The Maids of Silva 13/? (By Happily Ever After)

[Goldberry]

Yay! It's my turn! Whoo hoo! And guess who I get to write? *bounces* Come on, GUESS! Hehhehehe.

ZECHSY-POO!

*runs away giggling*




The Maids of Silva
Chapter Thirteen
By Goldberry



The Faerie King stood silently beside his throne, one hand against the carved wood and ivory that made up the back of the ornate chair. The throne itself resembled little of its namesake, simply a beautifully made piece of furniture sitting casually under the breezy shade of the largest oak tree in the forest. He barely noticed the feel of it beneath his fingers, his icy blue eyes locked on some far off thing beyond the horizon, his mind bent on age old memories. His body was completely still as he stood there, the eternal spring breezes tangling in his long white-blonde hair as the branches of the oak swept low to brush his head in greeting. It was a posture he had taken many times before and anyone that glimpsed him would have looked right past him, their eyes slipping by before realizing they weren?t alone. It was often that way. He thought perhaps he might be more spirit than flesh now, his existence waxing and waning with the moon and tides. It was not uncomfortable, for even a half-life is still a life, and above all things, faeries cherished the living.

He could feel them out there, not inside his head as it should have been, but their presences were still clear to him. He loved them, as he had loved her, but it hurt to be too close to them. His pain would be theirs, and their pain would be his. It had been too much at the beginning, every fairy?s anguish at the loss of their queen pouring into his own raw and bleeding heart until he had almost gone mad with grief. It had been then that he had put the Heart away, fearing to wear it until he could master himself. It had been many years since then and he had changed, perhaps for better, perhaps for worse. Even now he wasn?t sure why he had thought of it except that he had had a peculiar feeling all day, a sort of restlessness that resided in his soul. The forest seemed to feel it too, every leaf, flower, and creature heart-singing to him of a disturbance in the wood. Oddly, though, none of his own subjects had come to tell him news of such a change, and they would have for he was still king, if a silent and wrathful one. As much as he might have wished it otherwise, they seemed to love him all the more for the simple fact that he was theirs.

Yes, and they were his as well.

Breathing out quietly, he let his hand drop from the empty throne knowing he had already made his decision. Lifting his right arm outwards, palm up, he looked into empty air and called it forth. A slight shimmering and his ancient birthright, the crown of kings came into being inches above his hand. It hovered there, the pearl colored circlet adorned with engraved vines that framed a large rainbow-hued opal.

The Heart of Faerie.

Almost his hand didn?t shake when he plucked it from midair. Almost he didn?t stiffen as he placed it on his head. As it settled over his brows he immediately felt the rush of invisible power fill him and a window opened in his mind. Thoughts and emotions came to him and he flipped through them like so many pages in a book, re-establishing the long lost contact with every fairy still within his borders. They felt him at once and their joy was almost painful in its intensity, but he didn?t allow himself to dwell on it, instead focusing on stretching his awareness to its limits. He had to know how far his will could stretch.

Unbeknownst to him, Catherine Silvereyes, as she was called, entered his glade with light steps as he reasserted control. She had served the queen long ago and served him still, knowing his moods almost as well as Lucrezia had. She was not surprised to find him wearing the Heart, she had felt his touch as all the others had and had come to welcome back her king. Seeing him still lost to the power of the crown, she kneeled before him and waited, head bowed. After a moment, he made a low sound in his throat, perhaps of pain or anger or both, and when she looked up he had come back to himself, the eyes behind the mask blazing.

?Rise, Catherine,? he said, his voice hoarse, ?Your brother comes.?

On the heels of his words there was a flurry of motion at the opposite end of the meadow and Catherine had just slipped between it and her king with Trowa came bursting through the canopy, a bundle thrown over his shoulder. His face was drawn and pale as he came into view and a dash of crimson on his leg made her gash. She rushed forward as he landed, his legs giving out and sending him down on one knee as what Catherine had took to be a bundle suddenly righted itself and resolved into a woman.

A human woman.

There was a roaring in her head like the wind through some great cavern and without looking she knew Zechs had pulled Epyon from its sheath on his back, the sword he had practiced with in the light of vengeance every day since the queen?s death. Connected to him once again through the heart she knew what he meant to do and so obviously did Trowa. He staggered to his feet and pushed the woman behind him where she immediately prostrated herself upon seeing the Faerie King. There was no time for words for suddenly faeries were everywhere, a mass of them appearing from the direction Trowa had come from, all with arrows nocked to longbows, every deadly steel point aimed at her brother.

Silence fell.

But the vast roar of rage in her head did not lessen. The aim of the arrows did not change. Zechs spoke and his words cracked like ice.

?Explain this.?

Trowa met his king?s gaze steadily though Catherine could see by the sweat that appeared on his forehead that it took everything he had to do so. She clasped her hands together and willed him energy. Her brother went straight to the point.

?My king, Quatre has been wounded and taken.? Arrows wavered as gasps filled the air but Zechs nodded curtly and Catherine realized he had already known. The Heart had told him. ?The huntress has come at last and this woman knows a truth that you must hear. I have heard it myself and I believe her. I ask only that you let her speak.?

Epyon gleamed like white fire in the sunlight. ?You ask much,? the king replied heavily but his hard blue gaze fell on the woman and she hunched as if burdened by an unseen weight. Catherine held her breath.

?Speak then, mortal, but beware, my patience grows thin.?

Tension eased slightly and bow strings slackened, prompting Catherine to hurry to her brother?s side, slipping an arm around his shoulder to keep weight off his injured leg.

?Yes, lord,? the woman answered breathlessly and proceeded to tell them a story that left Catherine with a scream trapped somewhere in her throat. It couldn?t be true, it just couldn?t be. All this time?

?That is why I have come, Highness,? the woman said, her words rushing over each other as if afraid she might be stuck down at any moment. ?Not to cause you pain but to offer hope. I am a descendant of Yulian and as your queen helped my ancestor long ago, I return her grace. The queen lives and bade me come to you and lead you back to her side.?

The woman, Sally, huddled inward as she finished and Catherine looked to Zechs, tears springing to her silver eyes at the war of emotions she found there.

?There is only one way to prove the truth of your words,? he said after a moment, his own voice having lost all strength. ?Look at me.?

The woman flinched and the faeries murmured but Catherine shushed them as Sally slowly raised her head, clear eyes meeting the gaze of the Faerie King. Zechs drew in a harsh breath and with stilted movement, raised his free hand and slowly took off the mask he had lost himself behind so long ago. The warrior faeries fell to their knees and Catherine would have if she hadn?t been supporting Trowa, as it was all the air rushed from her lungs and she looked upon the handsome face of her king, almost blinded by the power of him. It was amazing that the human girl was not blasted to ashes where she knelt in the grass.

But most amazing of all was their beloved king bending slightly before the human and offering her his hand as he dropped the silver mask to the forest floor. Sally took it in her own, allowing Zechs to draw her to her feet where she stood staring at him as if she seen something that would be etched in her mind?s eye forever.

For his part, Zechs seemed to be filled with some sort of radiance, as if the human?s words had unlocked something almost dead within him and brought it back to full health. The queen was alive.

?Welcome to my wood, daughter of Yulian,? he said strongly and the faeries rose to their feet once more. ?Now, take me to my queen. It?s time to end this.?


TBC?


Next is KMF!

[Kiyoko]

Yay! Another update! Zechs is gonna kick some ass! Great job on this chapter, this story is so awsome!

[Kuno-baby]

This fic is so freaking addicting it's not even funny! Catherine Silvereyes?! I love the name. Infact I love this story. Just patiently waiting for Zechs to go all crazy to get his queen back. Update soon. Please!!!

[RDP]

Zechs the Faerie King...I hope Sally can help things improve for him...he seems so sad without his queen. Keep the chapters coming along, and I hope Trowa isn't hurt too bad. ^_^

[zipdos]

Yippie!!!!!!!! Another chappie! Can't wait to see Zechs in action. I'm wondering what's happening to Heero and Relena and the others? Ah well.....I know you guy's won't make us wait long. This story is really really good!!!!!!!!

[silversong]

Every chapter of this story is marveolous, and this one is no exception!

~Silver

[ice princess]

Good bloody lord this story is friggin' awesome!!!!!! My day today was crappy, but this makes it all better. Thank you so very much.

~ice princess

[aku_ryo]

woo hoo that is a wicked idea with zechs and the mask thingie - totally cool gold-chan
please excuse my absense i have been working much

augh

akuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[shadowcat]

are we gonna see zechs kicking peolples ass or what!!!
Great Update Gold-chan!!!!!
Whos next to write????

-Shadow

just a random thought...what is the plural form of ass???