Glory the Beautiful Twin

Glory was such a beautiful figure, sitting by her self with the skirt arranged around her, the shades of pale ice and silver seeming to mold features and forms that shouldn’t exist in a human form. She was beautiful, and as people gazed at her in awe, she held such a mysterious, cool mask over her features that no one would have guessed she was human. It was more then that, though. People were proud of her, and in some ways they did not want her to be human. They didn’t want to know that the woman they admired so much was real, a living breathing creature who would grow old and die.

When the most beautiful woman of the eastern kingdom dies, who takes over as heir apparent?

Her name was Glory, a name from the western courts but it suited here. They had a flower here, called Western Glory and it was a bright blooming creature that faded so quickly, no one dared to cut it from it’s branch. On the tree itself harsh daggers and thick evil surrounded it leaves—but she was not like that. No one believed this woman to be anything more then a passive doll.

“Thank you for seeing me.” The woman murmured, breathless and Glory looked up, a slight gesture of her eyes as they seemed to hit the light. Her skin was pale, and although the rays of the sun danced upon her flesh, adding a pale golden light it did not seem to burn her, it did not mark her the way it should have. Sitting there, she smiled and a stray lock of raven hair escaped from the intricate headpiece. Before Glory could reach for it, tuck it behind her ear the way any lady would have done, one of the maids standing behind her immediately rushed forewords and pinned it up again. The jewels sitting on her forehead were heavy—there was not way they would not leave an imprint, but Glory gestured and woman as if she was not dragged down by heavy silk, as if she was not being changed by garments of beauty.

Every week, on the seventh day she sat in court and for once, it was as if she was the Dowager Empress. People came to see her, to bask in her presence. Ordinary people who would normally not be allowed in the same room. Of course, the nobility seemed to get kicks out of this, treating it as an official service and so every day, on the seventh she would sit among people and speak to them, as if she was some empress. As a child, she had never expected this role—who did? But it had happened naturally. The most beautiful woman in that time had been a servant companion, but she had been so striking no one had cared for her rank. It proved, how superficial courts could be—but it did not matter, not really.

“The day is drawing to a close, my lady.” One of the guards murmured. Glory lifted her head like a delicate flower and looked out the window to see that yes, the sun was setting. The people in here were few, and many hid looks of disappointment that they could not speak to her. It was not her, precisely that her wanted, but just the fact that they could go home and say ‘yes, the most beautiful woman in the world admires my … insert word here…’. Glory lifted her head, and smiled. It was the smallest of smiles, only enough to cause a slight curl to her crimson lips but it was enough to have people smile back. Even the guards who had been standing for an entire day smiled, and their hearts felt lightened.

“Until the sun sets, then.” Her voice was melodious as she purred these words, and she turned back to the woman she as speaking to. “Please, continue.” She urged gently.

When the sun set, and everyone was taken back to their rooms and to their villages the doors were being closed and everyone was leaving. Glory sat there, sat in the silk mat and she did not rise. As people left, the maids lit the lights and as was habit, they bowed.

“We will be departing now.” The maids did not understand why she never wanted companionship at night, why she only left every each and every one had gone from the halls- but they did not question it. Partially, because it added to her mystery and they liked having her shrouded in mystery.

“Thank you.” She said quietly, nodding her head, and watched them go. She waited a few moments until she could no longer hear the footsteps and then she called out. “All right you buggers. Come out and help me strip out of these things. I think I’ve lost me legs.” While her voice was still pretty, there was a husky, lively quality to it as she raised her head and turned to the direction of the tapestries. A long time ago, one of the Emperors had installed a secret passage which was only known by three people. Her, her twin brother and the Crown Prince.

Laughter echoed from the hall as the two men stepped out. “Jeez, I was going to roll over laughing when you started going on about how fair that ugly woman’s skin was.” Her brother, Avander who was probably just as pretty as she was smirked, stepping in with his sword lying on his side, and his hair slightly messed up.

She made a face. “I’m supposed to compliment every person. That’s why they come. To get an ego boost.” She groaned as she tried to lift the small crown from her head only to find it was fastened with pins. “This is a curse, I tell you.”

“You should never judge beauty to be a curse.” The crown prince said serenely, stepping forewords and helping her out of the crown about the same time Avander drew all the drapes. No one would see them- everyone valued the wishes of a beautiful woman, but Avander was still protective.

Glory groaned with gratitude as the bulk was lifted off her shoulders, and then sniffed. “That servant companion never told me what hell it was.” As she tugged off the layers upon layers, feeling the jewel encrusted clothing fall away from her weary shoulders she let out a satisfied sigh. “Did you remember to bring something to eat?” her voice was so hopeful that her brother stopped at his task and began to laugh.

“If only they could see you… the most beautiful woman in the world going crazy over a couple of meat buns.” He tossed her the fragrant bag and she caught it in mid air, grinning as she did so. Stretching out her legs and wriggling her toes to bring back some life into the dead stumps, Rei promptly sat next to her and began to massage her circulation back into her feet. It was something that anyone would be horrified at- to see the crown prince massaging a woman’s feet! But they were alone, and she needed it badly. She sighed with pleasure.

“Food and my masseuse.” She teased. “What more could a girl ask for?” she leaned back against the hard square pillow, and closed her eyes. “Sometimes I think I would like to eat all the food in the world and get fat and give this position up to the one person I hate the most.”

“Now, you don’t mean that.” Avander sat behind her and began gently pulling out the pins. What the two men were doing were very feminine tasks, and while ordinarily a woman’s serving maids would have done them, it all always been this way between the three companions. They had been together since they were children, and so once Glory had become this… this statue, they had cared for her as if she was their sister. Well, in Avander’s case she was.

No one would really have expected such a demure, perfect looking woman to be such a lively, ordinary young girl. As she lay there, chewing on food and exchanging banter with her brother and almost brother, there was something relaxed, at ease about her that seemed to be at odds with the thick make up on her face.

“A woman can live now.” She sighed, crushing the bag in her hands and getting her fingertips covered in a soft scented oil. “Now if only someone bought something to drink?”

Rei chuckled, reaching inside one of his scabbards and instead of drawing a sword, drew out a long, elongated vile of rice wine. This had the woman chuckle.

“That is the best invention since chocolate of the Western Courts.” She said, pulling it over. “I bet you in the wars, that’s what the men really went out carrying.”

Avander shook his head, smiling as his sister downed the wine in one gulp. In many ways she was a perfect woman, but in others she was more like a kid, a brother and he shook his head with admiration. “I never know how you manage to down that stuff, and then walk a straight line.”

She wrinkled her nose at him in reply. “That’s because you have a weaker stomach, brother dear.” She said sweetly, and turned back, handing the vial back to Rei Sol. “We have to get away from this, though.”

Avander nodded, and his eyes twinkled as he did so. “How do you suggest we do that?” he asked, his tone teasing. “Switch places and pretend I’m the girl for once?”

Rei Sol began to laugh. “Oh gods no.” he said in mock horror. “Any man who saw you dressed as a woman would be put off the gentle species for ever.”

He was smacked by the crumpled paper bag in response, but they were all too busy laughing to care.

That incident had been about a month ago. Now, as the most beautiful woman of the Eastern courts looked over the surroundings she did not recognize, she could not help but feel a sense of bemusement. The high towering mountains both blocked her views in some areas, and left such stunning sights that she was breathless. She stood there looking over it all, drinking in the wild rugged splendor and couldn’t help but let out a wistful sigh. Here these mountains stood, calmly stating their dominance and their beauty, and here she was, a woman who had once been celebrated for her beauty… it did not make sense, not really. Why had any one decided she had the right, and had the arrogance to proclaim herself most beautiful? Compared to nature itself, women were drab things. She smiled, shaking her head and laughing a little as she ran her hands over the edge of the sill, watching as a mountain dragon swooped over the currents and disappeared in the clouds above. Her look instantly turned hungry, wistful as she saw it.

She was here as a candidate, a trainee, a bonder. What ever word they were tossing in her direction next. She had been unsure about it at first—because surely she did not have the training? But her brother was standing somewhere else as well, and so was her oldest friend, Rei Sol… and surely, surely if they could do it, she could as well?

They had once promised never to leave one of them behind, in anything and while they had kept the promise so far… she shivered as she felt an unexpected burst of air. What would happen now?