"Are you ready?" Fallon asks her without lifting his head up from a dusty old tome he had been pursuing since she entered the Arcarage. Kashara had tried to peek at the title a dozen times, but Fallon somehow managed to manoeuvre it in a way that she never did. It only tickled her curiosity even more. "I suppose," She said sulkily. "It had better not hurt as it did last time."

"Don't worry," Fallon finally snapped the book shut, causing fumes of ancient dust to rise up ominously. " It will definitely not hurt like last time. It will be more painful, actually."

"What!" Kashara squawked. She glared at him in outrage. "No way! I am not doing this!" She swiftly got up from her seat and made to get down the balcony. However before she could take a step, a firm hand wrapped around her middle and tugged her onto the warm hard chest of Fallon Eagus.

Fallon brushed the hair from her ear with another hand and bent low as if to whisper something. Kashara steeled herself against his low, sensual voice however she didn't expect to hear an odd crinkling low sound that sounded like thunder and rolling clouds bringing rain onto parched lands. Fallon was chuckling. He had a low throaty laugh that was like a tiger purring. She couldn't remember ever having heard him laugh. There was this gripping sensation near her heart. Like she was flying high above the clouds, invincible, but also falling, flightless and helpless.

" You are so easy to tease, Kashara." Kashara hated the way he said her name. He said it with relish. His voice carried an emotion that she didn't want to understand. No no no! Don't say my name like that! She screamed inside.

"I was just kidding." Fallon continued when Kashara didn't budge from her spot or turn around. "Come on, I promise it won't be as bad." She took a deep breath and relented, allowing Fallon to guide her back to her chair.

"Today, You'll get more of your magic than you did last time. You should be able to do more complex magic and spells, incase you have to fight rebels. Also I want you to attend defence classes to build up on your strength and skills. "

"What! No. Freaking. Way. I am not attending another one of your stupid classes. Last I checked I wasn't enrolled in the Fallon institute of Idiocracy, so stop trying to freaking assign my timetable!"

She spluttered from outrage, however a quick hand on her shoulder stopped her from flouncing off again.

"I won't accept any arguments. Either do what I say, or get out. It's your loss." He said sharply. Kashara huffed but had to accede painfully. She stood in front of Fallon.

"evig siht cigam ot ohw ti sgnoleb, tel eht luos fo ecnesse wolf kcab otni s'ti eurt emoh...." Fallon began chanting. his voice had a low mesmerising quality to it that nearly lulled her to sleep. Before she could drift of into sweet oblivion, a painful burning sensation overtook her body. Her eyes snapped wide open. She was now wide awake.

She could feel sparks of her magic rejoining her this time. Her increased magical ability allowed hrer to 'see' it. Her magic was all around her, like little shards of pulsing gold and purple. There was this shield around her however that was actively pushing back her magic and keeping it at bay , away from her.

A barrier. She had never lost her magic. It had always been there. Someone had conjured a barrier to separate it from her. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the barrier pulse and allowed some of her magic shards to pass through to her. Someone had blocked her magic purposely, and she had just the idea who it was.

She swivelled her head to look at Fallon, her eyes still narrowed in anger. He had lied to her, saying it was healing the planet or whatever. He just needed her to be powerless and compliant. That was the reason he had purposely taken away her magic. She felt a jolt of powerful lighting go though her as her magic merged with her.

She gasped in pain as her vision spun. How dare he? How dare he take away what was rightfully hers. She could have even forgiven being kidnapped. Her magic, however, was infinitely important to her. She had spent the longest part of her life thinking she had no magic. That she was worthless. Discovering she was indeed a mage, that was life transforming...

He had just made her go though all that self doubt and fear again. She couldn't describe the feeling she had felt when she had failed to cast a spell. The gripping fear that she had somehow lost her magic. It was terrifying.

The worst part was it wasn't because she had to save his planet. No. Her magic was just surrounding her but somehow pried from her with his shield. She had resigned herself to the loss because it had meant that a planet was being saved. But now...

She didn't even flinch when her magic collided with her again. She waited. She waited for when he would finish. Fallon had not expected that she would be able to see what was happening. He was going to regret ever kidnapping her.

Fallon lowered his arms and stared at her smugly. It was as if he expected words of gratitude. Kashara gave no expression except to coldly turn around with a toss of her head and climb down the balcony. A look of utter puzzlement came over Fallon's face, and he began to follow Kashara down.

"You've got it back?" He asked.

"Yes.' Kashara said clippedly.

"Tomorrow you will have defence classes with me. Be ready after breakfast."

"Don't bet on it asshole. " Kashara muttered under her breathe. However, Fallon heard a snippet of it and blocked her path.

"What was that Kashara? Can you repeat it?" He asked in a chillingly low voice, fixing her with a glare.

Kashara clenched her fist, angry at him, angry at the way he could so easily intimidate her, angry at herself for being so frightened by him. She could feel her heart rate raise as it thudded painfully against her ribcage.

"Do you have a problem with that?" He took a step closer. Kashara tried to step back but stopped herself in the last minute. However a telling gleam in Fallon's eyes told her, he knew exactly what she was going to do.

"It appears that you are under some delusion that I was asking your opinion. I don't care whether you want to or not. You will come for that class." He said menacingly.

"Whatever you say, your highness." She replied bitterly.

Fallon looked at her impassively and added, " It's for your own safety, if the rebels kidnap you, how will you defend yourself?"

"I would if you just removed the barrier you put up against my magic!" Kashara retorted angrily, realising her mistake too late. She snapped her mouth shut.

"Well," Fallon drawled slowly, "I guess you are not an idiot after all."

"You are insufferable!"

"Why are you so against something that is useful to you!!?"

"It's useless! Because the rebels already kidnapped me!" Kashara cried out in frustration and anger. She quickly bit her tongue, cursing herself and her stupid blabbermouth.

"What did you say?" Fallon asked dangerously.

"Um...nothing.!" Kashara quickly back pedalled, knowing she had to escape fast. She scanned the area for an escape route, however they were in the Arcarage, with guards in every corner and only one exit.

" Yesterday..." He hissed angrily. He advanced toward her and grabbed her hand harshly. "Looks like we have something to talk about."

"You mean you have something to interrogate me about..." Kashara thought wearily as Fallon dragged her towards their room.

__________________________________

"Start talking. And don't leave out anything." Fallon said harshly as he waved his hand towards the door making it turn opaque and freeze in its movement.

"What do you want me to say?" Kashara asked defensively, rubbing her sore wrist.

"Was Eraiek part of it?" Fallon asked hurriedly.

"What?!" Kashara stared at him in shock. Did he know Eraiek if was part of the rebellion?

"Tell me! Did he help in kidnapping you?! " Fallon asked again angrily.

"Huh? Why would he...?" She trailed off in shock and hesitation. She didn't know if she should tell him about Eraiek's tattoo. Not when Eraiek had saved her from Fallon's wrath so many times.

"No matter. It was a suspicion." Fallon said curtly. " Who did you meet? Where did they take you?" He demanded.

"I...I don't know. It was some volcano..." She said slowly.

"Who did you meet!? What happened!? Tell me!" Fallon took her by the shoulders and shook her slightly.

"Someone called General Klousseau...that's all..."She said, thrown off by his urgency.

Fallon stilled. His eyes went wide in shock. "Gen..General Klousseau?"

Kashara had never seen that expression on his face and stared at him in wonder. The child-like expression made him lose ten years. As if he was a young innocent child again.

"Yes..Who is he? You know him?"

"He was one of my father's generals, a traitor who staged the rebellion, and a close friend of Eraiek when they were working for the kingdom. Now do you see why I tell you to be wary of Eraiek Nobody can be trusted here! No one is trustworthy or true!"

"How can you accuse Eraiek without evidence?"

"Stop saying his name so familiarly! He is nothing more than a traitor! He will betray us!" Fallon shouted.

"Stop saying generalised statements! Just because one of your father's generals betrayed him doesn't mean all of them will! Why are you so paranoid!?" Kasahra retorted.

" He will! I know it! He was the one that killed my mother!"

"WHAT!" Kashara gasped, stunned into silence.

"Yes. Not so sure now, are you?" Fallon asked.

"If you know that he killed your mother, why do you still keep him as your general?" Kashara asked. "Or even alive?" She added to herself.

"After the rebellion, it was a very dangerous time in Demitytes, I didn't want to add to the tumultuous unrest. There was no evidence, and it would have caused panic had I accused him of the murder of the Queen."

"Did you see him murder...he..your mother?" Kashara asked hesitantly.

"No. But all evidence points to him, but with only my word to take for it...I couldn't risk the precarious position I was in and lose what little support I had left in the courts by denouncing Eraiek." Fallon growled.

"So you chose your position over the murderer of your mother?" Kashara asked outraged, her expression of disgust clearly conveying her impression of him.

"I did what I had to do to survive! There was no certainty that I would succeed in ousting Eraiek anyway." He retorted hotly.

"Please don't insult my intelligence by telling me that. You and I both know that you neither depend on the justice system nor had a lack of alternatives ways to get rid of someone you thought was a traitor and your mother's murderer."

"The rebellion had just killed the king and Queen. The courts were filled with opportunistic courtiers who were contemplating whether to overthrow an 14 year old boy or give him allegiance. I wasn't foolish enough to kill one of the few who did support me." He said vehemently.

"No, not foolish. You could never be accused of being foolish. It's your other qualities that prompt doubt. Namely your sense of honour and justice." With that, Kashara whirled around away from him.

She left him standing in the antechamber and went into their bedroom, throwing herself across the bed. She stared up at the ceiling as she recalled what Fallon had said.

If what Fallon had said was true, Eraiek was a murderer and a liar. He had lied to her face about his innocence. He had said the rebels had killed the King and the Queen. Though he did feel guilty, Kashara was now forced to wonder, was it because he actually had a part in it...

But then again, Fallon had admitted he never saw it happen. And there was no reason for Eraiek to kill his sister, but help his nephew to gain the throne. What would he stand to gain by that? But what about his tattoo...Kashara sighed. She couldn't believe what Fallon had said. Not unless there was more evidence. Atleast one good thing had come out of today, She had gotten a larger part of her magic. With that Kashara got up and decided to practice some of spells lest she had gotten rusty.

She had to totally beat Fallon's ass tomorrow if he still insisted on the defence class.

_________________________

OKAY I know most of you are ready to stake me right now. Please don't. I like living. I know it's horrible that I didn't update for so long. What happened was I got a teensy addiction. TO Assassins Creed. I've been playing it literally day and night. :( and I finally stopped when my Lab exams drew dangerously near. Now they are over though phew. SO here I am back to updating. :)

Loki : What is this assassins creed?

Tom: It's an elite organisation that kills people. :)

Loki: Ooooh. That is interesting. Like the warriors you mean?

Tom: Noo. There is little fighting, it's usually killing stealthily.

Loki: WAHT! No honour! No bravery!

Tom: Oh dear...

Loki: I love them already! Where can I join?

Tom: Whaaat. WOW I never expected that. Welcome to the dark side.

Loki: Foolish mortal, I am the dark side. Tell me immediately, where can I join them!?

Tom: Well, you'll have to pay money to get a DVD from the seller.

Loki: A DVD?

Tom: It's like round, and the assassin's creed information is written on it.

Loki: So like a badge. Continue.

Tom: No. It's a CD. Like the entire game is written on it.

Loki: What.... A game?

Tom: Yeah it's something you put into a computer and play.

Loki: NOoooooooooo! I thought this was true!!!!

love

inkonparchment