A/N: Hola, all! SUPERSIZE kudo-bars to: Dara, Kristen of Mistallia, Abby, Mariemeia, Stancy McKatt, and Kirjava for reviewing! MWAH!!! Anyhow, I am following suit with what I did in Gretchen, a.k.a. Rapunzel...I am updating with TWO chapters, so...enjoy! Thanks, all! Love ya! ~Jenny the chica~
Chapter Five: In which the mystery is partially solved...
Lunch and dinner were both eaten alone by Celia, although she was beginning to get used to it. Her ears now picked up music playing that she had not noticed before, and she enjoyed the solitude, for it gave her time to think and reflect. How strange this place was! She and the bear were the only beings around, except for the shadow. But could she just have imagined it? Even a little while in a place like this could cause one to hallucinate, for bears do not usually talk, for one thing.
'Yes,' she thought. 'I probably imagined it all. It was all because of my fear, worry, and suspicion.'
But Celia half-expected, in her heart of hearts, that she would wake up mysteriously again tonight. 'Only time will tell,' she told herself, 'vainly assuring that it was all untrue. But why do I feel so shaky?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Celia left the dining room and went directly to her room, for as magnificent as the castle was in the daytime, it was ten times more frightening at night, for all the shadows of the things that glowed with sunlight in the daytime appeared threatening and lethal in the dark.
Tonight, no tears were shed, and Celia dressed herself for bed. She went to sleep, half of her wanting someone to be there when she woke up, but the other half petrified and fearful.
Celia did not wake up in the middle of the night. Instead, she heard a sound the moment after she blew out her candle. Her eyes were not at all adjusted to the darkness, and there was no light whatsoever that even leaked into her bedroom.
She thought she saw something, but she couldn't trust her eyes. Instead, she sat up and waited for whatever was there. She soon felt the sheets being barely pulled towards the empty half of the bed, and she realized that it was no longer empty. She waited for him to say the first words.
To her shock, he said, "How did you enjoy the tour today?"
Celia felt her jaw drop. "H-how did you know?" she stammered.
He laughed, and Celia remembered how much she liked it. "I can see everything that goes on here."
"How?"
"Well, I watch, and other things, that I can't say. You just have to trust me. Can you?"
"I will try, but how do you know that you can trust me?"
"Well, I don't, but aren't husbands supposed to be able to trust their wives, I mean-"
"What do you mean, talking about wives and husbands? Does that have anything to do with this?"
"Don't you know?"
"Know what?"
"That I'm your husband, Celia! That's why you were brought here!"
Celia's shock was complete. "What about the white bear?"
"Oh, he knows."
"But, but doesn't he care? I mean, he was the one who saved from my father, then-"
"Oh, yes, I'm terribly sorry about that, but, you see, when I asked you to trust me, it is going to be a far harder task than you probably imagined. But you will have to, Celia. I'm sorry, but it shouldn't be for much longer, because..." he trailed off.
" 'Because...' what?"
She felt him, don't ask me how, smile. "I can't tell you, Celia. I can only tell you 'not everything is what it seems.'"
"You already told me that!"
"Oh, you remember!"
"Well, I haven't had many people to talk to. Just you and the bear."
"Loneliness getting to you? Happened to me, too. At least you're not utterly alone."
"But didn't you have the bear to talk to?"
He sighed. After a pause, he said, "Yes, I suppose I did. Anyway, are you not quite as lonely anymore?" Celia felt him take her hand in his, which felt like skin, but you could never tell.
Celia shivered, but she said, "It's not quite as bad anymore. Why aren't you around the manor in the daytime?"
"Oh, I am," he replied simply, "but you won't be able to see me. Only at night."
"Oh," was all she said.
"What's wrong with nighttime?"
"Nothing! It's just, well, I can't see you!"
Would he never stop laughing at her? "I'm sorry, Celia, but you will not be able to see me. I wish you could, but I can watch you in the daytime, if you like."
Celia nodded. "That would be fine, but can I see you, even for an instant? I could simply light a candle, and put it out in a mere moment, and then no one would-"
Celia felt two fingers pressed on her lips, gently, but with a purpose. When her spoke, it was with a different voice than before. "No, Celia! No! Do not even think of something like that! Believe me, it would ruin everything, and all would be utterly lost! Celia, please understand-"
"I do," she said, pulling his fingers down. "I won't mention it again, I promise."
The way she had said 'I do' was realized by both of them, and Celia felt her hand, which had pulled his fingers from her lips, being taken to his. Her hand had been kissed many times, of course, growing up in the class that she did, but this was unique and different. It was then that she realized that this marriage was real.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Celia woke up the next morning, in daylight and alone, but she didn't feel as alone. She still wished, of course, that she could see her husband, but his insistency on staying in total darkness had mystified her, yet she intended to obey.
Celia still felt a little funny, almost dizzy, but she was sure that it would pass soon after she got up and moved around. She was right. She washed, dressed, than prepared to go downstairs for breakfast, although she wasn't as late, surprisingly, as the morning before.
Before she went down to eat, Celia ran to her nightstand to get a necklace that she had brought. When she opened her drawer, she took out the necklace, but then realized that there was something missing from the drawer. It took a few moments, but Celia soon realized what was gone: her box of matches.
A/N: AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now you must all rush to the next chapter(after dropping a quick review, of course!)
Chapter Five: In which the mystery is partially solved...
Lunch and dinner were both eaten alone by Celia, although she was beginning to get used to it. Her ears now picked up music playing that she had not noticed before, and she enjoyed the solitude, for it gave her time to think and reflect. How strange this place was! She and the bear were the only beings around, except for the shadow. But could she just have imagined it? Even a little while in a place like this could cause one to hallucinate, for bears do not usually talk, for one thing.
'Yes,' she thought. 'I probably imagined it all. It was all because of my fear, worry, and suspicion.'
But Celia half-expected, in her heart of hearts, that she would wake up mysteriously again tonight. 'Only time will tell,' she told herself, 'vainly assuring that it was all untrue. But why do I feel so shaky?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Celia left the dining room and went directly to her room, for as magnificent as the castle was in the daytime, it was ten times more frightening at night, for all the shadows of the things that glowed with sunlight in the daytime appeared threatening and lethal in the dark.
Tonight, no tears were shed, and Celia dressed herself for bed. She went to sleep, half of her wanting someone to be there when she woke up, but the other half petrified and fearful.
Celia did not wake up in the middle of the night. Instead, she heard a sound the moment after she blew out her candle. Her eyes were not at all adjusted to the darkness, and there was no light whatsoever that even leaked into her bedroom.
She thought she saw something, but she couldn't trust her eyes. Instead, she sat up and waited for whatever was there. She soon felt the sheets being barely pulled towards the empty half of the bed, and she realized that it was no longer empty. She waited for him to say the first words.
To her shock, he said, "How did you enjoy the tour today?"
Celia felt her jaw drop. "H-how did you know?" she stammered.
He laughed, and Celia remembered how much she liked it. "I can see everything that goes on here."
"How?"
"Well, I watch, and other things, that I can't say. You just have to trust me. Can you?"
"I will try, but how do you know that you can trust me?"
"Well, I don't, but aren't husbands supposed to be able to trust their wives, I mean-"
"What do you mean, talking about wives and husbands? Does that have anything to do with this?"
"Don't you know?"
"Know what?"
"That I'm your husband, Celia! That's why you were brought here!"
Celia's shock was complete. "What about the white bear?"
"Oh, he knows."
"But, but doesn't he care? I mean, he was the one who saved from my father, then-"
"Oh, yes, I'm terribly sorry about that, but, you see, when I asked you to trust me, it is going to be a far harder task than you probably imagined. But you will have to, Celia. I'm sorry, but it shouldn't be for much longer, because..." he trailed off.
" 'Because...' what?"
She felt him, don't ask me how, smile. "I can't tell you, Celia. I can only tell you 'not everything is what it seems.'"
"You already told me that!"
"Oh, you remember!"
"Well, I haven't had many people to talk to. Just you and the bear."
"Loneliness getting to you? Happened to me, too. At least you're not utterly alone."
"But didn't you have the bear to talk to?"
He sighed. After a pause, he said, "Yes, I suppose I did. Anyway, are you not quite as lonely anymore?" Celia felt him take her hand in his, which felt like skin, but you could never tell.
Celia shivered, but she said, "It's not quite as bad anymore. Why aren't you around the manor in the daytime?"
"Oh, I am," he replied simply, "but you won't be able to see me. Only at night."
"Oh," was all she said.
"What's wrong with nighttime?"
"Nothing! It's just, well, I can't see you!"
Would he never stop laughing at her? "I'm sorry, Celia, but you will not be able to see me. I wish you could, but I can watch you in the daytime, if you like."
Celia nodded. "That would be fine, but can I see you, even for an instant? I could simply light a candle, and put it out in a mere moment, and then no one would-"
Celia felt two fingers pressed on her lips, gently, but with a purpose. When her spoke, it was with a different voice than before. "No, Celia! No! Do not even think of something like that! Believe me, it would ruin everything, and all would be utterly lost! Celia, please understand-"
"I do," she said, pulling his fingers down. "I won't mention it again, I promise."
The way she had said 'I do' was realized by both of them, and Celia felt her hand, which had pulled his fingers from her lips, being taken to his. Her hand had been kissed many times, of course, growing up in the class that she did, but this was unique and different. It was then that she realized that this marriage was real.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Celia woke up the next morning, in daylight and alone, but she didn't feel as alone. She still wished, of course, that she could see her husband, but his insistency on staying in total darkness had mystified her, yet she intended to obey.
Celia still felt a little funny, almost dizzy, but she was sure that it would pass soon after she got up and moved around. She was right. She washed, dressed, than prepared to go downstairs for breakfast, although she wasn't as late, surprisingly, as the morning before.
Before she went down to eat, Celia ran to her nightstand to get a necklace that she had brought. When she opened her drawer, she took out the necklace, but then realized that there was something missing from the drawer. It took a few moments, but Celia soon realized what was gone: her box of matches.
A/N: AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now you must all rush to the next chapter(after dropping a quick review, of course!)