Manifester: Family Matters
Fenix could hear the storm still going. Looks like fencing would be moved to today.
He opened his eyes and looked over to the couch where Tempyst should have been. She wasn’t there. “Odd,” he breathed as he tossed the covers off. He shivered slightly as he climbed out of bed.
“The rain never drops the temperature that much,” Fenix thought out loud as he reached for his robe. “It’s like someone left my window open or…” he noticed the curtains flapping in the light breeze, “…something.” He pulled his robe on and looked in between the curtains.
Tempyst had curled into a ball, her wrist covering her nose. The rain was dipping onto her head; the entire top half of her shirt was soaked.
--She’s going to catch cold.-- Fenix climbed his way up the bookcase and pulled the window shut. Tempyst whimpered in response and coiled herself tighter. He grinned and brushed her wet hair away from her face.
She moaned and opened an eye. She snapped out of the dream world. “I’m sorry. Did I fall asleep up here?”
“If you’d rather sleep in the window like a cat, I can have that arranged.”
She shook her head. “I truly am sorry. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen a storm.”
“No problem. Would you like to change into some dry clothes?”
Tempyst nodded. “If you have any.”
They climbed down and Fenix rummaged through his dresser, tossing a linen shirt her way. “You can keep that one. I can’t fit into it anymore.”
“Thank you.” She dashed behind a divider and removed her wet shirt. Fenix found himself leaning back, but stopped himself. --That is in no way polite, Fenix. It’s not like she would do the same to…wait, she probably would. But it’s still not polite.-- “Besides, I have sketches of her.”
Tempyst poked her head out. “Excuse me?”
“Uh…my mother. Storms like this remind me of her.”
Tempyst walked out from behind the divider, a “I don’t believe you” look on her face. The shirt itself was a bit large, but it didn’t draw away from her figure. “So, what does a Fourth Prince do today at this time?”
“Well, it is supposed to be horseback riding, but with the rain, I think fencing’s been moved to today.” He watched a grin snake its way across her face and her eyes lightened to a playful blue. “You like fencing?”
“I am a Warrior, I am trained how to fight, and fencing is just one of the ways we’re trained.”
Fenix cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? So maybe you’ll give me a challenge?”
She laughed. “Perhaps. But they’ll be no hard feelings if I beat you, right?”
“If you beat me. Fencing is nothing like chess.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The score was tied. There was no way Fenix was going to let Tempyst win, especially since his brothers and sister were in the room. He would not let them see that a Guard could best him.
He stabbed forward just as Tempyst did the same.
“Tie,” the servant called. Another tie? This was going to go on forever.
“Do you give?” Tempyst asked. He could tell she was smiling, even through the mask.
“Do you?” Before she had time to react, he lunged, catching her square in the chest.
“Point Fourth Prince. Winner is Fourth Prince.”
Tempyst tore off her mask and glared at him. “Cheater. This game does not count.”
“It does.” Fenix turned around to gloat to his siblings, but they had already left. --They probably don’t see it as a win, either.-- He turned back to where Tempyst was and watched her storm out of the room. He tossed his gear back to the servant and ran after her. “Tempyst!”
“What, want to cheat a point out of me again? That was my match!”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t look bad to my family.”
She faced him, her eyes a violent red. “So you decided to show me up? I’d say it makes more sense for the Guard to be better at fighting then the person she’s trying to guard, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “I see your point, but--”
Tempyst straightened to attention as the main doors opened.
“Is that engrained in you guys, or…”
Her fiery eyes turned to a gentle green as the doors shut. Fenix turned around and subconsciously straightened. There was an Angel in his home.
“An’gelucis!” she yelled as she ran towards him.
He smirked as his little sister jumped the steps and leaped into his arms. Fenix walked forward and bowed to the Diplomat. An’gelucis nodded and bowed deeper. “Fourth Prince, I am honored.”
“As am I. What brings a Solaris Diplomat here?”
“I have much to tell your Father of the lands past the Torrehnt territories. I also have business in the Solaris territories, and it also involves my sister. Once I deliver my message, would it be alright with you, Fourth Prince, if I took Tempyst with me?”
Fenix laughed inwardly at Tempyst’s face. She looked like a child who wanted to keep the puppy that had wandered into her home. “I don’t mind. Besides, I need to see the other territories eventually. That is, if you will let me accompany you.”
An’gelucis bowed a second time, his silvery-white feathered wings extended to their full ten-foot span. “I would consider myself most privileged. I shall return from your Father’s chambers as soon as I can, and will take you to the capital of the Solaris territories. Please gather supplies accordingly.” He bowed one more time, folded his wings, and walked up the grand staircase to the King’s Chambers.
Tempyst laughed. “Now, you get to meet my family.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Fenix sat with his back against one side of the cart. An’gelucis had offered him the seat up by him, but Fenix had been wanting to “rough it” since his 15th birthday. He caught the tail end of a conversation.
“She did what? And how long has she known him?”
“She has been traveling with me and found a man in the Torrehnt territories. A few months later, they are engaged.”
“You’re kidding. And when are they planning the Love Bind ceremony?”
“They do not know. It will be within the Solaris territory, however, so we can all take part.”
“Well, that’s good, I guess. There has got to be a reason as to why it’s so sudden. Well, there’s that always that reason, but that’s not in Fenis’s character. Don’t Torrehnt have some rule governing when the ceremony is to happen?”
“I believe so, yes. Perhaps that is why. You can ask her yourself when we reach Calan. I left her and her lover there.”
“Good. I have a lot to ask her.”
Fenix cleared his throat. “Perhaps your sister and her lover are just that deeply in love.”
Tempyst faced the Prince. “Perhaps, but I do not believe Fenis has received our Father’s blessing on this marriage. Am I correct on that, An’gelucis?”
He nodded. “To the best of my knowledge, he has not granted his blessing. I have told him of this and he might be in town when we get there. I have a feeling this will not go over well.”
Fenix shrugged. “Your Father cannot help who your sister falls in love with. He should just let her marry who she wants.”
“Do you realize what that could do? To have the Head Mage’s only eligible daughter marry whom she wants? On a whim? That would be like me marrying you--” she quickly turned forward, attempting to hide the blush Fenix knew would come.
“But Tempyst, when you think about it, your marriage to the Fourth Prince would restore the dignity our family lost when you were Placed a Warrior.”
“An’gelucis, shut up. You’re not making this any better.”
Fenix laughed.
He opened his eyes and looked over to the couch where Tempyst should have been. She wasn’t there. “Odd,” he breathed as he tossed the covers off. He shivered slightly as he climbed out of bed.
“The rain never drops the temperature that much,” Fenix thought out loud as he reached for his robe. “It’s like someone left my window open or…” he noticed the curtains flapping in the light breeze, “…something.” He pulled his robe on and looked in between the curtains.
Tempyst had curled into a ball, her wrist covering her nose. The rain was dipping onto her head; the entire top half of her shirt was soaked.
--She’s going to catch cold.-- Fenix climbed his way up the bookcase and pulled the window shut. Tempyst whimpered in response and coiled herself tighter. He grinned and brushed her wet hair away from her face.
She moaned and opened an eye. She snapped out of the dream world. “I’m sorry. Did I fall asleep up here?”
“If you’d rather sleep in the window like a cat, I can have that arranged.”
She shook her head. “I truly am sorry. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen a storm.”
“No problem. Would you like to change into some dry clothes?”
Tempyst nodded. “If you have any.”
They climbed down and Fenix rummaged through his dresser, tossing a linen shirt her way. “You can keep that one. I can’t fit into it anymore.”
“Thank you.” She dashed behind a divider and removed her wet shirt. Fenix found himself leaning back, but stopped himself. --That is in no way polite, Fenix. It’s not like she would do the same to…wait, she probably would. But it’s still not polite.-- “Besides, I have sketches of her.”
Tempyst poked her head out. “Excuse me?”
“Uh…my mother. Storms like this remind me of her.”
Tempyst walked out from behind the divider, a “I don’t believe you” look on her face. The shirt itself was a bit large, but it didn’t draw away from her figure. “So, what does a Fourth Prince do today at this time?”
“Well, it is supposed to be horseback riding, but with the rain, I think fencing’s been moved to today.” He watched a grin snake its way across her face and her eyes lightened to a playful blue. “You like fencing?”
“I am a Warrior, I am trained how to fight, and fencing is just one of the ways we’re trained.”
Fenix cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? So maybe you’ll give me a challenge?”
She laughed. “Perhaps. But they’ll be no hard feelings if I beat you, right?”
“If you beat me. Fencing is nothing like chess.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The score was tied. There was no way Fenix was going to let Tempyst win, especially since his brothers and sister were in the room. He would not let them see that a Guard could best him.
He stabbed forward just as Tempyst did the same.
“Tie,” the servant called. Another tie? This was going to go on forever.
“Do you give?” Tempyst asked. He could tell she was smiling, even through the mask.
“Do you?” Before she had time to react, he lunged, catching her square in the chest.
“Point Fourth Prince. Winner is Fourth Prince.”
Tempyst tore off her mask and glared at him. “Cheater. This game does not count.”
“It does.” Fenix turned around to gloat to his siblings, but they had already left. --They probably don’t see it as a win, either.-- He turned back to where Tempyst was and watched her storm out of the room. He tossed his gear back to the servant and ran after her. “Tempyst!”
“What, want to cheat a point out of me again? That was my match!”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t look bad to my family.”
She faced him, her eyes a violent red. “So you decided to show me up? I’d say it makes more sense for the Guard to be better at fighting then the person she’s trying to guard, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “I see your point, but--”
Tempyst straightened to attention as the main doors opened.
“Is that engrained in you guys, or…”
Her fiery eyes turned to a gentle green as the doors shut. Fenix turned around and subconsciously straightened. There was an Angel in his home.
“An’gelucis!” she yelled as she ran towards him.
He smirked as his little sister jumped the steps and leaped into his arms. Fenix walked forward and bowed to the Diplomat. An’gelucis nodded and bowed deeper. “Fourth Prince, I am honored.”
“As am I. What brings a Solaris Diplomat here?”
“I have much to tell your Father of the lands past the Torrehnt territories. I also have business in the Solaris territories, and it also involves my sister. Once I deliver my message, would it be alright with you, Fourth Prince, if I took Tempyst with me?”
Fenix laughed inwardly at Tempyst’s face. She looked like a child who wanted to keep the puppy that had wandered into her home. “I don’t mind. Besides, I need to see the other territories eventually. That is, if you will let me accompany you.”
An’gelucis bowed a second time, his silvery-white feathered wings extended to their full ten-foot span. “I would consider myself most privileged. I shall return from your Father’s chambers as soon as I can, and will take you to the capital of the Solaris territories. Please gather supplies accordingly.” He bowed one more time, folded his wings, and walked up the grand staircase to the King’s Chambers.
Tempyst laughed. “Now, you get to meet my family.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Fenix sat with his back against one side of the cart. An’gelucis had offered him the seat up by him, but Fenix had been wanting to “rough it” since his 15th birthday. He caught the tail end of a conversation.
“She did what? And how long has she known him?”
“She has been traveling with me and found a man in the Torrehnt territories. A few months later, they are engaged.”
“You’re kidding. And when are they planning the Love Bind ceremony?”
“They do not know. It will be within the Solaris territory, however, so we can all take part.”
“Well, that’s good, I guess. There has got to be a reason as to why it’s so sudden. Well, there’s that always that reason, but that’s not in Fenis’s character. Don’t Torrehnt have some rule governing when the ceremony is to happen?”
“I believe so, yes. Perhaps that is why. You can ask her yourself when we reach Calan. I left her and her lover there.”
“Good. I have a lot to ask her.”
Fenix cleared his throat. “Perhaps your sister and her lover are just that deeply in love.”
Tempyst faced the Prince. “Perhaps, but I do not believe Fenis has received our Father’s blessing on this marriage. Am I correct on that, An’gelucis?”
He nodded. “To the best of my knowledge, he has not granted his blessing. I have told him of this and he might be in town when we get there. I have a feeling this will not go over well.”
Fenix shrugged. “Your Father cannot help who your sister falls in love with. He should just let her marry who she wants.”
“Do you realize what that could do? To have the Head Mage’s only eligible daughter marry whom she wants? On a whim? That would be like me marrying you--” she quickly turned forward, attempting to hide the blush Fenix knew would come.
“But Tempyst, when you think about it, your marriage to the Fourth Prince would restore the dignity our family lost when you were Placed a Warrior.”
“An’gelucis, shut up. You’re not making this any better.”
Fenix laughed.