Thread:Cornflowerofredwall/@comment-3148757-20120128234206

Here is Chapter 2 of A Tale of Two Empresses!

Dariya Bloody Claws the pine marten stirred in her wooden seat in the small cabin on Terramort Island. She crossed the room to the window and smiled at what she saw. It was Ublaz, arriving in an expensive-looking rowboat, which he promptly tied up on the shore. Dariya and Ublaz weren’t married yet, but they WERE engaged; and the impending wedding was a subject that they talked about more and more these days.

“Ublaz!”

Dariya flung open the cabin door and ran to the nearby beach to greet him. Ublaz felt faint at the sight of her. Dariya was more than pretty; with almond-shaped blue eyes, a navy dress of taffeta and a necklace of black pearls. Yes, she was so much better than stubborn old RAZZIN!

“How are you, darling?”

Ublaz asked with a smile.

Dariya grinned back, subtly.

“Good enough. Stomach’s been bothering me a lot these days, of course.”

Ublaz laid a paw gently on Dariya’s swollen belly. She was only a month away from having a babe (Ublaz hoped for a son- yes, a devious, scheming son, much better than Razzin’s worthless, and completely un-evil little daughter Shadow!)

“I know. And you know I can’t stay long.”

“No, I don’t.”

Dariya’s gaze became a bit cool as she put her paws on her hips. The sea sighed softly in the background behind her, as the frothing waves crashed against the black rocks beyond.

“Why are you always so eager to slip away, Ublaz? Do you really love me as much as you say?”

Ublaz hesitated.

“Of course, my love! Dariya we’ll be married soon posthaste and THEN we’ll finally be together- and we’ll live together too. To say I don’t love you would be a lie, a terrible lie.”

He kissed her on the cheek.

An hour later, when Ublaz went off in his boat again, thinking of all the ways to get rid of foolish Razzin while Dariya stood watching him warily on the shore.  