~Aftermath~

By Utena Aston

PART ONE:

G A E A

F O U R :

Domaris sat in silence. Lord Singleton had left over an hour ago, but she still was unable to think of anything else except of what he had told her. Never in her life had she felt so betrayed. She felt angry and afraid at the same time.

Lord Singleton had told her the horrible tale of how he had taught her father magic, and then the darkness of his own power had consumed him and her mother eventually. Then Domaris had known for the first time ever, fear of this older man who had seemed like a kind mentor. She did not let him see it. She didn't know what he would do to her if she let him know that she might betray this to anyone.

She wondered why her mother had never stopped Lord Singleton from teaching her this dark and consuming magic. She had to have known about it. Domaris felt the trickle of tears slide down her face. She didn't know what to do.

In her mind, on its own, came the image of Makrim the healer accusing her of being a "darkling". What had he meant by that? Domaris suddenly felt she must ask him. She ran across her room in her anxiousness, but then fell halfway to the door. Oops. She had forgotten about her weakness.

She called for one of the serving ladies and had a message sent for one of the guards. She didn't want to trouble Dorian, who was a Knight of Caile, just to carry her down the hallway!
However, Dorian was the one who showed up. He had intercepted the message and insisted on being the one to transport her. He said he didn't trust her to the common coarseness of the guard. Domaris submitted meekly. She had to get to Makrim somehow, after all.

Once she knocked on Makrim's door, she felt uneasy. She didn't know him very well. He opened the door almost an instant later and glowered up at her from under his stringy eyebrows.

"Yes?"

Domaris fidgeted. "I came to… ask your…I need help…I," Makrim pulled her inside. He led her to a comfortable chair with a straight back. It reminded Domaris of him, kind and yet no nonsense! Domaris cleared her throat and began again.

"I found out just a few hours ago…about what you meant. I guess that I am a Darkling. I've been cursed. My father was cursed, and my mother. I thought I was being taught magic to help people and things…" she trailed off, uncertain.

Makrim shifted his weight and expression and peered at her closely. "Who taught you these things?" he asked.

"I don't know if I dare to say." Domaris looked up at him helplessly.

"You are safe, child. Tell me."

"My Advisor, and my father's and mother's before me. His name is Lord Singleton. His room is very near mine. And I am afraid of him now. He just told me about how my father was killed. His own magic turned on him and consumed him. And my mother. I don't know if…" Domaris looked lost again.

"I will help you. There is a way to reverse this dark magic and make it into a strong light magic. But the answer to that turning is deep inside of yourself and I cannot tap into it for you. But I can teach you and train you to look for it. You may be saved yet, if you'll let me help you," Makrim's voice was grave.

"Yes." That was all Domaris said. But already she felt the darkness welling up within her, as well as the fear.

Allen's face looked much healthier, but Eries knew that he was still weak and unconscious. For the past five weeks, he had remained in a coma like status and made very slow progress. Eries had not had the courage to visit him again, but today she somehow needed to see him. The first visit had strongly affected Eries. She had felt as if she was pouring her love into him. That frightened her a great deal. Eries had never spoken words of love to anyone out loud in her life. And that time she had only whispered them.

She studied the fine face of the man she loved with sorrow in her heart. Part of her feared his death, but another part feared almost even more his life because he never noticed her.

Eries was staring intently down at Allen's face when suddenly she sensed movement. Had his eyes just blinked? She told herself she must have been seeing things. But then a moment later Allen opened his eyes all the way and stared blankly up at her.

"Oh," Eries breathed in surprise.

"Eries?" Allen's voice sounded far away, but audible. Eries couldn't speak. She just wrapped her arms around Allen's neck and cried. Makrim watched the scene from a dark corner of the room and noted with his keen vision when Allen's arm moved to stroke Eries's long hair.

A few days later, Allen stood before King Aston, who had been moved from his sickbed to a chair.

Allen spoke as calmly as he could as he relayed the situation he had come across in Freid. Aston sat in shocked silence.

"Sar-Ranga," he finally said. " How could he…? He was a good friend of Chid's father! Do you think he wants to take over Freid?"

"Yes," Allen answered simply. Then he added, "And I'm not sure what else he plans to do. The men who were under his command were leaders of the Zaibach Renegades."

Aston's thick brows lifted in surprise. "We will have to think carefully about this," he muttered.

Dorian gazed at Domaris with unmasked admiration. He reached out for her hand and held it gently. He had been so bold a few other times when he had visited. He had never kissed her, but he longed to. When she had come out from visiting Makrim a few weeks ago, she had burst into sudden tears, and Dorian, ever chivalrous, had held her in his strong arms and comforted her.

Domaris tolerated his touch with a friendly indifference. She appreciated Dorian's companionship more than he knew. She was so lonely without Millerna. When King Aston had sent her to the South, Domaris felt like she might never see her again. Domaris might have allowed herself to love him, if she hadn't been so preoccupied with her soul searching with Makrim.

Dorian looked at her and tried to decide whether now would be the time. He felt he couldn't stand to wait any longer. He pulled Domaris's hand until she was facing him. With a straight face, he confessed his feelings. "Domaris, I want to marry you. You are the most beautiful person I have ever known and I love you. I want to look after you too. I won't ever let you be lonely. Will you say yes?" Domaris had not reacted at all when he said this, but she was not so detached from her emotions as to not be ashamed. She hung her head and shook it. Dorian's face looked strained. "No?" he said.

"No, I'm sorry Dorian. You are a good friend, but,"

"But you are in love with Allen, right?" Dorian showed just the slightest cynicism in his tone.

Domaris's head jerked up. "No!" she said in surprise. "I don't even know the man! How could I be in love with him? I'm just sick inside right now. I… it's hard to explain," Domaris sighed.

Dorian gazed down at her in concern. "Is that why you go to see Makrim each day? Because you are ill?"

"Yes. It is."

"I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you." Dorian himself didn't look the least embarrassed himself. This puzzled Domaris.

"Are you very…disappointed?" she inquired.

"Very. But I hope to get the opportunity to ask you again sometime. And I hope you will change your answer."

Domaris smiled. "I hope so too."

Allen found Eries in the State Room, where she was going over the tedious paper work that she did in place of her father. He swaggered over to the table she was sitting at. She was so intent on what she was doing that she didn't look up.

"The Princess who was King," Allen said.

Eries looked up and smiled softly. "Yes, that's right. Well, someone's got to do the dirty work." She stood and walked toward him. "You look much better. Less like death is hounding you."

"Death has hounded me many times. It's nothing new," he waved his hand in a mock dismissive gesture. They both laughed openly.

Allen looked into Eries's face. She seemed happier than he had ever seen her. That was good. She could be too serious sometimes.

"Princess, can you tell me something," Allen said suddenly.

Eries swallowed, but her voice remained steady. "What do you want to know?"

"There was a woman who saved me. I haven't seen her. Who is she? I don't really remember anything she said to me when we met. I was in some pain."

Eries looked down. Her cheeks flushed in anger, but she didn't let it show up in her answer.
"She's the daughter of our father's late sister and our cousin. She is living with us now; we are her only family. Her name is Domaris."

"Oh," Allen said and straightened his stance. He looked into the distance as he repeated the name. "Domaris."

Eries felt like her heart was hard as stone in her chest. Allen never noticed her, she thought.