Chrysta silently made her way down dark corridors, trying not to be seen by
the various Fae who still wandered the halls, since nighttime was a
favorite time for various entertainments and studies of their own. Several
times she was certain someone was about to see her, but they moved away at
the last moment. She didn't know why she wanted to remain unseen, she just
did. It wasn't as if she was doing anything wrong, was she?
She quickly made it down to the hole she had fallen into and carefully
lowered herself over the edge, and then let go, trusting to a Wayfare
cantrip she had recently mastered to keep her from hurting herself this
time. She felt the Glamour cradle her descent and then she was standing on
the bottom, looking at the corridor that the man had come from, and started
down it, a ghostly figure in her white nightgown and slippers.
She followed twisting corridors to more corridors and quickly lost track of
where she was going, not as if it mattered to her. Chrysta's only thought
was of finding the man, somehow, and talking to him. Suddenly the corridor
she was following opened up into a chamber, a chamber decorated with a
great many things from a great many places. There were tables and chairs
everywhere, and paintings on the wall, and nicknacks strewn about on
delicate lace doilies, and there was even a tea set in one corner. She
could also see weapons, some of them glowing with Glamour, on the rocky
walls.
"What are you doing here?" a voice whispered behind her.
Chrysta whirled around to see the man standing above her, strange emotions
in his eyes. "I... I had to find you. I couldn't take not knowing anymore.
Forgive me if I angered you, but I..." She paused, not knowing what to say,
and the words forced themselves out of her mouth, "I dreamed of you. I've
*been* dreaming of you, and I couldn't take not knowing who you were
anymore. Please, at least give me a name, something to call you..." Her
voice failed her then for he drew in a startled breath and the expression
in his eyes became almost too much to bear.
"You dreamt of me?" he whispered. He sounded as one who could not believe
what he had heard and Chrysta felt an almost overpowering need to reach out
and touch his face, but she held herself back, barely.
"Yes, for many years now. I was afraid that there was no way you could be
real, and I wanted very much for you to be real, and not something my mind
made up to torment me. Please, who are you?"
"I am Mistral Wind." he whispered.
"I thank you, Mistral Wind. Please, why do you look at me like that?" She
was almost afraid that she had asked too much with the question, but he
didn't become angry.
"I dreamt of you, Chrysta, and I..." he paused, "Please, do not trust Lord
Rhydian. I beg you, stay away from him." There was such agony in his voice,
such pain, Chrysta couldn't stand it anymore.
"As you wish." and she reached up to touch his cheek, a featherlight touch,
a brush of her fingertips, and the strange pain returned to his eyes. "Such
pain in your eyes. Why do I cause you pain? How have I hurt you?"
"You have not hurt me," he whispered, "but I can only bring you pain, and
am unworthy of one of your birth."
"You mean my Kith? Does it matter? It doesn't to me." She never knew how
she got the courage, but she reached up and put her arms around his neck,
and kissed him, long and full, as she had so desired to do for so very
long. She felt her body explode for one moment and his reaction was just as
strong. His arms tightened about her. When their lips separated there were
tears shining in his eyes.
"You are still very young as to your life as Fae, Chrysta. Kith and rank
can be very important indeed. Some things are not meant to be."
She sighed and leaned her head against his chest, not letting go of him for
a moment. "But is this one of them? I would think not. We are dreams given
life, are we not? Let this one dream come true, please?" She looked up at
him, eyes pleading.
He was helpless before those eyes and knew it well. With a silent sigh of
acceptance he wrapped his arms around her body and held her close as he
kissed her. Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the
bedchamber.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lord Rhydian growled with disgust. Something had happened to uspset the
plans he had been working on so patiently. The girl suddenly would have
nothing to do with him, though he could tell the the attraction he had so
carefully been fostering was still there. Apparently Mistral had managed to
warn her away from him, or perhaps done more, it didn't matter which. It
was just as well, there was a time for patience and a time for action and
the time for patience had ended for the moment.
* * *
Chrysta woke up with a start. The room was dark and it felt like it was
late, or rather, very early. She heard soft breathing next to her and was
comforted to know that if Mistral was still with her, then it wasn't too
late in the very early morning. After a moment she realized that he was
awake as well.
"Hello, Mistral." she murmured with a smile.
He smiled back, a small smile. "What woke you?"
"I'm not sure." She thought a moment and started shivering, something was
wrong, or was going to go wrong. Mistral felt the shiver and pulled her
close to him.
"What's wrong?"
"That's the problem. I don't know. Just hold me for a while, I'll calm
down." He did and she fell back asleep, comfortably safe in his arms. When
she woke up again, he was gone.
They had to do things like this. It wouldn't do for either of them if
certain members of the court found out that she was carrying on with
Mistral, and he wasn't secure enough to face them yet. She didn't care what
they thought, but he did, and so they met in secret and the court gossipped
that Rhydian must have done something to fall out of her favor and that he
would somehow prove his worthiness to her and the two of them would marry
as was only proper. She liked him, but not that much, and not when the very
mention of his name caused that terrible fear in Mistral's eyes.
In Court that day, Lord Rhydian bid farewell, for the time being. He was
needed elsewhere, and he hoped, he declared loudly, that Chrysta would look
on him with greater favor when he returned with glory to lay at her
glorious feet... and he went on like that for a while, and then he left and
Chrysta had to face the various comments that people would drop, trying to
get her to soften her heart to Rhydian, for he truly was a handsome man and
a great warrior and a wonderous match, and they made such a beautiful
couple. Several times she thought she was going to lose her lunch if not
for the funny faces that Kerrie kept throwing her.
Kerrie was in on the situation between Chrysta and Mistral. She almost had
to be, with how well she read Mistral, and how easily she heard things. She
made sure there weren't any rumors about Chrysta's real romance.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mistral Wind was woken up the next morning by a very loud and very
insistant Kerrie. "Get up! Now! Before it's too late!"
"What is it, Kerrie." he muttered.
"Chrysta's gone and you have to get up to the Courtroom for the Baron's
announcement and challenge."
That got Mistral up. "What? Where did she go?"
"No one knows. She was in her room last night, and then she was gone thes
morning and all the Baron found was a rather insulting unsigned note that
stated that whoever-it-was had his Ward and that if he was lucky he would
never see her again. Leonine is rather ticked about it and he blames Morgan
of House Eiluned, you remember her, the Baroness across town? Well, things
aren't pretty up there and the Baron is expected to declare a Quest of
sorts, and offer a Boon to whoever finds, rescues, and returns Chrysta to
him. *That's* why you have to get up there now."
Mistral's heart sank in his breast. The Baroness didn't have Chrysta,
Rhydian did, he'd bet his life on it, and no one would know because Rhydian
had made himself so obviously not a suspect...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Baron finished reading the proclamation of the Quest to find his Ward
Chrysta with a heavy heart. He was going to search for her himself, once he
finished here.
>From the back a whispered voice rose up. "If I find the lady Chrysta, and
bring her back, may I demand a Boon?"
It was a tall, dark haired Sluagh, and the Baron was so desperate that he
didn't care. "Yes. Anything."
"If I request her hand in marriage? for one lunar year?" Mistral worried
for a moment that he was pressing his luck but the Baron quickly replied
yes and Mistral gave his thanks and turned and left the Hall.
* * *
Chrysta woke slowly, gradually becoming aware that she was lying on a mass
of silken pillows, and that the room was slightly warm, and that she was
wearing only her bra and panties. That realization woke her up without
another thought and she sat up, starting to blush, and saw that she was the
only one in the room.
The bed of pillows was a circular-shaped depression in one corner of the
room and all around her were cushions and tables with dainty trinkets and
curtains hanging from the ceiling, filmy curtains that lent the whole room
an aura of.. well, almost magic she supposed. The favored color seemed to
be an inviting shade of peach, with white as an accent.
She started exploring the room and found several wardrobes of gowns in all
colors of the rainbow. She just stood there for a while, looking at all the
dresses in sheer delight, and then moved on, resolving to try on every
single one of them if she were here for any length of time. She found a
bookcase of novels and a supply of paper, almost begging her to fill their
pages with tales of adventure and romance. As she continued her
explorations she found a side room with a huge bath, and a ready supply of
towels and soaps and perfumes enough to make her head spin.
One thing she didn't find, though, was a door leading out of the suite and
that worried her. If there were no way out, how did she get in? Then she
was distracted by the discovery of a jewelry chest that made her heart
squeeze.
She quite happily entertained herself for several hours when a hole opened
in one of the walls and Lord Rhydian entered, the hole closing behind him.
She gasped in suprise and Rhydian bowed before her, dropping to one knee.
"Forgive me, my Lady, for not coming to you sooner, but I had many
preparations to make for your safety. Your guardian, the Baron Leonine, was
made aware of a plot to cause you harm, and he placed you in my care to see
that your safety was assured. I have tried to make these rooms as
comfortable for you as I could, though if there is any lack, please, advise
me of it, that I may help you more easily." Chrysta thought there was
something kinda funny about his story, but she abandoned the thought before
it could develop very far. Leonine would never do anything to hurt her.
"I thank you for the consideration, though I must wonder as to why you
brought me here unconcious and barely clothed." She spoke somewhat
hesitantly and was suprised to see something near a blush creep up his
cheeks.
"We did not wish you to fear during the journey here, and we were afraid
that if you had forewarning, some malevolent force could steal the
information from your mind, so we brought you here asleep and unknowing,
for your own safety, of course. As for the state of your undress..." the
blush deepened. "I am afraid that was my doing. Your nightgown was damaged
in the journey here, and I would not have anything that is damaged near
you. I can return it if you insist, but I hope that I have provided gowns
that more properly match your beauty, though I fear that such was a
hopeless quest, for your beauty may very well be truly matchless."
Chrysta blushed at his apologies and compliments. "My thanks. Indeed, you
have provided truly wonderous gowns, and in truth, I have not had the time
to see them all."
"Perhaps I could help you in that endeavor?" She heard a hopeful note in
his voice and smiled.
"I would be very grateful for your assistance." Something inside her mind
screamed something at her, but she ignored it. She was enjoying herself,
which she had every right to do.
Rhydian could barely contain his exultation. Oh, the girl was so very
malleable, this would be truly wonderous. And to think she so very nearly
became Mistral's lady. Oh, the boy did *not* deserve this one, any more
than he had deserved the last, though Rhydian truly did wish that she
hadn't died. Chrysta tempted him, teased him, she was so wonderfully
perfect that she would have been wasted in Leonine's court. Under his
tutelage she would become his perfect match, as she was always meant to be.
Oh, how he would enjoy teaching her...
* * *
Chrysta didn't know how long she'd been in the rooms provided for her by
Rhydian, it felt as though she had always been there, and yet she also
didn't think she'd been there very long at all. Rhydian was *very* nice to
her, he brought her things and he talked with her for hours and he tought
her more about her Fae magick than she'd had time to study with Leonine.
She enjoyed those lessons more than she let on, it wouldn't do to seem too
eager to a suitor, but somehow she figured that he knew anyway.
She was actually taking a nap at the moment, and was just waking up oh so
slowly. She enjoyed napping more since her Chysalis, it gave her more of a
chance to dream, though she wasn't remembering her dreams the way she
thought that she had been. She had trouble remembering things, though
Rhydian said that it was nothing to be concerned about, her memory would
get better, or it would not, it didn't matter.
She felt the pillows shift next to her and she smiled a moment as she
caught Rhydian's distinctive fragance. Strange how even men had a unique
smell to them, it was something she had grown to appreciate. Even without
looking she could feel him lying on his side next to her. A brief memory
flashed through her mind of lying next to another man, with dark hair, but
it vanished after only a moment and she was left to wonder how she had ever
known other than Rhydian.
She felt his hand rest upon her thigh, such a strong, capable hand, and he
caressed her skin for a moment before leaning over to kiss her softly. She
raised an arm to hold his shoulders and pull him closer to her as she
responded to his kiss. "Greetings, Milord." she murmured.
"I thought you were awake, my Lady." he replied with a note of teasing in
his voice. "Any idea what you would like to do today?"
She smiled. "You were doing rather well already."
"Well, I suppose if you enjoy it so much, I should probably continue what I
started."
"Why don't you do that?"
His hand crept up farther to caress her belly and then she felt it slide
behind her to pull her body up against his as he kissed her again, this
time with slowly rising passion. He followed directions *so* well.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kerrie walked carefully through the empty hallways of the Freehold. Chrysta
had been gone now for over two weeks and things were getting... interesting
to say the least. After his initial fury over Chrysta's abduction had
faded, and no sign of Chrysta appeared, even with a thorough search of all
the surrounding holdings, Leonine had fallen into a depressed decline, and
rarely left his rooms now. Rumor ran rampant through the freeholds of
Mountainview and Countess Estella had taken the search for Chrysta into her
personal care, and parties ranged far and wide looking for the Fledgeling
Sidhe. Estella had even gone so far as to contact one Sir Etienne
deSourvale, who was rumored to be True Fae from before the Shattering, and
ask him to search out Lord Rhydian in the Deep Dreaming to tell him of his
love's predicament. By this time everyone knew that he had gone off on a
Quest to impress her and place himself in her good graces again. Everyone
was *also* talking about Mistral, and his incredible demand on the morning
of Chrysta's disappearance. There were many who thought that he had
kidnapped her just so he could demand her hand in marriage and embarrass
the nobility, though the supporters of this rumor dwindled as time passed
and she did not reappear. Surely if he had planned this he would have
brought her back by now. No few also believed that Leonine's decline was
caused by his incredible love for his Ward, and no few thought that he had
kept his love unknown out of a desire to see her happy with her suitor, the
Lord Rhydian, since the two men had been friends for many years. It was a
triangle that caught the imaginations of several bards, for all that it was
inaccurate, Kerrie thought. Gah, and they think *Boggans* are the world's
worst gossips. We don't have anything on the rumor mills the Sidhe create.
We just use them.
After a moment Kerrie reached Mistral's underground caverns and started
cleaning up the accumulated dust and setting things to rights. The least
she could do was keep his place clean while he was away looking for the
woman he loved, for all that he still wouldn't admit how much she meant to
him. There was Dan in that love, Kerrie could see that without even trying,
Dan alone could bind him that quickly and with that much strength.
* * *
Leonine sat in the large chair in his sitting room and stared into the
fireplace, unmoving and seemingly uncaring of the Boggan who bustled around
dusting and setting things straight. He spent most of his days like this,
sitting and staring. It seemed as though all love for life had disappeared
when Chrysta did and he seemed to fade a bit more each day she was gone.
Kerrie tried not to look at him, it hurt her to see him in such pain, and
be unable to help him any, since she couldn't go off and help Mistral bring
the Fledge back, if she didn't take care of the little things here, they
would have been left undone and that would have been intolerable. So she
bustled around, trying to be busy, because if she was busy then the air of
depression that surrounded the Baron could not infect her.
"Where is she?" Leonine asked, startling Kerrie so that she stopped still
for a moment. "Where is my precious Chrysta?" There was such pain in his
voice.
"I don't know, my Lord Baron." Kerrie replied. "A great many people are
looking for her right now. She'll be brought back, don't you worry."
But he did worry, he worried a great deal, and every day he faded a bit
more, and every day he seemed less like himself, and every day Kerrie
prayed to whatever powers might be listening that Mistral find his Lady
love and bring her back again soon.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mistral peered out of the cave into the gloom of the snowstorm. He had had
no luck in nearing three weeks of searching and he knew very well that he
was running out of time. He was far into the Dreaming and he thought he was
getting closer, but then this damn snowstorm blew up out of nowhere and
locked him in the cave for three days now. With a muttered expletive he
moved father back into the cave, away from the weather, and back to the
small fire he had built in a natural fireplace. If he weren't in such a
rush, the cave would have been rather cozy, and a welcome place to rest or
spend several weeks just enjoying oneself, but right now it felt
constraining, and every moment he spent there was one more more moment that
Chrysta didn't have.
He heard feet approaching the cave, though the storm, and he went back to
the opening to see a cloaked and hooded form stagger into the relative
safety of the outer cave. The figure shook off some of the accumulated snow
and Mistral could see it was a Sidhe, and he bore a huge sword on his back.
Then the Sidhe noticed him.
"Greetings, Sluagh, for so I see that you are, I trust that you do not mind
my seeking refuge in this cave from the mighty blizzard outside?"
Mistral nodded and motioned him into the inner cave network, farther out of
the weather.
"My thanks, good Sluagh. I am Sir Etienne deSourvale, and you might be..."
He left the inquiry hanging.
"Mistral Wind." He whispered, moving back to allow the Sidhe room to put
down his packs. It was then that Mistral saw the majestic creature who came
with Etienne, a pegasus of black, a truly beautiful animal. Etienne saw him
admiring the Chimera and smiled.
"This is Nightshade, she travels with me."
"She is beautiful. You are honored." He moved father back to allow
Nightshade room to sit down if she wished, which she did.
"Since you seem to be of a retiring nature, I trust you do not mind if I
choose to speak?" Mistral nodded. "I am presently on a Quest to find a Fae,
a Sidhe, out of a Quest deep in the Dreaming, I believe it is related to
the Quest you follow, if you are indeed the Mistral Wind who asked Baron
Leonine for his Ward's hand in marriage if you succeeded in rescuing her
and bringing her back to his court..." Mistral's head snapped up at
Etienne's words. "Oh, don't be angry at me, you *are* the talk of the town
there for that display of.. gall, I suppose. I wish you the best of luck in
the endeavor. I, however, am trying to find the Lord Rhydian, who was a
suitor of the Lady Chrysta's before she was abducted, and inform him that
she is missing so that he can take up the challenge if he wishes."
Mistral debated with himself for a moment, before finally deciding that
perhaps he had reached the point where he had no other alternatives. "Lord
Rhydian is the one who holds Chrysta prisoner. He seeks to change her into
something she is not. I am trying to find his stronghold, for she will be
forever lost if I do not find her soon."
Etienne looked at him for a moment, hiding his suprise. "Lord Rhydian holds
her? How do you know this?"
"Because he did it once before to a woman I loved, and she died as a result
of his actions."
Etienne's eyes narrowed. "Indeed? I will admit I have heard some
contradictory tales about Rhydian of House Gwydion..."
"Did you hear this, that it was only his mother who was Gwydion? His father
was Eiluned, and he has tormented me for far longer than I care to recall.
We were friends once."
"Ah, that does clear up some of the confusion. I think I would like to
offer you my services in helping to find the Lady. I am very experienced in
the Deep Dreaming, and I would like to see the Lady free..."
Mistral felt some of his worry flow out of his body with a single sigh of
relief. "I... would appreciate your help. We have only a week left though,
I fear. If we do not find her soon... Chrysta will have no choice in who
wins her and I would give my life to keep that from happening..."
That night the storm abated enough for the three travellers to start out
again. And Mistral was plagued by memories that had haunted him for years,
yet he had not wanted to face.
Erica had been beautiful, so beautiful that she had not lacked for suitors,
and Mistral, a much younger man then, was well and smitten at first sight.
She seemed to enjoy his attentions, though it was hard to tell what a Pooka
meant, especially if she were the one being wooed. They had not spoken of
oaths when Rhydian walked in and swept her off her feet. He took her away
and hid her for a month before Mistral was able to find her again.
Rhydian had used Chicanery to fog her memory and mould her spirit, and she
was falling for him, but all her memories had come crashing back when she
saw Mistral, and she fainted. Rhydian appeared then, and they fought, but
Mistral was not there when she awoke, and unable to cope with what she felt
was her betrayal, she threw herself off the top of the towers. Mistral had
seen her body falling and felt as though he died that day.
Rhydian had killed his beloved Erica, even if his had not been the hand to
murder her, and to Mistral, the death of a Kithain must not go unpunished.
Mistral never forgave himself for not getting to her sooner, for not being
able to do *something* to keep her from such bleak despair, and now it
looked as though it might happen again, and he didn't know if he could take
it.
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