( ‟ just great )

[roman]

indentI barely managed to shout a protective spell before pain dug into the right side of my face. the heat was unbearable and immediately hot red liquid rushed from the wound down my cheek. my first instinct was to brush my hand across the wound and clear the blood, but I realized that probably would not be the best idea. with all the things I seemed to know, only some basic medical facts presented themselves to me. it's best not to get anything in the wound was one of them, and the other was that I needed more advanced help as fast as possible. it was a deep gash, and head wounds tended to bleed more than any other place on the body. only at that thought did I realize that I had accumulated a series of scratches in multiple other places. the most serious injury was the one on my cheek, but there was a long (not deep fortunately) cut on my ribs. another was across my left thigh, and yet another across my upper left arm. they all throbbed and bled, and if I didn't find help soon, I could loose consciousness.

indentmy grief was still unbearable, but the rawest sense of preservation limited my thoughts to only the most necessary problems. first on the growing list of issues was my health. second, the guards stationed on uriel's walls had taken notice, and were shouting to one another. the gate was slowly being raised, and I could see horse's hooves prancing in anticipation. I would be convicted of murder if they caught me, probably for arryn as well as the boy. lastly, I had no one to go to. I was alone. I couldn't go to the capital. not now. if I did, I would be arrested as soon as I set foot within the walls. but if I stayed put, I would faint, and then be arrested within a matter of minutes. I couldn't head back to beona, and there were few cities along the route arryn had taken.

indentsomething told me to head to the small walled series of buildings just to the right of the capital. that something had told me how to survive so far, so I thought, what the hell? there's no where else I can go. I limped my way back to lincoln, and his grief-stricken eyes were now filled with worry. he snorted and shook his head, stomping in place. only then did I realize that I had been blocking him out. I'd pushed his consciousness from my mind, and a profound sense of loneliness drove me towards him. lincoln, I said, once again sensing his presence. I need you to take me there. I pointed at the small outpost, and he nodded succinctly.

indenthe didn't say anything, but I could sense his immense anxiety over my well-being. I groaned when I had to use my injured leg to swing into the saddle, and he whinnied nervously. I patted his neck to reassure him, and he began a headlong charge towards a group of uspf (uriel secret police force) officers. they had guns drawn, shouting over the drum of hoof beats for me to halt and dismount slowly. lincoln asked me if I was going to comply, but I urged him forward. the road split off just in front of me. the soldiers charged on, and I pushed lincoln to his fastest speed.

indentthe cold air seeped into my injuries and only made the pain worse. I tried to ignore it, but I could see stars. my vision narrowed, and I felt dizzy, but still I spurred lincoln forward. froth lined his mouth, and he panted with every stride. almost there, I encouraged. his muscles tensed and he pushed himself faster. the road split off and he turned onto it. watchmen on the walls of the outpost shouted to open the gates. I couldn't hear them well, but they must have recognized me, because I caught the word "noble": my last name. again, I had to duck to make it through the gates, and as soon as lincoln was a safe distance away they dropped the heavy barrier.

indenta man rushed out to my side, and he helped me off my saddle. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on around me, but since they had shut the gates before uriel's police could catch me, I guessed I was in the counsel's main base of operations. they were like a country by themselves. they operated under different rules and rarely answered to anyone besides the royal family. they led the attacks on the guren empire even though forviel's king condemned them for it. they made their own decisions and refused to allow officers of forviel law to set foot within their miniature city.

indentthe man who'd helped me off of lincoln said, "mistress, I've been sent to fetch you for duke brigance. he and caelius are waiting for you." I nodded, oblivious to the fact he'd addressed me as a superior. I caught it for a second, but then my mind dispelled it as unnecessary to current issues. he led me through twists and turns, and by the time I found myself face to face with two other men, I could barely stand. my leg felt like it was on fire. I could barely feel my arms. my ribs served as a minor annoyance, and I couldn't feel my cheek anymore.

indenta sandy-haired boy, probably at the age of nineteen, rushed to my side. he had a different uniform than arryn did, and his sharp scarlet eyes hinted at what he was. he was not tall, but not exactly short. worry placed a frown on his lips and knitted his eyebrows together. he placed gloved hands on my shoulders to steady me, and to my great surprise, wrapped me in a hug. he was crying, I realized. over his shoulder, I could see an older gentleman sitting with folded hands and perfect posture. presumably the duke called brigance, but who was this kid? and why exactly was he hugging me? something deep down told me that it was okay. it felt nice. but the rest of me would have peeled away if it weren't for the fact that I held no more energy.

indenthe pulled away to face me, ignoring that my blood now stained his white uniform. "adelaide," he said warmly, trying to stifle his sobs. he said it so softly. our faces were so close together that I could feel his warm breath. the cheek not covered with drying blood was probably a deep rosy pink. "I'm so happy to see you," he whispered. he put on finger under my chin, lifting it up ever so slightly, and kissed me.

[roman]

indentI pulled away, this warranting what strength my body still held. I stumbled backward, almost into a page who had his arms full of old parchment. the black ink had already soaked through to the other side of the rolled up paper, and I could faintly see my initials in many different spots. things like avn activity normal today and avn traveled near the city gates today. vaguely, my head grappled with the fact that not only had I just been taken from my city, lost my best friend, been kissed by a (rather handsome) stranger, but they had also been spying on me.

indentI turned back to the sandy haired boy, finally catching myself, and the look of deep sorrow on his face twisted a knot in my stomach. he looked over his shoulder at who I thought was the duke, and the older man shrugged and shook his head pitifully. "I'm very sorry duke o'connell," he said in a deep, rasping voice. "it was a long shot," the younger man replied, running a hand through his mop of messy hair.

indent what I saw on his left hand ring finger almost made me fall over again. it was a ring. a beautiful golden band that was engraved with unreadable runes along with other, more delicate marks. small diamonds accented them here and there, and the white stones glinted in the sunlight that shone through the ceiling. my mouth gaped open, and my breath escaped me. the boy must have caught my utter shock, for he stood, frozen, with his hand still mixed into the tangles of blonde. he looked at me with the most hopeful scarlet eyes.

indentthe ring, I had seen it before. no, not just once or twice. I rose my hand so I could see it. on the left ring finger, wrapped a golden ring. it was adorned with more diamonds and different runes, but otherwise the same. a feeling of deep sadness rippled through me. it was not a coincidence that he and I owned the same ring, not after he kissed me. not after his reaction to me dragging myself away from his grasp. he and I were either engaged, or already married. a thought worse than that coursed through my head. what if I had children? I wasn't sure of my age, and being a vampire, it was possible that I was many years older than eighteen. they would have lost a mother, and maybe their father to grief. how could I not remember him? I tried, believe me, with everything I had. but my struggles yielded nothing as they always did. I could not remember even his name.

indent"were we━" I gasped, wincing as the utterance caused pain to engulf the side of my face.

indentthe boy's melancholy expression returned with a force that hit me like a bullet. it hurt in my heart to see him in pain, even though I could not coax any memories from my mind. he turned to the huge wooden table that filled over half of the room's space. one wall had been blown out, and cherry trees lost their blossoms to the gusts that brought the petals into the chamber. three stately white columns held the overhanging ledge that had once served as a roof. warmth radiated off the stone walls, and the cool summer breeze manipulated my brown curls to wave to and fro.

indenthe sat down in one of the over-sized chairs, placing his elbows on the smooth, polished oak and folding his hands in front of his face. he almost looked as though he might cry, and a horrible, downcast silence filled the room. the page stepped forward from behind me, placed the papers next to the boy, and darted off through to doors, obviously eager to escape the pressure of the air. unsure of what to do, I skirted the table to the chair opposite duke o'connell (as the older man had called him) and sat, copying his posture.

indentbreaking the quiet, the young duke sighed, shaking his head and visibly struggling to choke back new sobs. he was doing a miserable job at keeping the tears from streaming down his face. "you truly don't remember?" he asked, desolation lacing his words. feeling horrible, I shook my head: a rough, unpolished movement. duke o'connell cast another glance at his silver-haired friend, then inhaled sharply.

indent"my name is caelius o'connell," he stated, trying to sound as formal as his sorrow would allow. "we━we were━um━engaged to be married before━"

indentat this, the other man stood, sending goosebumps down my arms as the chair legs scraped against the floor. he bowed to me before trotting over behind caelius and laying a gentle gloved hand on his shoulder. "and I am duke eragon brigance. adelaide, before mr. o'connell gets carried away here, I'd like to offer something that might help." caelius straightened at the mention of this. I was so thoroughly confused that I simply nodded once, sharply. I couldn't think of anything to say. even after he told me his name, even after he told me that we'd been engaged, no memory sprung up within me. I smiled grimly. it wasn't a surprise. I hadn't been expecting to remember.

indent"if you'll just wait here," brigance was saying. he scuffled off to the door, and exited, though he did not shut the door behind him. my sharp hearing caught his fading footsteps for a few seconds more, then they escaped my grasp. an uneasy silence (besides the occasional sharp intake of breath from caelius) fell between us. only when I felt brave enough to say something did the older duke walk back in.

indent in his hands, he held a long sheathed sword: a katana by the looks of it. the scabbard was black with gold accents, and along the center in large, cursive letters was my name. the hilt was wrapped with white cloth, but it was by no means new. there were rough edges and frayed strings where a hand had been rubbing. mine, I guessed. other than the long strip of cloth that escaped the tight wrapping and fell down past the hilt, there was no other adornments that I could see. from the shape of the sheath, the sword was broad where it met the handle, but tapered down to a thin point.

indent"before you left for the battle that you lost your identity in, you gave me this sword. I'd never seen it used by you before, and you seemed nervous and not yourself that day. you kept forgetting things and stumbling around the castle. you told me that if anything ever happened to you, that I was to give this to you. I didn't know what you meant until now."

indentI gulped as I tried to remember these things. how did I know this wasn't all some elaborate trick? I didn't. that was the cold, hard truth. but if this was a chance to regain my memories, I had to take it. I would rather find out and hate who I was than be left in the dark to wonder. it had been eating away at me forever. and now, the chance sat in a man's hands in front of me. I had no idea what it might do. it might be enchanted to kill the person who drew it. it might be enchanted to heal physical injuries, and not mental ones. but I had to try.

indentthe duke pushed it toward me, and I seized the sheath, taking a few more seconds to admire the craftsmanship of even the sword's covering. I wondered how much more elegant the blade would be. only one way to find out, I said, steadying myself. I stood before I drew the weapon. I pushed myself away from the table and back against the wall. I had no idea what this was going to do to me.

indentthrowing my growing amount of doubts down, I unsheathed the sword that would change my life forever.

[roman]

indent"no! you can't leave me! you can't! wake up! you have to wake up!"

indentthe agonized cry split the cold air. it took me a second to realize that I'd uttered the scream. tears streamed down my face. my breath came out in plumes of white, and rain poured down from the sky. how had I gotten here? it didn't really matter did it? in my arms, I held someone, I wasn't quite sure who, but his limp form shot daggers through my heart. it hurt, more than anything I'd ever known. it was like a part of me had been torn away. like my heart had been ripped from my chest.

indent"wake up. please! you have to. . ." I pleaded between sobs.

indentI realized that I'd brought my hand up in a fist, ready to angrily slam it down on his chest, but instead, it fell limply to him. all my energy was gone. sorrow filled me. I couldn't even come up with his name, but my grief was so complete that it didn't matter. he'd obviously meant the whole world to me. it wasn't that blonde kid. what blonde kid was I thinking about? my mind was so hazy. how had I gotten here?

indentpulling my eyes away from the body, my gaze fell upon a blood stained battlefield. hundreds of men lay face down in the mud, some donning white uniforms, and others black ones. arrows stuck out of most of them, but others had been killed by the sword. some had been killed by magic: limbs twisted in ways they should not have been, bones in the neck snapped like twigs. I was the only one still alive. how could I not have died? why did I have to go on living? what was the point? I'd suffered through countless years of agony. why couldn't I have just slipped away like the boy in my arms?

indent"I don't deserve to live!" I shouted, my anger, sadness, and hurt all spilling over. "you deserved to live! why? why couldn't I have died instead?"

indent"because ━ you have ━ a purpose ━ adelaide."

indentwith a gasp, I looked down at the smiling, bloodied figure of the boy I still held in my arms. his eyes were so gentle. his mouth curved into the kindest grin. blood dripped down the corner nearest me. the gash in his stomach began bleeding again, running down his sides and into my hand on his back. it dripped from my fingers onto the filthy earth below. he spoke so faintly, only my ears were able to catch it. more tears flooded my vision.

indent"you do too. stay with me, okay?" I laughed. the sorrow that had nearly consumed me turned to the greatest joy. he was alive. he hadn't died. he could still make it! "just stay with me."

indent"addie ━ I don't have much time ━ you have to ━ listen to me ━"

indent"no! you're going to be okay!"

indent"listen ━ please. this is just a ━ memory. I'm ━ already gone ━ you transferred your memories into my ━ sword. take it. I never ━ never wanted you to give up ━ yourself over me. ━ you have to live ━ for me ━ please ━ please ━" he gasped, the effort draining what little energy his fragile body had left.

indentshaking and weary, he reached to his side, unclasped the sword hanging there, and pushed it across his chest to my free hand. where had I seen it before? this was just a memory? what was he talking about? the sheath was black, accented with gold. in the middle, ran my name in long cursive lettering. the hilt was wrapped with white cloth, rubbed and worn where his hand belonged. besides the single strip that escaped the tightly bound fabric and fell down past the hilt waving in the faint breeze, there were no other adornments that I could see. it tapered to a sharp point, but where the metal met the handle was broad. the craftsmanship of the blade was probably far more ornate and beautiful.

indent"sister, promise me!" he said, suddenly grabbing me by the collar of my uniform.

indenthis shout frightened me, but I nodded, my tears of joy once again turning to those of sorrow. "I promise," I said, choking on the agony. "erik, I promise!"

indent"good," he said, and then, he fell silent once more.

indentmy body shook with the aching inside my heart. my sides heaved with utter loss. silence enveloped me, all except my choking sobs and the patter of the rain. "I won't forget you, erik. I won't. not again," I said, trying to stop the tears from running down my face. if this was just a memory, like he said, then I'd already experienced the pain once. I must have tried to run from it. but I had to live if for no other reason than his dying wish. I may have not promised him last time, I wasn't sure, but I had to keep it this time.

indentI still wasn't positive on how I'd gotten here, or from where, but I wrapped my hand around the sheathed blade on his chest. lowering him gently to the ground, I removed my other hand from underneath him, laying it on the hilt. my sleeve had been dyed red with his blood, but the rain had washed all traces of it from my skin. only one way to find out how I got here, I thought, taking one last glance at the boy's face. I closed his eyes, cast a loving smile at him, then unsheathed the sword that would change my life for the better.

indent━━

indentI opened my eyes, slowly, lazily, and without much conviction. the room around me was musty and old, and the wooden beams in the ceiling looked ready to crack. my limbs felt like they were made of lead, and several stinging wounds screamed for attention. all of my muscles ached with a pain I thought I would not feel again for a long time. it reminded me of how my father used to push me to practice my swordplay, day after day, until my muscles screamed much the same.

indenta smile crept across my face, but my mind was sluggish and I was slow to the little enthusiasm I felt. I remembered. not just bits and pieces. I remembered it all. I couldn't be very excited about it, with how tired I felt, but I was sure that more excitement would come eventually. my brother's face flashed before my eyes, especially the calm that had spread across his features before he died. sadness tried to gasp at my heart, but again, I was too exhausted and it faded away.

indentI yawned, which sent fire up the side of my face, and I winced at the outburst of pain. however, before I could do anything about it, like utter a healing spell, the door burst open, and both caelius and eragon dashed through. caelius's eyes were red and swollen, and fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

indent"adelaide!" he said elatedly. "you're awake!"

[roman]

indentI tried to speak, but my throat was unbearably dry. my tongue felt thick and heavy, and I realized that I was extremely thirsty. I tried to sit up, but my muscles failed me. panic gripped at my mind. I only succeeded in moving inches. my thinking had not cleared, and it felt as though both my wits and my body were trapped in honey.

indentcaelius must have realized my mental struggle, because he waved at eragon, who in turn darted out of the room. I waited through wordless minutes. my head lingered on my appetite for a while, but it was too fuzzy to hang on to anything for long. my attention moved to the cracks in the wooden beams above my head, which I followed with a vigor, trying to find their ends and beginnings. the fog that permeated my thinking was only getting worse.

indent"hang on," caelius said, reaching out to grasp my hand. he stopped, though, midway, and drew his hand back to his side. I noticed this, though only barely, and I turned my head to him albeit slowly and with a great effort. he looked at me with his sparkling scarlet eyes, and I looked at his hand, then at his face. he raised his eyebrows, and I tried to speak again. "it's ━ okay," I coughed. he nodded, a smile spreading across his face, and took my hand in his. I could not wrap my fingers around his as I wanted to, but he didn't seem to notice.

indentfinally, eragon made his appearance, out of breath and visibly shaken. he cast a worried glance at caelius, but then covered it up with a smile. he produced a small flask from his robes, which I knew was enchanted to hold more than it seemed to, and then a folded uniform. even though I could not see the details, nor did I think my eyes would have cooperated if I wanted to, I surmised that it was made by a tailor who took great pride in his or her work. the material shimmered and seemed light and comfortable, but it also appeared tough: a garment that would last. it was not the uniform I was used to, but I did not have the energy to ask.

indentcaelius put his hand underneath the small of my back, then slid it up toward my neck. it took tremendous effort to harness my thoughts, let alone my will, but I tried to sit up. caelius ended up doing most of the work, but I was satisfied that I still retained some power over my thoughts. eragon passed the silver flask to caelius, and he to me. I unscrewed the cap, fumbling with it in the process, and took a sip. the fluid ran down my throat smoothly, and my hunger began to fade away.

indent"thank you," I said, leaning against the wooden headboard.

indenteragon simply nodded, and I offered his flask back. he shook his head, and told me to keep it. he'd been planning to give it to me anyway, or so he said. I muttered more thanks, and he bowed before backing out of the room. caelius dared not speak, nor did I, and we were content to sit in the silence for an indeterminable amount of time. I had many things I wished to ask, but I was content with simply being with him. I did not wish to spoil the moment by involving politics.

indenthowever, as time wore on, and I had worked up a series of things that needed to be addressed, I said, "by the look on eragon's face, I assume the council wishes to meet with me." a frown appeared on caelius's face, and I wished I had just kept silent. he gripped my hand tighter, and a flash of pain shot across his eyes. "caelius," I said, cursing myself for hurting him. he looked up at me, and I continued. "I'm sor━" he stopped me by raising a hand, then moving it to my cheek. "I understand, adelaide. erik was the only family who meant anything to you. I just wish you would have told me."

indentI felt tears rush to my eyes, but I ignored them. "caelius, I swear to you that anything like this will never happen again. I was a coward. but I'm stronger now, and I have you to help me." at my words, caelius assumed the most tender expression, and he stroked my cheek with his thumb. I clenched his hand. "I love you."

indenthe opened his mouth, to repeat the phrase I guessed, but he was interrupted by the door swinging open and a cat-eared girl entering. my first thought was werecat, but she seemed too human-like for that to be. she bowed to me, then caelius, and said, "miss noble, the counsel awaits your presence." then she strode out of the room. I cast a curious glance at caelius, and he shook his head. "the council has changed much since your absence."

indentthrough a silent understanding, caelius gave my hand one last squeeze and then stood and left the room. the strength I had acquired from the little meal was enormous, though not as much as I would have liked, and it left my head clear. though my muscles were sore, they no longer felt so heavy, and although my wounds throbbed, they stung less. I healed myself, at least the gash in my cheek and the cut across my leg, not wanting to waste too much energy. then I dressed in the clothes eragon had given me, finding that they fit perfectly. as I pulled a cape off the dresser, my breath caught. there lay my brother's sword. I ran my fingers along the sheath, then strapped it to my side.

indentwhen I threw open the door, I found caelius waiting for me. we began walking toward the center of the castle, where the council met. I leaned closer to caelius and said, "when we are finished here, I want my name struck off from the sheath to my brother's sword as soon as possible. instead, I want his name there. will you see to it?" he nodded. pleased, I quickened my pace. better sooner than later.

indentthe giant wooden doors that led to the grand hall were suited for just that. they were grand themselves, with elven carvings depicting warriors, dragons, and a host of other more delicate things. it had been a gift to me by arryn and her family. I felt a lump form in my throat as I recalled her fate, but I swallowed my sadness. you will have the grandest of funerals, arryn, I promised. even if I have to confront the emperor to get your body back.

indentthe same cat-woman waited in front of the magnificent doors, and she waved a greeting. she introduced herself as duchess meggie bishop, and we shook hands. she eyed me with caution, as if unsure what to expect, but I ignored it. after all, my formal title was duchess adelaide noble, slayer of kings and dragons. even I shuddered remembering how I'd earned it. it wasn't self-given, and I had even tried to avoid the title, but it had already spread among the population and there was nothing I could have done.

indentthe doors creaked, something that had not been three years ago, as meggie opened them. all chatter was silenced as I entered the room. caelius trailed behind me, and the cat-woman behind him. in the middle of the room, was a huge round table, made of stone and crusted with gold and precious stones. it had been a gift from the skilled dwarven stoneworkers. there were no rough edges, no, it was completely smooth and cool to the touch. the vaulted ceilings resembled those of a cathedral, and the giant wooden beams that supported it were very fit for the task. elven crafting never ceased to amaze me.

indentI walked with a purpose I had not felt in a long time. only two of the faces surrounding the table were ones I recognized (those of eragon and ethya), and dismay crept into my thoughts. caelius was right: the council had changed incredibly. the majority were human, four out of seven. two vampires, just caelius and I, and the cat-woman. humans were a young race, and they had much to learn. we had not permitted them to be a part of the main counselors originally, because they lacked in magic ability. overall, their race was not a magical one. many had skill in the art of spell crafting, but their energy and body structure often would not allow powerful spells.

indent"so the missing queen finally joins us," one growled.

indentI snorted but said nothing. when I arrived at the table, I put my hands down on it. the coolness of the polished stone seeped into my hands, and I had to suppress a shiver. it had always had that effect on me. I guessed it was similar for the others, for most of their arms were crossed and away from the table.

indent"she is but a child!" a woman exclaimed. "we were told you were the founder of the viennen council! how can this be when you are barely older than my daughter!"

indentannoyance burst forth within me, but I contained my irritance. these matters always arose when new council members were chosen. caelius was about to utter a retort, but I held my arm out in front of him, and he remained silent. I noticed meggie's fur (or was it just her hair?) stood on end, and she clenched her fists. either she agreed wholeheartedly with the woman, or she hated every word.

indent"you forget," I said in a calm undertone. "the members of my race to not age and become feeble as you do."

indentcaelius almost laughed at my not-so-hidden insult. meggie giggled, but none seemed to take notice of her amusement. the woman recoiled, slamming her fists down on the table. she opened her mouth to speak, but only a croak escaped her throat as I interrupted. "peace," I growled. "the oldest of your race present here is, at most, seventy. I recently turned one hundred and forty-seven." a small gasp escaped almost all of the humans, but only scorn remained on the face of the first woman. "if you doubt me, feel free to ask any of my friends here, or check with magic. it is not a secret." but all remained quiet, and I realized I had captured their attention. a small feeling of triumph sprung up, and I did not push it away. "so. shall we begin?"

[roman]

indentthe room stayed silent, although some gave nervous glances and some muttered to themselves. nothing I wasn't used to. in all my time as head of the viennen council, I had never seen anyone accept me totally. caelius was the only one who trusted me wholly, and it had taken a great deal time for that to build. sighing internally, I picked the topics needed to be discussed.

indent"good," I said, breaking the silence and startling meggie. "first matters first. introduce yourselves to me. I like to know who I'm talking to."

indenteveryone looked nervously at another, either unsure who was to begin, or just plain unwilling to start. this time, I sighed aloud. caelius walked up next to me, placing his hand on mine. I looked up at him, and he smiled. "duke caelius o'connell, slayer of kings," he said softly, still looking at me. his calmness infected me, and I released my frustration in one long exhale. the woman on the other side of caelius did not speak, so I went for it. "duchess adelaide victoria noble, slayer of kings and dragons."

indent"duke eragon brigance, wielder of türyon," eragon said quietly. I guessed he hated his title, because I could only remember him repeating it once to me, many, many years ago. türyon was a legendary weapon, but it was known for only choosing women as its handlers. I almost broke my composure thinking of how much eragon resembled a grandmother. always feeding everybody, always worrying over their safety, and always giving gifts and services wherever he could. no wonder the spear had chosen him.

indent"ethya nufurther, mother of princes."

indent"gerin troyard, slayer of monsters."

indentfinally the woman who had been outraged spoke. her voice still held malice, but her features remained straight. I assumed she was thoroughly embarrassed, and was desperately trying to regain her poise. "hanna kittredge, keeper of history." ah, so she had only been upset for one reason. her title explained it all to me. she must have studied me and my founding of the council. she must have come up with an image of me, and I clearly didn't fit that image. interestingly enough, I didn't fit who I wanted to be anymore.

indentmeggie finished off the introductions with "duchess meggie bishop, protector of felesyore." a smile spread across my face. I had originally been confused about her race, but again, her title revealed all. felesyore was a state I had learned about during my time as victoria lee. they had recently separated from the empire, and were a nation almost entirely composed of werecats and similar creatures. the protectors were a new race, born as a werecat but then reshaped with magic to appear more human. their purpose was not clear to me yet, but I had meggie to ask later.

indent"greetings," I said unceremoniously. hanna rolled her eyes, but I ignored her. for being as old as she was, she was acting like a child, and I didn't have the patience to deal with that. I picked my hands from the table and clapped then together. "aright, lets get down to business. in the time I've been gone, what major events have taken place that I should know about?"

indentI knew the question was massive, and I dreaded the answer. I could only guess what the emperor could have been up to, and none of it pleased me. but I had to know in order to properly return to my place as head of the council. I had to know what I needed to deal with. all faces around the table darkened, and I tried not to let my anxiety build.

indentcaelius was the first to speak. "the emperor has been very busy in your time away, duchess noble."

indentI almost laughed as he addressed me so formally, but at the same time, I was grateful. this room was not a place to call me by "addie" or "victoria". this room contained decades of seriousness, and it was not to be broken now. caelius was someone who payed attention to things such as that, and I cast a kind glance at him. "that I guessed, duke o'connell." I motioned to everyone. "now is your time to speak. so, speak." I paused to look at hanna. "but do not waste words on petty insults."

indentshe sniffed, but said nothing. it was gerin that spoke next. "when you disappeared three years ago, the emperor redoubled his efforts to conquer the lands to the west. we've suffered losses. once we exit these walls, we are liable to be killed by his police. heck, we've even had guns for hire target us. he's even tried to break our walls, duchess."

indentmy expression turned grim. he wouldn't be able to do it, because of the layers upon layers of spells protecting the walls, but what gerin said troubled me. he had never once tried to attack the council as a group. he'd only ever targeted reinforcements going to the vales in the west, messengers, or anyone unlucky enough to be caught within the capitol. what is he thinking? why would he attack now? he must know I've been absent, but what difference would that make? I thought, trying to make sense of his actions.

indentethya continued for duke troyard. "and since felesyore seceded from forviel, the emperor has been tightening his laws. magic is becoming more limited. chiefly humans have been losing more rights, but other creatures are being forced under laws vampires loyal to the throne do not have to obey."

indent"our spies have reported that he takes orphans and recruits them into his service. namely from district seven. he chooses young children who wish to become diplomats to other countries, or have a high likelihood of eventually turning against him. four days ago, he pulled in one new recruit," stated hanna flatly.

indentI felt my heart pounding in my chest. I could only guess who it was, and it made me want to run out of the room crying. just because I had regained my memories didn't mean I couldn't recall anything from the past three years. it didn't mean I just disregarded the friendships I made. friendship, I corrected myself. katya was the only one who really cared. denial forced its way into these thoughts, and I forced them away. it couldn't be katya. there were hundreds of other kids who wanted to be diplomats in district seven.

indentcaelius tightened his hand around mine. I looked at him, and he gave a weak smile in return. "she goes by annalie," he said gently. "we have reason to believe that this was the name her parents originally intended to give her."

indentdread pooled in my stomach ; all hope was disregarded. "but the name she grew up with is katya, isn't it?" I asked.

indentcaelius looked crestfallen. he lowered his gaze, and said sadly, "yes."

[roman]

update on 5 - 01 - 17 :
hello everyone ! I apologize for my neglect of "just great", but do not fear underdog is here ! a new chapter will be out shortly. thank you for your patience <3

I also want to announce that I am creating a schedule for myself. I got this idea from webtoons, so thanks webtoons lol, for an update schedule. there, authors are expected to come out with a new chapter every week, or every other week, or every three days, etc. so I thought you, as the reader, might appreciate such a schedule for "just great". right now, my goal is one chapter every saturday. I can't guarantee that I will for sure have a new chapter out by then, but it will be sometime near saturday ( sunday or monday ) for sure. thanks for bearing with me everyone ! read on !

[roman]

indent"it can't be," I whispered, putting my hand over my mouth.

indenta thrill of fear snaked up my spine. there was nothing I could do to save her. the emperor used methods to ensure that his servants would not betray him. he bound them with spells, tortured them, or both. katya would be placed at his mercy. emperor forviel had no mercy. caelius put his arm around me and pulled me into a hug. I sobbed into his shoulder, clutching handfuls of cloth from his uniform. "it was my fault," I choked. "if only I had taken her with me. if only I had not been foolish enough to run away to beona in the first place." caelius stroked my back, muttering things like "it's going to be okay" and "he won't hurt her. not yet" into my ear. I didn't believe him.

indentmeggie stepped forward, cast me an affectionate glance, and addressed the counselors. "I understand that some of you may be confused," she said. "katya meant very much to duchess noble. all will be explained later. however, I do think that this meeting should be put on pause, to give mistress noble some time with duke o'connell. agreed?"

indentno one objected. slowly, they filed out of the room. both eragon and ethya patted me on the shoulder as they walked past me. gerin went to say something, but decided against it and left. hanna didn't give me a second glance. meggie was the last to leave. she looked at caelius, who gave a quick nod. she laid her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. "hey," she said, wiping a tear from my cheek. "it'll be okay. the werecats are not a weak people, mistress. we are behind you. we can get her back. all you have to do is ask." I wrapped my arms around her, and she did the same. "thank you," I whispered.

indentshe released me, resting her hand on the hilt of the sword at her side. "good day, mistress."

indentas the door shut behind her, I fell back into caelius's arms. we sank to the floor, and he leaned back against the cold wall. "kay," I said, looking up at him. "why do you not hate me? after all I've put you through?"

indenthis face became somber, and he gazed down at me intently. "addie," he said sternly. "we all make mistakes. I've done things to hurt you, too."

indent"yes," I said, struggling to hold back more tears. "but you've never pretended to be dead. when I saw you first after my return, you were so heartbroken that I didn't remember you."

indent"it hurt," he agreed. "more than I'd ever felt before. you have to understand, though. I love you. erik loved you. I saw it when he looked at you. out of your siblings, you were closest to him. I think it was the same for erik. if I suddenly lost you to the emperor, I might've done the same thing. but I knew you hadn't died."

indent"how?"

indent"don't you remember?" he asked with a small grin. "the rings are meant to bind us together forever. the magic we created them with would have died with you and the remaining ring would have faded away."

indent"and because I was alive, it didn't," I finished for him.

indenthe nodded and stroked my cheek. we didn't speak after that. we merely sat together. it reminded me of the saying "silence says more than a thousand words". I'm still not sure how many hours passed, but that didn't matter. we were finally together again. it may have only been three years - only a drop in the barrel considering how long vampires live - but as he held me, I realized that it was an eternity. my tears eventually ran out, and I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I giggled as I looked at caelius. he had fallen asleep. I pushed him, and the startled look on his face made me laugh harder. "a nap at a time like this, duke o'connell? how very leaderly of you." he laughed too.

indent--

indentthe total of a week elapsed before the council was called together again. duties had kept both meggie and eragon until the sixth day, and my own duties kept me until the seventh. in that time, I'd recovered much of myself and my shattered skills. holding a sword felt odd after three years of not bearing a single weapon. I was still slower than I would have liked, slower than I used to be, but I was slowly regaining my old talents. I found that caelius had been given control of the council, and although he offered to give the role back to me, I refused. after all, he was older than me and I figured that he certainly deserved the title more than me. I had assumed that they had not appointed a new leader, and had acted upon that, but I simply did not desire the position as caelius did.

indentthe walk to the meeting room felt more natural than it did the first time. I rested my gloved hand on the hilt of my sword, eager for the meeting to be over before it even began. dealing with humans was exhausting, and the number of them had increased dramatically as the empire's laws became more racially discriminating. werecats had been completely restricted. humans barely held on to the few freedoms left to them. vampires loyal to forviel did not suffer any of these changes, although if one was found to be disloyal, they were stripped of rights and seen politically as a human. your methods disgust me, I thought bitterly at the emperor.

indent"what's that?" meggie asked. we'd just come from the training fields, and she was accompanying me rather than caelius.

indentI realized I must have unintentionally clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. "oh, I was just thinking how much of a coward vuhard is," I said, referring to the emperor.

indentmeggie giggled. "I haven't heard the emperor called by his first name in a long time. some people are even afraid of saying it."

indentI nodded, understanding why. "they say that if you speak of the devil, he shall appear," I remarked with a laugh of my own.

indentthe grand hall doors appeared faster than I wanted them to. meggie had been teaching me some of the ways her people fight, and I enjoyed the work. the werecats were certainly a unique people. two guards had been stationed in front of the doors, and they nodded to each other before pushing them open. I guessed they were granted access to identifying magic. it was a common type of gramarye, but not many studied its inner workings. it was referred to as "commoners magic", and few magicians thought to step off their pedestals and learn the useful spells it offered. old fools, I thought with a grin.

indentI was greeted by caelius, ethya, and gerin, and the others followed soon after. caelius took his place at the west side of the table : a tradition that had started when I was very little and carried over into my founding of the viennen council. he nodded to each of the dukes and duchesses, and the meeting began. we discussed katya only in bits and pieces, which I was grateful for, and many other topics were brought up. some were about the vales. some were about the new laws. some were about the inner workings of the council. many were serious, but none were surprising or new.

indentwhen the meeting was drawing to a close, I held my hand up. all eyes met my own, but it did not bother me as it had bothered victoria lee. this was were I belonged. "counselors," I said, putting steel behind my tone. "there is one subject which I believe must be discussed before the day is through." caelius motioned for me to continue, and I nodded my thanks. "I know all of you have thought of this at least once, and I believe now is the time to act. the emperor will only continue to tighten his laws. eventually, werecats, humans, and any other disloyal creatures will be forced to flee to any of three places. here, the vales, or felesyore."

indent"what are you implying?" hanna asked sharply.

indent"I am merely suggesting that we take action. we have been on the sidelines for far too long. people are dying, counselors. children are forced into service. the state of the empire is crumbling. if the emperor insists he rule by fear, we must show the people that hope is stronger. 'a nation divided cannot stand.' the emperor is panicking for some unknown reason, and his nation will fall because of it."

indentgerin raised his hand to his chin and nodded slowly. "the empire is on the edge of a cliff, or edging closer that is."

indent"all we need to do is give it a little push," I agreed.

indent"but," objected caelius. "we do not want to dissolve the empire completely. we do not want to cause chaos. what you are suggesting may lead to the complete collapse of the empire."

indent"yes," said eragon. "duke o'connell has a point. I agree that we must take this opportunity while we can, but the state of forviel would then rest on our shoulders. it may already be our burden. we must act, but wisely. if we are to give the empire 'a push', we must think how hard to push. otherwise, only worse people than the emperor will take control."

indent"I disagree with all of you," hanna stated. "we cannot support an uprising. once one has tasted power, it is impossible to give up entirely."

indentI arched an eyebrow. "I agree with your statement, duchess kittredge, but have you not tasted power as well? you joined the council as soon as I was gone, and I assume you saw that as an opportunity to rise in rank quickly. and you did." she went to object and defend herself, but I held my hand up to silence her. "you misunderstand. I am not attacking your role. I feel you fit it well. and that is my point."

indent"you're saying that we must only be careful about our choice of leader?" hanna asked, trying to hide her surprise at my compliment.

indentI nodded. "forviel is a monarchy, which is fine by me. however, I do feel that everyone should have some say in who becomes the next king or queen. there are ways to test with magic to see if a person is telling the truth. we need only gather the candidates in a room and decide which will become just like the current emperor. whoever is left out of those will be chosen by the people of forviel."

indentcaelius gestured to all gathered around the stone table. "I agree with duchess noble. steps must be taken. but we must be careful. we are not trying to take over forviel, merely to stabilize it. are we all in agreement?"

indentall nodded, and at the same time, said, "agreed."

[roman]

indentI released my breath. though I had been standing in front of important people my entire life, anxiety always managed to grasp at my confidence. caelius flashed a grin at me and I decided that he knew me too well. we might be engaged - which I was still trying to figure out - but he could almost always tell what I was thinking. I clenched my hands, and the leather of my gloves squeaked. what if I lost him like I lost arryn, katya, and erik? the council, or more specifically caelius, had denied me permission to retrieve arryn's body. all but one counselor had denied my requests to arrange a rescue for katya, and erik was beyond my grasp. I wouldn't be able to loose caelius too.

indent"if anyone else has something to say," caelius said, breaking the thoughtful silence that had settled over the room. "then I conclude this counsel meeting." when no one offered up any more words, he nodded and said, "then go about your business. if anything else comes to your attention that must be discussed, bring it to me."

indentall of us saluted caelius and he looked a little embarrassed. he hadn't been the official leader of the counsel before I came back. he had merely offered to stand in and take care of what needed to be done. because of that, he had not gotten the full respect a leader deserved. now that I had officially given him the title, salutes were required and respect was given. he was adapting better than I had. I almost laughed at the first time people had saluted me. I'd simply stood there, petrified and unable to return the gesture. smirking mischievously at me, he raised his hand to his temple, and with that, the counsel was dismissed. I winked at him before turning heel and his cheeks grew a bright red. laughing to myself - for caelius had never been any different and would probably never change - I exited the room with meggie not far behind me.

indent"you're so mean," she said with a playful push to my shoulder.

indent"yes," I said, holding my hand up and trying to look elegant. "a lady does what she can."

indentI tried to hold my composure, but meggie cracked up and I couldn't help but laugh with her. she stopped suddenly, and my mirth faded away. but when I realized why she'd stopped, I laughed even more. she was just embarrassed because a sentry was walking down the hall. she looked away and she became clearly flushed. after the guard passed, I laid my hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile. that cheered her up some. she returned the smile and we continued walking. we just walked for a while, keeping each other company with no specific place in mind. but somehow, we ended up back at the chamber where my memories returned. the air was still so thick with magic, and the door was bolted closed. I looked at meggie startled, and she looked at me with the cheesiest smirk I had ever seen. she held her hand out to the lock, said a few words, and it came unbolted with a heavy clunk.

indent"what are you doing?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

indentshe said nothing and, grabbing my hand, pulled me into the room where my life had returned. it looked nothing like when I had been here earlier. the floor was almost black with char where I had been standing. the once beautiful table was lying in two pieces. one of the columns had collapsed, leaving the roof to cave in over the far side of the room. it was misty despite being clear and tranquil outside. the cherry trees were still standing, and the breeze still manipulated the pink blossoms from the branches. but they were stopped by an invisible barrier before they entered the room. the whole mood of the chamber had once been inviting and formal, but now, it stank of smoke and was about as uninviting as it could be. I raised my hand to cover my mouth. this was the first time I'd been back since I'd unsheathed my brother's sword.

indentI walked forward, deeper into the room. I left footprints dust that lined the ground. a certain sense of solemnity fell upon me as I strode further into the room. deep magics had been unleashed here, but I didn't recall lining erik's sword with such spells as I sensed here. they were far more ancient than I. some of the spells were unrecognizable, some obscure, and some that seemed to have no purpose whatsoever. I dropped my hand from my mouth and ran my fingers along the top of one half of the table as I passed it. the wood was splintered at the end, like it had been cleaved with force by fists and not a blade. I wondered if the sword had been the cause of all this, or if something far deeper happened after I was wrapped up by the illusion.

indent"how did this happen?" I asked meggie, turning to her.

indentshe pulled her cloak tighter around her and glanced around the room, her smile lost to the serious air. "I've only heard stories," she said. "but duke o'connell told me that even he didn't know about your brother's sword until duke brigance presented it to you. when you drew it, both eragon and duke o'connell testified to a grey mist surrounding you and hiding you from their sight. apparently, some assassin chick came in here under the cover of this damn mist and tried to kill you while you were passed out on the floor."

indentmy head spun. why would I enchant the sword with an illusionary spell? I didn't recall placing any sort of magic like that on my brother's sword. and he wouldn't have. it had been enchanted to last forever and never grow dull or get a scratch, but there had been no other spells placed on the blade to my knowledge. not until I'd cast my memories into it, and protecting them by only allowing myself to be able to draw the sword. so how had illusionary magic made it's way onto the polished metal? I raised my hand to my chin, examining the facts meggie had just presented me with.

indent"it looks like we have a traitor in our midst," meggie said grimly.

indent"tch. no one has ever been able to infiltrate the counsel," I said bitterly. "but I suppose an animal that is about to die always becomes craftier, does he not?"

indentmeggie nodded. "the emperor is becoming desperate," she agreed.

indent"his horse would be better fit to rule than he is," meggie spat in something that resembled a hiss.

indent"a horse?" I exclaimed, feeling guilt and doubt pooling in my stomach. "lincoln!"

indenthow could I have been so stupid? I thought angrily. I had been totally wrapped up in my own problems that lincoln had escaped my thoughts. I didn't even feel his presence there, and that worried me. had my new found memories somehow altered or voided the bonding spell? I wasn't sure that it was possible to alter magic that powerful, but he had bonded with victoria lee, and that girl was only a fraction of who I had become. I wasn't victoria lee any longer. I was adelaide noble. and that could have been enough to render the spell null and void. I walked quickly to meggie and put my hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, meggie. I have something I need to do." she nodded to me lazily, almost as if she were in a trance, and I smiled my apologies before briskly exiting the room.

indentthe stables were not far away, but I felt like I could not get there fast enough. they came into view as I stormed out of the main castle doors, startling the four guards and two magicians half to death. they all stared at me, wide eyed and awe struck, but I paid them no mind. I hadn't been out of the castle and in public since my arrival, but the word of my return had spread like wildfire throughout the city. I sighed. the entire eight days since arryn had delivered me to the castle had been spent with my nose in a book, my hand cramping because of writing documents, or focusing on training in the courtyard. people must have very low opinions of me, I thought as I walked past more gaping people.

indentthe stables were a collection of barns and arenas, all very neatly made and very familiar. caelius had designed these stables, and I had been in them many, many, many times. it wasn't until just recently that someone had gotten the bright idea to meld spirits and ghosts with the horses. I intended to put a stop to that horrific practice as soon as I could. I remembered how terrified lincoln had seemed when he was recalling being melded with the bay stallion. it angered me that the spirit often had no choice in the matter. if a spirit wants to risk it, I thought. then I'm all for it. but we shouldn't go out and "harvest" spirits to meld with horses. that's just wrong.

indenta chubby looking man trotted up to me as I approached the main barn and bowed. "is there anything I can help you with today, madam?" he asked, wiping his dirty brown hands on his apron.

indent"actually, yes," I said, eyeing him suspiciously. he looked too fat to be working with horses or to be a blacksmith. perhaps he gave the animals their food and took an apple here or there for himself? "I'm looking for my horse."

indent"ah," said the man. "you must be duchess noble. lincoln's been very worried about you."

[roman]

indentupdate on may twenty-first :
hello readers! I regret to inform you that "just great" is going to be taking a break. I do not know how long this break will be, so please don't ask me, thank you. I just really need to focus on other things right now, and I hope you all understand. I will try to come out with a longer chapter when victoria makes her comeback. thanks everyone for bearing with me!