4 of 1000

She was to be Queen Radiance.  She who gave her light for the moon.  There hadn't been a Radiance sing the Dragon Wars.  The stars, the watcher lights, the tides, and moon all whispered with excitement to those who could hear such things and wrote down what they learned in the Archive. These passages were then read at and argued over in the Great Arc as each of the twelve houses sent their wisest or at least cleverest minds to weigh in on the meaning behind the meaning of the scribbles taken from those claiming to hear the whispering of the stars.  Tiara knew she should feel a sense of respect and awe about the Great Arc and the work done their but it seemed nonsensical to her.  She did not hear the stars.  And she was supposed to the Radiance.  This bothered her.

Because she was Radiance she was always looked after but given her way with everything.  This made her savage at times.  She had no limits.  It made her lonely.  Today she had walked away from the Keeper of the Sacred Dance.  Something clicked in her head as the lovely and lithe instructress was helping her bend her back to make herself Crescent from behind.  "The last Radience made this up?" Tiara asked although the Dance was supposed to be in silence. The Lady of Dance kept her hands firmly on the younger body and answered without looking at Tiara "But of course.  All we know of Dance comes from Radiance."

"But I am Radiance." She said standing up.  That made her lovely Dance Keeper uncomfortable.  She wanted to frown but this was the Radiance.  Tiara could see her struggle.  No one was to contradict her or tell her no.

"You will be when you walk the Moonlight Path."the Dance Keeper told her walking over to begin the stretch again.  Tiara shrugged the woman off, she turned to face her trying to get eye to eye contact but no one was to look her in the eye.  "And when I walk the Moonlight Path we will have a dance."

"Yes."the Dance Keeper turned away to face the windows that opened out to the city. "All of Crescent shall dance."

"This Dance."

"Yes.  This is the dance of Radiance."

Tiara walked away.

"Princess!  You must continue to study."

Tiara ignored her and she was not pulled back. She was untouchable except in instruction.  It made her feel fierce inside.  She wanted to break things.  Everyone would watch her, but they spoke to the future Radiance, not Tiara.  They saw the future Radiance but Tiara felt invisible ever since the her father and the Great Arc agreed that The Radiance had come and The Radiance was her.

Tiara stalked lonely halls and was smiled at where ever she went, or at least the future Radiance was.  At the Archives she found a man who finally said no.  There was a door that stretched from the ceiling to the floor.  The guard before it was rune tattooed that he never needed to sleep.  He had massive purpled arms were folded across his chest.

"I wish to enter" She told him expecting him to stand aside.

"No." The runeguard said.  Only the O-men were permitted in the archives.  As Tiara was obviously not a pale castrated man shackled in silence by runes and oaths she was not permitted inside.  She knew this already but now that she was Radiance none of that seemed to matter anymore.  Besides the Whisper that made her Raidiant was in there some where and she wanted to look at it.

"Open the door!" she demanded.  The Runeguard ignored her.  Realizing that he was really not giving in to her demands she felt her passions raise inside her.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Why? Have you forgotten?" The Runeguard smirked with slight amusement.  She didn't know they could do that.  Realizing he was mocking her, a fire ignited in Tiara's eyes.

"I am the Future Radiance!" she roared like a lion cub trying her best to sound fierce at the massive tattooed giant before her.

"Then come back in the future." The Runeguard suggested unimpressed.

She launched herself at him loosing her claws to rake his face but the Runeguard swift grabbed her wrists then turned her and dropped her. Tiara was on her knees facing away from the door. "You...You touched me." astounded she was slower to stand and turn around.

"You not a ghost.  Nor am I.  Touching will happen when you launch yourself at me.  What will not happen is you getting past me, Princess."

Tiara blinked a few times in startlement.  He knew who she was and he was still refusing her.  He had grabbed her not the future radiance,and was mocking and scolding her.  She should have been enraged.  A smile found itself blooming deeply inside her and the one on her face almost matched.
"I am not a ghost.  I am not a ghost at all." she decided looking up at him.  The Runeguard had returned to his original position but she thought there was still a smile in his eyes.  Despite the magic that locked him in place he was not a ghost either.