A/N: Sorry this chapter might seem a bit rushed. Hope you enjoy it anyways.
FootstepsTristan could not believe his eyes. He was hallucinating, he was sure of it. But, there she was standing in front of him, not disappearing like the images of her before. He reached out his hand and touched her shoulder lightly. She was real.
"…it's you," he whispered softly, "it really is you."
"I'm glad you remember me," she said with a smile on her face. Tristan pulled her to him and held her, never wanting to let her go.
"Where were you? I've searched everywhere for you."
Still in his embrace she replied, "I was… everywhere."
"Why did you leave?"
"I didn't want to hurt you." He let go of her and frowned.
"When you left me it hurt. Not being able to find you for four years hurt. Damn it Evelyn. You caused me more pain than I had thought possible!"
"You don't understand! I had to leave you. If I had stayed, I would have just caused you more sorrow. I would have pushed you out of my life completely, never telling you how I really felt! As much as I loved you, I couldn't love you completely if I had stayed."
Tristan stood still, "…you loved me?" A pink blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Of course," she said with assurance, "When I left you, I wasn't sure if I was going to come back. But, the people I met, the events of those four years made me realize I couldn't live without you. I used to be haunted by the images of my father's death. They had made me detached and isolated from the world, which was fine because I wanted to be alone… But when I met you…I didn't want to be alone again, however the nightmares continued to pull me away. During the last four years, my nightmares began to fade away, because my want for you was stronger. Gradually my nightmares were replaced by dreams of you, that was when I knew I could come back." Tristan nodded and took her hands into his.
"That day when you disappeared, I was going to tell you something."
"And what were you going to tell me?" she asked.
Tristan kissed her forehead softly and looked into her green eyes that were staring back.
"…I love you."
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Thane looked at the woman before him, as she drank her ale insatiably. He was a patient man. He had waited for the time, when he would be able to use her weakness. He was careful with his words, when he spoke to her. For she held the key to his desires and his obsession. Her head grew heavy and her eyelids gradually shut. Thane smiled and took the key from her necklace. He had waited long enough…
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She was locked in the cottage with no way out. Her mother had blocked all the windows, so she had no way to see whether it was day or night. After the day she had met the prince, her mother had decided in an angry rage to keep her locked up in the cottage. The first week she was imprisoned she banged on the walls of the rooms and cried for help, but no one came to help her. She was left little food and was left to starve when her mother was drunk. Her grip on reality was slipping slowly each day. Paranoia reigned her mind. She sat by the door, listening to the world outside. The slightest sounds were analyzed and deciphered by her. Her mother's footsteps made the sounds of the heart, for one of her legs were slightly shorter than the other was. She sat by the door not to listen for her mother but for the prince. She was determined that he would save her like he once did. She dreamt of his rescues every day. She liked to imagine how he would rescue her and what they would say to each other afterwards. Her dreams of the prince brought her happiness, when all things looked bleak.
Suddenly Viola stood upright and pressed her ear against the door. Someone was walking towards the cottage but it was certainly not her mother. The footsteps were soft and quiet, unlike her mother's rhythmic stomps. To her surprise, the door unlocked. She scrambled to her feet and ran to hide in her room. She saw the door swing open, and saw the dark figure of a man enter the cottage. She gasped as the man came into the moonlight; it was the man from the forest. Her heart pounded and her mind was screaming bloody murder. Viola knew she had no way to escape for the door. She took the bold chance and ran as fast as she could to the door. His arm caught her hand. Thane pulled her back and closed the door.
"What do you want from me?!"
"I want you…to love me."
"I don't even know your name!" she cried.
"My name is Thane, just please…please love me…" he said helplessly. Viola stood in shock. He looked like a murderer, but at the moment, he looked more like a sick child asking to live. She felt pity for him, but she knew that she could not lie, for her heart was strongly devoted to the prince. Thane got down on his knees and looked up to her like a goddess.
"I'd do anything for you, anything. I could save you from your mother and take you far away. I would make you happy, if you give me the chance. So please…love me."
Viola sadly shook her head. The soft pleading look in Thane's eyes disappeared, and was replaced by a glint of malice.
"I will have you and you will love me, I promise you this," he said with a dead serious tone.
"Please, let me be…" He grabbed her and covered her mouth as she attempted to scream. He carried her into the bedroom and threw her onto the bed. She got right back up and held onto his hands.
"Please spare me!"
"Why will you not love me?!"
"Because I cannot give my heart to two men!" She clapped her hands over her mouth. Jealousy took a hold of Thane.
"You love another?" he whispered. Viola turned her face from, but he took her by the shoulders and made him face her.
"I..I…"
"Who is it?! Tell me!"
"You cannot harm him! He is the prince, and he will rescue me!" she cried with sudden boldness.
Thane smirked and raised his eyebrow, "The prince?" He smiled and laughed disdainfully.
"Yes, the prince! He will save me!"
"Poor Viola, have you not heard?"
"Heard what?" she asked feeling nervous.
"Your darling prince has married another." Viola felt her body go numb.
"You lie…"
"The truth hurts, doesn't it. Can't you see there's no one in the world that can love you like me?"
"You LIE!" she screamed. Thane pulled her to him.
"You don't understand…I love you…I can't lie to you." Viola pulled away from his embrace and shoved him back.
"Get away from you monster!" she hissed. He took a hold of her threw her on the bed.
"You will be mine…" Viola's eyes widened with fear, as he advanced towards her. Her kicks and blows were not able to stop him. She screamed as he ripped her clothes, and touched her with his unwelcome hands. Tears streamed from her eyes when he entered her, claiming her as his possession.
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It was the dead of the night, and Viola sat in the corner of the bedroom, trying to pull herself together. She looked at Thane's body on her bed. She stood up and went over to his sleeping form.
"My my, what do we have here?" Viola spun around to see her mother.
"mother…"
"You whore!" she spat out. Thane began to open his eyes, and scurried out the room leaving his possessions on the bed.
"no…no it's n-not what you think…mother."
"Don't call me mother, you dirty whore!" Medora struck Viola down. Viola sat on the floor, anger and hatred surging through her blood. She looked down by her hand and saw Thane's knife lying on the floor. A sudden urge took a hold of her, when she grabbed the knife. She stood up and pointed the knife toward her mother.
"What are you planning to do with that? Kill me?" Medora scoffed.
"You killed my father, my dreams, my hope…you killed me!" Viola screamed as she lunged forward with the knife in her end. "It's your turn now…" Viola plunged the knife right into Medora's heart. Dark blood streamed from the wound. Medora smiled as she slowly pulled the knife out.
"…You can never leave me…" she whispered. Viola gasped and took the knife out of Medora's hand. She continued to stab her until Medora fell down on the ground. A smile remained on her face as her eyelids shut. "…you can never leave me."
Thane had been watching the murder in the bedroom. He rushed to Viola when Medora fell on the ground.
"We have to bury her," he said nervously.
Viola shook her head, "No, we'll throw her body in the river. I don't want her body near me."
"Alright then, I'll help you carry the body, tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? I think we should take the body today. No one will see us if we go now." Thane nodded his head and picked up Medora's lifeless body.
"You go ahead," said Viola as she picked up the knife from the floor. Tonight her life would change completely.
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The raging river roared beneath their feet. Thane looked over the large rock and took a step backward.
He smiled, "Her body will be ripped to shreds."
"Yes, she will," she whispered. Viola looked at Medora's face. A smile was plastered on her face, though she was dead. "This is for killing father and me, mother. You deserved to die."
You can never leave me…
Viola trembled and pushed the body off the rock instantly.
"You can never hurt me now…" Thane pulled her into his embrace.
"I will protect you now…" he said in a soft voice. Viola looked into his face, he looked different again. He was always changing, sometimes he looked pleading and others he was beastlike. Viola hated him with a passion, as much as she loved the prince.
"And who will protect you?" He looked at her in confusion. Viola shoved him off the rock into the furious water below. Peace finally rested in her heart. She dusted herself off and walked toward her cottage.
A/N: That is the end of PART I. The real story is just beginning. ^^ Thanks for reading!