Scarlet
By L. Hiiragizawa
AN: Sorry to the one who said this was going too slow. Hope you understand coz if I rushed this, there are possibilities that my plot will be lost… and since this fic has many questions to be answered in the later chapters, I prefer to explain things bit by bit and somehow leave a tinge of mystery in them giving you all the chance to imagine what happens next…
But anyway, thanks for the comment… ^_^
Chained
From behind the scythes that stained countless innocent lives and the flames that swallowed and charred heaps of faultless bodies, stood in gloom a spectator that observed all grievances in pleasure and smirked in mockery. He desired revenge in the first place after all the misery three years ago had caused.
Sweet smiles brought such sufferings in his lips that hardly ever twitched in a curve. He was known as a symbol of authority and never had one risked to forsake his orders, which could be compared to ones doomsday.
This figure of might was known all over Invidia. At an early age, he was destined to take his throne and rule over his kingdom despite of his coldness. He was more of a dictator and the people of Invidia bowed to him like a god. At nineteen, he was popular as the king of hatred, which forced him to change his kingdom's name into Invidia, defined in Latin as hatred.
Invidia was a land of suffering and never did the king do anything to mend the situation for he, himself was still suffering.
The cause?
The people perfectly knew of his tale. He was once a bubbly and a kind heartened prince but as soon as that fateful day…
He became a demon's advocate.
He never makes anybody come across his affairs that also arose questions on his enigmatic personality.
Even his face was hidden.
No one ever had the glimpse of what he looked except the court officials and servants of the castle, who were forbidden to hush to anybody the identity of the king. Those who did see his face untoward his will faced the consequence…
Death.
"Samuel…"
He called from his throne, his icy eyes focused on the trembling servant below, who bowed down in respect, which pleased him.
"Y-yes your highness…"
"Summon Captain Perry and tell him to come to my aid at once."
The servant bowed down.
"I'll be very pleased to your highness."
And he scampered out the throne room in lightning speed.
The king clasped his hands together and wore a smirk as the captain came to view. He noticed him bow down in reverence, eyes not locking into his.
"You called me your highness…"
"Yes captain… yes…"
He stood up and paced the throne room, voice clearly indicating happiness and contentment.
"They all perished, didn't they?"
Silence.
"Did they captain?"
Soundlessness filled the room and left nothing to hear except the heaviness of breathing.
"ANSWER ME CAPTAIN PERRY… did all of them die as I wished?"
"Y-yes and n-no."
The king was clearly confused as his servant stammered at his voice's sudden shift in octave.
"Answer me straight to the point captain or else your head is off…"
He warned.
"We placed the town in flames your highness and never was left of the whole town even the lives they once held…"
The king showed a pleased smile.
"Very good… very good…"
"But---"
Sudden change in facial expression was seen in the king as he stopped and froze from pacing.
"We have one girl in captive."
"W-WHAT?"
He shouted.
"DIDN'T I ORDER YOU NOT TO LEAVE ANYONE ALIVE?"
"B-but your highness the girl---"
"No buts captain…I want her beheaded soon…I don't want Araneans in my kingdom… you know how I loathed those creatures because---"
He stopped at mid-sentence and sat down his throne massaging his head, which ached from the sudden flood of memories. He shrugged the interrupting thoughts off as he ordered the captain to leave.
A girl…
I wonder…
"Oh captain…"
Captain Perry ceased as the king called his name when he was heading for the exit. He bowed down.
"Yes my Lord…"
"Bring the girl before me at noon and explain to me later why you spared her life… at this point, I order nobody to hurt, come across or speak to her…do I make myself clear captain?"
His voice was stern and strict that neither the captain who was older presumably thirty years than him oscillated in fear.
"Yes your highness, very c-clear."
The captain stammered at the unbending king whose head still tormented him in pain. Once he shall slip from what he orders, even though he had been serving the kingdom since the sovereignty of King Evroul, he would find his head either cut off or his life wastefully taken down by a garrote…like what the misfortune of other former officials and colleagues had been.
"Good. You may now leave."
The king followed to where the captain headed and suddenly shifted his thoughts to the captive his army had saved and the thought made him wonder on the mysteriousness of the events…
What was its significance?
Why does he feel like something was going to happen?
Why does he long to see her though they haven't even met…?
At this, he closed his eyes and dreamed of certain amethyst eyes, which continually haunted his dreams.
--------------------------------
Tomoyo felt hot, salty liquid pour down her eyes. This was the very first time she wept on the thought of being alone. Sure she was used to loneliness but all was now different…
Here she was in a place foreign to her sight…
All locked up inside a dungeon with chains beneath her feet that bruised her smooth pale colored skin at her feet.
This sure was weirder than she had imagined.
Her thoughts shifted to her grandmother whom she longed to embrace at the moment.
For the first time in her life did she cry because of fear and being a Daidouji didn't help her situation right now at all.
First there was her room…
Then there were flames…
And blood…
And death.
If this is a nightmare, she longs now to awake.
If this is a joke, it was a very cruel one indeed.
If this is hell, it wasn't the way she expected it to be…
Why her?
Why her of all that could experience such remorse?
She embraced her knees and huddled her head down, closer to it as her ebony colored locks elegantly danced down covering her lone figure inside the dark, evil-ensuing chamber. She arched in fear and her hour-long isolation from the light made her shudder in anxiety. Of course she was used to being away from the sun's kisses but now, she was grasping for light and warmth. The chamber she was in was very cold and now she knew how her mother would've felt after every time she bashed and pushed her away…far worse than that she was experiencing at the moment, praying that everything would come to an end.
She was realizing that probably this was fate…
And it was playing a game of hide and seek with her.
And how to find her way back and the answers to her longing questions…
She can't find and she doesn't know.
'This is my punishment…'
'My punishment for being cruel to the persons who loves me…'
'How I wished I would've died earlier…'
She then felt a heat rise up from her chest where the crystal lay…
Someone, somewhere was summoning her…
Reaching out…
The eyes reappeared…
Now, locked with passion making every hair on her skin stand on both ends as she mingled her spirit with the awful silence that surrounded her fragile, freezing frame.
"I'm scared."
…And for once finally, she had not cried out hysterically like what her previous encounters with the hunter was. She found it dumb however to speak to someone who may just be a fiction of her mind. Her heart raced as the eyes softened its gaze pitifully. How she managed to communicate with the unknown force made her tremble and crush her emotions into pieces. And how those eyes stared at her made her melt.
She smiled…
Somebody, out there from beneath the shadows of mystery was loving her. And love was somewhat she was forbidden to feel. What made it ironic was the fact, she didn't even know the eyes' owner nor if this was only a game of her dreams.
"Please tell me who you are…"
She pleaded, having no one to talk to and conversed with for a long time made her gave up the urge of actually talking to the one who haunted her ever since…
Did the crystal ever had something to do with her fate?
"You will know my love… in due time…"
"I'll know you? In due time? Please tell me who you are…"
"It's nearing…"
The eyes was slowly dissolving into the dimness of her closed eyes.
"Wait…"
"It's nearing…"Tomoyo suddenly heard the dungeon doors fly open, which made her head pop up in a surprise, struggling to see clearer as her eyes became blurry from crying. Two figures was advancing towards her, breaking off the chains that cruelly pained her feet.
She felt being lifted up, eyes meeting a man probably in his fifties whose eyes signaled fright that crept up inside her. She struggled at the tight grasps in her arms…wanting to break free.
She felt her chin being tipped up and face slapped by the man.
"Stop struggling for you can't do anything…"
He said in a dark tone.
"W-what do you want… kill me?"
Tomoyo replied sarcastically.
"My pleasure." She added that made the man mock a laugh.
"You really want to die, eh? Wanting to taste the fate of your townsfolk…"
"Townsfolk? I don't even know where I am"
He looked at the guards that dragged her to the outside. The man's face was still in confusion at her last statement.
"W-where are you taking m-me?"
The man faced her with a twinkle of danger in each of his eye, which probed her from head to toe, brows arching at probably what outfit she wore that was completely different from what women wore at the present.
Tomoyo noticed him smile and then drag her upwards, leaving her cage of chains behind.
"You'll see…"
AN: Eriol will meet Tomoyo in the next chapter… so watch out for that ^_^ Now, you know what to do… REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!