Chapter Nine
Trigger warnings: sexual assault, torture, starvation and lack of control.
Word count: 2337
Author's note: I need you guys to pay close attention to my trigger warnings. They're up there for a reason. Enjoy!
Ayame is awake, she has been for hours. Just like the many nights before, sleep never took her. She's been watching the time on her clock tick by incredibly slow. She's gotten used to her extravagant prison. It was decorated with original wood furniture, too delicate to sit on, the cushions matching the walls. On the soft blue walls are painted with oriental plant life, gold trim ran along the ceiling and floor. There was an entire wall with bookshelves inserted inside, with dusty books that haven't been touched. There was a crystal chandelier in the middle of the room, but Ayame never turned it on because of the large panel windows lining the wall where her king size bed was located. She hated this room, but what could she do? She was trapped.
Right on queue there was a small knock on the door. She didn't bother to answer or sit up as her maids entered. She caught a glimpse of the two guards posted outside. They were huge men under ordered to use force if Ayame stepped out of line. In the beginning, she put up a fight and attempted to escape multiple times. She got close a few times. She'd make it over the fence or up a tree and she'd be electrocuted.
Her captors would stun her and physically beat her down, but the pain didn't bother her. Every inch of her body would hurt, but it was the getting so close to freedom, but then having it taken it away is what really hurt.
The maids fell into their routine, making quick work of their morning. Making Ayame's bath, getting her dress, doing her hair and make-up. The women don't speak to her and Ayame doesn't speak to them. She stopped talking, unless spoken to, two years into her captivity. Yesterday's broadcast was the first time a long time that she spoke for such a long time. Her throat hurt afterwards, but was afraid to ask for some relief.
"Miss, we're finished. Your guards will take you to breakfast." The eldest maid said quietly in Ayame's ear. She was a thin looking young woman, probably a few years older than her. Her skin was a warm beige with pink cheeks and lightly done make-up. Her chestnut hair was up in a bun without a hair out of place. Ayame had a vague idea of her name but hadn't bothered to remember it. As far as she considered the young woman, she was also a prison guard. They were her keepers. The eyes on the walls. The ears everywhere.
Ayame had her schedule memorized down to the very second. Get up at 7 A.M, breakfast at 8:30 A.M, etiquette lessons at 9:30 A.M, tea time at 10 A.M, Mandarin and French from 10:15 A.M to 12 P.M, lunch at 12 P.M until 12:30 P.M and etc. Her whole day has been planned out, some of her activities would differ on what day it was, but it was all robotic for her now.
What was almost comical was how many guards were used to escort Ayame to and from meals or lessons. The Romerfellers had done their research. They learned first-hand how fast and strong Ayame could be. The veterans of her rebellion trained her to defend herself against multiple assailants. Now, however, she's lost so much strength from the lack of training, food and punishment. She'd probably break her hand if she tried to punch someone.
"We're here." The front guard muttered, eyeing Ayame's submissive demeanor with dead eyes. Like him, some of the other men stopped trying to goat a reaction out of Ayame. It wasn't fun for them anymore and secretly she was happy they stopped.
"Finally." Caelum greeted Ayame happily when she arrived as he stood from his chair. "Good morning, my dear."
Ayame bowed curtly, "good morning, my lord."
He pulled her chair out and scooted it in as Ayame sat. She stared down at her food, an assortment of fruits, eggs and toast and many jams it made Ayame feel nauseous. A few seconds beat passed and Caelum noticed Ayame pushing her food around her plate. She was never a fan of scrambled eggs, they tasted like rubber and squeaked in her mouth.
"Are you not hungry?" Caelum asked thoughtfully, gently setting his utensils down on along his plate.
Before Ayame decided if she was going to answer the door opened and an older lady gracefully walked in followed by two maids. She is a tall, thin, with a white hair, hateful hazel eyes and a tiny, narrow face. The two women behind her were around Genni's age, they were just as shrewd and hateful to Ayame when no one was around. At least her maids kept their opinions to themselves until she was out of the room.
"Your majesty, you're not eating? Is it not to your liking?" Genni asked, her nose stuck-up and her nasally voice matched her face.
Ayame began eating, regretting every bite. Swallowing dryly and carefully as to not vomit over the table. Caelum, however, is watching her intently out of the corner of his eye. Genni notes how he's eyeing her every inch, thinking him disgusting.
"I thought the Peacecraft's pride themselves on their long hair? Your cousins, Zechs and Relena, have such long and lovely hair." Caelum compliments.
"Do to an incident a few years ago, we've kept her majesty's hair short." Genni explains politely, but carefully leaves out the real reason why. It was one of the many attempts to break Ayame. They had forced her into a chair and restrained her wrists too tightly. She struggled as they cut her hair with scissors and dull knives. When they sliced her skin they weren't ordered to stop or reprimanded when they finished.
"I like it better longer, it's such a pretty color. You should grow it out." Caelum reaches over to touch her, but Genni interrupts with a fake cough before Ayame could flinch away.
"As you wish, your majesty, that's enough for you." Genni glares at Ayame and she immediately stops eating and places her eating utensils away.
"Hold on." Caelum puts a hand up in front of Genni and turned to fully face Ayame. "Aurora, are you finished?"
Ayame glances between Caelum's concerned doe eyes and Genni's cold and narrowed ones. A knot formed at the base of Ayame's throat when she heard something tighten behind Genni's back. Genni's favorite discipline method was taking Ayame into her room and whipping her with a thin piece of polished wood. Genni didn't care about aim, she would leave Ayame with bleeding marks on her arms, legs and back. In the past few months, however, Genni hasn't touched her and now Ayame knows why.
Swallowing the hard lump in her throat Ayame smiled sweetly. "Yes, I am. I'm afraid I don't have much of an appetite in the morning."
Caelum leans in and studies Ayame's face with squinting dark green eyes. He leans back in his chair, still watching her suspiciously, but he then shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. Ayame sat there, with her head down unless Caelum asked her questions, to which, Genni answered for her.
"I haven't seen the gardens in forever." He dropped his napkin on his plate after wiping his mouth clean of coffee. "I would be honored if you joined me." d
Caelum's voice was tender and calm, he reached across the table and downwards until a hand shielded hers that remained cupped over her lap. Ayame's heart raced at the thought of going outside, to see the clouds and bask under the sun. Her mouth released the words, faster than Genni could reply.
"I would like that very much, thank you. If we are to be married in a few weeks we should spend a little time together." Ayame smiled brightly, teeth showing and eyes sparkling.
Caelum stood abruptly, startling everyone, his face lit up like a child at play. "Then let us embark immediately. Lady Genni, we'll have no need for guards."
Genni dropped her hands and took a step forwards with her mouth hung open, "but sir!"
Caelum snapped his head at Genni, Ayame couldn't see his expression, because he was behind her pulling her chair out. She imagined it was threatening because Genni's face went pale and she screwed her lips shut.
When Caelum is leading Ayame out of the room she resisted the urge to look back and flash Genni an overconfident smirk. As they walked arm in arm, down the hall, the guards watched them suspiciously until they disappeared through the ivory French doors. Ayame was hesitant to walk out, her feet still shrouded in shadow. She braced herself against the door, her fingers and arm twitching against the polish metal and a cold sweat formed underneath her bangs.
Her head swirled and panged all at once with all the memories of her fail attempts. Being thrown down, stunned into unconsciousness, held in place and beaten. Her final attempt plagued her nightmares. Ayame managed to pick her lock and snuck out onto the very patio they were standing on now. She was too concerned looking forward, she wasn't paying attention to her six. Just as she stood, a guard tackled her to the ground. He shouted for backup as Ayame began to fight back. Feeling his hand slid under skirt, made her blood run cold. Her fists stopped pounding against his chest and her kicking legs dropped lifeless.
Ayame thought it was all in her head, that she was imagining everything. His hand traveled up more, stopping with enough of inches before her underwear. Bloomers, if Genni were here to correct her. She felt his hot breath send shivers down her neck and his chapped lips smiling underneath her ear. Ayame thought she was going to throw up, right then and there, all over him, when she heard him inhaling the scene of her hair.
She's never peered at the rose garden beyond the French doors the same way. Now they were a bad memory. Ruined. Like everything else.
"What's the matter?" Caelum returned to her at the door. He was hesitant at first, but he had placed his hands on her hips to hold her steady. She probably looked like she was going to faint at any moment. He stepped down a single step, his hands remaining on the small dip of her hips.
"How long has it been since you've been outside?" Caelum whispered. He knew the guards would stay out of view, but they would remain close enough to hear their conversation.
Ayame steps back, her green eyes go wide and watery. "How…how did you know?"
"My cousin, Dorothy, told me about you." Caelum replied, lowly.
Ayame has only heard of Dorothy but knows that the granddaughter of the late leader of the Romerfeller Foundation loved war. Dorothy worked alongside the Gundam pilots during Endless Waltz. They've never met and for probably exceptionally good reason. Just to piss everyone off, Dorothy probably would have set Ayame free.
Ayame doesn't speak, she doesn't move. All she could do to keep herself cemented in place was to count the tiny freckles on dusting Caelum's face. Caelum moved ones hand away to hold hers and runs a thumb over a few of her fingers.
"Aurora I want to assure you that I am nothing like my grandfather. I want to do good through our arranged marriage. I will honor you and the beliefs the Peacecraft family to the best of my ability."
Caelum stepped further away, lowered himself down on one knee and dug out a tiny black box. He carefully opened it, revealing a silver band with a single diamond crowned in the middle of the band.
"I realize we just announced our engagement and we'll be man and wife at the end of the month. But I want to do this right. Will you marry me?"
Ayame sucks in a shallow breath, wanting to refuse, but she knows she can't. Genni would probably beat her to death, it also wasn't an option in general. The Romerfellers would force it and then she'd really be trapped.
Ayame bit back and dug her feet in when she offered her left hand to Caelum. He didn't say anything, just smiled fondly and slid the ring up her finger. He stood, climbed the last few steps until he was taller than her. He pulled her in by her elbows so the only area she could rest her hands on was his chest. She half expected Caelum to kiss her when he leaned in, his eyes softly closing. Her heart pounded loudly against her chest as the color of her green eyes slowly faded out. She internally prayed he didn't see the guilt plain as day on her pale face.
Her mind couldn't help but wonder to the night she and Wufei were locked in the shed together. Caelum had the same lingering expression just as Wufei did when he wanted answers. Ayame would always wonder if Wufei wanted to act on his emotions. To hold her just like Caelum is now. If they hadn't been interrupted that night, would they have kissed? If they had, would Ayame's final battle turn out differently? Would she have sacrificed herself?
Ayame blinked open her eyes when she felt soft lips pucker against her cheek bone. When he pulls away he Ayame could have sworn she saw concern in Caelum's deep green eyes. Her cheek did protrude a little from the lack of food. He brushed the strayed fringe of hair out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear, but they bounced back to hang over gently over her eyes.
"Have I don't something wrong?" Ayame's asked, looking away to avoid his eyes that bore deep inside her soul.
Caelum slowly tilted her head back to him, the bed of his thumb drawing small circles on her chin, "You're lovely, my dear Aurora."