Happy birthday, Scarlett

Scarlett tried to stifle a yawn behind a silk-gloved hand.  The gesture was both ladylike and graceful, but she could do nothing about the slight tears that came to her eyes from the force of the yawn.  These she dabbed at gently with her napkin, but not before she caught her mother’s expression from the corner of her eye.

“Dearest daughter, while I appreciate the fervor you possess in your nightly studies, I do not wish them to interfere with your daily duties.”  Sabine Ruzanna was every inch a lady, and although she was no longer a young woman, she wore her years well.  Much to Scarlett’s relief, her mother also wore an expression of slight reproach mixed with knowing amusement.  As head Spymistress for her niece’s kingdom, Sabine was no doubt well aware that her own daughter’s “nightly studies” involved gallivanting across the city’s rooftops with an urchin boy named Wormsworth.

Scarlett had learned from a very young age that lying to her mother was often as painful as it was fruitless.  It was always best to address her with tact, respect, and honesty.  “I’m sorry mother.  I got so wrapped up learning about the history of the city’s port district that I must have lost track of time.” Sabine arched a brow at her daughter, but refrained from chastising her further.  Instead, she turned her attention to Governor Ormand, whose estate the Ruzanna family were having breakfast at.

Scarlett breathed a slight sigh of relief as her mother’s attention focused elsewhere.  She had told the truth, really.  Wormsworth, or Worth as Scarlett had grown to know him, had spent the night telling her stories that he himself had heard down by the docks and in dockside taverns.  Worth had an endless supply of stories that Scarlett, with her noble upbringing, had little firsthand experience with.  Stories of harlot-queens, and mad-kings, stories of vagabond urchins who turned out to be wandering princes in disguise.  Worth was a collector and skilled teller of tales, and paid little mind to Scarlett’s social status or half-elven lineage, both reasons why she found him so endearing.

A slight nudge against her knee brought Scarlett back to the present.

“Happy birthday, Lil’Stick,” Carrec Ruzanna whispered conspiratorially to his little sister, as he passed a small wrapped bundle to her beneath the table.  Instinctively, she found his hand without looking and he pressed the gift into her palm.  Scarlett glanced down the table to where her mother sat conversing with Governor Ormand.  He was saying something about the new fountain he was installing in his garden and Sabine was doing her very best to look interested.  Perfect.

Scarlett removed the bit of ribbon and cloth wrapping from the gift.  Inside was a small, polished disk of metal, about twice the size and thickness of a gold sovereign coin.   It was surprisingly light, and Scarlett guessed that it might be hollow.  Running her gloved fingers over the metal disk, Scarlett tried to guess what it might be.  Without looking at him, Scarlett could feel Carrec’s growing amusement.  Carrec loved doting on his little sister at least as much as she enjoyed the gifts he found for her.  They almost always carried a riddle, a puzzle, or hidden use.  Scarlett pushed her brother’s amusement from her mind and focused.

The disk was seamless, with no visible openings or markings to note where or if it opened.  While the weight and coloring suggested hollowed copper, something told Scarlett that the disk was actually solid, but made of a surprisingly light metal.  Although metalworking was not one of the subjects she was strong in, her father had made sure she knew the basic elements of metallurgy and smithing.  Using that knowledge, Scarlett guessed that what she had in her hands was some sort of alloy, a composite mix of several types of materials.

Still, having a good idea of how the object was made didn’t give Scarlett any idea of what its use was.  Surely Carrec wasn’t being so cruel as to give her a metallic disk with no quality other than being unusually light?  Scarlett glanced at Carrec, to find him studiously examining the contents of his soup bowl.  A slight growl of frustration threatened to bubble up from Scarlett, but she clamped down on it.  She would not admit defeat, not on her birthday.

The rest of the morning meal at the governor’s house was spent with Carrec growing ever more twitchy as he tried not to burst into laughter.  Meanwhile, the tips of Scarlett’s pointy ears kept turning redder and redder as she fought to ignore Carrec’s growing mirth at her frustration.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

“Alright, Carrec!  I demand to know what this gift does!”  The words fairly flew out of Scarlett’s mouth as soon as she and Carrec were back on the family’s estate and out of their mother’s earshot.

At the sound of Scarlett’s imperious tone, Carrec drew himself up to his full height.  The boyish smile that made him look younger than his seventy-odd years was replaced by the regal features that looked so natural on their elven father.  “Demand, is it?  Do you forget that you are addressing-,” Carrec cut off as a playful slap from Scarlett hit him in the shoulder.

“Carrec.  Perea.  Ruzanna.  You are teasing me, and I will not have it.  Not on my birthday!”  It was Scarlett’s turn to imitate one of their parents, although this time it was Sabine’s frosty, disciplining tone that was used.  It worked equally well on interrogated prisoners and misbehaving dinner guests.  Carrec’s boyish grin returned as quickly as he had made it disappear, and Scarlett couldn’t help but grin back and soon both were clutching their sides with laughter.

“Okay, okay.  Okay.”  Carrec drew in a steadying breath in between laughs.  “Take out the disk and place it on your palm.  Oh, and take off your glove first.”

Scarlett daintily removed her left glove, making a show of it, as if she had all the time in the world and was not the least bit excited about finding out what Carrec’s gift did.  She then produced the metal disk, which she had secreted away in one of the several pockets she had sewn into all of her dresses.  With the disk balanced in the palm of her hand, Scarlett looked at Carrec expectantly.

“Alright, remember these words and remember them well.  Now, repeat after me.  Hearts spin tales and tales spin lies.  I spin truths and see them plain.” Carrec recited.

Nearly breathless with anticipation, Scarlett repeated Carrec’s half-intoned phrase. “Hearts spin tales and tales spin lies.  I spin truths and see them plain.” No sooner had the last word left her mouth, did the disk in her hand start slowly spinning.  Scarlett was startled, but was more intrigued than alarmed.  The cryptic nature of the phrase only added to her curiosity as she watched the disk slowly spin in a clockwise motion.  Although it was in contact with her skin as it spun, the disk produced no heat and did not cause uncomfortable pressure.  All Scarlett could sense was a slight pressure and a subtle half-sensed tingle of magic in her palm.  She looked up at Carrec.

“I have a few guesses, but what exactly is it and what does it do?”  She asked her brother.  Carrec grinned at her and said, “I’m the eldest son of my house, I love my sister, and my mother occasionally scares the crap out of me.”

Scarlett gasped as the metal disk leapt into sudden, swift motion.  It spun in a blur, but still remained cool and comfortable in the palm of Scarlett’s hand.  “It’s a lie detector!” Scarlett exclaimed with delight.  As she said this, the disk spun even faster.  Testing out her new gift, Scarlett slowly turned her left palm over.  Without holding onto the disk, it remained in place, even when suspended upside down from her hand.  Scarlett felt a rush of excitement and happiness, Carrec had really outdone himself.  Using her right hand, she pulled the disk from her left palm.  Rather, she tried to.  Instead, her fingers twisted awkwardly as the disk spun and she was forced to let go.  Next, she tried to pry her fingers underneath the disk, but again her fingers were turned away.  Looking at Carrec, she was alarmed to see a worried frown on his face.  “Carrec… how do I get this thing off my hand?”

Carrec clawed his fingers through his hair and looked despondently at Scarlett.  “I’m sorry Lil’Stick, I don’t know.”  In response, the disk suddenly slowed, almost stopping completely.  Scarlett and Carrec exchanged glances, and the look of fear on Scarlett’s face quickly switched to indignation and finally angry amusement.  She took a menacing step towards Carrec.  “Carrec, I’m going to murder you and enjoy doing so.”  The disk began to speed up at her words.  Carrec held up hands in mock surrender.

“Whoa, easy Scarlett.  That thing can actually be a bit dangerous to others if you get it spinning too fast.  Alright, to remove the disk repeat after me again.  “I spun my truths and I lie still.”

Scarlett held out her palm and repeated Carrec’s phrase.  “I spun my truths and I lie still.”  There was a noticeable alleviating of pressure as the disk ceased spinning.  Scarlett gingerly plucked the disk from her palm.  Seeing that it was in fact removable, Scarlett let out a sigh of relief.  Grinning, Scarlett hugged her big brother.  “It’s an amazing gift, Carrec.  Thank you.”  In response, Carrec merely grinned and ruffled Scarlett’s fiery hair.  It was something she hated, but knowing she would never break her brother of the habit, she merely grinned and slugged him in the shoulder.  As Carrec turned to leave, Scarlett called after him.

“Carrec… something like this must have cost you a fortune.  What I really wonder is, who did you get it from?”

Carrec grinned an even bigger grin.  “It’s certainly worth a fortune, but I didn’t buy it.  I stole it from a faery princess.”  With that, Carrec ducked behind a row of bushes and Scarlett knew that she’d never catch up to him, at least not in a dress.  With Carrec’s sense of humor it was impossible to tell sometimes when he was being serious, joking, or making light of something serious.  Scarlett glanced down at the immobile disk in her hand, which she hadn’t had activated when Carrec gave his response.  “Well, darn.  Now I’ll never know.”

From several hedge rows over came the sound of Carrec’s laughing reply, “Probably not.  Happy birthday, Scarlett!”

End.

Advertisement