A Struggle Between Souls, Chapter Three
A/N: At the same time I upload this, I'm going to modify the first two chapters- a couple of people requested that I take out the "nius" in Draco's name, so I'm going to. I think I knew somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind that it was already a Latin name, but somehow... I don't know... it just sort of slipped out when I wrote the chapters. So I'm changing it.
Also, I don't know if it's just the different setting or whatever, but a lot of people said this story was really original. Thanks to everyone:
Rachel Hunt (well, here it is!), Jenn (thanks... I think), Milady (Wow, is it really? *perfect christmas present for latin teacher pops into head*), Brina (thanks for the encouragement!), Sunrissa (I really don't know at this point. I think he's more of an antagonist in this story.), Lazuli (wai! thanks so much!), Aquamanda (thank you so much! I got the idea for Hermione's name from A Midsummer Night's Dream [Shakespeare's play].), Draco's girl (*bows* thank you!), Rilar Cray (thanks for the suggestion... and the compliments!), Rachel Hunt (right here!), Landry Anne (thanks! I think so too!), jessiCA (ohhh.... that's so sweet!), Allee Kat (thanks!), Xaviera Xylia (did I spell that right? thanks for the originality compliment... it means a lot to me!), Medea Malfoy (ingenious! wow!), Raven (hope I can meet your expectations), Hermia19 (latin people rule!), hermi_giggles (I hoped it would be!), Dark Unicorn (*winces* I'm sorry... i really don't know if that's the direction the story's going in. If it turns out that that might work, then maybe...), Rose Demon (wish granted!), and Chrissy (thanx!). Keep reviewing... I try to mention everyone in my author's note!
Anyways, here's Chapter III!
The sun was setting over Draco's estate, rose and gold rays reflecting in the ocean. A flaming red globe sank slowly below the horizon as the eastern sky lit up with stars.
Hermia was waiting in the garden with Athene, not sure what to think. Her lady-in-waiting had told her that there was someone who wished to speak with her, but Hermia couldn't get her to tell who.
At that moment, two figures burst into the courtyard, breathing heavily. "Lady... Hermia," one panted, bowing as low as he could. The other quickly followed suit.
Hermia was dumbfounded as she signaled Athene to help her pull the two boys to their feet. "Who are you?" she asked incredulously, taking in their slave's clothing and filthy hair and faces.
"I'm Potius," said the one who had been first to bow. "Loyal slave to... er... Cornelius Gracii." Hermia had never heard the name, even in listening to her father's boring political talk. "...and I'm Wesellius," said the other, his hair looking browner in the darkening sky. "We're here to help you escape."
"How can you help me?" asked Hermia wearily. "You're just slaves."
"We have our ways," said Wesellius, winking at her. "Can you gather up your things without disturbing the household?"
"I don't have any of my possesions except a few clothes, but..." She looked at them worriedly. "What if Draco comes after me? I mean, my father doesn't know about the plot, and he won't believe me if I tell him, and then I'll just have to come back here, and I don't think I could bear to live with him. Where can I go?"
Wesellius rubbed the back of his neck. "I think my mother will let you stay at our house," he said uncertainly. "She doesn't like the Serpentius family any more than you do. She'd understand."
For some reason, Hermia felt like crying; she threw her arms around Wesellius' neck, grinning. "Thank you!"
Wesellius' ears turned red, clashing horribly with his orange hair.
The next morning, Hermia woke in a bed in a separate room; thankfully, Draco had yielded to her pleas that whatever might come of them sharing a bed could wait till tomorrow night, after the wedding. Someone was banging on her door.
"What is it?" she said through the stonework, her voice carrying a note of impatience.
"Lady Hermia?" said a male voice, although it wasn't Draco's. As if he'd ever call me 'lady', she thought wryly as she threw on a toga, then opened the door. Potius was standing there, looking extremely tired. No light shone through the windows.
"Hasn't the sun risen yet?" she asked as she closed the door behind them.
"No... we have to leave early, or else we won't get enough of a head start on Serpentius' army."
"Army?" Hermia asked in disbelief. "He'd really send soldiers after me?"
Potius looked at her seriously. "You have to remember, my lady, that Lucius Serpentius' ascending the throne depends on your marriage to his son. If pressed to do so, they could send much more than a few mercenaries after you... they could capture you, torture you, and still force you to marry Draco."
"How do you know so much about this?" she asked suspiciously as they left the house, walking to where Wesellius and her ladies-in-waiting were standing.
Potius just smiled at her and waved to Wesellius. "Are the horses ready?"
The red-haired slave grinned and said, "They're right here."
Hermia was surprised to see four of Draco's best bay stallions tethered to the side of the house. "You stole them!" she said, a look of wonder on her face.
"Well, what should I have done? Told Serpentius exactly why I wanted his precious bays and then have paid a good deal more than they're worth for them?" Wesellius climbed atop the nearest one, pulling Athene up behind him.
Hermia found no words with which to argue; she couldn't anyway, as Potius was now helping her up onto the second bay. Maia and Flavia, her third handmaiden, were sitting, looking uncomfortable, on the third horse. Potius deftly swung himself over the fourth and led them into the dark, safe refuge of the forest.
At that moment, Draco Serpentius awoke in his bed, having heard the distinct clattering of horses' iron hooves on the cobblestones outside. Slaves had awoken, too; they milled around the halls, holding torches high in the air. He dressed quickly and went out into the hall. "What is going on?" he asked his manservant, Golius, who looked quite flustered.
"The Lady, she is gone," he stuttered in his clumsy Latin.
"How? She has no method with which to escape," Draco asked, confused.
"There are four horses gone from the stables," answered Golius apologetically. A female slave swept up to them and bowed to Draco. "Her three ladies-in-waiting are gone as well," she informed them.
Draco cursed and signaled Golius. "Ready my entourage, and alert my father," he said. "I'm sure he'll want to know about this."
A/N: Okay, at first I thought I'd written myself into a corner, but then.. the light! I can't tell you what's going to happen next, but I can assure you it will involve chases, angst, hiding, cruelty, et cetera... please review! I love you all!
~~icestar
A/N: At the same time I upload this, I'm going to modify the first two chapters- a couple of people requested that I take out the "nius" in Draco's name, so I'm going to. I think I knew somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind that it was already a Latin name, but somehow... I don't know... it just sort of slipped out when I wrote the chapters. So I'm changing it.
Also, I don't know if it's just the different setting or whatever, but a lot of people said this story was really original. Thanks to everyone:
Rachel Hunt (well, here it is!), Jenn (thanks... I think), Milady (Wow, is it really? *perfect christmas present for latin teacher pops into head*), Brina (thanks for the encouragement!), Sunrissa (I really don't know at this point. I think he's more of an antagonist in this story.), Lazuli (wai! thanks so much!), Aquamanda (thank you so much! I got the idea for Hermione's name from A Midsummer Night's Dream [Shakespeare's play].), Draco's girl (*bows* thank you!), Rilar Cray (thanks for the suggestion... and the compliments!), Rachel Hunt (right here!), Landry Anne (thanks! I think so too!), jessiCA (ohhh.... that's so sweet!), Allee Kat (thanks!), Xaviera Xylia (did I spell that right? thanks for the originality compliment... it means a lot to me!), Medea Malfoy (ingenious! wow!), Raven (hope I can meet your expectations), Hermia19 (latin people rule!), hermi_giggles (I hoped it would be!), Dark Unicorn (*winces* I'm sorry... i really don't know if that's the direction the story's going in. If it turns out that that might work, then maybe...), Rose Demon (wish granted!), and Chrissy (thanx!). Keep reviewing... I try to mention everyone in my author's note!
Anyways, here's Chapter III!
The sun was setting over Draco's estate, rose and gold rays reflecting in the ocean. A flaming red globe sank slowly below the horizon as the eastern sky lit up with stars.
Hermia was waiting in the garden with Athene, not sure what to think. Her lady-in-waiting had told her that there was someone who wished to speak with her, but Hermia couldn't get her to tell who.
At that moment, two figures burst into the courtyard, breathing heavily. "Lady... Hermia," one panted, bowing as low as he could. The other quickly followed suit.
Hermia was dumbfounded as she signaled Athene to help her pull the two boys to their feet. "Who are you?" she asked incredulously, taking in their slave's clothing and filthy hair and faces.
"I'm Potius," said the one who had been first to bow. "Loyal slave to... er... Cornelius Gracii." Hermia had never heard the name, even in listening to her father's boring political talk. "...and I'm Wesellius," said the other, his hair looking browner in the darkening sky. "We're here to help you escape."
"How can you help me?" asked Hermia wearily. "You're just slaves."
"We have our ways," said Wesellius, winking at her. "Can you gather up your things without disturbing the household?"
"I don't have any of my possesions except a few clothes, but..." She looked at them worriedly. "What if Draco comes after me? I mean, my father doesn't know about the plot, and he won't believe me if I tell him, and then I'll just have to come back here, and I don't think I could bear to live with him. Where can I go?"
Wesellius rubbed the back of his neck. "I think my mother will let you stay at our house," he said uncertainly. "She doesn't like the Serpentius family any more than you do. She'd understand."
For some reason, Hermia felt like crying; she threw her arms around Wesellius' neck, grinning. "Thank you!"
Wesellius' ears turned red, clashing horribly with his orange hair.
The next morning, Hermia woke in a bed in a separate room; thankfully, Draco had yielded to her pleas that whatever might come of them sharing a bed could wait till tomorrow night, after the wedding. Someone was banging on her door.
"What is it?" she said through the stonework, her voice carrying a note of impatience.
"Lady Hermia?" said a male voice, although it wasn't Draco's. As if he'd ever call me 'lady', she thought wryly as she threw on a toga, then opened the door. Potius was standing there, looking extremely tired. No light shone through the windows.
"Hasn't the sun risen yet?" she asked as she closed the door behind them.
"No... we have to leave early, or else we won't get enough of a head start on Serpentius' army."
"Army?" Hermia asked in disbelief. "He'd really send soldiers after me?"
Potius looked at her seriously. "You have to remember, my lady, that Lucius Serpentius' ascending the throne depends on your marriage to his son. If pressed to do so, they could send much more than a few mercenaries after you... they could capture you, torture you, and still force you to marry Draco."
"How do you know so much about this?" she asked suspiciously as they left the house, walking to where Wesellius and her ladies-in-waiting were standing.
Potius just smiled at her and waved to Wesellius. "Are the horses ready?"
The red-haired slave grinned and said, "They're right here."
Hermia was surprised to see four of Draco's best bay stallions tethered to the side of the house. "You stole them!" she said, a look of wonder on her face.
"Well, what should I have done? Told Serpentius exactly why I wanted his precious bays and then have paid a good deal more than they're worth for them?" Wesellius climbed atop the nearest one, pulling Athene up behind him.
Hermia found no words with which to argue; she couldn't anyway, as Potius was now helping her up onto the second bay. Maia and Flavia, her third handmaiden, were sitting, looking uncomfortable, on the third horse. Potius deftly swung himself over the fourth and led them into the dark, safe refuge of the forest.
At that moment, Draco Serpentius awoke in his bed, having heard the distinct clattering of horses' iron hooves on the cobblestones outside. Slaves had awoken, too; they milled around the halls, holding torches high in the air. He dressed quickly and went out into the hall. "What is going on?" he asked his manservant, Golius, who looked quite flustered.
"The Lady, she is gone," he stuttered in his clumsy Latin.
"How? She has no method with which to escape," Draco asked, confused.
"There are four horses gone from the stables," answered Golius apologetically. A female slave swept up to them and bowed to Draco. "Her three ladies-in-waiting are gone as well," she informed them.
Draco cursed and signaled Golius. "Ready my entourage, and alert my father," he said. "I'm sure he'll want to know about this."
A/N: Okay, at first I thought I'd written myself into a corner, but then.. the light! I can't tell you what's going to happen next, but I can assure you it will involve chases, angst, hiding, cruelty, et cetera... please review! I love you all!
~~icestar