Manifester: Story In Your Eyes
Tempyst walked a step behind Fenix. Two weeks until the wedding and he was just now getting fitted for his ceremonial dress. She had resumed her post as his Guard a week ago. She needed some time to remind herself that she was a Warrior and that she never had a chance with a Royal.
They entered the Tailor’s room, Ooral greeted them.
Tempyst leaned against a wall and watched as Ooral displayed his ideas. Fenix stepped onto the platform and the Tailor checked his measurements. --Well, at least I didn’t put you up on that pedestal.--
She watched him try on many outfits. There was something very uncomfortable about being here. She grabbed a discarded metal pole, wrapped one leg around it as well as her arms and leaned. She needed an anchor.
Tempyst had felt the same way when Fenis was getting fitted. Despite what she had said, her world now revolved around Yveris, not her family. That’s what had bothered her; the fact she was losing her Sister to a man she had only heard about and never met.
She looked up as Fenix tried on yet another concept. She blinked back tears and wrapped her arms tighter. She really shouldn’t be crying. He wasn’t hers to begin with.
--I wish I stood a chance.-- She swallowed, eyes never leaving Fenix. --You always love the one you cannot have.-- She sighed. She met his gaze, then looked to the floor.
Tempyst found herself trembling, tears streaming. She shouldn’t be feeling like this.
“Tempyst, what do you think?”
Fenix stood in an outfit similar to what he wore to the Clan Ball. It was pure white with areas of deep blue and purple and others of yellow and yellow-orange. It was a symbol he would join two Clans. Thankfully there was no four-strand rope.
“You look--” she choked “-you look like a future King.” She swallowed again.
Fenix watched her. “Ooral, will you excuse us?”
“Of course, Fourth Prince. If you would leave your wardrobe on the chair, I will make the necessary alterations.” He walked over to a table with fabric scraps.
Fenix stepped over to her. “Tempyst, are you okay?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m watching the Fourth Prince get fitted for his wedding day, uniting two Clans in a powerful Alliance. All deDannan should rejoice today!”
He shook his head and tossed the jacket onto the chair. “Tempyst, you are a terrible liar. Your eyes show your true feelings.”
“What do you mean, Fourth Prince? Those are my true feelings.”
The Prince sighed and stripped to his smallclothes, reaching for his pants. “You cannot hide what is in your heart.”
“Why? You seem to be able to.”
Fenix spun around, eyes blazing. “I do not hide.”
“You hide the fact you are being used.”
“You hide the fact your Sister is being used,” he countered.
Tempyst straightened, wielding the pole as a weapon. “You do not blacken my family, Fourth Prince.”
He pulled on his pants and stepped forward. “You do not know that Yveris is Maloria’s Brother and Carnifey’s son.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Now, who is the liar, Fourth Prince?”
He stepped closer. “Not I, tet’Drakin.”
Tempyst watched the flames dance in Fenix’s eyes. Hot-headed didn’t begin to describe him. “~Delakh~,” she cursed.
“I could say the same about you. You killed your Mother as well. You just don’t want to believe that your Sister was seduced by a Nen’dori.”
“You don’t want to believe you were seduced by a Nen’dori.”
“No, I don’t.”
Tempyst grinned. She had won.
“I was seduced by a Nen’roma Warrior.” He placed his hand on her cheek. “You said I needed to give you proof that I loved you.”
She went cold. “Fourth Prince, need I remind you, you are breaking an unwritten law simply by suggesting you--”
“I am marrying into a family who wants to kill me for what I am. I am risking my life.”
She dropped the pole. He had spoken to An’gelucis. “That will not work. Words--”
“What do you want from me, Tempyst?”
“I want you to forget about me.” Tempyst felt tears slide under her faceplate again. She stepped back. “Remember that I am your Personal Guard only. I shall be present at your side, but that is where I will stay. If you wish I stay there after your marriage, I shall.”
Fenix stepped forward. “Tempyst--”
She took another step back. “My name is tet’Drakin, my Lord.”
His shoulders went slack. She thought she saw tears cool his eyes back to green. Without a sound, the Prince left the room.
The minute the door shut, Tempyst collapsed into sobs.
--If you love him, you’d let him go.--
Fenix sat in the windowsill. It was raining.
Why were women so complicated? One minute they love you, the next, they want to rip your throat out.
She wanted him to forget about her. That was easier said than done. Fenix opened the window and listened to the storm. Of all the times he wished he wasn’t a Royal…
He had heard his Father speak about his mistresses, other women he “loved” and would “prove it” nightly. While the general idea of a Western harem was appealing, Fenix wanted to be different than his Father. He wanted to be monogamous. He didn’t even ~like~ Maloria. Tempyst didn’t reciprocate his feelings, and she was a Warrior.
A phrase from his philosophy lessons came to mind.
“You always love the one you cannot have,” he repeated to his reflection. He sighed, curled his legs closer, and pulled out his sketchpad.
As he added in the finishing touches, he shook his head. The sketch showed Tempyst in the background in her ball gown, pieces of broken eggshell reforming around her. In the foreground, Tempyst stood in her Guard uniform, inky black eyes staring out from beneath her mask. A third form of Tempyst stood to the side in Common clothing. She stood in a doorway looking back at him. He grabbed a thinner pencil and wrote underneath the sketch.
“If you love me, you’d let me go. If I come back to you, I was yours all along.”
Tears clouded his vision as he looked outside again.
--I’ll wait.--
Tempyst leaned against a tree, looking back at the palace. When the sun came up, Fenix would be gone. Five hours until he became Maloria’s. And then it was just a matter of time until they killed him and found out about her.
“No,” she told herself. “You will give your life to protect him. You will be dead before they find out what you are. It is your duty, as the Fourth Prince’s Personal Guard…” she sighed, “and as his secret lover.” She pulled her cloak tighter. “I would give my life twice over to ensure your safety, Fenix.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Both watched as the sun came up. A new age for the deDannan would begin with a simple vow.
~End of Book I~
They entered the Tailor’s room, Ooral greeted them.
Tempyst leaned against a wall and watched as Ooral displayed his ideas. Fenix stepped onto the platform and the Tailor checked his measurements. --Well, at least I didn’t put you up on that pedestal.--
She watched him try on many outfits. There was something very uncomfortable about being here. She grabbed a discarded metal pole, wrapped one leg around it as well as her arms and leaned. She needed an anchor.
Tempyst had felt the same way when Fenis was getting fitted. Despite what she had said, her world now revolved around Yveris, not her family. That’s what had bothered her; the fact she was losing her Sister to a man she had only heard about and never met.
She looked up as Fenix tried on yet another concept. She blinked back tears and wrapped her arms tighter. She really shouldn’t be crying. He wasn’t hers to begin with.
--I wish I stood a chance.-- She swallowed, eyes never leaving Fenix. --You always love the one you cannot have.-- She sighed. She met his gaze, then looked to the floor.
Tempyst found herself trembling, tears streaming. She shouldn’t be feeling like this.
“Tempyst, what do you think?”
Fenix stood in an outfit similar to what he wore to the Clan Ball. It was pure white with areas of deep blue and purple and others of yellow and yellow-orange. It was a symbol he would join two Clans. Thankfully there was no four-strand rope.
“You look--” she choked “-you look like a future King.” She swallowed again.
Fenix watched her. “Ooral, will you excuse us?”
“Of course, Fourth Prince. If you would leave your wardrobe on the chair, I will make the necessary alterations.” He walked over to a table with fabric scraps.
Fenix stepped over to her. “Tempyst, are you okay?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m watching the Fourth Prince get fitted for his wedding day, uniting two Clans in a powerful Alliance. All deDannan should rejoice today!”
He shook his head and tossed the jacket onto the chair. “Tempyst, you are a terrible liar. Your eyes show your true feelings.”
“What do you mean, Fourth Prince? Those are my true feelings.”
The Prince sighed and stripped to his smallclothes, reaching for his pants. “You cannot hide what is in your heart.”
“Why? You seem to be able to.”
Fenix spun around, eyes blazing. “I do not hide.”
“You hide the fact you are being used.”
“You hide the fact your Sister is being used,” he countered.
Tempyst straightened, wielding the pole as a weapon. “You do not blacken my family, Fourth Prince.”
He pulled on his pants and stepped forward. “You do not know that Yveris is Maloria’s Brother and Carnifey’s son.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Now, who is the liar, Fourth Prince?”
He stepped closer. “Not I, tet’Drakin.”
Tempyst watched the flames dance in Fenix’s eyes. Hot-headed didn’t begin to describe him. “~Delakh~,” she cursed.
“I could say the same about you. You killed your Mother as well. You just don’t want to believe that your Sister was seduced by a Nen’dori.”
“You don’t want to believe you were seduced by a Nen’dori.”
“No, I don’t.”
Tempyst grinned. She had won.
“I was seduced by a Nen’roma Warrior.” He placed his hand on her cheek. “You said I needed to give you proof that I loved you.”
She went cold. “Fourth Prince, need I remind you, you are breaking an unwritten law simply by suggesting you--”
“I am marrying into a family who wants to kill me for what I am. I am risking my life.”
She dropped the pole. He had spoken to An’gelucis. “That will not work. Words--”
“What do you want from me, Tempyst?”
“I want you to forget about me.” Tempyst felt tears slide under her faceplate again. She stepped back. “Remember that I am your Personal Guard only. I shall be present at your side, but that is where I will stay. If you wish I stay there after your marriage, I shall.”
Fenix stepped forward. “Tempyst--”
She took another step back. “My name is tet’Drakin, my Lord.”
His shoulders went slack. She thought she saw tears cool his eyes back to green. Without a sound, the Prince left the room.
The minute the door shut, Tempyst collapsed into sobs.
--If you love him, you’d let him go.--
Fenix sat in the windowsill. It was raining.
Why were women so complicated? One minute they love you, the next, they want to rip your throat out.
She wanted him to forget about her. That was easier said than done. Fenix opened the window and listened to the storm. Of all the times he wished he wasn’t a Royal…
He had heard his Father speak about his mistresses, other women he “loved” and would “prove it” nightly. While the general idea of a Western harem was appealing, Fenix wanted to be different than his Father. He wanted to be monogamous. He didn’t even ~like~ Maloria. Tempyst didn’t reciprocate his feelings, and she was a Warrior.
A phrase from his philosophy lessons came to mind.
“You always love the one you cannot have,” he repeated to his reflection. He sighed, curled his legs closer, and pulled out his sketchpad.
As he added in the finishing touches, he shook his head. The sketch showed Tempyst in the background in her ball gown, pieces of broken eggshell reforming around her. In the foreground, Tempyst stood in her Guard uniform, inky black eyes staring out from beneath her mask. A third form of Tempyst stood to the side in Common clothing. She stood in a doorway looking back at him. He grabbed a thinner pencil and wrote underneath the sketch.
“If you love me, you’d let me go. If I come back to you, I was yours all along.”
Tears clouded his vision as he looked outside again.
--I’ll wait.--
Tempyst leaned against a tree, looking back at the palace. When the sun came up, Fenix would be gone. Five hours until he became Maloria’s. And then it was just a matter of time until they killed him and found out about her.
“No,” she told herself. “You will give your life to protect him. You will be dead before they find out what you are. It is your duty, as the Fourth Prince’s Personal Guard…” she sighed, “and as his secret lover.” She pulled her cloak tighter. “I would give my life twice over to ensure your safety, Fenix.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Both watched as the sun came up. A new age for the deDannan would begin with a simple vow.
~End of Book I~