She glanced up at the sky, searching for a specific star, one that shined faintly purple in contrast to the pure white or slightly yellow color the rest of the stars had; she found it near the western horizon. She watched it for several minutes, and then mumbled, “Adelanti Saritis” under her breath. A small purple ball appeared in front of her, hovering two feet from her, small flares erupting from it occasionally. She dipped her head in acknowledgement of its presence, but allowed her anger to color her voice when she spoke.

“You asked me to be a messenger, Adelanti. And a protector if need be. I was not asked to be a mediator between your precious king and his faith. And I refuse to get involved with this mess of a war you’ve started either. Not more than I must to protect him, as I promised I would. And you know perfectly well that I am more than capable of protecting him without meddling in others lives. I will not be a pawn in your game, Adelanti, not like that poor man in the other room.” She glared at the bright purple ball, and it hovered closer to her, now only a few inches from her face. It’s brilliance reflected in her eyes, making them tiny silver balls similar to the baseball sized one in front of her.

A voice, very similar to a bear she had once heard speak, gravely and rough, sounded in her head. “I DID only ask you to be a messenger and a protector, girl. But I did not say a messenger of WHAT, exactly.” It was clear the voice had more words it wished to add, but Evalyn was already tired of the conversation.

“You think, that because I promised to help you, and I did what you asked, that I am your pawn? That you can force me to do things for you like you do the humans?” The woman laughed, and bells echoed across the courtyard. She glared at the ball, only three inches from her face now, and she could feel the intense heat that a human would have felt when it first appeared. “I am NOT your pawn, Adelanti. And you can not manipulate me like you can your subjects. No, your servants. For that is what they are to you, aren’t they? I see now that you are not the God I once thought you were.” She paused, disgusted with herself and with the powerful being in front of her, and then looked down, casting her gaze upon the broken shards of the cross that Ravis had thrown to the ground. She waved her hand over the pieces, and they reassembled in her hand, the cross gleaming brilliantly in the bright light of the god.

The voice sounded in her head again, asking inpertentily if she was going to return the cross. She turned her back on the ball for a moment, letting the anger drain from her body. It would be no use mocking this god if she could not even control her temper. Facing Adelanti, she glared at the tiny thing hovering in front of her and wondered for a moment if she should just leave now. But then she shook her head, and spoke in the calm, cold voice she used when speaking to her victims.

“Yes, I am going to return the cross. But not because it signifies his faith to YOU, Adelanti. I am returning it because it symbolizes his faith in all things good, and his hope that what he does will change the world for the better. And in the end, only by believing that YOU are good, and YOU will help him… that is the only way he will retain the strength that he needs to accomplish what he must. But I see now his prayers do not go to you, Adelanti, not even though you claim him as your servant.” Evalyn turned from the god, and bowed her head. “I will do as I promised, Adelanti. I will be your messenger, but I will tell him what I choose to relay, so watch what you ask of me. And I will protect him, even as you try to destroy him.”

At this the voice shouted outrage in her head. “I try to destroy no one, girl! That man is a chosen of my power, and his family has been mine for generations! Why would I try to destroy the last of his line? Why would I try and kill my greatest asset in the mortal realm? I may not be what you thought of me, child, but I am NOT stupid!”

“Stupid? No, you are anything but that, Adelanti.” The woman snickered and continued towards the balcony doors. She ignored the enraged shrieks in her head and demands that she come back. The ball flew past her and hovered in front of the balcony doors, and she paused, studying it for a moment. “Do you think, Adelanti, that I would choose to put myself into the service of one whom I could not overpower? I, too, am not stupid, and I know perfectly well your weaknesses, and how to exploit them. Do not tempt me to make you weaker than you are, Adelanti, or you will be at the mercy of the other gods. Gods who will not hesitate to destroy you.” The little ball of lightning crackled and flared larger for a moment or two, and finally floated to the side with much grumbling. The woman calmly mumbled a few words and the shattered glass of the French doors reset itself. She nodded her head slightly in dismissal of the God, and went inside to speak to the king.

~*~*~*~

i'll make this short, since the story was long. in reply to clarkchick, my only avid reader, apparently ;) yes, i hope to one day make this a book. it would be nice. i have a million ideas, but never enough time... *sigh* oh well. i have the begining of the third part of this... we'll see how it goes. :)

blessed be