Chapter 2: Blood

At sunrise Elizabeth and Darius parted, she walked into the house and crept up to her room without being noticed. She thought of the night before how she had never felt so much love and passion for one person and she thought she would never feel it for anyone. Her mind wandered to the images of Darius' hands roaming her body and the feeling of him on top of her. The images drove her crazy. "Oh how I wish I could stay in that moment forever." She thought to herself but she knew she couldn't. How would this work after her and Andrew had said their vows? Would they just keep sneaking away to the Gunde House or run away from Aragon Bay or…? She hadn't thought that far in the future, but it was only a few days away now. She wanted to be with Darius, and only him but it was illegal in Aragon Bay to go against your assignments, it had never even been thought by the citizens. Just as she was sitting at her vanity thinking of what to do she heard footsteps coming toward her room. She ran and jumped in her bed fully clothed wearing the dress she had worn the night before. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend to be sleeping. "I know you're not sleeping so don't try to hide it." Jennifer Nelson, Elizabeth's older sister spat at her. Elizabeth sat up and found Jennifer pacing. "What do you think you're doing?" Jennifer asked with a stone expression on her face. "What do you…" Started but Jennifer ran toward her and began to shake her. "Do not lie to me! I saw you, I saw you and Darius Isaacs go to the Gunde House and I saw as he took you for himself. I saw everything, and you… you egged him on. How could you do this? You have brought shame on our family and on Aragon Bay." Elizabeth was shaking," How did you know?" She asked trembling with tears in her eyes. Jennifer let her sister go and backed away," I saw you lead him to the green house when I was coming out of the house after getting some tomatoes from Mother. I followed you both and once I knew you were out of the room I crept in to find you engaging in acts that should even be thought of before your marital ceremony." Elizabeth blushed. "Oh this is no time to be shy Elizabeth. You have to end this. How long has it been going on? No, no I don't even want to know I already know too much. You just have to end it, now." Jennifer said in a firm voice. Elizabeth shook her head," No, I love him Jennifer and he loves me. We will run, we will get away from here. But we will be together." Jennifer let out an agitated grunt," Don't you see you are destined to marry Andrew Sykes and have his children not to Darius Isaacs. We live in two completely different worlds. How can you be so selfish as to want to ruin you life, his life, Andrew's life, and our family's life?"

Elizabeth looked at her older sister," Please, please Jennifer do not tell anyone. I, I can't end this. I love him to much, but I will keep it hidden, so nobody will find out. I will be careful you will see." Jennifer looked at her sister with such anger that Jennifer thought she was in for the beating of her lifetime. "Elizabeth Manfield, I don't know why I am doing this. I am going against the vows I made on my Acceptance day to the Colony. But I will keep this a secret because our bond as sisters is stronger than my bond to the colony. But be careful and if it gets to risky I will ask you to end it or I will." Elizabeth sprang up and hugged her sister who at first tried to push her off but in the end gave up and hugged her back. They separated and Elizabeth went to her vanity and began to brush her hair. "Just tell me one thing… what is it like giving yourself to an Industrial Occupation?" Elizabeth slowly turned to her sister with a shocked expression on her face. The two looked at each other for a while until finally Elizabeth shouted," Amazing!" The two girls began to giggle and talk about the nights experience until they heard a knock on the door. "Elizabeth are you talking and giggling this loudly by yourself?" She heard her mother ask. "No Mommy Jennifer is here with me as well." "When did you get here Jennifer?" "Last night Mother, after I left I ran into Elizabeth and we have been up practically all night." "Did you girls go out last night I came to check in on you and you were there." Elizabeth turned pale white and Jennifer yelled," Yes we went to the green-house to get some fruit. We knew there was some in the kitchen but we wanted fresh." "Okay girls, don't be late for your examination Elizabeth." "I won't be mommy." With that they heard the footsteps of their mother trail off down the hall. "That was close." Elizabeth said as she fell back onto the bed. "It better be the last close call you have or I am ending your fling with him, I promise you that." "It is not a thing Jennifer, we are in love." Elizabeth argued to her sister who finally put up her hands in surrender. "Fine, fine you're in "love" whatever but if it gets to risky I am out got it?" Elizabeth nodded and began to change for her exam that would be given shortly.

The man and woman gasped for breath once again as they usually did when they would meet. "It's a good thing you allow me to get a little bit of sleep in before I have to go to work. The way you make it, it seems like I have two demanding jobs." The man told his lover as she lay on his chest. She kissed his nose," Well I am just trying to keep you in tip, top shape." She smiled at him causing him to laugh. His heart was beating fast," Oh I love listening to your heart. It is like music to my soul." She confessed as she rested her head on his heaving chest. He laughed," Well it's just a heart beating, nothing special." The two of them laid on the ground of the house as they had done a handful of times before. After listening for a while the woman finally brought her head back up," Well I am well rested how about you?" The man let out a chuckle and rolled so he was lying on top of the woman. "You are such a demanding person. I will have to start calling you spoiled won't I?" He kissed her neck and she laughed," You know that that tickles." She said as she wrapped her arms around her loves neck. "What do you see when you look at me?" She asked him. He thought for a minute," A spoiled princess who wants to kill me?" They laughed," No really what do you see?" She asked again. The smile on his face faltered and finally he spoke," I see my life. I see my love in human form, I see beauty beyond all beauty I had ever seen, and I see fire, the fire that you are afraid to touch but love to touch at the same time. That is what I see." She began to cry," That is so beautiful. I love you so much." The woman began to kiss the man and run her hands through his hair as if everything was alright with the world.

"Your back is healing nicely but you're going to have some scars." Elizabeth told Darius as she looked at his back outside near the stream that flowed in the woods near the Gunde House. "Will you still love me?" He asked her smiling. "Well I have always found men with scars attractive." She bent down and kissed him. She motioned for him to come and join her on top of the boulder that she had been sitting on. Darius was clothed only by his under shorts and Elizabeth by her under dress which was their usual dress when with each other. He lay with his head in her lap as she brushed his hair from his face with her hand.

Do not fear for my love for you will endure,

With you my presence will dwell and my love will pursue.

Wrap me in your embrace my love, my heart burns for you.

So that I may see your face, and know that my love is true.

"Wait a minute that poem didn't even rhyme." Darius said laughing a little as Elizabeth finished. She slapped him on his chest," Oh you are just mad because you didn't think of it." The two of them laughed. Finally he said," So do you really mean that? That our love will endure forever?" She nodded her head," Of course I do, do you?" Darius let out a sigh and sat up to look at Elizabeth in the face," You know I do, but there will be a day when they will find out about us and I will be killed." Elizabeth shook her head," No if they find out we'll run away. Together, always together." She kissed Darius' neck but he told her to stop. "You can't give up your life and your family just for me. I am not worth it. You will stay here and I will go on. But our love will always be right?" Elizabeth looked away from Darius. He turned her head slowly with his calloused hand to find that she had begun to cry. She sniffled a little bit," No matter what happens I will not leave you." Darius thought that this wasn't the best time to talk about this but to just live in the moment of then. He kissed her lightly on the lips and then laid down motioning for her to lie down next to him. She rested her head on his chest and his hand tangled through her hair. She listened to his heart beat once again as if it were a music box.

"Why do you like listening to my heart so much?" Darius asked Elizabeth. She laughed," I don't know it just sooths me. Takes me out of this world for a minute, away from the rules and regulations, the family names and expectations. For that little time that I am listening to your heart beat I am a better person." There was a moment of silence until finally they heard twigs snapping. Each person bolted up and saw that Jennifer Nelson was walking toward them. Elizabeth had explained that Jennifer knew and wouldn't tell anyone. "Jennifer what is it? What's wrong?" She asked her sister. "You two must come back to the Colony right away something has happened." Elizabeth climbed down off the rock and ran over to Jennifer. "What is it? Do others know about us?" By the time she was done asking Darius was behind her. "Berutan, the colony to the east has declared war against us. Everyone is being ordered back to the colony and we are locking the colony down." Elizabeth gasped. Darius and Elizabeth quickly put their clothes back on and escaped back to the village through the same tunnel they had traveled through to get to the Gunde house. Darius went up first and pulled Jennifer and Elizabeth up. "I have to go get Orion." Darius said as he darted away from the green house. "There is no need they have taken the children to their homes by police guard. Good thing today was a half work day or production would have been set back." Elizabeth ran to Darius," Be safe." She gave him and hug and he ran toward home.

Elizabeth turned to Jennifer," Have they mobilized the troops?" Elizabeth asked with shaky hands. Jennifer looked down at the ground," Yes they have and they found that are defense is far less than that of Berutan. They have decided to move those who are Industrial Occupations to fight alongside the Defense Occupants." Elizabeth gasped, it felt as if her heart was breaking. She fell to the ground and began to shake violently. Jennifer wrapped her sister in her arms. "Shhh, shhh… he will be okay. There might not even be any fighting. Father believes that they did this to make us fear them." "When will he leave?" Elizabeth asked her sister. "The day of the Festival." Elizabeth looked into her sisters eyes. "But that is only a day away… I can't let him leave with such short time." Elizabeth sobbed and all Jennifer could do was rock her. Then suddenly Jennifer spotted Andrew Sykes walking toward the two women. "It is Andrew you better hold yourself together unless you want to be questioned." The two women stood up and Elizabeth began to wipe away the tears that had fallen. "Madame Nelson… Elizabeth…. I came to check… Elizabeth are you alright?" Andrew looked thoroughly concerned. "Yes I'm fine I just… I just can't believe that this is happening. I didn't even know that Berutan was our enemy." Elizabeth said through puffy eyes and sniffles. Andrew wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug. "Oh there there Elizabeth, it will be alright." He let her go and grabbed her by the shoulders," Berutan won't be any match for our Defense Occupations. And besides they have the back-up of the Industrial Occupations as well." He gave her a hard kiss on the cheek and then bid them farewell and walked back in the direction he had come from.

Darius made his way toward the Manfield Manor slinking through the dark shadows until he finally reached the green house. Once he had the door shut Elizabeth leaped at him kissing him fiercely. They shared a moment of kisses and then finally disappeared into the tunnel they had traveled down so many times before. As the walked in silence Darius pulled out a letter. "This is my call to Defense the colony has given me." He showed Elizabeth the letter that had the official Aragon Bay Colony seal stamped on the front of it. Elizabeth looked away," I heard you'll be leaving the day of the Festival." "Well actually the Industrial Occupations have to leave tomorrow." Elizabeth froze; she didn't know what was happening. She had met the man that she loved only a few days earlier and already he had to leave her. She began to cry but he wrapped her in his arms. "We still have tonight and forever Elizabeth. Don't forget that or our love." The rest of the trip was made in silence, the only sound was the crackle of the torch that had been lit to guide their path before. Once they got to the house Elizabeth started to remove her dress but Darius stopped her. "I want tonight to be special." He bent down and kissed her lightly on lips as he lifted her dress over her head. He pressed her against the wall as he had done when they first gave each themselves to each other. Her legs wrapped themselves around his torso and he pinned her arms up with his. He began to kiss her neck and she moaned with pleasure. He nuzzled her neck as he removed his shirt revealing the remaining marks from the lashings he had received as well as some nail scratches Elizabeth had given to him. Their bodies danced in the moonlight as he carried her up the creaky stairs to unknown territory. They had never given themselves to each other on the second floor but Elizabeth knew where Darius would take her. She had fixed up the house and had brought some linen from the main house to the Gunde house so when Darius opened the door to Christine Gunde's hold house she wasn't surprised to see satin sheets and pillows on the bed. He gently laid on the bed so he was on top of her. The two of them moaned together and Darius explored Elizabeth's body, something he hadn't taken the time to do in earlier days. Elizabeth let out gasps of surprise when Darius would find a new area to explore. But then Elizabeth laughed," Oh no you don't." Darius allowed her to roll over so his massive body was underneath her delicate weight. She sat on his torso and planted kisses on his neck and then on his Pecs and then down to his Abs. She pulled his pants and under shorts off to reveal Darius' full nakedness. There they were Elizabeth Manfield lying on top of Darius Isaacs maybe for the last time. "Will you love me forever?" Elizabeth asked looking into Darius' deep blue eyes. "Until the end of time." Darius replied.

With that Elizabeth sat up and allowed Darius to ender her and take her once again. She could feel the passion pulsing through her veins as it generally did and she loved it. The feeling of him moving inside of her. The two of them once again began to gasp for breath and moaning as they each experienced the feelings that they would usually feel on these nights. Darius moved his hands to rest on Elizabeth's hips as he moved underneath her. Elizabeth could hardly bare it, she held on to the head board of the bed as they continued to take each other deeper into the passion that they usually felt. Darius sat up and began to kiss Elizabeth's neck causing her to moan louder. The room acquired that same smell that it would usually get when they were together. Finally like all the other times the passion they felt would engulf them and Darius would thrust into Elizabeth for the last time and there would be gasps of pleasure heard in the room. The sounds of heavy breathing followed their ritual meeting. Darius go out of the bed and put on his under shorts and threw Elizabeth her under dress. He lay back down and Elizabeth once again placed her head on his chest listening to his heart beat. Then suddenly there was a noise, like a person coming into the room. There he stood, wide eyed and shaking with anger. Zacharias Manfield's face was beat red with anger toward the sight he saw. "What is the meaning of this? I come here to find that my daughter is giving herself to a man that is not her future marital partner. Elizabeth how could you do this?!' He yelled causing for Elizabeth to jump out of the bed. "Daddy it isn't what it looks…" But she didn't finish before Zacharias had slapped his daughter across the face. Darius scrambled up from the bed and walked toward Zacharias but Zacharias pulled a knife on Darius. "You, I know you, you're that Isaacs boy. Do you think that just because your marital partner died that you can have any other woman that you want? Huh! Do you realize that you have ruined Elizabeth's life?!" Darius stood there stone still and listened to Zacharias scream. Zacharias turned to Elizabeth," You go back to the house, you are no longer to be called my daughter and as for you, you stay away from this girl and my family." Elizabeth ran and hugged Darius for the last time before being throw toward the door by her father. Now it was only Zacharias and Darius in the room. "You are being sent to war tomorrow isn't that right? Well when you get back she will not be yours she will be a Sykes." Darius finally spoke," But I will still love her and she will be mine in my heart." Zacharias overturned a table that had been nearby, gave Darius a stone evil look at walked out of the room. Darius was left in that dark place. The place that had moments ago been a place of love was now forever a quiet place where love was void.