Chapter 5: The Proposal
Aurora stared around at the blank walls of her prison, and shivered. Why had Arestan kidnapped her? Just because she'd defended Cole didn't give him the right to kidnap her! And it certainly didn't give him the right to chain her to the wall of a prison.
"Arestan, you no-good demonic scumbag!" she yelled. "If you're listening, I want out of here!"
Suddenly, the air in front of her shimmered, and an instant later, Arestan stood there.
"Aurora, I can't let you out unless I know that you won't try to escape," he said. "Can I trust you not to try to escape?"
Aurora sighed, and reviewed her options. If she told him off, which was what she really wanted to do, Arestan wouldn't likely let her out.
However, if she was honest, then he might let her out of her prison.
Aurora decided to go with option number two.
"I'm not going to escape," she replied. "Mainly because I don't know my way around."
Arestan smiled, and snapped his fingers. The chains binding her to the wall vanished instantly, and Aurora stumbled forward, rubbing her wrists.
"That's a good reason to let you out," Arestan said.
Aurora flashed him a dazzling grin.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to let me go, would you?" she asked sweetly.
"Of course I'll let you go," said Arestan, and Aurora grinned hugely. "If you agree to marry me."
Aurora's mouth fell open in shock. --Marry him? He wants me to *marry* him?! Like hell I will!--
"You can't be serious," she said finally. "You're---"
"A demon?" asked Arestan, his tone suddenly bitter.
"Well, I was gonna say 'So much older than me', but that, too," said Aurora. "Why do you want to marry me?"
Arestan reached out with one hand and gently touched Aurora's face. She shrank away from his touch, and turned to face the wall. Arestan reached out and touched her fiery waterfall of silky hair, running his fingers through it. It felt like strands of silk against his skin.
"I love you," he said softly. "I don't know why. I want you, and I intend to have you."
Aurora sighed.
"Then there's only one thing that I can do," she whispered. "I have no other choice."
With that, she slowly turned around to face Arestan. He grinned and readied himself for the kiss that she would give him.
POW! Arestan staggered backwards before falling to the ground, completely stunned. Aurora stood over him, a furious look on her face.
"I am *so* not going to marry you!" she snarled. "You are way, *way* too old for me! Now, LET ME GO HOME!"
Arestan stood up slowly, wiping green blood from his nose, and nodded.
"Very well," he replied. "I will not force you to marry me. But I ask that you at least think about it before you make a rash decision." Arestan took a deep breath, but before he could say anything, Aurora interrupted him.
"I want you to let me go," she demanded.
"I can't let you go," Arestan pleaded.
"Why the hell not?" Aurora demanded.
"Because I love you. I've never been in love before, but I know what it is. Please, be my bride."
"No!"
"But I love you, Aurora." His eyes were filled with sadness at her refusal. "Besides, I can't let you be with a warlock."
"What are you talking about, you dingbat? I'm not with a warlock!"
"Yes, you are. He's gotten close to you. Have you had any strange dreams lately, perhaps about someone you love, who plans to take your powers?" Aurora went white as a sheet and stared at him in horror. --How did he find out about the dream I had about Jason the other night?-- she thought fearfully. Then it hit her. --The bastard must have sent me that dream, so that he could turn me against Jason!--
"Liar!" Aurora ran at him, and began pummeling him with her fists. Arestan grabbed her wrists, preventing Aurora from hitting him any more.
"Calm down," he said softly. "I am not a liar."
"Yes, you are!" Aurora sobbed. "I hate you! You're trying to turn me against Jason so that I'll accept your offer of marriage!"
Arestan let go of her, and Aurora flung herself to the floor, sobbing hysterically.
"I would never do anything like that," he whispered sadly. Arestan stared down at her sobbing figure, and made a decision. As beautiful as she was, she didn't belong down here with him. She belonged with her friends.
She deserved to be free.
--That was the difference between me and Alaster-- he thought suddenly. -- We're both calculating, which is the way that all chameleons are. But Alaster was always smooth talk and no mercy. If Alaster had found Aurora while he was still alive, he would have stolen her from her bed in the middle of the night and brought her down here. Then he would have locked her in a cage for his eyes only. But I'm going to do the opposite. I'm going to let her go.--
Arestan crouched down beside Aurora, and gently stroked her hair.
"It was wrong of me to bring you here," he said softly, and Aurora lifted her head. "I've been acting like a spoiled child. No, I take it back; I've been acting like my twin brother, Alaster."
Aurora gave him a sympathetic look.
"Your brother must have been a real jerk," she said softly.
"Yes, he was. And I refuse to be anything like him." Arestan helped Aurora to her feet, keeping her from falling over. "Go home, Aurora. Your innocence and beauty were not meant to be wasted down here."
Aurora stared at him, unable to believe her ears. Finally, she spoke.
"Thank you," she whispered. Then she thought of something. "Um, Arestan? Could I possibly get a ride back upstairs? I can't orb."
Arestan smiled at her.
"Certainly." He took hold of her arm, and they shimmered away.
* * *
A moment later, they appeared in the Halliwells' living room. Aurora took off running upstairs, calling for Piper, Paige, and Phoebe.
Phoebe poked her head out of her room, and gasped when she saw that Aurora was standing in the hallway.
"Aurora!" she said happily. "You've escaped from Arestan's grasp all by yourself! Piper and Paige went with Adam and the others to see if they could find where Arestan was keeping you, and I offered to stay here and see if you managed to escape and come here."
Aurora blinked.
"Translation: you had a vision, and knew that I'd come back," she said. "But I didn't escape from Arestan; he let me go."
Now it was Phoebe's turn to blink. She looked behind Aurora, and saw that Arestan was standing behind her.
"He let you go?" Phoebe repeated slowly. "Why? Did he make you promise to come back to him at a certain time, or something like that?"
Aurora shook her head.
"He didn't make me promise anything," she replied. "He and I...came to an understanding." She glanced over her shoulder at the chameleon, and he nodded.
"Before I leave, I need to ask you something, Aurora," Arestan said suddenly. Aurora glanced over her shoulder again, a look of surprise on her face.
"What?" she asked curiously.
"I know that it would probably take a miracle, but I want you to consider my offer. No matter where you go, my offer will always remain open." He smiled at her, and then shimmered away.
Phoebe glanced at Aurora out of the corner of her eye.
"He asked you to be his bride, didn't he?" she asked. Aurora smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, he did. But I'm not sure if I want to accept his offer. It's tempting, though." Aurora headed downstairs, and Phoebe followed her. "Do you mind if I use your phone to call Adam and let him and the others know that I'm all right?"
"Sure."
to be continued...
* * *
A/N: As always, please R&R, but no flames. Flamers will be pelted with dungbombs, and then they'll get their sorry arses kicked from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Aurora stared around at the blank walls of her prison, and shivered. Why had Arestan kidnapped her? Just because she'd defended Cole didn't give him the right to kidnap her! And it certainly didn't give him the right to chain her to the wall of a prison.
"Arestan, you no-good demonic scumbag!" she yelled. "If you're listening, I want out of here!"
Suddenly, the air in front of her shimmered, and an instant later, Arestan stood there.
"Aurora, I can't let you out unless I know that you won't try to escape," he said. "Can I trust you not to try to escape?"
Aurora sighed, and reviewed her options. If she told him off, which was what she really wanted to do, Arestan wouldn't likely let her out.
However, if she was honest, then he might let her out of her prison.
Aurora decided to go with option number two.
"I'm not going to escape," she replied. "Mainly because I don't know my way around."
Arestan smiled, and snapped his fingers. The chains binding her to the wall vanished instantly, and Aurora stumbled forward, rubbing her wrists.
"That's a good reason to let you out," Arestan said.
Aurora flashed him a dazzling grin.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to let me go, would you?" she asked sweetly.
"Of course I'll let you go," said Arestan, and Aurora grinned hugely. "If you agree to marry me."
Aurora's mouth fell open in shock. --Marry him? He wants me to *marry* him?! Like hell I will!--
"You can't be serious," she said finally. "You're---"
"A demon?" asked Arestan, his tone suddenly bitter.
"Well, I was gonna say 'So much older than me', but that, too," said Aurora. "Why do you want to marry me?"
Arestan reached out with one hand and gently touched Aurora's face. She shrank away from his touch, and turned to face the wall. Arestan reached out and touched her fiery waterfall of silky hair, running his fingers through it. It felt like strands of silk against his skin.
"I love you," he said softly. "I don't know why. I want you, and I intend to have you."
Aurora sighed.
"Then there's only one thing that I can do," she whispered. "I have no other choice."
With that, she slowly turned around to face Arestan. He grinned and readied himself for the kiss that she would give him.
POW! Arestan staggered backwards before falling to the ground, completely stunned. Aurora stood over him, a furious look on her face.
"I am *so* not going to marry you!" she snarled. "You are way, *way* too old for me! Now, LET ME GO HOME!"
Arestan stood up slowly, wiping green blood from his nose, and nodded.
"Very well," he replied. "I will not force you to marry me. But I ask that you at least think about it before you make a rash decision." Arestan took a deep breath, but before he could say anything, Aurora interrupted him.
"I want you to let me go," she demanded.
"I can't let you go," Arestan pleaded.
"Why the hell not?" Aurora demanded.
"Because I love you. I've never been in love before, but I know what it is. Please, be my bride."
"No!"
"But I love you, Aurora." His eyes were filled with sadness at her refusal. "Besides, I can't let you be with a warlock."
"What are you talking about, you dingbat? I'm not with a warlock!"
"Yes, you are. He's gotten close to you. Have you had any strange dreams lately, perhaps about someone you love, who plans to take your powers?" Aurora went white as a sheet and stared at him in horror. --How did he find out about the dream I had about Jason the other night?-- she thought fearfully. Then it hit her. --The bastard must have sent me that dream, so that he could turn me against Jason!--
"Liar!" Aurora ran at him, and began pummeling him with her fists. Arestan grabbed her wrists, preventing Aurora from hitting him any more.
"Calm down," he said softly. "I am not a liar."
"Yes, you are!" Aurora sobbed. "I hate you! You're trying to turn me against Jason so that I'll accept your offer of marriage!"
Arestan let go of her, and Aurora flung herself to the floor, sobbing hysterically.
"I would never do anything like that," he whispered sadly. Arestan stared down at her sobbing figure, and made a decision. As beautiful as she was, she didn't belong down here with him. She belonged with her friends.
She deserved to be free.
--That was the difference between me and Alaster-- he thought suddenly. -- We're both calculating, which is the way that all chameleons are. But Alaster was always smooth talk and no mercy. If Alaster had found Aurora while he was still alive, he would have stolen her from her bed in the middle of the night and brought her down here. Then he would have locked her in a cage for his eyes only. But I'm going to do the opposite. I'm going to let her go.--
Arestan crouched down beside Aurora, and gently stroked her hair.
"It was wrong of me to bring you here," he said softly, and Aurora lifted her head. "I've been acting like a spoiled child. No, I take it back; I've been acting like my twin brother, Alaster."
Aurora gave him a sympathetic look.
"Your brother must have been a real jerk," she said softly.
"Yes, he was. And I refuse to be anything like him." Arestan helped Aurora to her feet, keeping her from falling over. "Go home, Aurora. Your innocence and beauty were not meant to be wasted down here."
Aurora stared at him, unable to believe her ears. Finally, she spoke.
"Thank you," she whispered. Then she thought of something. "Um, Arestan? Could I possibly get a ride back upstairs? I can't orb."
Arestan smiled at her.
"Certainly." He took hold of her arm, and they shimmered away.
* * *
A moment later, they appeared in the Halliwells' living room. Aurora took off running upstairs, calling for Piper, Paige, and Phoebe.
Phoebe poked her head out of her room, and gasped when she saw that Aurora was standing in the hallway.
"Aurora!" she said happily. "You've escaped from Arestan's grasp all by yourself! Piper and Paige went with Adam and the others to see if they could find where Arestan was keeping you, and I offered to stay here and see if you managed to escape and come here."
Aurora blinked.
"Translation: you had a vision, and knew that I'd come back," she said. "But I didn't escape from Arestan; he let me go."
Now it was Phoebe's turn to blink. She looked behind Aurora, and saw that Arestan was standing behind her.
"He let you go?" Phoebe repeated slowly. "Why? Did he make you promise to come back to him at a certain time, or something like that?"
Aurora shook her head.
"He didn't make me promise anything," she replied. "He and I...came to an understanding." She glanced over her shoulder at the chameleon, and he nodded.
"Before I leave, I need to ask you something, Aurora," Arestan said suddenly. Aurora glanced over her shoulder again, a look of surprise on her face.
"What?" she asked curiously.
"I know that it would probably take a miracle, but I want you to consider my offer. No matter where you go, my offer will always remain open." He smiled at her, and then shimmered away.
Phoebe glanced at Aurora out of the corner of her eye.
"He asked you to be his bride, didn't he?" she asked. Aurora smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, he did. But I'm not sure if I want to accept his offer. It's tempting, though." Aurora headed downstairs, and Phoebe followed her. "Do you mind if I use your phone to call Adam and let him and the others know that I'm all right?"
"Sure."
to be continued...
* * *
A/N: As always, please R&R, but no flames. Flamers will be pelted with dungbombs, and then they'll get their sorry arses kicked from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench.
