Forgive and Forget- chapter One
Revelations
I obviously don't own Stardust or anything connected with it, but I own Ariel and Aiken, and this storyline.
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The guard outside of the jail cell looked up incredulously upon hearing a loud slapping sound. Peering into the cell, he noticed that the female prisoner was sitting on top of the man with the dark hair, and the noise ha had heard had been her slapping him around the face. Not that he felt it- he was completely unconscious. Confused, he wondered whether to speak to her, but promptly decided to leave her to it- Queen Aiken was very particular when it came to the keeping of prisoners, and unauthorized conversation with them was probably very punishable. He winced as another slapping sound echoed in the dungeon.
"Wake up!" Ariel slapped Septimus again, harder this time. He stirred, then reluctantly opened his eyes and blinked groggily.
"Finally! How long were you going to make me wait!" she rolled off of him and stood up, folding her arms.
Septimus sat up slowly, squinting and rubbing his head where one of the guards had hit him- the cause of his unconsciousness. Blinking again, he suddenly realized his situation.
"You need not look at me like you want to kill me, I was just trying to wake you up so we can get out of her," Ariel said indignantly.
" Has it ever occurred to you that there are gentler, more intelligent ways of trying to encourage unconsciousness to relinquish its' hold on a man?"
"Like what?"
"Well not whacking in the head for a start."
"You're awake aren't you?"
Septimus sighed grumpily and stood up, swaying unsteadily.
"Are we in the dungeon?" he said, suddenly surprised.
"Yep. Aiken's guards are convinced that we are an assassination party, and one in particular was very rude about it."
He looked confused, trying to remember what had happened.
"What did he say?"
"Its not important. What is important is that you hit him and caused a huge incident and then he knocked you out with a vase and we got thrown in here and you decided to go sleepy byes, hence the slapping."
"I did not decide to go 'sleepy byes,' I was knocked out." He began to stride up and down the cell, looking slightly menacing. Septimus was a frightening and dangerous man at the best of times- and given the present circumstances he was not to be reckoned with.
"Where is Aiken now?" His voice was husky and low, and his face looked even darker than usual in the dim light of the cell.
"She was out riding when we arrived. Should be back any second. Ah, speak of the devil."
The heavy doors of the dungeon opened noisily, a guard on either side, and a self-important little man unlocked their cell, instructing them pompously to follow him. A few minutes later they stood side by side in the great hall of the castle, facing Queen Aiken herself. Ariel had not expected her to be so beautiful. Her reputation suggested otherwise- she had expected a butch, buxom woman with a low voice and cruel eyes, but this was not what she saw. Aiken was tall and thin, with beautiful gold curls and a pale, lovely face. She sat upright in a tall golden chair, her hands placed delicately in her lap. She smiled angelically- and that was when Ariel saw it. She was a little too angelic. Looking at Septimus, she was disappointed to see that he was transfixed. He stepped forwards, knelt beside her and kissed her hand. She nodded at him, pleased with the attention he was paying her. She then turned to look at Ariel.
"And who is this that you have brought with you? Is she a member of your party?" the Queen smiled sweetly, as Septimus followed her gaze to Ariel.
"Oh, forgive me; this is Ariel, a member of my court. She accompanied me to your land as she has a friend here."
"Wonderful. I apologize, Septimus, for the way you were treated. My guards are prone to a little over excitement, but they do a good job protecting me."
Ariel watched as the Queen kept Septimus under her spell- for that was exactly what it seemed like. Something was wrong, she could feel it. But it looked as though she was alone in this. Every man in the hall was captivated by this strange woman, with all her power and her beauty. Suddenly she wanted to be back in Stormhold, back with Una in the castle.
Then she heard it. The one thing that threatened her very existence. If Septimus ever found out she would be dead within seconds, and if it weren't him it would be someone else. But here it was, the threat once again alive.
"I rode out last week and heard someone say it. Apparently she's alive. The only one left of the Galahan family. If it's true, she must be found. I needn't remind you of the implications of her being alive upon Stormhold, if she were to resurface." Septimus looked troubled, and turned from Aiken to stare out of the window at her kingdom. Ariel stood very still, not trusting herself to speak to either of them.
" So this is what you wanted to see me about?"
"Yes." She shifted a little, tilting her head slightly. "I thought you ought to know."
"Hmm." He frowned, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword, which hung from his belt.
"You are right. She must be found. I cannot risk the return of the Galahans to Stormhold, as I'm sure, you cannot either."
"Naturally. I have begun the search for her here, I have snouts in the streets and the fields, and if she is here she will be found."
Septimus turned swiftly, looking at her.
"I must go now, and do the same in my kingdom. Thank you, Queen Aiken, for this information."
He bowed to her, as she did to him, and the doors of the hall were opened for him. Ariel followed him slowly, feeling numb and frozen. She was surprised that she could get her legs to work, but realized that she must. If all of Aiken's kingdom knew that the last Galahan was alive, then getting back to Stormhold could be very difficult.
"Septimus?"
Ariel jumped as the Queen called softly to him, and he paused abruptly.
"If I find her, I could deal with her myself, but I am sure that you would prefer it if I turned her over to you."
He stood very still, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
"Yes, your majesty, I would."
A shiver ran down Ariel's spine at the tone of his voice. She was in trouble. Big trouble. If he found out, she would not stand a chance.
She was suddenly aware of Queen Aiken's gaze, resting intently on her.
"Take care, Ariel. And be careful." Her sickly sweet voice sent a second shiver through Ariel, as she tried to look the Queen in the eye steadily.
"I will, thank you your majesty."
The ride home was silent. Clearly the revelation about the last Galahan was extremely important to Septimus, and it had put him in a very bad mood. He snapped at his men, and at her, either snapped at them or ignored them completely. They rode very fast- his horse bore the brunt of his agitation, and the troubled frown never left his face. She did not know what to do, what to say. If she stayed in Stormhold she would almost certainly be found, but if she ran away it would look very obvious, and the connection would be easily made between her and the last Galahan. She had chosen to come to Stormhold because that was what her father had told her to do, when he had given up his own life to save hers. But now, thanks to beautiful, sweet Queen Aiken, her life was once again under threat, and her existence in Stormhold must come to an end.
Looking across at Septimus, she made up her mind. She would have to go. To get beyond the lands where she would be known, to escape her fate once again. And to hope, above all, that he never found out who she truly was.