THE
CRYING STONE
CHAPTER 9: HOMECOMINGS
by Ashe Rhyder
"Mother! Father! I'm home!" Cerina called. She smiled, even
though the words caught in her throat like a glacier.
"Cerina!" Ryuusuke Esrevni came out from behind the counter of
the small shop he owned. Ryuusuke was a tall, thin man with dark brown hair and
hazel eyes. "Your mother will be overjoyed that you've returned. Who's your
friend?" He aced an eyebrow at Xellos, who smiled and sweatdropped.
"Oh! Father, this is--"
"Xel Gray." Xellos Metallium eagerly shook Ryuusuke's
hand, then turned around. "Nice to meet you, but I have to run!" And
he disappeared out the door.
"What a strange young man." Cerina's adopted father blinked,
then turned to her. "Come, now, your mother will want to hear this as
well."
"Hear what?"
"Your adventure, of course."
An hour later, the three of them were still siting around the kitchen
table. Cerina had begun telling them about the journey, but fell silent around
the point where she had been reunited with Zelgadis.It was still too
painful a memory to speak of; every time she thought about it, it hurt even
more.
"Cerina-chan, what's the matter honey?" Her mother soothingly
rubbed her back as she asked the question for the umpteenth time.
"Nothing mom." She shook her head, blinking away tears that
couldn't be shed. "It's just... just that..."
"Go on, dead, you can tell us." Ryuusuke tilted her chin up.
"Tell us all about it."
"I... I met this guy on the way to Sairoon." She started
hesitantly.
"Was it that Xel Gray guy who say you to the door?" He
arced a curious eyebrow, but Cerina shook her head violently.
"No, he was really, _really_ different from Xel Gray." She
wondered for a moment why she had tolerated Xellos' deception, but shoved
that thought away for a more private time. "He was a perfect
gentleman, kind of quiet, the deep and thoughtful kind. You know, the kind of
guy who looked twice before leaping..."
"Why do you keep referring to him in past tense?" Shouka asked
warily, almost sure that this is where the hard part came into play.
"We ran into some... trouble on the way to Sairoon." Her voice
was choked with bittersobs, but still tears would not flow. "I got
distracted and he... he... he took a spear through the chest for me. And
he died... with my name on his lips." She leaned against her 'mother' as
dry sobs racked her body.
"Did you love him?" Ryuusuke asked.
"Wha--?"
"Did you love him?"
"...Yes." She choked back the need to scream. "L-sama help
me, I still love him! And I'll love him to the day I die!"
"If you love him that much, and he loved you enough to die for you,
you'll be together someday." Shouka smiled.
"You think so, Mother?"
"I'm sure of it, darling."
A knock on the front door drew Shouka away for a moment, but when she
returned she was pale in the face and her shaking hands clasped a paper.
"It's for you, Cerina." She held out the startch white
parchment. "It's from the royal house of Glez."
"The what?"
"Glez is the formal surname of the Royal family." Shouka sat
down, apparently still shook up. "You remember how the last Queen of
Sairoon was Amelia Wil Telsa Sairoon, correct?"
"Yeah." A small part of Lina's mind recalled how she had
traveled with the small princess.
"The current ruler is Prince Sida." Ryuusuke continued with a
scowl."He's cold hearted, ruthless, and a--"
"Ryuusuke!" Shouka snapped.
"Well, it's true." He stated. "What's the little brat want
from you?"
"It says he wants me to make an appearance before the court."
She scanned the written words again.
"What?!" He roared. "I'll have no daughter of mine--"
"Ryuusuke." Shouka calmed him. "If Prince Sida wants Cerina
to humor the court, she must. Otherwise something..."
"But he--"
"He _is_ the Prince."
"But--"
"Ryuusuke."
"What makes you think I -want- to see Prince Sida?!" Cerina
slammed the note to the table.
"Cerina, listen to me." Shouka placed her hands on her adopted
daughter's shoulders. "Do not cross Prince Sida. He is a very dangerous
man, and those who don't pay him proper respect often are not able to regret it
later."
The red head made a face, then sighed.
"I don't want to go alone. Will you come with me, Mother?
Father?"
"Of course, honey." shouka nodded. Ryuusuke grumbled and crossed
his arms, but nodded anyway.
The next day found them on the road to the capital. The journey took a
week, but their awe at the capital city's unique architexture far overwhelmed
their exhaustion.
"Excuse me." One of the soldiers, dressed in an ivory tunic and
matching pants, approached them as they entered. "You are the Esrevni
family, correct?" When answered with a nod from Ryuusuke, he continued,
"Please come with me. Prince Sida has commanded you be escorted to the
palace upon arrival."
Cerina looked warily to her parents; Ryuusuke shrugged, and Shouka offered
a warm smile. It was obvious that the slenderr blonde woman trusted the crown
prince more than her husband did.
"All right."
***
Cerina found herself put inside a large, luxurious bed chamber with
instructions to get cleaned up before her presentation to Prince Sida. She had
no complaints about the accomidations; they looked like they were rooms given to
important guests, not ordinary villagers and a secretly re-awakened sorceress
supreame. But she indulged anyway. First she scrubbed herself clean from head to
toe, the rose scented soaps reminding her of one of the times she'd managed to
get Zel in drag... she shook her head clear, not wanting to break down crying.
She washed, conditioned, and brushed her glame like tresses till they shone like
real pyre. Finding that a servant had taken her common clothes and left open
the wardrobe doors, she decided to investigate the other outfits. She selected a
simple black dress that left her shoulders bare and came down to her ankles. A
long slit ran up either side to about mid-thigh to allow free movement, and a
blood red brooch caught the light at her collar. She opted for comfortable flats
instead of dressy heels; if push came to shove, she wanted to be able to bolt.
"Miss Esrevni?" A soldier knocked on her door. "If you are ready, the Prince wishes to meet with you now." Cerina took a deep breath, then opened the door.
