I wouldn't trip on them and spill." She sighed as she clipped it to the line and then turned to face Remus.
Sitting down on the platform, she patted the area next to her, but Remus decided this would not be a good idea. He would more than likely prefer to hold her then tell her the truth.
Standing in front of her, he took a deep breath. "Ophelia, my father informed me that I am to be his heir."
Her face went immediately blank. "You received a letter today?" She knew that his father had left earlier in the week.
Remus knew he had been caught withholding the truth from her. "No, he informed me the last day he was here."
"You didn't tell me as soon as you heard?" She didn't let him reply. "I suppose it was a difficult thing to say and that I should be grateful to have had one last week with you." Ophelia sat silently for a moment without any emotion on her face. "I suppose our gigantic dream ends here then."
"You could reject the king's command and join me on my throne." He knew that she wouldn't agree to such a proposal, but he wanted to hold on to the slight bit of hope that her pride wasn't as strong as her love for him.
Ophelia chuckled, "I can not fail my family. My father brought dishonor to our name, and by marrying you and abandoning the fortress, all the lies about my family just being traitors and cowards will all be true. I must prove that my father acted alone and that my mother and I belong in the fortress."
"I understand. I have a duty to my family as well. My brother is a great warrior, but a business man he is not. There would be no one to head the guild if I were to walk away now." Remus' heart carried a heavy burden and every piece of him but his mind wanted to forget the Merchants' Guild and follow Ophelia.
She stood up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You won't move from this dorm, will you?"
He snorted, "Of course not. I have many plans that revolve around this dorm, and do not go back to the girl's dorm. I hear it's run as if it were a prison."
She chuckled as she stepped away from him and held out her hand. "Lord Remus, I hope our houses work well together in the future."
He took her hand, "The Merchants' Guild will always be at your service, milady."
Remus began to walk away and held back tears that he hadn't wanted Ophelia to see. Ophelia walked onto the platform and sat on her bed to watch Remus leave and then immediately began to cry silent tears.
---***---
Lenore walked to the back of the dorm, her heart ached from the comments that Santh had made toward her. With her head down, she did not see Remus turned the corner and with his head down, he did not see her either. The two collided with each other, but Remus was quick to catch balance and grabbed Lenore's upper arms.
There was too much hurt in her heart to say anything to him at that moment, but when she looked at him she could see the tears in his eyes. She said nothing as she knew it would hurt his pride.
"I have told her. Please, act as her comfort tonight."
"I would even if you did not ask." She told him as she walked passed him and toward the canopy.
She found Ophelia sitting on her bed with her head down and her legs stained with tears. As she walked up the platform, her eyes fell on her tabard that was hanging near her bed.
"I spilled mead." Ophelia informed her.
Lenore said nothing as she sat down on her own bed across from Ophelia.
"Remus will become his father's heir, therefore there was no point in continuing our relationship. It would only torment us." Her voice was strained as she spoke.
"I was informed, I am sorry." Lenore didn't truly have any words that would comfort her friend, but she decided that Ophelia would deal with the word quota and she would merely have to listen.
Ophelia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "My life is always this way. When I believe I finally have something for myself, the world snatches it away." Her eyes finally turned up to her friend who was smiling bitterly. "Lenore, are you alright? You do not look well."
"My problems are not what this moment is for, Ophelia."
Her young friend snorted, "Did Santh do something?"
Lenore chuckled, "How did you know he did?"
Ophelia spoke with conviction, "No one makes you upset other than him. He is the only one that can cause you to have that emotion."
"I suppose so." Lenore took a deep, "I admitted my feelings and intent clearly to Santh, so he took my heart and stomped on it." She swallowed which was more of an attempt to hold back tears.
Ophelia's brows came together, "That can not be right. He must have..."
"There is no need to give me hope or encouragement, Ophelia. My days of chasing after him are done. I will allow my brother to chose my husband." She sighed, "At least then it will appease the Queen, and she will not be so suspicious of me."
"What did Santh say?"
Lenore chuckled bitterly, "He laughed at me when I said I thought he was courting me, and then he said that he despised me. That he was just protecting others from me, and that he has no emotion for me except loathing."
The words hurt Ophelia's heart and she grabbed a bottle of mead from the ground. "This is far too much heartbreak for one day. Shall we drink ourselves asleep?"
Lenore shook her head, "If I drink when I feel like this, I might do something I would regret. Like cry in front of him. I have to put on a brave face and not allow him to know he has hurt me."
"That sounds like pride." Somehow talking about Lenore's love life made Ophelia capable of forgetting her own. In truth, she wanted to do anything but speak about Remus in those moments. Part of her was angry with him, though she understood him.
The Princess looked into her friend's eyes, "My pride is so wounded right now, Ophelia. It mirrors the pain in my heart."
Ophelia watched a tear run down Lenore's cheek. She had never seen her friend like this before, but decided to say nothing as she didn't wish to hurt her pride more.
---***---
Lenore had been surprised when a small group of four guards approached her after Ophelia had passed out on her bed after downing her entire bottle of mead. They asked for her to accompany them to the Royal Dorms as Lady Piera wished to see her.
Her first thought was that Piera was falling into her role quite well and that thought continued when Lenore entered into her study where Piera had fresh tea prepared for them. The room was decorated with purples and Lenore knew immediately that this was either meant to be her study or the Queen had redecorated it. The entire room smelled of lavender but Lenore pinpointed it to the tea that Piera had brewed.
It was nearly nine in the evening and she wondered why the girl had thought it was appropriate to invite her at this time of night. They would have class early in the morning and the last thing she desired was to cause more issues with her brother as she had enough of her own now.
Piera sat down at the table poured them both a cup of tea. "Please, sit." She motioned toward the white chair next to the small table.
Lenore folded her hands behind her back as the guards left the room and shut the door behind them. "I would prefer to stand."
This made Piera look uncomfortable though she accepted her decision as she took a sip of the tea. "I brewed it especially for you. I was told that it is your favorite."
Lenore tried not to grin bitterly, "I was told that it was my favorite too by the Queen. Unfortunately no amount of ordering me to like something actually made my tastes change."
This news upset Piera as she placed her tea cup back down on the table. "My brother visited me this morning. He was quite upset." She waited for Lenore to respond, but she seemed to be waiting for further details. "He misses you and says you have grown apart."
"Now that our engagement has ended it is appropriate to distance ourselves so as not to confuse either party... I am mostly speaking of the parents in this matter." Lenore informed her blatantly.
"Wouldn't such a thing happen naturally when you graduate, must it be now?"
The Princess could see that the woman in front of her was being sincere though she didn't understand why this matter warranted a late night visit. "I will consider offering him some of my time. Is that all?"
"No." Piera cleared her throat. "It was my plot to toss you into that bedroom the day of the tournament." She knew that Lenore would become very angry but waited patiently to counter her with what she thought were reasonable excuses.
Lenore nodded. "Considering that I had heard my brother was treating you harshly, however immediately after he offered you kindness that was the conclusion I had already come to."
"Will you forgive me?" She asked with uncertainty to Lenore's reaction.
"There is nothing to forgive." Lenore spoke plainly and without emotion. "As long as Aletta is Queen or even alive this will be our relationship. However, one day she will be gone and if we manage to control the damage enough Lesatan, you, and I will have a relationship without betrayal." She looked at the future Queen's face as she stared down at her tea. "I will hold no ill will towards you as I hold none for my brother, you two are pawns in the Queen's game. Now, never summon me here again, lest you incur Lesatan's wrath and suspicions. We are not friends or allies. Know your place and protect yourself."
With that Lenore turned around and marched out of the room to head back to the dorm. The curtain moved near the window behind Piera as the door shut behind the Princess. Lesatan came to stand next to Piera and looked down upon her.
"I trust that you are true completely, and I thank you for allowing me to be privy to that conversation." He informed her, but when Piera looked up at him he was staring at the door. His face held a troubled expression.
---***---
Santh slowly made his way toward the dorm by walking down the bank of the stream. He knew that this was the way he usually walked because he would be forced to pass by the girls' canopy, and a nagging voice in his head told him to enter from the dirt path. That was his sober self, but his now drunk persona was in control and he wanted to just get one glimpse of Lenore.
As he walked toward the canopy, he looked down the stream in the direction of where Lenore had caught him bathing. He smiled at the memory however bitter he had made it that day. He only hoped that Lenore believed his lies better than he did, as he could only continue this way if she turned her back to him. No more flirtations and no more eyes staring at him as if expecting something from him that he could not give her.
"You bastard!" A voice came through in the dark and Ophelia appeared. Her hair was a mess and she looked half asleep and half drunk. As she approached the much larger man from the canopy, she began to slap his right arm.
Santh was so startled by this reaction from her that he simply tensed up and allowed her to continue her assault, which caused him little pain as her slaps didn't mean to be stinging. Unless they truly did, and Ophelia was just that weak.
Ophelia continued to hit his bended arm and shoulder as she yelled. "You are a stupid, stupid man! Stubborn and stupid!" She spat. "I gave up on my love for you because I knew that you loved Lenore and she loved you."
Santh was shocked to hear her belated confession though he had never thought of Ophelia as anything more than an annoying younger sister, and had always thought their relationship worked both ways.
"I know you want Lenore! I know you chased Krine away because you did not wish to be without her. Krine told me herself that you admitted to loving Lenore!" She barked and continued to hit his arm.
This attack was not something that Ophelia would normally do and Santh decided that the smell of alcohol in the air was not entirely from his own breath. His heart dropped slightly and he looked down at the saddened girl. Remus had told him about being named the heir, and he knew immediately that Ophelia must have discovered the information that day.
"I will not champion you to Lenore any more!" She hit him one more time, but was growing tired and uneasy on her feet. "Instead, in her eyes I will make you a horrible monster, even worse than her brother! I have many contacts and I will find someone so wonderful for Lenore that you will be nothing compared to him. You will have to live your life staring at her as she loves someone else and know you never gave her a chance to love you!" She slapped his arm again, but looked too exhausted to continue further.
Santh put his hand on top of her head to steady her and before he spoke he swallowed. "Remus informed me what will be occurring, is this how you will mend yourself, Ophelia?"
She looked up into his eyes with disdain though his hand was still on top of her head.
"Then do so, find Lenore someone, as you will only assist me with this process." He went to remove his hand but Ophelia grabbed his wrist and kept it there for a moment before speaking.
"You are a very bad man, Santh." She began to sob. "A very bad man. You made Lenore..." She stopped herself because even if she was drunk, she knew a line that would betray her friend's confidence. Lenore's crying was something done in front of her only and she specially said that she didn't want Santh to know.
He waited for her to finish her sentence, but when she didn't he pulled his hand away and began to walk toward the front of the dorm. However, when he looked back, Ophelia was standing in the pathway teetering from side to side. With a heavy sigh, he made his way back over to her and lifted her up by her waist as he walked her over to the platform, and placed her on it next to Lenore's bed.
Ophelia did not thank him, and laid down in her friend's bed. "Very bad man. Mean." She mumbled as she fell back into her slumber.
---***---
Damek held his tea cup and took a sip as he sat in his dark study behind his desk. In front of him was Dalton, who he knew had been coming and going from the Unmentionable's dorm for some time. He heard it was to study and Dalton had admitted he rarely saw his sister there. However, he continued to invite the boy to his study once a week for a short chat.
Dalton was uncomfortable as the only light in the room came from the blazing fire place which left the entire room shadow filled. He couldn't make out any colors, but he could smell the harsh tea that had been brewed. It smelt strong and overbearing. His father had often told him that you could tell a great deal about a person from the tea that they drank.
His sisters, except for Lenore, and his mother drank fruity and sweet teas. Though that did not mean anything to him except that they were hiding the true flavors behind sugar and fruit, as they hid their own true natures. Lenore had always drank teas without any frills to them. Just a purist when it came to her tea and nothing to come between her and the flavor of the leaves. No milk and no sugar.
He loathed coming to these meetings with Damek as he always felt there was an underlining conversation that they were having. Something was being said but he still didn't understand what, though he knew it was unsavory.
"The King marries a Royal though of Mondue bloodlines, and now the Prince will marry a Souchan." Damek spoke out loud. "We used to only marry those within the Royal Houses."
"The Royal Houses are mixed well." Dalton retorted and looked at this own cup of tea sitting before him on the desk. He had not touched it. "My family may have originated from the Mondues, but we have married Royals and Souchans alike, just as yours has."
This did not seem to make the King's nephew pleased. "The Royal House has standards to uphold. Marrying from a mixed Royal House that has been well stirred is an honor, stealing from another party's stable is not."
"The Nicolettis are more than pleased with the arrangement and I hear were disappointed to have to end their engagement with the Princess so that their daughter could marry the Prince." Dalton informed him as he reached for the tea and pretended to take a sip.
Damek cocked his head to the side. "Lenore was engaged to their son?"
"Briefly."
Sucking on his bottom lip for a moment, Damek thought. "Perhaps, Piera's engagement is intend necessary then."
Dalton didn't understand exactly why he had changed his mind though he knew not to ask as Damek would only spout lies or dance around the question. Whenever he came to see Damek, he spoke about nothing but the Royal House's family and insulted them consistently. Dalton didn't know why Damek felt comfortable making these complaints to him, but he decided to remain silent to all else on the matter.
Though he seemed to dislike the entire Royal Family as a whole, Lenore seemed to gain exceptions in his eyes from time to time. He did not speak as harshly about her, and the one time that Dalton had gained the courage to ask why, Damek had explained that they had similar situations. Though Dalton did not understand what he meant by those words as their childhoods had been very different. Considering the cousin had grown up in a large estate with a loving mother and father, even if his mother had previously been a prostitute. Something few would ever speak to Damek about.
"Well then, I suppose it is time to lay down for the evening." Damek stood up and watched Dalton follow him. "Goodnight, and sleep well."
"Goodnight." Dalton bowed his head. He did not call Damek by any title as he had ordered him not too as if he was forcing a friendship between them.
Making his way out of the room in a hurry, Dalton could feel his heart beating in his chest. That man made him very uncomfortable even though he had done nothing to him.
---***---
The last few weeks of classes passed by rather quickly, and the group found themselves ready to begin their long break. Out in the court of the soon to be destroyed dorm, everyone readied themselves for the hard work that would be before them by tomorrow.
Anton looked over the plans with Jolon. He would act as Jolon's assistant as no one else understood carpentry well enough. The two discussed how they would build the dorm's frame after they had created a foundation. They bickered some about the dorm but the others didn't bother to pay them any attention.
Remus and Ophelia sat far apart and had barely spoken to one another. He was looking over his books and the notes given to him by Krius as to the on going training of the guards. Several stations were already built and many caravans were beginning to make their way to the university. One of particular importance carried stone and wood that the group would be needing soon enough.
Ophelia was creating tabards for everyone with the new colors they would all be wearing next year. She used Lenore's old green tabard for herself as she had decided that it would bring her luck though she had to alter it some to fit her. Santh, Remus, and Routine would be leaving their bright reds behind for a darker red that was closer to the color of blood than anything else, and the two commoners would find themselves in dark blue. She had to buy dark green fabric for Lenore's new tabard as no one else had a fourth year tabard saved to be reused. She smiled at herself as she made all the tabards as she never thought she would be doing this for a third year, especially for so many friends.
Saena also joined the group as she would have no work over the break, she wanted to help build the dorm that she would live in. Over the break, she would take her test and enter the university, and therefore she was studying near Routine, but not close enough to bother him unless she had a question to ask.
Routine sat on his bed with Lenore sitting beside him. Her head laid on his shoulder just as they had once done. She had never informed him that she had seen Piera and what the girl had to say, instead she simply took her place beside him back. He never questioned why nor did he fight her on the issue.
Reading his book, Routine would wait for Lenore, who read slightly slower than he did and laid her head on his shoulder, to get to the end of the page before he would turn it. Neither were aware of the man sitting in the corner, who was pretending to read his own book though couldn't help but to glare at the back of each of their heads. Santh would look back down at his book from time to time, but the jealousy stirred within his chest.
Lenore had made good on her word, and had not spoken to him. She did not tease him anymore or cause any issues that he could wiggle his way into in order to yell at her. Initially, Santh was pleased with himself but over time found himself to be looking for places to insert himself. The small amount of times he had located certain places, Lenore had quickly walked away after apologizing.
As everyone else did their work, Authin sat at the edge of the forest on the ground. He had a bottle of mead in one hand and looked over the group with a grin on his lips. He was aware of what had been going on between the groups of people and was glad that he was part of this but not so close as to be part of their on going issues.
He would chuckle to himself whenever Remus or Ophelia would take a brief moment to look at the other one without notice. His head would shake as he watched Santh seethe in jealousy only a few feet away from the couple that had their backs turned toward him. Jolon and Anton sounded like an old married couple as they bickered with one another which would get further laughter from Authin. The only person that he didn't seem to have any information on was Saena. She seemed perfectly content to study.
It was a strange group, and he wondered if they could all succeed in their plans over the break. He wondered if they knew how much importance they would bring to the Unmentionable's dorm and how much unwanted attention. If this worked for generations to come people that the world did not want in this university would be housed in a dorm built by the hands of two Commoners, a Mondue, a Merchant of no small station, two Souchans, one of exceptional power, and two Royals, one of whom was the future King's own sister.
This place would have to be amazing to show the world what could be created when all the houses work well together. Which was why Authin decided that tomorrow, he would ensure he was an intricate part in all of this and not just a bystander.