“There is no more condemning a presence in this world than that younger, innocent, self inside you staring out that bedroom door in your mind with that one, blue, accusing eye, and then oh such a relieving peace when it stops.”

-Alianna’s Diary, Oct 20th

A while later Alianna gently opened the door and looked in on Nisa. She could feel Ye'Tul's eyes watching her as he stood at the corner of the hallway watching both directions almost at the same time. He must have relieved Kenic when he had finished furnishing the room. She should scold him for not taking the night off as she had ordered, but right now, she was glad it was him and not one of the other's. She looked at Nisa, her arms curled around the bear that Ali had had one of the craftswoman make for her bedroom. Nisa's breathing was even and she seemed very peaceful. Alianna took off the diadem and held it limply in her left hand. When she did It was as if she were seeing the past few weeks through someone else's eyes and what she saw, she didn’t like. “Oh God what was I doing! I know I need to be tough, they will kill me if I’m not, but…what I was doing to her was…horrible.” She said in a whisper. She heard Y’Tal approaching and he stopped just behind her. “You have done what you needed to Alianna, and now you are doing what you need to. Do not put blame on yourself.”

Alianna tensed as she realized that she wasn’t the only one with superior hearing but then she relaxed a little, as his words registered. She wanted to just wrap Y’Tul’s words around her and let that be the end of it, but deep down she knew she had crossed a line, and the fear that gripped deep in her heart was, could she go back? She turned to look at him and smiled. “Thank you Y’tul, I will try to do as you have suggested.” Then a small, distinct noise brought her attention back to the room. It sounded like a whimper coming from Nisa.

The door that lay in the depth of her mind, opened a crack and that same deep blue eye looked out of it. Out from that crack also came a stream of emotion. Compassion caressed the edges of her heart, and she realized then just how hard she had become. Then the noise came again and then again in quicker succession, in her mind the door opened fully. There was the younger Ali clutching Mr. Bear and looking at the girl with tears in her eyes.

“Oh God! I’m sorry….” Alianna whispered as she ran over and sat gently down on the bed. “No..No stop!” cried Nisa in the throws of what looked like a nightmare. Alianna slowly laid down next to Nisa and then wrapped her arms around her and held her. She stroked her hair and whispered soothing things to her. Out of that open doorway in her mind came a flash of memory, she was covering a cowering Nisa with her body, protecting her from the tall woman with the whip and the red crystal at the end of it, then there was the blinding pain and then her eyes shot open.

She was breathing heavily, and could still feel the residuals of that pain. She looked at Nisa, and noticed that the whimpering had stopped and the girl once more was breathing regularly. Alianna waited till her nerves calmed down and the pain went away and then slowly disengaged herself from Nisa and went back to the doorway. She looked back once to make sure all was well, and then gently closed the door. She walked the few feet to her room thinking about the memory that had surfaced. “That is how I know her, Nisa was the girl that I was protecting in that nightmare I had, but if she is here and real, then was that dream real? The woman?” “Good night Alianna.” Came his soft voice from the far wall. “You now do, far more then you need to. You will be a great Hyress.”

She stopped and looked back at him. She knew there were tears in her eyes, and she didn’t hide them. “Ye’tul….thank you, but I would rather be a good person then a great Hyress.” “You are.” She couldn’t accept those words. “Thank you Ye'Tul but….good night.” “Good night Alianna.”

She went into her room and closed the door. She was drowning in guilt. Long into the night did she stand on the balcony looking out on the sleeping Paltophern. She could not believe that Nisa was the same girl from the night terror she had had with the woman and the glowing red stone. She must have come here somehow in her dream, and now it was reality. She cringed at the thought that that woman might be out there somewhere, that somewhere in her future lay torture at the hands of that woman and her red stone. She cried many tears and even laughed a few times, but mainly thought very deeply on the things she had done, on who she had let herself become just to save her own skin, and Jaius’s“ “God please forgive me…” were the words on her lips as she finally went to bed and slept.

Warmth, soft warmth rested next to her. Still, and not demanding, it just gave her warmth without looking for anything in return. Slowly her eyes opened and she saw the bear sitting there, its fur caressing her cheek. Nisa smiled and let the sensation into her heart, smoothing over some of the cracks at the entrance to the wound that split her soul wide open. She hugged the bear close and drew it close, and more of the cracks smoothed over. “Why did she do this for me?” She thought as she held the soft warmth close to her. “She has shown nothing but contempt for me since she came, and not that I can blame her for what I did to her, or what I would have done,” She thought about the Hyress, how strong she was, how confidant. Nisa could only sing the stones when the Voice came to her and spoke to her. The voice said it was the Herald of the Eternal, and that Nisa needed to do as it commanded. She hadn’t heard the voice since the Hyress took the Thron. “I wonder if the Herald of Eternal now speaks to her, perhaps that was what happened. Perhaps I had displeased the Herald and she cast me to the side.” A wave of guilt and self loathing came over her. “I don’t deserve even this!” She said as she pushed the bear away, but she also did not let it go. “But I can’t let it go either because she gave it to me.” She got up out off the bed and set the bear right where she had found it. She then proceeded to make the bed, and then clean herself and dress herself. She reveled in having her body suit back. Happiness filled her as she put it on again.

She was surprised to see the closet had been stocked with dresses of different colors, green and red and blue and brown, but they all had a sash that was purple, but each dress had different shades of purple that went with the color of the dress. “These are beautiful, too beautiful for a servant, but, perhaps someone as beautiful as she is would want a beautiful servant and not an ugly one. Then why did she keep me alive and make me her servant?”

She pondered this as she chose a blue one and proceed to change. Soon she was closing the door to her room and turned to proceed to her mistresses chamber. She saw Ye'Tul standing there talking with one of the other guards. They all wore purple cloths around their arms with a white rose stitched in it. It must be her symbol. She stared hard at it so she would remember it and not have to be told about it. Ye'Tul saw her staring at the patch. “Yes, this is your Lady’s symbol. Learn it well.” Nisa looked down and nodded, and then she walked quickly past Ye'Tul and the other Guard and opened the door. As she was a bout to step in. “ Nisa, when the Hyress has woken and is prepared, tell her that those who she asked me to summon, are in the great hall.” Nisa did not turn around but she bowed and then proceeded into the room and gently shut the door. The room was in disarray, pillows and sheets lay on the floor, clothes and paper strewn around the room. “Hyress….” She whispered, as fear that someone had entered the room griped her heart, she was just about to yell for Ye'Tul, when she heard a moan from the bed. Nisa ran over and looked around the curtain that had been let down. There was the Hyress sprawled on the bed. The tiara lay just in front of Nisa. An overwhelming desire for the item gripped her. She felt her arm reach out to take it. Her finger almost touched it, but then withdrew. “No, I am not worthy, I was cast off for another, plus, this Hyeres can sing to the stone without the Tiara, without help. I don’t think I would stand a chance.” She whispered.

These were the words that Alianna heard as consciousness returned to her. She felt moment of fear, fear that Nisa might still want to hurt her. Her fingers tightened around the tiara. But when no attempt came for the crown, Alianna relaxed a bit and let the fear and anger subside before she opened her eyes, When she did open them she looked deep into Nisa’s eyes. She saw fear, and conflict, but in the end she saw enough fear, and something else there, something that seemed like gratitude. With that she decided that the girl could still be trusted.

Nisa saw the Hyress’s gaze and she froze. “Had she heard me?”

“Nisa….” Ali let the pause go for a few moments. “Will you please prepare my bath. Also I am ready for breakfast.”

Nisa let her breath out in a rush. “Yes Hyress, it will be as you have said.” She curtsied and then walked briskly from the room.

Ali sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. “Why have I had so much anger towards her? I’ mean I know she was just struggling with taking the diadem, but I really think if she had tried to take it two days ago I…I would have incinerated her.” Her hand flew to her mouth, and a few tears leaked from her eyes. “Oh Lord.. a year ago I cried when my mom ran over squirrel, now I’m at a point where I can kill someone! Please God help me.” She thought wiping her tears. She felt a flutter deep in her heart, and that bedroom door in her head opened a little further. She stared at the crown and a number of coincidences clicked together in her head. “There is something about this thing. When I knocked it off of Nisa’s head her hair changed…she changed, and when I took it off at the Horuse coral and last night after the dinner and something changed in me, the hardness in my heart…lessened. Something about this crown changes the person who wears it...” She stared at the crown, fear growing inside her. “Ye’Tul!” She said a bit too loud and with too much pitch in her voice.

The door crashed inward and suddenly he was there. He pulled her off the bed and placed her behind him in one effortless movement. His crystal sword was in his hand. He began to hum, a deep baritone. “He can sing the stones also?” The sword glowed, its heat warming her face. He looked everywhere for danger. After a few moments he relaxed just a hair. “Where is the peril Hyress.” She glanced toward the door and saw two more of his men looking their way, each with glowing swords. “Ye’tul…I’m Ok, I was severely startled by a revelation. That crown, I…I believe it is cursed.” She shivered as she thought of what it might have been doing to her. He motioned to the two men and pointed at the crown. They moved over to it and the one picked it up with the tip of his sword. “Please destroy it.” Alianna whispered. Ye’tul pointed again to the crown. As the guard placed the crown in the middle of the floor, Alianna began to sing. The men froze and looked at her. Deep purple light flared in the Thron Shard. The silvery field sprung around her and Ye’tul , she imagined it around the other two as well and auras appeared around them too. They were surprised for just a moment, but then returned to their duty. The guard raised his sword over his head and brought the sword down upon the crown. There was a sound like a thunderclap and what she swore there was a shriek also. When she opened her eyes the fields were fading and the men stared at the two halves of the crown, the guard who had stuck looked at her. “It is enough Kenic. Thank you.” “It is my honor to serve Hyress. What shall I do with the remains?” “Place them on the table in my study, I will investigate them later, but first bring me the shard from the Thron.” She had figured out that the only way to make the Thron work was to possess this shard that seems to have been carved out from it. The chair responded to no songs that were sung at it or near it, only to songs that were sung at this crystal. “It shall be as you say Hyress.”

He bent down and picked up the two halves, pulled the shard from the place where it had been sitting in the tiara and handed it reverently to her. He then walked into the adjoining room. Ye’tul sheathed his blade as did the other guard, and he turned to look at her. “Are you alright Hyress?” “I’m fine Ye’tul, thank you. How long has that thing been here?” “It came with Nisa and the woman.” “Where did they come from?” He looked out the window. “I do not know my Hyress, she just stepped into the hall of the Thron one day with Nisa, no one saw her enter the Catha Dral, or leave. The woman proclaimed the Eternal had decreed that this girl was Hyress and she would rule us.” “The Eternal?” “The one that made everything, he dwells far from this world. The woman said that he speaks to her, she is his herald.” “Does the woman have a name?” “She just referred to herself as the Herald.” Ali looked toward the window. “Who is she…Oh no, could it be that woman from my Night Terror.” She began to shiver and break into a cold sweat. Ye'Tul drew a blanket from the bed and wrapped her in it.

“Ha…Hyress?” came Nisa’s voice from the door. Alianna looked that way and saw the girl with a cart of food and two more guards with a large copper tub full of hot water between them. “All is well Nisa.” She turned to look at Ye’tul. “Can the door be repaired?” Ye’tull looked at the door. The hinges were bent. “It will take time Hyress, I am sorry.” “It is fine Ye’tul. Take the tri fold screen from my room and place it in front of the door. Just make sure no one comes in except Nisa.” “No one else will come close Hyress.” With that he turned on his heal and motioned to the other two guards. They picked up the screen and walked backward out off the room placing the screen firmly behind them. “Ye’tull, one more thing, have four golden crystals, and three clear brought to me. The finest ones you can find, they must be thin, like knife blades and a worker of metal I need something made from gold.” “I will seek them out myself Hyress” Came his voice from the other side off the screen.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Alianna let out a sigh of relief. Slowly she remembered Nisa. “While I bathe and eat, you will tell me everything you know about the crown and the woman who came with you, this Herald.” Alianna left no doubt in her voice that she meant everything. Alianna saw Nisa begin to tremble, but she bowed nonetheless as Alianna walked to her.

“I don’t know her name Hyress, that is the truth, she never told me. She raised me since I was a baby,” “What did you call her then?” “Herald.” Nisa said simply. Alianna looked at her. “Do you love her?” “I respect her Hyress. She was very harsh with me often, so much so, that love would be a hard emotion to attach to her. I….I am not sure I know even what love truly is Hyress, I don’t even know if I can love.” She said sullenly. “We all have the ability to love Nisa. Watch how I care for Emily, and you will learn.” “Yes Hyress.” “This woman calls herself the Herald, can she sing the stones?” “Oh yes Hyress, she is a master of singing and controlling the power of the stones, she creates things that can make the stones produce their effects without singing. She does this through her knowledge of them and of this world. Those undergarments, along with other items, she trades them to us for food and other items.” “She comes here?” “Yes Hyress, once every sixty lightnings sometimes more, sometimes less.” “Days you mean.” Nisa looked quizzically at her as she said that. “Nevermind.” “She will be coming soon then?” Yes Hyress, there are not many more…. days till we expect her” She said spitting the unfamiliar word from her lips.

Alianna nodded. After her bath Alianna sat down to the bowl of broth that waited for her. She looked at her reflection in the dark liquid. She approved of that crown no longer being on her head. She saw, in the reflection Ye’Tul standing behind her. “I have procured the crystals as you wished My Hyress.” She turned and looked up at him, crystals in his left hand, and she smiled. She took them from him and stared at them.

She looked back at him and that was when everything began to move in slow motion. Movement caught her eye as she transitioned her view from the crystals to him. A man was leaping out of a split in the fabric of reality. He bore a black crystal dagger that shone with a dead light. He was raising it back to plunge it into Ye’Tul’s back. She saw Ye’tul begin to tense, but she saw he would not be quick enough. With no time to sing, She lunged for Ye’tul, and pulled with all her might. He moved ever so slowly, but when the dagger glanced off of the shoulder protector of his breastplate instead of his flesh she knew she had saved him.

Then things went back to normal speed. She crashed to the ground and Ye’Tul landed on his right knee and right arm, his sword raised and ready, He had begun to draw his it as Alianna had pulled him down. Their attacker crashed into the table. Just as they began to move to stand up, the man was on his feat and lunging toward them again. Ye’Tul parried the man's thrust, an attack meant for her. As quickly as it was turned aside the dagger sought her again. Ye’tul began to breath heavily. The man was faster than anyone either had seen before. It was all Ye’tul could do to deflect the blade just enough. Ali saw the way this would go, she had read this story one too many times. “No!” she said. She began to sing. The crystals in her hand came alive. They came together into a glowing blade, she brought the Thron Shard close to the blade and directed the song to them both. Quickly the silvery aura appeared around both her and Ye’tul. She drove the crystal sword toward the man's heart, exposing herself, trusting in the strength of the field. But he parried her thrust, and then one from Ye’tul, as his blade slid off of Ye’tul’s everything went slow again as the man's blade drove straight for her heart. In the slow motion she saw the blade slide through her field. It was mere centimeters from her flesh when the blade fell to the floor and the man slumped to the ground, the handle of a knife from the tabl protruding from behind his ear. Once more, time went back to normal and Alianna fell to the ground, mere feet from the assailant. “Ye’tul!” “Hyress!” they shouted each other’s name at the same time. “I’m ok Ye’tul. How, did you stab him?” “It was not I.” They both looked around and then saw Nisa standing by the wall looking at the man as his dead eyes stared at her. “That was love wasn't it Hyress?” The girl said, still looking deep into the dead man's eyes. “You didn’t think for yourself, but threw yourself at the captain in an attempt to save him when you weren’t sure of success.” Ali looked at Ye’tul, then turned back to Nisa. “Yes Nisa, I believe that would be a good description.” “That was why I ended him, I love you Hyress. I realized as I saw him trying to kill you that I did not want you not to be here. You see no one else ever gave me a friend before of my very own, or a bed, or held me when the night horrors come. I expected your treatment of me these past many days, it has been my life since I was little, but what I did not expect was the kindness you showed me. Thank you My Hyress.”

Alianna stared at her. She looked deep into the girl's eyes, and saw the truth of it. Her heart broke. She had become just another in a long line of abusers to this girl. She had become Keri Bellows. She also knew at that moment that she could trust Nisa, she could trust her completely. “Thank you Nisa, thank you for your love.” She said with a smile.

She looked the girl up and down and made a decision. “You will be my first Lady Nisa. There will be others, but you will be the First Lady in Waiting. You are not my servant any more, but I will ask you to serve me.” Nisa’s mouth fell open and tears fell freely “I’m…I’m free” She considered a lifetime in mere seconds, and knew what she would do with her freedom. “Till I die Hyress.” “Alianna.” “What Hyress?” “Alianna, my name is Alianna. Here in private you will call me this. In public, it must still be Hyress.” “Yes Hyre…Alianna.” She included Ye’tul in this command as she said this. She could see the struggle on his face with this request, but slowly it subsided and he nodded.

Alianna rose to her feet, went over and embraced Nisa. After a moment the girl hugged her back.

After a few minutes a strong hand touched her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder at Ye’tul. He was pointing to where two of his men were drawing back what looked like a curtain exposing a pocket and darkness inside. She looked at him, nodded, and then looked back to Nisa and placed her forehead on the girls. “Thank you Nisa.” She whispered.” “Thank you Alianna.” She whispered back. “Ali” The girl moved her head back. “I.I don’t understand?”

“Ali, it is what my friends call me.” She gave Nisa one more squeeze and then let go and turned to move toward the tear in reality. She scooped up the crystals and began to hum, as they started to glow she tossed them into the air and they colaced into a crown, a new tiara for her head, with the purple shard of the Thron in prominence. The purple aura sprang from it, with a lattice of the silver mixed in, like chain mail armor it covered her.

She moved in close to examine the rift. As she drew closer she could see that it wasn’t a doorway that led to to somewhere else, but more like a drape. It was some form of fabric that reflected back the surroundings, completely hiding the one inside. Alianna shivered at the ramifications of this. “When did he come in? It couldn’t have been while I was sleeping, I would have been an easier target, then waiting till both you and Nisa were here.” Ye’tul looked at her and then the rift. He went and stood beside her. He peered at the opening and then before she could say anything, he stuck his head in. She almost shouted his name, but stopped just short, she trusted his judgment. He then reached in and withdrew a small cube. It was made of copper with intertwining gold and silver filaments inside. The firmaments twisted back and forth and she could now see that that the box emitted a very faint, but constant harmonic noise as soon as it got a few feet from the cloth the illusion went away and standing there was a thin metal frame with a cloth coated in crystals draped over it. “Ye’tul have you ever seen anything like this before?” He looked hard at the box and and shook his head. “No Hyress, I have not, but Maleric is known for his devices that use the song. He cannot sing the song.” Ali turned to him, disbelief on her face. “But I…I saw him. Heard him sing.” “It is a ruse Hyress. He has many devices that allow him to manipulate the song.” “Then I have less to fear from him then I thought.” She said with a sigh of relief.

Ye’tul looked at her with concern. “It is unwise to underestimate your enemy Hyress. Maleric is very cunning, and even though he cannot manipulate the song, he manipulates the devices with a masters skill.” He looked again at the box. “Something else troubles me Hyress. I do not believe someone who cannot sing the song could craft a device like this. He has someone helping him.” Alianna nodded and looked at Nisa. “Could it be this herald?” As she was looking at her something else pooped into her head. “Ladies in Waiting.” She turned to Ye’tull. “How long have the women been sitting in the hall?” “All morning Hyress.” “Have they left the hall?” “Not a one Hyress.” Her eyes fell. “ Ye’tul please send a man to the kitchens and inform them I will be eating lunch in the hall and to make enough for everyone. Send another to the hall and tell them that they may take their ease and leave the hall if they wish, but to stay close so they may attend me when I arrive. Also Ye’Tul, have the Knights go throughout the entire Catha-Dral and stab every wall, every corner with their swords. I want to be assured that there are no other boxes containing assassins.” “Yes Hyress, it will be as you say.” He bowed. Then turned on his heel and left the room. Ali turned to Nisa. “We must prepare, I believe the dress with the amethysts in it.” Nisa bowed. But Ali touched her shoulder, Nisa looked up. “Will you help me put it on?” Nisa smiled. “Yes Ali. I will serve you.” Alianna smiled, and nodded her head.

A half hour later Alianna stood before the doors to the great hall. Ye'tul and two of his men were escorting her and Nisa. The doors opened and she took in the scene of the circular tables with about 30 girls and young women sitting at one long table. There were two empty seats at the table. She entered the room singing the song about the girl Kathy, and the crystals in her hands rose up and circled her head and then the Thron shard flared and bound them together to form a new crown with the Thron shard standing prominent at the front. Alianna moved gracefully and regally over to the table as she approached all the women stood and bowed and stayed that way until she sat down. She sat down in the middle, and Nisa sat with her. All the women then straightened and sat down. Many stared at Ali’s new crown and that Nisa wore a gold circlet around her head.

Alianna looked around at each one and then to Ye’tul. “Ye’tul, please tell them to bring in the food, and then ensure that no one disturbs us.” “Yes Hyress!” He said and bowed and then went outside the hall. Within minutes the food was brought in and the places set. Then the servants left and the doors shut with a resounding thud. Alianna looked at all the girls sizing each one up. She paused when she saw the wide eyed girl from last night. When the girl saw her looking she bowed her head. “What is your name.” “Cla….Clara, My Hyress.” “How goes the work, on what we asked for last night Clara?” The girl began to respond with her head still down. “Please look at us when You speak!” The girls face shot up, reddening. “The first one is underway Hyress. The hunters have gone out to find game to provide the leather. We have enough on hand to make five right now.” Alianan nodded. “Good. You will not be working on that any longer.” The girls face paled. Alianna continued. “You will be staying here with us. I have called you all here for a reason, but I will tell that reason to only five more of you.”

She spent the next hour going round the table and asking each one certain questions she had read in a magazine, questions designed to reveal certain warning flags about a potential boyfriend. She was going to have to trust the five girls she chose with a lot and so she felt that the same parameters to a relationship should apply here also. She had altered them some, but the theory behind the questions remained. At the end of the hour there were five other women there beside Clara and Nisa. “Now let me explain my desire for you.” Their eyes went wide as she elaborated. When she was finished all of them swore loyalty to her, to serve her. She presented each with the purple sash and the silver circlet. She had her Ladies in Waiting.

Later that night she sat at the desk in her study staring intently at the three objects that lay before her. The two halves of the crown lay to her left, and the black crystal dagger to her right, and the cube in the middle. She had never seen a black crystal before, and something made her skin crawl as she peered into its inky depth. When she looked at the tiara, she could see the silvery metal with gold and copper wires sticking out of the severed end. “How is she making these machines, this Herald, it's like making an iPhone in medieval Europe?” She turned her attention back to the dagger. She took a deep breath, and then sang softly to herself. The new Tiara she had made came together on her head and then covered her in the purple and silver aura, her Chainmail as it were. She extended it so that it was further out from her body. She moved it toward the dagger and the dagger pushed away from the field like any normal weapon. She tried to sing a sorrowful note at the black crystal, but it did nothing, and the field still pushed at it. “Alianna, you shouldn't take such risks, we don't know what that is.” came Ye'Tul's voice from behind her. “Believe me Ye'Tul, I understand the risks, but our time is very short. This woman is coming here soon. We need information about her and no one seems to have it.” She heard him sigh. “I know Alianna, it just saddens me that there are things that I cannot protect you from.” She turned and looked up at him. “I'm still here Ye'Tul, so let's not worry about things that haven't happened yet. There isn't anything you have failed to protect me from. A lesser man would not have been able to parry his attacks.” He laughed softly. “Your compassion grows Alianna, you have eased my concern greatly, but I must still devote myself to more training, to be more prepared.” She was about to respond, when she thought better of it. If this helped him be more alert, maybe it would be best, she just hoped it wouldn't become a weight to him. She turned back to the items at hand. “That man, Ye'Tul, was it the same one from that group of people? The same one who didn't bow as low as the others that day? “ “Yes, Hyress, he was a spy and assassin for someone, but I’ve not yet been able to determine who.” “Did the healer have anything to say about that man?' He shook his head. “Nisa placed the knife right where the skull meets the neck, death was instantaneous. The only thing odd that he found about the man was that his Tattoos had crystal dust mixed in with the ink.” She looked back at the dagger. “That must be it. That must be why he was so fast and the dagger pushed through my shield, his very skin was laced with crystals and this must make him and the dagger more powerful. I can't even sing to make the dagger work. It must require these tattoos.