Book One: «Selection: Choice or Destiny» Cycle : Land Of The Dragon.

Chapter 25-27

Chapter 25

The next day, I was at Vidon’s house. The best dishes were on the table, Vidon’s smile would have replaced the lantern in the dark (so much happiness it radiated). A blue stone was laid in front of me.

- Catherine, this is for you. Insert into a communications device connector. It's a recording device. Storage memory is not very big, not more than an hour, but I'm working on it.

- I have one more small request. In my world there is functions of the camera the phone: Press the button and is stored in the phone what you see, and it can be printed, that is, transfer to paper.

- We have capture-artifact, very expensive thing, because the captured image is stored on it for centuries, I am now going to show you my grandmother, wait a bit.

Weedon returned with the box in his hands, opened it. He touched the stone at the bottom, and the air began to form a hologram, or a 3D image of a beautiful woman who turned a bit, as we would say "posing for the camera."

- She was a beauty! - I exclaimed, amazed.

- Sometimes artists reproduce portraits looking on the image of the crystal. But how technically or magically transfer on the canvas? I need to think ... Well this paint somehow need to pick up.

- Okay, but I'm honestly not quite about it, we are sharing these images etched as we do it with the voice messages. And if you place in the drive is not enough, remove unnecessary, or we take a larger drive.

— You see, even if I manage to create these things, I’m afraid they’re going to be too energy-consuming. Dictaphone, seal, exchange Each of these processes absorbs almost all of the stored energy.

We have removable batteries for this case, and they can be recharged separately.

- You puzzled me. I'll think about it…

— But I have some good news, and they’ve got money to work on it, so at least for the exchanger get an advance. I forgot to say you! A tour of the empire is planned for September, and we will spend the first week in the mage provinces. I wanted to ask you to accompany us. We want to visit the academy, the central hospital, shops. But I think you are much better are guided what's worth seeing. The trip takes a week.

-But what about the selection? The heir gave you a month off? In the middle of the season? I’ve got two other girls coming with me, Rosalind and Nadine.

- More and more interesting ... Of course I'll go. I will show you the sights and introduce you to my son. Who can refuse to travel with three not just beautiful girls, but also the most likely claimants to the throne. I sure as hell wouldn’t mind.

- Then I run to Elegelica, the Heir offered to take her on a tour of people’s lands.

— Wait, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a ride on people’s land, too. They have some interesting mechanical masterpieces that I’d love to see.

- All right.

Chapter 26

In the castle began rehearsals.

The participants read the texts in the park aloud, rehearsed the dance scenes in the ballroom, tried on dresses and ordered new ones. The first two weeks I was not out of the Nadine watched as it puts the stage as actors corrects edit tone, gait, posture, details. The decorations were coming. The castle was full of life. And what kind of male actors came! Look! Even Zarina forgot to throw angry looks at me for a while. It looks like the contender was flirting with Emilio- her partner on stage. And I can even understand her as a woman. Handsome, tall, and how skilfully and sensually a crush plays. (he has the role of a treacherous seducer who breaks the heart of a young maiden). I hope the scene of seduction, separation and loss of reputation remain only on the stage. But watch their rehearsals pleasure. How much fire, passion, emotion, doubt. Life in the castle was in full swing, I was in the thick of it. For the next two weeks, I was on rehearsing with each artist checking mainly remembered text and the problem areas.

Assol played herself, a non-poor, beautiful, gentle girl who easily conquered the hearts of men. In the story, her parents chose her a husband, a handsome man from an ancient Rich family. The arranged marriage was satisfactory to both parties, as the hearts of both young men were free. Their leisurely walks and conversations were smooth, more suited to friends. Her fiancé was named Romeo. We rehearsed with Assol least of all, the text she knew as a diligent student, played naturally and looked Romeo harmoniously. As brother and sister (so conceived).

Darina played the bodyguard girl Assol. (Dragons as bodyguards considered the best, and girls often choose their bodyguards women). In the story, she is in love with Romeo. Watching from the side of the relationship Assol and the fiance, terribly jealous, in the soul dreams to kill the rival, which due to the work should to protect.

The most difficult scene for Darina was a love confession to Romeo. In the story, Assol and Romeo walk around the park and quarrel for the first time. Romeo goes deeper into the park, Assol stays by the lake, thinking about what happened. Darina realizes that this is a chance, catches up with Romeo and gives the only long speech in the whole play: - Romeo, wait. I’d like to talk to you.

- About Assol? - He answers her.

— No. About me. I wanted to confess you that I’ve loved you for so long. You do not notice me, you probably not even like me, but I would like know whether our feelings are possible.

Romeo laughs back. But there’s a gunshot, they run to the lake. On the shore, Assol is killed. Romeo is inconsolable, holds the lover to her chest, and Darina remains in the shadows, pale and unhappy.

The text was not very big, but she couldn’t pronounce the whole thing. She blushed, stammered, confused words. And I didn’t know how to help her. She begins to flow tears, and ran away. But the situation is saved by the actor himself, he went to crying Darin and invited to return to the park and rehearse again. So the four of us (Darin and actor, Nadine and I) were in the park of the castle.

-Darina, imagine you see a child drowning. You know you swim badly. By diving after him, you might save his life, but you’re probably going to die. But you’re going to dive in to save him, aren’t you?

Darina nodded.

- For the girl from the play to confess mean to dive.

Darin nodded again.

- Let go of doubts and fears, just step into the abyss. I will not laugh (as in the scenario), so do not be confused.

Darin again nodded uncertainly. We Nadine watched and seems to have stopped breathing. Darin looked up and said clearly and precisely:

- Robert, I love you. I've loved you for a Long time. You’ve always been surrounded by beautiful women. I could only watch from the side, capturing your fleeting looks, admiring your smile, but even that smile wasn’t usually meant for me. You never took me seriously; I was always in the shadow. But today I would like to say you about my feelings, because such a possibility never can be once more. I will not ask, do we have a future, because I know the answer. Associates perceive me as a perfect weapon, and I will never become brittle delicate flower. But I love you, and this feeling is killing me. - The last phrase was uttered softly.

The answer was silence. Nadine and I were afraid to find our presence. And we don’t know how it would have ended if it hadn’t been for the gunshot that went off so close. We ran to the lake, on the bank of which lay wounded Assol. Rehearse planned only dialogue Darina and Romeo (so suddenly transformed into a recognition of a real person), but because the injury was not fictional, but real and serious.

Chapter 27

We leaned over the girl, who was dying. Trying to reach Emiron, magician-healer, but for some reason, communication with them was not available, to move Assol was dangerous, we were afraid to cause even more severe bleeding. Darin was able to get through to their family doctor, but he lived in the territories of the dragon, and therefore it will take time before the portal of the castle and search for us in the park. But the difficulty was that, without the permission of the heir or Emiron, the guards would not allow an outsider into the castle, and they were still not available.

— Vidon, we have an assassination attempt on Assol , she’s injured, but we can’t get any help. Maybe there’s an ointment, an amulet, an artifact that will stop the blood for a while? - I sent a voice mail.

After a while (it seemed like an eternity before lit yellow stone (just yesterday Weedon gave me a new artifact, we even did not have time to show it to Ridon. Who knew that the trials will be held in a combat). I touched the stone, it open a small portal. On the ground fell transparent crystal and little jar.

Flashing red stone on my panel mean new message.

— Katrin, put a stone in Assol’s hand (which I have done instantly). The artifact hasn’t been charged in a while, so unfortunately, it won’t last long, but I hope you have enough time to find another solution. It acts as a tourniquet, or a bandage. The jar of wound healing ointment gave me once Elegelika (good herbalist by the way). Usually people use it to stop minor bleeding, but now at hand simply is not anything else.

I opened the jar and began slowly to put on the edges of the wound. Blood really ceased to flow after the artifact is activated and applied ointment on the wound edges.

- The doctor is waiting at the gate, let's try to take Assol outside the castle while the artifact is active. The only make like not to attract the attention of guards.- said Darina— Robert, take her to the carriage. I’ll go with you. We carry theater props all the time. Nadine, as soon as you can contact the heir or Emiren, let him know that Assol is my guest. I’d be happy if you’d come through the portal and visit her.

We pretty quickly got to the coach, to our happiness in the carriage turned out to be a blanket, which we covered Assol and security accustomed to our frequent trips to the theater, freely released through the gates. Darin and Robert disappeared behind the gates of the castle, and we can only wait and worry. About what happened we shared only with Rosalind.

Heir and Emiren arrived when it was dark. They spent all day negotiating, and the communication artifacts were discharged. (the development of additional battery is now transferred to the priority development).

Darina was contacted, Assol is alive. The doctor reported that if not for the artifact of Vidon and our «kidnapping with deception of the guards», the girl would be long dead. Now she is sleeping and recovering and waiting for us tomorrow night for a visit.