WINDOWS: A BROKEN FAIRY TALE (8 page)

“Don’t take
offense.” Felicity smiled as she started leading her to the castle.
 
“They’re always like this after they haven’t
seen each other for any length of time.
 
They’ll be in their own little world for the next couple of hours but
we’ll introduce you at dinner.”

Shortly, Sarah
found herself in a room that was easily the size of the work area in her shop
back home, and looked to be a good deal more expensive.
 
The floor was rich, dark wood and shone
warmly in the sunlight filtering through dark green curtains.
 
A huge fireplace, with a mantle made of the
same wood as the floor, occupied one wall with a portrait above it.
 
Four couches and a couple of chairs sat
around in what at first glance appeared to be a haphazard fashion, but actually
formed a sort of half circle around the fire place.
 
Tall lamps sat between each of them.
 
A dark crimson cloth she just knew would be
soft to the touch upholstered the chairs and couches.
 
In front of the fire place lay a thick green
rug.
 
A door in the back of the room was
closed.

On the wall across
from the fire place was a book shelf.
 
Sarah couldn’t touch both sides of it with her arms stretched out and it
was a bit taller than her 5’6 frame.
 
The
blacksmith figured it held over a hundred books.
 
Another green rug lay in front of it.

“Is this your
library?”
 
Sarah loved to read, always
had, but Vestavia’s library was off limits to everybody except the upper class
and she rarely had money to buy books.

As she ran her
hand over the velvet upholstered couch, Felicity explained that this was the reading
room; only members of the immediate family and very close friends were ever
allowed entry.
 
The library itself was
down on the third floor.
 

Sarah nodded
silently and then glanced up at the portrait.
 
It showed a handsome man with bright red hair and a chiseled jaw wearing
a military dress uniform.
 
An officer of
Valentria, Sarah noted, having studied enough of the country’s history in
school to know that much.

“Is that your
father?”
 
She asked.

Felicity smiled,
perfectly white teeth shining through full lips.
 
“Yes, that is our father, Duke Edward
Chandlish.”

“He’s very
handsome.”

“Thank you.
 
He was also a bit of a rascal, if the stories
are to be believed.”

“So Raven got more
than just his red hair?”

Felicity giggled
as she guided Sarah to the door at the end of the room, saying that it was the
red hair that made them such a handful since all three of her younger sisters’
required constant supervision.
 
When they
reached the hallway, Sarah learned just how truthful that statement was.

From the parlor
just beneath them, a bellow rose up.
 
It
was, of course, Raven.
 
Sarah risked a
peek over the railing, wary of any misaimed spells.
 
A large man wearing a gray suit was trying with
limited success to pull Raven to the back of a long, rectangular room.
 
Rebekah yelled at the man to let her sister
go.
 
Amanda clapped and cheered, thoroughly
enjoying the show.
 
Felicity bit the
inside of her cheek to keep from laughing before leading Sarah down the
stairs.
 

They were about
half way to the bottom when Raven screamed that he was hurting her and that
seemed to be the signal for Rebekah.
 
Leaping onto the man’s back, she hammered at his broad shoulders with
balled up fist.
 
The man in gray paid no
heed and continued dragging the wailing Raven behind him.

As Felicity and
Sarah reached the ground floor, Raven spun and kicked the man’s feet out from
underneath him, sending all three into a heap.
 
The two sisters were up in a flash sprinting towards the stairs, Rebekah
in the lead, barreling past Sarah and Felicity who barely managed to dodge out
of the way.

The man regained
his footing and started to give chase but Felicity held out a hand to stop
him.
 

“Felicity, your
mother requested that I bring Raven to her as soon as she returned.”
 
His voice, while deep and powerful, was also
gentle.

Liz smiled.
 
“I am well aware of what my mother has
ordered Stephen, but don’t you remember what happened the last time we tried to
separate those two?”

The man turned
ghastly white but Felicity ignored the look of dismay.
 
“Don’t worry.
 
I was just on my way to see mom and introduce her to Sarah.
 
She can speak with Raven shortly.”

Sarah studied the
man during the conversation.
 
She
recognized him from somewhere but she couldn’t quite place it.
 
Even standing still he seemed tense, ready to
move in an instant.
 
Strength and
confidence radiated off of him in waves that Sarah could almost feel.
 
His black hair, with a few spots of gray, was
close cropped.
 
A scar ran down his left
cheek, but instead of detracting from his looks it seemed to add a roguish
charm.
 
Then it struck her.

“You’re Stephen
Alexander.”
 
She exclaimed with a sharp
intake of breath.
 
“You had my father
make you a sword about 15 years ago.”

The man turned to
study her, making Sarah squirm; she imagined it was what a rabbit felt as a
hawk swooped from above.
 
Then his face
warmed with recognition.
 
“You are the daughter
of Thomas Petty?”

Sarah nodded
before telling him that she was going into business with Raven.

Stephen pursed his
lips in what passed as a smile.
 
“A true
pleasure, Miss Petty, I thought that I recognized the craftsmanship of Raven’s
sword.
 
It seems your father has passed
his artistry on to you.
 
How is Thomas,
by the way?
 
I haven’t spoken to him in
far too long.”

Sarah thanked him
for the kind words and told him her father had passed away.

“I am sorry to
hear that.
 
Your father was an amazing
sword maker, the finest I have ever met.”
 
Stephen bowed slightly, “Now if you will excuse me ladies, I have
matters to attend.”

Both girls waved
as he walked away with Amanda following him.
 
Then Liz led Sarah to a doorway at the end of the room.
 
As they made their way across the marble
floor, Sarah couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice.

“That was Stephen
Alexander.
 
The Stephen Alexander!
 
He was the hero at the Battle of Lythogran.”

Felicity smiled,
“One of father’s most trusted generals.
 
After he died, Stephen devoted himself to our family.
 
He is a constant protector and dear friend.”

Such an amazing
family, Sarah thought to herself, still feeling renewed pride in her own
father.
 
Then she remembered a snippet of
conversation as they entered the great dining hall.
 
Seeing the beautiful table settings didn’t
strike her as anything out of the ordinary, though if that was because she was
adjusting to the world of wealth she found herself in, or because she was still
stunned that Stephen Alexander had just praised her father, she couldn’t really
be sure.

“What happened the
last time you tried to separate Raven and Rebekah?’
 
The blacksmith asked nonchalantly, hoping her
feigned disinterest would lead to an answer.

“Let’s just say this
castle used to be one story taller.”

CHAPTER
7: WICKED STEP-MOTHER

Sarah stammered, trying
to ask exactly what happened, but Felicity stopped in front of an ornate double
door.
 
Gold leaf trim spread over the
intricate designs on the heavy wood and highly polished handles gleamed warmly;
all of which Sarah ignored as she tried to imagine exactly what two young girls
could do that would make a man of Stephen Alexander’s military accomplishments tremble.
 

Then Felicity
opened the doors and Sarah forgot about Raven and Rebekah.
 
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it
certainly wasn’t this.
 
The room was made
from white marble.
 
A red carpet led to a
raised dais near the back on which two thrones set.
 
Large chandeliers cast an even glow over
everything.
 
Spaced evenly on the walls
tapestries hung from ceiling to floor, huge affairs with stories woven into the
material.
 
Sarah recognized the largest
in the back, behind the thrones, from stories her mother had told her.
 
Five figures casting a sixth from their
precipice: The fall of Azaroth.
 
However
it was the woman sitting on the left throne that was easily the most striking feature
of the chamber.
 
Even from this distance
Sarah could tell the woman was beautiful.
 
There was someone standing in front of the throne but the woman looked
over his shoulder and gave a dismissive wave.
 
The man turned and shuffled out by a side door.

“Mom, Raven will
come by later.
 
She and Bekah are
discussing important affairs of state.”
 
Felicity explained as she and Sarah approached the throne.
 

The woman Sarah
thought beautiful from a distance was absolutely stunning up close.
 
It was obvious where Liz got her looks
from.
 
Rich, luxurious brown hair fell
straight down to her shoulders.
 
Almond
shaped eyes, the color of coffee, sparkled from beneath thick lashes.
 
She wore blue jeans with a white shirt and her
boots were covered in mud but still looked elegant
 
The languid, relaxed posture the woman
assumed on the throne suggested she paid little attention to the opulence of
the room--
 
the trappings of royalty were
hers by right of nature.
 
There was no
doubt in Sarah’s mind that this woman wouldn’t be out of place at any high
class function, no matter where it was.

The woman smiled
at her daughter, crimson lips stretching over gleaming teeth.
 
“Important affairs of state, hmm?
 
Who exactly is sleeping with whom now?”

Liz grinned
back.
 
“I haven’t had a chance to ask
yet.
 
We’ll find out later.”

Turning her eyes
to Sarah, as if seeing her for the first time, the woman’s face still smiled but
Sarah noticed her eyes didn’t.
 
“And who
might you be?”
 

Felicity answered
for her, which Sarah was thankful for since she couldn’t find her voice at the
moment.
 
“This is Sarah Petty, Raven’s
new business partner.”

Sarah bowed her
head slightly and, after finding her voice, managed stammer, “It is an honor to
meet you Lady Chandlish.
 
Thank you for
having me in your home.”

The woman on the
throne arched an eyebrow.
 
The smile left
her lips.
 
“I am the Duchess Elspeth
Chandlish.”

Blanching at her
mistake, Sarah dropped immediately to one knee.
 
“My humblest apologies, Your Grace, I meant no disrespect.”

Elspeth allowed
Sarah to prostrate a moment longer before demanding that she stand.
 
“The fault is not yours.
 
A commoner cannot be expected to understand
our world.
 
Someone should have explained
it to you in order to prevent this type of situation.”
 
The Duchess Chandlish turned back to her
daughter with the smile back in place.
 
“Liz, please inform the kitchen staff that Branwyen’s guest will be
dining with us tonight and have one of the maids prepare a room for her as
well.”

After leaving the
Duchess, Felicity spoke to a maid then led Sarah to a bedroom on the fifth
floor so she could take a quick bath.
 
Once again, Sarah found herself astonished at the different world she
had stepped into.
 
Her bag sat on a huge
four poster bed, trimmed in silk sheets.
 
Heavy curtains were pulled back with braided cords exposing large bay
windows.
 
The wall paper was soft brown,
decorated with creeping green vines and white petals.
 
On a table beside the bed, a crystal vase
held a handful of the white and red flowers she had seen in the gardens.

           
Sarah
heard Felicity say something but was to busy running her fingers over the
gossamer bedding to catch the words.

           
“I’m
sorry, what?”
 
She asked, still savoring
the feel of the delicate material.
 
To
someone born poor and raised poorer it reminded Sarah of the clouds she had
flown through earlier that day.

           
Liz
smiled, “I asked if this room is alright.
 
Since you don’t have any furniture in your apartment yet, we want you to
be our guest.
 
There are other rooms
available if you would prefer something larger, but I thought you might be
comfortable in something closer to ours.”

           
‘Something
larger,’ Sarah’s brain tried to wrap itself around that phrase before just
accepting it.

           
“So
all of your rooms are on this floor?”
 
Sarah pulled the draw string on her bag open trying to find another
shirt to change into.

           
“Yes,
mine is on the right, Raven and Bekah’s room is on the left.”
 
Liz pointed to each direction as she spoke.

“Raven and Bekah
share?
 
I thought that you had plenty of
rooms?”

Felicity sat on
the edge of the bed with a laugh.
 
“We
have 52 spare bedrooms in the castle. Bekah and Raven have slept in the same
room since the first day they met though”

“So all four of
you still live here?”
 
Not that I blame
you she added silently.

“No, we don’t
often sleep here anymore.
 
I have a house
on Brewery Lane; Bekah has an apartment on Tombigbee Street where Raven spends most of her nights
while Mandy and her husband live on River Street.”
 

           
“If
you all have homes why are you staying here?”

           
“We
all wanted to greet Raven’s new friend, of course.”
 
Being shocked by the sheer size and lavishness
of the room, Sarah didn’t notice it was the first time since they met Felicity
avoided her eyes when speaking.

Raven’s mood was
far less chipper than that of her new business partner.
 
She had been having fun but now wasn’t and it
royally ticked her off.
 
This
conversation could have waited until later tonight or even tomorrow.
 
Unfortunately when Duchess Chandlish wanted
something, she demanded it right then and to heck with whoever was
inconvenienced.

Not waiting for
the maid to announce her presence, Raven marched right into the Chambers of Office.
 
Despite what many people outside of the
family thought this was where the large majority of the day to day decisions
that kept Valentria running smoothly occurred.
 
Lamps placed along the walls lit the room and Raven plopped down in one
of the two plush leather chairs situated in front of Elspeth’s mahogany
desk.
 
She ignored the stern looks Elspeth
and Stephen shot her and proceeded to read the names of the books on the shelf
behind them.
 
She’d read every one, most
twice, and passed the time trying to remember everything about them while the
other two whispered in voices to low to hear.
 
Finally their conversation ended.

“Branwyen, were
you able to accomplish the task I assigned you.”
 
Elspeth spoke calmly.

“Sure did.”
 

Stephen started to
interject but stopped when Elspeth raised her hand.
 
She leaned forward and eyed Raven coolly.
 
She knew the girl was lying.

“It is my
understanding that the Prime Minister was not at the ball.
 
I believe she wasn’t feeling well. ” Elspeth
hoped to catch Raven off guard.

“No, she wasn’t
there.”
 
Enjoying the new game, Raven propped
her boots on the desk and smiled at her step-mother around the toes.

“Then how is it
you were able to find out if she is being controlled?
 
Although I’ve heard rumors that you are
friends with more than a few Protectorate sympathizers, I sincerely doubt
you’ve managed to infiltrate their inner circle. ”

“I stopped by her
ship.”

Clouds of anger
were forming in Elspeth’s face and Stephen could feel the tension
building.
 
Raven, of course, just sat
there, completely oblivious as always.
 
Knowing he’d have to do something to avert yet another major roe between
the two of them, he calmly asked Raven to explain everything.

Rolling her eyes
to show annoyance, Raven began.

“You’re right
about Cassandra not being there.
 
My bet
is the spy is tipped them off about what I was up to.”
 
Raven paid no heed to the matching
expressions of shock on the other two faces.
 
She and Sis had known there was a Protectorate spy in their midst for
some time now despite Stephen’s best efforts to keep it secret.

“How did you get
inside her personal ship, Raven?
 
Nobody
from Valentria would be allowed near there.”
 
Stephen attempted to coax more information out of Raven while Elspeth
sat steaming beside him.

“Not in it; on
it.”
 
In Raven’s mind that should have
been clear to everybody from the beginning.
 
“Sarah, Bryson and I were on our way home when we saw her ship in the
distance.
 
Bryson flew close to the ship;
I hopped on and slid down to the bridge.
 
She was in there so I cast the reading spell.”

Calm enough to
speak without yelling, Elspeth said.
 
“You climbed inside their ship?
 
Branwyen, I don’t believe that.”

“Good, because I
wasn’t inside anything, as I’ve said twice already.”
 
Having to repeat herself was incredibly
tedious and Raven let out a theatrical sigh.
 
“I was hanging upside down by one of the mooring lines.
 
I knocked on the door; Richard put a sword to
my chest until I pointed to Bryson who was flying on the other side.
 
When he turned around I cast the spell.”

Stephen was
suitably impressed by the lengths Raven went through to accomplish the
mission.
 
“You did something that
dangerous just to find out if the Prime Minister is being controlled?”

Ignoring the fact
that they ignored the fact one of their enemies put a sword to her chest, Raven
huffed.
 
“Of course not.
 
That would be foolhardy and reckless.
 
I stopped by to get the 10 gullions Richard
owed Sis.
 
Since I was there
anyway…”
 
She trailed off with a shrug,
figuring they could guess how the story turned out.

Elspeth shook her
head and massaged her temples for a moment, her patience threshold dangerously
close to being breached.
 
“Very well,
Branwyen.
 
Since you cast the spell, what
did you discover?”

“Nothing.”
 
Raven gave short answers she knew would annoy
her step-mother.
 
Since they had
interrupted the fun earlier, she was going to torture them a little.

“What do you mean,
‘nothing’?”
 
Stephen’s hand slapped
loudly down on the desk in what was supposed to be a threatening gesture.

“Just what I said,
‘nothing’.”
 
Raven made a bet with
herself that Elspeth would speak next.
 
She won.

“So the Prime
Minister is not being controlled by magic, is that what you’re saying?”

“Nope.”

“What are you
saying, then?!”
 
Elspeth’s voice grew by
several octaves with each word.
 
She was
out of her chair with both hands planted firmly on the desk as she stared
angrily at the petulant brat.

Raven knew enough
to know when it was time to back off.
 
With practiced patience meant to drive other people bonkers, she grabbed
a piece of paper from the desk and wrote on it, while explaining that humans
give off energy that she could see and manipulate with the aid of spells.
 
Elspeth and Stephen both knew this but Raven
wanted to draw the conversation out a little longer.
 
It was, after all, their fault she wasn’t
getting to hang out with Sis.