A/N: At last an update!
She sighed amongst the grass.
Truly she felt wonderful. Happiness was hers on the farm and work was play. The late afternoon sky was turning into evening and the weeds felt wonderful caressing her toes. She giggled as she watched her foot play with a dandelion between her big toe and the rest of them.
She couldn't' wait for supper, meat pies were her favorite! And she hoped to head to the village tomorrow to buy some ribbons. She had worked as an apprentice for the seamstress in the village occasionally and earned some little coins. She wanted to buy blue, and yellow, and white ribbons.
Maybe tonight she could practice with her mother on sewing! Yes, that would be fun and good! If she was going to get married someday she would need some skills.
She was very eager to learn.
"By the Goddess of Womanhood, I'll be the best seamstress in the south! And…and I'll have a tailor husband! With some goats and plenty to eat! And I can have ribbons by the dozen in my hair!" She laughed and smiled. She clutched in her hand the amulet of the goddess that most young girls wore. A carved wooden medallion painted with white, pink and rainbow hair. She studied the features of the goddess, a naked woman with ribbons, a flowing white skirt and her hair long and proper in the traditional ponytail. In one hand was a cook-pot with sewing supplies, in the other was holding a babe at her breast and with chains at her feet. It was to show her servitude to men in the sense they were stronger and superior in form. But the shackles were ribbons, showing the beauty of womankind. She remembered her mother telling her that the goddess used to have chains, but now that women are freer and in higher positions, the priesthood changed it to sensible realism. Women can be powerful. At her feet was a scroll of knowledge. Her partner the God of Manhood was worn around boy's necks. Virginia smiled at the goddess that protected her.
"I'll be a great woman. And when I'm old and worn, I'll be respected. I'll be respected! A leader!" She said. Then she sighed, closing her eyes and sprawled in the grass with dreams of greatness in her head.
Something didn't feel right.
"I can make you respected. I can give you greatness." Said a deep voice.
She opened her eyes and gasped. Standing, leaning against the shady tree down a few feet away was a dark shape, cloaked with red. A large pointed red hat created a shadow over his face, save for the red eyes that glowed. His hair was back in a ponytail and a black gold ribbon floated with the breeze that passed through.
She stared. He was tall and cloaked. Behind him on the road was a red carriage with gilded skulls and with a team of red, horned horses. She sat up and drew back, clutching her face in horror at the vicious creatures at the carriage. She had never seen horses so evil and terrifying, nor a carriage with metal bones around it, nor such a stranger with a beautiful, dangerous voice.
"Who are you? Whatever you are, I don't talk to strangers! I'll get my dad!" She stammered and quickly stood up, holding up her apron and dress to be ready to run.
"There is no need. I have come to offer you the power you seek. For you see, I am a God…in a sense my dear." He reached his hand out and tilted his head, trying to appear less frightening. The cape moved away to reveal the red and gold jacket and finery. A slight red mist was about him.
"A…G-God…You're a God…of w-what?" She believed it. He must be part of the Gods of Death…Or of Light?
"I may appear it and posses their powers, I am very close to being one, but I am not. Dear Virginia, I am a nobleman of the highest importance and will soon become king." He moved out of the shadow of the tree showing the gold on him glint in the afternoon sun. "I have made a stop here to take you with me to the throne."
"I'm just a peasant girl. I want to be a great seamstress not a queen! And there can't be a king! You know…there's a curse…" She saw his implements of nobility, and the feel of a god. He said he wasn't. "Are you a baron? Duke, Count, Boyar?"
"I am the king." He softly said. He said it so musically and beautiful her heart fluttered even though it was gripped with fear.
"There is no king." She whispered. He stepped forward with his dark pointed red boot pressed into the grass. She gasped as she saw the grass around the foot…turn brown and die.
She turned her head to run, only to see her home down the path on fire!
Screaming she tried running to her home that was burning but tall, black shrouded beak doctors blocked her path. She almost tripped, staring at their black eyes, their cackling beaks and the claws and feathers outreached. The dark evil that they were prevented her from running to the farm.
She shivered, standing and backed up from the ring of black demons. They were not human. The beaks were part of them. Monster, vicious creatures, terrifying black things with teeth and blood from their tongues and claws. To a little girl…she had never, ever seen any creatures like this.
A cold chill was behind her. A dark shadow was over her and she turned, too frozen to the stop to see him standing three feet away.
"There is much you don't know about Virginia. I can show you the way. Let me take you into the carriage…and you will have a new, better life…a life of love and goodness…" He spoke again, beautiful as before only sterner.
She hugged her arms and cowered, afraid of the being who offered his gloved red hand to her. He was burning her home, everything, her ribbons and toys and the money that could have helped her. He said he was a king…of what?
"Come to me Virginia. Come and you will know everything." The door of the carriage was wide open revealing a comfy interior. The beasts crowded more, making her take a few steps forward away from the hissing and the gore from their maws.
"MOTHER!! FATHER!! HELP!!" She wailed. This was utterly terrifying…it darkened her mind…the blood and evil, the man that seemed that he might harm her…
"They have been eaten." He simply said.
"They…ate…my…p-parents…" Turning around, that was why the black things were bloody.
She had never believed things could be so strange and evil, to eat humans.
"You have no more life here. You can make a new one with me…Come inside, we are waiting." The being's offered palm moved more, a gentle position he held.
All she thought in those moments was that now she was orphaned. Now she could never achieve her dream because she had no income, no home, no money or food. She would die of the plague in the streets of the village or the woods to be eaten if she wandered there to find food and warmth.
He could make her happy. But now, now she saw that he was the reason why she had no parents now. He was kidnapping her; he destroyed her family and home so he could have her! Why should she be with him?
Yet the carriage seemed so inviting. There seemed to be a sort of gentleness around him as he just stood, a frightening looking figure who had a gentle repose he took. She continued staring at him.
The gaze was broken when the Red Death backed away and snarled. He set his eyes ahead and she turned, seeing why he started running.
A cavalry of horsemen were stampeding across the wheat field! They had lances, swords, guns and banners, the banners blue and gold in the breeze as they yelled. She started running to the road.
The Cavalry General with his plumed helmet and flashing sword charged his men at the fiend. What he saw was a cloaked man with hordes of Decay on the embankment. They were fleeing to the carriage of red, the red man leaping into the carriage door and the vehicle quickly speeding across the rutty field to the road.
He made a signal with his hand outstretched through the dust and most of his horsemen left him to pursue the carriage at top speed. He and his officials came with him to the burning farmhouse.
He had thought this was just a routine sweep ordered from the advisors of the late prince, but clearly with mentions of a being in terrible human form here, he thought that was a joke. Now, he saw indeed that it wasn't.
His concentration was ebbed away when he saw the crying young girl.
He turned and stopped, the horse neighing as it stopped. The other generals went to the farmhouse. He was to deal with the golden, beautiful darling child weeping on her knees.
He assumed this was a peasant girl from the home that was now turning to ash. He realized the brown dressed girl was in front of the skull faced man. He shuddered from her sorrow and the sudden caring for this creature. And that the creature he knew was the creator of The Red Death was about to get her, most likely kill her. He did not know of the situation that happened before between her and the fiend.
He swung off the horse and he moved slowly towards the girl. She was wailing in her hands with her ragged blonde hair around her. He stood in his armor and took off his helmet as he bent down to a knee.
She sniffled and looked up. The kind man with the black hair and the mustache was looking down at her. His gauntlet hands went to her shoulders to lightly rest there. She immediately saw the symbol on his breastplate and knew she could trust him. Yet she was still wary…
"T-the man k-killed my family." She choked out a sob as she lunged to his arms. He hugged her against the cold metal of his chest while she sobbed anew upon the steel. Like his own child, he patted her back and picked her up into his arms. He would have to deal with this child himself.
"He's gone now, there's nothing to fear…I will take care of you now." He cooed softly as he brought her upon his horse. He trotted to the smoldering ruins of her peasant hut, and she looked onward in tears at the loss of the entire world she knew.
She stared deeply at the wreckage. The charred body parts in what was the kitchen. The brick oven blackened. The wood now charcoal and the rugs and beds ash. Several of the generals were poking around what was her room; she watched them pick up her wooden box, black and charcoal by now. She saw them open it to only find the embers of ribbons and her burned amulets. Nothing was left. Nothing sacred, nothing of her life.
She looked up at him, the man holding her tightly to him as she cried. She saw kindness and love and worry. The general under the rule of the not-so-kind prince had kindness. She felt puzzled as she knew that yes, she knew he was kind. She knew he could trust him. She knew he'd help her.
She felt sleepy. It was as if the entire burden was placed upon her heart and she felt tired and weighted down like her eyelids. This was something terrible to a young girl who had just lost everything, and knowing secrets the enemy of the land had told her. She knew he wanted her with him. But she didn't need him. The prince's regimes and workers would hopefully send her off to an orphanage or something, to hopefully be adopted.
It was easy for her to sleep. She put all the worries and shock away and suddenly slept. The general smiled down at her amongst the wreckage. He knew she had been through a lot. She could have contacted the plague as could he and many others. He hoped he could have her. He wanted to ease the pain she would feel tomorrow. The pain of no father or mother, or anything at all was gone forever. He wanted this child for some reason. He felt important and proud he was comforting a young girl. A girl who saw Death.
The Red Death watched her slumber. He would take her another day. When she would be more mature…then she will be exposed to his means forever.
A/N: Ooooooh dear…poor her…some PLOT is happening! You can just FEEL it…
Shoys.