The Celestial Seven

As she knelt on the cold stone floor of the hidden corridor within the walls that dated back to the War of the Riders the look that came on Sheridan’s face was priceless. A mixture of anger, hurt, and pure resentment as she glared at the man she called Father and swept to her feet. She began to rush back down the damp corridor towards her quarters, unmindful of the scampering of rats in her wake and moist cobwebs touching her cheek, her only thoughts were towards what she had just heard. "Sheridan will never as long as she continues as she is become a Holder of a Corisian gem." With a sharp right turn a blank gray wall appeared before her, she put her hand on the area just above and to the left of her head and a golden warmth spread from her hand. The wall disappeared to reveal a spacious oval interior with golden tones, from the dark gold lily wallpaper and massive four poster mahogany bed with matching coverings to the shimmering subtle gold carpet. Sheridan immediately began walking towards the massive fireplace which was at opposite ends of the room from her bed, but kept the whole room adequately warm. Taking off the cream gloves she wore, she tossed them to her right onto the nearest chair and gracefully collapsed her body onto the soft warm carpet in front of the fireplace.

With a flick and point of her wrist a beam of light shot from her to the flames, this light known as a seeker would summon her chambermaid and only friend Linnette from her other palace duties. The time had come to take matters into her own hands.

The Chill of mage-work swept through Linnette’s body as she bent over the tub of linens in the wash. She briefly glanced up through her brown eyes knowing that Sheridan had summoned her, but she could not leave yet. The other chambermaids would most certainly wonder why she with only half the princess’s laundry done would be leaving and would nosily ask pesky questions. Questions she knew could not be answered. She laughed silently: “How was she to explain that she and her Lady could communicate and were even friends?!?!” Both ideas were blasphemous thoughts in the world of nobles and servants. As she hurriedly finished scrubbing the last few undershifts she picked up her wicker basket full of rung out and wet clothes, tossed a towel onto the top and hurried out of the basement room. Up the outside stairs leading from the laundry room to the drying garden, a place were all servants air dried the garments of their respective Lords and Ladies on netted lines. Linnette hurried along the paved garden paths towards the servants’ entrance in the castle wall.

She soon arrived at Sheridan’s set of suites, curtsied with eyes lowered to the Royal Protectors and eased open the doorway to the outer guest room. She walked swiftly through the square circular room adorned in the imperial colors of gold and blue. Gold for Sheridan’s own imperial status as heir designate and Blue for His Imperial Highness, Alexcidan. May He live forever!
As she entered into the inner bedchamber Sheridan glanced up with a smile from her right, in front of the fireplace and spoke.

“Linn we have to leave,…tonight.”, she stated calmly.
Linn paled, dropped her linen basket and open her mouth and closed it dumbfounded. “Sheri! – Did I hear you right? Did you say tonight? We cannot possibly! I know you wanted to adventure out, but now is too soon! We must wait for the Wanderers Guild to take us this summer! Please my Lady! Of this I beg you!”

“Don’t turn servile on me!”, snapped Sheri, “You know I wouldn’t leave this soon without just cause, in the dead of winter – no less!”

Calmness descended over Linn’s to this moment taunt frame. “Then why, Sheridan?”

“I overheard father and the Guardians discussing me and yes I was spying as is my right since they tell me nothing.”, she said with a sharp, stubborn look. “Father has refused to elevate me to the status of a Holder of a Corisian gem, even though I have three times the power as some of the highest Holders! He says it’s because I lack control, which I could learn if he simply taught me.”

Throughout this Linnette’s face was calm and thoughtful. “You know he does this because he fears for your safety and the safety of the people. All of the Holders of the Corisian gems are taught for a half a century how to control, maintain, and use their expansive powers.”

“That is because they must also build their powers up according to their prospective gem levels!” said Sheridan with an exasperated look on her face. “No matter what gem I take I will already be at the power level needed to fully control and master it.”
“Yes but it is the controlling part that you cannot handle” Linn privately thought.

With a purse of her lips as if she had heard Linn’s thoughts, but chose not to comment on them Sheridan turned back to the fire and once more sent out a Seeker. This time to Tom, the royal Horse Keeper – always of noble blood, to ready her palfrey for a morning ride. This was simply a diversionary tactic.

With a sigh, Sheridan shook out her skirts with a rustle as she got up and crossed the room to Linnette who still stood near the door. “We must do this together, you and I, or we will never succeed!”, exclaimed Sheridan, “You and I, we are alike. You wish to train your healing powers to become a Healer and I wish to become one of the greatest Mages ever known.”

“Both things forbidden to us Sheri”, Linnette said with a hint of a smile on her face.
“And both things we will overwhelmingly accomplish!”, replied Sheridan “We just have to try!”

“Together then!”, they said as one and startled - they both laughed joyously.

In seconds Linnette had gone to the drawers to remove the simple garments stolen over time from the palace servants and Sheridan over to the bed to dive under and retrieve the two knapsacks filled with medical supplies and other necessities. Their journey was about to begin.