A/N: I'm back! I don't really know how many people are actually reading this story and have kept up with it, especially after being gone so long! College is crazy and I forgot how happy writing made me. Now I should update soon as this story is slowly coming to a close with no more than four chapters left.
-Story Note: I have never written smut before and decided to skip it in this chapter. If anyone wants me to put it in I might add it in later just depends on what I am feeling and what I hear from y'all! Let me know if I should or not!
Disclaimer: I don't own Stardust, obviously, or it would be totally different.
Chapter Nine
Yvaine and Alex walked along the gravel road that cut into the hillside, talking quietly. The trees having long lost their leaves due to the winter months and the shrubs that were on the right side of the road were thick and bushy but brown from the weather. Alex looked up and saw a black coach far up the road, bustling towards them.
"Yvaine!" She whispered loudly before shoving her off the road and into the shrubs. Alex dove in right behind her, only to land right on top of her. Yvaine glanced up, lying on her back as Alex lay on top of her, staring at Alex. Alex braced herself with her arms on either side of Yvaine's shoulders.
"Are you trying to break my leg again?" Yvaine whispered.
Alex smiled slightly while brushing hair out of Yvaine's face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just…I can't risk people seeing you. I don't trust anyone."
"But at this rate, if we keep stopping…" Yvaine started but was cut off as Alex shushed her softly while putting her finger to Yvaine's lips. Immediately, Yvaine began to glow once more as Alex removed her finger.
"Yvaine. We're making good time. Just leave it a minute," Alex said before looking over her shoulder, trying to hear if the coach had passed.
Yvaine studied Alex's face as she was looking away before breaking the silence. "Aren't you tempted?"
Alex turned confused eyes back on Yvaine. Their faces were close enough together that if either were to move and inch forward they would be touching. "Tempted by what?"
Yvaine's face softened as Alex leaned a little closer. Yvaine turned her head slightly and looked off in the distance over Alex's shoulder. "Immortality. Let's say it wasn't my heart. Not me. Just a star you didn't know."
Alex looked down at Yvaine with a small smile on her face. "You seriously think I could kill anyone?" Yvaine started laughing, thinking of how ridiculous that would look. Alex looked intently at Yvaine as she continued. "I mean, even if I could…Everlasting life? I imagine it would be kind of lonely. Well, maybe if you had someone to share it with. Someone you love. Maybe then it might be different." Yvaine looked away as the glow around her faded. "Come on, I think we're safe," Alex said while getting up and offering Yvaine a hand as they once again started down the road towards Wall.
Septimus, his henchman, and Bernard crested the hilltop and looked down upon where the Caspartine was docked. "Now remember, Captain Shakespeare has a fearsome reputation," Septimus said as they galloped down the hill on horseback.
Inside the ship, Shakespeare stood in the underclothes of a woman painting a black heart on his cheek. He had put on music on a phonograph while dancing and humming along while picking up random articles of clothing and modeling it for the mirror.
On the deck of the ship, Septimus' guards stood in a line with their swords raised in front of Septimus who was at the doorway to the cabin. The crew stood in front of them, glaring at the guards as Septimus walked through the door into the Captain's cabin. As soon as Septimus shut the door, Skinny turned to the guards with a small smile. He bowed deeply, as is customary. And immediately, as one the guards lower their swords, took off their hats and bowed low. As soon as they bowed the crew rushed them with a yell. The fight broke out immediately between the guards and the crewmen.
Septimus slowly approached the door to the captain's quarters with his sword raised cautiously. Meanwhile Shakespeare was dancing along to the music waving himself with a hot pink fan and a red feather boa around his neck. Hearing the music, Septimus kicked the door down and charged into the room only to find Shakespeare dancing almost naked in women's clothes and miming the song. Upon seeing Septimus, Shakespeare stopped what he was doing immediately as they stared each other down.
"What the hell is this?" Septimus asked in complete astonishment.
Shakespeare tries to sound intimidating, well as much as one can while wearing women's underclothes, as he approaches Septimus. "What are you doing here?"
Septimus walks forward into the closet. "My name is Prince Septimus. And you're going to tell me where I can find the girl," he said while holding his sword to the captain's neck.
Soon, Septimus had Shakespeare pinned down on his desk with blood dripping from his nose and a knife hovering above his face. "All right, twinkle toes. I'm gonna count to three. One, two…"
Before he could get to three, the crew burst into the cabin with their swords raised, startling Septimus. At once they all rushed towards him, ready to defend their captain. Seeing as he had no way out, Septimus turned and broke through the window before plummeting down towards the ocean.
Yvaine and Alex had been walking for hours when Alex decided to break the silence. "You know, you sort of glitter sometimes. I just noticed it. Is it normal?"
Yvaine rolled her eyes at Alex. "Let's see if you can work it out for yourself. What do stars do?"
"Attract trouble?" Alex said, smirking at Yvaine. With a laugh she bumped Alex with her shoulder. "That's…alright, I'm sorry. Wait, I'm sorry! Is it…Do they know exactly how to annoy a girl called Alexandra Thorn?" Yvaine just rolled her eyes at Alex as she looked down and saw a stone planted in the ground. Engraved in the stone was "The Wall-Sixty Miles".
Looking at Alex, Yvaine asked, "How long will that take?"
"Maybe two days."
Yvaine shook her head, "But we don't have two days. Victoria's birthday is tomorrow!"
Alex looked down at the ground in thought and with a small chuckle he replied, "Yes…yes it is. Well remembered." Yvaine took off down the path with Alex trailing behind, wondering why she was upset.
Back on the Caspartine, Captain Shakespeare sat at his desk as Skinny set down a cup down in front of him. "A nice cup of Earl Grey."
The captain didn't even look up, too ashamed to look any of his crewmembers in the eyes. "Get out, everybody. Get out!" He said in a defeated voice, waving his hand frantically at the door.
Skinny still stood out in front of the rest of the crew, standing right in front of the desk while staring at the captain. "Did he hurt you, captain? Did you tell him where your niece and the girl went?" The captain shook his head, still staring down at his hands. "So what's the problem?"
The captain didn't dare look up. "It's my reputation."
"No. No, no. Don't be silly. Nonsense," Skinny said while taking a step back towards the rest of the crew.
Another crew member took a small step forwards, his face was bright red and stretched up straight on top of his head as he was bald in the middle with scraggly white hair on the sides and his beard matched. "It's all right, Captain. We always knew you were a whoopsie," as soon as that last word left his lips the rest of the crew shushed him and pushed him back behind all of them as the captain hung his head.
With a determined look, Skinny stood tall. "You'll always be our captain, Captain." The rest of the crew growled in agreement, causing Shakespeare to glance up at them. The captain had a small smile on his face as he gave a growl in response, causing the rest of the crew to jeer and shout in response.
On the shore not too far from the ship, Septimus walked on shore, drenched completely. Bernard sat atop his white horse as all the others had run away a long time ago during the fight. "Prince Septimus, your men, they're dead."
"Oh really?" Septimus scowled before throwing Bernard off the horse and hopping on, riding off down the road. Bernard looked up from the ground as Septimus rode away. For the first time in days he was free from any of the craziness revolving around some fallen star.
Alexandra and Yvaine stood with backs flat against the stone bridge as a carriage approached. Peering over the edge, the two surveyed the approaching carriage and the woman steering it. Yvaine's eyes widened slightly as she took in the old hag driving the coach with her shoulders slumped.
"I met that woman. She's a friend with the captain. He said she trades at the market near Wall. We could hitch a lift," Yvaine said in a hurried whisper.
Alex looked at her in disbelief at first, before finally sighing. "Really? She's a friend of the Captain?" Getting just a nod in response, Alex jumped up and ran up around the bridge. She stopped directly in front of the coach, blocking its path with her hands raised about. "Wait! Sorry! My name is Alexandra Thorn. This is…"
Alex started to introduce Yvaine, but was rudely caught off by the old hag staring at her chest and pointing a wrinkled old finger accusingly. "That's my flower! Eighteen years I've been looking for that. Give it to me now!" Ditchwater Sal clambered out of her seat before waddling towards Alex and Yvaine who now stood alongside her.
Crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes, Yvaine exclaimed indignantly, "How dare you? That was a gift from her mother!"
Without even casting a glance or acknowledging Yvaine's presence, Sal approached Alex menacingly. Immediately Alex drew the long silver sword gifted to her from Captain Shakespeare. Stopping in her tracks and staring at the sharp blade pointing at her chest, Sal raised her hands slightly in surrender. "Oh. Perhaps I was mistaken."
Back on the carriage, unbeknownst to the three standing in the road, the blue bird was chirping wildly. Trying to get the attention of the two young women standing not but meters away. Alex simply eyed the old hag suspiciously. "It's all right. It's obviously very valuable to you, so you can have it in exchange for what I need. A Babylon candle?"
"And safe passage to the wall?" Yvaine interjected with a hopeful look.
Once again being seeming blown off by the old hag, Yvaine rolled her eyes in annoyance. "A Babylon candle? Oh, no, no, no. I don't deal in black magic."
"Really? Well, can you give us a lift then? To the wall?" Alex asked intently, glancing sideways at Yvaine as she did so.
With a sneer the old hags face contorted in a mess of wrinkles. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? For that flower, I can offer you passage. Food and lodging on the way."
"Safe passage?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow, not believing a word this woman was saying.
"I swear that you will arrive at the wall in the exact same condition that you're in now." At that Alex sheathed her sword and reached into her pocket to produce the white, glass flower. As soon as the flower was grasped into her hands she held it as if it would break just by glancing at it. A sly smirk crept onto her face as she gazed back at Alex. "Do you have any idea what manner of thing it was that you had?"
Raising an eyebrow at the old hag, Alex scrunched her face together in confusion. "Some kind of lucky charm?"
The smirk on Sal's face grew into a wretched smile, "A very lucky charm indeed. Protection. In fact, the exact same thing that would've prevented me from doing this." With a quickness that one could not fathom a hag as old as her possessing, she threw her hands up towards Alex. Immediately black smoke flew from the shriveled finger and engulfed Alex. No fight could be had before a small squirrel like creature stood in Alex's place on the ground.
Yvaine jumped with a gasp as she tried to attack Ditchwater Sal, "Oh, my God! What did you do?" No matter how hard she fought, an invisible barrier stopped Yvaine just short of touching the witch. All the screaming and curses thrown the wenches way seemed to be unheard by Sal much to Yvaine's dismay. Lamia's curse on Ditchwater Sal had been completely effective. For poor Sal could not see the star, touch it, smell it, or even hear the girl feet away from her.
Sal picked up the small animal that once was Alex in her hands, ignorant to the fallen star cursing her quite thoroughly mere feet away. A small smirk still sat on Sal's face as she waddled back to her wagon. "Much better. Though I'll keep me word. You shall not be harmed."
Once the hag had reached her wagon and entered she produced a small cage much akin to a small birdcage. Flipping open the latch she set Alex in and shut the door behind her. Ripping up a small piece of bread and cheese, Sal threw the pieces into Alex who seemed happy to much away. "There. Food and lodging just as I promised."
Unbeknownst to the old witch, Yvaine angrily strode into the wagon and perching herself near the door opening. Raising her voice Yvaine began to test out if her assumptions were indeed correct. "Would I be correct in thinking that you can neither see nor hear me?" With no reply Yvaine scoffed and began to rant. "Well then I would like to tell you that you smell of pee. You look like the rear end of a dog. And I swear, if I don't get my Alexandra back as she was I'll be your personal poltergeist!"
Not far behind the raging star, Septimus raced on his white horse along the dirt path. Cutting through the mountains overlooking the raging sea, Septimus' face was full of determination a sneer making itself a permanent fixture. Suddenly Septimus pulled back violently on the reins causing the horse to slam to a stop and buck slightly. Looking over Septimus peered at a small stone, no more than two foot high, that stuck up from the ground.
Engraved on the stone was Wall – 60 Miles with a small arrow pointing along the direction of the path. Immediately Septimus snarled in glee the sneer now more prominent on his face as he raced forward pushing the poor horse to its limits. His thoughts were centered around one thing and one thing only. He wanted that stone and the star with which it came.
The hag's yellow wagon was now on its way towards Wall. The old wretch who sat on the bench outside the wagon, directing the lone brown horse slowly towing it forward, guided it. Back inside the wagon Yvaine kneeled before the small cage containing the animal that was once her traveling companion. The small animal looked around wild eyed, seemingly more animal than the human it once was.
"Alex?" Yvaine said leaning even closer to the cage. "If you can understand me, look at me now." Her eyes bore down on the small creature, hoping its beady black eyes would lock onto hers. Instead, the small beady eyes continued to glance around the wagon nervously while nibbling softly on the small amount of bread left in the cage. With a sigh, Yvaine rolled her eyes as the small beady eyes locked in on the swinging wedge of Swiss cheese. Shaking her head in defeat she reached over and broke off a piece of the cheese. In defeat, Yvaine sat on the small seat next to Alex's cage leaning over and feeding the piece of cheese through the bars of the cage and into the paws of Alex.
Looking down at the floor she smiled softly with a sigh. Gazing back up into the cage Yvaine began to speak all that which she could never say to Alex's face, believing the animal could not understand her. "You know when I said I knew little about love?" She paused with a resigned little shake of her head. Her voice was so soft that it could barely be heard over the crunching and creaking of the old wagon on the trail.
"Well, that wasn't true," she continued, staring into the bars with a far away look in her eye. "I know a lot about love. I've seen it. I've seen centuries and centuries of it. And it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain and lies. Hate. It all made me want to turn away and never look down again. But to see the way that mankind loves. I mean, you could search the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So, yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unbearable, and well, strangely easy to mistake for loathing. And what I'm trying to say, Alexandra, is I think I love you."
A blush had spread slowly across her neck as her speech went on and now it was in full bloom across her cheeks as she smiled towards the cage. As if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders she held her hands on her chest and smiled brightly. "My heart, it feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange. No gifts, no goods, no demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you love me, too." At this her voice softened as she gazed hopefully into the small cage. "Just your heart in exchange for mine." The small animal just gazed back at her for a few short moments before scurrying around the cage in search for more food. Yvaine paid no attention as she simply leaned back and thought back on her travels and the confession she had just made.
Hours later Ditchwater Sal pulled the wagon through the town of Wall, passing by The Slaughtered Prince before coming to a halt. The streets were dark only lit by the occasional light on a nearby building as passersby bumbled along the drab streets. Once her usual stall was set up Sal opened the wagon and drew Alex from her cage before pacing her on the ground. "The wall is one mile that way-," a bony finger pointed in a far off direction, "-there. Thought the walk might take you a little longer than normal. Transformation tends to leave the brain a bit scrambled for a while."
Much like her transformation into an animal a bony finger sprouted black smoke encircling Alex before she was once again a human standing in front of the old hag. "You!" Alex exclaimed unsheathing her sword only to fall to her right tumbling around as Yvaine grappled onto her in an effort to break her fall.
With a dismissive wave of hand, Sal lumbered off shouting, "I warned you. Save your strength."
Yvaine cradled Alex's head in her lap, her hands fretting over her face and hair before resting on her cheeks. "I've been so worried for you," she said with a smile, gazing deep into Alex's eyes.
A large smile broke out on Alex' face as her eyes seemed to be unfocused despite the jubilation displayed on her entire face. "Victoria!" She exclaimed with her smile still firmly in place.
The smile once on Yvaine's face fell immediately into a scowl as hurt passed through her eyes. She couldn't quite understand the depth of the pain that had shot through her heart at such a simple name.
"I think I preferred 'Mother'," Yvaine mumbled as she gathered Alex up on her feet and began leading her down the street. "Come on. There's an inn over there. Victoria's birthday is not till tomorrow. I think you need a bath and a good night's sleep before you present me to her."
She masked the hurt welling up inside her, smothering it with her concern for the girl she was basically dragging along the streets. Alex began grumbling and moaning immediately. "Come on. Come. Come on, Alex. It's not that far."
The only response she received in return was a hiccupped "Okay." Rolling her eyes, Yvaine lead the incapacitated girl towards the Slaughtered Prince in hopes of lodging and a nice bath.
It took only minutes before Yvaine was depositing the unconscious Alex onto the bed face first. With a huff of frustration and exhaustion she began to examine the room. It was lit with multiple candles placed around the room. The bed was clean with white sheets and fresh pillows. The maroon and gold duvet that was once perfectly made on the bed was scrunched under the snoring mass of Alex's body. Yvaine's eyes skirted over the random furniture in the room before coming to rest on the large white, claw-foot bath that sat a few feet from the end of the bed.
Pushing Alex's head and body so there was room, Yvaine moved a wooden screen between the bed and the bath. The screen provided enough privacy for her to comfortably take a nice bath. The wood was dark and the screen was made of braided wood woven together so one could barely see in between. Towards the top of the screen was a small window with a door that could be opened and closed. It was big enough for a head to fit through but Yvaine wasn't worried whatsoever. Alex was dead to the world on the bed and had made no signs of waking up anytime soon.
Soon the tub was filled with steaming hot water and Yvaine happily shed her dress and undergarments and stepped in. The candelabra that sat next to the bath provided plenty of light for her as she unwound her hair and let it flow around her shoulders. The window was open allowing her an unhindered view of the stars and her long lost sisters. A small tear made its way down her face as she accepted her fate. She was never going to be able to rejoin her sisters, no matter how much she wished. Her heart lay in the hands of a human girl, no woman, whose heart desired another. A dainty hand wiped away the lone tear as she leaned back and relaxed, still staring at her home.
On the other side of the wooden curtain, Alex began to stir. Her head felt as if a cloud had been finally lifted from her mind after the long journey. Shaking her head, she peaked around at her surroundings. Her head never made its complete perusal of the room, for her eyes were trained on the flashes of blonde hair and pale skin she could see through the slits of the screen. For a few moments, Alex's mind was completely blank as her heart beat frantically in her chest.
With the dreadful encounter with Ditchwater Sal in mind, Alex stood up and made her way over to the screen. Eyeing the small window a smirk crept onto Alex's face. She opened the window with her head resting on its sill as she gazed down at Yvaine's face as she gazed at the stars. "Excuse me?"
"Oh!" Yvaine jumped, sloshing water out of the bath as she turned hurriedly towards the side of the tub. Her back now facing Alex as she tried to cover herself as much as possible from Alex's eyes. Alex, on the other hand, was struck by the beauty in front of her and couldn't believe anyone could be so magnificent. Alex's eyes slowly traced the smooth back up to the neck before meeting Yvaine's irate expression. Shaking her head with a blush sprouting on her face, Alex began to chuckle awkwardly.
"I think you're in my bath," Alex chuckled out, a blush still alight on her cheeks.
Yvaine's face was beet red as she alternated between glaring back at Alex and shaking her head in disbelief. "Well, close your eyes!" She snapped back at him, though a small smile broke out on her face.
Alex chuckled even more as she closed the window and backed away from the screen towards the bed. "I'm not…Honestly, I'm not looking. Here, I'll turn away," Alex still giggled mercilessly as the sounds of water splashing echoed in the background.
Yvaine wrapped herself in a towel and tucked it under so it stayed up above her breasts to cover her modesty. Her hands ran themselves through blond locks in hopes of detangling the long strands. She approached the small dresser with a mirror, gazing over at Alex's back. "Alright, you can open them now."
Alex turned towards Yvaine, a smile still on her lips as she gazed at the towel clad fallen star before her. Yvaine looked over her shoulder at Alex as she approached the blonde from behind. Yvaine quickly averted her gaze back to the mirror, intent on her task of combing her hair. Alex stopped a few feet away from Yvaine before looking at her fondly.
Alex took a breath before she finally said the words she has been wanting to since she had awoke from her time as an animal. "Did-Did you really mean what you said in the caravan?" Her voice was soft, but carried heavily through the candle lit room.
Yvaine's fingers stopped abruptly as she turned towards Alex with a questioning look on her face. Her gaze then darted down and surprise and horror flashed over her face. "What I…But…But you were a mouse!" Alex began to chuckle softly as the smile on her face grew into a full-blown grin. "You were a mouse! You wanted cheese! You didn't…"
Yvaine covered her face as shock and horror coursed through her, "I asked you to give me a sign." Yvaine turned away from Alex, embarrassed beyond belief.
Alex glided forward, taking Yvaine's wrists into her hands and pulling them softly away from her face. "And risk you being too embarrassed to keep saying such lovely things?" Now Yvaine had turned around fully to face Alex. A small giggle left her lips as Alex followed. Yvaine's hands wound around Alex as their foreheads rested together. Alex leaned forward and kissed Yvaine's forehead lovingly while cupping her face in her right hand. Alex's thumb softly caressed Yvaine's cheek as they smiled shyly at one another.
In a whispered voice, not wanting to break the atmosphere of the moment, Alex asked, "You want to know what the Captain really whispered to me that day?" Yvaine's eyes stared deep into Alex's as love shined brightly in both. "He told me that my true love was right in front of my eyes. And he was right."
Yvaine had slowly begun to glow throughout the moment but at those words a beautiful glow emanated from her skin and surrounded her in an ethereal light. Alex smiled tenderly at her before cupping her neck and pulling her forward. Their lips met and it felt as if Alex's body came alive and she could feel every inch of her body pressed up against Yvaine's. No matter how long it lasted, in Alex's mind it would never be long enough. With her arm wrapped securely around the blondes waist and her other caressing the smooth skin of her neck, Alex finally felt as if she was home.
Their lips parted for only seconds before reconnecting immediately with fervor. Yvaine's hands wound up around Alex's neck and tangling in long brown locks. Soon Alex ran her tongue along Yvaine's who readily opened her mouth, allowing Alex to deepen the kiss. Before long the kiss grew from sweet and timid to fervent and lustful as the pent up passion and lust took ahold of both girls.
Yvaine's hands untangled from Alex's hair and down the front of her shirt before reaching her waist. Her hands began to softly tug the fabric from its place tucked into the pants until it was completely free from their prison. Immediately Yvaine's hands explored the newfound skin of Alex's stomach, causing muscles to clench and spasm under the soft touch. Alex pulled back only a breath away and gazed deep into her love's eyes. "I am helplessly in love with you Yvaine."
Yvaine's breath hitched at the raw emotion in Alex's eyes. She smiled slyly as her hands crept up the flat, muscled stomach before her. Soon Alex's shirt was pulled up and off before being tossed carelessly across the room. Yvaine then began walking backwards towards the bed, her eyes never leaving Alex's. With only a few steps left to the bed Yvaine's hand reached up and undid her towel allowing it to fall to the floor leaving her with nothing as she beckoned Alex over with a finger.
Alex couldn't help but admire the beautiful body in front of her. She couldn't comprehend how such a beautiful creature, both inside and out, could love a plain, small town girl as herself. No matter the why, she was not going to take a second of her love for granted. With a smile Alex soon crossed the room shedding clothes as she did so before lying her body atop that of Yvaine as their lips met once again in a loving battle.
It wasn't long before moans and heavy breathing began to fill the room as the two lovers gave each other all that they were. Unbeknownst to the lovers in their throes of passion was the ghostly body of Tertius floating above the scene in glee. He stuck his head through the wall and glanced down at his ghostly brothers who were sitting on the eve of the inn right below the room of the two women.
"Hey, guys! Guys, come on! Come on, you got to come up and see this!" His gleeful expression could even be seen despite how transparent and ghastly he had become in the afterlife.
All the brothers looked up from their position at Tertius' gleeful face. "Pervert!" Secundus shouted up at him, disgusted by his brother. The rest merely rolled their eyes as Tertius huffed.
"Suit yourselves!" Tertius spat as he stuck his head back into the lovers' room to watch.
Sextus was the first one to speak and break the silence, "Ironic, isn't it?"
Secundus turned with a questioning look on his flattened face. "Yeah. What is?"
"Well Septimus will be here by morning, find the girl, get the stone, and be king forever," Sextus said bitterly, shaking his head.
Nodding their heads in agreement Secundus spoke up, "Still, at least we will be free."
Thanks to everyone who is still reading this story after such a long break! I don't really know if there is people actually reading it, but if so let me know what you think! If there is any mistakes I don't read through it twice so my bad just let me know and I'll try and fix them!