I was a little bored and even though this chapter is a little early, I figured, what the heck. Thank you to all my reviewers by the way. I understand about the reviewing problems Bex. I would have smacked my computer...but that would have been defeating the purpose. Anyway, enough with my senseless babbling! To the chappie! BP
Rebellion of an ill girl
Folken listened to the desperate pleas of Nadine with a mannerism that was neither indifferent nor sympathetic. It may have been immoral of Dilandau to steal the girl Gwendoline under her parents nose, but then again, what concern of it was his? He only disapproved of the way the guards handled the woman. She was obviously to upset to think clearly. After the woman had finished telling him everything, Folken spoke.
"There is nothing I can do to negotiate the release of your daughter. I know Dilandau, and he isn't the type to just hand over something that he wants. It was also my understanding that the girl Gwendoline wanted to stay with Dilandau." "That can't be true!" Nadine insisted, "I have not heard this from her mouth, and it could very well be a lie. She might be crying in some dark cell at this very instant." "That may be," Folken replied coolly, "but what if she did wish to stay with him? What if it really was her intention to not go home?" "It wouldn't matter," said Nadine stubbornly, "she's only a girl and she is ill. She doesn't know what's best for her, and it certainly isn't Dilandau Albatou!" Folken considered this silently for a moment, and then said, "I suppose the only appropriate thing to would be to hear what Gwendoline has to say in all this."
Folken made a gesture to one of the guards and the guard quickly left. After a few moments, the guard reentered the room, Gwendoline with him. Nadine rushed over and hugged her daughter. "My poor baby," she said hugging her. For some reason that Nadine could not understand, Gwendoline didn't seem to be as happy to see her as she had thought she'd be. "Are you okay, Gwendoline?" Nadine asked, pushing the girl back to examine her condition.
"I'm...fine." Gwendoline responded. Gwendoline was honestly surprised to see her mother. Why was she there? Didn't she get the letter saying that she was staying with Dilandau? "Mama," Gwendoline said taking a step back, "what are you doing here?" Nadine blinked at her daughter. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I had to come see about you. We had been told that you would be brought here for questioning. You'd been away for days, and then we get a letter saying that Lord Dilandau intended to keep you. Keep you, no explanation, no consideration. To add insult to injury, the bastard expected me to believe that my own daughter would actually want to stay with him." Nadine chuckled bitterly at the thought.
"But Mama I," Gwendoline spoke quietly, barely glancing at her mother. "I want to stay with Dilandau." Nadine didn't say anything for a while, only blinking at her daughter. Then, in a cold whisper, Nadine asked, "What did you just say?" "I...I wanna stay here, with Dilandau." The lack of a response from her mother seemed to persuade Gwendoline to continue. "Yes, mama, I really like Dilandau. He's very nice to me mama, and he brings me things pretty things, and-" Gwendoline did not expect the slap so she wasn't prepared for it. She could only stare at her mother in silent shock. "You've..." her mother shook with a sudden rage. All other people had vanished from the room. The guards and Folken were completely inanimate now. It was only mother and daughter now. "You've been with him...haven't you?"
"Mama," Gwendoline shook her head, but another slap greeted her denial. "Don't you lie to me!" Nadine shouted, "I'm no fool. I know what he's done to you. Corrupting you." "He's not corrupting me mama," Gwendoline pleaded, her eyes beginning to tear. She hated when this happened. Her mother would always take something that she liked. Saying it was bad for her. Usually it had to do with fire. It was her mother that usually stopped her from making fires. Put the fires out.....
Was that it? Gwendoline mused within the deepest reaches of her mind, even as her mother was giving a shrill speech about the monster that Dilandau was and how he would not corrupt her any further. Dilandau was like the fire, he made flames, pretty flames. And like everything else, her mother wanted to take it away. Gwendoline's hands had already become clenched fists before she had even realized it. "No," Gwendoline said in a quiet whisper, her head down so her face was hidden behind her long orange red bangs.
"No," repeated Nadine with an indignant snort. "No what?" "I'm not going with you mother," Gwendoline spoke with a quiet but yet determined voice. She still had her head bowed, her eyes not visible. "Stop this nonsense!" Nadine demanded grabbing Gwendoline's arm. "You are coming home with me this very instant young lady, and that monster isn't-" Nadine's words found themselves caught in Nadine's throat. Gwendoline's head snapped up and the expression cause Nadine to stop. There was a strange light in Gwendoline's eyes that the woman had not seen for a long time. Not since the that day.....
"I said no, mother," Gwendoline grabbed her mother's arm with her free hand. There was a look of cold blooded intent in Gwendoline's eyes, all too shocking and yet fearfully familiar, "N-No, y-you can't," Nadine stammered, powerless in her daughter's grip. Gwendoline gripped her mother's arm tighter, causing the woman to yelp. "I don't think you heard me mother," she said in that same cold and determined tone, "I'm not giving up Dilandau. He wants me here, and I want to be here with him. I like it here, I'm happy. Do you understand? Happy! Happy without any of you pestering me, checking on me, following me." As Gwendoline spoke, her grip grew tighter and her voice rose. It was unbearable to the point that Nadine found herself whimpering on her knees.
Having made her point, Gwendoline let go. Nadine nursed her throbbing arm, staring up helplessly at her daughter. "But you aren't well Gwendoline," she said tearfully. "Oh I feel fine Mama," Gwendoline said, her voice in its normal passive tone. It was only the strange glow in her eyes that signaled that there was a change. "In fact, I don't think I've felt this good in a long, long time." The way Gwendoline said the last part, stretching it out in a slow, hypnotic manner, sent shivers up Nadine's spine.
Gwendoline helped Nadine to her feet. "So Mama, you be sure to say hello to everyone when you get home," Gwendoline turned her mother over to the two guards standing in the doorway of the room. "Tell them how happy I am, how wonderful everything is." Nadine nodded absently, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll try to send you all something nice." Gwendoline gave her mother a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Good-bye Mama," she said gently and then after studying Nadine's face for a moment, she walked passed her and headed down the hallway, not looking back. Nadine could only watch her daughter walk away, to paralyzed to even consider calling after her daughter. "Gwendoline," she said in a quivering whisper, "what has he done to you?"
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Well, well, it looks like there's more to lil Gwendoline than sugar and nuts, I mean spice. Think the warning will be enough? Don't worry Dily fans, he makes a return in the next chapter! BP ^.^
Rebellion of an ill girl
Folken listened to the desperate pleas of Nadine with a mannerism that was neither indifferent nor sympathetic. It may have been immoral of Dilandau to steal the girl Gwendoline under her parents nose, but then again, what concern of it was his? He only disapproved of the way the guards handled the woman. She was obviously to upset to think clearly. After the woman had finished telling him everything, Folken spoke.
"There is nothing I can do to negotiate the release of your daughter. I know Dilandau, and he isn't the type to just hand over something that he wants. It was also my understanding that the girl Gwendoline wanted to stay with Dilandau." "That can't be true!" Nadine insisted, "I have not heard this from her mouth, and it could very well be a lie. She might be crying in some dark cell at this very instant." "That may be," Folken replied coolly, "but what if she did wish to stay with him? What if it really was her intention to not go home?" "It wouldn't matter," said Nadine stubbornly, "she's only a girl and she is ill. She doesn't know what's best for her, and it certainly isn't Dilandau Albatou!" Folken considered this silently for a moment, and then said, "I suppose the only appropriate thing to would be to hear what Gwendoline has to say in all this."
Folken made a gesture to one of the guards and the guard quickly left. After a few moments, the guard reentered the room, Gwendoline with him. Nadine rushed over and hugged her daughter. "My poor baby," she said hugging her. For some reason that Nadine could not understand, Gwendoline didn't seem to be as happy to see her as she had thought she'd be. "Are you okay, Gwendoline?" Nadine asked, pushing the girl back to examine her condition.
"I'm...fine." Gwendoline responded. Gwendoline was honestly surprised to see her mother. Why was she there? Didn't she get the letter saying that she was staying with Dilandau? "Mama," Gwendoline said taking a step back, "what are you doing here?" Nadine blinked at her daughter. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I had to come see about you. We had been told that you would be brought here for questioning. You'd been away for days, and then we get a letter saying that Lord Dilandau intended to keep you. Keep you, no explanation, no consideration. To add insult to injury, the bastard expected me to believe that my own daughter would actually want to stay with him." Nadine chuckled bitterly at the thought.
"But Mama I," Gwendoline spoke quietly, barely glancing at her mother. "I want to stay with Dilandau." Nadine didn't say anything for a while, only blinking at her daughter. Then, in a cold whisper, Nadine asked, "What did you just say?" "I...I wanna stay here, with Dilandau." The lack of a response from her mother seemed to persuade Gwendoline to continue. "Yes, mama, I really like Dilandau. He's very nice to me mama, and he brings me things pretty things, and-" Gwendoline did not expect the slap so she wasn't prepared for it. She could only stare at her mother in silent shock. "You've..." her mother shook with a sudden rage. All other people had vanished from the room. The guards and Folken were completely inanimate now. It was only mother and daughter now. "You've been with him...haven't you?"
"Mama," Gwendoline shook her head, but another slap greeted her denial. "Don't you lie to me!" Nadine shouted, "I'm no fool. I know what he's done to you. Corrupting you." "He's not corrupting me mama," Gwendoline pleaded, her eyes beginning to tear. She hated when this happened. Her mother would always take something that she liked. Saying it was bad for her. Usually it had to do with fire. It was her mother that usually stopped her from making fires. Put the fires out.....
Was that it? Gwendoline mused within the deepest reaches of her mind, even as her mother was giving a shrill speech about the monster that Dilandau was and how he would not corrupt her any further. Dilandau was like the fire, he made flames, pretty flames. And like everything else, her mother wanted to take it away. Gwendoline's hands had already become clenched fists before she had even realized it. "No," Gwendoline said in a quiet whisper, her head down so her face was hidden behind her long orange red bangs.
"No," repeated Nadine with an indignant snort. "No what?" "I'm not going with you mother," Gwendoline spoke with a quiet but yet determined voice. She still had her head bowed, her eyes not visible. "Stop this nonsense!" Nadine demanded grabbing Gwendoline's arm. "You are coming home with me this very instant young lady, and that monster isn't-" Nadine's words found themselves caught in Nadine's throat. Gwendoline's head snapped up and the expression cause Nadine to stop. There was a strange light in Gwendoline's eyes that the woman had not seen for a long time. Not since the that day.....
"I said no, mother," Gwendoline grabbed her mother's arm with her free hand. There was a look of cold blooded intent in Gwendoline's eyes, all too shocking and yet fearfully familiar, "N-No, y-you can't," Nadine stammered, powerless in her daughter's grip. Gwendoline gripped her mother's arm tighter, causing the woman to yelp. "I don't think you heard me mother," she said in that same cold and determined tone, "I'm not giving up Dilandau. He wants me here, and I want to be here with him. I like it here, I'm happy. Do you understand? Happy! Happy without any of you pestering me, checking on me, following me." As Gwendoline spoke, her grip grew tighter and her voice rose. It was unbearable to the point that Nadine found herself whimpering on her knees.
Having made her point, Gwendoline let go. Nadine nursed her throbbing arm, staring up helplessly at her daughter. "But you aren't well Gwendoline," she said tearfully. "Oh I feel fine Mama," Gwendoline said, her voice in its normal passive tone. It was only the strange glow in her eyes that signaled that there was a change. "In fact, I don't think I've felt this good in a long, long time." The way Gwendoline said the last part, stretching it out in a slow, hypnotic manner, sent shivers up Nadine's spine.
Gwendoline helped Nadine to her feet. "So Mama, you be sure to say hello to everyone when you get home," Gwendoline turned her mother over to the two guards standing in the doorway of the room. "Tell them how happy I am, how wonderful everything is." Nadine nodded absently, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll try to send you all something nice." Gwendoline gave her mother a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Good-bye Mama," she said gently and then after studying Nadine's face for a moment, she walked passed her and headed down the hallway, not looking back. Nadine could only watch her daughter walk away, to paralyzed to even consider calling after her daughter. "Gwendoline," she said in a quivering whisper, "what has he done to you?"
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Well, well, it looks like there's more to lil Gwendoline than sugar and nuts, I mean spice. Think the warning will be enough? Don't worry Dily fans, he makes a return in the next chapter! BP ^.^