StorybookDreamer15: Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy! Also, in chapter 3 it says that Maggie's gift has purple in it...THAT DOES NOT MAKE HER RELATED TO ALANNA IN ANY WAY! The only way is stated in this chapter :) The purple comes up later in the story for why it is there.
Shadow: Nope. Not sorry. Though her nickname might be the Mean One, I have my tendencies to be cruel. However, this lovely chapter might be shorter. There is a lot more dialogue. But, nevertheless, here we are, another chapter of Dragonet! Once more, I do NOT own any of Madame Pierce's characters. I'm certainly unable to create such a world within my mind.
Mithros, cursed nobles.
"It started over eleven years ago. Me mum met a man, they were together for some time. Me mum found out she was wif child soon after he, me father, left. She wrote to him telling him so and he sent back that envelope, writing that if anything should ever happen to me mum she should give that to me," Maggie began, and attempted to keep all of her common speech out of the words.
The object described was flourished gently, and the blood-red seal glinting within the light. A dragon was entwined upon the darkened print, though none seemed to pay it mind, and almost delicately, it began to peel itself away, at least until the child shoved it back into her lap. Maggie was not going to have the item breaking before any could chance to view it. She, too, was curious.
"When me mum's parents found out she was wif child but not married or even betrothed, they disowned her. So she left." A breath was taken in, from both the child and the Lioness. It seemed that only the women were affected, however, and soon after, the girl pressed on.
"That's when she met the Lord of Kerrigan. They fell in love and were married. Soon after, I was born. The Lord became me father and life went on. When I was three, me mum became wif child again. Before the babe was born she called me into the room giving me the letter saying she loved me and that I should give the letter as soon as I could, if anything happened o' course."
"Me mum died during childbirth as did the babe. I was the last one to see her alive so the Lord blamed me for her death." At this she paused until a large calloused hand rested on her shoulder.
"It's okay Maggie; he can't hurt you now," George reassured her. No one had noticed his entrance.
Nodding her head, she continued.
"After that, he started yelling at me and beatin' me. That lasted for a lil' over two years." Deep breath, long shudder. "Then on my sixth birthday, he got drunk and he… he came at me wif a knife an' said I ruined his life and that I should never be happy and he would ruin my look like I did his so men would never want to marry me and so he cut me from the back of my right hip across my back and left shoulder endin' here," she finished, pointing at the skin connecting her thumb and fore finger. A light scar was etched their, and the girl simply turned her eyes from the fact. She did not need to be reminded.
"As soon as I could that day, I left. I stole his horse and began to ride. I rode the rest of that day and some of that night. I reached the gates of Corus just before they closed for the night. I started wandering and came upon an inn."
"Don't tell me," Alanna stated, "it was the Dove?"
"Yea, it was. It was the only clear doorstep I could find; so I sat down ta rest. I don' know how long I was there but later that night, the door opened and a man came out."
"Who?" someone interjected.
"I'm gettin' there." Maggie muttered, and added something such as, 'Mithros, cursed nobles' under her breath before continuing. "As I was sayin', the door opened and he came out. He asked me me name and if I lost me way home. I said 'Me name's Maggie and I ain't got no home no more.' He told me I should come in then for the night. So I tried to stand but couldn't make it wif out fallin' over. He caught me as I fell. That's when he noticed me arm, I think, cause one minute I'm haf way on the ground and the next I'm on the back of a horse ridin' some back entrance to the city. I don't know how long we rode; I think I fell asleep at one point. All I know is that it was still before midnight when we got to a large house. He quickly dismounted, picked me up off the horse, and carried me to the door. He swiftly knocked and a young servant girl opened it and greeted him as Marek."
"Why do I feel like I know this story?" Alanna and Myles said simultaneously, and their brows arched in unison. All restrained snickers, at least until more words swarmed the air.
"You were there," George stated flatly. "We all were. Please continue, Maggie."
"O'course, George," she replied while Alanna regained her composure. Myles, however, remained in his critical position, unlike the lovely woman's attempt to become less flustered.
"Where was I…ah, right…she called him Marek. He didn' waste a moment and called for Mistress Cooper." She pause to see if anyone would interrupt. No one did so she continued. "The servant girl said 'Right away' and 'You know where to go.' As she ran off, he took me to a small room and set me on a flat table. Soon after, a woman who I assumed was Mistress Cooper came in. She walked right up, looked at me, and told Marek to leave. Then she healed me and left me to sleep, saying her daughter had just given birth to twins a few weeks ago."
"Marek came back in and said he had someone he wanted me to meet. By this time, the whole house was asleep except me, Marek, and the mysterious man. Marek walked to the door and called the man in; he introduced 'imself as George and asked me name and how old I was. I said 'Me name's Maggie and I be six years old.' He asked how I got hurt and if me mum knew where I was. I told 'im that milord did it and that mum was wif the Black God. I asked 'im not to take me back; I didn't want 'im to hurt me no more and started to cry. He then told me what made 'im the only man I've ever trusted. He said, 'Maggie, as long as you're in my city, ain't no one gonna get you, not even your da.'"
"So after that, I lived in the city. Then the other day, that riot in the market happened. I got in the fight ad the next thing I remember is wakin' up in the palace infirmary. Then I came here." With that, she finished and waited for any questions to arise.
"She does look like him," Alanna said, but wen Maggie asked who, all she got was more questions.
Quietly, the woman regarded the child, at least until her lips tugged downward. "Do you have the Gift?"
The girl nodded, and she bore into Maggie on that subject until she was satisfied and then began on the next. This continued for what seemed like forever to Maggie until a burly man came bursting into the office.
"Have you seen her?" he asked.
"Raoul, who are you talking about?" Alanna quarried, and turned around, covering the tiny girl with her equally minuscule stance.
"A girl, nearing ten, red hair…"
"You're the man who carried me from the city, aren't you?" Maggie exclaimed instantly, and tilted her head from behind the Lioness curiously. Should I thank him?
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the infirmary!" was the answer she was given. When Maggie only stared at him, something in him snapped. "Answer me, for Mithros' sake!"
The harsh words struck the child instantly, and her lower lip trembled, but Raoul never removed his glare, baring into the girl's eyes. He took a step forward, and reached for her arm, to simply tug her back to the lonely bed of the infirmary, but to no avail. He had touched a part of the girl never to be revealed. It was as if he was screaming, yelling. As if he was...
"I don't answer to no one," she retorted and burst from the room. Moments later the distant sounds of sobbing could be heard.
"Great," George mumbled. "I'll be back." With that he left the room calmly, staring into the empty space by the confused male's ear.
"What I do?" Raoul asked dumbfounded.
"Yelling at her went too far," Alanna replied. When he simply stared confused, Myles chimed in. "She was abused by her father. She doesn't trust men. Well…except Marek and George. Mainly George though."
"I had no idea. How does she know George?"
As Alanna and Myles explained in turn, George sought out Maggie.
He found her sitting in a corner near the door, hugging her knees to her chest, still crying, the slimy tears trekking towards her neck.
"There now, Rags." The use of her childhood nickname made Maggie look up. George looked at her and noticed how much she resembled his wife when they cried. Neither cried prettily, both getting all red in the face, strangely blending in with their coppery, or in Maggie's case fiery, red hair.
"Mithros, Mynos, and Shakith! All guys are the same, George. You can't trust them. You think their so nice and then…" Maggie sputtered.
"You trust me," George pointed out, and squeezed the child close.
"That's different. You're different. You'd never do what milord did," she spat the last like an insult. "Drunk idiot."
"How do you know Raoul is like him and not me? Hmmmm?"
"Cause I know more men like 'im than you," was the frank reply, though regretted upon the touch of air. Hypocrite, bigot. Maggie attempted to smack her lips shut, yet they continued to flap loose, wobbling treacherously.
"Margryt of Kerrigan, I never knew you to judge someone by statistics. You should be ashamed of yourself."
As she tried to come up with a reply, George wrapped his arm around Maggie's shoulder.
"Come now, Rags, just let him talk and give him a chance. He's not like your father."
"Milord is not me father," she interrupted with a roll of her eyes.
"Now that's the Maggie I know. Come on, trust me?"
After a moment's pause, Maggie muttered, "Fine," and they stood to walk in the direction of George's office.
Later that evening, Alanna sat alone in the damp, now empty office. On the desk in front of her sat the envelope Maggie had given her, still unopened. She couldn't, not with the suspicions of whom it was from. The memories would become rich, unnerving. It would be too much... But, with a new burst of courage, she reached for the letter and broke the seal. Another envelope and a folded bit of parchment fell out along with a small silver ring. Alanna picked up the parchment first, carefully unfolding it as to not mar the yellowed papyrus. In neat black script a letter was written.
~0~
Dear Alanna,
By this time I have long passed into the hands of the Black God. If you are reading this then something has happened to a woman I met long ago. She wrote to me saying she was pregnant with my daughter, Margryt after my mother. Since she didn't know many people, she entrusted me with an important job; naming the child's godsparents. Kitten, please take care of my girl as her godsmother. I know you will be a wonderful mother one day, and you are the only woman I trust enough with this job. Good luck in the future and gods all bless.
With love,
Liam Ironarm
Addendum: Please deliver the other letter and ring to Jonathon.
~0~
Putting the letter down, she picked up the ring and examined it closely. It was beautifully crafted with the Shang emblem of dragon centered around, the center being a stone the color of Liam's eyes. It looked to be made of pure silver and very valuable. However, the jewelry was not hers. But the woman did slip it upon her finger, and simply sat, admiring the gleam, unaware she was frozen with emotion.
When George walked into his office, the first thing he noticed was his wife's expression. He had known her long enough to realize she was lost in memories of not so long ago. After a moment of standing there, he cleared his throat to gather attention.
"Well?"
The Gift? I didn't know it existed for 'till a few days before.
Surnote: Well, my pretties, here we have it. Completed, re-vamped, edited.
For my lovely Mean One- "OI. YOU SPELLED 'PRETTILY' INCORRECT. TWICE. BOTH ON THE PAPERS, AND IN HERE. HOW IN THE BLOODY..."
But I digress. Please, if you are up to it, take the time to review. I adore whatever feedback I receive, same for mindless 'flames'. Just don't call me names, please. My computer is very fragile when that happens. Occasionally, it'll just *POOF*, and I don't update.