"Wait! Molly! Is she? Is she okay?" She turned; ready to fling all three
plates at him. Then she saw the lost, sad expression in his face and her
anger melted away into pity.
"No, but she will be if Schmendrick and I can do anything about it."
Lir didn't have time to reply, as Molly turned the corner and left him standing alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Molly walked back into her chambers to find Amalthea out of the bed and in a chair, laughing with Schmendrick. She gave a plate to Amalthea then handed one to Schmendrick. Amalthea bit into the bread and smiled. "Molly, this is absolutely delicious." The magician literally bit off more than he could chew and mumbled an agreement. Molly laughed and gently cuffed his shoulder. "Don't talk with your mouth full." Amalthea chuckled as his face turned bright pink and he swallowed. "Yes, love."
They ate in silence until everyone had finished. Amalthea looked up and met Molly's eyes, asking their quiet question. Molly sighed and took the plates to set them on the table by the bed. She sat down and began her tale.
"My lady, it is time you heard my version of the tale, I met you the night Schmendrick escaped from Captain Cully-"
"Captain Cully?"
"Yes, my lady, I used to be an outlaw woman. I was with Captain Cully and his band for many years." Noticing Schmendrick's jealous expression, she added with a smile, "And all the good that came from it was meeting a handsome magician and a unicorn."
Amalthea looked a little startled at hearing of the unicorn. 'No, my former self.' She nodded to Molly. "Please continue. Was I still a unicorn?"
Molly replied. "You were. I didn't see you save Schmendrick from the tree, but just as you were getting ready to leave I returned from chasing Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Their ghostly shadows faded into the night a little while after they had crossed our camp. I saw you a moment after I spoke to Schmendrick. I was both amazed and hurt that I was seeing a unicorn. Molly Grue, an outlaw woman who had done so many evil deeds and was long past maidenhood, was looking at the most beautiful and magical of creatures. At first Schmendrick didn't want to take me, he thought a quest to King Haggard's bleak and dangerous country was too much for a woman. But he was forced to take me after I told him he was leading you in the wrong direction. We reached the edge of his lands in days and slept on the edge of the forest on the night you became a human girl. The Red Bull had discovered you and chased you through the forest. I begged Schmendrick to do something as the Bull drove you to where he had kept the others prisoner. Schmendrick." Molly had to stop her story there as tear had filled her eyes and she couldn't go on. Amalthea got up from her chair and put her arms around her friend.
"Molly, please don't cry." Amalthea kissed her forehead. Molly laid her head on Amalthea's shoulder. Schmendrick sat on her opposite side and took her hand, stroking it comfortingly. "Molly, maybe I should finish." She nodded.
Schmendrick took a deep breath and Amalthea turned to him. "I had to do something, but I wasn't sure how to help. I began a spell that came from within. I had no idea what it would to you, but I had a feeling it would help. The Bull turned away from you and walked away. We ran to you and Molly was horrified at what she saw. The magic had turned you into a human. When you realised what happened you were frightened. You said you were more afraid of being human than the Bull. But we were able to gain entrance to the castle. Haggard and Lir, then only a prince, met us at the gate. I quickly thought up a name for you. I gave you the name Lady Amalthea and claimed you were my niece. Both Haggard and Lir noticed there was something about you right away. Haggard was very suspicious of you, when he was talking to you that first night he said he could not see himself in your eyes. Lir fell in love with you instantly, but you were wrapped in sorrow and gave him no notice. You had been there for nearly a week and had not spoken to Lir once, despite his many attempts to talk to you. It was Molly who encouraged you to speak to him. Molly-"
Molly looked up. "It was I who told Lir to keep trying. I didn't know it would happen. When I spoke to you about him, you changed the subject and asked who you were. You were beginning to forget yourself. Schmendrick had been trying to divert Haggard's attention by doing his tricks day and night and you thought he had abandoned you. You spoke of being lonely, and that's when you began to speak to Lir. I'm not sure of what you spoke about. But you began to spend more time with him."
A voice from the door broke in. "You begged me to drown out your dreams. To keep you from remembering whatever it was that wished you to remember."
Lir walked in the room and instantly Schmendrick was on his feet prepared to send him out. Amalthea touched his hand and gently pulled him down. Lir sat on the bed, far from the glares of Molly and Schmendrick.
"You didn't remember who I was. You were wandering the castle after dark and stopped at the window. I was so taken by your beauty that I wanted you to stay. I kept you away from Molly and Schmendrick; I still did not know what you were. But I knew that I wanted to be with you. They caught me alone one day and gave me the whole story. I didn't believe them and after that I rarely left you alone with them. I took you out of the castle and into the village. They threatened to leave you to me after it had been a year since I began courting you. My father had long lost his health and was confined to his bed by this time. He called me in and told where he had hidden the unicorns. I meant to tell you then, I really, truly did. But when Schmendrick reminded me that you would not love me as a unicorn, I kept it to myself. Instead I asked for your hand."
Molly broke in. "We couldn't leave you to him. Even as you began to forget everything before you loved Lir, we couldn't leave you. The Red Bull disappeared 6 years ago and unicorns are lost to the world forever."
Amalthea looked at her husband, and then her friends. "I used to be a unicorn. I came to this place to find the others and became a prisoner myself." She stood up and moved towards the door. She turned at the last moment and said sadly. "I've been held prisoner by the ones I love the most."
She closed the door.
(a.n- Sorry for the lack of update in the last few days. Friday I was sick and uninspired, Saturday I spent the night finishing Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling is a literary goddess). Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed 'Regrets', and I'll try to get chapter 6 out in the next 2 or 3 days like I've done for every other chapter.)
"No, but she will be if Schmendrick and I can do anything about it."
Lir didn't have time to reply, as Molly turned the corner and left him standing alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Molly walked back into her chambers to find Amalthea out of the bed and in a chair, laughing with Schmendrick. She gave a plate to Amalthea then handed one to Schmendrick. Amalthea bit into the bread and smiled. "Molly, this is absolutely delicious." The magician literally bit off more than he could chew and mumbled an agreement. Molly laughed and gently cuffed his shoulder. "Don't talk with your mouth full." Amalthea chuckled as his face turned bright pink and he swallowed. "Yes, love."
They ate in silence until everyone had finished. Amalthea looked up and met Molly's eyes, asking their quiet question. Molly sighed and took the plates to set them on the table by the bed. She sat down and began her tale.
"My lady, it is time you heard my version of the tale, I met you the night Schmendrick escaped from Captain Cully-"
"Captain Cully?"
"Yes, my lady, I used to be an outlaw woman. I was with Captain Cully and his band for many years." Noticing Schmendrick's jealous expression, she added with a smile, "And all the good that came from it was meeting a handsome magician and a unicorn."
Amalthea looked a little startled at hearing of the unicorn. 'No, my former self.' She nodded to Molly. "Please continue. Was I still a unicorn?"
Molly replied. "You were. I didn't see you save Schmendrick from the tree, but just as you were getting ready to leave I returned from chasing Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Their ghostly shadows faded into the night a little while after they had crossed our camp. I saw you a moment after I spoke to Schmendrick. I was both amazed and hurt that I was seeing a unicorn. Molly Grue, an outlaw woman who had done so many evil deeds and was long past maidenhood, was looking at the most beautiful and magical of creatures. At first Schmendrick didn't want to take me, he thought a quest to King Haggard's bleak and dangerous country was too much for a woman. But he was forced to take me after I told him he was leading you in the wrong direction. We reached the edge of his lands in days and slept on the edge of the forest on the night you became a human girl. The Red Bull had discovered you and chased you through the forest. I begged Schmendrick to do something as the Bull drove you to where he had kept the others prisoner. Schmendrick." Molly had to stop her story there as tear had filled her eyes and she couldn't go on. Amalthea got up from her chair and put her arms around her friend.
"Molly, please don't cry." Amalthea kissed her forehead. Molly laid her head on Amalthea's shoulder. Schmendrick sat on her opposite side and took her hand, stroking it comfortingly. "Molly, maybe I should finish." She nodded.
Schmendrick took a deep breath and Amalthea turned to him. "I had to do something, but I wasn't sure how to help. I began a spell that came from within. I had no idea what it would to you, but I had a feeling it would help. The Bull turned away from you and walked away. We ran to you and Molly was horrified at what she saw. The magic had turned you into a human. When you realised what happened you were frightened. You said you were more afraid of being human than the Bull. But we were able to gain entrance to the castle. Haggard and Lir, then only a prince, met us at the gate. I quickly thought up a name for you. I gave you the name Lady Amalthea and claimed you were my niece. Both Haggard and Lir noticed there was something about you right away. Haggard was very suspicious of you, when he was talking to you that first night he said he could not see himself in your eyes. Lir fell in love with you instantly, but you were wrapped in sorrow and gave him no notice. You had been there for nearly a week and had not spoken to Lir once, despite his many attempts to talk to you. It was Molly who encouraged you to speak to him. Molly-"
Molly looked up. "It was I who told Lir to keep trying. I didn't know it would happen. When I spoke to you about him, you changed the subject and asked who you were. You were beginning to forget yourself. Schmendrick had been trying to divert Haggard's attention by doing his tricks day and night and you thought he had abandoned you. You spoke of being lonely, and that's when you began to speak to Lir. I'm not sure of what you spoke about. But you began to spend more time with him."
A voice from the door broke in. "You begged me to drown out your dreams. To keep you from remembering whatever it was that wished you to remember."
Lir walked in the room and instantly Schmendrick was on his feet prepared to send him out. Amalthea touched his hand and gently pulled him down. Lir sat on the bed, far from the glares of Molly and Schmendrick.
"You didn't remember who I was. You were wandering the castle after dark and stopped at the window. I was so taken by your beauty that I wanted you to stay. I kept you away from Molly and Schmendrick; I still did not know what you were. But I knew that I wanted to be with you. They caught me alone one day and gave me the whole story. I didn't believe them and after that I rarely left you alone with them. I took you out of the castle and into the village. They threatened to leave you to me after it had been a year since I began courting you. My father had long lost his health and was confined to his bed by this time. He called me in and told where he had hidden the unicorns. I meant to tell you then, I really, truly did. But when Schmendrick reminded me that you would not love me as a unicorn, I kept it to myself. Instead I asked for your hand."
Molly broke in. "We couldn't leave you to him. Even as you began to forget everything before you loved Lir, we couldn't leave you. The Red Bull disappeared 6 years ago and unicorns are lost to the world forever."
Amalthea looked at her husband, and then her friends. "I used to be a unicorn. I came to this place to find the others and became a prisoner myself." She stood up and moved towards the door. She turned at the last moment and said sadly. "I've been held prisoner by the ones I love the most."
She closed the door.
(a.n- Sorry for the lack of update in the last few days. Friday I was sick and uninspired, Saturday I spent the night finishing Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling is a literary goddess). Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed 'Regrets', and I'll try to get chapter 6 out in the next 2 or 3 days like I've done for every other chapter.)
