by Rachel Angel
It was a rare moment on the campus. Since arriving she’d barely had a moment to think. Every minute of every day was scheduled, either by the school, or by the rigorous tasks she’d planned for herself.
As she sipped the last of her tea, she noticed the small blue envelope on the dresser. Curious, she stood to get the envelope and open the card inside.
“Competition need not always be physical,” she read aloud. “Be prepared to challenge Jasper in the Arts and culture. Auditorium at nine.”
She set the card down. “Arts and culture. For the past week she’d spent almost every night at the forge, trying desperately to forget about the Diamond Trials. Working on an exquisite sword occupied her mind as well fatigued her body, allowing her to fall asleep more easily. She’d wanted it to be the most beautiful piece she’d ever created. The dragon head hilt had already been made and all that remained were the diamonds she wanted to add.
Suddenly wide awake and feeling completely rejuvenated by her magical tea, she pulled on her leather jacket and headed out to the forge to finish the sword. Jasper had no idea what he’d be up against. He probably thought she was nothing more than a commoner; an uneducated commoner. She would show him just how creative, talented and hard-working she really was.
The following morning. she returned to her usual routine. Big breakfast, three runs around the campus, a quick shower and a change of clothes.
She reached under her bed for the long narrow case that held her latest creation and smiled. “I’m ready.”
With a bounce in her step, she headed tot the Arts and Culture building, a magnificent structure of iron and glass. Created by innovative minds, the foundation of the building was recessed far enough as to not be visible on approach. It gave the impression of a building floating inches off the ground.
She entered the building that could almost pass for an art gallery. Paintings adorned the wall and numerous statues stood on pedestals. Some works were influenced by the masters; Gauguin, Picasso and Rembrant, while others were the pure creation of the artists.
As she approached the auditorium, she saw a line of students waiting in the hall for their own class to begin. Mocking her major win the day before, some of the guys pasted themselves to the wall in feigned fear.
“Funny,” Ally said dryly. “Very funny.”
“Good luck with this one,” one of them said. “Jasper is a true master.”
“We’ll see.” She pushed the door open and entered the auditorium. A small group of men stood on the stage with Headmaster Jerrod, while a line of five judges sat in the front row, notepads ready. The auditorium was otherwise empty save for a handful of curious students.
Obviously, the appeal of an Arts and Culture competition attracted less attention than the Diamond Trials.
“Up here, Miss Allotrope,” Headmaster Jerrod called out.
Ally walked down the aisle, ignoring the now familiar name-calling of the boys, and came to the steps on the left that led up to the stage.
“I assume this is the project you wish to submit for the sake of this competition,” Headmaster Jerrod said.
“Yes.”
“Very well.” He took the long narrow case from her and set it aside, then turned to the others on the stage. “Gentlemen, if you’ll leave the stage, we’ll begin.”
They reluctantly took the steps down to join the judges.
“Are the judges ready to begin the Arts and Culture Competition?”
The judges all nodded.
“Scores today will be based on creativity, style, execution and esthetics. In each category, you will give a note between one and ten, and will then calculate the average of those scores. Do we all understand?”
Again, the judges all nodded.
Headmaster Jerrod, bowed. “Let us begin. Jasper,” he called out. “Are you ready to show the judges your submission?”
Without so much as a hint of a smile, Jasper grabbed the canvas at his feet and came to set it on the easel upstage.
“Miss Allotrope,” Headmaster Jerrod said. “As his opponent, you have the first word in assessing the work of your competitor.”
Ally stepped forward and looked at the painting Jasper had rendered. Her eyebrows rose, but not because she was impressed by his work, but rather she was shocked by it. “Um, it appears to be an attempt at something resembling abstract,” she said.
Jasper huffed and shifted his weight.
“The choice of colors is… well, unusual,” she went on. “Clearly he attempted a certain movement with these swipes of his palette knife, but the baby blues, magenta and burnt orange come together, here, here and here, to make a very muddy mess.”
Jasper cocked a brow. What had he expected? Ally wondered. Just because she came from The Border didn’t mean she was completely uneducated. Kate and Bilbo had done everything to get her the best education they could afford.
“Then,” she continued, waving her hand around the canvas as she spoke. “This corner of the canvas seems to have simply been bathed in red and is completely disconnected from the mud going on here. There’s no focus and no true sense of emotion or movement.”
“Is that all?” Headmaster Jerrod asked visibly impressed.
“It’s a mess. A disappointing mess.”
Jasper looked down at his feet. Clearly, he’d underestimated her. Clearly, the childlike painting was meant to reflect her simple background and her lack of noble blood.
“Judges,” Headmaster Jerrod said as he turned to them. “Have you noted your score of this artwork?”
They all nodded.
“All right, then. Ally, you may now show us your work.”
Ally picked up her case and set it on the small pedestal set upstage beside the easel. After a prolonged gaze at the judges and a sidelong glance at Jasper, she opened the case and lifted the diamond encrusted sword for them to see.
An audible gasp came from two of the judges, while Jasper simply stared in stupefied silence. Ally set the sword down on the pedestal to allow them all the time to examine her work.
“And now, Jasper,” Headmaster Jerrod said. “It is your turn to assess her work before the judges give their scores.”
Clapping his hands together, Jasper licked his lips and came to her pedestal. Ally saw the gleam in his eyes. Regardless of what he really thought of her fine work, he intended to say just the opposite.
“Well,” he said. “What do we have here? A sword. The blade seems rough, and I think I see a dent here and there.”
Ally frowned. She knew beyond any doubt there were no dents on her sword. The blade was flawless and he knew it.
“The pommel seems off center, the grip flimsy and the guard insufficient.” Despite his criticism, he ran his fingers over the length of the blade. “The central ridge is smooth,” he said softly, seemingly forgetting where he was for a moment.
“Is that all?” Headmaster Jerrod said after a few moments of silence.
“The dragon is badly executed, and the encrusted diamonds seem to me, a little on the tacky side. I wouldn’t be caught dead carrying such a sword. I’d be a laughing stock.”
“Very well.” Once again Headmaster Jerrod turned to the judges. “You’ve noted your scores.
One of them held his hand up. “If you’ll allow, Headmaster Jerrod, we would like to see the sword up close.”
“Ally,” Headmaster Jerrod said. “Would you mind bringing the sword to the judges?”
“With pleasure.” Trying not to look too cocky, Ally proudly picked up the sword and brought it down to the judges. Their eyes widened and they all touched various parts of the sword. One even muttered under his breath how he would pay handsomely for such a piece.
After they’d all had a good look, Ally walk back onto the stage, set the sword down on the pedestal and waited.
“Was that satisfactory?” Headmaster Jerrod said.
This time, the judges all nodded.
“Then let us not waste any more time. Judges, what say you
for the abstract painting by Jasper.” He turned to Jasper. “Do you have a name for the painting?”
Jasper suddenly seemed embarrassed by his offering. “No, Sir.”
“A painting without a name,” Headmaster said to the judges.
Judge number one lifted his card to show a four, followed by a five, a three, another four and a generous six.
“Twenty-two,” Headmaster Jerrod announced. “And now for the diamond encrusted sword.”
A ten followed by another ten, and another and another and finally a nine.
“Forty-nine.” Headmaster Jerrod smiled. “We have a clear winner. Congratulations, Miss Allotrope.”
Chapter 9
Sitting atop her horse, Ally closed her eyes, tilted her head back slightly, and smiled. The light breeze caressed her skin and brought her an intense sense of joy and serenity.
“It’s a glorious day.” The late morning sun, high over the horizon, was warm and soothing, while the meadows they crossed exploded with flowers of every color. Birds chirped in the trees, bees buzzed busily on the fragrant blooms, and dragonflies fluttered around on their quest for mosquitos.
“What was that?” Jasper said, annoyed as usual.
“Oh, did I say that out loud? I was just appreciating the morning.”
It’d been a pleasant surprise when he’d knocked at her door just as she prepared to go for her morning run.
He’d bowed, the first sign of anything resembling respect that she’d seen since meeting him, and had held up a card.
“What’s that?”
He read, “Queen Jade formally invites you to spend the weekend at the Emerald Palace.”
“Oh?”
“And bring your…” He’d cleared his throat and reddened slightly. “Bring you diamond and dragon sword.”
Now, as Ally recalled his words, she swelled with pride and patted the case secured to the back of her saddle. The queen herself, wanted to see her magnificent sword. It was truly an honor. Perhaps she’d commission something for herself.
“I was just saying was a beautiful day it is,” she went on. In a good mood, she felt like simply chatting, the way she’d so often done with Kate; talking about everything and nothing in particular. “It’s lovely out here. You’re so fortunate to live in such a splendid land.”
Jasper grunted his response without looking at her.
“You know, I suspect you are actually quite a good artist, but that you, for some reason, refused to put any effort into your project for the Arts and Culture Competition. Did you want to let me win? And if so, why?”
“Do you want to know what boot I put on first, while you’re at it?” Unamused, he kept his gaze straight ahead.
“My interest lies exclusively with the competition,” she said with a giggle. “It’s just that your painting was truly beyond awful. As a third-year student… well. It’s highly improbably that you would produce something so subpar. I mean, had your professor been in attendance, he would have been appalled. He would have…”
“If you must know,” Jasper cut in, “that painting, as awful as it was, was meant to reflect my vision on you. Muddy, messy and unwanted.” Each word was hard and meant to hurt her.
Ally refused to let her good mood slide. Despite all expectations, she’d won two competition so far and was now headed to meet with the queen. Life could hardly get better.
“Well, it is clear that my diamond and dragon sword lay to rest any notion that I am muddy and messy. Though, I supposed that you would maintain that I am still unwanted.”
He grunted.
“Well,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s clear that the queen wants me.”
Jasper ignored her comment and nudged his horse into a trot until he was just far ahead enough to not hear her.
“Fine,” she said to herself. “I prefer to enjoy the ride on my own anyway.”
Twenty minutes later the tall shining towers of the Emerald Palace came into view. Surrounded by a sea of yellow flowers, the palace stood out in contrast. As they got closer, she noticed the immense stained-glass windows that lined the towers, giving them an exquisite shine. But closer still, it was clear the palace itself was built with polished stone and embellished with hundreds of emeralds.
Jasper stopped his horse at the gate and waited for her to catch up.
“I’ve never seen anything so spectacular. Every part of the palace glistens and shines.”
“Yep,” he groaned. “Try not drool, please.”
Ally stuck out her tongue and made a silly face.
“And try to act grown up and ladylike.” Jasper then nodded his intention to the guards who quickly pulled the large heavy gates back just long enough for them to ride through before closing them again.
The lane that led to the palace was lined with several huge weeping willows that gave way to smaller cedars before opening up to the front gardens, brimming with color and life.
Squirrels and chipmunks scampered by, while in the distance a small herd of dear grazed quietly in the shade. Several egrets stood in the large pond to the left, while a band of tall flamingos played in the fountain to the right.
At the front door, Ally hopped off her horse and grabbed the sword case and her small overnight bag while Jasper simply glared at her.
No matter, she thought. No matter what you say or do, you will not ruin this day.
“Queen Jade is expecting you, Prince Jasper,” the guard said as he held the massive door open. “She is in the solarium.”
Jasper entered the palace and Ally had to hurry to keep up with him. At the solarium, she was once again taken aback by the explosion of color and life. Green foliage filled the room and brought with it a lovely scent.
“Jasper,” Queen Jade called out. “Over here.”
They turned to the right to find the queen seated on a low stone wall in front of a small bush, pruners in hand.
“Is your gardener on holiday?” Jasper said.
“Don’t underestimate the benefit of playing in the dirt once in a while,” Queen Jade said. She set the pruners down, took off her gloves and rose to meet them at a large table set with tea.
Despite the down to earth activity of tending to her plants, she wore an exquisite gown of deep blue highlighted with shimmering emeralds. The effect was stunning and Ally couldn’t help but stare.
Jasper nudged his elbow into her side.
“Oh,” Ally said with a start. “Pardon me, Your Highness… um, your Majesty… um.” She curtsied but felt completely clumsy and awkward as she did so.
“You can simply call me Queen Jade, Allotrope.”
“Oh, and please, call me Ally.”
“As you wish…” Queen Jade said with a warm smile. “Ally. You may set your things over there for and Albert will bring them to your room.”
“Um.” Ally didn’t know quite how to brooch the subject. “The case is the sword. I believe you asked that I bring it.”
“Ah, yes. I heard that you’ve got quite a talent. Please, do show me before we settle down for tea.”
Ally set her overnight bag down as requested, but brought the sword case to the table and snapped it open.
“Diamonds,” the queen said as she reached out to touch the weapon. “I can now see why you won. I’ve rarely seen such expert work, such attention to detail.” She picked up the sword and brought the hilt up to her face for closer inspection. “Truly remarkable. You must be very proud of yourself.”
“I am. I believe it is my best work yet.”
“I knew you had talent, but this is more than I anticipated. Can it be used in battle?”
“Absolutely.”
Queen Jade pumped the sword up and down. “But it’s so light. It feels delicate and fragile, as though a true sword could slice right through it.”
“This is a true sword, Queen Jade. I assure you. “The light weight is due to a certain alloy I work with. It is immensely resilient and, as you can see, very easy to carry.”
�
��All right,” Jasper cut in. “Enough about the sword already. Can we sit down?”
Sore loser, Ally wanted to say. Instead, she smiled and put the sword away.
“This is by far the grandest and most beautiful home I’ve ever seen,” Ally said once she set the case beside her overnight bag. “It’s downright heavenly.”
“You are kind,” Queen Jade said as she gestured towards a chair. “Please, sit.”
Ally couldn’t tear her eyes off Queen Jade as she sat down. The woman was everything that was regal and beautiful; delicate features, porcelain skin and green eyes that rivaled any emerald in the palace. Her hands were strong yet elegant, with long tapered fingers and perfectly manicured nails. Three rings adorned her fingers; a large oval emerald surrounded by smaller diamonds, a square cut emerald set in gold and a chocolate diamond surrounded by emeralds.
“You must be wondering why I’ve invited you here for the weekend,” the queen said as a young manservant poured tea into three gold rimmed teacups.
“As a matter of fact, yes. I’ve been quite curious about everything that’s happened to me over the course of the last few weeks.”
“I wanted to know how you were faring at the Academy. Are the boys treating you all right?”
What a loaded question. How could she possibly answer that?
“They keep me on my toes,” she finally said.
Queen Jade chuckled and shot a sidelong glance at Jasper, who remained silent as usual. “I’m sure they do.”
Another manservant entered and loudly cleared his throat. “Queen Mother Jasmine returned.”
“Oh,” Queen Jade said. “Splendid timing. Please, have her join us.”
Moments later the same manservant arrived with an older, yet equally regal woman. Slightly shorter and stouter than Queen Jade, the older woman carried an air or warmth and kindness, and Ally took an instant liking to her.
“Mother,” Queen Jade said as she stood to embrace the older woman. “How was your ride out to the meadows? Did you enjoy the fresh air?”