Ok, I KNOW I suck because I don't put out a chapter a night, but I'm trying my best while still juggling school work (which is actually a lot), my social life, and my *gasp* other interests. I'd LOVE to give everyone a chapter a day, but the truth is, there's no possible way I could do that. With that said, I humbly give to you Dangerous Past part 10 _____________________________________________________________________________________

Dark at the castle was even worse then the daytime. Places where light filtered out the gloomy shadows of a dark past were shut out and corners where it was once safe to hide became monsters waiting to pounce. Even normal people would have a difficult time falling asleep in such a horrible place, but Angela, who was the least used to these conditions, barely even managed a wink of sleep. So, the only plausible thing to do was to walk around and explore until she became sleepy. She wandered around the north entrance until she heard a noise. It was coming from outside.

Angela stepped out into the cool night air and shivered- not so much from the cold as from the darkness. It put a finger of ice down her back, but she continued on toward the sound. After rounding a bush, she gasped, but not in shock, in awe. Before her stood a beautiful garden paradise, much like her own back in Ispanio, but with a lighter air, the likes of which she had never seen. It was filled with beautiful roses in all imaginable shades of color. It was as if she was standing in the middle of a beautiful rainbow of flowers and it made her the happiest she had been since she had come to this dark and dreadful place. As she strolled past these works of beauty, she wondered who could have given the love and care needed to take care of such delicate flowers. She didn't have long to wait before getting her answer.

She bent down to admire a white rose, when she heard that odd noise again -a sort of scraping sound- and saw a figure bent over another bed of flowers. Who would be out at this time of night? She wondered and walked closer until she recognized whom it was kneeling there. It was Folken. She briefly thought of just going back to her room, but she just couldn't run away again. It was time to talk.

She strode towards him, and started to say something, but he beat her to the punch.

"I knew eventually we'd talk." His voice was deep, deeper than Angela had remembered.

"Did you grow all of these beautiful flowers?" She knelt down next to him, not minding getting her nightclothes dirty.

"I did. But we both know that's not why you came to talk"

"You're right, but I'm not sure where to start."

"Just start from the beginning like you always do"

"What happened that day?" Tears were already threatening to fall, but she blinked them back.

"I failed, so I left" he said frankly.

"But you worried so many people…"

"Ha. Those people couldn't care less about me. Once I was gone, they geared up their new king." His cold tone chilled her and she pulled her robe closer to her body as she spoke.

"That's not true…we- I cared deeply about you"

"Did you really? I don't think so" he turned back to his garden and began digging a hole for a new seedling. Angela's gaze roamed to the flowers he was planting and she almost gaped. They were as black as the darkness surrounding them. They're as black as his heart has become. But why has he become this way? She decided to find out.

"You have to believe me." At this, he abruptly stood up, and she followed in suit. She slid her hands into his left one, and their eyes met. "Please." She whispered, barely audible, and tried to hold his other hand as well, but he pulled back, and as he did, the fire lighting up the gardens glinted off of something metallic. The puzzled look obviously showed on her face because he just held up his metal arm-almost provoking a gasp from Angela- said, "It was a gift from the dragon," and walked away, leaving Angela colder than she ever had been before.

OK, it's short, but I'm trying and that's what counts, right? =) Well, till next time, c ya and always R+R so maybe I can have some good ideas from you guys.