After Sheilah finished the story of her last year with the Dragon Clan, Magdalene wiped her eye a little. She wished that she’d been there for her daughter- surely she would have comforted her much better than that Davian, would have encouraged her and kept her safe, but- she paused at that.
Many of the things that Sheilah explained to her- the plants that killed, the flesh-eating insects, the constant need for vigilance against so many different things that were ready for a moment’s lapse, a hint of weakness- those things terrified her, and she wasn’t at all certain that she would be able to keep Sheilah safe from all those hazards.
She keenly felt Sheilah’s loss of Caidi, the helpless, powerless feeling of being unable to reconcile whether or not she made the right choices. She awed at Sheilah’s dragonling hunts, and shuddered as Sheilah described her fight with the dread Tyrant Dragon. In Sheilah’s descriptions it was a titanic, massive thing that refused to be limited by a paltry concept of ‘size’.
It was clear that Sheilah was leaving things out, too. Things she probably felt she needed to keep secret.
Through it all though, Magdalene realized that it would probably be impossible for Sheilah to become a proper lady. She was a warrior, a fighter, with an inner strength and indomitability that would not fit within the confines of dresses and banquets and socials. This strange, dangerous girl- and she was dangerous, of that there was no mistake- wouldn’t fit in well with Stormheim.
Magdalene couldn’t even recall what her own fourteenth year was like. Maybe study, or lessons on etiquette with her governess, perhaps. She wasn’t sure.
By the time they had finished talking, Fialla was a small brown elvish ball curled up in the chair next to Sheilah’s.
“There are plenty of other stories I could tell you about my family, but it’s getting late.” Magdalene concluded, after telling her a story about her own mother, “Since we haven’t yet chosen your servants- or how we’re going to deal with the Dark Elves discovering that you’re here- I’ll have a meal sent up to you.”
Fialla sat up and yawned. “I am very good at dealing with Dark Elves.” She replied, and stifled a second yawn.
Magdalene eyed Fialla carefully. In Sheilah’s tale, the half-elven girl had indeed been Sheilah’s shadow, following her wherever she went.
“Right now, we can’t do anything to them. If we harm them, it will plunge Stormheim into war- a war we can’t win.” Magdalene warned. “For now, we suffer their intolerable presence and try to build up our forces so that we can eject them when the time is fortuitous.” She explained. “If a Dark Elf appears, do not attack them.”
Fialla frowned at that.
“Do not attack them, no matter what they do.” Magdalene repeated.
Magdalene took her leave, and the two girls wandered through Sheilah’s apartments, with Andrea in tow.
“All of this is our territory?” Fialla wondered to Sheilah.
“All of this is our home.” Sheilah corrected. “Though, I suppose that it would be fair to call it a territory, since it’s so large.” she replied. “Are you going to carry your spear around?”
Fialla grimaced. “Only until I learn this place.” She replied. “Then, I think only my knife should be useful.” She looked up at Sheilah. “You?”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” She mused. “These aren’t meant for daily use, right?” She asked, patting the pommel of her sword.
“Did your father say anything about that?” the lithe elfin girl asked.
“He carried Adlan’s sword and his own, when he was in Stormheim’s lands.” Sheilah replied. “I might carry mine the same.”
“Your... mother... might not like that.” Fialla replied.
Sheilah nodded, a distracted look on her face as she carefully eyed every nook and cranny of each room that they passed through.
“Is there something... that displeases you, My Lady?” Andrea the maid piped up behind the two girls.
Sheilah scrutinized the woman carefully. “These are mine, correct?” She confirmed.
Andrea nodded immediately. “They definitely belong to you, My Lady.”
“Then isn’t it important to learn every part of it?” She asked curiously.
Andrea blinked a couple of times, then took a step back and nodded. “It is as you say, My Lady.”
She followed at a discrete distance as the girls climbed around, crawled under, peeked, prodded, and examined every nook and cranny of each room.
Suddenly Sheilah straightened and turned back towards the entrance.
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“Someone’s here.”
Fialla glanced quizzically at Sheilah, but followed the taller girl as she marched towards the door that lead from the study to the hall.
Andrea followed after, leaving Fialla mystified. The girl scooped up her spear and scrambled after the two and discovered a trio of people dressed similarly, pushing a series of carts with covered trays.
“Speak, creature.” Sheilah demanded, her voice and pitch lower.
A shiver ran up Fialla’s spine; she could tell Sheilah had directed Supremacy at the intruders. She knew what that felt like, the terror, the feeling of raw panic that crammed the body with fear.
The three strangers stumbled backwards, one falling on his ass.
“We- we were asked to bring food-” He blurted, but Sheilah had already turned away.
Sheilah turned away from him, already dismissing him, and eyed Fialla, rings of fire glowing around her irises.
“You.” She stated, her voice cool and yet laced with the sense of cool, cruel authoritarianism. It was a voice that demanded instant submission, but it was Sheilah’s eyes, her eyes that captured and mesmerized and subjugated all that met them.
“You...” She muttered as the light in her eyes flickered. “You...” She took a breath. “You need to learn...” She struggled with the words.
Fialla reached into her heart and drew upon her own sense of the Dragon and let it fill her.
“I will learn, sister.” She replied, staring defiantly up at Sheilah as the human girl loomed over her.
Defiance and overwhelming tyranny warred with each other for a moment, and then Sheilah closed her eyes and took a breath.
She opened her eyes again, and the thin golden ring was still there, burning, glowing in her eyes. She embraced Fialla and rested her forehead against Fialla’s.
“Food, little sister.”
Fialla nodded, and looked towards Andrea.
“Is that not your... job?” She asked, stumbling over the unfamiliarity. “Or should I-” She began, but Andrea, who had seen the entire thing, immediately stepped forward.
“I’ll see to it all, My Ladies. Please retire to the dining hall, and I will bring it to you.”
Fialla nodded and twitched her head at Sheilah, who nodded.
As they strode to the dining area, Fialla eyed Sheilah. “You seem to have mastered the Dragon much better than last time.” She observed, and then blinked. “Back then, too. At the Sigil Stone. You weren’t using the full power of the Tyrant.” She lowered her voice. “How did you do it?” She asked quietly.
Sheilah glanced around. “A secret lost.” She replied quietly. “It’s...” She took a breath, and faced Fialla.
“I am the Dragon.”
Fialla blinked, confused. “I don’t understand.”
Sheilah rolled her eyes. “If you like, I’ll guide you through it tonight, before bed.”
Fialla nodded.
The food was delivered, and they eyed each dish curiously, as well as the complicated layout of silverware placed before them.
Both of the girls looked to Andrea, who sighed. “It’s not my responsibility to teach you how to-” She began, but shrugged. “I will teach you what I know.”
She set a place for herself at the table, something she normally wouldn’t be allowed to do, and explained each step.
Fialla and Sheilah eyed each other and followed along with Andrea’s explanations, working their way through their meal.
“Will those... servants... intrude on my territory that way again?” Sheilah asked bluntly.
“...that way?” Andrea asked, mystified. “...intrude?” She asked, confused.
“They entered my territory without invitation or approval.” Sheilah replied.
Andrea grimaced. “Normally, no.” She replied. “Your mother will hire servants, maids, cooks and the like for you who will live here in your apartments to see to your needs.”
Sheilah and Fialla eyed each other at this.
“I don’t think I much like this.” Fialla decided. “Having strangers in your own home...” She shook her head.
Sheilah nodded with a grimace of distaste. People entering into your home without approval? Living with you? Who did that?
They ate the rest of their meal in silence, and then resumed their inspection of Sheilah’s apartments, with Andrea trailing after them. This frustrated Sheilah since she was unable to speak freely with Fialla.
After they were finished with their inspection of all the rooms, they retreated to the bedroom.
“Good night, My Ladies.” Andrea offered, and exited, closing the doors behind her.
Sheilah and Fialla immediately released sighs, glanced at each other, and smiled.
“This is going to be very hard.” Sheilah finally broke the silence. Fialla nodded.
Sheilah prowled around the bedroom and examined the bed.
“I can’t sleep here.” She decided, and gathered up the pile of wolf pelts and their bedrolls and put them in the corner of the room.
“You are the Dragon?” Fialla prompted as they undressed for bed.
“Well, to start, do you think you gathered power from only the Dragon?” Sheilah asked, sitting on her bedroll, facing Fialla. “You killed and ate whelplings and dragonlings, too. They’re a part of you as well.” She began. “My father pointed it out to me- that I was using the power of the dragon- after I came home.” She paused for a moment. “Also... The First Blood didn’t subjugate the Dragon within them. They became the Dragon. Your mind and heart and soul, merging forever with the mind, heart and soul of the Dragon that dwells within you.” Shelaih explained. “You change.” She blinked a few times, and let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “I’m no longer the Sheilah you knew, Fialla.” She started. “I am... more.”
“That... is forbidden, Sheilah.” Fialla growled, rising up, but Sheilah grabbed her arm and yanked her back down.
“It’s forbidden because they lost the method of doing it correctly.” Sheilah snapped. “They forgot how to do it right, those that tried were consumed by the Tyrant, and so it became taboo.” She explained flatly.
She began to teach Fialla, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of the room. After a long time, Fialla’s eyes glimmered faintly in the gloom, too.