THE SKY ABOVE SHOOTS TO KILL , ( SHIVA )

[NOBLE ARMEL GHARE]

A couple of gray feathers lay on the plain floor, two thick, dark lines on the white floor. Nearby were the legs of a nightstand, which held few possessions. Just to the right of the table was a small bed, large enough for only one, and it was occupied. The worn quilt had been tossed around throughout the night, and only covered the body in the bed from just beneath his wings down. One leg dangled over the edge. His chest rose and fell steadily, and though Noble appeared to be dreaming, but he was far from drifting through sleep. The steel eye that wasn’t smothered into the thin pillow stared unblinkingly at the wall.

Noble spent a lot of the time he got to himself just thinking of nothing. It was somewhat nice. He simply looked at something, like the wall in his quarters, and let his mind drift away. It was different than normal. Much of the aerie race thought that the young man was dumb, messed up in the head somehow, because he rarely let a word out except when talking to Shiva, and even then he emitted few vocalizations. He was actually quite smart, having been to any and all educational courses Shiva had taken. He just didn’t express his knowledge and was therefore looked down upon. But no, his brain was almost always active, processing the little details and carefully going over everything he took in. So, these moments of nothing were a pleasant little escape.

However, when a strand of sunlight peeked into the room, Noble began to stir. A hand found its way to his face, gently probing fingers into his eyelids, then made its way to his scalp, running quickly through his short dark locks. He forced his torso to sit up, then swung his long legs over the side of the mattress. He flinched as the bottom of his sensitive foot brushed against one of the feathers. Not again, he thought with a sigh, and snatched the two plumes deftly off the floor.

Occasionally, he would have fitful dreams and end up plucking a feather or two. Last night had been one of them.

Placing the two feathers on the nightstand, Noble rose and stretched, extending his wings as far as they would go. After a clumsy step or two toward his dresser, the young man exchanged his light sleep attire for some black pants and a simple white shirt. The pants were an old pair, but they were still somewhat comfortable and weren’t ripped up anywhere. The shirt, like all upper body pieces, was difficult to slip on, and an unlucky feather snagged on the hole meant for his wing.

After placing his feet in a pair of simple shoes, Noble slipped out the door and into the hallway. He lived near the servant quarters and had a lengthy walk to reach Shiva’s side of the sprawling palace. On his journey, he encountered many of the servants, already up and about to get the place functioning. Noble stepped shyly out of their paths and continued on, catching the perturbed or even pitying glances. He wasn’t sure why they felt the need to express sympathy toward him. Did they think he was dumb, like most others did? Surely not; he recognized most of their faces from when he was a child. He knew that Shiva didn’t exactly… have the affections of all her subjects, but she certainly had his. The two were practically siblings in a separate-but-equal manner, and that was no reason for anyone to throw a sorry glance in his direction.

After a quick flight through the tall rooms of the main palace, Noble arrived at Shiva’s doors. Her quarters were, needless to say, much more lavish than his own, but she was the queen and he was simply her companion. He wasn’t of royal blood as far as he knew--both of his true parents were unknown to him--and he preferred to keep it that way. The burden of ruling an entire people didn’t appeal to the young man. In any case, he had forbidden himself from ever entering Shiva’s rooms unless personally invited in, so he stood patiently near her door, so still he could be mistaken for a statue.

[SHIVA RORA NIGHTINGALE]

They wanted her gone, impatient and playful as she was, there was no need for such a queen like she, but at the end of the day when she took out her mess of braid it was her birth right. She spent many of nights just questioning her choices of the days events. Had she made the right one? Who knew. Her eyes would linger over to the window and watch the night sky, harmony in perfect action. It was the only solace she was allowed to obtain. Her mornings, afternoons, and evening were all ways spent with the guards and Noble. Ever since the death of her parents they had felt the need to tighten security and in the end take away what was left of her nonexistent freedom.

Sleep had become a desperation and soon her eyes closed into a slumber. Her dreams were the usual ones she had been having--her a couple years younger flirting with the guards, visiting nobility, royalty, and sometime the servants and townspeople. Shiva was full of playfulness and loved to sneak off with Noble to the outer edges and just watch the earth below. Suddenly things would take a turn for the worse and she would be her future self and the city would be in ashes and she was left holding Noble's body in her arms. He was her only family now and somehow during the dreams she could sense an uprising against her. The Queen told her trustees of her worries but there was a waver in their voice and within time Shiva kept the worries to herself. She even went as far as to hide them from Noble.

When she awoke in the morning she felt grief once more for her dream/nightmare and then put on a happy face, changed into her happy demur self, and had her maids help her dress. A straight silk periwinkle dress had been all she needed, her slim gold head band with diamonds place over on head. "How do I look girls?" She did a little twirl envious at the fact that when she was little this display was cute but now the maids who raised her simply bowed their head. Shiva needed something... an adventure of sorts, she needed life instead of the staleness of the atmosphere that the kingdom provided. She felt the low blow of knowing this was not who she was but rather born and brought up to be. Most of the time even as a child she never once pictured herself ruling the kingdom.

She smelled of lavender and honey and when she stepped out of the large door Shiva spotted the statuesque Noble. For the first time since last night, since she began pondering all of the potentially bad decisions she had made, Shiva smiled. She more or less skipped to the man in a most unlike-Queen fashion, "Noble, how are you this morning?" They had been raised together, been brought up together, and Noble was her companion but it was hard for her to see Noble in any other way but her brother. But she did note that he was attractive and when she was only a princess they flirted with each other in playfulness as they walk the city of Galen. But now as Queen such things are not allowed and the pressure wavers on that she should be married.

How often had she thought of mate in sexual terms? It seemed since she was a kid destined for love but now the arrangement some were forcing down her throat was more of a business arrangement.She did not have feelings for any of the men other than Noble in a way that might make her decision easier. She looked upon Noble and realized he would not be a bad choice if only he were royal or noble or any of the sort other then her "play toy". Shiva sighed at thought and smiled grabbing his arm in the direction of the dining hall, "Lets go get some breakfast or something of the sort."

Shiva to most that were not so concerned with how the kingdom would be ruled seemed like breath of fresh air.