Better to Die in Your Arms - Chapter 1 - Falling
Florina felt herself being dragged by the two burly men who had captured her. Flanked on both sides tightly, she made little attempt to struggle. Her vision was already blurred from the loss of blood from the arrows. The blood had stopped flowing, yet the gaping wounds were still there, red and obvious. There was a large bloodstain on the side of her white dress, dyeing it crimson.
"Hurry up," one of the men snapped fiercely, giving her a tug to pull her forward. "The Reed brothers do not have time to mess with your spoilt behaviour."
Florina choked back a scream of pain as one of the wounds tore apart and started bleeding once more; but quickened her steps. She did not know anything of the men; or of the place they were bringing her to; or what they might do to her. Wondering how much blood she had already lost, she made a silent prayer.
They walked down the dark corridor briskly, rounded the corner and stopped before a sturdy oaken door.
Through her hazy vision, she could make out the throne at the far end of the room, where a blond man sat regally, with a green-haired girl on one side and a fearsome-looking hero with auburn hair.
Flinging her roughly onto the marble floor, on of the two men bowed and asked, "Shall we leave her here, milord?"
"Yes, attend to your other duties now," the blond man smiled and answered with a wave of his hand.
Another bow, and the door closed heavily.
"Well, well…" the man leant back comfortably on his throne and spoke. There was a soft gentle feel in his voice, something that resembled Lord Eliwood: a quiet, natural dictatorship. "A captive from Eliwood of Pherea's grand Elite. So, would you mind telling us your name?"
"…" Florina made a weak attempt to speak. The sharp pain shooting from her wound made it difficult for her to draw another breath. She knew she was gasping. A trail of blood ran down her side of her leg, mingling was the royal red of the carpet.
"You're injured!" The green-haired girl hopped down from where she stood and started to run towards her. "Are you alright? Should I call the healers for you?"
The auburn-haired hero laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Nino, don't. Wait till she speaks. You can never know whether she is putting up an act and has a dagger or short sword hidden in her dress somewhere."
"But-" Nino protested.
"She's not faking it, Linus. Look at the paleness of her face and her lips. They are almost blue," the blond male said. Stepping down from his throne, he walked over to her and held out his hand. "Here, take my hand and stand up. I'll send for a healer when you tell us who you are." His words were like a lullaby, smooth and comforting, so much so that Florina practically felt herself believing in him.
Her natural instincts kicked in again and she retracted her hand fearfully. There was untold terror written on her face.
"Trust me. Take my hand, I won't hurt you," he reached out and grabbed her hand and attempted to pull her up.
Another spasm of pain shot out from her waist. "I-I-I-" She tried to speak. In normal situations, her entire face would be flushed till it resembled an overripe cherry; but the deathly pallor relieved her of any colour.
"Lloyd, don't you think that this is slightly exaggerated?" Linus scratched his head. "After all, it was merely two arrows."
"That's you, Linus," Lloyd retorted. "I have a job for you: go find the healers, wherever they are." Gripping Florina firmly on waist, he asked her, "Can you tell us the slightest bit about yourself?"
Her head was spinning from the exchange of words, even though they were mere sentences. She tried to speak desperately, but the only thing that would come out of her lips was a soft moan. The blood was pouring faster now from her wound, the trickle down her leg had now turned into a flood, staining her boots and dress with a fresh scarlet hue. Her heart was pumping furiously, trying to ease the blood loss, each pump resounding strongly in her ears. The red miasma swirled before her eyes. Her legs were giving way, she knew it. "I-" She uttered feebly.
"What?" Lloyd leant closer to her.
Straining to stand, she made another attempt to talk, but failed. The red miasma was becoming thicker and thicker, till it practically covered the entirety of her vision.
The last thing she could remember was Nino's shriek as she collapsed in Lloyd's arms.
The soft light streamed in through the pale ivory gauze hanging on the window.
Florina blinked once or twice and tried to sit up.
She could still feel strain of her flesh as the wound sent out sharp darts of dull pain though her nerves.
Flipping the bed sheets aside, she examined her wounds. A highly- experienced healer had meticulously healed the gashes, but the scars would probably stay there for six months before they would reluctantly fade away.
Then she finally noticed her surroundings.
She was lying on a strange bed in a strange but well-furnished room. The bloodied pegasus knight uniform had been taken from her and now lay on the armchair nearby, in a neatly folded pile. Her armour was arranged neatly on top of her clothes.
Amused, she tugged at the silken sheets around her. Never had she ever dreamt that she would lie in her undergarments in the hideout of her enemies.
A gentle knock on the door broke her thoughts.
Lying back on the bed and covering herself with the sheets, she called, "come in!"
Nino entered with a bundle of clothing in her arms. "Hello! Remember me? I'm Nino. Lloyd and Linus told me to come and bring you some stuff to wear since your own clothes are dirty. Here! Perhaps you could try on these. They might fit you."
Florina held up the blouse and skirt and scrutinised them for a moment. The pieces of clothing were made of fine materials and were well designed, but there were evident signs that they had been worn before. The blouse's cotton was slightly thinner than it ought to be when brand-new and the skirt's hem had been mended once, but the workmanship was so intricate that it could hardly be seen at all.
"Who used to wear these?" Florina asked.
"I think it was Lloyd and Linus' mother. She's dead now, though," Nino said, getting a pair of white leather boats. "This should go well with the entire set." She smiled. "I'll get your breakfast tray while you change, okay?"
Freshly dressed, Florina walked down the aisle behind Nino, half-fearful of meeting the two rough men who had caught her yesterday.
"Lloyd! Linus! We're here!" Nino pushed open the door excitedly. "Hmm…smells good…"
"Greedy little thing!" Lloyd laughed. "You had your equal share half an hour ago. But here, have a little of mine!" He held out a forkful of scrambled eggs and shoved it into Nino's wide-open mouth. "So…our prisoner is awake as well…"
Linus, who was gobbling down his food voraciously, nodded and paused slightly to look at Florina before delving back into his food with an unwavering enthusiasm which was inclusive of atrocious table manners.
Pushing away his plate, Lloyd beckoned for Nino and Florina to follow him and said, "Linus, you have a duty to fulfill today, right? Seems like I have to do this myself with Nino."
Linus nodded, before engaging himself in his food again.
"Have a seat," Lloyd sank into one of the deep leather armchairs and gestured casually to the sofa lounge opposite him.
Nino plunged down onto the cushions without much further invitation, while Florina sat down more cautiously, smoothing down the pleats of her skirt.
"So, tell us your name and a short introduction of yourself," Lloyd leant against the leather backing of his armchair comfortably. "Give us a brief description of yourself, what you do and these kind of information."
"Umm…I'm…ehh…Florina…and I…ahh…am…ahh…a…"Florina stuttered uncertainly, having recovered her full ability to blush.
"You're a pegasus knight, right?" Nino jumped up and down enthusiastically. "I saw your pegasus in the stables this morning!"
"Huey! Is Huey alright?" Her voice suddenly increased by a measure and her tone heightened by two distinct octaves.
"Calm down!" Lloyd smiled pleasantly. "Your pegasus is well, and is being taken care of by two of our grooms specially trained in taking care of pegasi. It was in a much better state than you when our henchmen first captured you. In fact, I think that the only problem it had was nostalgia and it could not be separated from you. I believe the bishops resorted to the sleep staffs." Pausing, he noticed Florina's alarmed face. "Don't worry, it's fine now, and eating healthily as well."
"Aah…Thank…you…" Florina mumbled, looking down at her lap.
"So, where was your group heading?" Lloyd asked.
"I'm not sure," Florina shook her head. "I…I…am just a servant of…House Caelin…Lady Lyndis, Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector…they make the…decisions most of the time…"
"You were captured at the village near Badon, were you not?" Lloyd questioned. "By our archers who nearly shot you to death before they decided to take you into captivity instead."
"Yes…"Florina stared even harder at her clenched fists on her lap.
"Well, welcome to the Black Fang, then," Lloyd said cheerfully. "You will probably be staying here for a long time as our hostage." He laughed at Florina's dismayed expression. "Don't worry, we can't keep you here forever. We'll find a suitable time to return you to your friends."
"Ohh…"Florina brightened slightly at the thought of seeing Lyn and her sister Fiora again.
Lloyd took a glance at her face and turned to face the window. "Although I would like very much to keep you here," he muttered to no one in particular.
"Huh?" She looked at him, puzzled. "Wh-What do you mean?"
"Lloyd is just joking, Florina," Nino smiled reassuringly. "He does not mean anything, seriously. He makes a joke once in a while."
"Yeah, I was just kidding about it," Lloyd stared out of the window.
Somehow, Florina felt that there was something worrying in his voice, something that should not present when joking.
"And this is the garden," Nino said enthusiastically. "And I guess I have to leave you here and…ehh…" She blushed and looked down at the grass and started twiddling her thumbs.
Lloyd gazed halfway across the lawn and saw the red-haired assassin striding into the courtyard from the concealed entrance behind the bushes. "Okay, I understand your thoughts perfectly well. Go and keep Jaffar accompany," he sighed. Lowering his volume, he added, "but it's not as if he needs any."
Letting out of a short yelp of joy and a harried 'thank you', she sprinted at top speed across the land, screaming 'Jaffar'.
"Well, seems like I would have to guide you around," Lloyd turned to Florina and smiled. "I hope you don't mind me," he added, noticing the nervous twitching of her lips and unconscious shuffling of her feet.
"Umm…I-I…don't…" she lied, trying her best to smile back at him in response.
They walked on in silence, listening to the song of the birds in the trees and perched upon the fences. Delicate butterflies fluttered around them in colourful pairs. A breeze tugged gently at the their clothes, letting the trailing tails of her skirt and his robes touch purposefully.
"Lavender!" She cried out all of a sudden. Her face seemed to have brightened significantly, and there was an evident tone of joy and somewhat relief in her voice.
Startled, he fell back. "Lavender?" he asked, confused by the sudden change of atmosphere in the place. Then, he spotted the cluster of lavender plants in full bloom, bending gracefully in the wind, enshrouding the air with their fragrance. "Oh, right. Lavender flowers."
Florina was already in the midst of the flowers, caressing her favourite blossoms tenderly. A gentle breeze swept up a thin lock of her lavender hair, sweeping it across her face, enhancing her perfect complexion.
Lloyd held his breath. The way she was stroking those tiny flowers…it made his heart throb slightly faster than normal. A warm feeling flushed up his back and to his cheeks. He knew that his face was probably turning a shade redder than it ought to be, but luckily she was not noticing. A sweet sensation spread throughout his veins, warming him up from the inside.
The soft kiss of her lips on the petals…She was like one of them, a pliant, fragile creature, beautiful both on the outside and inside.
His head was dizzy from the intoxication of the sweetness. His hand tightened its grip on the hilt of his sword to prevent himself from falling.
It was completely new. He had never ever felt something like this before.
It was lovely.
He could feel himself fell for her.
Completely for her.
"You seem cold," Lloyd said worriedly, staring at her face. "Do you need a coat or cloak or something?"
"I guess," Florina brushed her skin deftly with her fingertips, as though to smooth down the protruding goose bumps. The sun was making preparations for its grand descent down the horizon. A chilly evening wind was already blowing, earlier than normal.
"I'll get it from your room for you," Lloyd rose. "I'll take a little while, so wait a minute for me."
"It's okay," Florina grabbed his arm. Her cold flesh connected with his icy coldness that was typical of all Black Fang members.
Her silky touch sent a vibration through his senses. He turned and looked at her, feeling the burning in his chest.
Sensing his gaze, she looked down and dropped her hand. "I mean…I-I…can get it myself…instead of troubling you."
He did not let the opportunity go free. "Are you sure you can do this alone? You know the way, right?" he grasped her hand roughly, feeling the smoothness against his calloused skin, roughened from training with his brother.
Blushing, she nodded.
"Then go, and return quickly," he let go of her hand reluctantly. "I'll be waiting here for you."
Pulling away swiftly, she sprinted for the entrance. As she passed the door, she hesitated. Turning, she smiled briefly back at him as she ran into the mansion.
Wondering whether he had imagined the entire scene, Lloyd lay down the grass, letting her voice and smile replay before him over and over again.
"Why is she taking so long?" Lloyd sat up, frowning. "Could she have lost her way around the mansion?" He stood up instantly. "Fifteen minutes has already passed. I ought to go look for her."
Scarcely had he stepped foot into mansion, he heard the rowdy teasing of the several Black Fang seniors with their juniors.
"Come on," One of them was saying. "Choose one of us. Surely one of us can match your high expectations."
"Or even better," another was laughing wolfishly. "Take on all of us. After all, we are all perfectly skilled and specially trained in the arts of dealing of belles like you. Right, boys?"
There were resounding sounds of "yeahs" and wolf whistles.
His worst fears came true.
She would never be able to navigate amongst the mansion, without arousing the interest of the perverted members Black Fang members. They all had firmly set the foundations for their current reputations since a long, long time ago. A lone, defenseless girl like her would fall prey to them like a sheep caught in a ring of hungry wolves.
"Come on, my darling girl. Choose, or we will do the choosing for you." There were catcalls and other various whistles.
"Stop it!" His sharp voice resonated his fury as he rounded the corner. "Leave her alone, all of you!"
"L-l-loyd!" The head of the group, a sly-looking assassin, cried out in surprise. His followers mouthed a colourful variety of swear words.
"So, are you going to leave? Or am I going to force you?" he said, pitching his voice dangerously low. He knew that the impact of this voice on others was immense, and it struck terror into whomever that heard it.
The sharp ringing sound of his Wo Dao was already resounding in the hallway.
The mob of assassins and thieves looked uncertainly at each other and backed away slowly. Everyone in the Black Fang knew better than to get Lloyd, the White Wolf, angry. When he gets mad, it is practically apocalypse.
"Are you alright?" he ran over to her. She had wrapped her cloak around her, but she was still shivering uncontrollably.
She seemed so vulnerable…
"I'm fine…I think…" she said weakly, teeth chattering. "But it was rather traumatising for me…"
"Yeah, I can tell," he experimented putting his arms around her shoulders, on the pretense of warming her up with his heat. "They didn't do anything bad to you, right?" He scowled in the direction they had run away.
"No," she smiled. "Th-thank you…"
He did not respond. Instead, he concentrated on staring into her azure blue eyes…so pure and innocent…as though they had never seen the blood and gore of battles…unlike his own…
"Lloyd? Umm…what's wrong?" she noticed his unwavering stare.
The dykes overflowed. The flood of emotions gushed out.
Grabbing her by the waist, he pressed his lips on hers forcefully. Initially, she struggled lightly, moaning, but gradually, her defenses crumbled.
Pushing her against the wall, he savoured the intense feeling of his lips on hers. It tasted of flowers, a sweet lingering taste that would not fade from his memory for years to come. His fingers combed through her long silky lavender hair, seeking comfort for their coarseness.
When they finally broke free, she was staring up at him in the look, which seemed to tell him that she understood what he had in his heart.
First chapter up.
Wait for second.
I will try to be quick.