Sword of stars

The Distraction

Later that evening, I was sat down and was made to have a discussion about what had been happening. "So, you want to tell us about these dreams you've been having," Mother asked, "this is why you haven't been sleeping at night, isn't it?"

I sat there trying to find the words to explain my dreams. "They are not really scary, just odd," I explained.

"Are they the same dream," Father asked.

"Yes, and no," I continued, "same cube or box, but different places. It will be sitting on the floor one dream and the next in a chair or on a control panel. Once it was in a different ship entirely."

Father left to go into his office. When he came back he had a journal in his hand. He handed it to me. "It's empty," he told me, "every time you wake up from these dreams write down everything you can remember, every detail. Then, I want you to go talk to a priest about this."

"You don't think she needs to talk with a healer? Maybe they could give her herbs to help her sleep," Mother suggested.

"This isn't a physical ailment. She's not writhing in pain or anything. There has to be more to it than that," Father pointed out.

I sneaked out of the room unnoticed at that point. I could still hear them argue from down the hall. Raivyn had her arms crossed and leaning against a wall outside of the room I just came out of. "What did you do this time," she complained.

"Why do you think it's my fault every time they argue," I questioned.

"Because, every time they argue it's usually about you," she accused.

On the outside we looked just alike. Raven hair from our Father, and pale ice blue eyes from our Mother. On the inside we were total opposites. I got in her face. Keeping her against the wall. "You think I try to make this happen. Is that what you are accusing me of, sister," I called her out.

"I don't think you try, you just do. You're unhinged and every one knows it. At lease while you were away on the 'diplomatic' mission Father sent you on everything was perfect," she kept driving in the knife with her words.

"I was bound to come back. You knew that. Everyone knew that," I pointed out.

"One could hope," she stated with shrug and a smug written across her face. She gently pushed me out of the way. She started to walk away from me. "Is that a challenge," I yelled.

She turned around and said back, "you're the one with the sword, dear sister. You wouldn't strike down some one who was unarmed would you? Besides, you're the one with training, not me." I let her walk away from me this time.

That evening Helah was helping me get ready for bed while listening to me complain about my sister. "What do I do with her," I asked, getting my hair brushed.

"She is a lady of the court. Her specialty is not swords. She will bring you down with the only weapon she has," she pointed out. I looked at Helah in the mirror, and with realization quoted from a psalm, "their tongue be a sharp sword." She nodded at my statement while getting a knot out of my hair.

The Queen had decided to throw a masquerade ball for the end of the war. I was glad for the distraction, even though I absolutely hate parties. They are pointless to me. You are in a room full of people who don't even like each other. Plus, most of us will most likely be forced into marring each other. Why not enjoy the freedom you got while you have it. Instead you are wasting it on the same faces you will see the rest of your life, but it's not like I could tell the Queen or my Sister how I felt about it.