~Aftermath~

By Utena Aston

PART ONE:

G A E A

T W O :

"Freid welcomes you back within its borders, Allen Schezar."

Allen bowed in response to the Chief Administrator to the Duke of Freid, Duke Chid. The man went on, "It is our deepest sorrow, but our Duke is ill right now, and will not be able to see you very soon. But we offer you welcome and a place to stay in the palace so long as you chose."

"Thank you, Sar-Ranga," Allen said stiffly. His thoughts were not so calm though. His son was ill? Why? How? How could he, a nameless father, help the son who did not know him? Sar-Ranga inclined his head in courtesy toward the knight. He himself then escorted Allen to a room not too far from his own, which in itself was not too far young Duke Chid's.

When Allen was settled, Sar-Ranga went back to a conference chamber that was only occupied by three other men. They glared at Sar-Ranga with a helpless hatred. "Allen will be a problem if he finds out about our plans, don't let him get suspicious." Sar-Ranga told the Zaibach renegades. They all nodded.

"We will keep to the secret rooms, so he will not see us," one said.

"Lord Sar-Ranga," another asked, "do you intend to keep poisoning the young Duke?"

Sar-Ranga looked hesitant. He did not know that these three knew of that. "Yes," he answered shortly. The four men talked for a few more minutes before Sar-Ranga concluded their meeting. "Make sure you are invisible," he told them as he threw some of his trailing red robe over his shoulder and left the room silently. The Zaibach warriors watched him leave with murder on their minds and fear in their hearts. All knew that Sar-Ranga dabbled in the Dark Arts, but none knew the extent of his power. And none were willing to find out.

Domaris and Millerna got along together very well, and since Domaris was an exquisite singer and Millerna didn't know how to sing, it was only natural that her cousin teach her how. Domaris's voice was sweet and could go high and low. Millerna didn't have the same range because she was just learning, but Domaris complimented her on her efforts.

"You have a sweet voice," Domaris told her one day after they had sung The Lay of the Dragon together. Domaris was not a very talkative person and most of the time she spent with Millerna, she spent listening to the younger girl's constant chatter about clothes, flowers, balls and banquets and young handsome men. Since Millerna still admired him so much, Allen often came up in her statements. Domaris smiled warmly when she heard Millerna say things like, "Allen is the bravest knight," or "Allen is the handsomest man in Asturia". Millerna would talk about Dryden as well, but not as openly, because she wasn't sure just what she thought about him right now.

At first, Millerna thought that Domaris was quiet because it was her nature. But then she realized it was in grief that the Princess was silent most of the time.

After a few weeks of spending almost every minute of everyday with the chipper Millerna, Domaris lost some of her quietness and reserve and began to be more and more open. She was glad to talk about nothing in particular and made pointless comments as she and her younger cousin walked through the palace gardens and the markets of Palas. She would giggle and say quietly, "Look at that funny man's beard!" or "I love this kind of flower! We had it in our garden at home!". She would at first make note of these things with mild sorrow and homesickness, but she was young and so her wound healed faster on the outside than it did inside. Now she seemed lighthearted almost, except at night. At night, all of Domaris's heartache seemed to return to her as well as that sad and wise look to her flower-like face. She would walk in the gardens alone, in silence. While in the day time she would sing and talk and whistle and be merry, at night the moon and the stars and the depth of the black sky made her feel alone, and she was silent in response to this pain, this almost tangible fear of the wide world.

Eries, who's uneasy feelings were all but subdued after Domaris had become open and warm, returned after one of the palace watch informed her of her cousin's midnight vigils.

Though these treks into the night seemed to be marring her spirit as well as her body, but Domaris would not let Millerna see this weakness during the hours of sunlight and singing.

Eries thought that perhaps it was time that she confronted her cousin with her worries and fears. Walking along the palace halls, she carefully breathed to steady her nerves. When she reached the door of Princess Domaris's suite, Eries was sure that the young woman would listen to her advice and follow it promptly. She seemed to be so much less reckless than Millerna was. Her prim knock was answered immediately by Domaris's head maid who curtsied low when she saw that it was Princess Eries who was there. "Your Mistress, please," Eries commanded and the woman nodded and bowed low again before disappearing into the rooms. A few moments later, Domaris came out wearing a lightweight gown of some white material, which Eries didn't recognize as from Palas. Domaris's white head bobbed a polite greeting to her cousin and her dark eyes gave off a strange light of their own when she smiled softly. She invited Eries inside and dismissed the servants so they could talk freely.

Once they were alone, Eries began. "I must come to the point, cousin. I am worried about you. You seem fine during the day when Millerna is with you, but at night, I am told that you go about the grounds till dawn. Don't you sleep?" Eries's last comment was somewhat exasperated in tone.

Domaris smiled softly again. But her eyes seem to get even darker. "I seem never to be tired here. Perhaps it is the sea air." She looked out the window across from her. Eries clenched her jaw. She hated to be dismissed so easily. She tried again.
"You need to get your mind where you are now. I am sorry for what has happened to you, and even though I can understand and sympathize with your grief, I won't stand by and watch you destroy yourself!" Domaris jerked with surprised and she seemed to come back to reality.

"You care what happens to me, a cousin you barely know?" she whispered low.

Eries stiffened. "I care. I also care about the reaction it will have on my sister if you continue down this road. She adores you already. Do you want to tear her down with you?"

Domaris looked down at her hands in her lap. They were small and white, like the gown she wore. Eries thought she was crying, but when Domaris lifted her face, her eyes were dry, though they looked as if they carried the weight of the girl's pain. Eries felt relieved. Perhaps her advice and all that she said was sinking in.

"Will you promise me to do better for yourself? You cannot go on like this any longer," Eries said calmly, in a voice that reminded her of her own mother. It reminded Domaris of her own mother as well, in attitude if not tone.

Domaris raised herself from her seat and crossed over to Eries's side. She leaned down and wrapped her slim arms around the other woman's neck. Eries felt tears well up into her own eyes, but she knew that there were none in her cousin's. "Thank you," Domaris said softly. Then her voice seemed to choke on the next words that left her lips. "I will try," she breathed. Eries bowed her head and held the girl for what seemed like an eternity.

Allen looked at the strange things he saw surrounding him. He dared not touch them; they all gave off a strange feeling of evil.

After four weeks of the Duke staying ill and in fact getting worse each week, Allen had become suspicious. Sar-Ranga seemed to be unalarmed by this illness, and would allow no one but the healers and himself to visit the young Duke.

"He's my son!" thought Allen now angrily. "And he might die if I don't find a way to save him." He had snuk into the Duke's chamber and visited him more than once and he had confirmed by the third visit that Chid was being poisoned. Allen was sure that the one behind it was Sar-Ranga who would, because Chid had no heir, inherit the dukedom if Chid were to die. So that is why Allen had now snuk into this room which belonged to Sar-Ranga, who was away from Godashim for the day. Allen felt like he could barely breath with the dank and dusty air around him. He was looking for an antidote for his son, though, and so he tried not to let it bother him.

While shuffling through a shelf full of bottles, Allen felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and in the same movement, grabbed his sword and pulled it out. It was Sar-Ranga he faced, with his blood red robes and grim face set into a strange grin that seemed unnaturally giddy for the old man. Allen held his sword to Sar-Ranga's throat. Sar-Ranga continued to smile. Suddenly, his eyes widened and his hands shot out from beneath his robes. Allen fell backward and his sword flew from his hand. On the ground, he writhed in pain, holding his head between his hands. It pounded and pounded with a throbbing pain that was excruciating in its consistency.

Sar-Ranga laughed at him. "Trying to save your son?" he mocked. Allen was in too much pain to be shocked by the advisors' knowledge. He was barely hanging on to consciousness when three men came in and Sar-Ranga told them in a voice void of emotion, "kill him".

The Zaibach trio carried Allen's bloodied body to the edges of Freid's border with Asturia. They had beat him severely and then slit his wrists and throat.

They dumped him deep in the woods and kicked his lifeless body with vengeful lust. To them, he had been part of the army that had defeated the glory of their nation, so they were glad to do this even if Sar-Ranga had told them to.

Then they left and went back to Godashim. Allen didn't stir for hours after that because of lack of blood, but when he finally did, it was the next morning. He knew he was dying and was surprised that he wasn't already dead. He also knew that because he was alive, he would have to warn someone about Sar-Ranga so that Chid could be saved. He crawled at first, in his weakness, and then he was able to walk a little bit at a time by using the support of the trees in the woods. By mid afternoon he was halfway to Palas. But he was so weak.

"I have to keep going…" he rasped in a voice he did not recognize. His throat felt raw from its wound and from lack of water. The pain from bruises and cracked ribs made him more alert, but the feeling was gradually slipping out of his limbs, and Allen knew that when it did finally, he wouldn't be able to move any more and would die. He had to reach Palas before then. He just had too…before he died.

"Domaris?" Millerna asked. "What are you thinking about?"

Domaris snapped back from her reverie and smiled knowingly at the younger princess. "I was thinking about my home," she answered steadily, "and the woods around it. They were beautiful woods and I knew every inch of them."

Millerna looked impressed. "Wow. I don't venture much into the woods outside of Palas. They're too large. Father and Eries wouldn't let me. And I'd get lost anyway."
Domaris laughed softly. "The woods around Gorla were much larger. They covered the whole of the northern border."

"And you knew them all?" Millerna was surprised.

"Yes. But it took years to learn them without getting lost." Domaris picked a flower and looked deep into its heart and went on. "I first explored the woods with my father when I was young, before he died. And afterward, I would go off on my own."

"Without servants even?"

"Uh huh. Sometimes without even telling anybody where I was. I would stay for days out in the woods and hunt and cook my own food. I felt like a wild woman. The servants and Lords would all worry, but my mother always knew…" Domaris trailed off. She sat down on the grass and her full skirts billowed up around her. Millerna joined her and studied her cousin's face. She had noticed how tired she had seemed lately, but she seemed to be getting better. Millerna thought that perhaps Eries had something to do with that. Almost every night when she wasn't busy, Eries was in Domaris's chambers, talking with her, playing cards or even just sitting. Eries was trying her best to distract Domaris and then make her go to bed. It seemed to be working, because for the past week, Domaris had slept the night through without sending for Eries or going out into the gardens. Eries was very pleased by this and on the nights they spent time together, she learned to trust and love Domaris. She also felt very protective of the young woman, who had a tendency to be independent and never asked for help, even when she needed it desperately. Eries responded to Domaris's pride and independence and approved of both, but she also noted that Domaris seemed starved for affection, both physical and verbal. She gave her both when Domaris accepted them, hugging the young girl and talking kindly to her as an older sister would. In fact, Domaris became like another younger sister to Eries, while Millerna thought of their cousin as another older sister. Domaris also felt a bond to her cousins, but that night, after talking about the woods of Gorla with Millerna, she felt an unexplainable need to go and walk in the woods outside of Palas. She had to. There was no question in her mind about it.

Eries came by her suite to see if she needed company and Domaris refused, feigning sleepiness. Eries was satisfied and left.

After she had gone, Domaris shuffled out of the palace in a dark, hooded cloak and went silently into the gardens and then the woods.

The night was clear and pure, and Domaris breathed in the summer-scented air and walked briskly on the moonlighted ground. She loved the feel of the trees about her, close and friendly and the moon's light shown brokenly through their branches as if it was a companion following her way.

Domaris took off her hood and let her hair spill about her and her dark eyes seemed to penetrate the even darker shadows of the forest surrounding her.

While walking past a small glade, Domaris heard a sound unnatural to those of the woods. She paused, head cocked, listening like a deer ready to flee. It was a strange rasping noise that came from the far side of the glade. Domaris stilled her own breathing and listened longer and harder. Her heart was stiff in her chest as fear welled up inside of her. She had an insatiable curiosity, though, and walked silently and slowly toward the noise.

It seemed to take an eternity to reach the other side of the moonlit clearing. Domaris stopped at the foot of a large oak and let her eyes readjust to the dark. Then she listened again and moved toward the noise, which, because it was louder, told her that she was closer.

At first she couldn't make out anything, but then she thought that she saw a strange faint light outlined against a tree a few feet ahead of her. Squinting to see better, Domaris could make out a large shape leaning against the trunk. The sound was coming from this thing. Domaris called out, too afraid to approach any further without knowing if were man or beast.

Or spirit. At the sound of her voice, the thing stirred and she thought it looked at her.

"Please…" she thought she could make out that word. It was a human. Now she knew. It appeared that whoever it was was injured or hurt. She wasted no more time, but hurried over to the person.

It was a man with long blonde hair that was dirty with dust and dried and wet blood. His face would have been pale if it was not similarly stained. His eyes were large and dark and desperate. Domaris loomed over his hunched figure and she swooped down and put her arms around him in one silent-smooth movement. The moment she touched him, he fainted.

Allen woke later that night and the moon was high in the black sky above. He felt warmth around him and a smell like honeysuckles. He blinked in the pale light and looked up to see a face, a beautiful face. Pale white with large eyes that seemed to fill it and make it look like a newborn fawn. It was a woman and her hair of stainless pale gold half shrouded her and him. He thought he saw himself reflected in those dark eyes.

Domaris looked down and noticed that the man was awake. She held his head carefully on her lap and with her small hands to keep it still.

She opened her soft lips and said, "Ahh, noble lord, you are awake. I've tried to stop your bleeding and pain, but I'm no healer and can only simulate painlessness."

He groaned in response. It was true; he felt none of the pain, which he had throughout that horrible journey in the forest.

"Who are you?" he said and was surprised that he spoke clearly. "Are you a forest spirit?"

Domaris looked uncomfortable. "I'm the Princess Domaris of Asturia."

Allen looked surprised. "Princess?" he asked. "Do you know Princess Millerna and Princess Eries?"

Domaris nodded, but then because she wasn't sure he had seen the gesture said, "Yes, I know them. They are my cousins and I am staying with them at their castle in Palas."

Allen looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Can you give them a message for me? Tell them that Allen Schezar is dead, and that…"

Before he could finish speaking, Domaris gasped, "Allen Schezar! Are you he?"

Allen looked startled. "I am."

"But you are not dead. Not yet." She chided.

"I will be soon."
"Not if I get you to the palace soon. Now I will help you walk there." She lifted his head off her lap and rose to her feet.

"I don't think I can walk." Allen remarked.

"I'll make you walk," Domaris said. And then she closed her eyes and lifted her face slightly toward the sky and the moonlight seemed to brighten slightly. She spread her arms and Allen could hear a strange sound, like the voice of the wind in the trees. He realized that it was Domaris singing. Her voice was soft at first and slowly, almost too slow to notice, it gained in volume until it reached its zenith and seemed to fill the whole glade in which she stood.

At first Allen was in awe. But then he realized that this was magic. Magic was strange to him and he was afraid of it. He got an eerie feeling like that which he had had in Sar-Ranga's secret chamber. And yet it seemed not to be black magic, and yet Allen was still wary.

When she had finished her spell, Domaris looked down again. She leaned forward and held out a white hand to Allen. Her eyes seemed innocent of any dark purpose in her power, and Allen reached up and clasped her hand with his own. He rose to his feet and then took a few unsteady steps. After that, it was as if his feet were not his own and he was walking swiftly with Domaris beside him, her hand warm against his cold, bloodless one, on their way to the palace.