A Strong Alliance
by Sasi In Wonderland
Fingertips were stroking over the piano tiles elegantly as she was playing her favourite song "Then you'll remember me". She closed her eyes listening to her own playing feeling as she was taking back in time when she was small and her father, Crawford Starrick, was sitting next to her on the piano teaching her how to play. He always said she was a talented girl and learned very quickly. Indeed it was true Gwendolyn Starrick learned everything quickly. Playing Piano, reading, writing.
She continued playing and sang quietly for herself. She missed her father, she really did. She also missed her mother but not as much as she missed him. Even though she wasn't living alone in the Starrick Mansion, something was missing it still felt lonely. She sighed at the thought of her own life which she was living so far. Her parents got killed, her lover left her. The only ones around her were Clara, a girl she safed from her miserable life working in a factory under inhuman conditions and Maxwell Roth, whom she didn't trust fully since she knew that he blewed up children. That was something she hated more than anything else. No one should hurt or treat bad children. They were innocent and helpless. Something that needs protection something fragile.
Gwendolyns Life before her parents got killed never was bad neither was it perfect. But she lived like a princess. She had everything she wished for. But only material stuff. Of course she also had the love of her father but he barely was there. Gwen knew he was a business man and had a lot of meetings and other stuff to do so he was only able to visit her once or twice a month. Her Mother, Lucy Thorne only visited her once a month. So Gwen used to be alone most of the time. She played piano, wrote stories and read a lot. Yet she was a bird in a golden cage.
"I wonder if i ever broke out of that cage..." Gwen mumbled to herself as she opened her eyes and stared at the piano tiles. "Father...? Are you watching me...? Are you proud of me...?" she looked outside the window. It was raining. "Or are you crying, missing me like i do miss you...?" She asked while staring into the rain. Gwendolyn was a locked up girl. She never spoke much or made any jokes. No one ever knew what was going on inside of her. She was like a book which you couldn't open up to read it. Gwendolyn was teared out of her thoughts as she heard the door bell. It was already late and she wasn't expecting any visit. Roth wasn't in the mansion so it could be him. Clara was not at home either she was visiting a friend. Gwen grabbed a rifle and slowly went to the door.
She opened it and quickly aimed at the man who was standing in front of the door. It was a stranger. She didn't knew him. "Miss...could you please take down the rifle...?" the man asked in a calm tone. "May i know who you are? And why you are here in such a late hour?" Gwen asked and raised an eyebrow. She eyed him up. He seemed to be in transit a long time his coat was dripping from the rain. "Miss Starrick i assume...?" He asked. "It may sound strange but... we are related." the man asked. "Yes i am Gwendolyn Starrick. And no, my family is dead i do not have any relatives. Have a good evening." she said and wanted to close the door. The man layed his hands on the door to prevent it from closing. "Please, Miss... My name is Charles Lee, may i come in...? I can explain everything!" Gwen sighed and opened the door. "Okay fine. But don't you dare to lie to me." she warned, still pointing the rifle at him. Charles took off his coat and layed it over a chair inside the house "I wouldn't dare" he said while stepping along the hallway following Gwen into the living room. He looked around "Still looks like in my younger days..." he mumbled. "Excuse me?" Gwen said. "Nothing..." Charles said. "Sit down." Gwen commanded. Charles sat down at the chair which she was pointing at. She also sat down at the counterpart couch and laid the rifle down on a table which was standing next to the couch. "Please excuse me that i didn't announce my visit..." Charles said. "You better should have." Gwen said. "Where is Crawford?" Charles asked looking around searching for any sign of him. It hit Gwen like a gunshot into her heart. "He is gone." She said coldly. "Gone...? Where to?" he asked her. Gwen looked into his eyes "Dead." she said the word like a curse looking coldly. "Dead...?" Charles asked. "Sincere Condolences...i should have come earlier...how did that happen...?" he asked. "With all due respect, Sir, i don't know you. You are a stranger to me... what do you even want from me? You waste my time." Gwen said. "I'm sorry Miss Starrick...please let me explain everything... Crawford is... was my cousin..." Charles said. Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Your cousin...? How do i know that this isn't a lie...?" Gwen asked suspicious. "Wait a minute.." Lee said looking for something inside his pockets. He pulled out a picture and handed it over to her. Gwen looked down at the picture. "This is me and Crawford when we were children. I came over more often to visit him years ago but since i am in the templar order i reduced the visits in cause of the business and the missions i have to do... now i regret everything... i even didn't knew he had a daughter until i heard the rumors...he told me that he was expecting a child but i thought it was a joke of him..." Charles said. Gwen looked at him stunned. "A joke...?" she asked. "No... i wasn't a joke... actually i was locked up in another house with housekeepers to keep me away from the war... father never wanted me to get dragged into it..." She looked away. "He locked you up...? Well... it didn't work it seems... Blighters are still on the streets." She looked at him "He never treated me bad if you think that... it was just... complicated...Father and the whole order was killed off by the so called Frye-Twins... the order was destroyed... i needed to rebuild it and it was not easy..." She held her head. Charled looked worried at her "Are you alright...?" Gwen stood up. "Sorry Mr. Lee, this is all too much for me..." she said walking over to the piano to sit down and play it. "Charles, please...call me Charles..." Lee said a bit insecure about what he should do. He could literally feel the pain of his second cousin in the air. Gwen looked at him and nodded then she closed her eyes and continued playing. It was a symphony full of sorrow. Charles sighed and walked over to sit next to Gwen. She was lost in her thoughts again playing the notes out of her mind. Her lips opened slightly singing her fathers' song. Charles listened to her singing and looked at her examining her. She indeed resembled her father. Not only her character but also her appearance. Her long dark hair was tied up to a bun with a few loosened strands, her dark eyes...Charles wondered if she was living all alone in the mansion. He knew from his childhood that the house was very big. He used to play hide and seek with Crawford for hours back then. He also wondered how she did manage everything. The thought of her managing everything all alone, the death of her parents, the rebuilding of the order, brought a sting into his heart. She was still playing the song as he layed his hand over one of Gwens delicate hands which were over the tiles. She stopped playing abrupt. "I can't do this all... it's too much..." she mumbled. Charles softly grabbed her arm pulling her into a close embrace. "I know, Gwendolyn... and it's okay, no one expects everything from you, you are only human... it's natural..." he said softly. "My father expects that from me..." she mumbled with a broken voice. Charles shook his head "No father would expect all this from his child... furthermore... look at all the things you gained... Crawford would be more than proud of you...". At this moment the whole tension in Gwendolyns heart fell apart into thousands of shattered pieces. Charles could feel his second cousins tears soaking into his clothes. He held her even tighter stroking her back. "Gwendolyn, i will help you with everything i can... we will take revenge, i promise you." Gwen didn't cry loudly she was silent only tears were pouring out of her eyes. "Promise me not to die..." she whispered. "I won't, i will stay with you and no one will avoid me from doing that..." he said and kissed her forehead. Gwen leaned against Charles while he stroked her soft hair and for a minute it felt like she sat right next to her father.