Marikay glanced around the bare room. She concentrated and instantly, the room was furnished. In one corner, a king-sized, four-poster bed stood, inviting her to lay her weary body down. The floor was covered in beautiful throw rugs. Four armchairs were situated around the room artfully. In another corner, an armoire stood with its doors open, revealing the deep hanging space with gowns hung tidily up. Satisfied, she turned to the two beside her. "Oh, Marikay! It must have taken you forever to learn to do that," eighteen-year-old Linaross said in awe. "How do you do it so well?"
"I concentrated on that feeling inside me. The one that's unlike any other feelings so that you can feel its power. You just sort of grab and use it. Everyone has it, just most don't know how to use it," Marikay answered, smiling. She brushed her long, dark blonde hair out of her face and turned violet eyes on Linaross's adopted brother, Topain. "Do you need some more help Topain?" she asked the twenty-year-old. Topain sneered and shook his head. He flicked his eyes toward the room and changed it back to its bare state. Then instantly, it was furnished again, only more elaborately. He tried to hide the flicker of fatigue that crossed his handsome, sculpted features, but Marikay caught it.
"Topain, if it tires you out to conjure, maybe you should start out small? Not furnish my room just to show that you can do it better than I can. I have had years of practice. You and Lina have had only a few months. This knowledge is a gift, don't abuse it. If you do, you'll lose this ability and the thought reading ability. You may be heir to the throne, but that doesn't mean you can purposefully disobey me. You're father gave me full reign to do what I felt is needed to make sure you learn this," she lectured. Topain's sneer only got more spiteful and he stormed out of the room, cutting her off in the middle of it. As soon as he was out of the room, Linaross relaxed visibly.
"I can't do this anymore Lina. I'm so tempted to leave. I would if it wasn't for you and your quickness and eagerness to learn. It's so hard to teach him, even though he is heir to the throne, he acts like a spoiled disobedient child!" Marikay said.
Marikay tightened her lips and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, Linaross left the room and her mentor. Running swiftly to the throne room, she dreaded what she had to do. The attentive guard nodded her in the instant he recognized her. Running across the large throne room, she skidded to a halt at the edge of the throne dais. She fought to avoid her mother's judging eyes. Falling to her knees, she bowed her head and gasped out, "Dearest Mother, Honorable Father, I bring you news of Marikay and Topain."
"Speak Lina, and get up. You are a princess, act like it. A princess does not grovel except before her father when she has done something wrong. Which I'm sure you have not," Linaross's mother said. Linaross stood and looked into the kind green eyes of King Paintin. Purposefully, she avoided Queen Shelakay's brown gaze.
"Dear Father, Marikay is thinking of resigning her position as tutor to Prince Topain and me. She told me she could not teach disobedient heirs who refuse to cooperate."
"That's the third one in two months Shelakay. What are we going to do about Topain? If he doesn't learn how to behave he will never be a good king and my duty is to make sure my heir will rule as well and as fair as I have," Paintin said to his wife, his brow furrowed in concern. Shelakay laid a hand on her beloved's arm and opened her mouth to speak before another voice cut her off.
"And what does that mean Paintin? That you will give your precious kingdom to Linaross here? Your bastard with a peasant woman? Do you honestly think that the kingdom will accept that?" Linaross turned sharply, dread rising to grab her by the throat. Leaning casually on a marble column, Topain regarded them coldly. Pushing away from the column, he walked over to them. He avoided Linaross's eyes and instead glared at his mother and father. "They won't and you know it. So you are stuck with me whether you like it or not."
"Topain, apologize to your sister and father. First of all, you know that your sister is adopted into this family and we do not know who her father is. Second of all, treat you father with respect, call him Father, not Paintin," Shelakay snapped, standing in one quick fluid motion. She stepped down to where Linaross and Topain stood.
"You don't deserve this and until you can, Lina will be heir," she added, snatching his silver crown from his brown curls. He stared at her shocked, then stormed from the throne room. Linaross stared at Shelakay as the older woman came down from the throne dais.
"You are now heir Lina. Don't abuse the privilege like Topain did." Placing the crown, to signify her rank on her adopted daughter's blond hair, she smiled grimly. "You are our last hope Lina...please, be more than a princess, and be a perfect heir. This means being all that you hate."
"Yes Mother," Linaross whispered, then, dismissed, turned and walked out of the throne room. As soon as she was out of sight, she picked up her skirts and ran toward the stables. Summoning a stableman, she signaled for him to saddle Milky, her large, white stallion. She petted his velvety nose, giggling as he nudged closer, looking for treats.
After pampering the large horse for a few minutes, she mounted, then turned him toward the main road. "Go Milky...go!" she murmured into his ear. Instantly, the horse took off, flying down the road, sending Linaross's honey colored hair flying out behind her, coming out of the proper upsweep Shelakay demanded she wear. She laughed out loud as she bent over him, murmuring words of encouragement.
Finally, without any directions from her, he slowed, and then turned off the road, following a path into the forest. Linaross straightened, out of breath, as they came to a small clearing about half a mile from the main road. Sliding off Milky, she tied his reins to a sapling, letting him tear up mouthfuls of tender clover and new grass. Then she sat down by the small river that ran through the clearing making the clearing peaceful and tranquil. Staring into the moving water, she felt her hair fall forward, held back only by the crown. Sighing, she slipped the surprisinly light piece off her head and placed it on the ground beside her. "Oh Mother, why did you have to go and die? Why did you beg the king to take me in and raise me as his?" she moaned aloud, beseeching her birth mother to answer her.
