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Date Posted: 09:45:10 03/05/02 Tue
Author: Zora
Subject: Chapter 1, part 1
In reply to: Zora 's message, "My bloomin' epic" on 09:38:33 03/05/02 Tue

Janafyr shot up the corridor like an arrow, her long braid bouncing itself undone, her feet catching on her full skirts so that she had to hitch them up with her hands. "Lise! Lise!" she called breathlessly, banging her fists on her friend's door without thought for who could hear her. "Lise, you have to hear this!"

Janafyr burst through the door and grabbed the startled Elisel by the arm, and tugged her over to the closet. Bundled deep amongst the clothing, Jani abruptly stopped yelling and adopted a dramatic whisper.

"Lise, we're going to have to leave the castle! Today! Now! I don't know what they're up to but it isn't good, I think they're going to send me away… What are we going to do?"
The Princess was trembling, and as she looked into her pale and anxious face, Elisel realised that this was not just another of Janafyr's dramatic turns.

"Jani, slow down a minute dearest, and tell me what's happened?"

Janafyr swallowed awkwardly as she pulled the closet door to, enveloping them in darkness. She took a deep breath and tried to explain.

"I was in Lord Salifan's office, you know where he keeps all his papers and things? Shh, Lise, I know I shouldn't! But I wanted to look at that map of Cermia and Greater Valedon, the one with all the colours? Anyway, I was just rolling it out on the table when I heard someone coming up to the door. Someones, I should say, I could tell it was at least 3 people. I ducked behind that big fat chair he keeps by the fireplace, and then they came in and –Oh Lise it was awful! I was sure they'd see me so I scrunched right down under the chair. I couldn't see but when they started to talk, I recognised the voices. It was Lord Salifan, Daddy, and Lady Yagna, the Bangasich ambassador. Salifan was talking in that sneery way he has, like he swallowed a sceptre or something, but it turned out that Lady Yagna has been recalled – what does that mean, exactly? No, don't answer now; I'd better finish telling you… Anyway, they're sending her back to Bangasi, she wasn't very happy about it, in fact she sounded rather frightened. Why wouldn't she want to go home? So that's what made me so afraid, too, when he said- he said –" and then in an even hoarser whisper, yet conveying accurately the superior tones of the Lord Salifan, her fingers digging hard into Elisel's arm, "So the girl can accompany you, how perfect. You had better advise us as to what a Princess needs in Bangasi, for such an occasion.

"What do you think he meant, Lise? What occasion? I'd not have minded the idea of going to Bangasi, but that Lady Yagna sounded so scared, so… defeated, somehow. And I never liked Salifan, and you should have heard him, he was venomous."

Elisel pried Janafyr's hands from her arm and held them while she gathered her thoughts. "It certainly sounds as though they are sending you with the ambassador. Did your father not say anything? Was anything else said?"

"Daddy didn't say much. Just agreed with everything Salifan said. Lady Yagna protested, saying that she would prefer to give up her post as ambassador and remain here in Cermia, but Salifan oozed something about how that wouldn't be possible. Then he said how upset she looked and he would arrange to have one of the servants stay with her for 'comfort' and 'support' until she's ready to leave. Then they all went out, and I waited until I couldn't hear anything any more, then I ran right here, as fast as I could."

"That means that she is under guard of course," mused Elisel. Janafyr nodded her agreement. "We must try to talk to her, we can't just flee the castle without knowing more about what's happening."

Janafyr realised that she had been assuming all along that her friend would accompany her, but she was relieved to hear Elisel say so. The two girls stayed in the closet plotting and planning for some time; neither realised how long until they pushed open the closet door and found that the room was almost as dark as the closet had been.

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