To Win and To Lose: Chapter 1
"Give me the child."
"Sarah, beware." The enemy advanced, and continued. "I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel."
"Generous? What have you done that's generous?" Her voice was calm, cool, and almost indifferent if not for the vaguely caustic incredulity.
"Everything! Everything that you wanted I have done." He was becoming vexed now, and letting his annoyance run away with him. He forced himself back behind the impenetrable mask he always wore. "You asked that the child be taken; I took him. You cowered before me; I was frightening." His voice gained intensity. "I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you. I'm exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?"
She continued as though she hadn't heard him. She could not even for a moment contemplate the truths behind his words, or her will to do what had to be done would be lost. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom—"
"Stop! Wait. Look, Sarah. Look what I am offering you. Your dreams." He sounded so sincere, so longing, though not quite desperate yet.
"And my kingdom as great." She recited.
"I ask for so little." It's true, a voice whispered in her mind. It would be such a small sacrifice. She ignored it. She could not afford distraction, not now. "Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."
"Kingdom as great…damn. I can never remember that line."
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave."
That did it. When he uttered those simple words, her will shattered, and she faltered. "My kingdom as great…my kingdom as great!" She cried, as though repeating it was enough. Through some miracle, she remembered. "You—" but somewhere in the castle, a clock had already begun to chime. "No! This isn't supposed to happen! This isn't r—" She stopped. Her face cleared, and she tilted her head to listen to the odd noise echoing off the walls. Slowly she turned towards the steps, brushing past him like he wasn't even there and climbing them to find the source of the noise. He observed.
"Sarah," he called. She kept walking. She reached her destination, a small object wrapped in red and white stripes, and stood looking down at it as it squalled. "Sarah, what is it?"
"A child…" She knelt and lifted it from the stone ground. It quieted as she cradled it in her arms, whimpering now instead of screaming. "Darling," she said, her eyes shining as she appealed to him. "Do you think I could keep it?"
He raised an eyebrow in amused skepticism. "For what purpose?"
"Oh, I don't know…I think it would be fun to play with, to watch grow up. It has your eyes."
"I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours. You may keep him."
"Oh, good! Thank you!" She began to tickle the infant's belly with her finger, which it grabbed at happily.
"He'll need a name, sweet."
"Toby." Her voice was strong, filled with conviction. "His name is Toby."
Disclaimer: Nothing above belongs to me. Bits of it are in public domain, though, if you can spot them. :)
Author's Note: What a happy family! I hope you understand what he did. Apologies for the unoriginal title. I promise to try harder in the future.