~Aftermath~

By Utena Aston

PART ONE:

G A E A

F I V E :

Aston commanded troops to leave at once to go to Freid and rescue Duke Chid. He also told them to arrest Sar-Ranga and his men and bring them back to Asturia to be put on trial. He contacted King Van in Fanelia and asked him to come as soon as possible and offer his support. He hoped the young King did not hold any grudges toward him for ransoming him to Zaibach before. After all, Aston had been threatened by them and nearly forced to sign a treaty with them. And it hadn't lasted long anyhow.

Allen would have liked to be among those chosen to go, but Makrim proclaimed him too weak physically. Aston pointed out that his involvement with Chid might make him mentally incapable as well.

So Allen stayed behind.

Domaris's face was stiff in concentration, her brows knitted together tightly as she tried determinedly to separate the darkness inside herself and find the light.

Makrim held her hands lightly and studied her closely, offering small words of encouragement. Finally, Domaris sighed and let her head drop. Makrim let her hands go and nodded approval.

"You've improved a great deal this week. You are beginning to clear the dark magic," he noted.

"No, it's still there. It's getting stronger." Domaris shook her head without looking up.

"But you are able to complete almost all of the training I have given you. You have a strong light within. You just need to find it so you can totally banish the dark." He patted her head fondly.

"That man I healed has been asking for you," he said suddenly.

"The one I…'saved'?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. I wouldn't let him see you, but now you are ready to. It can do no real harm if he simply talks to you. The spell wasn't that strong."

But Domaris shook her head no. "I don't want to see him. Even thinking about him makes my head spin and I feel sick. Besides, he owes me nothing. I owe him nothing."

Makrim looked disapproving, but kept silent.

"I will now be able to sever the bond between you and your former master. Lord Singleton will have no power over you once that is done."

"But his curse still will," Domaris sighed. She felt weary from training so hard.

"I will complete this process tonight. Tomorrow, I will denounce him."

Domaris nodded absently. She was grateful to Makrim. But she felt that denouncing Singleton would not solve even half her problems, although she would be glad not to have to worry about avoiding him anymore. She had been ducking him ever since the night she told Makrim about him. She felt she didn't know this man that she had trusted all her life and that made her feel very insecure. And if possible, even more alone.

When she had first come, Singleton had been there with her to support her in her grief. Her cousins and uncle were all new people to her, and she felt like an outsider at first. She knew that she had been accepted now, even by Eries, but the fact that her main pillar of support had betrayed her all her life made her feel like she couldn't trust anyone.

Makrim had sensed these feelings in her and made her try her best and not give up on people. That had been the best lesson she had ever learned: to never give up.

Makrim stood in front of the royal council and Princess Eries. Aston was still too ill to join them. With determination in his small steely eyes, Makrim told the council all that he knew about the accused. He publicly denounced Lord Singleton in place of Princess Domaris. She would have done it herself, but Makrim was not sure whether that would be wise or not, even though their magical link was severed.

Lord Singleton stood across from the council, straight as a reed, but his dark flashing eyes darted about the room in guilty anger. He was a weak man inside and enjoyed preying on others. He was not clever enough to admit to his crimes and beg that he had changed. He instead protested innocence in his desperation. Makrim scoffed at his pitiful display. This made Singleton even angrier.

"What do you know about dark magic? How do they not know that you aren't a dark sorcerer yourself, accusing a poor innocent man like me?!" he screamed.

Makrim laughed. "Feeble, lost soul," was all he said. Singleton screamed again and moved toward Makrim. He put his hands on the old man's throat before the guards had him secured again and were waiting for the council to proclaim judgement.

Sir Talkawan was the head of the council and spoke for the body in their decision. "The Great and Just Council of the nation Asturia has proclaimed the following judgement upon the accused, Lord Singleton of Asturia. We hereby proclaim that after reviewing the statements and the accusations against the accused, we have decided to set upon his head, banishment to Northern Asturia. He will be in the care of the Seintain Monks until at a time when he has repented of his crime, at which time he will be again brought before this council to discuss his release from sentence." Sir Talkawan sat down. Princess Eries nodded for the guards to take him away to the harbour.

At the harbour, Singleton was able to struggle free of his captors. He laughed madly to himself as they lost him in the crowd and made his way toward the river Altres that separated part of the border between Asturia and Freid. He would not be defeated entirely. Sar-Ranga would help him if no one else cared for him now. He swore he would revenge himself on Makrim, that old fool. Also he wanted to taste the revenge he would have on that young traitor of a Princess. He hoped his curse would make her pay. If not, Sar-Ranga would help him find a way. (That rhymes -_-;).

In the darkened chamber in Godashim's palace, Singleton bowed low before Sar-Ranga. This man's power was greater than his ever could be. Sar-Ranga smiled slightly at the man who knelt at his feet.

"You have come to me at last. You could have been my pupil before and this would never have happened to you." Sar-Ranga's eyes flickered darkly in the dim torchlight.

Singleton looked up into the older man's face. "I was a fool. I was full of…"

"Pride," Sar-Ranga finished. "Yes you were. But that is the past. I can use you now too."

Sar-Ranga's voice made Lord Singleton quiver, but he suppressed his uneasiness. "Yes, my Master."

Domaris felt the darkness spreading inside like black ink spread out when spilled on paper. Eries was much too busy with affairs of state now that war with Freid was a possibility. She was only able to visit with her cousin a few times a week. Dorian had gone off with the troops, so Domaris didn't have anyone but Makrim to talk to. She couldn't visit with him outside her training each day, because he had to tend to the ill King, who was a little worse from all of this excitement.

Walking around the gardens in the bright sunshine, she thought about Millerna and what she might be doing. She wondered if her cousin was as bored as she was.

Allen walked out of the palace doors and into the blooming beauty of the gardens. He was not surprised to see another person enjoying the warm sunshine of the day. He did a double take when he felt he knew this person. It was a young woman in a blue gown. Her face was turned away from him. He squinted his eyes and tried to remember. She looked so familiar, like a waking dream. Just then she began to walk further away from him. Allen walked quickly to overtake her. When he was at her side he knew who she was. Her eyes gave it all away.

"You were the noble lady who saved me in the woods," he said without any preamble.

Domaris gazed at him in surprise. She recognized him now. He looked much better than when she had seen him last. As if an afterthought she replied, "yes."

"I knew it. Your name is Princess Domaris, correct?" Allen didn't wait for a response. "I owe you my life," he said.

"No, I…You don't know what I did. If you knew you would hate me." Domaris looked away from the sky blue eyes that stared at her intently. She felt like a fool. She hadn't ever wanted to see him again. Especially once Makrim had told her what the spell might do since it had saved Allen's life. She started to move away, but Allen pulled her back to him and made her face him. Here, in the light, she looked so strange and foreign. In the light of the moon she would fit right in with the rest of the night, as she had when he had first seen her. Her dark eyes swam with unshed tears. She couldn't stand this!

Allen felt pulled in, he felt like his soul was being tugged from inside of him and moved toward this young girl. His lips met hers for little more than an instant. He felt intoxicated, like he was drowning. Domaris shoved him back and stumbled away from him before she broke out into a run back into the palace.

Allen rubbed his throbbing head. His thoughts swam at random. He felt dull and overcome at the same time.

Behind a pair of rose trees, Eries stood with her hand to her mouth in shock. She had come out to see Domaris, knowing she would be here. Free from her duties for the afternoon, Eries had thought that Domaris might enjoy shopping in the marketplace with her. She had seen Domaris near Allen. She had an unreadable expression on her face. Eries knew that this was the first time Allen had met his heroine, so she thought they might like privacy. She had just ducked behind the trees when Allen had leaned down and kissed her cousin. No words could describe Eries's despair as she watched Domaris run away.

Eries heard the knock at her door. Makrim entered without waiting for Eries to answer. He came across the room. Eries saw in the way that he looked at her with pity that he knew what had happened. How he knew, she did not question. She simply flung herself into his open arms and cried as she never had before.