Just in case, this is set up set several years after the movie DragonHeart: A New Beginning ended. Drake and Geoff have matured more. Geoff must be in his mid to upper twenties. Draco doesn't look like a youngling anymore. Looks more like his father, Draco (he is the same size as Draco). Oh, before I forget,
Please excuse any grammar and/or spelling errors, as English is not my first language. Any mistakes that you find and notify me with your reviews, or e-mail to me directly, will be fixed.
As always,
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except for Emer and the plot.
Everything else is owned by Universal Studios, ILM, and anyone else who
I don't know about.
And now, the story.
DragonHeart - A Love Story
Part 4
Speechless, Emer could only observe her childhood friend take her hand and kiss it in the back. This could not be happening. What was she going to tell Drake? What was she going to tell her father? Drake being the first thing on her mind, she managed to speak "I better check that the accommodations for Lord Geoff and Lord Drake are satisfactory. If you'll excuse me, Ivan, father." , making a small curtsy and leaving as regally as possible, but once the doors were closed behind her, she ran as fast as she could toward her bedchambers.
Fortunately, the person she was looking for was waiting for her there. With an anxious note, she said, "Anne, do you know where are Lords Geoff and Drake? I need to speak to Drake immediately." Anne looked at the nervous state Emer was in, and said "I think they are having a repast in the gardens, Milady. Is there a problem?"
Emer could not fight the tears anymore, and looking at her maid she said, "Father has promised me in marriage to Ivan. He did not give me a chance to tell him that I want to marry another. He just announced it to me, and who should appear from behind me, but Ivan? This has gone wrong, and we still need to find the caves before it gets dark. I have to speak to him, there's no time to waste."
Composing herself, she went as fast as she could to the gardens, where she saw Lord Geoff and Drake talking casually after eating a light meal. She was glad that she was able to find them, before anyone else did. Going to the table, she said out loud, "I hope that your accommodations are satisfactory?" Looking at the anxiousness in her face, Drake asked, "Is there something wrong, beloved?"
Emer said, "Drake, something has gone terribly wrong. My father has arranged for me to get married before he dies. I have not had a chance to tell…", when a voice from behind her said "So, you must be the famous Lord Geoff and Lord Drake. A pleasure to meet you. I am Lord Ivan, Duke of Lorry, and Lady Emer's betrothed."
Drake did something that surprised both Emer and Geoff. Hiding behind a mask of indifference, he shook the offered hand, and said, "A pleasure indeed, Lord Ivan." Smiling, Lord Ivan said "I hope we can talk more during dinner, but for now, I need the services of the lovely Lady Emer, if we are to get married in five days." At the same time, three heads snapped towards his direction, saying the same thing, at the same time, "What?"
Looking at her with sympathy, he said "I'm afraid that your father has not told you that he is afraid he might not make it to the wedding. That's how frail his condition is, even if he appears to the contrary. Come, there's a lot we need to do, and too little time to do it in." With that, he took Emer with him, Emer pleading to Drake with her eyes, only looking at her with a hardened expression.
Not able to stand that hardness in his eyes, she looked away, fighting the tears forming in her eyes, not wanting Ivan to wonder why she was crying. They walked silently for a while, and Ivan, picking her mood asked her "Is something wrong, Emer? You are unusually quiet today." Emer looked at her childhood friend, and said "Do you really want us to get married? I remember we swore we would never do that."
Ivan chuckled at the memories when they were about seven years old, and they walked upon his older brother kissing his fiancée. Needless to say that to the seven-year olds that display of affection was simply disgusting, and they swore that day that they would never do anything like that with each other. A promise that they were able to keep until now.
Ivan, in a more serious tone said "I'm afraid that the circumstances have changed for us. We don't have the luxury of choosing who we want to marry. I didn't knew this until some days ago, but we've been betrothed since we were kids. That is the reason our parents encouraged for us to spend so much time together."
Stopping, Emer faced him and said "Please, don't take this wrong, but I can't do this. Is not that I don't like you, you are my best friend, but I don't think of you in that way. Besides, I could never fall in love with you." Raising an eyebrow, he knew that she was hiding something. He had some suspicion, but wanted to make sure.
Knowing that this conversation needed to be done in private, he took Emer by the hand, and motioned for her to follow him, while whispering "We better go outside, too many ears are hiding between this walls."
Taking a stroll through the gardens, Ivan made sure that they were not being followed, and that there was no one around them. Emer sat in a nearby bench, while Ivan paced in front of her.
He continued their conversation "I take it that there is something more than what you are telling me. I would have thought that you would be delighted knowing that you were going to marry someone that you know, rather than a complete stranger. Unless…", his hands went up to his chin, deep in thought, when his face lit up, showing signs of an idea that haven't occurred to him until now.
Stopping his pacing, he sat down next to her, and looking at Emer straight in the eyes, he said "You are in love with someone else. Am I correct?" She just nodded silently. Ivan continued his prying, "And does this gentleman returns your love?" Not able to look at him in the eyes, she looked down and said softly "Yes, he does.", finishing with a shy smile.
Lifting her chin with his fingers, he made her face him. With a sad smile, he said to her "I guess we have a problem, don't we? If it makes you feel better, I know how you feel. I am in love with someone else as well, but I'm not allowed to pursue her. The sad part is that I know she returns my feelings, and I did hurt her when I told her I would not see her anymore."
Teary eyed, she took his hands in hers, and could only say "Oh, Ivan, I…", when they were suddenly interrupted by someone clearing his throat. When they looked towards the sound, Emer saw a frowning Lord Geoff, and then he said "Lady Emer, if is possible, we need your help in locating what we discussed earlier."
Ivan was curious now. Why the sudden mystery? Looking at his fiancée, Ivan asked "Emer?" Thinking fast, Emer laughed, and responded, "Oh, yes, the rocks!" Now both men were looking at her like she had completely lost her mind. Giving a meaningful look to Lord Geoff to play along, she said to Ivan, "A mutual friend, Friar Mansel, is an avid rock collector. When he found out that I was coming back, he asked Lord Geoff and Lord Drake to bring him some rock samples from the caverns at the White Mountains."
Now Ivan knew she had completely lost her mind, "The White Mountains? You are not only going to the White Mountains, you are going inside the caves? If your father knows you are going anywhere near that place, he is going to kill both of us, you for going, and me for letting you go. Besides, you know what people say about the caves…"
Emer looked at her friend, and said "What, you do not believe that nonsense that those caves are haunted, do you?" Seeing the smirk on Lord Geoff's face, Ivan frowned, and said "No, I don't, but I've heard of strange things happening at that place. So for our sakes, I'll go with you. I'll go to the stables and have the horses ready."
Emer nodded and kept her gaze fixed on Ivan until he was out of sight, her head snapping back when she heard Lord Geoff's words, "You know Drake is not going to like this at all." Emer nodded again, and said "I know, but is the only way we could make it to the caverns so he can explore them and see which ones he can hide in. I will go and change into something more suitable. If you'll excuse me." Before Emer turned towards her chambers, Lord Geoff bowed before her while saying "Milady".
Emer entered her bedchambers where Anne was waiting for her. She said "Anne, get me a riding dress, we are leaving now for a ride around the countryside." Anne nodded, and while she was helping Emer change her garments, she said "Lady Rosalind stopped by. She wants to talk to you."
Emer sighed, and said "I'll talk to her after dinner. Right now, we need to find those caves. You better get ready Anne, you are going as well. You are my lady in waiting, after all." Meanwhile, Lord Geoff was walking towards Drake, who was looking absentmindedly into the landscape, a frown marking his features. Hearing footsteps behind him, Drake turned around to see his best friend.
He heard Geoff say "Come, we are taking a ride through the countryside with Lady Emer. If anyone asks, we are looking for rock samples for Mansel." Seeing the confused look on his friend's face, Geoff explained the crazy idea concocted by Lady Emer, and the reasoning behind it. "So, we need this as an excuse if anyone gets suspicious."
Drake smiled, "At least I will be able to talk to Emer without feeling awkward." Geoff bit his lip, and answered "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'm afraid that Lord Ivan is riding with us as well. He insisted in coming with us, that's how she came with the Mansel idea." At the mention of Lord Ivan, Drake frowned again, and seeing this Geoff said "Do not tell me that you are jealous of Lord Ivan?"
Drake looked seriously at his friend, and said "Well, wouldn't you? The woman that you adore is suddenly promised to another, and you know there is a very slim chance you can get her back. Besides, is not like she despises him, either." Geoff shook his head, and said "But she loves you. She accepted being your companion after all, didn't she? She is practically your wife." They started walking to the stables, when Drake, a sad expression crossing his face, said, "I know, but the question remains, will she be able to leave this place before getting married to Lord Ivan?"
They never noticed a figure hiding in the shadows. Lady Emer is this knight's companion? That could mean only one thing, that this knight is not what he seems to be. A smile started spreading in his lips. This will be easier than he thought. Instead of one dragon, he will have two. Excellent. He would have to put his plan in motion very soon.
Drake and Geoff walked silently towards the stables, when they met Emer and Anne. Emer and Drake looked at each other, and taking a hint, Geoff and Anne walked in front of them, leaving them to talk with some privacy. Emer was the first to talk, "Drake, I…" He interrupted, "No, I'm the one who should apologize. You did nothing wrong, you even came to tell me, and I wouldn't hear it. I am sorry, please forgive me."
With a sad smile, Emer said, "There is nothing to forgive. I love you.", and took his hand in hers. They kept walking hand in hand until they saw Lord Ivan, waiting for them. Once the knights finished helping the ladies with their mounts, they proceeded to ride across the village and into the direction of the mountains. A strange feeling started spreading inside Emer.
The ride went well enough. Lord Ivan was eager to know more about King Edwin's kingdom, and after a while, Drake discovered that he had lots of things in common with Lord Ivan. In different circumstances, he was sure that in time Lord Ivan could be as good of a friend as Geoff. They kept the conversation lively with friendly bantering, and comparison of the two kingdoms.
The closer they got into the mountains, the stronger the feeling got. Once they arrived, something was calling her to the caves. With the excuse of looking for rocks, Emer approached a small entrance hidden through thick ivy, barely noticeable if you were not looking for it. How did she know it was there, she had no idea. Making sure she was not being followed, she entered, careful of not disturbing the vines.
Once she entered, she saw a faint glow coming from the inside of the cave. The strange feeling grew more, something kept pushing her to go further into the cave. When she finally got into the source of light, she could not believe her eyes. She was actually standing in an audience chamber, much like the one in Drake's cave. She knew that this meant that this caverns were occupied by dragons once.
The strange thing is that the feeling inside turned to familiarity, as if she had been here before. But that was impossible, she was never allowed to wonder in this caves. Emer wondered if here was were the dragons that her fathered had killed lived those many years ago. She knew she had to go back, or she would be missed soon. Looking around for something she could take with her, she noticed a rock in the floor, that looked to be formed by crystals.
She vaguely remembered one of her lessons, she had learned to identify different minerals and construction materials. Her instructor said that this was something called quartz? She remembered now. This was named after a dragon that collected this type of rocks. That was why she remembered the name. She was always fascinated by the stories of dragons, even if her father frowned on her being filled with that rubbish, as he used to call it.
Hurrying back, Anne saw her as she stepped out of the hidden entrance, and said, "They just noticed you gone, milady. Let's go back to the group." As they approached them, three heads looked in their direction, and Lord Ivan said, "We started to get worried. Where were you?" Emer, feigning innocence, said "I… I found this, and was looking to see if I could find more." Outside the cave, the crystals were transparent purple and white in color.
Drake approached her, and said "Thank you, lady Emer. Mansel will be delighted by this.", giving her a quick wink, taking the crystal from her hands. She smiled, and said "I'm glad Mansel will be glad to have this. We better get going, by the time we reach the castle, we will only have time to get ready for dinner."
Lord Ivan looked with narrowed eyes at the interaction between Lady Emer and Lord Drake with curiosity. He noticed the sudden spark in her eyes when she looked at Lord Drake, and then noticed that he had the same spark as well. He first suspected something when he noticed the cold reaction he received from Lord Drake the first time they met. Looks like his instincts were correct, this was the man his intended was in love with.
Lord Geoff slapped Lord Ivan's back, started making conversation "So, how is the hunt in this parts?", stirring him towards the horses and out of the way of his two friends. Emer silently thanked the stars for Lord Geoff's quick thinking, and whispered to Drake, "See those vines?" He looked at the direction of her gaze, and nodded. "They are the entrance to an audience chamber much like the one in your caves. I am sure that dragons used to live here once."
Noticing her strange expression, Drake asked her, "What is it? I feel there is something you are not telling me." Emer looked nervously back at the vines, and kept walking towards the group, next to him, and said "I don't know why, but I had this feeling that I have been there before, like that place was familiar somehow. Must be because it reminded me of your caves."
Lord Ivan was looking at the couple coming down to meet them.
He noticed that Lady Emer kept looking at some part of the mountain, and
that made him smile. Perfect, his plan will be unraveled pretty soon…..
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: Here is where I need your reviews people. Any grammar errors, let me know and I will fix them, English is not my first language. Please review, and thanks for any suggestions, ideas and plot bunnies that you sent. The story will end in the next part. Thanks!!!!! =-)
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