AN: Hello people! How are you? Here's another chapter that delves deeper
into the picture. In other words, created by me! Hee hee! But characters
are not mine, except Jess. So enjoy!
But first dedications: Hello Tari of Nargothrond, Vic, Kalorna Enera, cryearthstearsfalltou, belle beauty, Dream Keeper and soulwithwings. Good to see you all. And I think I see a newcomer: Hi there Emirasan! Everythings looking good! :]
Now on with the fic! :]
Chapter 21
[Flashback]
Wufei sat up and stretched his muscles. Sleeping on the coach wasn't a bit comfortable at all. But then, it had always been this way since the wedding. Taking a quick glance, he could see the door to the bedroom was closed. Good. His bride wasn't up yet.
Wufei quickly and stealthily got off the coach and creep to his father's library. If he was fast enough, he could get the book his wife confiscated yesterday, with breakfast in his hand. Passing one of the windows, he could see the sun breaking over the horizon. Not good. His wife would be up in minutes.
Wufei doubled up his speed as fast as he could while being silent. Finally, the library door loomed in front of him in the semi-darkness. Turning the knob, it gave out a tiny screech. Wufei stilled his action and watched for any sign his bride would yank open the bedroom door and catch him red-handed.
After a few seconds, there was still no indication such an event would happen.
Wufei heaved a sigh of relief.
'I must oil the knob and soon!' he thought as he turned the knob the rest of the way as best he could, without a noise.
'Tonight,' he promised himself.
On entering the library, Wufei could feel the same old adrenaline rush in his veins as he looked at the familiar scenery of books, lined up neatly on stacks of shelves. It remained him so much of his father and how each pre-dawn morning; he would find his father in the library, either choosing a book to read or sitting at the study desk, located just beside the library window, watching the sunrise with his mother.
Checking the window confirmed his worst fears. The amount of sunlight pouring through the window indicated he had only one or two minutes to grab a book and get the hell out of the house before his wife charged out of the room for morning exercise and lessons. It also indicated he didn't have time to look for the book his wife confiscated yesterday.
With a sigh of regret, Wufei grabbed the nearest book from the door and moved out silently, closing the door quietly behind him. Silent and swift, he moved past the bedroom door into the living room, heading to the door that led outside. He got no further than the middle of the living room.
"Wufei!" an unwanted and familiar voice shouted his name. Wufei paused in mid-step.
Slowly, he turned and faced a fuming Meiran. His wife. She looked ready to kill someone. Mainly him.
"What?" he asked coolly and watched as her face turned red with rage. Somehow, he pitied the girl. After all, he knew what this village was like and for someone like Meiran, who is of high rank and royal blood, be settled with a heretic like him, who refused to even adapt to the fighting way of their people, it must be hard on her as well.
The stress was already showing. Just a few days ago, she had started confiscating his books without a word. His knowledge of hiding places was getting smaller and smaller.
His admiration went up a notch further for her as he watched her struggle and successfully contains her anger.
"Where are you going with that book?" she asked him in a measured voice. Wufei noticed her eyelid twitching as she calmly asked the question.
Interesting.
"None of your business," He answered curtly and watched as the eyelid twitched some more.
"As your . . . wife," she practically spat that word out, "I demand to at least know where you're going."
"As a woman, you should know your place!" he retorted, letting his contempt show in his voice. "Women are meant to be seen and not heard. Learn."
"You . . .!" she began, her hands curling into fists.
Wufei lifted his chin and looked at her defiantly. "Me what?" he asked, his voice cutting and cold, a deterrent for a woman defying a man's authority, especially a husband's authority.
Tense minutes of silence passed between them before Meiran did an about face turn and marched into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Wufei waited and listened. It was not in vain. After a few seconds, crashes, one after another, sounded in the bedroom. Meiran was throwing things around.
'That was the basin . . ., the tiny ming vase . . . , hair comb, hanger . . ., cupboard . . . Shall I ask for a check or a replacement for all the staff she is breaking from her grandfather?' his mind ticked off the items, stopping only to think of the alternative solution after the fourth and loudest sounding crash happened.
Then shrugging his shoulders, he turned around and headed out the door. Once outside, he turned and walked to the west, heading towards a tiny field of flowers he knew where no one would come and disturb him.
*********************************************************************
"Has he awakened yet?" that was the first question out of Jess's mouth.
"No." Trowa answered as he watched the girl struggle to sit up on the hospital bed.
He watched the girl survey the room with groggy eyes before returning her attention to him.
"I had a . . . funny dream," she said in a whisper, more so to herself than him.
"Tell me."
She gave a nervous laugh and scratched her head a little before beginning, all the time unable to look at him.
" I dreamt that I could see Wufei's dead wife and you guys were threatening to kill me and suddenly . . . everything was incoherent. I don't understand any part of it but it felt so real and . . . frightening!" she said as she gripped a portion of the blanket covering her, tighter in her hands.
'Poor girl.'
"Tell me, does your dream showed Wufei to be in a coma?" he asked gently, trying to be easy on her.
"Yeah . . . How'd you know?" she asked, finally turning big eyes on him.
"Because it's true."
Trowa allowed a few minutes for the information to sink in Jess's sleepy head. He wasn't disappointed with Jess's reaction when realization hit her seconds later.
"WHAT?" the girl screamed, leaping to her feet, on the bed, in one single motion.
'Gotta hand it to her. Her reflexes are good. The ringmaster would love her to be one of the acrobats or clowns,' he thought as he reached for the glass of water at her bedside. 'Don't think I can do that . . . Oz or not.'
"Drink." He said, handling her the glass. " You'll feel better."
The girl took it silently from his hands with shaking hands and muttered a small thanks to him.
'Can't exactly blame her. I mean . . . how would I react if I could see ghosts?'
The girl started splattering and choking on her first drink of water.
Trowa sighed.
'Looks like it'll be a LOOONG day.'
Author's proclamation: That's it for this two weeks. Till then, Aido! :]
But first dedications: Hello Tari of Nargothrond, Vic, Kalorna Enera, cryearthstearsfalltou, belle beauty, Dream Keeper and soulwithwings. Good to see you all. And I think I see a newcomer: Hi there Emirasan! Everythings looking good! :]
Now on with the fic! :]
Chapter 21
[Flashback]
Wufei sat up and stretched his muscles. Sleeping on the coach wasn't a bit comfortable at all. But then, it had always been this way since the wedding. Taking a quick glance, he could see the door to the bedroom was closed. Good. His bride wasn't up yet.
Wufei quickly and stealthily got off the coach and creep to his father's library. If he was fast enough, he could get the book his wife confiscated yesterday, with breakfast in his hand. Passing one of the windows, he could see the sun breaking over the horizon. Not good. His wife would be up in minutes.
Wufei doubled up his speed as fast as he could while being silent. Finally, the library door loomed in front of him in the semi-darkness. Turning the knob, it gave out a tiny screech. Wufei stilled his action and watched for any sign his bride would yank open the bedroom door and catch him red-handed.
After a few seconds, there was still no indication such an event would happen.
Wufei heaved a sigh of relief.
'I must oil the knob and soon!' he thought as he turned the knob the rest of the way as best he could, without a noise.
'Tonight,' he promised himself.
On entering the library, Wufei could feel the same old adrenaline rush in his veins as he looked at the familiar scenery of books, lined up neatly on stacks of shelves. It remained him so much of his father and how each pre-dawn morning; he would find his father in the library, either choosing a book to read or sitting at the study desk, located just beside the library window, watching the sunrise with his mother.
Checking the window confirmed his worst fears. The amount of sunlight pouring through the window indicated he had only one or two minutes to grab a book and get the hell out of the house before his wife charged out of the room for morning exercise and lessons. It also indicated he didn't have time to look for the book his wife confiscated yesterday.
With a sigh of regret, Wufei grabbed the nearest book from the door and moved out silently, closing the door quietly behind him. Silent and swift, he moved past the bedroom door into the living room, heading to the door that led outside. He got no further than the middle of the living room.
"Wufei!" an unwanted and familiar voice shouted his name. Wufei paused in mid-step.
Slowly, he turned and faced a fuming Meiran. His wife. She looked ready to kill someone. Mainly him.
"What?" he asked coolly and watched as her face turned red with rage. Somehow, he pitied the girl. After all, he knew what this village was like and for someone like Meiran, who is of high rank and royal blood, be settled with a heretic like him, who refused to even adapt to the fighting way of their people, it must be hard on her as well.
The stress was already showing. Just a few days ago, she had started confiscating his books without a word. His knowledge of hiding places was getting smaller and smaller.
His admiration went up a notch further for her as he watched her struggle and successfully contains her anger.
"Where are you going with that book?" she asked him in a measured voice. Wufei noticed her eyelid twitching as she calmly asked the question.
Interesting.
"None of your business," He answered curtly and watched as the eyelid twitched some more.
"As your . . . wife," she practically spat that word out, "I demand to at least know where you're going."
"As a woman, you should know your place!" he retorted, letting his contempt show in his voice. "Women are meant to be seen and not heard. Learn."
"You . . .!" she began, her hands curling into fists.
Wufei lifted his chin and looked at her defiantly. "Me what?" he asked, his voice cutting and cold, a deterrent for a woman defying a man's authority, especially a husband's authority.
Tense minutes of silence passed between them before Meiran did an about face turn and marched into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Wufei waited and listened. It was not in vain. After a few seconds, crashes, one after another, sounded in the bedroom. Meiran was throwing things around.
'That was the basin . . ., the tiny ming vase . . . , hair comb, hanger . . ., cupboard . . . Shall I ask for a check or a replacement for all the staff she is breaking from her grandfather?' his mind ticked off the items, stopping only to think of the alternative solution after the fourth and loudest sounding crash happened.
Then shrugging his shoulders, he turned around and headed out the door. Once outside, he turned and walked to the west, heading towards a tiny field of flowers he knew where no one would come and disturb him.
*********************************************************************
"Has he awakened yet?" that was the first question out of Jess's mouth.
"No." Trowa answered as he watched the girl struggle to sit up on the hospital bed.
He watched the girl survey the room with groggy eyes before returning her attention to him.
"I had a . . . funny dream," she said in a whisper, more so to herself than him.
"Tell me."
She gave a nervous laugh and scratched her head a little before beginning, all the time unable to look at him.
" I dreamt that I could see Wufei's dead wife and you guys were threatening to kill me and suddenly . . . everything was incoherent. I don't understand any part of it but it felt so real and . . . frightening!" she said as she gripped a portion of the blanket covering her, tighter in her hands.
'Poor girl.'
"Tell me, does your dream showed Wufei to be in a coma?" he asked gently, trying to be easy on her.
"Yeah . . . How'd you know?" she asked, finally turning big eyes on him.
"Because it's true."
Trowa allowed a few minutes for the information to sink in Jess's sleepy head. He wasn't disappointed with Jess's reaction when realization hit her seconds later.
"WHAT?" the girl screamed, leaping to her feet, on the bed, in one single motion.
'Gotta hand it to her. Her reflexes are good. The ringmaster would love her to be one of the acrobats or clowns,' he thought as he reached for the glass of water at her bedside. 'Don't think I can do that . . . Oz or not.'
"Drink." He said, handling her the glass. " You'll feel better."
The girl took it silently from his hands with shaking hands and muttered a small thanks to him.
'Can't exactly blame her. I mean . . . how would I react if I could see ghosts?'
The girl started splattering and choking on her first drink of water.
Trowa sighed.
'Looks like it'll be a LOOONG day.'
Author's proclamation: That's it for this two weeks. Till then, Aido! :]