~4~
"I don't need anything from you for now, little Daphne. You may leave. However you and I must share words."
Daphne entered the mansion in a most subitaneous fashion, throwing open the doors and startling several servants. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, racing to keep up with her frantic breathing. "Bennett! Bennett!" Daphne's normally gentle voice was strained so she was practically screaming, the servants all reacting with worried inquiries. But Daphne wasn't looking to them for assistance. She knew they would be useless against Victor. Something deep within her told her so, some kind of intuition, a fire within her that was warning her what he was capable of. It was only after her mother had told her to back away Daphne had actually felt his awesome, dark power; her fire had lay dormant during their entire conversation.
"Of course the fire didn't warn me minutes ago when I was admiring the man for being so charming and witty. That would've been far too ideal of my powers." Daphne muttered under her breath as she bolted down the hallways in search of Bennett. She ignored the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she threw open doorways to the several meeting rooms. As she threw open doors, Daphne thought about the scene she'd just abandoned. Who knew what Victor was capable of with all that power? What was it he wanted to "talk" to her mother about? When she came to the final room, Daphne begged some omnipotent entity to have Bennett be in that room. She grasped the door handles and ruthlessly threw them open to reveal Bennett seated in a meeting with several older, distinguished-looking men.
"Princess?" Bennett Harce stood up and gazed at her with a worried expression. The young Captain of the Domino Guard had developed a soft spot for spirited Princess Daphne as the two had grown up together at Palace Domino. He ignored the annoyed cries of admonishment the elders were making as he left the table and hurried to Daphne. "What is it? Are you hurt?"
Daphne grabbed Bennett's arms and looked up into his concerned gray eyes. "It's my mother! She's outside with a stranger on southwest quarter of the premises. He seemed hostile so she sent me back to the mansion, but I don't want her out there alone with him…" Daphne trailed off as Bennett pulled away and headed down the hallway, immediately taking control of the situation. She watched him motion to some guards who were on duty and they all disappeared from Daphne's sight down the hall.
The officials in the meeting room had fallen silent. Daphne turned from them and hurried after the guards, silently hoping the elders felt disconcertion for their blatant cries of annoyance. They should know she'd never interrupt one of their precious meetings unless something of great significance was involved. Her mother's life was certainly something of great significance.
She stopped at one of the hallway windows and pressed her palms against its glassy surface, her gaze searching the distance. The sun cast the scene in a warm, elating glow, defying the distressed sense of urgency that was brewing. Daphne could see Bennett and the guards were rushing from the mansion to the southwest quarter, to where she had abandoned her mother and the stranger. She hadn't realized just how far the event had taken place from the mansion. How had her mother found her so quickly?
Daphne clenched her hands into fists against the window glass. She was such a fool to have been so open with a stranger like that. She had been so caught up in her distress over the past two days that it hadn't dawned on her to speak and act with all manner of discretion as is expected of a princess, especially considering Domino was locked in a war of cataclysmic proportions.
"I should've understood that the Princess of Domino would be most troubled because of the terror of the war that threatens the magical universe."
Daphne flinched as Victor's words rang through her mind. She hadn't been troubled about the terror of the war threatening the magical universe at all. Instead she had been self-centered and pettish, completely disregarding the greater, more dire events that were not only shaking her life to pieces but the lives of others as well.
"With such a gift comes numerous responsibilities to others. We are not always allowed the luxury to think of our own wants and needs because of this power."
Oritel would've been most disappointed in Daphne if he knew of her actions.
Something in the distance caught her eye and Daphne focused on the movement. Her worry for her mother was forgotten for only minutes, but had returned full force once she realized the figure was Bennett. Bennett was running back to the mansion alone; none of the guards followed, her mother was no where to be seen. It was just Bennett.
Daphne took a deep breath to calm herself, but already panic was settling deep within her. The dread grew into a ponderous feeling that settled upon her heart as she abandoned the window and hurried to the main door of the mansion. She watched as Bennett burst through the door calling out sharp orders that sent the idly waiting servants and guards scurrying. He turned to find someone else he could give commands to, but his eyes ended up settling on Daphne. Daphne stared at him with wide, imploring eyes.
"Daphne…" Bennett caught himself before he blurted something, but Daphne already knew what he was going to tell her.
"No." Daphne whispered. She'd shed tears all morning already, but she apparently still had some to spare as the tears fell down her cheeks. "He took her…" Daphne covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to muffle her sob.
"Daphne." Bennett moved toward her reaching out to take her hands. Daphne's legs buckled beneath her and he ended up catching her instead. "Daphne, I'll get Queen Miriam back. If I'd known sooner…"
"I ran as fast as I could." Daphne shoulders shook and she struggled to get to her feet. "I'm a fool."
"No." Bennett tenderly cupped Daphne's chin and lightly tilted her head so his dusky eyes met hers. " The guards are currently checking the surrounding area as we speak. I'm going to try get a hold of King Oritel. He'll know what to do for sure. This is not your fault. We'll get her back. I promise."
Daphne just stared at him; Bennett's gray eyes held such beautiful sincerity that Daphne's trembling calmed some. They held each other's gazes for a few more moments until she finally pulled away from him and hugged herself, nodding. "We'll get her back." Daphne recited. "My father will know what to do."
Bennett turned on his heel and left her standing there, her shameful gaze affixed on the floor. Her trembling returned, but wasn't as terrible as before. Daphne covered her face with both of her hands, trying to mask her shame from the rest of the universe. She had not wanted her father's attention so badly at the expense of her own mother.
The entire mansion was bustling with activity, everyone trying to hide their panic about the absence of their beloved Queen. Daphne had been questioned a number of times by high ranking royals and officials as well as the guards, reliving each moment she'd spent obliviously talking to the man who'd called himself Victor. Eventually she got so used to telling the story she no longer burst into tears; rather she went on autopilot and told the story in monotone. After she'd told the story some twenty times, Bennett finally had her dragged upstairs and put in her room with orders that no one else was to bother her about the ordeal.
Once the door shut behind her, Daphne pressed her back against it. Slowly she slid to the floor, hugging her knees in an attempt to make herself smaller and more insignificant. As a child Daphne did this thinking if she became small enough she'd be able to hide from the world, and her intentions weren't any different at that very moment. She just wanted to hide from the world and its cruelties, to block out the magical universe and be able to ignore it.
"That is why we are held in high regard by other realms throughout the universe; because we've fought for what is right for the good of everyone, not just ourselves."
Her father's words stung her, taunted her. Her guilt throbbed some within her, and Daphne tightened her embrace about her knees, closing her eyes tightly. Bits of her father's story continued to weave through her mind, stirring her feelings of regret and chagrin. Her mother had been taken by Victor, her father was away fighting for the magical universe's sake, and Daphne had done nothing but bemoan her life. Had she no soul, no empathy for others?
Daphne took a tremulous breath and pushed herself to her feet. She precipitously strode over to the balcony doors and opened them. The scene before her was the same as the night before: diamond stars, smooth black sky overtaking the light of day, the moonlight breaking free of the darkness. But she wasn't going to take time to admire the scene or the constellations like she had the night before.
"It's time I acted like the princess Domino deserves." Daphne breathed. She gripped the balustrade with one hand gazing over the edge. She then glanced at her other hand. Fire flickered to life in her palm and Daphne felt feelings of fervor and apprehension interlace with the other feelings that had built up over the past two days. Her senses were so overwhelmed with emotions and feelings Daphne was surprised she could even control her flame.
Daphne had never attempted to transform into her fairy form before. Her tutors had never encouraged her to try transforming; instead they taught her fairy magic through hypothetical situations and tactics. She understood that this method was no substitute for the actual experience and begged her parents to let her go to Beta or Alfea when she turned sixteen. They'd been wary of allowing her to go to any fairy college up until the war, then the whole subject had been dropped by both Daphne and her parents completely. Daphne stowed the idea away in her mind, saving it for when the war was finished.
Now Daphne brought back her determination to truly experience her fairy form. She grasped the feeling and entwined it with the fabric of feeling that already covered her. "I'll transform and search for Mother myself ." she whispered to herself and the glittering stars. She had no idea where exactly she'd go or what she'd do once she did encounter Victor, but she'd deal with those details later. "Transformation is the first step."
She dropped the balustrade and backed up. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head up and focused on the power within her. Daphne caressed and coaxed the flame within her, feeling warmth spread out over her entire body. She felt she was so close, her fairy form was just within her grasp.
Daphne.
Daphne gave a cry as she was ripped away by the sound of her name, the warmth leaving her body. Her eyes snapped open and she backed up into the wall, frantically searching the balcony. The voice from the shore had spoken her name again and again she couldn't see the source.
Realization sunk in and Daphne bit her lip in frustration; she'd just lost her concentration and she was so close to her fairy transformation. She closed her eyes and was about to begin again when there a came a most frenetic knock on her bedroom door. Daphne clenched her fists. "No! Leave me be!"
The frenetic knocking ceased and a different knock sounded, one that was softer and calmer. Daphne ignored it, desperate to achieve her transformation and leave before anyone in the mansion tried to stop her. Then there was a click and the door behind her opened. Daphne reluctantly dropped her focus again and whipped around, prepared to scream at the person for coming in her room. But when she saw the person, Daphne fell quiet, staring at him.
He gazed at Daphne with distressed but familiar amber eyes, standing erect in doorway. "Daphne."