Chapter 18: An Old Story, A New Mystery
A/N: This definitely isn't what I expected it to be, but it came out really well. I'm very pleased. Hope you all like it ;) I contemplated doing some smut, but I just thought it might ruin the point of the story… I'll put in some smut for you guys later, though…
Review Replies:
Thanks for all the love, I'm really starting to enjoy this ;) I'll definitely
work on this a bunch especially for all my fans who review…
As she got ready for bed, Tia reflected on the changes her life had gone through. She was pregnant with twins, and Biltor wanted to marry her. Her oldest sister had barely escaped being illegitimate, and her parents actually accepted her pregnancy. She sighed in contentment and exhaustion, and climbed into bed. She hadn't realized she was so tired, but as soon as she was comfortable, she was asleep.
This place was so strange, the sky was the deepest blue she had ever seen it, and the grass gleamed a brilliant green. Before her stood two figures, so bright that they blurred. One was pale, with dark eyes and hair and clad in black and midnight blue. He looked extremely uncomfortable and out of his element. The woman by his side looked much more comfortable. She opened her mouth, and the voice that emerged was the most beautiful thing Tia had ever heard.
"M'dear… Congratulations."
"Wh… Who are you?" The woman laughed, and her laughter was tinkling and high, like tiny bells. She was utterly ephereal, and she would have been, even had she been in a normal setting.
"Histia, dear, I am Rimiena, and this is Gainiel, who I'm sure you know."
"Of course… He's the god of dreams, but what are you doing in my dream? And who are you?"
"We hope to be your in-laws soon, sweetheart." Gainiel shifted nervously, and squinted in the sunlight. He was handsome in a pale, thin way. Unlike many of the statues of him, he didn't resemble the Southern Carthakis, with their dark skin and wide grins. Instead, he was very pale, with large dark eyes and curly black hair that fell often into his eyes. Tia studied the two figures in front of her, and she could see where Biltor's looks came from.
"You're Biltor's parents? He… he never told me. I mean, he mentioned he was a halfling, but I never knew any more than that…"
"Oh, dearie, don't be silly. He didn't know. My silent god over here was not introduced to his son formally until I had already passed on. He always knew he had a god for a father, but he never knew which one. I wasn't allowed to tell. Gainiel has such silly rules about things like that."
"Now, Rimi, it's not silly." The god's voice was far deeper than you might think, with a pleasant rumble and happy tone that seemed strange for a god of darkness and dreams. "I wasn't sure that he would understand about us. Or that he would understand why I couldn't be a real father to him." The bright woman grinned and turned to Tia.
"It's all very silly, you see. But perhaps I should explain. It all started thirty years ago…" (A/N: Yes, yes, I know that's cliché… that's the point…)
* * *
"Rimi! Get up, dear! It's time for you to go to your lessons…"
The girl in the wide bed grumbled and turned over, opening her eyes slowly. Her mother was one of the few people she knew that could speak in exclamations without sounding silly. Rimi blinked in the dim light of the room, and thought back on her dreams. She had dreamed of him again. He was tall and handsome, and utterly out-of-place in the sunny dream-world she often visited. Still, there was no denying that he was beautiful. When he took her into his arms, she could feel the lean muscles rippling in his chest and arms, and she longed to lean in closer, to kiss his lips, to give her heart to him. She couldn't figure out why she would dream of this man. She was a short, curvy, bright girl, and dreaming of a tall man that seemed as if he belonged in eternal shadows was more than strange. But it didn't seem strange in the middle of the night, when she would have given up everything to have but a minute more with him. Rimi sighed, and swung herself out of the bed, then threw on the first dress she came across. She pulled back her ruddy-brown hair, and squinted her green eyes in the dim light to find the herbs she would need for the day. After finding the herbs, she walked to the kitchen to meet her mother.
Her mother was a pretty woman, by no means gorgeous, but very pretty all the same. Her smile lit up the room, and she was not repelled by hard work. For these reasons, a young Bazhir man had fallen in love with her when he had visited the Tortallan fief she lived in. Her father, the Lord of the fief, was anxious to make an alliance with the Bazhir that lived so close to him, and so gave her to the Bazhir in marriage. Although Rimi's mother had forfeited a high life in the Court, she had found happiness, and lived comfortably in one of her father's old summer estates with her husband and growing brood. Rimi's older siblings were all married, and she and the younger ones were reaching the age when their own marriages would be necessary. Rimi herself was nearing her seventeenth year, and she dreaded the day her wedding would come.
Sighing, the girl set to her tasks, knowing that no amount of wishes would change the inevitable.
* * *
(-Two Months Later-)
Rimiena looked around the woods in despair. She had been sent for a specific type of berries, and there were none to be found. She had known it was late in the season for them, but it should not have been this hard to find at least a handful.
Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her. She whipped around and almost fell, only to be steadied by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, and up into the dark eyes of her dream-lover. With a fluid motion, he folded her into his arms, and she leaned against him happily. It was strange to see this vision, this dream borne of lonely nights alive and in the flesh, holding her to him. She barely reached his neck, but it made no difference. He was the perfect size for her. Rimi looked up into the eyes of her dream, and gave into the love and passion flowing in her veins.
What passed between the two lovers that afternoon should be obvious, but if it isn't… Let's just say that it was enough to make Rimi realize that no other man would ever be enough for her after her lover. As she would later realize, it was also enough to get her pregnant. Afterwards, she propped herself against him, and sighed.
"I have several questions."
"I can't promise I'll answer them, but ask away…"
"Who are you?" He laughed, a deep rumbling laugh that made her want to laugh too.
"Gainiel. god of dreams." He expected her to shrink away from him, or to gasp in horror, but she just nodded, as if he had told her he was a sheepherder or something as mundane as that. He smiled.
"Why me?" He frowned, and thought for a moment.
"I don't know, to be honest. I don't know why I love you. You are everything I shouldn't love – bright, happy, loving, warm. But I do." She nodded, and tilted her head.
"What's going to happen to us?"
"I don't know…"
* * *
Mithros roared in anger.
"How could you, Gainiel! How could you take advantage of this woman! She's only a young mortal… It's expressly forbidden!"
"Oh, and so it's alright for Weiryn, the Goddess, and yourself, but not for me? Why not, Mithros? Is it too disturbing that I, lover of shadows and nightmares might love a bright and happy mortal? Or that she might love me in return? Mithros, I am not only a lover of shadows. I love happy dreams as well, and she is the personification of my happy dreams." Rimi snorted next to him, and glared at Mithros.
"I'm not afraid of you! I'm not afraid of any of you. I love Gainiel. He didn't take advantage of me. I chose to love him. And I will endure the punishments." Mithros frowned, his brow wrinkling in an expressly human gesture that seemed odd on the powerful god. The Goddess, however, simply sat serenely, by his side, and smiled on her spirited daughter.
"Mithros, I believe I have an answer. This woman shall bear a child, but the child shall not be human. Like Weiryn's daughter, the child, who is already in existence," the Goddess smiled at the shock in all of the faces but Aliani's, "shall be a shapeshifter. He shall take the form of an immortal… A centaur, perhaps, but will not be an immortal. He will not know his father until his mother passes into our realm, else he would hate him. When Rimiena passes, she will become a demi-goddess." The Goddess arched a perfect brow at her Consort. He only nodded with a resigned air.
* * *
Rimiena smiled. "Do you see now dear? Our relationship has been… strange. But enough of that. You must understand. We want to help you, but that will be difficult. We have proposal for you.."
"Rimi, there is no time for that now. Dawn approaches in her world, and we must go before it arrives." He turned to Tia with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Histia, but our plans must wait for another night. Goodbye, dear. And good luck to you and our son." The god enfolded her into a warm hug, and gestured for her to turn around and close her eyes. When she opened him, she was back in her room, squinting in the pre-dawn light.
* * *
A/N: just wrote most of that today… I'm actually having to write it now :D Don't worry though, I've got enough material from today's writing for maybe two more chapters besides this one… However, I have discovered that my characters do NOT like to behave ;)
Anywho, leave some love, as my dear friend Gordie would say *wiggles fingers at him* hi Gordie! (Not that he'll ever come here anyway, nor would I allow him to read this, but ya know…)