Epic 20: This is No Fairy Tale

My head was killing me, but I decided to think of that as a good sign. It meant I was alive. That stupid blonde had cracked my head against one of those huge planter pots in Marluxia's indoor rose-jungle. "I am so sorry about Larxene, she tends to get a little exuberant when it comes to a fight." Speak of the devil.

I glared at him "What do you want?" Getting up from the white leather couch I had been laying on to stand at the closest end of the super long dining table where he sat at the opposite end.

He grinned steepling his fingers from across the long table. "I hear that all your paintings tell a story." He said in a languid sort of boredom.

I somehow settled into some obscure part of my head that operated like Axel's as I slid into the seat. Leaning back, folding my arms over my chest and sliding one leg over the other. "And I suppose you have one for me?" I hissed. Fortunately for him my head hurt too much for me to launch myself across the table to tear his throat out.

Though I'm not sure why I was encouraging his talking. His voice just grated against my ears like a dentist drill. Oddly, it was deeper then Axel's, but there was some airy aloof quality to that just made it obnoxious.

"Indeed, one of great lady. Would you like to hear it?" He grinned like a shark and proceeded despite the 'Just shut the hell up' stare I gave him. "This story begins not with a prince or a castle, but a rouge; a man who has committed many a sin, suffering under a cruel disease, supposedly incurable. This illness made him cold and calculated. Ruthless."

Never thought a man with pink hair could ever look quite that hateful.

"Our devilish rouge has the great fortune to meeting a lady. An enchantress, who by some rather strange thinking took pity on him; somehow she devised a method of curing this disease. Drawn by her power, and loveliness I'm sure, the rouge stays by her side as her defender." He sat forward his expression changing. "Quite strange isn't it? That a man without a loyal bone in his body, would stay so long."

I shrugged absently "With stories like this it's safe to assume he fell in love with her." Something dark flickered in his eyes and I wondered if I would have been better off not saying a thing.

"Very good Miss Richards." He purred. "So when the Lady is taken by a noble lord, merely seeking a cure to the illness…"

"Is that all?" I asked narrowing my eyes. It had clicked in my head. This 'story' was too close to reality to be a coincidence. He was talking about Axel, and me.

"The man has committed many sins, among these crimes treachery is no stranger. He knows his lady has been taken by someone he's dealt a cruel hurt against." His blue eyes hardened. "It's time to pay the price."

"Revenge is on your mind." I hissed.

"Indeed my Lady Arienn. The wages of sin is death."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh that's rich coming from you. How many sins have you committed Mr. Kidnapper?"

"The sin of betrayal is much worse than that of kidnapping. The deepest circle of hell is reserved for the traitors."

"There is no such thing as a great and a little sin. Just sin."

He glared at me. I remained calm on the surface, though my heart pounded fiercely. "I shall be very clear here. Naminé was given to me, and you?" He chuckled. "You came of your own free will."

"And if I were to try to leave?" I countered in the same eerily calm way he had made the point.

Larxene answered this time. "Do you want to die?"

"Murder." I answered easily.

The blond giggled, ignoring my comment. "I really ought to have more faith in you Marluxia." We all looked at the security camera to watch Axel blatantly kick open the doors of Marluxia's palace.

"Excellent." He stood gracefully. "Why don't you go greet our, heh, knight in shining armor my dear, I shall keep company with our Princess." He said waving Larxene off.

I ground my teeth frustrated, angry, and scared. I was in a lot of trouble, and Axel? If Marluxia knew what I really was to Axel? I leaned against the table curling my fingers under its lip. "You've miscalculated my lord." I seethed sarcastically. "If I have the power to make something out of nothing I sure as hell have the power to make nothing out of nothing!" I shouted yanking up the end of the table sending a burst of air after it so it flew at the bastard with an impressive crash.