White Flower
White Flower
The wind was howling and the rain was spattering against the large windows. A lone girl sat in an overstuffed chair, drumming her fingers against the arms, glaring at the flaring red flames captured in an enormous fireplace. Time went by, and her only movement was steady, even breathing, and the never ending tapping of her fingers on the thick fabric.
A door swung open, banging against the wall, and a tidal wave of giggling flooded the room. The girl in the chair was unfazed, her gaze intent on the fire.
Several girls had entered and broken the silence. The leader was a blonde, her white skirts turning round and round every time she moved. As for her pack, the three other girls all had red-gold hair and were clearly sisters, sun tinted skin on each of their pretty faces. They followed their blonde ringleader faithfully.
The girl in the white dress, face bright with merriment, saw her sister sitting in the chair and made a face of clownish distress. 'Shani,' she said with false unhappiness, 'you don't look like you are having fun. Come downstairs and join the ball.'
'I would do nothing of the sort to disgrace my reputation so horridly.' She still looked only at the fire. It reflected in her dark eyes, giving them a savage look.
'But all of the other knights and such are down there, why can't you come too?' The girl in the white was teasing now, and the three sisters were hardly containing fitful laughter.
'Because, Aahna-Leh, they are automatically respected as men. But I, on the other hand,' she rose slowly from her seat, looking at last at Aahna-Leh, 'have to earn it the hard way. And because of my deformity-'
'Being a woman is not a deformity!'
Shani was yelling now, 'Because of it I-am-looked-down-upon!'
Two of Aahna-Leh's companions squealed in terror and fled the room, slamming the door shut behind them, but the third looked at Shani carefully, then slowly walked out and closed the door gently behind her.
'Shani, you are a princess! No one can look down on you!'
'Only because of chance birthright! Not for being clever or strong or influential! Only because I happened to be a princess!'
' But you are all of those things and more, in addition to being a princess! Why can't you see that?'
'But what good is it if I am considered inferior?' She dropped back down into her chair, gold hair swinging.
Aahna-Leh cried to God. 'How will I ever be able to stand being cooped up with you all winter?'
* * *
In an up most tower of the same castle, a man paced back and forth. He was wearing his finest clothes, although his coat was unbuttoned and they looked unkempt. Long, black hair whirled around and behind him with his quick, anxious pace.
'Time,' he muttered impatiently, 'time needs to go faster!' He grabbed something glass and threw it against a wall, cursing loudly. 'It shouldn't be taking this long! I need this kingdom NOW!'
* * *
'Oh!' Aahna-Leh stormed angrily back to her friends in the ballroom, 'she is so blind! She doesn't see how ever woman in Dawn looks up to her! And all the men envy her for her skill with weaponry.'
'Don't worry,' the tallest of the red haired sisters, 'someday she will notice everyone in the street staring at her in awe.'
'You're right, but that day needs to come soon, for until then she will continue to be insufferable!'
'Younger sisters are always insufferable,' the shortest of the girls said, looking up at her sisters, 'particularly when they exceed your height and will never allow you to forget.'
'Or when they can cut you twelve different ways in half a breath,' Aahna-Leh said bitterly, looking around the whirling ballroom. Bright dresses and coats swirled together and made her head spin. She shook it clear.
'Don't distress yourself too badly,' a soft voice said from behind her, a voice that was rarely heard and always listened to, 'you still have the entire night that you need to entertain all your many suitors.' Aahna-Leh turned to find it was Natoria, the family's closest friend and the greatest mystery. Her past was utterly unknown; she was secretive and rarely spoke, even if you spoke to her first. All she did was give you this penetrating
look that made you wonder why you wanted to talk to her in the first place.
She sighed, 'You're right, as always. Why do you have to be so smart?'
Natoria smiled softly, curtsied gracefully and walked away.
'Do you know how much she frightens me?' the tall girl said, watching Natoria disappear into the crowd.
'Everything frightens you, Mahlikah,' the short one said.
'Not half as much as you, Melini,' Mahlikah shot back.
'At least I'm not twelve feet taller than everyone!'
'And I don't have a crooked neck from looking up at everything!'
'Will you two stop!' It was the last sister, who had been silent the entire evening. 'You two are always like this!' She pushed between her two sisters, ran through the crowd and into another room.
'Not again,' Melini groaned, chasing after her younger sister.
'What does she mean, 'not again'? Does this happen often?' Aahna-Leh asked, looking up at Mahlikah.
'Lena has been like that since father died. Granted Melini and I have been fighting more, but still. She was always so calm before, she took everything in stride and nothing ever upset her'Ķ' she trailed off, lost in memory. Aahna-Leh thought about the baby that her mother had lost earlier that year, not even a month after he had been born, and what a grievous toll it had taken on her family. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she lost her own father.
'Excuse me, my lady, but have you seen Shani?' A man with big brown eyes walked up to her and bowed, clumsily.
'Yes, Lentikah, I have. She is brooding in the library.'
'What -may I ask,-is she brooding about?'
'Being a woman.'
'Again! I have told her so many times'Ķ' he walked off, still talking to himself.
'Who was that?' Mahlikah asked.
'That was Lentikah, future duke and present visionary.'
'Visionary?'
'He is trying to court Shani.'
'Ah, he is quite the visionary.'
* * *
He walked into the room, the image of serenity, but his eyes and mind were working quickly. He had found a solution and he chastised himself severely for not seeing it before.
He crossed the room confidently, but not arrogantly. Silent in the noisy room, he approached the princess and her friend. They were talking about a visionary.
'Ahem,' he coughed softly, 'forgive me-.'
'Keniko!' Aahna-Leh squealed, spinning around, beaming.
'Yes, I'm glad to see you too,' Keniko, said, smiling as he bowed deeply.
She recomposed herself and curtsied to him, just as deeply. 'I don't believe that the two of you have been introduced. Mahlikah, this is Keniko, prince of some land I can never remember. Keniko, this is Mahlikah, one of my closest friends.'
'A pleasure to meet you,' Mahlikah said as she curtsied to him.
'The pleasure is all mine,' he said, bowing in return.
* * *
The next day it was still raining and Shani was still brooding in the library. Partially because of the rain, for because of it, it was impossible for her to go outside and practice with any weapon. Another part of her malice was Keniko. Due to the weather, he could not leave for his own castle until the rain stopped and roads dried.
Shani detested Keniko. It was inexplicable to even herself, but she could not stand him. She distrusted him on every level, about everything.
Lentikah was another factor. He too was staying a little longer, trying to lift her out of her dark mood, while, unintentionally, pushing her deeper into it.
She picked up a glass paper weight and tossed it hand to hand, walking slowly around the room. Dropping it carelessly on to a chair, she looked out the rain streaked window once more, her face placid, but her insides boiling. She heard the door open softly and close, muffled footprints on the thick carpet.
'What do you want?' Shani said icily, now glaring at the window.
'To talk to you,' said Keniko, looking at her still face.
'That would be pointless, but since you are still here and alive'ĶI'm listening.'
'Your sister,' he said slowly, walking to her other side, 'she has a great interest in being married, does she not?'
'I would not know. Such affairs bore me, so I avoid them at all costs.'
'I see, well, I care for your sister, and I am told, that she too cares for me, even to the point of love. And, mind you, I've given this a great deal of consideration, and I believe that this can only help. But I ask you to-how does one say this? - leave her love life be.'
'Why, so you can step in and take the throne?' she looked at him with cool indifference.
A strange look came over his face, briefly, then disappeared.
'Why ever would you think that?'
'Because I can read you like a book.'
'Really?'
'Really.'
'How so?'
'You are, in someway, in a desperate situation in which you need our kingdom to get out of it. The only quick solution to your problem is to marry my sister and take the throne, and kingdom, for yourself, killing her after you are married. This would work, if I didn't have my watchful eye on my dear, stupid sister.' She fell silent, and only the crackle of flame was heard.
'Where ever did you come up with that and why do you call your elder sister stupid?'
'I call her stupid, sire, for she flaunts her affections too carelessly, so as a plot such as yours would work to perfection. As to your first question; it has happened to her before. Oh, and I'll tell you that his carcass made an excellent target, before and after his death.' She walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
Keniko exhaled sharply, then swore loudly.
* * *
Shani went to her room and dropped on to her bed. Pulling out a throwing knife from somewhere, she tossed it lazily at the wall facing her. It landed in the dead center of a wanted poster, one of many that covered her walls. The one she had hit was one of the newer ones. He was a murderer, thief, and a liar, with a fair price on his head. More than fair.
The picture of the man looked at her, long black hair hanging untidily around his face and shoulders, mixing, like almost every other fugitive on the wall, with his beard. But there was something familiar about his eyes. They were confident, but separated from the world, someway, thinking he was better than everyone.
She knew those eyes, she realized, sitting up sharply. He no longer had a beard, had traded his criminal rags for a courtly uniform, and gave up his fugitive name for a royal title, but he could not change his eyes.
She propelled herself off the bed and ran out of the room, ripping the picture of Keniko as she tore the knife out of it.
* * *
Aahna-Leh sighed happily for the third time, pausing once again from her packing. Keniko had proposed to her and she was walking on air. They were eloping, going to his kingdom for the wedding, then coming back here, and joining their countries. Her parents would be upset, but they knew what a kind of man Keniko was, what a wonderful man he was.
She was so happy, she didn't even hear Natoria open the door and come up beside her. Aahna-Leh turned, and jumped when she saw her, dropping the dress in her hands.
'Oh, Natoria, I didn't hear you come in.' She picked up the dress, folded it hastily and went into her closet again.
'Aahna-Leh, you can't go with him.'
Aahna-Leh stopped moving, and straightened, looking at her. Natoria knew. She always knew. Even growing up, Aahna-Leh could never hide anything from her. 'How do you know?'
'Keniko is not as clever or secretive as he would have hoped. He made a mistake, and now he needs you in order to undo it.'
'What do you-?'
'His real name,' she interrupted, 'isn't Keniko. It is Renkah.'
'Renkah! The murderer?'
'The very same.'
Aahna-Leh sank onto her bed, 'How do you know all this?'
Natoria pulled up the sleeve of her deep blue gown. Lightening flashed outside, followed by growling thunder, as Aahna-Leh saw a crescent moon cradling a star branded onto her forearm. 'I am a sorceress from across the sea, sent to protect you and your family.' Aahna-Leh's eyes got wide. 'If you go with him, my lady, you will be killed.'
A look of despair came across Aahna-Leh face, and then rage. 'Let me kill that-.'
Shani burst through the door, cutting her off.
'Aahna-Leh,' she gasped, 'Keniko-he's not really a prince! He's the murderer Renkah!'
'I know,' Aahna-Leh said, voice stiff with anger, 'and I am going to kill him.'
Shani looked sidelong at her sister, 'Who told you? And no, I get to kill him, that's my job.'
'He deceived me, not you, that's why I get to kill him. And Natoria told me,' she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.
'How does Natoria know? But I was the one who had to hear you talk about nothing but him for the past three weeks. I get to kill him.'
'I talked about other things! Natoria is a sorceress from across the sea, and how can you even think I was gushing!'
'You were talking about him 24/7! Wait, she's a sorceress? How do you know?'
'She has the brand on her arm, you can even look. And only reason I liked him was because he tricked me!'
'Both of you!' Natoria broke in, stepping between the two sisters. 'Neither of you will be killing him. We'll take him to your father for a trial.'
'Then I get to kill him,' said Shani smugly, looking at Aahna-Leh over her shoulder as she left the room, twirling her throwing knife in her fingers.
* * *
Something isn't right, Renkah thought, turning the corner, a white flower for Aahna-Leh in hand. He quickened his pace, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the other. He reached Aahna-Leh's door and, taking a deep breath, knocking lightly.
'Come in.' He opened the door and stepped in, a gentle smile on his face.
'Are you ready to go?' She was lying on her bed, reading a book.
She glanced up at him then looked back down at her book, turning the page. 'I've changed my mind. I'm staying here.'
Renkah was shocked. 'But-I thought you loved me.'
'I could say the same thing.' She didn't look at him.
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'She means,' came a voice from behind the door, 'the game is up.' Shani pushed the door closed.
'I don't understand,' Renkah said, turning and looking from sister to sister.
'No, you do understand. You just don't want us to,' Natoria came up behind him, 'Renkah.'
His courtier mask slipped away, exposing his true self, cruel, and twisted. 'Well I should have anticipated this. I was getting impatient anyway. All you did was speed up the process.'
'You're not going to win, you do realize,' Aahna-Leh said, getting off the bed.
'I already have. I put poison in her wine last night. She'll be dead by morning.' A gasp escaped Aahna-Leh's lips and she fell back onto the bed. Shani wasn't fooled.
'Liar. You wouldn't have done that, not if you need to marry her to get the kingdom. It wasn't a guarantee that she would say yes.'
'And,' added Natoria, 'I check the family's goblets with spells each night for poison. It wasn't there.'
His face became contorted with anger. 'Enough of this!' he pulled a dagger from his boot and began running at Aahna-Leh, but Shani and Natoria were ahead of him. His dagger turned into dust in his hand, then he staggered back, Shani's throwing knife in his chest. He fell to the floor dead.
Aahna-Leh walked over to his corpse, placed her foot on the knife and stepped on it, driving it to the hilt in his chest. Then she spat on him, leaving his body on the floor, stepping on a white, crumpled flower on the floor beside him.
* * *
Natoria stepped out onto the wet, dripping balcony, standing beside Shani.
'How is she?'
'She's getting better. It wasn't as hard on her this time. Last time she cried after I killed him. Now she's just throwing things.' They stood in silence, watching the red-orange sun sink behind purple mountains, casting shadows across the land.
Natoria sighed, 'Now what happens?'
'I don't know. I don't know how this will affect the future. She will never be able to trust and love someone again.' She thought a moment. 'Maybe I can get Lentikah to cheer her up.'
Natoria laughed, 'I'm not sure how much that would help.' She opened her hand and showed Shani what was in it. She held her palm open, white flower resting on it, and she gently blew it out over the balcony. It was caught in the wind and carried off, petals fluttering. 'But we'll have to wait and see.'
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