Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from this. I am merely a fangirl with a few ideas which I have decided to put to use. I hope you enjoy and please, read and review.
Hidden Love
Chapter One: The Beginning
There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about the morning that dawned upon Boktor some specific time near the end of midwinter. It was a bleak morning, the snows that had been falling ever since dusk the night before had coated the streets with a thick layer of bright white, only disturbed by the few sets of footprints from those unfortunate souls who found themselves out of doors at such an ungodly time. It was approaching Erastide, and the whole city had its breath held in anticipation. Only a few more weeks until the festivities began with the New Year, bringing with it the promise of spring and warmer weather.
A young girl stood at a large window, her arms clasped around a much-abused-looking stuffed bear. Her eyes were large and brown, filled with absolute wonder as she watched the fluffy orbs of snow drift almost lazily down to the ground outside, her little mouth slightly agape.
"Come away from there." She heard someone call and she automatically span, her thick blond braids flying around her, to swing at her back, momentarily disturbed by her abrupt movement. Her face cracked into a dimpled smile and she blinked adorably up at the man who was now striding towards her.
"I don't need such a scolding, Uncle." She told him, matter-of-factly. "I was simply watching the snow."
"Watching the snow? Whatever for?" The girl's uncle seemed puzzled but he joined her by the window regardless. "It's just snow."
The girl sighed regretfully. "Well, I suppose if I'd have seen as many winters as you have Uncle, I would not be so amazed by its serenity or beauty either." Her eyes were glittering as she grinned puckishly at the tall man beside her.
"You're beginning to develop quite a tongue Liselle." He observed. "You have been spending too much time with some choice members of that academy."
She blinked, becoming the complete embodiment of innocence. "I? Whatever made you think that? You are quite silly my uncle Khendon, quite silly indeed. And who did you mean by some choice members of that academy? My friends are strictly well-to-do uncle. You should know, you picked them."
"I think you know who I mean." Khendon turned back to the door, scratching his head just behind his right ear thoughtfully. "That's a thought," He uttered with a confused frown. "Where is he? He was sure to be here by dawn."
"Who?"
The girl's uncle looked down at her, his eyes speculating. "No, I won't say, I'm going to have a hard time controlling you without you becoming excitable, what's say we go and have breakfast? You need to eat regularly Liselle, or you won't grow."
"I'm growing fine!" She said adamantly, following him despite her protest. "It's you that should be worrying about what you're putting in your mouth; your girth has been steadily widening uncle. Maybe you should go on a diet."
He sent a disgruntled look back at her, and she returned it with a winsome smile, adding fluttering eyelashes for effect. He let out a groan but continued to lead the way to the kitchens.
-
It was about three ours after morning when 'he' arrived. The snow had been growing steadily heavier since the sun crested the walls of the city, and the citizens almost ran through the streets with their heads bowed. Almost invisible through the growing blizzard, a little man scrambled through the streets, a rough black woollen cloak rapped around him like a swaddling blanket. Only his small rat-like eyes and his long pointed nose were visible and his movements were quick and nervous. He let out an irritated hiss, which issued forward in a cloud of white mist and glared at the sky, as if his look alone would give the gods themselves incentive to stem the flow of fluffy white snow. The little man was obviously in a foul temper, and he stomped through the snow, quickly sending furtive looks at the streets behind him.
Almost casually he turned and knocked upon a door to his right, and within ten seconds, it was open and he was carefully admitted.
He looked around the spacious hall, his face carefully expressionless and as the servant, a short Drasnian man with thinning blond hair upon a shiny pate, took his cloak and hat from him and sent them, dripping to be dried. The servant gave a stiff bow and then excused himself, muttering that he shall announce his presence to Margrave Khendon.
The man was left on his own in the entrance hall and he slowly paced the room, his fingers toying nervously with the hilt of a dagger he held under his black doublet. His face rendered a man who was now holding onto the shreds of his own life with desperate hands. His hair was greasy and unkempt, but it was obvious that it was not always so, and a shadow of untidy stubble shadowed his jaw. He looked terrible.
A door opened somewhere to his right and he almost jumped, quickly spinning, moving his hand to fully grasp the hilt of the heavy-bladed knife. But what he saw allowed him to relax. She was older than he remembered, since it had been around two years since he had last come into the household in which she was living. Her brown eyes widened and she let out a squeal of delight, running forward and colliding, with surprising force for a six year old, and gathered as much of the man as she could grasp. "Kheldar!" She squeaked joyously. "You came! You came!"
The man let out a strained laugh and dropped to his knees, pulling the little girl into his arms and embracing her roughly. "Liselle." He said, pulling away a little from the quick hug. "Where is your uncle? I need to speak with him, rather urgently."
Liselle blinked owlishly at him but smiled, the dimples throwing themselves into alarming perspective. "He's here," She said happily, she reached out and gave Kheldar's nose a sound tug. "But he's locked up in that dusty study of his. I don't know why he even attempts to hide it all from me, I'll only find out later." Her eyes widened as she suddenly understood something. "So you are the one he was talking about." Then her face became slightly reproving. "You're late."
Kheldar laughed ironically and rubbed a hand over his stubble, finally willing himself to relax. "There was a possibility that I wouldn't have made it here at all, Liselle," He said. "Better late than never."
"You sound just like father." She crossed her arms but then smiled again. "It's so good to see you again! You left in such a hurry last year that I didn't even get to see you!"
"Pressing business." He shrugged almost negligently. "But that's in the past now. I'm here."
"Well at least you've arrived before Uncle Khendon decided to send out a search party for you. He was quite certain that you would arrive at dawn, I think he's lost a little faith in his intelligence."
At that, the newcomer laughed once again and gazed fondly at the young girl. "You've grown very smart Liselle, I wouldn't be surprised if you surpassed your dear uncle by the time you're twenty. Speaking of which, I'm beginning to feel my age creep up on me, and I should get some wine in me before the feeling becomes permanent."
-
"You're late." Was the first thing Khendon said as Kheldar walked through the door and plonked himself unceremoniously upon a seat facing his desk.
"Now why is everyone saying that to me today?" Kheldar smirked and crossed his arms, slouching uncharacteristically. Khendon peered curiously at the prince and then shot a look over to the window which the little Drasnian thief was desperately attempting to shrink away from.
"Trouble?" Khendon grinned. "I thought you would have gotten away from Lord Ashram by now, Silk. I do believe you're losing that touch of yours."
Silk snorted and chewed on his nail. "Oh no, I managed to give him the slip, unfortunately, his wife got in touch with a Nyissan and he suddenly came down with a bad case of dead. Unfortunately his eldest son found out about my involvement and is now sending assassins by the bucket load. They're not as good as I hoped they would be, but somehow the rich little brat has managed to get in touch with one of the Dagashi. Now I have one of those on my tail and I lost Radek's hat." During his story, his voice had been growing ever slightly more distraught and by the time he had mentioned the hat, his voice had cracked and his face looked desperate.
"Radek's hat?"
"Yes! Radek of Boktor. He's a merchant, quite well-off, and his hat is one of those things that always marks him. It was also a gift from my father but still, I need my hat and I lost it." Silk hung his head.
"Right." Khendon was trying hard not to grin. "How did you lose it?"
"I don't want to talk about it." The Prince grumbled and flicked a speck of dust from his knee. "But I need some help."
Khendon stood up and sighed, reaching into the draw of his desk and pulling out a simple black hat. He threw it over the space between them and flashed the prince a white-toothed grin. "Good enough for you?"
Silk caught it and peered closely at it, his eyebrows rising in overwhelming surprise. "Where did you get this?" He demanded.
"It was lying around in Kotu, and it came to my attention that you would be on your way here, quite quickly, and so I waited. I'm due back at the palace any day now, but I stayed where you could find me, old friend." Khendon shrugged and sat back down. "Don't look so surprised Silk, I'm not chief of Intelligence here at Boktor for nothing."
Almost despite himself, Silk gave a chuckle. "Oh Javelin. I wasn't aware you had that title as of yet."
"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time." His right eyebrow arched. "Oh relax Silk, you're safe here. Now I have some papers to read through if you don't mind. Why don't you go see Liselle? She has been looking forward to seeing you again, and she's been itching to go out in the snow since she got up this morning."
Silk's face looked stricken. "Snow?" He grumbled.
"Yes, Silk, snow." Javelin said absently. "She wants to go out, but I'm too busy. Be a good little fellow and take her out?" He grinned. "Your Highness."
With a groan, Silk stood up, and shuffled to the door dejectedly. "Thanks." He said bitterly.
-
"Kheldar! Catch!"
Before he could move or even think, something hard, cold and extremely wet crashed against his ear and he stumbled two steps to the right with an alarmed cry. He automatically flung a hand up to his ear and cringed as it began to throb, feeling the snow melt under his skin.
Liselle let out a shrill giggle and she ducked down, filling her hands with yet more accursed snow. He let out a gasp and then leapt to the floor, grabbing at the glistening white and crushing it into a tightly packed ball. He looked back up at her, the snowball in his shaking hand but was rewarded with another attack from the young girl, who gave another giggle and ran off through the garden, shrieking in joy.
He shook the snow from his face and followed her, throwing his lumpy weapon at her fleeing back, it exploded on her shoulder and she fell onto the ground. He ran back to her and pulled her into his arms. She laughed; flung the hidden snow she held in her fists into his face and soundly kissed him on the cheek, squirming out of his arms. She danced out of his reach as he watched her aghast, snow dripping from his face. "Come on Kheldar!" Her face was completely overwhelmed by the huge dimpled smile. "You're completely useless at this, you know?"
"Useless?" Silk laughed and jumped up to his full height and rubbed his hands together. "I'll show you useless, little miss!"
It was the first and last time, he had ever enjoyed being outside in such weather.
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