Summary: See chapter one
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Warnings: See chapter one
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Chapter Ten: Confrontation
The last coin spun through the air as it fell, a twinkling star of gold that came to rest on her lap and the satisfied smirk on her face could not be wider. Life was good, she thought, as she gazed around the room that the Duke had gifted to her when she completed her training as a spy. Her quarters were situated with the dormitories of the other female servants but that was where the comparison ended: she did not have to share with anyone else and her furniture, clothing and bedding was almost the exact quality of the castle rooms reserved for the Brigade officials and visiting nobility. Of course, this special treatment was duly noted and envied by other servants but Arlia only laughed when confronted with accusations that she was trading favours from Vox for the use of her body. Their jealousy was truly pathetic, she realised, even if it did make more sense that she was sleeping with her master, than being a spy. Ah, but nothing could be further from the truth. She took joy in the fact that she could be useful to him, be it not in his arms whenever he pleased. That was where she differed from those mindless fools, she was superior in every way imaginable. Vox had raised her above them, lifted her from the dirt of poverty.
Yes, life was indeed good. She trickled another stream of gold through her fingers, smiling as she thought those words. If truth be told, what more could she want? She had a master whom she could serve with flawless capabilities, more riches than her mind could possibly desire and various soldiers she could entice with one flutter of her eyelashes. Unbidden, the image of a smiling young man came to mind and she frowned, seeing the sparkling green eyes and sun kissed mop of hair. Kale was one aspect of her work that was most unpleasant. His warm and bright demeanour repulsed her at times, to the point where it actually disgusted her to be in his embrace. If not for his innocent charm in the bedroom, she would have refused her master many weeks ago. Arlia sighed and stretched herself out on her bed, cuddling the soft blankets as she rememebered his first time with her. He had been so awkward, so clumsy, she had been on the verge of throttling him before he gathered the courage to demonstrate his amateur skills. Which, she would grudgingly admit, had been rather good for a virgin. Well, she had taken care to teach and refine his technique many times since then. The next girl that comes along had better thank me, she told herself sourly. The boy had not even known how to kiss properly before her. Unlike the lord Albel, she thought with a sudden giggle. For all his flaws, the man knew how to please a woman and his perfectly honed body was a considerable bonus. The only pity was that she had not been allowed to respond as she would have under normal circumstances because Arlia did not submit to any lover. However, the thought of Albel allowing himself to be dominated by a woman was absurd, not to mention freakish. And perhaps that was part of his charm, letting one surrender all control to one other who possessed the exquisite expertise that brought the world crashing down around you within minutes, or prolonged it in delicious ecstasy for as long as he wished.
Dozing on the bed, she barely heard the soft knock on her door. When it was repeated a little more loudly, she raised her head irritably and rose to open the door. Arlia raised a slim eyebrow when she saw who stood at her door.
Her master's latest toy.
"Why, Shandre. I did not expect to see you so soon." She looked carefully at the young face, noting the faint flush that was evidence of tears. Recent tears. "Judging by your appearance, I trust you have news of Albel."
Her small hands twisted agitatedly as she entered, turning to face the other woman when the door was firmly shut behind her. "Lord Albel, he… when I came to his quarters, he was engaged with the…" she stopped, a deep flush mounting her cheeks.
"Aquarian? Ha, I suspected as much."
Shandre glanced upwards at the brunette woman, who was staring thoughtfully into space. "You suspected him of doing that in the castle?"
"Albel is a soldier, girl, and as such cannot resist a pretty face when it falls into his possession. Of course he would have his way with her," she said scornfully. "He is a man after all."
"But they have not done so yet," she protested, "they were both still partly clothed."
Stupid girl, she wanted to scold the naïve servant, knowing Albel, he would have taken her many times since yesterday. In all probability, this was the tenth time! "Somehow I find that rather difficult to believe," she answered dryly.
"But it is true," she said, "the way they were talking to each other, it did not seem as if they were intimate. It was more like…" she hesitated before she continued, "she wanted to kill him rather than sleep with him."
"And who is to say that Albel would not simply take her against her will? Hmm? Come now, there are no romantic notions in any of this!" she snapped in disgust. "If Albel wants her, he will take her!"
Shandre shook her head. "No, I know what I saw and Lord Albel, he was so angry when he saw me that he…" immediately she stopped, feeling the sting of his harsh words.
The reason for the tears, Arlia realised, feeling a miniscule pang of pity for the girl. And I had better appear sympathetic, lest she be unwilling to provide every detail of his escapades.
"You can tell me, Shandre," she said, as gently as she could to coax a satisfactory answer out of the girl.
"He told me he was going to kill me," she whispered, her grey eyes haunted. No, not just kill me… he wants to rip me from limb to limb with his bare hands. "But she wouldn't let him."
"What?" Arlia asked, blinking in surprise. "Albel submitted to his prisoner?" She waited with barely concealed impatience for the girl to answer, her ears delighting in anticipation of every delicious morsel that Shandre was about to offer.
"My master was chained to the bed," she said finally, "and they were both half naked. When he saw me standing in the doorway, he wanted to hurt me but she stopped him. He was so angry… and so was she. Lord Albel told her that she was a traitorous sow when she refused to give the key of the chains to him and then they argued until she…" her voice trailed off and Arlia shifted edgily, waiting for the shaken girl to continue. "She hit him very hard, in the face, but he didn't even seem to care!"
Brown eyes were narrowed intense contemplation as Arlia stood motionless in her room, fighting to keep her new found glee under control. This was better than anything she had ever expected from this girl and this would surely earn the highest of praise from the Duke.
Albel was being a very naughty boy indeed.
"Then she told me to leave and he threatened me with death," she finished in a whisper and then paused. "Is this what you wanted of me, Arlia?"
The smirk was aching to curve her lips as she answered. "For now."
"My family will not be hurt?"
"As long as you keep up your end of the bargain, then yes, they will be left unharmed." Arlia moved towards her bed and scooped a handful of coins into her hands, offering them to the still distraught young woman. "Your compensation."
Her grey eyes darkened into storm clouds and she shook her head. "I want nothing from you. Only your word that my family is safe."
Arlia shrugged. "Suit yourself." It means more gold for me, you stupid twit.
Shandre hesitated as she stepped back towards the door. "What should I do now?" she asked, a faint plead in her voice. "My master will still be angered…"
Already she was planning her audience with Vox in her head, hearing his elated words of praise. "My advice, little girl, is to stay out of his way for a day till his rage cools," she replied distantly. "With luck, you might yet escape him unscathed. If that fails, plead to share his bed when he finally tires of the Aquarian. He's not had you yet, has he now?"
Her bottom lip trembled and Shandre flung the door open, turning to face the shameful older woman. "One day, Apris will see you burn," she whispered, so low that Arlia could only see her lips moving and hear nothing of what she said. But she did not care, what reason did she have to? She only smiled, turning back to her small heap of gleaming gold and her thoughts that dreamed of her lord's congratulations.
Shandre leaned against the cool stone of the wall once outside, willing herself to take deep breaths, but much to her surprise no tears came to her eyes. Albel had just threatened to kill her (slowly and painfully), Arlia had told her no uncertain terms that she did not care what happened to her and she was utterly alone. She should have broken down completely by now. But that was before she met Kale Elia.
After she had finally managed to stop the tears, she had been absolutely mortified and it had showed. He had seemed embarrassed too, but the gentle compassion shining in his deep green eyes had overshadowed any awkwardness he had displayed. He had simply let her cry, keeping silent while she sniffled onto his shirt and he patted her back in a comforting manner. Once she had finished hiccupping (which only made her blush all the more) she had hesitantly asked him what he meant by his earlier comment. He had laughed, quite a melodious laugh for a man she thought, and explained what he had meant.
"Your eyes told me that there had been so many tears, that what if you wanted to cry tomorrow and there were no tears left? I didn't think that one person could cry so much all at once."
Well, it certainly felt like she had cried all the tears she had in the world. After he had lightened the mood considerably, they had sat in silence for a few moments, which she used to calm herself down further and straighten her hair, which she was sure looked a horrid sight. He might have needed it too, for he also seemed very rattled by something and she was not confident enough to ask why. But, as it went, she had not needed to…
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"Might I ask what upset you so, lady?"
"Only, sir, if you tell me what has upset you."
He seemed surprised, as was she, at this bold statement and in their sudden embarrassment both blurted out their answer in the same moment.
"My master, Lord Albel, he-!"
"My captain, Sir Albel-"
They had stared at one another in united shock for a frozen minute. "You serve Sir Albel?" he had asked quietly, breaking the awkward silence. Having seen the look in his eyes, she had known what he was thinking: undoubtedly the poor girl had been used by Albel and then thrown aside when a better prospect had ventured into his path. Or worse, used and thrown aside repeatedly.
"Yes," she replied softly, "but not as how you might think."
A blush coloured his face at what she suggested. "No, lady, I assure you that I did not think that, I…"
"Don't be ashamed for that," she said somewhat curtly, "it is the truth for most of the women in this castle who have had the displeasure of meeting your captain."
"Yet he is your master and he has never…?"
Feeling a familiar sting in her eyes, Shandre stood abruptly. "No. It is not his wish to have me, nor is it mine to be his!" she retorted.
As she turned to walk away, he rose to catch her hand, tugging her back. "I am sorry if I offended you. It was not my intention, believe me."
She considered him for a moment before her gaze drifted down to his neck, where the red imprints of her master's fingers were still indented in his skin. Gently, she touched the marks and when he did not pull away, she looked up at him. "My lord… did this? Why?"
He grinned ruefully. "I saw something that was not meant for my eyes. My captain punished me as he saw fit."
Shandre smiled, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes. "Then we are the same, sir."
He glanced down at her and she bit her lip as their gazes met. "My name is Kale," he said impulsively, obviously expecting her to volunteer her own.
"Shandre," she answered in a soft voice, her eyes travelling down uncertainly to meet the floor. She was ever aware of his light hold on her wrist and she blushed again for what seemed like the millionth time since he had found her.
He smiled at the cute way in which she was embarrassed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Shandre."
"And you, Sir Kale."
"Uh, not quite yet. I am still in training and it while be a while yet before I can be addressed as 'sir'."
She gave him an incredulous look and he realized his error. Even though he had virtually no status in the brigade as a cadet, he still had a higher social standing than her and protocol demanded that she respect him as her superior. Strange how he had never thought of it, but he had never really conversed with the servants with the exception of Arlia and she had certainly not once referred to him as sir.
"Please, I don't want you to address me like that. Sir makes me feel like an old man," he said jokingly, seemingly unaware that he was still holding her hand. "Just call me by my name."
"As you wish…Kale." Shyly, she withdrew her hand from his grasp and as she did so, the sleeve of her dress caught on the metal bracer that identified him as Black Brigade. Before she could stop him, he had tugged at the snagged threads and pulled it free, revealing the discoloured bruise on her wrist. There was silence.
"Who did this?" his voice was quiet and she could hear the underlying shock in his tone.
She did not dare look up at him, embarrassment and shame flooding her. He tilted her chin to gaze directly into her eyes, which filled with tears. Shandre did not need to answer him.
"Albel," he continued, sounding somewhat puzzled, "but why?"
She glanced sideways, her chin resting on her shoulder. "He hit you."
"Yes, but that is different! That was an army matter and I am a man and you…" his voice trailed off, shaking with the unjust at the thought of what the delicate girl endured at the hands of his captain. "He has no right!"
Now her eyes were distant, reflecting a quiet desperation but also a faint bitterness directed at Kale. "With my master, it makes no difference. I belong to him. In this castle, he can do with me what he wishes and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. That is the way it is, the way it always has been. Do not show me your false sympathy, you know nothing of this and you never will!" she cried, snatching her hand back from him.
"Yes, I do. More than you know!" he replied furiously, yanking her back towards him and enfolding her in his arms. She struggled wildly in his hold but he held her tightly until she relaxed.
"Please… let me go."
"I want to help."
"You can't," she murmured, dark defeat in her voice. "Albel will…"
The unspoken threat hung between them like a heavy odour. What would Albel do if Kale attempted to meddle in his affairs?
"If ever you intrude on my personal matters again, I will rip your balls off with my bare hands, burn them to a crisp and shove them down your throat!"
Shandre felt the shiver that ran through his body and the disappointment that reverberated through hers. "It is best that you forget, sir Kale. Go back to your barracks and stay there."
The girl wrenched herself from him and began walking away until the sound of his voice stopped her in her tracks.
"If ever you need me, Shandre… you know where to find me."
She did not turn to him. "Thank you."
"I meant every word," he told her, eyes fixed on her back.
A slight pause and then, "I know."
And then she was gone.
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But it does not matter. What could Kale do against Lord Albel?
The small measure of concern for her was touching, but ultimately worthless. But still, it meant the world to her. She took a deep breath, pushing herself away from the wall and she began walking back to her room, with the intention of finishing her lord's mending. The castle was strangely empty for this time of day and she supposed that there must be a council of some kind being held, or more drills for the Royal guard and brigades. Even though she was by nature a lover of solitude, the quiet was disconcerting and she began to hum under her breath. Lost in her thoughts and the song she sang softly aloud, she did not hear the footsteps behind her.
"My, what a pretty little song."
She whirled around to see a familiar, yet terrifying figure behind her. "Oh, lord Demetrio! You startled me…" she stammered, hastily dropping a curtsy.
"Please," he drawled, waving one hand as if he expected applause, "there is no need. I was only admiring your voice. Very… sweet and tender, if you would permit me say." As he spoke, his eyes roved over her slender figure and dainty features and she could have sworn that there was a red gleam in their depths.
Trying her best to avoid his predatory gaze, she shifted uncomfortably. "T-thank you, my lord. You are too kind."
"You should sing for the king at court, you know," he said, drawing ever closer to her. "I am sure he would praise the untouched talent that dwells right under his nose."
A deep blush coloured her face and she backed away until she hit the wall. She was sure that she had seen his hand twitch as he said 'untouched talent'. "His Majesty would not care to listen to the likes of me," she replied nervously, wishing that he was further away from her. "I am not worthy to sing before him."
Now his hand was lightly touching her own and he smiled, seeing her breath quicken as her lips parted. No doubt her heart was pounding in her chest, probably unable to believe her good fortune to have garnered the attention of a distinguished man as himself. Inwardly, he congratulated himself for the effect he always had on women and wondered if she was aware of the way his honey blonde locks fell over his brown eye, making the blue one seem all the more clear and bright, if that were possible.
Shandre cringed at his touch, resisting the urge the brush his hand away. The oily smirk he was giving her only made it worse, made her feel dirty where his skin met with hers. Ugh, she didn't know how women could stand his slimy touch. Couple that with his vile reputation and she wondered what women in her right mind would even consider getting into bed with him. That was certainly the way her master spoke of him, with contempt for his person and intense loathing for his inferior and meagre skills.
"Sir Demetrio, as much as I would be honoured to continue conversing with you, I have many duties to attend to and my master will be expecting them to be done…" she spluttered helplessly as he licked his lips, while keeping his gaze fixed on her.
"And who is your master? I am sure, if I explain your absence, that he will understand." His hand drifted up her arm as he spoke, caressing her skin through the material of the dress.
Shandre could not believe her ears. Could he possibly be any more disgusting? Yes, she understood what he was suggesting, but that only made it worse. His assumption was that her master was of lower rank than he and would have little choice but to comply with him once the immoral deed was done. Obviously, he was unaware of her connection to the captain of the Black Brigade. But she still felt a spark of anger that he thought her so low class that her master was nothing. I'll teach you a lesson, she thought furiously.
"You would speak to Sir Albel then, my lord. It is him that I serve."
She watched with an air of satisfaction as he withdrew his hand like he had been burned.
"Albel? I see… what a pity. Very well then, carry on with your duties, girl." His voice was cold and he dismissed her with a regal wave of his hand, contempt curving his lips in a sneer.
Barely able to contain her glad relief, she hurried away from him the second his eyes released hers, scurrying down the passage as fast as she could without arousing his suspicion.
As he watched her retreating from him, he clenched one fist in anger. The bastard was not even present and he had ruined the lieutenants fun! But it was fortunate that the wench had told him, for if he had seduced her, he would have had to face a very angry Albel. The Black Brigade captain was particular with what he considered his 'possession' and the one who dared to lay a harmful finger on her would pay dearly (albeit the fact that Albel himself did this constantly).
Ah, well. At the very least he could inform the Duke that the girl was still very much loyal to Albel. He snorted and strolled towards the east wing, catching the eye of a noble maiden walking in the other direction. All it took to bring a pleased smile to his face again was a playful wink and a glowing blush.
Yes, Demetrio thought as he sauntered along, life was good. Everything was going according to plan…
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"That presumptuous bastard!"
Albel crumpled the letter in his fist, before deciding that this was not fate enough for the unfortunate piece of parchment and he proceeded to rip it up into tiny pieces while a startled Neris watched.
"Albel?"
"How dare he! How dare he do this to me!"
She donned the shirt that he had torn away from her earlier, holding it closed as she shifted into a cross-legged position. Her eyes watched as the tiny pieces fluttered to the floor. What could it have said to upset him this greatly? She had sensed that the boy was there of course, being that some women who were Aquarian born were gifted with the ability to sense the chi of others. It was not a trait she revealed often, preferring to keep it to herself. Now she could feel his life energy churning beneath the surface, boiling in its fury.
"That arrogant swine will pay for this," he snarled to no one in particular, "he will learn what it means to cross swords with me! I am the captain of the Black Brigade, he is nothing compared to me!"
"Is Shelby proving to be a nuisance?" the question she posed, seemingly innocent in nature, was anything but. In truth, she knew not of whom he was speaking of , but she had observed the seal bearing the mark of the Black Brigade and it could only be from the lieutenant, Shelby the Heavy-handed.
In a few steps he was by her side, pulling her head back by grabbing a fistful of scarlet hair. "I do not recall asking for your opinion, Neris. Are Aquarian women never taught to speak only when spoken to?" he asked in a growl, hating the mocking look he knew was reflecting in her blue eyes.
"Perhaps I am one of those who would not care to listen," she replied, tilting her face back to rest her chin on her shoulder so that her lips were temptingly close to his. He gave a low laugh, forgetting his anger in the face of her boldness as he attacked her offered mouth and she yanked his braids, jerking him off his feet to rest his weight on top of her. "But forget about that now… might I remind you that you have more important matters to attend to," she murmured, biting back a gasp as his teeth grazed her neck. "Forget Shelby… forget all of them… what you need is here, with me…"
Neris could feel the smile on his lips as they parted from hers in a kiss and she caught his face in both hands, tracing her fingers over the smooth skin with the lightest of touches to prevent him from leaving.
"Your sweet charm is not enough to keep me here, Neris, much as you will it upon me." He chuckled, running one finger down her belly and feeling the muscles quiver in response. "You need me as much as you think I need you. I can wait. I can be a very patient man if I want to be."
His hair grazed her cheek as he moved away and she lay still, simply watching him. Pulling a clean shirt over his head, he shoved one foot into a boot at the same time, all the while with his back to her.
"I do not think you need me, Albel. I know you do."
"Yes, woman, and lums fly," he replied absentmindedly as he hunted for his other boot, swearing under his breath as he tossed aside various things under which it could be hiding. He heard a sigh and the missing boot landed in front of him with a thud. Albel glared at her irritably and she only smiled back sweetly.
"You're welcome, Albel."
Her only answer was the slamming of the door and the click of a lock.
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"That damn woman…" Albel cursed as he stuck his head under the water pump in the courtyard near his quarters. The douse of icy water had the desired effect as he felt the maddening hunger for her recede and he shook the cold droplets off his now wet hair with a growl. It had taken every ounce of self control he had to resist the Aquarian when she touched him like that. If not for that idiot, Shelby, the captain would be a very satisfied man right now. Instead, he was reduced to cold water. He hated cold water. In fact, he could not remember the last time he had been forced to utilize it in this manner, probably last when he had been a scrawny young teen with rampant hormones aplenty.
Albel Nox was a man who, when his desires raged, took what he wanted to satisfy them by whatever means necessary. And Neris was first on his list. To hell with interrogation and information, he only wanted to be the first man to take her. And the man who interfered with that, was the man who was soon going to be in a world of pain.
Demetrio was a dead man walking, Albel thought with cold determination as he stalked through the darkening corridors.
A dead man in a world of pain.
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Had Demetrio known he was being hunted by Albel Nox, he would no doubt have run to his captain as fast as his legs and weak dignity could carry him.
But, of course, he did not.
"Demetrio!"
No sooner had he turned to face the approaching man, than he found himself slammed against the wall. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Albel snarled, tightening his fingers around the other man's neck. Demetrio began to choke, but he still smiled grotesquely.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Nox," he spat, but the smile remained as an icy drop of water dripped onto his shirt. His eyes followed the path from whence the droplet had come and noted the head full of damp dark hair. "Been for a dip, eh, Albel?" he asked, his voice coming in a rasp.
Albel tightened his hold, shoving his head against rough stone. "I daresay you remember what you said to me, Demetrio?" he hissed furiously. "Have a safe and profitable journey, Sir Albel!"
The blonde head twisted in his grasp as Demetrio chuckled. "Why, Albel. Is it a crime to wish a fellow soldier well for a long journey?"
"It is when that inferior soldier knows business that was never meant for his ears! How dare you interfere with my affairs, maggot? If you have any idea of the consequences of crossing me, you should be pissing yourself right now!"
A silky smile slipped over his face and Demetrio stared directly into the captains eyes. "And what will you do, Albel? I daresay His Majesty would be very interested to hear how you threaten a soldier meant to be your comrade! And I doubt Duke Vox would be very happy to hear that you killed his lieutenant."
With a cold glare in his crimson eyes, Albel released the Dragon brigade lieutenant and he fell to one knee with a gasp. "You tell Vox," he said, his voice quiet and dangerous, "that if I hear of his meddling in Black brigade affairs, I am going to kill you. And not just kill you, I will mutilate every inch of skin on your body before you beg for death, be there punishment from the king or not." With that, he aimed a swift kick at the blonde, his boot connecting heavily with his ribs.
Demetrio collapsed with a groan. "Y-you… fucking b-bastard!"
A grimace twisted Albel's face and he kicked Demetrio viciously in the face, breaking his nose. He screamed as blood gushed from his face and his hands flew upwards to protect the rest of his features.
"That was merely a warning, maggot. Next time you will not be so fortunate," he snarled, resisting the urge to pound the rest of him into the ground with his fist. "And be sure to pass that message on to Vox." The Black brigade gazed down at the prone form lying at his feet without remorse and whirled away, no doubt returning to the waiting Neris.
Demetrio moaned in pain as he cupped his broken nose in one hand, blindly searching for a healing berry in his pocket. He gulped it down hastily, wincing as the chewing motion sent bolts of pain streaking across his face and his side. "That goddamned bastard," he murmured raggedly under his breath, "I will make him pay, make him pay with his life." He stumbled to his feet, blood staining his shirt as his nose began to heal from the effect of the berry and sweet relief began to course through him.
"Albel Nox is going to pay…"
To be continued…