Sweet Bloody Soul
By
the Lioness! *lol*
A/N: Back from my little vacation! Sorry…I
would've done this sooner if I hadn't gone! Oooohhh….I won't kill Alanna yet,
b/c I have to waver a little. I'm in a good mood, by the way….my little flamer
finally backed off, and after one em@il , too! I'm good….but
don't you try it.
Disclaimer: Ladadada….no, I don't own the
characters or the themes. (grrr…wish I did)
~*~
Alanna stared in shock. "Don't take him!" She
said suddenly, and stopped struggling. She thrust her chin forward defiantly.
"Take me. I'll go peacefully….just leave him alone!"
There was a ringing silence, and then, with a
satisfied grunt, Alanna's burly captor tugged her hands surprisingly gently
behind her back and whipped out a long coil of thick rope. Alanna lowered her
eyes then. She had meant to keep her head up, and was disgusted with herself
for being such a coward, but she felt that she didn't have the heart to face
her friends. She had submitted to the enemy, and she knew they would never want
to face her again. She was scum. Maybe lower.
He was done. Pulling out a sword and jabbing
it into her back, he ordered, "Walk." She did so, picking her way carefully
down the cliff, her purple eyes hard and dull. Raoul caught sight of her as she
passed and seized her arm. He cupped a hand under her chin to look into her
eyes, but when she met his gaze, her expression was serene.
"Alanna….you don't have to do this. I'll go."
"It's been done," her voice was harsh and
ragged, and her tone clearly stated she didn't wish to be conversed with at the
moment. "Let it go, Raoul, and give my regards to their Majesties."
Raoul started. Alanna never called Jon
and Thayet "their Majesties"; always either Jon or Thayet. "And to George?" he
prodded, his dark eyes sober. She really did mean it.
Alanna bit her lip and lowered her gaze once
more, and Raoul thought he could see her eyes brimming. "I don't want him to
know."
"Alanna!" he was shocked.
"No, Raoul!" she protested, her voice
reaching a slightly angry tone. "Don't you UNDERSTAND?"
"No, I don't!" Now Raoul was losing his
temper, too…for once in a long time. "All I know is that he has a right to know
where you've gone!" Alanna was shaking her head feverishly, her lips pursed and
eyes burning.
"He'd KILL himself. The children need him;
they can't have him DEAD. Who would run things? Raoul, I don't want his heart
to break over me, understand? I want him to be happy." The tears were spilling
over now, and she seemed to be having trouble breathing. "I love him, Raoul.
Don't make him kill himself, PLEASE." She pleaded.
"He's your HUSBAND! Don't you have even the slightest
trace of a heart?"
Alanna stared at him then, her mouth opening
silently, then closing in anger. Her eyes were now hard brittle. "Don't you DARE
talk to me like that." Her mouth was a thin line. "I could SLAP you!"
He backed away in shock, staring. Alanna
glared at him, a curly copper strand falling over her temple. "Get away from
me." Her voice was husky, yet cold as she added, "And I don't want to EVER
speak to you again."
Raoul glared at her, and hissed, "Fine then.
And believe me, it's no loss."
Before Alanna could snap back, she was seized
roughly and lifted onto a horse. "Enough talking!" Growled the Tusaine captain.
"We'll make good time to the capital through the Royal Forest. You are
dismissed, Tortallans. Begone." He was pointing towards the opposite path, the
longer route to Tortall. With mutterings left and right, some of them of pure
venom, the Tortallans did as they were told. As Raoul mounted his horse, he
sneaked a peek at Alanna's face. She was openly crying, and Raoul couldn't
blame her. He was deeply ashamed of himself for outbursting like that, but SHE
had hurt HIM, too. Now that they were to be forever separated, the slightest
chance of an apology that there was between them had died a swift and painful
death.
"Alanna," he whispered sadly, watching the
Tusaine troops riding off into the distance. "I'm sorry." A tear rolled down
his cheek as he spurred his horse and led his troops in the opposite
direction….back to Tortall, and to the start of the worst, most regretful time
of Raoul's life.
REVIEEEEEEWWWWW!!! I'll make
it longer later, k?
~*'lanna*~