Thanks for feedback, Lucid Lady and Sugarplum! 
[Edited on 11/8/03 as I realized that the scene was missing something and I wrote it up. Different ending than the original first post.]
***
Rai leaned against the side of her bedroom window, blankly staring out into the icy courtyard. She huddled beneath her green cloak as a breeze swept into the room; the sun was out, but the biting cold still remained. Even though the sun was slowly doing its work and melting the snow away, there was still a thin sheen of it coating the ground.
As another tear fell down her cheek, marring her face, Rai frustratingly brushed it aside her with her fingers. "Too much to do," she reminded herself; she tried conjuring up strength into her voice, but found that she couldn't. "I don't have time for this." Yet, as the words left her lips, she continued to stand steadfastly beside the window.
Things had to be prepared. Vanault's ascension, as well as her own, had to be hurried along and done quickly; the full moon was fast approaching in three days. Everything had to be in order by then. And all of it was left up to her, because there was no way that Vanault was capable of doing anything in his grievous state.
A sudden, timid rapping arrived at her door, jarring her from her thoughts. The solemn redhead turned her gaze to the closed door, secretly hoping that it would open on its own, as she didn't want to move. The knocking persisted and she still watched on.
It continued for a few moments before it stopped just as suddenly as it had started. Rai looked back to the window, but found herself compelled - half by curiosity and half by guilt - to learn who exactly had been on the other side. So, quickly rushing to the door, she pulled it open and stepped out into the dimmed hall.
Her caller had been walking away, back turned to her, and had almost reached the stairs to descend from the second level. The sound of the soles of her bare feet smacking against the cold stone floor of the hallway caused him to stop in his steps. He turned around slowly, the movement of his white clothing catching in the low light, and looked back at Rai.
"Sanctuary Priestess Rai." She could sense his slight amusement in his mauve aura.
Confused, Rai glanced at herself and recognized by what he was entertained. There she was bundled up in a huge green cloak, even her hood on, but still bare foot. She shook her head. "Prince Thane," she returned with a lilt of playfulness in voice, a quick smile gracing her lips.
The two of them continued to stand at opposite ends of the corridor in an awkward silence, until Rai spoke up once more. "You aren't supposed to be here in this wing."
"I know. I was able to sneak in though." He shrugged. "You need better security."
"It's forbidden, that's as much security as we've ever needed."
"Well, I'm the exception to rule then."
Inwardly, Thane's words gave the young priestess a thrill. The words rang so true. He was the exception. An exception she'd gladly allow. "Since you're here, you might as well come in," she gently conceded, motioning to him with a soft gesture of her arm.
He nodded as the small levity that had permeated their conversation seemed to dissolve and disappear. "I did come to speak with you actually."
Rai waited expectantly just outside the doorway of her room, allowing Thane to pass through first before following him inside. Once the door had shut behind her, she resumed the conversation. "About what, exactly?"
"Concerning my sister and High Priestess Opaline's..."
He trailed off, like so many others, not wishing to articulate what had happened. Of course, it wasn't necessarily either, as she knew. "The Princess shared a connection with Opaline."
"But her...suffering?" Thane hadn't meant the phrase to become a question, but the tone in his voice had rose naturally, not sure what to call what Shayla was dealing with. "Will it last long?"
By then, Rai had found her way back to her devoted spot beside the window. She regarded him for a moment, considering his question. "I cannot say. I have never experienced this...suffering myself. When High Priest Kiran died, I wasn't a priestess; I have only shared a connection with Opaline. But she will-"
"She shouldn't have to endure this!" the soldier insisted, cutting off the woman's speech.
Rai was startled by his outburst, but despite that, she proceeded to speak. "She has no choice. High Priest Vanault must endure it, I must endure it, the Does must endure it; we all loved Opaline dearly."
"As did I," he murmured, pulling out the chair from underneath Rai's desk and sitting down. "I loved her."
"There isn't a soul who didn't."
"I want to bear her pain."
The Sanctuary Priestess nodded softly, her gaze once more directed out the window as she listened to Thane.
"She's only a child; she shouldn't know this pain. She's innocent!" he persisted, believing that he could reason away his younger sister's pain.
"A child's innocence can never last forever, though I certainly wish it did." She broke her saddened features with a grin. "Life could be bliss, perhaps."
A contemplative silence descended and the two of them, on their opposite sides of the room, were quiet. Rai looked over at Thane, considering his in-depth posture.
He sat in her wooden chair, hunched over in thought, elbows on his knees and head in his gloved, black hands. His armor sagged downward as well, imitating his body's movement. She couldn't fathom what he might be thinking, because just as handsome as he was, Thane also was quite an enigma. He hid himself behind so many faces, Rai wasn't always sure exactly to whom she was attracted.
"I just want to save Shayla."
Rai narrowed her sharp green eyes on the man across from her. He had lifted his head up to stare straight at her, dark brown eyes determined, and yet broken at the same time. "Save her from what?" she questioned, a natural follow-up.
Thane blinked cautiously, obviously weighing whether to reveal his information to her. He opened his mouth a few times, getting ready to speak, but stopping himself. Finally, on the fourth try, he mumbled something that she could barely hear, but as soon as she had heard it, everything made sense.
"Save her from the hurt no one saved me from."
There was a long pause in where Rai simply stood still, not sure as to what to say or do. However, just as she had decided to approach him, the sight of an armored horse entering the courtyard stopped her. There was no doubt in her mind as to what, actually whom, they had come for.
She met Thane's gaze that had been so focused on her. "You have to go," she told him reluctantly.
Instantly, a wounded look appeared upon his face and he withdrew slightly. "I have to go?" he queried; confusion, anger, and hurt all mixed into the tone his voice took.
Understanding the meaning he had garnered from her previous statement, Rai quickly sought to explain herself. "I mean, someone has come for you," she returned, motioning toward the window. "A soldier is down in the courtyard."
Thane walked over to her side to see out the window in order to view what she had. "That's Mave," he stated, after a moment of examination. "Thanks."
"You would've seen him for yourself if-"
"No." Thane's voice was short and soft. He shook his head. Thanks."
Rai stared after him as strode out her door, tucking her chair back under her desk before he left.
"Oh."
***
[Edited on 11/8/03 as I realized that the scene was missing something and I wrote it up. Different ending than the original first post.]
***
Rai leaned against the side of her bedroom window, blankly staring out into the icy courtyard. She huddled beneath her green cloak as a breeze swept into the room; the sun was out, but the biting cold still remained. Even though the sun was slowly doing its work and melting the snow away, there was still a thin sheen of it coating the ground.
As another tear fell down her cheek, marring her face, Rai frustratingly brushed it aside her with her fingers. "Too much to do," she reminded herself; she tried conjuring up strength into her voice, but found that she couldn't. "I don't have time for this." Yet, as the words left her lips, she continued to stand steadfastly beside the window.
Things had to be prepared. Vanault's ascension, as well as her own, had to be hurried along and done quickly; the full moon was fast approaching in three days. Everything had to be in order by then. And all of it was left up to her, because there was no way that Vanault was capable of doing anything in his grievous state.
A sudden, timid rapping arrived at her door, jarring her from her thoughts. The solemn redhead turned her gaze to the closed door, secretly hoping that it would open on its own, as she didn't want to move. The knocking persisted and she still watched on.
It continued for a few moments before it stopped just as suddenly as it had started. Rai looked back to the window, but found herself compelled - half by curiosity and half by guilt - to learn who exactly had been on the other side. So, quickly rushing to the door, she pulled it open and stepped out into the dimmed hall.
Her caller had been walking away, back turned to her, and had almost reached the stairs to descend from the second level. The sound of the soles of her bare feet smacking against the cold stone floor of the hallway caused him to stop in his steps. He turned around slowly, the movement of his white clothing catching in the low light, and looked back at Rai.
"Sanctuary Priestess Rai." She could sense his slight amusement in his mauve aura.
Confused, Rai glanced at herself and recognized by what he was entertained. There she was bundled up in a huge green cloak, even her hood on, but still bare foot. She shook her head. "Prince Thane," she returned with a lilt of playfulness in voice, a quick smile gracing her lips.
The two of them continued to stand at opposite ends of the corridor in an awkward silence, until Rai spoke up once more. "You aren't supposed to be here in this wing."
"I know. I was able to sneak in though." He shrugged. "You need better security."
"It's forbidden, that's as much security as we've ever needed."
"Well, I'm the exception to rule then."
Inwardly, Thane's words gave the young priestess a thrill. The words rang so true. He was the exception. An exception she'd gladly allow. "Since you're here, you might as well come in," she gently conceded, motioning to him with a soft gesture of her arm.
He nodded as the small levity that had permeated their conversation seemed to dissolve and disappear. "I did come to speak with you actually."
Rai waited expectantly just outside the doorway of her room, allowing Thane to pass through first before following him inside. Once the door had shut behind her, she resumed the conversation. "About what, exactly?"
"Concerning my sister and High Priestess Opaline's..."
He trailed off, like so many others, not wishing to articulate what had happened. Of course, it wasn't necessarily either, as she knew. "The Princess shared a connection with Opaline."
"But her...suffering?" Thane hadn't meant the phrase to become a question, but the tone in his voice had rose naturally, not sure what to call what Shayla was dealing with. "Will it last long?"
By then, Rai had found her way back to her devoted spot beside the window. She regarded him for a moment, considering his question. "I cannot say. I have never experienced this...suffering myself. When High Priest Kiran died, I wasn't a priestess; I have only shared a connection with Opaline. But she will-"
"She shouldn't have to endure this!" the soldier insisted, cutting off the woman's speech.
Rai was startled by his outburst, but despite that, she proceeded to speak. "She has no choice. High Priest Vanault must endure it, I must endure it, the Does must endure it; we all loved Opaline dearly."
"As did I," he murmured, pulling out the chair from underneath Rai's desk and sitting down. "I loved her."
"There isn't a soul who didn't."
"I want to bear her pain."
The Sanctuary Priestess nodded softly, her gaze once more directed out the window as she listened to Thane.
"She's only a child; she shouldn't know this pain. She's innocent!" he persisted, believing that he could reason away his younger sister's pain.
"A child's innocence can never last forever, though I certainly wish it did." She broke her saddened features with a grin. "Life could be bliss, perhaps."
A contemplative silence descended and the two of them, on their opposite sides of the room, were quiet. Rai looked over at Thane, considering his in-depth posture.
He sat in her wooden chair, hunched over in thought, elbows on his knees and head in his gloved, black hands. His armor sagged downward as well, imitating his body's movement. She couldn't fathom what he might be thinking, because just as handsome as he was, Thane also was quite an enigma. He hid himself behind so many faces, Rai wasn't always sure exactly to whom she was attracted.
"I just want to save Shayla."
Rai narrowed her sharp green eyes on the man across from her. He had lifted his head up to stare straight at her, dark brown eyes determined, and yet broken at the same time. "Save her from what?" she questioned, a natural follow-up.
Thane blinked cautiously, obviously weighing whether to reveal his information to her. He opened his mouth a few times, getting ready to speak, but stopping himself. Finally, on the fourth try, he mumbled something that she could barely hear, but as soon as she had heard it, everything made sense.
"Save her from the hurt no one saved me from."
There was a long pause in where Rai simply stood still, not sure as to what to say or do. However, just as she had decided to approach him, the sight of an armored horse entering the courtyard stopped her. There was no doubt in her mind as to what, actually whom, they had come for.
She met Thane's gaze that had been so focused on her. "You have to go," she told him reluctantly.
Instantly, a wounded look appeared upon his face and he withdrew slightly. "I have to go?" he queried; confusion, anger, and hurt all mixed into the tone his voice took.
Understanding the meaning he had garnered from her previous statement, Rai quickly sought to explain herself. "I mean, someone has come for you," she returned, motioning toward the window. "A soldier is down in the courtyard."
Thane walked over to her side to see out the window in order to view what she had. "That's Mave," he stated, after a moment of examination. "Thanks."
"You would've seen him for yourself if-"
"No." Thane's voice was short and soft. He shook his head. Thanks."
Rai stared after him as strode out her door, tucking her chair back under her desk before he left.
"Oh."
***
WhiteZeo
An Oliverette To The End
---
"per se? When did we get into "per se" territory? Are words like "ergo" and "concurrently" looming up ahead?" - Sugarplum in AIM :)
An Oliverette To The End
---
"per se? When did we get into "per se" territory? Are words like "ergo" and "concurrently" looming up ahead?" - Sugarplum in AIM :)
)
I like how she knows that she doesnt have time to basically do nothing, but that doesnt get her moving. I think it makes her more real, more believable as a person. I mean . . . how often do we really go and do something right after we tell ourselves that you have to do this . . . now? Like very rarely. Very nice touch!
