The Mistborn and the Masked Brigade *mistborn fanfic*

Chapter 7--On the Rooftop

"If men should read these words, let them know that power is a heavy burden. Seek not to be bound by its chains." --Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn: The Final Empire

Her father didn't go far.  He waited on the manor roof, his back facing the garden.  Looking out onto Elendel.  Apondrea grunted as she pushed herself upwards to join him.  She landed gracefully beside him.  She sat down, peering at her father with interest.  They'd never taken their lessons outside.

"Mother won't like this one bit."  A bit of wonderment crept into the princess's voice. 

The fact that her mother "wouldn't like" their mistborn daughter using her powers outside that training shed was an understatement.  Beldre would go ballistic if she ever got word of her father doing something like this. 

The Lord Mistborn didn't turn toward her as he said."Your mother, while unfailingly wise in many things, can also be.....overly careful....when it comes to your training."

Apondrea's heart began to beat a little faster.  She sat down beside her father on the roof.  The view was secretly one of her favorites.  At night the gas lamps would make the city citiadels into silluoutes and everyday homes would be cast in a mysterious glow.  She'd never seen it in daylight though.  The sunshine showed a myriad of buildings clustered together with the faint noise of trotting horses echoing in her ears.  If not for the height and the sweeping countryside that surrounded the Basin, the view would've been disappointing.     

"So are you going to start training me in the city now?" She asked after a minute.

"Maybe.  Something tells me that your ready for this next step, but I'm hesitant for obvious reasons."

A shard of guilt poked at Apondrea.  She'd not only practiced in the city before, she'd put herself in imminent danger.  She disobeyed her parents every time she went into the city at night.  If her father ever found out....that might as well be the end of her freedom.  

"I can handle myself father."  It was all she felt right in saying.     

"I know.  It's the others I'm worried about." 

"What others?"

Her father didn't answer.  The Lord Mistborn only glanced at her once, regret emanating from him.  He'd mentioned something he shouldn't have.  He wouldn't tell her no matter how hard she pushed, that she knew from past experience.  So, she decided to change the subject for him.

"Father, do you remember that court case you let me sit in on awhile ago?"

The Lord Mistborn seemed relived at the change of subject.  "Which one?  You'll have to be more specific Peanut. "

Apondrea frowned at the old nickname, but didn't remark on it.  It would only distract from her true purpose.  "The one two weeks ago Father.  The one with the apprentice treasurer who committed fraud." 

Her father nodded. "He was sentenced to a life a prison."

"That seems a bit harsh, doesn't it?"  Thanks to her studies in Basin law, she knew the normal punishment for fraud was a fine and ten years in prison.  Not a life sentence. 

"No, not at all.  This man had other, more serious, charges brought to him at an earlier date."

"What charges?"

"None that should be spoken aloud."

The princess frowned.  "That sounds like an excuse father.  An excuse to keep an innocent man in prison."  

 "Why would I want an innocent man in prison?" He stated calmly.

"Because you can't find the real culprit and you need to blame it on someone."

Her father said nothing, just continued to stare at her without expression. 

Finally, he spoke.  "You may be a woman of society now, but don't stat thinking you have nothing left to learn.  Some things must be kept secret, even from princesses.  I do everything in my power to protect my family and the people of the Basin.  That is all you need know."

What was the use of being a princess if one didn't have access to information?  Information she had a right to know!  She never thought that her father was the type of person to condemn an innocent, but maybe......

Apondrea took a long look at her father.  She really looked at him, maybe for the first time in her life.  What she saw surprised her.....the Lord Mistborn....

...was tired. 

Exhausted actually.  His normally bright eyes were dull, there were bags beneath them.  His perpetual youthful face had started to show signs of middle age.  Whispers of wrinkles showed on his forehead.  Her father was tired.  He had been the head of government for twenty years, it was understandable.  But...the little girl in her had never thought it would happen.  That her father would ever even begin to get older.  

That just meant that this situation was her responsibility.  Apondrea would do all the leg work.  She would prove that this man was innocent.  She would break him out of prison and find out what really happened.  She'd find a way to prove it everyone.

And she'd make her father proud while doing it. 

---

"How young she is." Spook  found himself thinking.  "Although, they never think of themselves that way."

His daughter sat beside him.  She'd studied him a moment ago, obviously pondering what he'd said.  Rolling those words over and over in that sharp mind of hers.  He knew how determined his third born was, she'd stop at nothing to get answers.  Just like himself at that age, always needing to prove something to someone.  He could only hope it didn't get her into trouble.  After staring for a few moments she'd looked away, turning her gaze back over Elendel.  

Spook wished he could tell her everything.  Tell her every danger, every threat, everything she wanted to know.  But he couldn't, for various complicated reasons.  It would put her in danger, and that was the last thing any sane father wanted.  If that meant he had to withhold things from her, then so be it.

It was a small price to pay for her safety.  

Still, a part of the Spook knew his daughter.  He knew of the impatient fire that ran through her veins, that need to be useful to any cause she was passionate about.  Apondrea would find trouble whether he liked it or not.

He only hoped that when trouble came, she was strong enough.

He would only stop worrying when she was invincible.

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SUNDAY AS I PROMISED.  YAY. I hope you enjoyed it!!  If you couldn't tell, this chapter and the last should've been one chapter, but I wanted to put something out for y'all!  I'm trying to set everything up, but I'm sorry if it's coming slowly.  It'll pick up soon!  ^_^  Meanwhile, visited our old buddy Spook, I actually really like writing his POV.  Maybe I'll do it again?   You tell me!

Thanks for sticking with me, as always. :)  Till next time my Mistings!  --EV <3