Lor Mandela - Destruction from Twins by L Carroll

feeling
uneasy about the mysterious stare-down. “Is there something wrong,
Aton?” she finally asked.
    “No,” he snipped curtly.
    “Um . . . all right then,”
she replied, “why don't I go to the kitchens and round something up for the
three of us?” She didn't wait for an answer from either of them.
She quickly backed out of the room, frowning at the aton as she
went.
    “What was that all about?” Gracielle
demanded, as soon as Ultara was out of earshot.
    “What?”
    “What? ” she blurted. “You were eyeing her like she was some kind of
criminal, Jonathan!”
    “No, I wasn't,” he insisted, “That’s
silly.”
    Gracielle gaped at him in disbelief. “What
is wrong with you?” She threw her hands up in exasperation and
stomped to the other side of the room.
    “Okay,” Jonathan sighed, “maybe I was giving
her a look; but you have to understand, Graci.”
    “Understand what?” She turned to face him,
folded her arms, and tilted her head to one side.
    He explained, “Last night, I was meeting
with father, when Darian . . . .”
    “Darian?” Gracielle interrupted. She knew
that if this had to do with both Darian and Ultara, it could not be
good.
    Jonathan continued, “Yes, Darian. He came to
see us.”
    He told Gracielle all about Darian's visit,
and how he'd warned that Ultara was planning an attack.
    “Impossible!” Gracielle retorted. “He's just
trying to stir things up! He can't stand the fact that she's more
powerful than him now!” She couldn't believe that her entrusted
would listen to a word Darian of Brashnell had to say.
    Jonathan ran over to the door and peeked out
into the hall. Ultara was nowhere in sight. “Graci, after Darian
left Father confided that even your mother warned him about
Ultara—told him that she needed to be watched.”
    “Oh, I see. So that's what you were doing,
huh? Watching her?” Gracielle glared at him angrily and shook her
head. “Honestly, Jonathan. You'd better check our food when she
brings it back . . . make sure it's not poisoned!”
    “Gracielle!” Jonathan snapped. “I'm just
trying to protect you . . . and the baby!”
    Gracielle, who was pacing irately, stopped
in her tracks. She realized that her emotions were being stirred by
events of which Jonathan wasn't even aware, and that he was only
acting out of concern for her and their unborn child.
    “You're right. I’m sorry,” she sighed as she
walked over to hug him. “You know, I saw Ultara do some pretty
amazing things yesterday. She actually saved me and the baby from
Anika.” She embraced him tightly. “I don't think she would do
anything to harm us.”
    “I know,” Jonathan resigned. “I don't really
think so either. It's just . . . I have to be careful.”
    He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek
as there was a faint rap on the door and it slowly creaked open.
Ultara strolled through the door pulling a cart full of food and
holding a folded piece of paper in her hand. She smiled slyly at
Jonathan. “I didn't know what you wanted, so I had them give me
three of everything.”
    “Hey, Ultara, I'm sorry I was such a grump
before,” Jonathan apologized. “I guess I'm not very pleasant when I
first wake up.”
    Ultara nodded as she unfolded the paper in
her hand and started reading it. “Don’t worry about it, Aton. We
all have our . . .” Suddenly, she became quite engrossed in the
letter. “Um . . . uh . . . forgive me,” she stammered. “I . . . I
have to . . . uh . . . I have to get back to the palace, this
instant!”
    “Is everything all right?” Gracielle
asked.
    Ultara shook her head and fumbled with the
handle on the door. “I can’t . . . I'll . . . I’ll talk to you
after the council meeting. I have to go!” She raced out of the
room, slamming the door behind her.
    “That was strange,” Jonathan said.
    “Yeah . . . I hope every thing's all right.
I’ve never seen Ultara get ruffled like that.”
    “Oh, don’t worry,” Jonathan