Authors Notes: I have this done for a while but as the problem with ffn. Ha been preventing me from updating it has taken me a while to get it up. But here you go here is chapter five. And to my mailing list I promise the next chapter will be up sooner than you will know!
ENCHATED DREAMS
CHAPTER 5
It had been about a week and a half since Duo had first proposed to her that night. He had every night since then done the same. At first she had been scared that he would become angry with her with each of her admissions of not being able to marry him, but he had not. Only become sadder and sadder. She was starting to find that the best place for her during that day was the gardens. The flowers seemed to be able to talk to her now. She heard their songs almost everyday and some days when she closed her eyes she imagined that she could see them dancing on the air. Thousands of colors and twirling on the air like a haunting song it was the most amazing thing she had ever been able to imagine. Sometimes when she was doing nothing in particular but fiddling around with her gift she would see colors dancing around the edge of her vision. So she wasn't entirely sure that is was her imagination. She had found much to her horror that she had fallen into a routine. She who loved to have the luxury of doing whatever she wanted and whenever she wanted with no particular order had fallen into some type of order.
She had, she realized, come into the habit of rising with the sun and eating the breakfast that was already laid out for her. It was generally bacon, eggs, toast, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate with whip cream. (Or at least that was what Sally had called it when further inquiry had been issued.) She would then head down the guardians for a quick stroll or if it were sunny she would spend the morning riding her horse. She would then come in at about noon for lunch before heading back out the gardens and start her work. Most of her afternoons were spent pruning and shaping the garden back into some semblance of order. She had most of the center of the garden preened and shaped to her satisfaction and she was now working on getting the debris of the place. There was a huge pile of limbs, and such that she had cut off of the trees and the plants that she was now taking to the compost thing she had found a few days ago. Where it had come from and how come it was able to slice up the trees itself she wasn't sure. But she could work all day and fill up the compost and then the next morning it would all be broken down and ready for her to distribute. She had not gotten the impression that there was really any one to talk to about this stuff so she pretty much kept her mouth shut. Though sometimes she wondered if it would be okay to run around screaming just so there would be some noise around.
The first few days had been the worst. There had been no birds, no flowers, no bugs whatsoever, nothing when she had first started her walks. But slowly and surely the birds had arrived and then she had started hearing crickets outside. Then she had gotten enough guts to start tampering with the flowers. Now the gardens were in full bloom and since no one had bothered her or told her she couldn't she had started shaping them and making them enjoyable to walk in. She had not really been expecting it but she had looked back on it later in life she had realized that there was a sort of expectation in the air like she what was to come before it did. Like she almost had to have it or it would all go wrong. It was your normal day in the castle and she was sure if she could see the people that they would be buzzing around like normal servants. (She was starting to here them more and more but she had yet to see them, much to her annoyance.) The first warning she had gotten to his presence was the fact that something was pulling at her again. Causing her to look up in surprise she had not been disappointed.
"Hello." She murmurs politely and a slight unsure smile lighting her features. Even though the best had proven more of a friend than a foe in the last few weeks she was still unsure around him. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to almost be taking her essence straight out of her. Then again the fact that he was about 12 feet tall didn't help either. He had once told her that he was the god of death and that was she always felt that pulling when he was around, it still didn't make much since to her but she was going to ask Sally as soon as she remembered to.
"Good day My Lady."
Shaking her head Hilde frowns at him. "What have I told you about calling me that?"
A twinkle of what almost looked like amusement flashed in his yes causing Hilde to have the suspicious feeling that she was being laughed at. "I beg your pardon My Lady."
Rolling her eyes Hilde sighs and goes back to her work amusement shinning in her eyes though. For some reason she had discovered this man (if you could call him that) had the single ability to make her laugh. At times it almost seemed as if she saw him more as a man than a beast. She wasn't sure when she had started to consider him a friend, all she knew was that she had. And for now that was enough for her.
"Right, sure you are." She grumbles rolling her eyes though a slight smile stayed around her lips. Nodding his head he managed his version of a smile. Even though it looked more like a snarl and his laugh sounded like a growl. The first time she had heard his laugh it had scared her witless now she took it for what it was.
Would you look at that? Sally's neat voice sighs causing Hilde to bite her lip in amusement.
Sally, behave so he is smiling he did enough of that before Came the voice that she had come to know as the candle's.
She had first heard it one day when she was walking down the hallway. She had promptly dropped it much to its annoyance.
"My Lady would you like to see the lake today?" Duo questioned as he saw her face start to drift. He found her captivating and so whenever they were together he selfishly tried to keep her attention on him.
"The lake? I didn't know you had one." She says her slight smile lingering on her lips as she looked up at him. "Yes it is behind the castle and it has a lovely view." He explains his own amusement hidden. He caught more of the tittering of the castle than she did and sometimes their optimism amazed him. They tended to forget that he could here all that was said as they lost themselves in their workings and gossip.
"I would love to." Nodding his head he mad a follow me jester as they began the walk around the castle. "How come no has mentioned the lake before?" Hilde questions as the silence in the air became too much for her. She hated the everlasting silence of this place and had been delighted when she had realized she could hear more than just Quatre and Sally. It wasn't that they weren't nice it was just that they were hardly ever around as they had their own work to attend to.
"Because it can be dangerous if one does not return by evening. Wolves have the tendency to get into the place near there. You should be safe with me My Lady for they have yet to bother me." Nodding her head slowly Hilde found herself agreeing with his words. If she were a wolf she imagined she would steer clear of him as well. At that thought a slight shiver managed to work its way down her back. She had always had a healthy respect for wolves as she had a many a friend killed by them as they defended their sheep back home. Living close to the city had its advantages but the wolves still came especially when there was a hard winter.
~*~*~
"Come on Hilde." Tim said, his blue eyes shinning like two beacons in the winter night air, "Just a few more minutes."
Biting her lip Hilde blew on her freezing hands sighing softly. "Oh all right but just a few more I am freezing to death and no lie."
"Yes!" He said throwing his hand up in the air as if punching in an age old sign of victory. "You aren't going to regret this."
"I had better not buddy." She grumbles though a smile tugged at her blue tinged lips. She really was freezing but she had never been able to turn the boy down. He was a few weeks her elder but they had always had a steady friendship. He never treated her like he was her better and she never treated him like he was pond scum. And so their friendship and bloomed and it was even whispered that maybe one day they would be a couple. She had always gagged and told those people that under no un-certain terms would that happen. But as they stood out under the winter sky with flushed cheeks and bright eyes she realized with a pang that maybe a courtship from him might not be such a bad thing. She might even welcome it.
"You wont." Leaning down he placed a quick kiss on her check before pulling her back onto the ice. Blushing slightly Hilde looked down at their feet a quirky grin gracing her lips.
"Don't do that." She mumbles only to have him laugh down at her his own grin pulling at his lips. Looking up into his blue eyes Hilde felt as if she was drowning in those blue orbs. Smiling shyly she pulled gently away. That was when the first howl rent the night air. Looking up startled she heard his breath suck deep into his lungs. Whipping around she gasped, there were already specks on the lake and by the way they were running it would not take long for them to reach them.
"Run Hilde!" He snapped his eyes wide. Looking up Hilde gasped at the emotions practically spitting from them. Fear, pain and even a little regret.
"Not without you." "Go Hilde I will try to distract them just go." Pushing her roughly he turned to face the coming enemy. While Hilde with tears streaking down her face ran. Her own anger at her inability to do anything but run left her feeling cold and helpless inside. She didn't know how she made it to the woodcutter's cottage or even what happened after that. Just he shocking news that he was dead. It came the next day. They had said there had been nothing they could do. That by the time they had gotten there the wolves had already finished their grim work. Hilde had not been ice-skating since.
~*~*~
"My Lady are you all right?" Duo questions worry shinning in his eyes. "Mmm?" Hilde murmurs snapping out of her dream world. "Oh yes sorry how rude of me. I was thinking and I am afraid I lost myself." Nodding his head he sighs softly. 'Will she ever trust me?' "Come my lady it is this way."
Nodding her head Hilde follows closely behind him. Pushing through the underbrush behind him she felt her lisp tug into a smile. She barely had to do any work but it was still enjoyable to her since of adventure to get out there and do some work. As the last of the brush was pushed back she felt her breath catch in her throat.
"Oh wow." She breaths as the site of the huge blue lake with the sun in the gentle backdrop of the rocky mountain that stood behind it caught her full force in the face.
"It is really rather breathtaking is it not?"
"Very much so." She breathes a giggle forming on her lips. "Come on." She says grabbing his huge paw in her own and pulling him after her. She suddenly had the urge to go wading in the water.
"What are you doing." He growls in his low voice puzzlement written across his face.
Stopping only when they got to the water, once there she reached down and hiked up her skirt so that it swished at her calves securing it with a knot. "Going wadding and your coming with me."
"What?"
"Wadding? You have to know what that is come on."
"Yes, but what does that have to do with here and now."
"Simple, this is a lake, it is incredible hot, I want to cool off. Swimming is not going to happen I am afraid so the next best thing is wadding. You don't have to worry about getting wet and my immune system is fine so come on you big baby." Hesitating for a moment Hilde reaches out and grabs his huge paws and tugs him toward the water. "Come one please?"
Shaking his huge head Duo felt resentment well up in hi. Frowning slightly he sighs as he catches sight of the slight pleading in her eyes.
"Fine he grumbles."
Smiling back at him she smirks. 'Oh ya one for the girls uh hu go me' She was tempted to fling her fist into the air in a victory sign but figured that would be a bad idea. She didn't want to make him any angrier than she had to.
At the first feel of her toes squishing in the cool mud Hilde sighed with pleasure and her grin widened. "This is heaven." She sighs.
"It is only a little bit of cool water and mud." He points out.
"You have to look past that to the fact that it is a little bit of cool water and mud on a hot day thus providing the desired effect of cooling down." Giving a non-chalet shrug she smirks. "Thus providing one with a little bit of heaven."
"Do you always think this way?" He questions.
"I am afraid so. My mother called it being simple but with no one to entertain me but myself and a friend of mine who could hardly ever come out and play I had to develop my one since of life."
"Ah so that would explain it."
"Yes it would."
"It is interesting this was you talk. I find it quiet enjoyable."
"Well, I don't do it for yay or nay so I guess you either like it or just get used to it." 'Unless you are my mother.'
Nodding his head again he watches the shapes that shift and turn in the murky depths of the lake, pondering slightly. This woman was definitely different from any other that he had come upon. She had the ability to peg things that he could ponder for years and never understand. He found it interesting and attractive like a breath of fresh air after the storm or years of imprisonment. He of course could not tell her that, he would either frighten her or she would despise him for all time. A heartbroken sigh broke it's way free from his lips. He wished with all his heart that he was normal and was a normal human. If he was he would fight for this little girls hand with a suit that would be unmatched as it was though he could never hope to even get her to look at him without apprehension. He had seen it oh so many times.
It was then that something cold hit him in the face and slowly ran down his chest. Looking up in shock he blinked in shock at the nymph like girl in front of him.
Giggling slightly she splashed him again. "Stop pouting worry wort or you will be splashed again." She teases her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Growling low in his throat he reached out with a paw his own splash catching her.
"Hey no fare!" She yells as she desperately tries to retaliate.
Before long though they were both soaking wet and in hysterics. Hilde's high pitched laugh ringing with his lower half growl causing a rang of sounds to echo off of the water.
Collapsing on the bank Hilde hold her sides as tears continued to stream down her face from her laughter. Looking up in time to see Duo shake himself free of the water sent her into a myriad of giggles once again.
Snickering slightly she smirks at his tall frame that was watching her from above.
"What is so funny Hilde?"
"Nothing." She replies a slight giggle making its way out again.
"Right." He comments with an eyes roll though his fangs were bared in what she guessed to be a smile. "Come on it is getting late we must be on our way back or the night will beat us."
Nodding her head Hilde roused herself with the help of his hand and before long they were on the way back. Taking on more look over her shoulder she smiled softly at he sight of the sun going down on the lake before once more turning back towards the beast.
'Maybe he isn't so bad after all. Just maybe just maybe."