July 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the story is mine.
Chapter 27
Selenity lay awake in her bed as the sun peeked over the horizon. She
stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind turning over the events of the previous
night, the previous day. A lot had happened and she found she was having
trouble absorbing it all. Darien was some kind of Prince from an ancient race.
A Lunarian. That was supposed to be her job. That was supposed to be her
destiny. She turned on her side, her gaze catching the clock. She'd been
awake since the night before, exhausted and drained, but couldn't sleep. Now
it was almost 10am.
A knock sounded on her door, "Miss, are you awake?"
"Yes Charles." She called, pulling herself out of bed. She'd not bothered
to change out of her borrowed clothes, and the black jeans and white t-shirt
were wrinkled, "Is breakfast ready?"
"Whenever you are, miss. Your father has asked if you have an agenda
already planned for the day."
She blinked. Her father had asked? "Did you just say that my father
wanted to know if I have already made plans?"
"Yes miss. Is something wrong?"
A wide smile spread across her face. Her father was beginning to accept
that she could do things for herself. "Nothing is wrong, Charles. I will be
down shortly."
"Very good miss."
She heard his quiet footsteps disappear as she wrapped her arms around her
middle. Unbelievable! Her father had actually asked if she was busy before
planning her day. Her smile died as she realized what she had to do. Today,
she had to confront her biggest fear. Not just confront it, but deal with it
and the one person who terrified her more than anyone in all the world.
Martin.
Quickly changing into a pair of blue jeans with rhinestone studded
pockets, a white blouse and running shoes; she twisted her hair into its
regular style and left her room. If she had to face him she'd do it on her own
terms. She'd pick the spot, the reason and the way. Silently she vowed not to
give him any opportunity to do something worse to her. Determined, she went to
find Charles and her breakfast.
Martin tossed several pieces of clothing into his suitcase with a vicious
snap. "How dare she," he fumed, "picking that runt of a man before me! My own
blood stealing the woman who was supposed to be mine! I will have my revenge
though, I will make sure she pays for this insult."
He was pacing back to the closet for another set of clothes as the phone
in his suite rang. He snatched it up, "Yes?"
He heard a shaky breath on the end of the line and then, "Martin? It is
Selenity."
He nearly dropped the phone. What was she doing calling him now? "Your
highness, what a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting a phone call from you.
Can I do something for you?"
"Actually yes. I was wondering if you could meet me in the park this
afternoon, about 2pm, to have lunch."
His eyes narrowed. What game was she playing? "Certainly Princess.
Shall I bring anything?"
"Just yourself, Martin. This will simply be the two of us."
"I am looking forward to it, Selenity. I will see you at 2." He hung up
the phone and looked at it critically. She was calling to set up a meeting
with him. How bizarre. Martin went to his bag and quickly pulled out some
slacks and a collared shirt. Informal, yet classy. A smile of anticipation
crossed his lips as he began to change. He would look forward to this meeting.
Somehow, he was going to convince the little tramp to leave his brother. One
way or another, Endymion would not have what was supposed to have been his!
Her hands were shaking as she replaced the phone in the cradle. She'd
done it, and she'd done it without allowing her voice to shake. She swallowed,
her mouth dry. It had been harder than she'd thought to speak with him, and
just over the phone. For the hundredth time she questioned the wisdom in
facing the man alone. Martin had hurt her before, stolen so much, she wasn't
sure if her resolve would last through this meeting. She took a deep breath.
It had to. If she crumbled she'd never be free of him, never be free to live
her life, and would always dwell on the past, always wonder what could have
been. Taking another deep breath she went to prepare for lunch with her
tormentor. It was a meeting, a showdown, she couldn't loose.
2pm found Selenity twisting her hands nervously in her lap, her eyes
scanning the area around her. The field was secluded enough to give them
privacy, but offered enough security in the way of obstacles, she was confident
she could escape if he tried anything. Her insides were shaking, no matter
what her calm demeanour displayed. She wasn't looking forward to this meeting.
"Are you certain this is what you wish, Miss?"
She glanced over her shoulder at Charles, who was in the process of
depositing a basket with food for two in it on a table off to the side. She
nodded, "I have to do this, Charles."
"If you insist. Remember, I am here, but a yell away, if you need me."
She smiled gratefully before motioning for him to disappear. Having him
around made her feel that much more secure. She looked up to see Martin
approaching her, a bottle of wine in one hand. Had he taken her invitation the
wrong way? More than likely. She sighed, feeling herself tremble at the
thought of facing him alone for part of the afternoon. She managed a weak smile
as he placed the bottle on the table with a flourish and bowed to her, sneaking
glances left and right, "Good afternoon, my dear, it is a lovely day for a late
lunch in the park."
She swallowed, finding her voice hard to command all of a sudden. The
last time they'd been alone in one room, she'd screamed herself hoarse.
"Martin." she cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the squeek, "I am glad
you could join me on such short notice."
"Anything for the heir to the throne."
She cleared her throat, "Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss."
"Do we?"
She nodded, "I do not wish that we part on bad terms."
Martin eyed her. What was she up to?
Selenity quickly clarified, "You are going to be my brother in-law, it
will create friction should we part on... less than cordial terms."
"Cordial?" he scoffed. "Selenity, if you wish to be cordial, we can go a
step beyond. I have no problem sharing you with my brother."
She paled, fisting her hands together, "I have a problem with it."
He waved his hand, dismissing her words, "Oh, but most women enjoy having
someone who can give them a good time in bed. Tell me, have you slept with
him?"
"That is none of your business and I did not call-"
"So you have not. I wonder how he will measure up to me." Martin
interrupted her, as if she'd never spoken, "We have a great many lovers in our
history, perhaps he will be one of the degenerates, one of those who doesn't
know what he's doing..."
Selenity leapt to her feet, "You're the one who doesn't know what he's
doing!" she screamed at him.
He blinked, taken by complete surprise by her sudden outburst. Her chest
heaving, her breasts straining through her shirt, drew his attention, and he
stared as if mesmerized. Her words registered slowly, and as they did, his
face darkened, suffusing with blood. His hands clenched on the table as he
stood, nearly breaking off the rim, "Say that again."
She fought the urge to cower as her knees began to shake. His tone was
threatening, his posture telling of all the hurtful things he could do to her.
She swallowed hard, pale and shaking, but somehow found the strength, through
clenched teeth, to ground out the words again. "You are the one who does not
know what he is doing! You hurt me, Martin, and you enjoy it."
The table between them seemed like such a small obstacle all of a sudden
as he took a step towards her, "You have no idea what I'm capable of."
"I will not run from you."
His smile was pure evil, "You have and you will. Taking you is all the
sweeter when you fight."
She almost lost her nerve, every fiber of her being urging her to run, to
get away. She'd stepped into the pool of sharks willingly to face down the
man-eater and she was losing. Her resolve hardened. She couldn't lose. Her
future, earth's very future, might depend on it. "You will not be taking me in
any sense of the word, no matter the ugly connotations you add to it." her tone
was hard, but inside she was shaking, "I will no longer run from you."
His hand jerked across the table and smacked her, "Mouthy woman, you
should be taught a lesson."
Selenity fell to the ground, her hair falling about her, semi-covering her
face. Eyes blazing with outrage, she glared at him. Anger felt good, giving
her strength, nerve. It allowed her to speak without shaking. "I am
outspoken, yes, but your lessons only serve to harm my body." she forced
herself to her feet and looked at him defiantly, fighting the fear that
continued, ever so softly, to slither down her spine. "This is the last time I
allow you to hurt me, Martin."
He stepped towards her, eyes widening when she stood her ground, her hands
clenched at her sides, her color white enough to be parchment. "You have grown
a spine, Selenity, I shall enjoy tearing it from your back. Have I told you
how much I like your body, your highness." he stepped closer, seeing her
tremble, her jaw clenching against the fear and anger he saw in her eyes, "I
love being cradled in your unwilling body, love knowing you can do nothing to
stop me. Shall I demonstrate again? Scream for me, Princess, there's no one
here to help you."
Her smile was tight, "You always took, Martin." her voice belied her
seemingly calm exterior, cracking and squeaking as she spoke, "I will never be
yours again. You will not touch me again, or so help me, I will see you behind
bars."
"What of your precious contract, Princess?" he took another step towards
her, smiling evilly, "Your father agreed this would never become public. It
would shame both houses. Yours in particular and then you would have to marry
me."
She involuntarily took a step away from him, her knees shaking. She
needed to run, to get away from him, get away from the threat, but something
inside her forced her to stay, some inner strength that told her she needed to
do this, needed to face him. "Not you. Just someone of your bloodline." she
cleared her throat, "I will not let you hurt another woman, Martin. This ends
now."
He grabbed her shoulders, squeezing tightly, his face coming in close to
hers, "This ends when I say it does, Princess. You may be Royalty, but you are
mine." one of his hands slid down her shoulder towards her breast and she
punched it away. It came back quickly, grabbing her through her shirt with a
vicious twist, making her eyes tear up, "You cannot stop me, highness, scream
for me, just once more."
"Freeze!"
They both froze, Selenity's gaze traveling beyond Martin and then around.
Royal Guardsman surrounded them both. She looked up at Martin and twisted two
of his fingers, making him release his grip, "I will not have to. Your own
testimony is your worst enemy. You will live the rest of your life on a desert
island and hereby forfeit any and all properties and monetary assets you may
have." her smile was pure pleasure as she took a few steps back and took a deep
breath, "Good bye, Martin. Take him away."
The dozen guard quickly converged on the man as he tried to escape,
cutting off his every route, until he was ringed by them and they forced him to
the ground. Between the twelve, they subdued him and carted him away, having
the decency to gag him before walking him through the park, handcuffed.
Selenity sank to the ground shaking, tears flooding her eyes and spilling
down her cheeks. She sobbed as she sat, her arms wrapped around her own waist,
squeezing tightly. Martin was finished, going to where he deserved and she was
finally free. She'd dealt with him, faced her fear and stood her ground.
Weeping with relief, she curled up on the ground. When Charles found her
minutes later, she'd cried herself to sleep.
Author's Note: End of chapter 27 *wipes her forehead* wow, that took a long
time to work through... let me know what you think... Write a review or simply
e-mail me at: Jademax@hotmail.com
I'll get back to you asap! Thanks for reading!
Jade_Max
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the story is mine.
Chapter 27
Selenity lay awake in her bed as the sun peeked over the horizon. She
stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind turning over the events of the previous
night, the previous day. A lot had happened and she found she was having
trouble absorbing it all. Darien was some kind of Prince from an ancient race.
A Lunarian. That was supposed to be her job. That was supposed to be her
destiny. She turned on her side, her gaze catching the clock. She'd been
awake since the night before, exhausted and drained, but couldn't sleep. Now
it was almost 10am.
A knock sounded on her door, "Miss, are you awake?"
"Yes Charles." She called, pulling herself out of bed. She'd not bothered
to change out of her borrowed clothes, and the black jeans and white t-shirt
were wrinkled, "Is breakfast ready?"
"Whenever you are, miss. Your father has asked if you have an agenda
already planned for the day."
She blinked. Her father had asked? "Did you just say that my father
wanted to know if I have already made plans?"
"Yes miss. Is something wrong?"
A wide smile spread across her face. Her father was beginning to accept
that she could do things for herself. "Nothing is wrong, Charles. I will be
down shortly."
"Very good miss."
She heard his quiet footsteps disappear as she wrapped her arms around her
middle. Unbelievable! Her father had actually asked if she was busy before
planning her day. Her smile died as she realized what she had to do. Today,
she had to confront her biggest fear. Not just confront it, but deal with it
and the one person who terrified her more than anyone in all the world.
Martin.
Quickly changing into a pair of blue jeans with rhinestone studded
pockets, a white blouse and running shoes; she twisted her hair into its
regular style and left her room. If she had to face him she'd do it on her own
terms. She'd pick the spot, the reason and the way. Silently she vowed not to
give him any opportunity to do something worse to her. Determined, she went to
find Charles and her breakfast.
Martin tossed several pieces of clothing into his suitcase with a vicious
snap. "How dare she," he fumed, "picking that runt of a man before me! My own
blood stealing the woman who was supposed to be mine! I will have my revenge
though, I will make sure she pays for this insult."
He was pacing back to the closet for another set of clothes as the phone
in his suite rang. He snatched it up, "Yes?"
He heard a shaky breath on the end of the line and then, "Martin? It is
Selenity."
He nearly dropped the phone. What was she doing calling him now? "Your
highness, what a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting a phone call from you.
Can I do something for you?"
"Actually yes. I was wondering if you could meet me in the park this
afternoon, about 2pm, to have lunch."
His eyes narrowed. What game was she playing? "Certainly Princess.
Shall I bring anything?"
"Just yourself, Martin. This will simply be the two of us."
"I am looking forward to it, Selenity. I will see you at 2." He hung up
the phone and looked at it critically. She was calling to set up a meeting
with him. How bizarre. Martin went to his bag and quickly pulled out some
slacks and a collared shirt. Informal, yet classy. A smile of anticipation
crossed his lips as he began to change. He would look forward to this meeting.
Somehow, he was going to convince the little tramp to leave his brother. One
way or another, Endymion would not have what was supposed to have been his!
Her hands were shaking as she replaced the phone in the cradle. She'd
done it, and she'd done it without allowing her voice to shake. She swallowed,
her mouth dry. It had been harder than she'd thought to speak with him, and
just over the phone. For the hundredth time she questioned the wisdom in
facing the man alone. Martin had hurt her before, stolen so much, she wasn't
sure if her resolve would last through this meeting. She took a deep breath.
It had to. If she crumbled she'd never be free of him, never be free to live
her life, and would always dwell on the past, always wonder what could have
been. Taking another deep breath she went to prepare for lunch with her
tormentor. It was a meeting, a showdown, she couldn't loose.
2pm found Selenity twisting her hands nervously in her lap, her eyes
scanning the area around her. The field was secluded enough to give them
privacy, but offered enough security in the way of obstacles, she was confident
she could escape if he tried anything. Her insides were shaking, no matter
what her calm demeanour displayed. She wasn't looking forward to this meeting.
"Are you certain this is what you wish, Miss?"
She glanced over her shoulder at Charles, who was in the process of
depositing a basket with food for two in it on a table off to the side. She
nodded, "I have to do this, Charles."
"If you insist. Remember, I am here, but a yell away, if you need me."
She smiled gratefully before motioning for him to disappear. Having him
around made her feel that much more secure. She looked up to see Martin
approaching her, a bottle of wine in one hand. Had he taken her invitation the
wrong way? More than likely. She sighed, feeling herself tremble at the
thought of facing him alone for part of the afternoon. She managed a weak smile
as he placed the bottle on the table with a flourish and bowed to her, sneaking
glances left and right, "Good afternoon, my dear, it is a lovely day for a late
lunch in the park."
She swallowed, finding her voice hard to command all of a sudden. The
last time they'd been alone in one room, she'd screamed herself hoarse.
"Martin." she cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the squeek, "I am glad
you could join me on such short notice."
"Anything for the heir to the throne."
She cleared her throat, "Please, sit. We have a lot to discuss."
"Do we?"
She nodded, "I do not wish that we part on bad terms."
Martin eyed her. What was she up to?
Selenity quickly clarified, "You are going to be my brother in-law, it
will create friction should we part on... less than cordial terms."
"Cordial?" he scoffed. "Selenity, if you wish to be cordial, we can go a
step beyond. I have no problem sharing you with my brother."
She paled, fisting her hands together, "I have a problem with it."
He waved his hand, dismissing her words, "Oh, but most women enjoy having
someone who can give them a good time in bed. Tell me, have you slept with
him?"
"That is none of your business and I did not call-"
"So you have not. I wonder how he will measure up to me." Martin
interrupted her, as if she'd never spoken, "We have a great many lovers in our
history, perhaps he will be one of the degenerates, one of those who doesn't
know what he's doing..."
Selenity leapt to her feet, "You're the one who doesn't know what he's
doing!" she screamed at him.
He blinked, taken by complete surprise by her sudden outburst. Her chest
heaving, her breasts straining through her shirt, drew his attention, and he
stared as if mesmerized. Her words registered slowly, and as they did, his
face darkened, suffusing with blood. His hands clenched on the table as he
stood, nearly breaking off the rim, "Say that again."
She fought the urge to cower as her knees began to shake. His tone was
threatening, his posture telling of all the hurtful things he could do to her.
She swallowed hard, pale and shaking, but somehow found the strength, through
clenched teeth, to ground out the words again. "You are the one who does not
know what he is doing! You hurt me, Martin, and you enjoy it."
The table between them seemed like such a small obstacle all of a sudden
as he took a step towards her, "You have no idea what I'm capable of."
"I will not run from you."
His smile was pure evil, "You have and you will. Taking you is all the
sweeter when you fight."
She almost lost her nerve, every fiber of her being urging her to run, to
get away. She'd stepped into the pool of sharks willingly to face down the
man-eater and she was losing. Her resolve hardened. She couldn't lose. Her
future, earth's very future, might depend on it. "You will not be taking me in
any sense of the word, no matter the ugly connotations you add to it." her tone
was hard, but inside she was shaking, "I will no longer run from you."
His hand jerked across the table and smacked her, "Mouthy woman, you
should be taught a lesson."
Selenity fell to the ground, her hair falling about her, semi-covering her
face. Eyes blazing with outrage, she glared at him. Anger felt good, giving
her strength, nerve. It allowed her to speak without shaking. "I am
outspoken, yes, but your lessons only serve to harm my body." she forced
herself to her feet and looked at him defiantly, fighting the fear that
continued, ever so softly, to slither down her spine. "This is the last time I
allow you to hurt me, Martin."
He stepped towards her, eyes widening when she stood her ground, her hands
clenched at her sides, her color white enough to be parchment. "You have grown
a spine, Selenity, I shall enjoy tearing it from your back. Have I told you
how much I like your body, your highness." he stepped closer, seeing her
tremble, her jaw clenching against the fear and anger he saw in her eyes, "I
love being cradled in your unwilling body, love knowing you can do nothing to
stop me. Shall I demonstrate again? Scream for me, Princess, there's no one
here to help you."
Her smile was tight, "You always took, Martin." her voice belied her
seemingly calm exterior, cracking and squeaking as she spoke, "I will never be
yours again. You will not touch me again, or so help me, I will see you behind
bars."
"What of your precious contract, Princess?" he took another step towards
her, smiling evilly, "Your father agreed this would never become public. It
would shame both houses. Yours in particular and then you would have to marry
me."
She involuntarily took a step away from him, her knees shaking. She
needed to run, to get away from him, get away from the threat, but something
inside her forced her to stay, some inner strength that told her she needed to
do this, needed to face him. "Not you. Just someone of your bloodline." she
cleared her throat, "I will not let you hurt another woman, Martin. This ends
now."
He grabbed her shoulders, squeezing tightly, his face coming in close to
hers, "This ends when I say it does, Princess. You may be Royalty, but you are
mine." one of his hands slid down her shoulder towards her breast and she
punched it away. It came back quickly, grabbing her through her shirt with a
vicious twist, making her eyes tear up, "You cannot stop me, highness, scream
for me, just once more."
"Freeze!"
They both froze, Selenity's gaze traveling beyond Martin and then around.
Royal Guardsman surrounded them both. She looked up at Martin and twisted two
of his fingers, making him release his grip, "I will not have to. Your own
testimony is your worst enemy. You will live the rest of your life on a desert
island and hereby forfeit any and all properties and monetary assets you may
have." her smile was pure pleasure as she took a few steps back and took a deep
breath, "Good bye, Martin. Take him away."
The dozen guard quickly converged on the man as he tried to escape,
cutting off his every route, until he was ringed by them and they forced him to
the ground. Between the twelve, they subdued him and carted him away, having
the decency to gag him before walking him through the park, handcuffed.
Selenity sank to the ground shaking, tears flooding her eyes and spilling
down her cheeks. She sobbed as she sat, her arms wrapped around her own waist,
squeezing tightly. Martin was finished, going to where he deserved and she was
finally free. She'd dealt with him, faced her fear and stood her ground.
Weeping with relief, she curled up on the ground. When Charles found her
minutes later, she'd cried herself to sleep.
Author's Note: End of chapter 27 *wipes her forehead* wow, that took a long
time to work through... let me know what you think... Write a review or simply
e-mail me at: Jademax@hotmail.com
I'll get back to you asap! Thanks for reading!
Jade_Max