(O)(II)(O) English Rose (O)(II)(O)
Central London, England.
Trafalgar Square is one of London's pleasant open spaces. The square is dominated by a huge monument in honor of Lord Nelson's great naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars. The pedestrians are further enticed to view its fountains, pools and other statues.
Yuri leaned his head against the back rest of the wooden bench, where he and Alice sat. He looked at her profile while she broke pieces of bread to feed the doves that cooed at the ground near their feet. He tucked a wisp of hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear, just the perfect excuse for him to touch her. She turned her head and smiled at him even as he traced the soft line of her jaw.
Beside him sat her new Bible, the one they have bought in one of the bookshops that lined Charing Cross Road. She had pointed out to him the National Gallery, but Yuri has no fondness for the finer arts, so they decided to relax at the square instead, they have chosen this bench for two that faced the central fountain.
"I wonder if Keith and Margarete had any success. I never imagined London would be this big, wonder how we could ever find clues about this Simon guy." Yuri said. He wiped the cover of her Bible with his palm, brushing off dust.
Alice had a faraway look, and barely heard him. Coming back here was quite painful, because the place reminded her so much of her father who died in Rouen protecting her. Yuri noticed her preoccupation and knew the reason for it. He clasped her hand consolingly, vowing to avenge her father's death. No one makes my woman sad and gets away with it! He knew that coming here was more painful than revisiting Rouen. But Alice refused to allow her feelings get in the way for what they must do: Stop this Roger Bacon. They knew he was up to something more sinister than Dehuai's reverse invocation.
"Before I joined the London Missionary Society, I used to attend a university just north of here, just across Tottenham Court Road. I was studying Theology there, when I decided to accompany my father in his missions." Alice pointed out northward, beyond the St. Martin's parish church, smiling wistfully. "Father didn't want me to drop out of school, and I didn't want him to stop his missions just so he could stay with me. In the end, I persuaded him to continue."
Yuri listened attentively, all the while rubbing her hand with his thumb.
"One way or the other, we will find out more about this Cardinal Simon." She paused then looked at him. "You know, sometimes I wonder… if I have stayed here instead of accompanying him, maybe he would be still alive today. I know it sounds selfish but… I still don't understand why father has to die." Her voice trembled from unshed tears. Hearing it, Yuri pulled her close to his body and tucked her head against the crook of his neck.
"But if you stayed here, that Bacon guy would have captured you, and that is what your father feared the most isn't it? I believe that is the reason why he didn't want to leave you alone, that is why you began to travel to all those places, so it would be difficult for Bacon to trail you." At his touch, something seemed to snap inside her. With only tears to express the depths of her feelings, Alice mourned for the man whose smile and fatherly hugs she still misses to this day. There were days she longed to hear her father's encouraging words, the soothing, calm voice that had chased away her fears as a little girl…but he was gone, beyond physical reach.
Yuri caressed her head tenderly, he crooned nonsense against her hair but seem to soothe her.
After a while, Alice took out her handkerchief and blew her nose. She tried to smile at him, tried for a light note in her voice, but failed. "I don't know what came over me."
"Hush, it's all right to cry for the one you love." Yuri said, taking her handkerchief and wiped her tears himself. Few women could cry and still look beautiful, Alice was one of them. The tears only magnified her violet eyes, gave them a soft sparkle, like precious gems. Her cheeks and nose were pink from crying and he found it irresistible to kiss the soft rosebud of her lips. Yuri bent his head towards hers, dropping a light kiss on her mouth, no passion, no desire, just love and tenderness.
Alice smiled at him, and burrowed closer to his body, inhaling his pleasant, warm sandalwood scent.
"Come on baby, let's go. Everybody's probably wondering where we are now…or what we are doing." Yuri said as he stood up.
"You think that, they're really wondering if we're…errr…" Alice said, blushing, unable to complete her words.
"Yeah. Well, at least if I was in their place, I'd wonder what two lovers would be doing the moment they are alone." Yuri said, smiling as Alice blushed even redder.
"Oh baby there's nothing to be ashamed about, those folks are old enough to have lovers somewhere along the road."
"I know... but still..." Her combination of innocence and passion fascinated him. When she is in his arms, and passion ruled supreme, once he gets beyond her shyness or reticence, Alice is simply stunning—uninhibited, wild and very sexy. But out of those moments, she would blush to the roots of her hair at the slight mention of intimacy.
But before he could say anything, a couple approached them. The man had blond hair and brown eyes, he looked younger than Yuri and he was devilishly handsome. His stylish clothing declared his social elite status. Both his looks and material wealth had made him believe he can have everything he wanted, thus he was terribly arrogant and spoiled. The woman who walked beside him, had considerable beauty. Long brown curls framed her heart shaped face, while thick dark lashes partially covered her emerald eyes in a sneer as they rudely perused Alice from her toes up
"Alice? Is it really you? Why it is! It's my sweet little rose!" The man exclaimed. He took both her hands boldly and before Alice or Yuri could react, the man dropped a kiss on her lips.
Shocked that the man would dare touch what is his, Yuri grabbed him by the lapels of his great coat and lifted him up until the man's feet flailed wildly in the air.
"Watch it pal! She's my woman." Yuri hissed.
"A-aalice!" The poor man cried, asking for her help.
"Yuri please, he didn't mean any harm…he's an old school mate of mine." Alice said, gently tugging his arm.
Yuri was very much tempted to fling the pathetic excuse of a man against the lamp post, but conscious of the curious stares of the spectators, Yuri forced himself to release the man.
"Who is he?" Yuri demanded.
"Christopher Wilbur. He was one of my classmates." Alice said. "And she is—"
"Charlotte Webb." The other woman interrupted, she presented her right hand to Yuri for a kiss. But he merely gazed at her hand then at her as if deciding for himself whether she got something contagious or not, then finally gave her a brief handshake. Charlotte's eyes widened at the insult, but said nothing. Few men have ever resisted her charms, and it seems this man is the worst of the lot. But then, she can have any man she wants once she set her heart on it.
Christopher rearranged his coat, and massaged his hair to some semblance of order. "Who is this beast Alice? How can you bear to have him near you?"
"Yuri. Her man." He interrupted before Alice could speak. "As for wanting to be near me, that's none of your damn business!" He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, drawing her close. Then his predatory gaze studied the man before him with cold eyes.
The dandy measured Yuri and found the things he envied most in another man. Yuri radiated power and strength so great that one could almost taste it, so sleekly powerful and yet graceful at the same time. He emitted authority, unafraid of man, or beast or monster; beholden to no one but himself and to his God.
For Yuri, all he saw was the other man had the looks of a fallen angel, blond, brown-eyed and extremely handsome. He also has the air of an aristocrat, a man who could provide a life of ease for a woman for as long as she lives. And in that moment both men saw what they had secretly envied most and became mortal enemies. All of a sudden, there was an uncomfortable tension in the atmosphere. Alice could sense that Yuri was very angry, angry enough to smear the whole city grounds with Christopher.
If looks could kill, Wilbur would be dead by now. The icy, lethal stare Yuri gave him made Christopher step back, but unable to contain himself, he fixed his eyes on Alice like a child would with a luscious candy.
Charlotte was quiet all the time, taking in the situation silently. She knew all at once that the handsome man she fancies belonged to Alice. Long dark lashes covered the emerald eyes for a moment as Charlotte recalled the past with Alice.
No matter how hard she had tried, Alice seems to beat her in everything in school. The first in class, the most popular girl in campus…everything that once belonged to Charlotte before Alice came and took them away. Naturally she blamed it all on Alice. In truth, if she'll only be honest to herself, Charlotte would know that the other woman's innate kindness is what drew everyone to her like magnet. When Alice started traveling with her father, Charlotte was overjoyed. She had thought she could have all the attention back again. But it didn't happen that way.
In short, the only reason she hated Alice, is because Charlotte is a bitter woman.
"Are you staying at the same place?" Charlotte asked, as if she had not witnessed the tension between the two men.
Alice nodded her head. "I'll pay you a visit later." Charlotte said, hiding her eyes lest the other girl see the malicious gleam in them.
"Alice let's go." Yuri said tugging her hand. Alice nodded once to her old classmates then followed Yuri, eager to get away from the lascivious eyes of Christopher. He made her feel as if he was mentally undressing her, not to mention that Yuri might lose patience and then all hell would break loose.
He almost dragged her in his haste to get away, Alice tried to keep up, smiling apologetically to people she bumped into along the way. Suddenly he found a deserted alley and pulled her there. Almost roughly he placed her back against the brick wall, imprisoned her against there with his own body. For the space of several breaths he simply studied her face. Alice looked back unflinchingly, knowing he would never hurt her, no matter how tense his body was against hers. His muscles were so worked up like a predator that has spotted its prey.
That he was jealous of Christopher Wilbur, Alice couldn't comprehend, but it elated her, but had she known the cause, she would have assured him of her love no matter how lacking he might find himself. Yuri was jealous of the other man because Wilbur had the means to provide for a woman in a grand manner, a life of ease which he could not provide, after all, what could a Fusionist like himself really offer to Alice? No wealth, no title, all he could give her is his love. Will that be enough for her?
After things settle down, he hopes to buy a farm, because as crazy as it might sound, he love growing things, and it's one of his fondest memories of his father. When Ben is at home, he would plow the fields and plant seeds, help with harvest then leave for his work in the army. That is what Yuri hopes to do too, plant wheat fields and grow corn, and raise little girls who got their mother's violet eyes and rosebud lips. Any place will do as long as Alice is with him. But will she be happy being a farmer's wife?
Some would probably say that he would be wasted as a farmer, but joining the army is out of the question. The few, precious moments he had shared with his own father, the loneliness of his mother whenever Ben would go away for work…Yuri had vowed never to do the same to his own family.
It was his greatest fear, the thought that she might leave him to seek a finer life with another man, one who could offer her stylish living for as long as she lives. The memory of the way Wilbur clasped her close and kiss her as if stamping her as his, the way he looked at her with naked lust in his eyes, made Yuri violently jealous.
Possessively, he clutched Alice closer, his hands holding the softness of her derriere as he pulled her tighter to him. "You belong to me." He said harshly against her lips. "and this…is mine!" He ground his hips against hers, rubbing the soft flesh between her legs with his aroused hardness. His action both shocked and excited her.
"Yuri…" she gasped, blushing. It's not as if he had never touched her there, for he already had, except that he would always stop when the passion between them gets harder to control. Yuri had always permitted kissing and petting, but that is all. Until now, she is still a virgin, a burning virgin if such really exists. That he denied himself, made her love him even more, he who has always taken what he wanted without a second thought, he who was not used to having his own needs denied.
Yuri wanted to wait, and Alice knew she should be elated that he was being so considerate, not all men would do the same, and yet, she couldn't help the feelings, the needs that he had awakened in her. All Yuri had to do was look at her, smile at her and all the yearning in her heart and soul would rush to the fore, his slightest touch had the power to make her burn, to turn her into a wanton woman, eager to know the full measure of passion in his arms. What he made her feel simply transcended what is right or wrong, in his arms nothing seemed to matter, she really didn't care whether the Church would condemn her actions.
It was also the cause of their first argument. As shocked as she was to her passionate response to him, Yuri had once teased her, "Are you really a virgin?"
She knew that he was only teasing, but Alice felt somehow slighted. "Why do you ask?" She asked carefully.
Yuri, in his usual, dense way totally overlooked her hurt air and blurted. "You look as innocent as an angel, but you certainly don't act one when you are in my arms."
That made her suck in her breath, if she didn't love the great dummy, she would have hit him hard with the heaviest war hammer she could find.
But then memories assailed her, of the first time she had seen him naked, she had looked at his very aroused body, admired every inch of him, sleekly muscled, magnificently built, and instead of feeling shocked or disgusted, she longed to run her hands all over him, to feel his skin beneath her palms…and he had watched her fascinated stares. His eyes burned, telling her he would like to see her too.
Is that why he said I don't act like a virgin? Alice had thought to herself.
"Why?" She asked him, "How do you expect a virgin to react when she sees the man she loves naked? Scream? Faint?"
Before Yuri could reply she asked again. "How do you expect a virgin to react when the man she loves touches her, shows her things she had never imagined before, made her feel as though he's burning her alive? Scream? Hide? Should she coyly cover herself and say no to him? Should she clamp her legs so tightly together a sheet of paper won't fit between her legs? Is that how a virgin should react with the man she loves?"
He had angered her, Yuri knew, but her words made him hold her in his arms, awed that he was capable of making her feel that way, he thought the feeling was a one way street, that only he felt the yearning, the aching emptiness. To hear her say those words humbled him. He kissed her angry mouth, gently, tenderly, in silent apology. He never asked her again about her virginity.
And yet, he seems to understand the inner turmoil within her, the other half of her that still whispers that premarital sex is wrong. But she couldn't help feel, after all she's merely human…and what was it she had often heard? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. She only understood the meaning of those words now, when he awakened the passion lying dormant within her.
That is the real reason why he wanted to wait, because he understood her better than she understands herself. He didn't want her conscience to bother her afterwards, when the flames have died down and passion no longer racked their bodies in sexual tension. He didn't want her to feel ashamed afterwards, as if their love is something to be done beneath the blankets, hidden from the eyes of God.
But now, he got the look of a man who wanted to tumble her to the nearest bed, she had never seen the fire that now burned in his eyes, but Alice was not afraid of him. He rubbed her lips with his thumb as if erasing the touch of the other man. His gentle touch belied the passionate fire that made his eyes seethe.
"Yuri?" She asked, confused.
"Just a little cleansing ritual." He said, then claimed her lips. He kissed her urgently, possessively as if burning away the memory of the other man from her mind.
She kissed him back, shuddering as memories of another time he had kissed her just as urgently assailed her.
Both were breathless when he finally released her mouth, Yuri leaned his head towards her until their foreheads touched.
"God baby, don't ever let me see you kiss another man again, not even a wobbly, old fart. I can't stand it!" He said in a low urgent voice.
Alice could only caress his cheeks, and smile lovingly.
(O)(o)(O)
Meanwhile…
"Ack! She's still as pretty as a rosebud." Christopher exclaimed. Charlotte paid little attention to him, not really interested to listen to Wilbur's infatuation with Alice which had started the first day Alice came to school. Perhaps the only reason why Christopher can't get over her, is because Alice was the only girl who had ever turned down the handsome man, whose combined wealth after inheriting his Uncle's estates as well was enough to make a king envious.
"She still looks as innocent as before, bet that dog who walk on two legs have not bedded her yet." Wilbur sighed again. "Ah to be the man to finally have her! She's as skittish as a filly whose master had never ridden her."
"Oh shut up Chris!" Charlotte said irritably. "If you want her that badly why don't you just abduct her and be done with it!"
"You never liked her huh, Charlotte?" Christopher said, looking at her intently.
"I hate that stupid bitch! Why does she have to come back here all pretty and graceful, why couldn't she have died with that old fart in Rouen! I thought she was dead when she suddenly disappeared, and now—!"
Her words died when an old woman in black approached them. Thinking the older woman was begging for alms, Charlotte drew herself haughtily and said,
"Don't you dare come near me, you filthy old hag, or I'll have you arrested for accosting a woman of fine breeding!"
But Arcane Olga only cackled evilly. "Hee hee, such fine words for a woman like yourself. I didn't come here to beg for stupid alms. I overheard you talking about that Elliot girl, and I think I can help you with what you both want."
Charlotte looked at her as if appalled. "You? What can an old hag like yourself possibly offer?"
Knowing that she needed to make this stupid woman see reason before she was forced to kill her, Olga snapped her fingers. Two lamp posts behind her were cleanly severed at the base and fell on the cobbled pavement. The other pedestrians squeaked in surprise, wondering what happened. But the two knew that the old hag was responsible.
"I could be more persuasive if I want to." Olga said. "But I'm afraid I don't have the time. Either you help me out or you die. The choice is yours."
Of course Charlotte and Wilbur chose the former. They like to keep their bodies exactly the way it is. In one piece.
(O)(o)(O)
Charlotte's apartment, a few weeks later.
"If you knew he won't be seduced then why the hell didn't you tell me before?" Charlotte angrily yanked the ribbon of her bonnet and threw the hat on the table.
Her attempts to seduce the young Harmonixer only ended in humiliation. Yuri was neither beguiled or enticed nor enchanted with the brown haired beauty, in fact, all she earned was his contempt. Ah she will never forget those hateful words he had showered in her ears that last meeting.
"What does Alice have that I don't?" She had screeched at him, angrily pulling on her clothes. By Jove! She had walked in almost naked before him and all the bastard did was stare at her insolently.
"You are not worth for her to stand on!" Yuri declared angrily. "You think you have it all huh? You think you're so damn beautiful that my cock would just spring up to answer your beck and call. Well it won't work bitch. I would rather bore a hole in the ground and have my pleasure than have your filthy hands touch me! Get out of here Bitch! Go to that friend Wilbur of yours and have him scratch your itch!"
By George! The man has the foulest mouth she had ever met!
Olga cackled, as if Charlotte' suffering was amusing to her. Olga didn't really want to enlist the help of these pathetic creatures, but in order to hasten her plan to fruition, she had to.
"What's so damn funny?" Charlotte glared at the old woman.
Olga shook her head. "The Elliot girl left her friends to go to Rouen alone this morning."
Charlotte shrugged, she already knew that, that was why she had boldly stalked Yuri, knowing Alice won't be with him.
"This is the chance I've been waiting for. Let us leave for Rouen immediately." Olga said.
"Why? What do you have in mind?" Charlotte asked curiously, wondering what the old woman has up her sleeve. Just then, Wilbur arrived with his own luggage, all dressed up and ready to travel.
"You'll soon know. Don't forget to bring what I told you." Then Olga smiled in pure malice, her wrinkled eyes twinkling in glee, making Charlotte almost sorry for Alice.
"We got an English Rose to deflower!"
To be continued…
(O)(o)(O)
Author's notes:
I know I should have chosen a different name for 'Charlotte Webb' and 'Christopher Wilbur' but I can't help it! To those who are not familiar with E.B. White's story 'Charlotte's Web', Charlotte is the name of the spider that tried to save the life of a runt pig, Wilbur who was destined to become bacon by the end of summer. The moment I noticed the spider on Olga's back, I just felt like doing it! Absolutely no connection, just a whim of mine or lack of creativity.
For the record: On arriving in London, Yuri and his gang met Halley, the leader of London Rats. After a series of events, in the hope of finding more about Albert Simon whom father Doyle mentioned before Olga killed him in Rouen, they uncovered more clues that only confused them even more. Anyway, after attempting to rescue Halley's mom Koudelka in Calios, Koudelka said something to Bacon, like 'You who now calls himself Roger Bacon' This made Alice think about the night she and her father were to meet a certain man in Rouen, and she had decided to leave for Rouen alone, to make certain of her growing suspicions. Arcane Olga is also supposed to die in that last battle in Calios. Only I extended her miserable life here.
As for Alice's contradicting behavior, the prim, innocent type has always been her major characteristics, but Puffy, being the naughty girl that she is, just couldn't imagine a girl in love to act like a cold fish. Yeah, you might not agree with Puffy here, and she didn't mean to offend anyone…but Puffy believes that a girl in love would do crazy things, things she wouldn't have done had she been not deeply in love. For Puffy, being irrational and unreasonable are some of the symptoms of love, there is no simpler way to explain this. That is why Puffy believes that If Alice truly loves Yuri, she would act in a manner that is very uncharacteristic.
Feel free to whack Puffy on the head if she did something wrong. Just don't expect she'll love you for it. :D
"We. Exist."
Puffy.
