Gaze of Fate
The air was warm and calm. Morning light beamed gently through the small window in the eastern corner of the room causing the stone to turn from dark and gloomy to light and airy. The stone was grey but it was a sandy grey, high end stone for the region, not that it mattered. Within the room a beautiful dark wooden wardrobe and a small desk with a door to cover the many different drawer that held the fine stationary. On the other side of the room their was a small yet elegant bed with hand crafted wool and fleece blankets covering a maid. She stirred at the light. Opening her eyes they adjusted slowly at first shimmering blue purple and pearl and then shifted to just blue green. Her long brown hair a ruffled mess from tossing and turning in her sleep.
She sat up and stretched as she looked around her room. Her soft features providing a blank expression to the morning as if she was unsure of what to make of the day. She walked to her desk and began to brush her hair. Soon she had it in a nice gentle braid and was ready to dress. Once in her soft and elegant apparel she walked out of her room. The halls were open and the sky was a pure azure. The manor was more like a castle fort but it made sense her family had a history of being war heroes and generals and ladies of the court. The great and powerful Bardsley family had fought for the independence of Todeth the nation in which they lived.
"M'lady Veridandy!" An woman called from behind. A young servant woman looked out of breath and startled. "Y-you are dressed already?"
"Good morning, Rist." Veridandy replied sweetly. "Yes, I prefer to dress myself."
"B-but your mother," Rist stammered panicked. The poor girl had only been working there a couple of months and she was very sweet but Veridandy's mother was very insistent on her being waited on. It wasn't that Veridandy was an independent soul or a rebel but her last servant had passed away due to an incident involving food poison. Since then she had taken care of herself so she wouldn't pressure her parent's into rushing a replacement.
"Don't worry about my mother." Veridandy smiled. "I wont tell." Rist sighed with relief.
"Well, your father requests your presence he is meeting with Lord Kall in the grand hall." Rist said straightening Veridandy's dress.
"Very well." Veridandy rolled her eyes. Lord Kall was not only an insufferable politician posing as a knight, he was also consistently pushing his son towards her. Veridandy was sure her destiny was not with him. She thanked Rist and proceeded to the Grand Hall.
Lord Kall was using his usual condescending tone. "But we should set out in a few days not tomorrow. If we just wait.."
"The forces will not wait to descend upon our land. We must prepare as quickly as we can." Lord Bardsley retorted. Her brother Ciel stood backing their father as was her sister Esther. Both of them were fine warriors, Esther was very good and very rare as a woman soldier and had already made a name for herself. Lord Bardsley then looked over and saw his youngest. "Ah! Veridandy!"
"Oh, hello dear girl." Lord Kall greeted with a slimey smile. "It is always good to see you."
Veridandy curtsied "Always Lord Kall." She looked at him for a moment her eyes flashed a swirl of blue purple and pearl but it was only for a moment. "How is your son?"
"James is fine." Lord Kall grinned. "He couldn't be here today though."
"Give him my best." Veridandy said happily. Fake happy of course, she couldn't stand the man. "Are you going to battle tomorrow father?" She turned to Lord Bardsley. "I thought you didn't have to move out till later?"
"The enemy has pressed ahead faster than we thought." He said sadly. "I am sorry, but the Empire wont let up. I sent for you because I wanted to introduce you to your guard." He gestured to a man over to the side. He was older but not too old. "His name is Niall and he will be in charge of guarding your person."
"May I inquire as to why?" Veridandy asked.
"There have been enemy scouts this far south and sightings of slavers from the empire. I won't take any risks."
Lord Kall cleared his throat. "The Prodith are notorious for sending slavers with their scouts to obtain political leverage."
Niall walked up to Veridandy and knelt. "M'lady, it is an honor to meet you."
"We shall see." Veridandy said with her eyes flickering again. "But for what it is worth, pleased to meet you too." She said feeling her father's gaze upon her. She curtsied out of the room. Lord Bardsley followed behind her.
"Veridandy, could I speak with you in my study please?" He led her by her shoulder. His study smelled of lit lamps. Veridandy stood in front of his elegant desk as her bother and sister joined them.
"Father, we insist we be a part of this." Esther said.
Lord Bardsley sighed as he took his seat. "Very well. Veridandy, have you been dreaming?"
"I always dream father."
"But have you had any, strong feelings?" He said leaning forward.
Veridandy took a deep breath. "I feel you have not been honest about what this war is about or what you are up against."
"No, I have not." Lord Bardsley looked at his children. "The Prodith Empire is making a move but that is not all. Lately their forces have included beasts of a sinister nature. I hesitate to call them demons, but it is likely."
Ciel slammed his hands down on the desk. "What? That is impossible."
"Not so, my intelligence stated that there are more dark mages among them as well. It would not be a stretch for them to be bringing demonic forces into their employ." Esther said in a high and mighty yet serious tone.
Lord Bardsley ignored his older children's bantering. His eyes remained fixed on Veridandy. "There is something else, Veridandy?"
Nodding Veridandy approached her father. "I fear, no I feel, you should not keep Lord Kall so close."
"I don't like him either, Veridandy, but he is a high ranking officer." Ciel mentioned.
"Yes, but by bureaucratic means, the man is incapable of thinking as a soldier." Esther countered.
"It is more than that." Lord Bardsley stood. "I suspect that the Prodith have influence beyond the most basic corruption. That is what you mean isn't it?"
Veridandy nodded. "Yes. Father I pray you dismiss him. That is all I can say on the matter." Veridandy left the room to see Niall standing by the door. She nodded her head at him. He nodded back. A man of little words it would seem. She suddenly had a flash of light strike her as her vision blurred and sped up. She grasped her head as she fell. Images raced across her site incoherent and jumbled. Soon she lost all consciousness.
She sat up and stretched as she looked around her room. Her soft features providing a blank expression to the morning as if she was unsure of what to make of the day. She walked to her desk and began to brush her hair. Soon she had it in a nice gentle braid and was ready to dress. Once in her soft and elegant apparel she walked out of her room. The halls were open and the sky was a pure azure. The manor was more like a castle fort but it made sense her family had a history of being war heroes and generals and ladies of the court. The great and powerful Bardsley family had fought for the independence of Todeth the nation in which they lived.
"M'lady Veridandy!" An woman called from behind. A young servant woman looked out of breath and startled. "Y-you are dressed already?"
"Good morning, Rist." Veridandy replied sweetly. "Yes, I prefer to dress myself."
"B-but your mother," Rist stammered panicked. The poor girl had only been working there a couple of months and she was very sweet but Veridandy's mother was very insistent on her being waited on. It wasn't that Veridandy was an independent soul or a rebel but her last servant had passed away due to an incident involving food poison. Since then she had taken care of herself so she wouldn't pressure her parent's into rushing a replacement.
"Don't worry about my mother." Veridandy smiled. "I wont tell." Rist sighed with relief.
"Well, your father requests your presence he is meeting with Lord Kall in the grand hall." Rist said straightening Veridandy's dress.
"Very well." Veridandy rolled her eyes. Lord Kall was not only an insufferable politician posing as a knight, he was also consistently pushing his son towards her. Veridandy was sure her destiny was not with him. She thanked Rist and proceeded to the Grand Hall.
Lord Kall was using his usual condescending tone. "But we should set out in a few days not tomorrow. If we just wait.."
"The forces will not wait to descend upon our land. We must prepare as quickly as we can." Lord Bardsley retorted. Her brother Ciel stood backing their father as was her sister Esther. Both of them were fine warriors, Esther was very good and very rare as a woman soldier and had already made a name for herself. Lord Bardsley then looked over and saw his youngest. "Ah! Veridandy!"
"Oh, hello dear girl." Lord Kall greeted with a slimey smile. "It is always good to see you."
Veridandy curtsied "Always Lord Kall." She looked at him for a moment her eyes flashed a swirl of blue purple and pearl but it was only for a moment. "How is your son?"
"James is fine." Lord Kall grinned. "He couldn't be here today though."
"Give him my best." Veridandy said happily. Fake happy of course, she couldn't stand the man. "Are you going to battle tomorrow father?" She turned to Lord Bardsley. "I thought you didn't have to move out till later?"
"The enemy has pressed ahead faster than we thought." He said sadly. "I am sorry, but the Empire wont let up. I sent for you because I wanted to introduce you to your guard." He gestured to a man over to the side. He was older but not too old. "His name is Niall and he will be in charge of guarding your person."
"May I inquire as to why?" Veridandy asked.
"There have been enemy scouts this far south and sightings of slavers from the empire. I won't take any risks."
Lord Kall cleared his throat. "The Prodith are notorious for sending slavers with their scouts to obtain political leverage."
Niall walked up to Veridandy and knelt. "M'lady, it is an honor to meet you."
"We shall see." Veridandy said with her eyes flickering again. "But for what it is worth, pleased to meet you too." She said feeling her father's gaze upon her. She curtsied out of the room. Lord Bardsley followed behind her.
"Veridandy, could I speak with you in my study please?" He led her by her shoulder. His study smelled of lit lamps. Veridandy stood in front of his elegant desk as her bother and sister joined them.
"Father, we insist we be a part of this." Esther said.
Lord Bardsley sighed as he took his seat. "Very well. Veridandy, have you been dreaming?"
"I always dream father."
"But have you had any, strong feelings?" He said leaning forward.
Veridandy took a deep breath. "I feel you have not been honest about what this war is about or what you are up against."
"No, I have not." Lord Bardsley looked at his children. "The Prodith Empire is making a move but that is not all. Lately their forces have included beasts of a sinister nature. I hesitate to call them demons, but it is likely."
Ciel slammed his hands down on the desk. "What? That is impossible."
"Not so, my intelligence stated that there are more dark mages among them as well. It would not be a stretch for them to be bringing demonic forces into their employ." Esther said in a high and mighty yet serious tone.
Lord Bardsley ignored his older children's bantering. His eyes remained fixed on Veridandy. "There is something else, Veridandy?"
Nodding Veridandy approached her father. "I fear, no I feel, you should not keep Lord Kall so close."
"I don't like him either, Veridandy, but he is a high ranking officer." Ciel mentioned.
"Yes, but by bureaucratic means, the man is incapable of thinking as a soldier." Esther countered.
"It is more than that." Lord Bardsley stood. "I suspect that the Prodith have influence beyond the most basic corruption. That is what you mean isn't it?"
Veridandy nodded. "Yes. Father I pray you dismiss him. That is all I can say on the matter." Veridandy left the room to see Niall standing by the door. She nodded her head at him. He nodded back. A man of little words it would seem. She suddenly had a flash of light strike her as her vision blurred and sped up. She grasped her head as she fell. Images raced across her site incoherent and jumbled. Soon she lost all consciousness.