[1-2]

Finally the next chapter!

Mr. E Man and Brook O'Riley, thanks for the reviews and... (since I'm adding this late) sEcLuDeD_eXiStAnCe, thanks for yours too.

Edited: 12-19-03 (I added a little part in the middle... it begins and ends with a divider like this: *_* )

Chapter 2

That night seemed long for Elentul as she tossed and turned in her bed. Lord Firin continued to haunt her mind and every time she was close to sleep, her nerves awoke her. He was somewhere in her castle and, even though she had set up guards to keep him in his room, she was sure that he was free to roam anywhere.

It wasn't that she mistrusted her guards, it was just... She had sensed something in him when she had met him. Something that she really didn't like. She wasn't sure what it was but she was pretty sure that no one else noticed it.

"Damn those guards. Why did they even let him in? They know that they're not suppose to open the gates after sundown without direct permission," Elentul fussed, rubbing her face roughly with her hands in annoyance.

'He's only on the other side of the castle and he seemed to be so... interested in me. Grr. This should have never happened. I don't trust him and, if my parents don't notice the bad in him either... he'll probably be staying here.' Elentul thought to herself, trying her best to fall asleep. She sighed. 'I wish I at least knew what makes me fear and hate him so... I mean, I really have no reason... maybe it's just his clothes... ' Her thoughts continued to chase her until dawn and, by the time the maid came in to open her curtains, Elentul was thinking on her window seat. The curtains were already open.

"Oh... you're already awake, m'lady. Shall I get your bath ready or will you wait until tonight?" the maid asked, stopping in the doorway when she saw that the eldest princess was up.

"I'll wait until tonight," Elentul replied simply as the maid pulled a dress out of the princess's bureau.

"Well... I think that's a good idea seeing as your father is meeting with Lord Firin at this moment. I'm fairly sure that you will get your wish," the maid said cheerily as she motioned Elentul to stand.

"What makes you say that?" Elentul asked, feigning excitement as the maid pulled off her nightgown and slipped on her dress for today.

"Well... I walked past the meeting room on my way up here and your father sounded very... convinced. I didn't hear any of the conversation but... his tone seemed very promising," the maid said, smiling widely at the princess as she tied up the back of the dress.

"That's great!" the princess replied in an enthusiastic tone as she turned, smiling, to the maid. Her mind was on something else though. 'Why would my parents allow Lord Firin to teach me and not Curumo? He is our normal trainer. And isn't it a bit weird for a lord to want to train me? Are they blind or something?'

"Well, m'lady, I'm very happy for you. Your father would like to remind you to stay outside of the breakfast hall so that the royal family could be announced. Unlike last time..." the maid said and Elentul nodded slightly, her mind on other things as the maid left.

"How can no one see the evil in Lord Firin?" she thought the herself, feeling utterly confused.

"Isil noticed," a voice said in the back of her head.

"That's right..." she thought, eyes wide. She had forgotten all about Isil, their new servant. He had showed definite repulsion of Lord Firin. ' Well... then how did only Isil and I notice the evil surrounding Lord Firin? Come to thing of it, why had only Isil and I noticed his evil?' She'd have to talk to him later. For now, she would head down to the breakfast hall and hear her father's news of Lord Firin. She still held on to the hope that he would be kicked out.

"Council where is the council!" Mearth fretted as she paced the dirt floor, Erith standing to the side as he neurotically bit his nails.

"They said that they were going to come... they will. They have seen Firin's progress... They have seen Firin enter the castle," Erith replied, his voice unsteady in his own nervousness.

"We must hold council and take action before something happens. We must! I don't care if it is against our rules. We can not lose the only hope brought to us in so long." Erith stuck his fingernails back in his mouth and returned to his job of watching the Earth at these words. Mearth just continued pacing the floor.

To Elentul's disgust, he wasn't kicked out. Instead, he was going to be introduced as part of the royal family.

Normally, they wouldn't be introduced just for breakfast. Normally, they'd be eating alone but the kingdom was in a state of famine. For some unknown reason, the vegetation of their kingdom died one day and, following that, the animals died. Not wanting his people to die, the king set up a system where everyday a different village would have dinner with the royal family. At the breakfast, they were able to eat as much as they want and bring as much food home as they could. This worked well because their were seven villages in the kingdom and the royal family had more than enough food stored away and more than enough money to buy more. It was pretty nice thing for Elentul's father to do considering most kings left their people to die.

"As you know," Elentul's mom began as the royal family sat down. "You are allowed to eat as much as you can and take from our plates as much as you need. What you take will be checked when you leave only to make sure that you are not taking all the food and leaving someone else nothing. Enjoy."

As the food was passed out, Elentul glanced around at the royal family. There was: her mother and father, who adopted her, her adopted younger sister, Aranel, the three oldest princes who she really didn't know the names of, and the youngest child, Anar. It wasn't the biggest family but... it was pretty awkward.

"Oh... Elentul. I forgot to tell you the good news," Elentul's father said besides her and Elentul turned, knowing what he would say. "You are finally going to be able to take sword fighting lessons. Lord Firin convinced us that it would be in your best interest to learn how to protect yourself. You will have your first lesson tonight with Aranel and Anar."

"Really? That's great!" Elentul said after pausing in shock. 'Tonight? And with Aranel and Anar? But... Anar already took lessons from Curumo.' Elentul thought and turned to look at her brother and sister as her father turned to eat. 'I don't understand Lord Firin nor do I like him much' Elentul thought and grabbed her necklace for comfort as she watched Aranel and Anar eat. 'Wait!' Elentul's mind shouted and she glanced down at her necklace and back up at her siblings. Both of them had the same type of necklaces. Quickly, she glanced around. The older princes didn't have one and neither did her parents. 'But... how?'

To be continued...

Well... it's kind of a bit short and I had to end it early but I didn't update in two months. I'm trying to start the real story. I'm not very good at that but please review.