Young Writers Society

Lord Tiernan sat calmly in an intricately carved wooden chair at the round table on the ground floor of the Keep, talking to the guests from Aragon and a few sundry nobles from his country. "And after the parade there will be a feast," he said. "Aeryn's best food, which personally I think is the best food anywhere. And then parties every night, dancing, feasting...and the very last night of all, New Year's E'en, will have the best feast of all. And, possibly, fireworks. Also, if you do marry Princess Serena, it will be that night."

Silira, listening to Lord Tiernan talk to Corwin, gazed idly out a window. It was dark, and not much could be seen outside but the trees shaking in the wind, which was strengthening again. She stopped trying to see out, looking at the reflections on the window instead. Corwin was saying something back to Tiernan..."You don't know how much I look forward to the feasting, sir..." The others at the table were chatting, but no one was paying much attention to her. A word from Corwin caught her attention. "...Princess Serena arrive?"

Tiernan answered without a pause. "Four days from now. That's when they were supposed to arrive. Her and her chaperone, one Lady Reynalda, and their guards. Around high noon, her ladyship said. About then. Somewhere in that proximity..."

Silira listened to him blather on, trying to cover his slip, but his slip was still showing. She ignored it and went on eating. She really wished she could taste the soft black bread and white cheese, but her tongue was gone--no, she had a tongue, she had legs, she was human--oh, what was the point? She couldn't forget the sea. She was so tired, so very tired, and she longed to drift away on the water and forget everything, just dissolve into foam. There was no point in hoping for heaven when Corwin wasn't in love with her.

Silira had given up hope, after all that she had done to come this far.

Corwin, talking to Tiernan across the table, caught sight of Silira's eyes and stopped talking. He forgot everything else. Her eyes were always so blue, sparkling and shining with wit, but now they were dull and almost black, looking out the window into the dark night. Corwin knew something was wrong. He would have spoken to Silira, but she was across the table and too far for him to speak to. But those eyes...Silira had never looked so sad...never looked sad, actually...

Tiernan tapped him once on the shoulder. "Your Highness? Something the matter?"

Corwin blinked, turning back to Tiernan. "Ah...I'm well enough." He cleared his throat, as if he could hawk up and spit out the image of those eyes. But, even after everyone, including him, was asleep in bed, peacefully waiting for the parade in three days, he could not forget those eyes.