Everything's alright
By Tessa
Chapter 4: Problems
Marguerite ran away, still holding Aimée. She ran away from Roxton. Away from everyone,
especially from Alexia. She didn't want to see the triumph that would be in that girl's eye. Marguerite knew when she had lost. She didn't even want to fight anymore, so she ran.
Everyone looked perplexed. The people from the Zulta-village as well as the explorers. Then Roxton turned around also and followed Marguerite. After a few minutes he found her in one of the rooms of the little castle. He knocked on the door and when she didn't responded he entered the room and saw Aimée lying in a cradle. He walked towards Marguerite but she backed off.
"Marguerite, please, listen to me."
"NO!" Marguerite turned around. "I know when I lost Roxton. I got used to it. You're a free man again, who can do whatever he want." While she said this she turned her head away from Roxton for she didn't want him to see how much that hurt. How much it hurt to know that he would go right to Alexia.
"Marguerite, listen to me. I love you. I will always love you and Aimée. You know that. Please, please go back home with me. Let me hold you in my arms again. Let me be able to take little walks with you and Aimée. Please."
"No. I'm staying. Please go now."
Roxton grabbed Marguerite but she turned around, pulling back her arm out of Roxton's grip. "Get the hell out of here this instant!" She yelled.
Roxton did what she asked. «I'm not giving up on you Marguerite! You and Aimée will be with me again. And you know it. You know I love you. What is wrong with you? You never behaved like this anymore. Not since Aimée has been born. Why can't you just trust me and tell me what's wrong? Why?»
×××××
"What do you mean we can't leave this place!" Veronica asked with an affected politeness. Her voice was trembling of anger. Malone looked worried at her. He head never seen her so angry. Not even with Marguerite.
"You can't leave." Azalea said. "Just not tonight. Please have dinner with us."
That did it. Veronica flew to the young native woman but abruptly stood still when she heard a soft voice say that she would appreciate it if they would stay for dinner. Veronica turned around and saw Marguerite standing in the door opening.
"OK. We'll stay. But tomorrow morning we'll leave at dawn." Veronica saw Alexia's face. "Well, maybe at noon." Then she turned around and walked out of the room. Challenger and Malone followed her, leaving Marguerite and Alexia with the king and his family.
×××××
"Joseph, Phoebe, let's go. We'll going after them." Summerlee said. «I hope I'm not to late. Knowing Marguerite she already has said things she wished she hadn't.»
The three of them walked trough the jungle when all of a sudden raptors appeared out of nowhere. Summerlee shot three times but it was too late. A raptor jumped on him. Joseph quickly fired a shot, killing the beast. He and Phoebe ran to the professor to see how he was.
×××××
"Did you heard that?" Marguerite ran over to her friends. "Gun shots. O my God." Marguerite realized Roxton still wasn't back. She started running. After a few yards she saw a man kneeled down over another man. Her heard stopped.
"Roxton?" She tried to let her voice speak the words as normal as she could. When she came closer she gave a relieved sigh. Roxton turned around and then Marguerite saw Summerlee lying on the ground. "O my God. Roxton is he ... "
"No, Joseph was just in time. But he is badly wounded." Two villagers ran over with a stretcher. They put Summerlee on it and carried him back to the castle, followed by a dismayed Roxton and a dismayed Marguerite.
When they were back at the castle the other members came nearer. Veronica gasped. "O my God! What happened?"
"There were those beasts ... " Joseph said. He couldn't speak further because Ursula had come in and said that to the villagers that they should put him in the next room. She should take care of his wounds. Marguerite followed Ursula, but she said that it would better for Summerlee to rest. Marguerite nodded and went outside, to her own room. Roxton saw it and followed her.
"Marguerite ... " His voice was soft. Marguerite turned around and threw herself in Roxton's arms. Tears were streaming down her face. Roxton let her cry. Didn't even try to comfort her for he thought being here and holding her and just let her cry was the best thing to do right now.
"Roxton, he can't die. Please tell me he won't die." Marguerite turned her tearful face up to Roxton. Roxton looked at her, not knowing what to say. Marguerite saw him hesitating. "No. Don't even say a word about Summerlee. Cause when he dies I don't think I could survive that." Marguerite turned away, but immediately she turned back, looking Roxton in the eyes. "Please John, please hold me in your arms." Roxton complied with this request eagerly. But neither Roxton nor Marguerite saw Alexia standing behind the half open door.
×××××
Malone had taken the first watch over Summerlee, in spite of Ursula's protests. After three hours Challenger came to take over. "Get some rest my boy. You look exhausted." Malone nodded a yes and went to his room. When he was walking down the hall he bumped into Eloi.
"You are Malone aren't you?" Eloi said.
"Yes. And you are ... ?"
"I'm Eloi. Boaz nephew. I must say that we are very happy that Marguerite decided to stay with us." When Eloi spoke those words his eyes softened. Malone saw this. «Not again! Why is it that all the men on the plateau are attracted to Marguerite? Don't they see that she's already in love.»
"Yeah, I certainly believe that. But I think she won't be able to stay that long." Malone saw Eloi's eyes hardening and he quickly went to his room.
"What took you so long?"
"I'm sorry Veronica. I bumped into Eloi in the hall."
"What did he say?"
"That they were glad that Marguerite had decided to stay. Veronica, you had to see the look in his eyes. I think he has a crush on Marguerite."
"Why doesn't that surprise me. How is Summerlee?"
"He's stable now. Well, let's get some rest.
×××××
Aimée suddenly started to cry. Marguerite stood up and took the little girl in her arms. Roxton immediately stood beside the both of them. The memory of Aimée being ill still haunted him sometimes. Especially when she cried.
"What's wrong?" Roxton asked. Marguerite smiled.
"She's just hungry." And as she walked to the bed, she passed Roxton and gave him a kiss. Still neither of them noticed Alexia who was getting really angry.
Alexia had enough of it. She turned around. «If I can't have him, she can't have him!» But Alexia had no idea what she could do, so she decided to join her friends.
"Alexia, how are you?" Phoebe asked.
"Just fine." Alexia said snappish.
"You're nuts." Phoebe said bluntly.
"Excuse me?!"
"You heard me. You're nuts. Walking after Roxton like a puppy dog. Thinking you're in love with him. It will not work this time, Alexia. Roxton doesn't love you like all the other men you seduced. Marguerite is the only woman for him. And his baby girl."
Alexia walked towards Phoebe with a raised hand. Suddenly she turned around and walked out of the room. Joseph came in and looked with questioned eyes to Phoebe. Phoebe didn't want to answer any question at the moment and she went to her bed.
×××××
«How does she dare to say that. Roxton will be mine! He will love me!» But thinking this, Alexia also remembered what she had just seen. Suddenly she stood still. She noticed that she stood before Marguerite's room. She heard voices and she decided to stay and listen.
"Marguerite, you have to come back with me. You know I love you."
"I know John." Marguerite sighted. "John, was everything quite as simple as you say it. Just go home with you. I would give mostly everything for that. But it's just not possible."
"Why is it not possible? Why?"
Marguerite swallowed. "Because they said they would kill me if I left. And I'm almost certain they will do the same to all of you."
Roxton looked at his love. He mostly never saw her like this. So afraid. He took her in his arms and whispered "We'll find some way out. When Summerlee is well enough to travel we're out of here. I promise you."
Alexia smiled devilish. She had her revenge. She shall go to the king and tell him what she had heard. Unfortunately it had to wait till tomorrow morning. Alexia walked back. «That's the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow.»
×××××
The next morning Alexia went to the king and told him the story. He immediately called his guards and ordered them to bring Marguerite and the baby to him. Marguerite was just heading to her friends, who were all in Summerlee's room, when to guards kicked the door open. Instinctively she took Aimée in her arms and turned around. Before she knew it the guards grabbed her and brought her to the king and queen.
"You're seriously not thinking that we would let you go, did you?!" The king bellowed at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Thank God that girl heard you and your friend talking." Ursula said. "Because if you like it or not, you're staying. You would be a wonderful wife for Eloi."
Marguerite looked astonished. "Wife? I will be nobody's wife but Roxton's."
"In that cause, give the baby to me. And you two, bring her to a cell." Ursula said.
"No! Not Aimée. You will never touch her you hear me!" But Ursula was now standing before Marguerite and took Aimée away from her. The guards brought Marguerite to a cell. When they had closed to door behind her, Marguerite heard a voice.
"Why did you have to go back to him? You knew he would be mine!"
Marguerite turned around and saw Alexia standing on the other site of the bars. "He will never be yours!"
"Or yours. You're staying here, forced to get married with Eloi and we all can leave when Summerlee is well enough to travel."
"Why you bitch!"
"I know. Oh yeah, look what I've found." Alexia held Marguerite's locket up. "I think I will tell Roxton that you were taking a walk with Aimée and that suddenly those beast appeared and you didn't make it nor did Aimée." She smiled devilish. "What do you think about that?"
Marguerite paled. "You can't do that."
"Oh yes I can." And with that Alexia turned around and walked away.