Legacy of the Mind by H.R. Moore Page B

unparalleled council.  She was a leader but not a dictator, she was competitive, proud, stubborn, but above all compassionate.  She observed the world around her, striving not to control, but to understand.  She was a source of hope, believing in honesty and doing what was right, even when this path was the most difficult and dangerous of all.  But Christiana’s mortality was part of what made her great and her time had come, as it will for us all.  Our deep and painful loss is truly the Goddess Tatiana’s gain.’
    At the end of the funeral, the Descendants and Councillors processed out with the coffin.  Christiana’s body would be transported back to Kingdom where it would be buried alongside her ancestors.  The crowd started to disperse as soon as the procession had left the Temple and Cordelia turned to Anita and fixed her with a curious look.  ‘I didn’t realise you and Marcus were such good friends,’ she said pointedly.
    ‘We’re not,’ replied Anita. ‘Why do you say that?’ she asked offhandedly, hoping that would throw Cordelia off the scent as she got up and filed out of the Temple with everyone else.
    ‘You know just fine why I say that.  We can talk about it later,’ she said, as she had just spotted Alistair and Bas and started making her way over to them.  Anita was following in her wake, totally preoccupied by thoughts of Marcus’ alluring gaze when she felt someone’s presence in front of her.  She looked up to see Marcus standing in her path and felt her energy immediately respond.  Get.  A.  Grip. Anita.  She counseled inwardly.
    ‘Hi,’ he said.
    ‘Hi,’ Anita replied eyeing him with a ‘can I help you?’ kind of look.
    ‘I was just wondering if you’d given any more thought to my invitation?’
    ‘Oh, was that what it was?’ she asked, feigning surprise, ‘you see I was under the impression that it was more of a command then an invitation.’
    Marcus looked back at her, a disorientated look morphing into a playful one.  ‘I see.  Well for that I must apologise Anita, I should clearly make an effort to clarify.  Anita, Champion of the Chase, would you do me the exceptional honour of attending the ball with me?’ he asked in a flamboyant, dramatic way.
    ‘I’m not sure that invitation was afforded the level of gravity I would expect for something so important.  How am I to know your invitation is earnest?’ she flirted back.
    ‘You’re concern is the sincerity of my proposal?’ Marcus responded, although Anita wasn’t quite sure if he was jesting or not.
    ‘There is a certain delicious frivolity to it,’ she replied, not really expecting to take the flirting to quite this level in such a public place, ‘but I suspect your invitation is genuine.’
    ‘Well in which case…’ he said looking expectantly at Anita.
    Anita paused, considering how to respond.  Should she say yes?  Cleo would certainly be happy.  She tilted her head up towards his, looked searchingly into his eyes.  It strongly reminded her of their encounter by the river and she could see in his eyes that it had brought it back for him as well.  Luckily, at that moment Austin’s voice came booming across their thoughts.
    ‘Marcus.  There you are,’ he said, seeing Anita as he reached where they stood.  ‘Ah the champion.  How are you Anita?’
    ‘Very well thank you Austin, and you?’
    ‘Yes, yes, very well,’ he replied affectedly, before casting her aside.  ‘Come on Marcus, we have a lunch to get to.’  And without another word Austin dragged Marcus after him, Marcus briefly looking back at Anita who mouthed the word ‘maybe’ at him as he departed.
    Anita felt elated as she spotted Alistair, Bas and Cordelia and made her way over to them.  She had managed to put off giving Marcus an answer for a bit longer and come out on top of that little interaction.  ‘Where have you been?’ Cordelia questioned suspiciously as Anita joined them.
    ‘I just spotted a