Blue and Blue
Chronicle I
Serenity gazed around the room in boredom. Against her
will she had been brought here. Now she stood next to
an enormously tall bookcase, stocked to it's brim with
old worn books that had several torn bindings. After
smoothing her long skirt, she picked out a book and
took a seat in a white high-backed chair. Her black
stocking covered legs crossed, but were hidden from
view by the long flowing burgundy skirt of her dress.
Her black-gloved hands turned the pages rhythmically
as her eyes skimmed them. Finally after what had seemed
like hours, the door opened at the same time the grandfather
clock chimed ten o'clock. A tall man of about forty-five
entered, with a younger man, she estimated around
twenty-five, following behind. They were about the
same height, the older had black hair with hints of
gray, the other had jet-black. She barely acknowledged
their presence. Another figure entered, slow and gracefully.
She was a tall woman with her long silver hair and a slim
figure, much like Serenity's. She was dressed in a white
gown and seemed to float into the room. Her sad gray eyes
settled on Serenity. They were eyes that seemed to emanate
royalty and refinement. Her pale pink lips curved into a
slight smile. Part pity, part happiness. Cautiously, she
took a seat in a chair across from Serenity.
"Do you know why you're here, my dear?" the older man
questioned, settling into the brown leather chair behind
the massive cherry wood desk. She shut the book with a
snap and placed her hands over it on her lap. She could
only stare with confusion at the question. "Speak up."
he said again when she made no attempt to answer. She
licked her lips as her eyes iced over.
"I was brought here against my will, oh cherished
Duke." she bit out, her back filling with steel with
every syllable.
"Why you-"
"Perhaps," the younger man interrupted, "you
should try another approach. All you seem to be doing
is insulting the girl." his eyes glinted with amusement.
Serenity's eyes glared at him with distrust. "It seems
that she keeps everyone at a distance." he was perplexed
at the thought.
"Yes, yes. Of course Darien." the older man nodded
his head. He turned his dark blue eyes back to Serenity.
"Forgive me for your discomfort here, my dear, but we
have some important matters to discuss." She only nodded
stiffly.
"Serenity, dear, we all have a problem here." the woman
spoke. She smiled slightly toward Serenity. "You see, when
your parents unexpectedly left us, your father had left
everything to you."
"I do not see a problem in that. I am a very responsible
woman." Serenity managed to retrain herself from screaming,
and it came out in a cold tone. The woman smiled nervous and
apologetically.
"No one said you weren't." the old man replied gruffly.
"What I mean to say," the woman paused, uncertain if she
should go on or not. "is that you are alone in a secluded
area that is your parents' estate, and you have no one to
care for you."
"I can assure you I'm fine by myself. I have my guards."
Serenity waved her hand in front of her face, as if swatting
away the things the woman had said.
"You're parents also left me in charge of you, and now
that your parents are gone, I'll be damned if I'm going to
let you stay out there by yourself!" the duke exploded.
Serenity stood immediately.
"Restrain yourself, uncle." came Darien's calm voice.
The old man looked toward him.
"But s-she-" he attempted to make an argument, stuttering.
"Let her be." came Darien's reply. He looked toward
Serenity, who was close to the door. He hurried to open
it for her. She ignored him and walked out. Following
after her, he caught up with her in the main entryway.
Catching her elbow she was spun around.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
"Don't be cross with my uncle. He has a terribly short fuse."
"I'd say so." Serenity muttered.
"You aren't exactly sweet and demure, like most young ladies
of our time now are you?" he threw back at her. She glared at him.
"Our time? Please. I'm sure you don't know me, and I'll be
damned if I know you either!" she pulled away from him.
"You're eighteen, stubborn, and think you can treat
everyone but who matters most, like dirt. I know you,
Serenity Victoria MoonGlenna." She was silenced into a
stunned awe. His eyes had captured her attention. Their
blue depths with emotions swirling as he spoke. Her knees
felt weak, but as she slumped it didn't matter, for he had
wrapped his arm tightly around her as he had spoken. After
a few seconds, she came to her senses and tore away. In an
instant, several yards were between them. She opened her
mouth to say something, but then shut it, her blue eyes
welling up with tears, which she blinked back rapidly.
Turning, she fled from him. It seemed as if she couldn't
get far enough away from everybody. When the stable boy
didn't have her carriage ready or even the horses hooked,
she saddled one herself and took off in the night, her
black cape fluttering in the wind. Silence, a black stallion
she was riding, was happy to be running through the night. Her
rider raced on in a fury. Suddenly, Serenity pulled back on
the reins. Silence halted obediently. As if the saddle was
slick, Serenity slid off and her boots landed in the fresh
snow. Lowering her hood, she looked around at her surroundings.
Her tears would be safe now. They burst forth from her eyes
and she buried her face in Silence's neck.
"Oh Silence, I cannot believe that horrible man is
going to try and take my house from me! Your home and mine!
I won't let it happen. I cannot let that happen. What a
terrible man, that duke. And Aunt Lillian! How can she
stand him? Oh, I wish I were with mother and father when
it happened. I wish I were dead as well!" she threw her
arms around the strong neck, and sobbed until she couldn't
anymore. Sometime during her sobbing, Silence had lain down
and she had also lain down, in a pile with her cape around
herself and Silence. Lined with fur, it kept both her and
her horse warm. Snowflakes fell softly from the skies above,
but Serenity was oblivious to them. She had fallen asleep,
the tears now freezing on her face as the cold wind swept
over them. This was exactly how Darien found her. He
practically jumped down from his horse in his haste to
get to her. He gently shook her till her eyes opened.
"Serenity! Oh thank god you're alright." he pulled
her into his warm embrace. Her small form seemed to shrink
next to his. She lifted her head weakly and managed a frown.
He smiled in relief before sweeping her up in his arms and
carrying her to his horse. Mounting the saddle, he whistled
for the horse, which obediently got up and trotted alongside
them as Darien turned toward the road. He took her to his home.
Surprisingly, it was closer to her parents' mansion than his
uncle's mansion was. He had agreed to his uncle's proposal
to check in on her from time to time, but as he gazed down
at the small body in his arms, he felt a pull towards her.
It was odd, for he had never felt it towards any other woman
before. He gave the horses to the stable boy and carried
Serenity in. He took her to his bedroom and laid her down
on his bed. After carefully removing her cape, he frowned.
This wasn't right. 'I shouldn't be undressing her.' he
thought to himself, and called for Molly, his maid. She
smiled knowingly at him, and then ushered him out of his
room while she carefully undressed Serenity for bed, without
waking her.
Darien spent the night in the guest room. He awoke
to the sound of a shrill scream and a crash. Throwing the
covers from his body and pulling on a shirt and trousers at
the speed of light, he raced from the room with his boots
still untied. Trying vainly to lace his boots while he
skipped down the hallway on one foot, he heard what seemed
like an army of feet and a blur of burgundy and gold passed
him, as well as a larger blur of black and white shortly
after the first.
The gold and burgundy blur finally took on the form
of Serenity, as she hopped onto the banister of the grand
staircase and slid down, faster than he as a child had ever
done. The black and white blur turned out to be Molly, and
her assistant maid Sarah. They chased after her, flying down
the staircase.
"Miss! Oh please Miss stop! We're not here to hurt
you!" Molly's distressed voice rang through Darien's ears
as he stood motionless at the top of the staircase. Finally,
the gears in his head started working and he followed after
them, sliding down the banister as well. Serenity was already
out of sight, but Molly's orange/brown hair was still in his
vision, and he tailed them to the library. His mansion was
very large, and he was surprised Serenity hadn't taken a
wrong turn and found herself at a dead end. There was
another scream, this one more like a yelp, and then a crash,
which was definitely the fall of a few books, if not an entire
case. Slamming the door with frustration, he released a growl.
"SERENITY!?!?!?!" The voice echoed through the room.
He ran a hand through his unruly mop of hair and stormed towards
the location of the three ladies. Much to his amusement and
amazement, Serenity was atop a bookcase, sitting Indian style,
and Molly and Sarah were waving their dusters at her. He
suppressed a laugh at Serenity's expression. It was one of
laughter and apprehension. Her blue eyes automatically rose
to his and locked on. "Serenity…" he stepped forward, but
was stopped by Sarah.
"Don't get any closer, sir. She's gone mad!" Darien
merely laughed and set Sarah aside.
"Don't worry Sarah. I assure you Miss Serenity MoonGlenna
is quite in the right state of mind. She finds this as amusing as
I do, but you have to understand, she didn't know where she was."
As he talked, he continued to near the bookcase on which she was
perched. Raising his hand for her to grasp, she slowly slipped her
hand within his. He squeezed it gently, his eyes never leaving
hers. Her gaze softened as he slowly pulled her closer to the
edge of the case, just enough for him to reach and slip his arm
under her legs and wrap the other around her back and shoulders.
Carefully, he picked her up off the case and walked away, her body
held closely to his, sheltered from the scowling maids.
She tucked her head into his shoulder and smiled slightly.
The feeling of complete safety momentarily awed her, but she soon
dismissed it and enjoyed the feel of his powerful muscles under
the thin shirt he wore. A view of the bronzed skin from his chest
caught her eye, and she longed to rub her hands across it. Shaking
the ridiculous thought from her mind, she sighed silently. Inhaling,
the scent of spices and roses mixed with chocolate to form a strong
masculine scent that couldn't go unnoticed by her. Suppressing a
smile, she buried her face in his shoulder more, and his arms
tightened around her instinctively.
She didn't know how long he had been walking, but when he
finally stopped, she looked up to find herself in an elegantly
decorated sitting room. He set her on a settee and pulled a chair
over to her. Her eyes were trained on his, never wavering. He
then noted her attire. Her small form was encased in one of his
simple white shirts and the black silk underskirt of her outfit
the night before. Black slippers hugged her dainty feet.
"Where are your clothes?" he seemed concerned. Her eyes
broke the contact and shifted down to the floor.
She wanted so badly to ask "Where am I?" but she restrained
herself. There was protection in his presence, and she dared not
question it.
"I woke up, in a strange bed this morning. I could only
find a few articles of my clothing, and I improvised on the missing
pieces. Then that maid, the one with orange/brown hair came in and
started panicking. I didn't know who she was and slipped past her
out the door of that dark bedroom. She chased after me and I sort
of just ran away from her. It was quite odd that I ended up on a
bookcase with her shaking her feather duster at me, but she is so
different from the people I'm used to. I hope I haven't offended
her or her friend in any way." Serenity's soft voice sounded
apologetic and his gaze softened as he lifted a hand to caress
her cheek.
"I'm sorry about this. But when you left my uncle's house
last night, I went after you, to see to it that you returned home safely.
Silence is very dangerous. You must be careful when you ride him."
"How do you know?" She questioned carefully.
"He's my horse." He replied simply, a slight smile tugging
at his lips.
"Oh…" she shifted uneasily from her position and sat up.
He was no longer leaning over her, which made it a little easier for
her to think.
"But this also leads to the question of what happened last
night. Why did I find you asleep in the middle of nowhere? Are
you hurt?" She jerked her hand back as he gently took it into his
own.
"I'm quite alright." she replied, nursing her hand. He
frowned in concern. The way she held her other hand carefully
obviously showed it was considerably weaker than the other. For
what reason, he didn't know.
"My Serenity, I don't believe you." he replied simply.
"Well I can't do anything to change that." she replied
and stood to walk over to the window.
"Yes you can." He stood, but stayed in his spot until
after she reached her destination and pulled back the curtains.
"Oh really? And how do you suppose I do that?"
"Let me see your hand. Why do you have a glove on one
hand and not on the other? You seem to be hiding something, my
dear, and I intend to find out." As he talked, he advanced
toward her. She turned her head sharply and narrowed her eyes,
backing away from him after noticing he was getting closer.
"I told you I couldn't find some of my clothes. The
mate to this one was of those articles." she held her hand
closely to her chest, trying her best to keep from wincing with
the pain. He slowly reached forward. She tried to move away,
but realized she was trapped in a corner, like a caged animal.
*****************************************************************
End of Chronicle I!!
you know the drill
read, review and/or e-mail!
expressoncream@hotmail.com
AIM: Karameltwist02
Devlishlidanjrus
Joeysam111602
Chronicle I
Serenity gazed around the room in boredom. Against her
will she had been brought here. Now she stood next to
an enormously tall bookcase, stocked to it's brim with
old worn books that had several torn bindings. After
smoothing her long skirt, she picked out a book and
took a seat in a white high-backed chair. Her black
stocking covered legs crossed, but were hidden from
view by the long flowing burgundy skirt of her dress.
Her black-gloved hands turned the pages rhythmically
as her eyes skimmed them. Finally after what had seemed
like hours, the door opened at the same time the grandfather
clock chimed ten o'clock. A tall man of about forty-five
entered, with a younger man, she estimated around
twenty-five, following behind. They were about the
same height, the older had black hair with hints of
gray, the other had jet-black. She barely acknowledged
their presence. Another figure entered, slow and gracefully.
She was a tall woman with her long silver hair and a slim
figure, much like Serenity's. She was dressed in a white
gown and seemed to float into the room. Her sad gray eyes
settled on Serenity. They were eyes that seemed to emanate
royalty and refinement. Her pale pink lips curved into a
slight smile. Part pity, part happiness. Cautiously, she
took a seat in a chair across from Serenity.
"Do you know why you're here, my dear?" the older man
questioned, settling into the brown leather chair behind
the massive cherry wood desk. She shut the book with a
snap and placed her hands over it on her lap. She could
only stare with confusion at the question. "Speak up."
he said again when she made no attempt to answer. She
licked her lips as her eyes iced over.
"I was brought here against my will, oh cherished
Duke." she bit out, her back filling with steel with
every syllable.
"Why you-"
"Perhaps," the younger man interrupted, "you
should try another approach. All you seem to be doing
is insulting the girl." his eyes glinted with amusement.
Serenity's eyes glared at him with distrust. "It seems
that she keeps everyone at a distance." he was perplexed
at the thought.
"Yes, yes. Of course Darien." the older man nodded
his head. He turned his dark blue eyes back to Serenity.
"Forgive me for your discomfort here, my dear, but we
have some important matters to discuss." She only nodded
stiffly.
"Serenity, dear, we all have a problem here." the woman
spoke. She smiled slightly toward Serenity. "You see, when
your parents unexpectedly left us, your father had left
everything to you."
"I do not see a problem in that. I am a very responsible
woman." Serenity managed to retrain herself from screaming,
and it came out in a cold tone. The woman smiled nervous and
apologetically.
"No one said you weren't." the old man replied gruffly.
"What I mean to say," the woman paused, uncertain if she
should go on or not. "is that you are alone in a secluded
area that is your parents' estate, and you have no one to
care for you."
"I can assure you I'm fine by myself. I have my guards."
Serenity waved her hand in front of her face, as if swatting
away the things the woman had said.
"You're parents also left me in charge of you, and now
that your parents are gone, I'll be damned if I'm going to
let you stay out there by yourself!" the duke exploded.
Serenity stood immediately.
"Restrain yourself, uncle." came Darien's calm voice.
The old man looked toward him.
"But s-she-" he attempted to make an argument, stuttering.
"Let her be." came Darien's reply. He looked toward
Serenity, who was close to the door. He hurried to open
it for her. She ignored him and walked out. Following
after her, he caught up with her in the main entryway.
Catching her elbow she was spun around.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
"Don't be cross with my uncle. He has a terribly short fuse."
"I'd say so." Serenity muttered.
"You aren't exactly sweet and demure, like most young ladies
of our time now are you?" he threw back at her. She glared at him.
"Our time? Please. I'm sure you don't know me, and I'll be
damned if I know you either!" she pulled away from him.
"You're eighteen, stubborn, and think you can treat
everyone but who matters most, like dirt. I know you,
Serenity Victoria MoonGlenna." She was silenced into a
stunned awe. His eyes had captured her attention. Their
blue depths with emotions swirling as he spoke. Her knees
felt weak, but as she slumped it didn't matter, for he had
wrapped his arm tightly around her as he had spoken. After
a few seconds, she came to her senses and tore away. In an
instant, several yards were between them. She opened her
mouth to say something, but then shut it, her blue eyes
welling up with tears, which she blinked back rapidly.
Turning, she fled from him. It seemed as if she couldn't
get far enough away from everybody. When the stable boy
didn't have her carriage ready or even the horses hooked,
she saddled one herself and took off in the night, her
black cape fluttering in the wind. Silence, a black stallion
she was riding, was happy to be running through the night. Her
rider raced on in a fury. Suddenly, Serenity pulled back on
the reins. Silence halted obediently. As if the saddle was
slick, Serenity slid off and her boots landed in the fresh
snow. Lowering her hood, she looked around at her surroundings.
Her tears would be safe now. They burst forth from her eyes
and she buried her face in Silence's neck.
"Oh Silence, I cannot believe that horrible man is
going to try and take my house from me! Your home and mine!
I won't let it happen. I cannot let that happen. What a
terrible man, that duke. And Aunt Lillian! How can she
stand him? Oh, I wish I were with mother and father when
it happened. I wish I were dead as well!" she threw her
arms around the strong neck, and sobbed until she couldn't
anymore. Sometime during her sobbing, Silence had lain down
and she had also lain down, in a pile with her cape around
herself and Silence. Lined with fur, it kept both her and
her horse warm. Snowflakes fell softly from the skies above,
but Serenity was oblivious to them. She had fallen asleep,
the tears now freezing on her face as the cold wind swept
over them. This was exactly how Darien found her. He
practically jumped down from his horse in his haste to
get to her. He gently shook her till her eyes opened.
"Serenity! Oh thank god you're alright." he pulled
her into his warm embrace. Her small form seemed to shrink
next to his. She lifted her head weakly and managed a frown.
He smiled in relief before sweeping her up in his arms and
carrying her to his horse. Mounting the saddle, he whistled
for the horse, which obediently got up and trotted alongside
them as Darien turned toward the road. He took her to his home.
Surprisingly, it was closer to her parents' mansion than his
uncle's mansion was. He had agreed to his uncle's proposal
to check in on her from time to time, but as he gazed down
at the small body in his arms, he felt a pull towards her.
It was odd, for he had never felt it towards any other woman
before. He gave the horses to the stable boy and carried
Serenity in. He took her to his bedroom and laid her down
on his bed. After carefully removing her cape, he frowned.
This wasn't right. 'I shouldn't be undressing her.' he
thought to himself, and called for Molly, his maid. She
smiled knowingly at him, and then ushered him out of his
room while she carefully undressed Serenity for bed, without
waking her.
Darien spent the night in the guest room. He awoke
to the sound of a shrill scream and a crash. Throwing the
covers from his body and pulling on a shirt and trousers at
the speed of light, he raced from the room with his boots
still untied. Trying vainly to lace his boots while he
skipped down the hallway on one foot, he heard what seemed
like an army of feet and a blur of burgundy and gold passed
him, as well as a larger blur of black and white shortly
after the first.
The gold and burgundy blur finally took on the form
of Serenity, as she hopped onto the banister of the grand
staircase and slid down, faster than he as a child had ever
done. The black and white blur turned out to be Molly, and
her assistant maid Sarah. They chased after her, flying down
the staircase.
"Miss! Oh please Miss stop! We're not here to hurt
you!" Molly's distressed voice rang through Darien's ears
as he stood motionless at the top of the staircase. Finally,
the gears in his head started working and he followed after
them, sliding down the banister as well. Serenity was already
out of sight, but Molly's orange/brown hair was still in his
vision, and he tailed them to the library. His mansion was
very large, and he was surprised Serenity hadn't taken a
wrong turn and found herself at a dead end. There was
another scream, this one more like a yelp, and then a crash,
which was definitely the fall of a few books, if not an entire
case. Slamming the door with frustration, he released a growl.
"SERENITY!?!?!?!" The voice echoed through the room.
He ran a hand through his unruly mop of hair and stormed towards
the location of the three ladies. Much to his amusement and
amazement, Serenity was atop a bookcase, sitting Indian style,
and Molly and Sarah were waving their dusters at her. He
suppressed a laugh at Serenity's expression. It was one of
laughter and apprehension. Her blue eyes automatically rose
to his and locked on. "Serenity…" he stepped forward, but
was stopped by Sarah.
"Don't get any closer, sir. She's gone mad!" Darien
merely laughed and set Sarah aside.
"Don't worry Sarah. I assure you Miss Serenity MoonGlenna
is quite in the right state of mind. She finds this as amusing as
I do, but you have to understand, she didn't know where she was."
As he talked, he continued to near the bookcase on which she was
perched. Raising his hand for her to grasp, she slowly slipped her
hand within his. He squeezed it gently, his eyes never leaving
hers. Her gaze softened as he slowly pulled her closer to the
edge of the case, just enough for him to reach and slip his arm
under her legs and wrap the other around her back and shoulders.
Carefully, he picked her up off the case and walked away, her body
held closely to his, sheltered from the scowling maids.
She tucked her head into his shoulder and smiled slightly.
The feeling of complete safety momentarily awed her, but she soon
dismissed it and enjoyed the feel of his powerful muscles under
the thin shirt he wore. A view of the bronzed skin from his chest
caught her eye, and she longed to rub her hands across it. Shaking
the ridiculous thought from her mind, she sighed silently. Inhaling,
the scent of spices and roses mixed with chocolate to form a strong
masculine scent that couldn't go unnoticed by her. Suppressing a
smile, she buried her face in his shoulder more, and his arms
tightened around her instinctively.
She didn't know how long he had been walking, but when he
finally stopped, she looked up to find herself in an elegantly
decorated sitting room. He set her on a settee and pulled a chair
over to her. Her eyes were trained on his, never wavering. He
then noted her attire. Her small form was encased in one of his
simple white shirts and the black silk underskirt of her outfit
the night before. Black slippers hugged her dainty feet.
"Where are your clothes?" he seemed concerned. Her eyes
broke the contact and shifted down to the floor.
She wanted so badly to ask "Where am I?" but she restrained
herself. There was protection in his presence, and she dared not
question it.
"I woke up, in a strange bed this morning. I could only
find a few articles of my clothing, and I improvised on the missing
pieces. Then that maid, the one with orange/brown hair came in and
started panicking. I didn't know who she was and slipped past her
out the door of that dark bedroom. She chased after me and I sort
of just ran away from her. It was quite odd that I ended up on a
bookcase with her shaking her feather duster at me, but she is so
different from the people I'm used to. I hope I haven't offended
her or her friend in any way." Serenity's soft voice sounded
apologetic and his gaze softened as he lifted a hand to caress
her cheek.
"I'm sorry about this. But when you left my uncle's house
last night, I went after you, to see to it that you returned home safely.
Silence is very dangerous. You must be careful when you ride him."
"How do you know?" She questioned carefully.
"He's my horse." He replied simply, a slight smile tugging
at his lips.
"Oh…" she shifted uneasily from her position and sat up.
He was no longer leaning over her, which made it a little easier for
her to think.
"But this also leads to the question of what happened last
night. Why did I find you asleep in the middle of nowhere? Are
you hurt?" She jerked her hand back as he gently took it into his
own.
"I'm quite alright." she replied, nursing her hand. He
frowned in concern. The way she held her other hand carefully
obviously showed it was considerably weaker than the other. For
what reason, he didn't know.
"My Serenity, I don't believe you." he replied simply.
"Well I can't do anything to change that." she replied
and stood to walk over to the window.
"Yes you can." He stood, but stayed in his spot until
after she reached her destination and pulled back the curtains.
"Oh really? And how do you suppose I do that?"
"Let me see your hand. Why do you have a glove on one
hand and not on the other? You seem to be hiding something, my
dear, and I intend to find out." As he talked, he advanced
toward her. She turned her head sharply and narrowed her eyes,
backing away from him after noticing he was getting closer.
"I told you I couldn't find some of my clothes. The
mate to this one was of those articles." she held her hand
closely to her chest, trying her best to keep from wincing with
the pain. He slowly reached forward. She tried to move away,
but realized she was trapped in a corner, like a caged animal.
*****************************************************************
End of Chronicle I!!
you know the drill
read, review and/or e-mail!
expressoncream@hotmail.com
AIM: Karameltwist02
Devlishlidanjrus
Joeysam111602