The Forsaken (standard:fantasy, 6862 words)
Author: Ambrosious	Added: Feb 16 2001	Views/Reads: 4220/2999	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Typical sword and sorcery, chapter one.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story


In the birthing chamber, Bella was extremely busy. The head had crowned
about 15 minutes ago, but the baby wouldn’t drop out of the birth 
canal. It was like this child was unsure of this world and therefore 
decided not to move. It was too comfortable in making its mother 
uncomfortable. The Lady Kurlz was breathing ragged breaths and sweat 
had plastered her brow to her forehead. The birthing chamber had taken 
on a rank smell that was a combination of sweat, birthing fluid, and 
blood. Bella was starting to get concerned and knew that if the baby 
didn’t make its appearance soon, Lady Kurlz would have to be cut. She 
begged and pleaded with her Lady to press down once more. 

Lady Kurlz was delirious. The pain of birth was like no other she had
ever felt. Just when she thought that the worst had passed, another 
wave, stronger and more intense would overtake her. She thrashed her 
head from side to side and at some point heard herself call out for her 
mother, like a toddler would when faced with a scraped knee. The 
midwife slapped the Lady Kurlz hard once, twice, and then three times 
across the face. The slaps were hard enough to echo off of the chamber 
walls. Those slaps did the trick though, for the Lady Kurlz sat up with 
a look of pure hatred in her eyes. Childbirth or no, no one had ever 
laid a hand upon her in this manner. When this baby came forth, she 
would see the midwife’s head in a basket. 

Lady Kurlz was about to curse the midwife for slapping her royal face
when another birth pain overtook her. She redirected her anger into a 
final push that brought forth the baby with a great tear. She bled 
profusely as the Heir of the 29th House was delivered from its womb. 
Bella cleared the baby’s mouth and nose and gave it a pinch to start 
its crying. As soon as the babe let out a yell of indignation, Bella 
turned her attention to the Lady Kurlz and her bleeding. With a quick 
glance, Bella realized that the baby had torn the birth canal upon its 
exit and that Lady Kurlz was not bleeding from the womb itself. This 
was a relief for Bella could remedy the tear, but would have had to 
watch her Lady bleed to death if the womb had bled. Bella quickly 
grabbed needle and thread and set upon the task of repairing the Lady’s 
womanhood. 

Lady Kurlz looked at her baby first with great love, then with great
horror. She had failed her Lord, House, and subjects. The hero of the 
ages that she was to give birth to lay in a heap at her side, but she 
could not bring herself to touch it. The boy child the world had longed 
for, the one to set things right and realize a prophesy, was a girl. 
The Lady cried out with an intense combination of physical and 
emotional pain. What would she do? More importantly, what would the 
world do now? A hero was sorely needed, not this...girl. 

Terris sat in the middle of the interior courtyard, playing with her
prophecy cards. The card deck was a present from her nanny and guide, 
Bella for her thirteenth birthday. They were well worn and dog eared 
from the many times she had used them over the past year. She once 
again dealt the cards in a “Life Circle” and once again the cards told 
her what she knew to be true in her heart-that she would become a great 
leader of men. No one else thought that she could become anything more 
than a Lady Protector and marry some capable young man to run her 
empire for her. 

Terris reflected on her life for a few minutes before sighing out loud.
Her father, The Lord Protector Kurlz, was hardly ever seen anymore, 
keeping to his library studying the Myclex Prophesies for a hint of 
what could be done to save the name of his House. Her mother kept to 
her chambers, usually drugged out of her mind from the potions the 
Court mages kept her on to fight her “depression”. Terris was raised 
primarily by Bella, a grouchy old woman who used to hold a position of 
greatness, but was reduced to raising her Lord’s offspring. The Lady 
Kurlz had never conceived after the birth of Terris, which sent her 
into her depression, and made Bella’s job relatively easy. Terris let 
out another overly dramatic sigh and swooped up the prophecy cards. She 
stood and surveyed the courtyard, her domain. 

The dust and dirt had infiltrated every corner, and the tapestries were
thread bare. No one paid any attention to their duties anymore, as 
surviving had taken precedence over mundane cleaning tasks. The 
planters were full of dead or dying plants, and the fountain spewed a 
dirty brown water. The whole courtyard was depressing to look at, for 
it held little of its former greatness. Terris turned toward the sound 
of an opening door and beheld Marden, the oldest son of Karl, the court 
mage entering the courtyard which doubled the population of the inner 
court. 

Terris and Marden had practically grown up together, and were as brother
and sister. Lately, Marden had been spending a lot of time studying, 
for as the eldest of son of a mage, he was to follow in his father’s 
steps and become the next court mage. Terris smiled awkwardly at Marden 
and Marden returned her smile. He held out his hands, and Terris 
grasped them in a lady like gesture. 

“My lady, good to see you again,” Marden started. 

“Likewise, oh wise and powerful mage,” Terris teased. She blushed at
Marden use of her proper title. 

“Happy birthday,” Marden said, as he revealed a package he had hidden in
his robes. It was wrapped with old rice paper and tied with a string, 
but it was the most beautiful present she had seen all day. In fact, it 
was the only one. 

She took the present with trembling hands, and started to open it.
Terris almost cried out loud as she revealed what was under the 
packaging. A jewel encrusted sheath that held a small, deadly looking 
dagger met her gaze when she had finally opened the package fully. She 
looked quizzically at Marden and back at the dagger. Bringing her 
emotions under control, she withdrew the dagger and drew its blade 
along her thumb, testing the sharpness of it. A small bead of blood 
formed where the dagger had been drawn. She quickly withdrew dagger 
from her thumb and stuck her thumb in her mouth, sucking at the blood 
there. 

“Heh!” Marden exclaimed. “It’s sharp enough. Be careful with it. I
thought you might need it for your adventuring.” 

“Adventuring? There will be no adventuring for me for awhile yet. Lord
Protector Kurlz has decided to send me off to be schooled, for he finds 
my education sorely lacking.” 

“You will need the dagger sooner than you think, my Lady. The portents
of late all point to you being in great danger, and soon.” 

Terris laughed at his statement. Marden had been saying the same thing
to her since they were eight years old, and the only danger she had 
ever faced had been the wrath of Bella when the two of them were up to 
mischief. In fact, he had repeated the statement so much, it was now a 
running joke between the two of them. 

“My Lady, the dagger I present to you is enchanted as well. My father
has tied the two of us together with that dagger and if you ever pull 
it out in the face of danger, I’ll know. I will also be compelled to 
aid or come to your aid at all costs. A Lady in training in these 
troubled times may come to danger out among the world. Carry the dagger 
with you wherever you may go, and know that I will assist you in times 
of need.” 

Terris absorbed the information that Marden had laid at her doorstep
with aplomb. It was good to have such a dedicated friend, and future 
advisor. The two of them were raised together, and would rise to power 
together. It was also necessary to establish a pecking order, and 
Terris was constantly doing just that, reducing Marden to her servant 
and advisor. He would need to realize the boundaries of his position 
and Terris was there to teach him those boundaries. With a smile and 
nod, she sheathed the dagger and strapped it to her calf. She looked at 
Marden and laughed mischievously. 

“What are you thinking, Terris? I know that laugh and it is usually
followed by the strap being administered to my backside by my father or 
Bella after letting you talk me into some nonsense.” 

“Come now, are you getting feeble in you old age?” Terris teased. 

Marden grimaced at her stinging accusation, for he was playing it close
to the chest of late. 

“The kitchens are empty now and I’m feeling a little peckish. Sweets are
cooling on the tables, ready for the taking.” 

“I like where this is leading. Let’s go!” Marden exclaimed. 

The two of them made their way around the courtyard toward the kitchen
door. They were in high spirits as this would be their “last” adventure 
together before Terris was packed off to school. Upon reaching the 
kitchen door, the two of them became deathly quiet, for stealth was 
needed here. Bella’s room was right next to the kitchen and she was 
easily riled. With a pass of his hand, Marden undid the lock on the 
kitchen door and it swung open toward the courtyard, letting out 
wonderful smells that made their belly’s grumble. Terris grinned at her 
companion’s skill. He had improved greatly. The last time they had 
snuck into the kitchen, it had taken Marden fifteen minutes of waving 
and praying to unlock the door. Marden stuck his head inside the 
kitchen and quickly surveyed the room. He hoped that no one was 
lingering and was pleased to find the place deserted of all but the 
sweets cooling on the tables. They were meant for Terris’ birthday 
celebration tonight and the cooks had outdone themselves with the 
quantity of food prepared. 

Terris followed Marden into the kitchens and the two of them grinned at
the bounty laid out before them. They each pointed to separate 
desserts, each wanting their own favorite. A mild silent argument 
ensued, with each of them pointing to their own choices and the other 
trying to override that choice with a point to another favorite. They 
finally decided on a glazed apple cake to steal and both of them 
reached down to lift it from the table. They managed to get in each 
other’s way, and Terris was sure that Marden would yield. He did not. 
He gave her a playful shove that she overcompensated for and she 
stumbled backward. Marden reached out to grab her hand for balance, but 
was too late. Directly behind her was a table full of utensils and pots 
used for the baking of the sweets and it went crashing to the floor as 
Terris went crashing into it. The metal pots and utensils made more 
than enough noise to give them away and the two of them broke into a 
run, exiting the kitchen swiftly. They turned toward Terris’ rooms with 
Marden leading the way. Neither saw the bulk of Bella, who was coming 
to investigate the noise. Marden crashed into Bella’s great belly and 
was knocked backward into Terris. Terris went down and Marden followed 
suit, landing on her outstretched form. Bella glared down at the two of 
them with pure hatred in her eyes. They knew that they were in deep 
trouble. 

“Ha! Caught you! Caught you both! Well the two of you have done it this
time! Marden! Report to your father and tell him what you have done. 
Terris will clean up this mess and report to me when she is finished. 
Do you both understand me?” Bella asked as she surveyed the damage. 
Neither child said a word to her in return, but each slid off to do her 
bidding. At the last possible moment, each of them smiled at the other 
for the mischief they had caused. Bella noticed this but decided not to 
pursue their indiscretion and turned to reenter her chamber. 

“Oh, happy birthday, my Lady!” Bella exclaimed with venom and she broke
into hysterical laughter as she shut her chamber doors. Terris entered 
the kitchen with resignation, knowing that she had fared far better 
than Marden would. The kitchen staff looked at her bug eyed as she set 
to the task of righting the table. None dared to help her, for each 
feared the wrath of Bella. One or two of the staff looked upon Terris 
with sympathy but most of the staff left as soon as the mystery of the 
crashing pots had been resolved. Terris let out another of her infamous 
dramatic sighs and looked around at the mess she and Marden had made. 
She bent down and lifted her first of many spoons, and set it upon the 
now righted table, as she eyed once more the table of sweets. The 
thought crossed her mind several times to go ahead and steal what she 
had come to steal in the first place, but decided not to. It didn’t 
seem fair for to eat her fill of sweets when her coconspirator was 
probably facing severe punishment, possibly even the lash. 

Bella reentered her chambers and sat once again at the looking glass.
The glass currently showed a view of the kitchens and Terris’ hands 
placing the utensils back upon their drying table. Terris wore an 
amulet around her neck that had been fashioned by Karl, the court mage 
on Terris’ third birthday. It was linked to the mirror with magical 
spells that Bella had never understood, but it gave her access to the 
Lady in training day or night. That was the only way to keep up with 
Terris and her mischief most times. Satisfied that Terris was hard at 
work, Bella resumed her task of readying herself for tonight’s 
celebration, and her apartment for the move to the temple, where Terris 
would be schooled. Terris did not as yet know that Bella would be 
following her to school. Bella let out a sigh that sounded much like 
Terris when she was exasperated and giggled at the sound of it. That 
child would be the death of her, Bella was sure. Lord Protector Kurlz 
had given the order for Bella to follow Terris to her new home to make 
her feel more comfortable with the change in her life. Bella was 
satisfied with the condition of her rooms and that everything she 
needed was packed for the journey. 

Bella disrobed and lowered herself into a bath that had been waiting
sense before having to take care of Marden and Terris and their 
mischief. The water was tepid and Bella made do rather than having hot 
water brought in and the tub heated. She took extra care to make sure 
that she was extra clean and that she smelled fresh, even adding some 
precious oils to her bathwater. She removed herself from the tub and 
quickly dressed in her formal gown made of green fabric and sewed with 
many beads and interspersed with lace here and there to soften the 
look. She glanced at the looking glass and saw that Terris had just 
about finished setting the utensils and pots back into their place on 
the table. She hurried through setting her hair, and as a finishing 
touch, she added a couple of pieces of jewelry her mother had 
bequeathed her. She turned to a mirror and was satisfied with the 
finished look. Bella left her quarters and met Terris as she exited the 
kitchen. 

“Hurry along, young lady. Your bath is drawn and your formal gown is
laid out for you. You have roughly one hour to prepare yourself for 
tonight celebration. It is not everyday one turns fourteen,” Bella said 
to Terris. 

“Yes ma’am,” was all Terris could mutter her caretaker. She turned and
walked toward her quarters with what she hoped was indignation. She 
passed several servants along the way, who were busy readying the 
castle for the birthday celebration. Terris felt no excitement at the 
planned festivities being held in her honor. She was still upset at the 
prospect of being sent away. Terris entered her quarters and set about 
the task of preparing herself for tonight. She got undressed and let 
her clothes fall to the floor. She put her hair up so as to keep it dry 
during her bath and settled into the large tub with another of her 
sighs. She made quick work of cleaning herself and was soon pink with 
scrubbing. She left the tub and went to her armoire, drying herself as 
she went. 

Terris swung open the armoire doors as her silk towels fell to the
floor. The dress that had been chosen for her to wear was laid out on 
her bed, but Terris had other ideas about what to wear that evening. 
She looked inside the armoire with shock. Her things, the clothes she 
was used to, were gone. In their stead were several gowns, each one she 
looked at was fancier than the last. Her entire wardrobe had been 
replaced with formal looking gowns, blouses, and skirts. She was taken 
aback at the prospect of having to wear this collection for the rest of 
her life. 

She went to the bed trying to decide what to do about this development.
She was unhappy, to say the least. She decided to dress in the gown 
that had been laid out for her and to find out where her clothes had 
disappeared to later. Terris spent the remaining time on getting her 
hair just right. She dabbed on a little rose oil, and nervously checked 
and rechecked herself in the floor length mirror that stood near the 
door. Satisfied that she was stunning in appearance and that she 
smelled as good as she looked, she exited her quarters. She made her 
way down nearly deserted hallways and passages, heading to the 
ballroom. 

Several people were in attendance and the Lord Protector Kurlz was
holding court near the hearth. Bella spied Terris standing at the 
entrance and rushed to be by her side. Bella reached out and took 
Terris’ hands into hers. 

“My Lady, you look fabulous. You are a gem among the slag tonight,”
Bella told her. The use of her formal title took Terris aback, as Bella 
had never used the title before. 

“Thank you, Bella. Where should I stand?” Terris asked, unsure of how
this birthday celebration was to unfold. No one had told her anything. 

“We will wait for the crowd to build somewhat and you will be announced.
Don’t be flustered, for you look wonderful. I’m sure that the many 
young bachelors in attendance will notice the beauty and grace you 
project. Your future husband may be in attendance tonight,” said Bella 
with a flourish. 

Terris blushed somewhat as the two of them retired to a sitting room to
wait for her to be announced. They sat down at a small, intimate table 
made of hardwood and polished to a sheen that held a small tray of 
fresh fruit, cheese, and bread. There were two glasses filled with 
honeyed wine. Terris took a bit of cheese and washed it down with the 
wine and tried to settle her nerves. This was certainly the biggest 
deal ever made about her birthday. Bella kept looking at Terris and 
tearing up, which unnerved Terris even more. 

“Bella, there is something I must know. Today, when I entered my room, I
noticed that my clothes had been ex...” Terris started but was cut off 
by the sound of several different instruments all striking the same 
chord at once, the signal of the Lord and Lady Protectors. Surely this 
meant that her mother would join tonight’s festivities. Terris was even 
more nervous, for she rarely saw her mother, but thought of her as 
regal and unapproachable. She looked to Bella for confirmation and 
Bella ever so slightly nodded her affirmation. Lady Protector Kurlz 
would come down tonight for her daughters birthday/farewell party! This 
was shaping up to be a great evening. The only thing missing was 
Marden. Terris wondered at his punishment and hoped that it hadn’t been 
too severe. 

Terris’ train of thought sere interrupted by another blast from the
instruments, again playing the signal for the Lord and Lady Protectors. 
Terris tightened visibly as Bella stood. That meant that this time the 
signal was her own. This development threw her into a panic and Bella 
drew her to her feet. 

“Listen to me child...I mean, Lady. You are of the age when all rights
and privileges of adulthood are bestowed upon you. That means that you 
also bear the responsibility, the responsibility of a Realm divided. It 
is now upon you and your ilk to bear the task of setting things aright. 
It is a heavy burden you bear, and you will start small. Your first 
task is to become educated, for a moronic Lady cannot solve the Realms 
problems.’ Bella spoke with a kindness never before witnessed by 
Terris. It only served to make her even more nervous than before, if 
that was possible. 

“It is time,” Bella said and the two of them exited the sitting room and
stood by the entrance of the ballroom. Through the doorway, Terris 
spied Marden. He caught her eye and mimicked rubbing his backside. 
Terris knew he had tangled with the lash. She couldn’t help grinning at 
his silly pantomime, despite her concern for the condition of his 
bottom. 

The Lord Protector Kurlz stood and cleared his throat when he saw his
daughter in the doorway. Bella caught her mothers eye and smiled even 
wider. This was shaping up to be the best birthday ever, putting her 
previous troubles out of mind. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Realm, I give you the Lady Protector-el
Kurlz!’ Lord Protector Kurlz said with a wide smile. The “el” at the 
end of her title signified succession to the throne. Marden also had an 
“el” at the end of his title, The Mage-el of the Realm, even though the 
“el” was usually reserved for royalty. The use of the title gave Terris 
shivers, like it always did. To hear her father call her Lady 
Protector-el Kurlz had the effect of bestowing an air of seriousness to 
the night. 

Terris strode into the hall with her head held high and her feet barely
touching the marble floor. The Whole scene became surreal as she made 
her way to the dais that Lord Protector Kurlz stood upon. She barely 
noticed the throngs of people in attendance nor the many significant 
titles and powers represented in the room. She barley noticed the many 
young men in attendance also. Her father sat down on a wrought iron 
chair that had been used by Lord Protectors for generations. The chair 
was an ornate thing with great deeds of past Lords etched into the 
sides and back of the chair. It had the effect of making The Lord 
Protector Kurlz look small, even though his bulk was great. To his left 
sat the Lady Protector Kurlz in a smaller version of the iron chair. 
The chair she sat upon was plain and undecorated and made to fit the 
Lady Protector Kurlz’s frame, being much smaller than the chair that 
the Lord Protector Kurlz sat upon. 

Terris caught her mother’s eye and noticed a tear leaking from her eye.
The sight of emotion her mother showed made Terris want to cry as well. 
She quickly looked back at Marden, who was still rubbing his backside, 
which helped her retain composure. Before she knew it, Terris was at 
the base of the dais. The crowd quieted expectantly as the Lord 
Protector Kurlz rose once again to address the crowd. 

“Ladies and gentlemen of the realm, today is a great day for me, my
wife, and the Realm. My daughter, Terris, turns fourteen tonight. She 
is to be educated at the Temple of the God, Baron and will be away from 
us for three years, after which, she will be capable of assuming the 
duties and privileges bestowed upon the new Lady Protector Kurlz.” 

At that moment, the court musicians played that one unnerving note and
the sound of it echoed throughout the hall. The Lord Protector Kurlz 
waited for the music to completely fade away before clearing his 
throat. The whole throng of people looked expectantly at him and waited 
for his next words. Lord Protector Kurlz drew in a breath and began 
once again. 

“It is tradition that the Court Mage present the Protector-el with the
first gift on the day of ascension into adulthood. The good mage Runden 
has declined to provide the first gift this year.” As he said this, the 
crowd drew in a collective breath at the audacity of Runden. The Lord 
Protector Kurlz continued, “He has assigned the task of presenting the 
first gift to the Mage-el, Marden, Runden’s first born.” 

The crowd looked at Marden with appreciation as one and Marden’s face
showed that he had known nothing of this. He stopped rubbing his 
backside and looked at his father, who smiled at him and nodded his 
head toward the banquet table, indicating where Marden should stand and 
deliver his gift. Marden slowly made his way over to the table and took 
his place in front of it. He raised his arms and pointed his hands to 
the ceiling. The crowd waited. Marden looked at the crowd and 
nervousness set in. He had given Terris her gift already. If he had 
known, he would have waited until now to give it to her. He wondered if 
he could somehow get it back. He put that thought out of his mind and 
thought about how he could pull this off. The Lord Protector Kurlz 
cleared his throat once again and Marden knew he had to do something 
quick. He looked at his father and got no help from the placid look 
that was returned him. 

Lowering his arms slowly as to postpone the inevitable for as long as
possible, Marden looked at Terris for help. If she would just speak up 
and tell everyone that she had received her gift already, he would be 
off the hook. Terris returned his look with a friendly smile. At least 
she would understand and stand by him when he failed this simple task. 
When his arms were completely lowered by his side once again, Marden 
began speaking. 

“To have the honor of presenting the Protector-el with her first gift
this day gives me great honor. I come before you and the court, good 
people of the realm, to pay homage to my friend and the future Lady 
Protector Kurlz. I have known her all my life and the gift of 
friendship she has given me will never be equaled by anything I could 
give her in return.” Marden was speaking from is heart, though he had 
no idea how to finish this up, when an idea struck. 

“I have thought long and hard about what to give Terris on this day,”
Marden said and his father Runden choked back laughter. “I have nothing 
material to offer her, as friendship is no material thing. I offer her 
my loyalty, service, and protection. I offer her counseling, 
trustworthiness, and guidance. Most importantly, I offer a continuation 
of the traditions set before by the most powerful mages and Lords our 
Realm has ever known.” 

“Let us this day remember that the prophesies must be fulfilled. The
Lady Terris has been brought forth to save our Realm from certain 
destruction. How? No one knows for the prophesies never mention the 
how, just the who. I present to the Lady Protector-el Terris Kurlz this 
gift,” Marden spoke. 

He waved his hands and a buzz filled the air, as he started to weave a
spell. Marden was still learning his craft and the spell weaving took a 
little longer than a spell cast by a more experienced mage. Marden 
concentrated hard and wove the spell flawlessly. After a few seconds, 
where the only sign of the spell was the buzzing in the room, an image 
started to take shape. Marden threw all of his being into this spell. 
He wanted it to be perfect for his father, the Lord Protector Kurlz, 
and of course, Terris. As he wove, an image took shape in the center of 
the room, and it faced the dais which the Lord and Lady sat upon and 
Terris stood in front of. 

The image was blurry at first but quickly took form before the crown. It
started off as an indeterminable blob that formed into a smoky, hazy 
image. The image was one of a flower in bloom. The petals of the flower 
were bright purple, the royal color, and it had white tips on the end 
of the petals. The flower transformed into a brilliant gem, crystal 
clear now, and it reflected the light in the room onto the walls and 
the faces of the people assembled in the hall. The gem grew smaller and 
smaller and became the centerpiece of the Protectors’ crown. The crown 
hovered for a few seconds before transforming into a magnificent steed. 
The horse was solid white, bedecked in jewels and leather, and its mane 
was a dazzling display of the colors of the natural realm. It reared 
back on its hind legs and whinnied loudly. The horse’s whinny echoed 
off of the chamber’s walls and the horse disappeared with a wave of 
Marden’s hand, the whinny fading out long after the horse. 

The audience was silent, enthralled at the display of magic. Marden
looked about the room confused. The silence stunned him. He had given 
it his best effort. The Lord Protector Kurlz stood up and applauded, 
and the audience soon followed his lead. The room soon rocked to the 
beat of the crowd’s appreciation. Marden looked at his father and saw 
the pride in his eyes. He smiled at his father and blushed at the 
applause. Terris approached him and gave him a perfunctory squeeze. The 
applause died down slowly and the Lord Protector Kurlz held up his 
hands for silence. 

“We have been blessed with a display of magic rarely seen in public.
Runden, you and your son are truly treasures of the Realm. Let us break 
with formality and begin the feasting.” He turned to Terris and 
continued, “Daughter, treasure your Mage-el for all times. He will 
become a blessing to you in your search for a husband. Let the feasting 
begin!” 

The crowd started to make its way to the tables laden with food and
Terris watched them with indifference. She turned to Marden and took 
his hand in hers. She led him over to a quiet corner and the two of 
them awkwardly looked at each other for several minutes. She wanted to 
thank him for the “gift” he had given her but didn’t know if she could 
put her appreciation into words. He wanted to tell her goodbye but 
every time he had tried, he had become tongue tied. They stared at each 
other for quite awhile in total silence. 

“Thank you, Marden. You are more to me than just my mage. You are my
friend and confidant. I will always treasure the gift you shared with 
me this night. Now how about you and I hit the sweet breads?” 

Marden grinned sheepishly at Terris and nodded his assent. The two of
them walked over to the tables and both grabbed for the same sticky 
roll. Their hands touched briefly and Marden blushed profusely. Both 
Terris and Marden were becoming more and more interested in the 
opposite sex, however, they had never thought of each other as any 
thing other than playmate and fellow mischief maker. Nibbling on the 
rolls they had procured, the two of them turned to watch the crowd and 
the festivities. 

Terris’ mother, the Lady Protector Kurlz, sat upon her throne watching
with disinterest the happenings around her. She had rallied herself for 
her daughter’s sake, but her depression was quickly reasserting itself 
in her mind. She sighed and tried to focus. It was so hard. If the 
depression didn’t have her on edge, the medicine the court mages had 
her on did. The room took on a dreamy quality and the Lady Protector 
Kurlz slipped out of this world and into one she had created in her 
mind. In that world, she was no longer barren. She was surrounded by 
lots of children, all her own, and she had given birth to the savior of 
the realm, not just the daughter who would begat that savior. 

The Lord Protector Kurlz looked at his wife first lovingly, then with
disgust as he realized that she had slipped into her own reality once 
again. With a motion from Kurlz to the ladies assigned her, the Lady 
was secreted back to her chambers. The Lord Protector Kurlz sadly 
recalled the first days on the throne, and the love he shared with his 
wife, who was now invalid most of the time. Many of his advisors 
recommended he take on a mistress, one who was fertile, and let the 
prophesies come to pass. It was foretold that the Lord Protector Kurlz 
would give birth to the savior of the realm. Lately, Kurlz wondered if 
the prophesies had been wrong. They had never been wrong before, but 
that didn’t mean that this time they weren’t. Runden had assured him 
that the prophesies were indeed correct, and that in his line, the 
savior would come to pass. Both men felt more and more sure that either 
the man Terris married, or the offspring said marriage produced would 
become the savior the realm desperately needed. Kurlz turned his eye to 
the multitude of young men in attendance tonight, and started to check 
them off against a list he kept in his head. 

Without knowing her father’s intentions concerning the young barons of
the realm in the room, Terris mingled and thoroughly enjoyed the 
attention she was getting. The flirts came fast and hard and the 
innuendos were just barely innuendos. The party proceeded well into the 
hour after mid night and Terris had even been persuaded to eat 
something other than sticky rolls by Bella. The festivities continued 
in much the same fashion as every other birthday she had had, with gift 
giving, honeyed wine, and lots of merry making. The only difference 
that Terris noticed was that people now called her Lady with more 
regularity and her official title, the Lady Protector-el Kurlz came 
into play quite a few times. She and her father beamed back at each 
other several times during the night and tomorrows parting seemed so 
far away. Terris grew tired late and Bella watched her for signs of 
fatigue. After the third yawn from Terris’ mouth, Bella gave the Lord 
Kurlz a perfunctory nod and he brought the festivities to a close with 
an announcement. 

“Ladies and gentlemen of the realm, I ask for your attention. I must
bring the party to a close, for Terris must rest before her journey to 
the Temple on the morrow. I thank you for your attendance, and Terris 
thanks you as well. It does us good, in these troubled times, to see 
such displays of loyalty and cohesion. Please take with you some of the 
bounty from tonight’s feast, and more importantly, take with you 
tonight a feeling of continuity. The realm holds against troubled times 
and will always hold fast. Terris will fulfill the prophesy!” 

Lord Protector Kurlz did not go into details about how he felt that
Terris would fulfill the prophesy sat down ages ago. Let the people 
infer what they would. The crowd muttered approval and started to 
decimate the bounty that was left on the feast tables. By the time the 
crowd finished, all that remained of the feast was a few crumbs, the 
grease that had soaked into the boards, and the smell. 

Terris was led to her chambers by Bella, who then undressed the future
Lady, and saw her into her bedclothes. Bella stoked the fire lit in the 
chambers hearth, threw in some herbs whose smoke guaranteed a dream 
free night, and left for her own apartments. Terris was asleep before 
her head hit the pillows. Tomorrow’s journey would be the first time 
Terris had traveled, and she wanted to be fresh for her travels. 


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