It was strange how quickly things could change.
Cheria recalled the day Asbel had brought the strange girl into town. She had had mixed feelings about the girl; she wanted no competitors for Asbel's attention, but she was happy to have another friend, and one who could the reckless Asbel safe. Between her, meeting the Prince, and being part of some of Asbel's adventures, it seemed her life was changing; some new age of excitement.
It was painful for her to think how wrong that was.
Little Hubert, taken to some strange land. The thought of the fearful boy so far from anything he knew left a sour feeling in the pit of Cheria's stomach. She wanted desperately to see him again, to know that he was doing well. But she didn't know how to reach him, and she had no hope of traveling abroad for years. And so she had nothing to do beyond worry when nothing consumed her focus.
Sophie... No body had ever been found. Cheria tried to tell herself it would be okay; that Sophie had been separated by some contrived circumstance, that she would be found and brought back to Lhant, that Asbel would follow her back, that they could be together again. But that hope was ephemeral; she knew Sophie wouldn't leave Asbel's side, especially if he was in danger. She wanted dearly to not imagine what had happened. For a time, it seemed as if she could. But once in a blue moon, they came. Nightmares. Visions of Sophie throwing herself into battle with that horrible monster, only to be struck down. Cheria could never get back to sleep after those dreams.
Asbel was different. Asbel was always different. His presence meant excitement, adventure, risk; poor ideas with wonderful results; fear for the other, and angry words with each other. But his faith that all would someday be well was infectious. Asbel had a way of reassuring her that no one else did. And just as often as she grew angry, she found it hard to remain upset. And now he was gone, in his own way. He could come back whenever he wished. But when he needed her the most, all she could do was say the wrong thing and make him an offer he didn't believe she could uphold.
And so the person she wanted to be with the most left her behind.
It had been six months now, since everyone had left. Winter came to Lhant, flaying the leaves from the trees and bleaching the grass. Snow seldom ever fell, in spite of the constant clouds that came in from the sea. And as the fateful year drew to a close, Cheria once again found herself in her typical situation; bored.
She had classes, but not today. She had books, which she had all read. Lord Aston would sometimes ask her to run some errand or another. Occasionally, the task would be something that actually needed to be done.
She had her crafts, something she had seemingly lost interest in. But sitting alone in her house on that cold day, she once again found her enthusiasm. She gathered her pens and paper at the table before realizing she had no idea what to draw. Her thoughts turned quickly through several subjects; flowers, the mountains, windmills, Asbel...
She couldn't help but think back. Playing games, exploring their small hometown, seeing his smiling face. She found herself smiling again.
Asbel, who was always confident even if he shouldn't be.
Asbel, who never minded carrying her.
Asbel, who wanted nothing to do with her.
Cheria frowned. Where had that idea come from? But... it wasn't wrong, was it? He'd left her behind. He wanted to be strong, and apparently he couldn't do that with her around. Losing Hubert and Sophie was an unbearable loss for him; her, he just threw away.
Cheria put pen to paper. Her drawing was frantic, wild. She had some idea what it would be in the end, but couldn't seem to put it into words. After an interminable time, it was done. Cheria fell back in her chair, lightheaded and trying to blink away the spots that started to fill her vision. After a moment, she looked down to see what she had drawn.
Cheria paled, her eyes wide. Several creatures with long snouts and sharp teeth- wolves?- where surrounding and tearing into one person in the center. One creature had nearly taken his arm off. And as she look closer, the figure in the middle became more familiar.
Asbel.
"No, no..." Why? What had possessed her to make something so horrible? "No, no. No! No! No!" Cheria once again put pen to paper, this time slashing viciously at the wretched picture, wishing for nothing more than to undo the awful thing she had made.
Frederick returned several hours later, to find a roaring fire in the fireplace and no sign of the picture. It would be many years before Cheria would draw again.
Author's note: I've entered very different territory here. No humor, no dialogue. This story will be an AU. You might be able to figure out what going on right away, but I don't want to reveal it just yet. I'm not done writing lighthearted stories. I am to go back to that once I have a few more ideas.