Hey guys, I'm seventeen, seventeen,seventeen.It';s my birthday so I felt like updating.Thanx for keeping me writing so far all of you. Enjoy this chapter.
Chapter twenty one
How can i face everyone?Fathere, what have i done to make you feel this way?-Natalia
"Where's Guy?" Tear asked after leaving Aston's house and on their way to Tataroo Valley.
"I dunno" Luke said looking around; "He looked upset about something and he also said he remembered something."
"Something important?" Jade inquired.
"Well." Anya started as she looked around, "Knowing Guy he's probably somewhere with some fon machinery even if it's to distract himself."
"Yes." Anise piped up and then dramatically pointed to a telescope set high up in a tower, "What if he's there?"
"Probably." Luke said with a grin and hurried away with the others.
The moment she saw Guy sitting on the ground with his head cradled in his arms, his blue eyes staring far into the sea ahead, Natalia's heart went out to him. He looked so…so hurt, so miserable. She had never known Guy to have been without smiles and now looking at him was making her world all the more heartrending.
"We've been looking for you" Natalia said softly as she went and stood beside him. He looked up and looked away again.
"Could we ask what you remembered?" Tear prodded, "If it's not too…personal I suppose." After a few moments of silence he started.
"I remembered everything about the Hod War, how everyone died in my manor." He paused but no one said anything and he continued.
"Duke Fabre just barged in and ordered for everyone to be killed. The women, children, and all the maids. He commanded them to show no mercy." Luke thought he was going to be sick listening to all this talk about his father. Could he really have been so ruthless?
"At the time, I was still a kid. My sister didn't tell me what was wrong but you could hear the noises of the war. It was enough to frighten anyone. And then the soldiers just came in and—and." He broke off for a second regaining his breath and then continued fiercely. It seemed as if once he had started talking there was no way he could stop without finishing the entire story.
"There was blood everywhere. They all were killed, my maids. All of them died to protect me and my sister…she died last and I was buried under the bodies and covered in blood. Everyone thought I had died for sure but old Pere still cared to look through and he found me unconscious. By that time I had forgotten all bout this." Once he finished however, the females in the party looked horrified.
"Guy, you must forgive me for all the times I-" Natalia broke off looking for words to justify her action but Guy merely shrugged it off.
"Hey, it's okay. I was long back. Things have changed now alright. There's really-"
"But even so." Anya cut in, "Let me apologize for my impudence."
"Impudence?" Guy smiled for the first time and Anise laughed.
"Yeah, you sound like Natalia." She told her and then turned to Guy with teary eyes, "I'm s so sorry, my count Gilardia. Please forgive me. Oh please!"
"Hey hey!" Guy backed away, "I said it's okay."
Tear shook her head, "Let me apologize as well. Please." She bowed her head down like Natalia.
"Well, not to sound cruel here." Jade interrupted, "But we should be heading for Tataroo Valley. Is that okay with you?" he asked Guy and Anise stared at him wide eyes.
"You actually asked for Guy's opinion on the subject? Wow, you're so nice."
"Yeah" Anya continued, "I've never seen such compassion." Jade colored a little at their mocking truth. He wasn't nice; he was Jade Curtiss the Necromancer. How on Auldrant had they thought of him as nice? It sort of made him want to gag.
"It's good to show kindness once in a while." He told them in a careless tone and then smirked, "It makes up for all the torturous sessions I might end up giving to Guy later." It wiped off the smiles on all their faces as they couldn't help wondering just what the Colonel could do. He was scary alright.
Guy gave a shaky laugh as he stood up, "Remind me to stay ten miles away from you." He told the Colonel who shrugged and went off to Noelle to get her started for the journey.
The pilot looked at him sheepishly, "Actually Colonel, we need to do a little maintenance work for the Albiore. It shouldn't take more than a few hours." Noelle covered a yawn and Jade sighed.
"But then I suppose it would be nighttime by the time we start for Tataroo Valley."
Noelle looked at him and then spoke without thinking a little, "Well, how about you guys start tomorrow morning." Jade looked directly at her and truly it was enough to make her tremble in fear, very slightly though. "N-no I mean, of course. If you want to start now, I can-" she stammered and a smile crossed Jade's lips at that. So he hadn't lost his touch at being able to give people a heart attack.
"It would be best if we started tomorrow morning. The rest of them will be happy to know this. But no excuses then, alright?" She nodded relieved as she stifled a yawn in front of him. "Now I expect you to get a proper night's rest. It wouldn't do if our pilot got us crashed before we reach our destination, now would it." Noelle inclined to a weak smile at his dark humor and when he turned away she immediately
rushed off to Ginji to tell him to take care of the Albiore while she got a good sleep of more than three hours in the previous three days.
00000000000000000000000000000000
"Alright!" Anise jumped when Jade announced their delay, "Let's take a tour guys, I'm outta here." With that she ran off outside the Meeting Hall.
"Heh, she's in a mood alright." Luke commented and then turned to those behind him, "what do the rest of us do anyway?" Guy immediately perked up at that and said that he wanted to show Luke the telescope and that there was some sort of Dawn Age machinery through which musical sounds emitted from a fon disk.
Luke rolled his eyes at that but followed his best friend anyway. At least they were talking; it was more than he had hoped for. Especially after listening to Guy's horrifying incident as a child. Tear followed them but Jade said he would like to take a look at the Capacity Core shop and went away alone, so did Natalia and Anya onto their destinations.
000000000000000000000000000000
Anya walked around somewhat aimlessly after being done with getting her swords sharpened. Her eye caught a little restaurant in front and she entered to find no one she knew. The tables were filled, it was by all means a very tiny restaurant and very few people dined there. She walked over to a table where someone was sitting with a hood drawn over their face and asked if she could take a seat. The person nodded and she sat. Even under the hood, Anya had a distinct impression that the person in front was examining her and she felt a little self conscious.
"What's your name?" the person asked finally and Anya understood she was female. Okay, a start.
"Anya." She replied. It just wasn't in her custom to be using her full name, "what about you?" she asked but noticed the slight stiffened position the woman in front had gone to. "Something wrong?" she asked and the woman shook her head.
"Freya" she replied softly and Anya cocked her head to a side at the familiarity of the name and the voice. Then it hit her and she sat up straight.
"What? You mean, you're-" she stopped when the woman began undoing her hood slowly as if wanting to surprise her by the sight she would see. The hood fell and for a second, just for a second she caught a glimpse of those features and then her mind had gone from this place to another.
She was walking with Tristan heading to a confectionary. The little boy was laughing as he held on to his mother's hand but something was wrong about the woman. Like she didn't fit the picture.
"Mama, where are you taking me?" he asked and she simply smiled.
"You'll see, it's a surprise." She smiled, not sweetly but one that of murderous intentions. "See ,we're here." The boy looked up in surprise as he looked at the entrance which had a greenish blue glowing aura around. He ran inside.
"What is this place Mama?" he turned around as another blond woman came flying with a hooded figure who spoke with a man's voice.
"So you've got the boy?" he asked and Tristan stared at his mother who was nodding.
"Who are these people?" he asked edging closer to his mother,
"That's Miss Gelda." She told the boy pointing at the blonde and that's-"
"No need to tell him just now." The man said in a snaky voice and laughed, "Come now. We've been waiting."
"Mama? Mama?!" He cried out as the woman slapped him and then put him to sleep with a spell.
Anya sat up looking around for Freya. What had happened when she had taken her hood off? Why had she seen such a bizarre dream? Or was it a vision? At any rate she didn't understand why she had done that to her won son, it was sickening. And Gelda?? Where had she heard that before? She stood up and strode out of the restaurant if one could call it. She looked around and saw that everyone else seemed perfectly normal and nothing was wrong really. The woman Freya….why didn't she remember what she had looked like? She didn't know if she should talk to someone about it. If this was only concerned with her then she really didn't want to give the others any more trouble by discussing her own issues.
Anya looked around for something to do and then simply walked away to find something interesting in the city when after some time she found Natalia standing staring out into the sea with an expression unlike hers. She walked over to the eighteen year old who seemed startled but gave a smile any way.
"It's sad what happened to Guy isn't it?" the princess finally obliged after a few moments of silence.
"I don't think you should be thinking about his condition too much right now." Anya told her, "What with your own business right now, it causes emotional distress you know." Natalia laughed at her protective attitude.
"I can't help it." She replied, "I mean Guy has such a hateful past with the Kimlascan Royal Family and yet he tried to cheer me up earlier. I wish I could do something for him."
Anya eyed her a little strangely, "It looks like you've gotten a liking for Guy finally." She said with a smirk at the princess's sudden blush and indignant speech.
"I-I don't mean anything in that sort of way." She cried out, "Honestly-"
"Relax." Anya grinned, "Look at your reaction. Do you know when girls do that? When they refuse to agree to something that's actually true." Natalia gaped at her for words. Was she really into Guy some other way than just friends? He was good looking and totally charming, enough to sweep her off her feet but-but it just wasn't…
"I am betrothed to Asch." She told the woman haughtily who raised an eyebrow and Natalia remember that she wasn't the princess any more. "But does that mean that Asch and I might never…" She lost her words there. If she cared about Asch so much then where did this sudden soft spot for Guy come.
"You should just try understanding where you and Asch stand." Anya told her and then began walking away and Natalia wondered the same.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
The princess, or should she think the former princess? She walked over to the railings that protected the civilians from the sea and stood there for a while enjoying the sunset; seeing the sun hiding from her under the glistening water throwing a bloodied red shade on the entire sea in her view. At least there weren't a lot of people who knew what the Princess Natalia was supposed to look like or who knew just how many of them would have scorned her till now.
She heard quite footsteps, those of one who adorned an armor and not less than a soldier she presumed from the way the person's boots clanked lightly against the ground. She simply tensed at the though of meeting any more of the White Knights. The person came and stood beside her without a word and she sighed inwardly in relief in seeing him.
"I didn't think I'd see you so soon." She told him softly and he simply stood without a word then turned to her. "But I'm glad you came, Asch." He tch-ed.
"I was only looking for that sneak Spinoza." He told her and then, "You'll have to face uncle, someday."
"Yes I know." She said inaudibly and with slight tears in her eyes as she looked up, "But I can't help it, I'm so scared. What if father rejects me?" She bowed her head and sighed, "I'm so weak-willed."
Asch scowled at her attitude, "Natalia, it's not like you to be scared. You saw how the people of Baticul helped you back there." She nodded.
"I know, Guy told me the same thing." He twitched a little at the mention of Guy's charming behavior.
"Exactly." He managed, "You remember the promise you made? The one we made?"
"Let's work together when we grow up." she said remembering words from seven years ago, "Change it so that no one has to suffer…"
"You didn't make that promise as a part of being the princess. The royal blood isn't in your veins but so what? You still cared all the same and that's why the people repay you with their kindness. That's why they love you." He couldn't believe he would ever hear himself comforting Natalia this way. It reminded him of their times together when they had been ids. It hurt somewhere but he buried it in his chest.
Natalia looked at him hesitantly. What she was about to ask wasn't something to be answered lightly. Was it too bold to be asking this of him?
"And what about you?" she asked softly and he turned his redhead with a frown. "Do you feel the same? Do you still care, about me? Or was it always the Princess Natalia." Asch simply stared at her at this sudden unexpected turn of their conversation.
"Why the hell are you even asking that?" he asked. "It doesn't matter, does it? You have work to do and so do I." He turned away, his heart pounding in his ears. Did he still care about her?? If only she knew…
"Asch! Please." her plea almost rang out in the silent area and it wasn't like her to go so weak in his presence or anyone else's. "I-I've been trying to understand where we stand since sometime."
Asch looked anywhere but her trying to think how to answer her. If he told her-if he did, then it would eventually end up hurting her. There was no hope for them. No, it had been over seven years back when his replica had come into the picture.
"What about Replica?" he asked. Well, he needed to know her feelings for that damned dreck.
"Asch!" she cried out with a frown, "Don't say it like he's not human."
"Well, he's not." He replied, a little angered at her defending.
"No. He has feelings and memories and everything we do." He hated the way she said it all. As if they were the right thing. Well she was right…
"He's my cousin too. He's like you, I couldn't possibly-" she stopped at the look on Asch's face and realized where she had crossed the line. Too late though. "T-that's not what I-Asch!" She grabbed his wrist so he wouldn't walk away but he whirled around anger clouding his features.
"That replica replaced me." He was shaking in anger now, "So what sort of business do I have here? Go do whatever you have to with him."
"You don't get it." She shouted, now with tears streaming down her face as she tried wiping them away. She never cried, never. Why did Asch have to make her feel this way?
"I do get it, alright?" he said trying not to notice her tears. They killed him. "Just go find the dreck and-"
"Give me a chance to explain." She told him, "I just meant that he's special to me too." His head whipped towards her, "It's just not the way you are. He's more of a brother to me. It was never like that with you. Even when you were gone, I always wished the 'old' Luke would be back. You want to know why?" His silence gestured for her to go on. "Because I care. It's different form the way I do about Luke but it's different with you. And it's always been that way." She felt as if she had been ranting on uselessly and she wiped her tears when Asch continued looking away from her.
"You do know you should be getting over me then." He told her bluntly and she looked up, "I'm not the duke's son anymore and I'm never going back there again. I don't want to end up hurting you again." He finally let a part of his show and Natalia felt somehow glad that he still cared so much.
"But I don't want you to go." She told him, "Things have been a little rough. Could you stay a little while?" He looked at her and he knew he could never say no to that. Damn it, why did she do this to him? He occupied where she had earlier stood and she smiled. As long as Asch was there, there was always someone to care. Her companions tried their best. Guy had and at that thought she suddenly felt confused again. Why did it matter so much how he had doe that? Tear, Luke, Anise and Anya had all tried too but why did Guy's attitude feel different?
Asch looked at her suddenly absent minded state and he knew he would never really have her even if they both cared the way Natalia had confessed. "Is something the matter?" She turned to him with a start and shook her head. Just being alone with her in the breezy silence reminded him of their times from earlier. All sorts of memories rushed to him and he didn't want them. He wasn't Luke Fon Fabre anymore. He wasn't the one supposed to be marrying the Princess Natalia, it was his replica but…They had both been stated as impostors by the Kimlascans.
Natalia thought about her position. She wasn't the princess anymore; neither was Luke the duke's son or Asch for that matter. They were all free from some sort of Royal binding that had always kept them in a limit. She turned to Asch.
"Asch." E turned his head slightly towards her to show that he had heard, "Let's run away somewhere together after this."
"W-what are you talking about?" he asked checking if she was joking.
"After we're done with this work, take me to Daath with you." she told him remembering seven years back when he had proposed the same thing to her one day. Only then she had been horrified by the idea. They had been Royalty then.
"Stop being so stupid." He hissed and then suddenly pulled her to him and closed the gap between them as their lips met. It took Natalia by considerable surprise as heated feelings rushed within her and she melted in his grasp as she too held on to him. He had all of her now. She felt almost as if she had surrendered to something beautiful. It was amazing. She would run away to Daath now, definitely.
He pulled back and steadied her then turned away to her surprise, "I'm going, alright?" he told her softly.
"But Asch-"
"Don't even think about going to Daath again." He turned to her, "That was a stupid suggestion I made as a kid. Hell, I never thought you'd actually remember that."
"How could I not?" she asked, "But I'm serious Asch-"
"I said no. And don't think of it again. You have to go back to the Royal Family no matter what and find someone else for Hell's sake. I told you we're not meant to be anymore." It hurt to walk away like this right after he had kissed her so willingly, so heatedly. It was annoying how he a god-General could be letting his heart get to him.
Natalia looked at his retreating form without any words. So all of that just happened had meant nothing? Her heart felt weak now, it was hurting so much. It never had this way before. She sat down at the edge of a porch on a house in front and continued looking at Asch's retreating form, his straight posture with his hand on his sword, his blood red hair blending in with the light cast by the sun. A few seconds later the last rays of the sun were gone and so was Asch.
Return to Top