Discalimer: the bits of fairy tales that you recognize aren't mine, what you don't recognize as anything already written/published/copyrighted is. :o) on with the story!
~*~
"Where did you come from?" The King asked us.
"Um…" I didn't know what to say. Suddenly, Death appeared at my side, and grabbed my hand. I must have looked odd holding onto thin air, considering the stares that I was getting.
"I'm sorry, I am out of practice with transferring others. Hold on to him." Death jerked his head toward Cedric. I clutched the precious lute closer and grabbed Cedric's hand.
"Thank you," I said and then there was pain, and only pain. When my head cleared, Death was nowhere to be found, and I was sprawled across Cedric's stomach.
"Sparrow, get off me." Cedric's eyes contained laughter, and I rolled off of him with a giggle.
"Weren't the Kirin Gardens just beautiful?" I said, remembering the goldenwoods and the unicorns.
"No," Cedric said, looking at me in confusion. "All it was was a bunch of deadwood, some gnarled tree stumps and shadows."
I frowned. "Didn't you see the unicorn? Or the goldenwoods?" He shook his head in negation. "Oh." I sighed. Why had I been the only one to see the beauty?
"Sparrow, I remember how beautiful you looked at Alejandro's Ball. It all seems so far away now, even though it was only four days ago." Cedric sighed.
"You thought I looked beautiful?" I asked him shyly. I could feel my cheeks suffusing with color.
Cedric smiled and cupped my chin in one of his hands. "Yes, and I still think so." He leaned up to kiss me, and I felt the neck of the lute pressing into me.
"Hold on," I said breathily. Quickly, I ran to the small couch that was in the room and placed the lute gently on it. "Continue," I said with a smile.
Cedric's mouth brushed my hair, my forehead, my eyes, and finally, my lips. I clung to him as if I would never see him again. As the kiss deepened and grew more ardent, I found myself never wanting it to end.
"I think I'm in love," Cedric murmured, and I laughed, not really taking him seriously. I kissed him quickly, and then pulled back.
"You know, the first time I saw you, I hated you." I smiled and brushed my hair out of my face self-consciously.
"And why did you hate me, love?" Cedric reached over and twirled some of my hair around his finger. It wrapped around twice, I noted, with little bits sticking out.
"I hated you because…well, I don't know. I guess I hated you because you were my captor. You wouldn't believe some of the things that Eleanora told me!" I giggled and Cedric smiled.
"What did she tell you?" He ran his fingertips along my cheek, and I shivered with pleasure.
"That you would torture me." I frowned and Cedric tried to smooth the lines on my forehead away.
"I would never do that loveling." He kissed me, and asked, "Do you still hate me?"
I kissed him swiftly and replied, "Of course not, sweetling." He smiled and his arms slipped around my waist. I smiled, expecting more kisses, but then his fingers began to move.
I giggled and screamed as he tickled me. "Not fair!" I yelled at him. "Hey! Stop that!" My sides were extremely ticklish, and Cedric knew it now. He tickled me relentlessly until we were both out of breath.
"You said you would never torture me," I gasped out.
"That wasn't exactly torture, now was it? You seemed to be laughing most of the time." Cedric smiled and his hand inched toward my waist.
"Don't even think about it," I said with mock foreboding.
"Oh really? What can you do to stop me?" Cedric raised his eyebrows and pulled a face.
"This." I reached down and started to tickle him.
"Oh no you don't!" Despite all his protests and threats of getting revenge, I help my own for a short while; a very short while.
Soon I was the one writhing on the bed being tickled. I laughed until my sides hurt, and Cedric was unmerciful. Whenever I tried to tickle him, he always managed to turn the tables and tickle me even harder.
Abruptly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his face down to mine. "Enough of that, now, Prince Cedric. Princes shouldn't go around tickling helpless maidens and you know it! You really should know-" he stopped me mid sentence with a kiss.
"Are you through lecturing me, Schoolmistress?" He said with false contriteness.
"I suppose so." I smiled ruefully, and said, "I guess I'll have to find someone else to lecture…" I trailed off, sighing theatrically. I couldn't have gotten up if I had wanted to, since Cedric had me pinned from tickling.
"No, never." Suddenly, the mood had gone from playful to serious. Our mouths met in a series of hungry kisses, each one more lingering, zealous and invasive than the last.
The knock at the door startled us out of our romantic reverie.
"Prince Cedric, the King sends me to check and see if you are well." I recognized the Chamberlain's stuffy voice and made a face.
"I am well," Cedric called through the door.
"The King says for me to see for myself." The Chamberlain pushed open the door after a prolonged pause from Cedric.
I was sitting in the chair with my lute when the Chamberlain barged in. I was trying to discreetly fix my jerkin, as it had somehow come slightly undone.
"Hussy," I heard the stupid man mutter as he walked by me. I stuck my tongue out at his back. Cedric started coughing when he saw me, and I knew it was to disguise laughter.
Apparently, the Chamberlain knew it too. "Why are you laughing at me, Prince Cedric." I was surprised that he was questioning a noble.
"I'm not laughing," Cedric wheezed, not sounding very convincing as little bursts of laughter slipped out.
The Chamberlain sniffed haughtily. "Well, what shall I tell the King?"
Cedric managed to suppress his laughter long enough to say, "I am well," Then he sagged onto the bed laughing. I was mimicking the Chamberlain when he turned to face me.
"Yes, you think you're just the smart little thing, don't you?" A sniff, and hen more words directed at me in that nasty tone. "Just selling your favors all around, hoping someday to hit it big."
My mouth was hanging open; I was startled by the very non-noble like words coming out of his mouth. "That wasn't nice!" I could feel tears coming to my eyes. Nonchalantly, I wondered if being considered a prostitute was better than being seen as a boy. I decided that I would rather be seen as a boy.
I let one long, dramatic sniff out, and burst into tears.
"Get out of here!" Cedric wasn't laughing now, as he bellowed at the snobby Chamberlain. He literally pushed the man out of the door, bolted it and rushed to me. "Sparrow!" His arms surrounded me, and I started to hiccup with laughter.
"That was good wasn't it?" I asked in a watery voice. I could tell that my nose was red from crying. "I didn't know that I could just make myself cry like that." I smiled up at Cedric, and he chuckled.
"You sure fooled me, loveling." He kissed me softly. Our kiss was interrupted, once again. I yawned very suddenly, and we both laughed.
"I guess I should go to my own room, shouldn't I?" I was struck with how tired I was.
"I'll walk you back. You'll get lost easily." I laughed sleepily and picked up the lute.
"That's a good," yawn, "idea." We walked through the halls of the Syrlandan Palace, arm in arm. When we got to the door of my room, Cedric leaned down and kissed me once.
"Goodnight, my little Sparrow." I walked into my room and placed the lute gently into a silk lined chest. I flopped down on the bed, and prepared to go to sleep, not even noticing the nightclothes laid out for me.
"Don't you want to change, little Runner?" My eyes flew open as I heard a voice come from somewhere in my room. I saw a tall, thin person step out of the shadows.
"General Zarf," I said, rather stupidly stating the obvious. "What're you doing in my room?" I sat up, clutching a blanket tightly in my hands.
"You know who I am, Liana dear, so why don't you use my real name." Zarf strolled over to me and ran one thin hand down my cheek, like Cedric had. This hand, however, did not make me shiver in pleasure; instead, I felt a cold chill rush through my body.
"Hate," I said cautiously, "Why are you here?"
"To make sure you don't stop me, my dear." Hate took one of my hands in on of his. "You must not be able to wield that weapon you have protected to carefully." I felt sharp spines of pain shoot through my right hand.
"Why are you hurting me?" I asked, not expecting my question to be answered. I felt tears, real tears, running down my face.
"I must win this war for Lamar, Liana. You know that I can't have you helping Syrlan." Hate smiled genially at me, but on him it was twisted. I cried harder, as he took squeezed my hand in what should have been a loving fashion.
"Stop! You're hurting me!" My tears seemed to inflame him even more. "Please, Hate, please, stop!" I felt my mind being clouded with the pain from my hand, and the fear of what Hate would do to me.
"Oh, I can't stop now! The fun is only just beginning!" Hate smiled maliciously, and I shuddered. He let go of my hand, and I sighed in relief, thinking that the torture was over.
"Thank you," I breathed, almost choking on the tears.
Then his hands were around my throat, putting slow pressure on it. "You thank me for hurting you?" He said sardonically. My eyes rolled up in my head as I fought to breathe. Slowly, darkness fogged my mind. It came as slowly as Hate's increasing pressure on my neck. Just as I was about to slip into unconsciousness, Hate released me.
"Why didn't you kill me?" I coughed out, as soon as I had regained my breath. I didn't really want to know the answer, but I got one anyway.
"By the time I'm through with you, you won't want to live," he drawled. His hands worked their way down my body, touching every inch of me.
"No, stop! Please stop!" I moaned as his hands sent splinters of pain through my body. When he started to undo the fastenings of my shirt, I screamed.
"Shut up, pretty, no one will help you. Remember when you were in Kith, running away, and he left you there to die?" His words infiltrated my mind, and planted seeds of doubt.
"But he stayed with me," I whimpered. "He stayed with me when he had to Guide me. He didn't leave me. He loves me!" I fought the doubt that was infiltrating my hope. I clung to the last three words. "He loves me!" I repeated them over and over, an endless litany of "He loves me!"
"Silly child, he won't come back for you. He is a Prince you are a peasant. He has a fine Lady at home to come back to. You are just a little fling, meaningless and short." Hate ran his hands over the bare skin of my stomach. I screamed out, my chant interrupted by my piercing response to the pain.
"He loves me," I gasped when I could.
"Then why isn't he here?" Hate asked slyly, smirking at me.
"He loves me," I sighed.
"No, he doesn't. Nobody does." Hate pressed me to him, and I writhed in agonizing pain. I saw Hate's black eyes sparkling in the candlelight.
"He loves me," I said defiantly.
"I'm sure." Right before Hate pressed his lips to mine, I saw Cedric cautiously open the door, and I saw the hurt look on his face. Then my mind shattered in different directions as Hate kissed me violently, his tongue assaulting my mouth, his lips smothering mine.
"Sparrow," he whispered.
I screamed.
~*~
A/N:I'm procrastinating. I don't want to finish it yet...so i keep adding more stuff...heehee. That got to be a slightly (major understatement) fluffy chapter. At times.
I scare myself with what I right some times. I'm getting shivers just thinking about it. Or maybe it's the lack of a working heater...anyway...
Comments:
TallemeraRane- Some nice fluffy fluff! Heh heh...
BlackJaguar12- Well, to explain the Cedric thing...that will be explained in later chapters. (I think.) Sorry to leave unanswered questions but...it will be answered when i stop procrastinating.
cherrychica-do you like this chapter too? I hope so....:o)
Lady Sorrow-all 15 at one time? Wow...thank you for the compliments!
I updated so quickly!!! I think the next chapter will be part of the battle...maybe. I don't know yet. Just wait and see!
-{Even*Song}
~*~
"Where did you come from?" The King asked us.
"Um…" I didn't know what to say. Suddenly, Death appeared at my side, and grabbed my hand. I must have looked odd holding onto thin air, considering the stares that I was getting.
"I'm sorry, I am out of practice with transferring others. Hold on to him." Death jerked his head toward Cedric. I clutched the precious lute closer and grabbed Cedric's hand.
"Thank you," I said and then there was pain, and only pain. When my head cleared, Death was nowhere to be found, and I was sprawled across Cedric's stomach.
"Sparrow, get off me." Cedric's eyes contained laughter, and I rolled off of him with a giggle.
"Weren't the Kirin Gardens just beautiful?" I said, remembering the goldenwoods and the unicorns.
"No," Cedric said, looking at me in confusion. "All it was was a bunch of deadwood, some gnarled tree stumps and shadows."
I frowned. "Didn't you see the unicorn? Or the goldenwoods?" He shook his head in negation. "Oh." I sighed. Why had I been the only one to see the beauty?
"Sparrow, I remember how beautiful you looked at Alejandro's Ball. It all seems so far away now, even though it was only four days ago." Cedric sighed.
"You thought I looked beautiful?" I asked him shyly. I could feel my cheeks suffusing with color.
Cedric smiled and cupped my chin in one of his hands. "Yes, and I still think so." He leaned up to kiss me, and I felt the neck of the lute pressing into me.
"Hold on," I said breathily. Quickly, I ran to the small couch that was in the room and placed the lute gently on it. "Continue," I said with a smile.
Cedric's mouth brushed my hair, my forehead, my eyes, and finally, my lips. I clung to him as if I would never see him again. As the kiss deepened and grew more ardent, I found myself never wanting it to end.
"I think I'm in love," Cedric murmured, and I laughed, not really taking him seriously. I kissed him quickly, and then pulled back.
"You know, the first time I saw you, I hated you." I smiled and brushed my hair out of my face self-consciously.
"And why did you hate me, love?" Cedric reached over and twirled some of my hair around his finger. It wrapped around twice, I noted, with little bits sticking out.
"I hated you because…well, I don't know. I guess I hated you because you were my captor. You wouldn't believe some of the things that Eleanora told me!" I giggled and Cedric smiled.
"What did she tell you?" He ran his fingertips along my cheek, and I shivered with pleasure.
"That you would torture me." I frowned and Cedric tried to smooth the lines on my forehead away.
"I would never do that loveling." He kissed me, and asked, "Do you still hate me?"
I kissed him swiftly and replied, "Of course not, sweetling." He smiled and his arms slipped around my waist. I smiled, expecting more kisses, but then his fingers began to move.
I giggled and screamed as he tickled me. "Not fair!" I yelled at him. "Hey! Stop that!" My sides were extremely ticklish, and Cedric knew it now. He tickled me relentlessly until we were both out of breath.
"You said you would never torture me," I gasped out.
"That wasn't exactly torture, now was it? You seemed to be laughing most of the time." Cedric smiled and his hand inched toward my waist.
"Don't even think about it," I said with mock foreboding.
"Oh really? What can you do to stop me?" Cedric raised his eyebrows and pulled a face.
"This." I reached down and started to tickle him.
"Oh no you don't!" Despite all his protests and threats of getting revenge, I help my own for a short while; a very short while.
Soon I was the one writhing on the bed being tickled. I laughed until my sides hurt, and Cedric was unmerciful. Whenever I tried to tickle him, he always managed to turn the tables and tickle me even harder.
Abruptly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his face down to mine. "Enough of that, now, Prince Cedric. Princes shouldn't go around tickling helpless maidens and you know it! You really should know-" he stopped me mid sentence with a kiss.
"Are you through lecturing me, Schoolmistress?" He said with false contriteness.
"I suppose so." I smiled ruefully, and said, "I guess I'll have to find someone else to lecture…" I trailed off, sighing theatrically. I couldn't have gotten up if I had wanted to, since Cedric had me pinned from tickling.
"No, never." Suddenly, the mood had gone from playful to serious. Our mouths met in a series of hungry kisses, each one more lingering, zealous and invasive than the last.
The knock at the door startled us out of our romantic reverie.
"Prince Cedric, the King sends me to check and see if you are well." I recognized the Chamberlain's stuffy voice and made a face.
"I am well," Cedric called through the door.
"The King says for me to see for myself." The Chamberlain pushed open the door after a prolonged pause from Cedric.
I was sitting in the chair with my lute when the Chamberlain barged in. I was trying to discreetly fix my jerkin, as it had somehow come slightly undone.
"Hussy," I heard the stupid man mutter as he walked by me. I stuck my tongue out at his back. Cedric started coughing when he saw me, and I knew it was to disguise laughter.
Apparently, the Chamberlain knew it too. "Why are you laughing at me, Prince Cedric." I was surprised that he was questioning a noble.
"I'm not laughing," Cedric wheezed, not sounding very convincing as little bursts of laughter slipped out.
The Chamberlain sniffed haughtily. "Well, what shall I tell the King?"
Cedric managed to suppress his laughter long enough to say, "I am well," Then he sagged onto the bed laughing. I was mimicking the Chamberlain when he turned to face me.
"Yes, you think you're just the smart little thing, don't you?" A sniff, and hen more words directed at me in that nasty tone. "Just selling your favors all around, hoping someday to hit it big."
My mouth was hanging open; I was startled by the very non-noble like words coming out of his mouth. "That wasn't nice!" I could feel tears coming to my eyes. Nonchalantly, I wondered if being considered a prostitute was better than being seen as a boy. I decided that I would rather be seen as a boy.
I let one long, dramatic sniff out, and burst into tears.
"Get out of here!" Cedric wasn't laughing now, as he bellowed at the snobby Chamberlain. He literally pushed the man out of the door, bolted it and rushed to me. "Sparrow!" His arms surrounded me, and I started to hiccup with laughter.
"That was good wasn't it?" I asked in a watery voice. I could tell that my nose was red from crying. "I didn't know that I could just make myself cry like that." I smiled up at Cedric, and he chuckled.
"You sure fooled me, loveling." He kissed me softly. Our kiss was interrupted, once again. I yawned very suddenly, and we both laughed.
"I guess I should go to my own room, shouldn't I?" I was struck with how tired I was.
"I'll walk you back. You'll get lost easily." I laughed sleepily and picked up the lute.
"That's a good," yawn, "idea." We walked through the halls of the Syrlandan Palace, arm in arm. When we got to the door of my room, Cedric leaned down and kissed me once.
"Goodnight, my little Sparrow." I walked into my room and placed the lute gently into a silk lined chest. I flopped down on the bed, and prepared to go to sleep, not even noticing the nightclothes laid out for me.
"Don't you want to change, little Runner?" My eyes flew open as I heard a voice come from somewhere in my room. I saw a tall, thin person step out of the shadows.
"General Zarf," I said, rather stupidly stating the obvious. "What're you doing in my room?" I sat up, clutching a blanket tightly in my hands.
"You know who I am, Liana dear, so why don't you use my real name." Zarf strolled over to me and ran one thin hand down my cheek, like Cedric had. This hand, however, did not make me shiver in pleasure; instead, I felt a cold chill rush through my body.
"Hate," I said cautiously, "Why are you here?"
"To make sure you don't stop me, my dear." Hate took one of my hands in on of his. "You must not be able to wield that weapon you have protected to carefully." I felt sharp spines of pain shoot through my right hand.
"Why are you hurting me?" I asked, not expecting my question to be answered. I felt tears, real tears, running down my face.
"I must win this war for Lamar, Liana. You know that I can't have you helping Syrlan." Hate smiled genially at me, but on him it was twisted. I cried harder, as he took squeezed my hand in what should have been a loving fashion.
"Stop! You're hurting me!" My tears seemed to inflame him even more. "Please, Hate, please, stop!" I felt my mind being clouded with the pain from my hand, and the fear of what Hate would do to me.
"Oh, I can't stop now! The fun is only just beginning!" Hate smiled maliciously, and I shuddered. He let go of my hand, and I sighed in relief, thinking that the torture was over.
"Thank you," I breathed, almost choking on the tears.
Then his hands were around my throat, putting slow pressure on it. "You thank me for hurting you?" He said sardonically. My eyes rolled up in my head as I fought to breathe. Slowly, darkness fogged my mind. It came as slowly as Hate's increasing pressure on my neck. Just as I was about to slip into unconsciousness, Hate released me.
"Why didn't you kill me?" I coughed out, as soon as I had regained my breath. I didn't really want to know the answer, but I got one anyway.
"By the time I'm through with you, you won't want to live," he drawled. His hands worked their way down my body, touching every inch of me.
"No, stop! Please stop!" I moaned as his hands sent splinters of pain through my body. When he started to undo the fastenings of my shirt, I screamed.
"Shut up, pretty, no one will help you. Remember when you were in Kith, running away, and he left you there to die?" His words infiltrated my mind, and planted seeds of doubt.
"But he stayed with me," I whimpered. "He stayed with me when he had to Guide me. He didn't leave me. He loves me!" I fought the doubt that was infiltrating my hope. I clung to the last three words. "He loves me!" I repeated them over and over, an endless litany of "He loves me!"
"Silly child, he won't come back for you. He is a Prince you are a peasant. He has a fine Lady at home to come back to. You are just a little fling, meaningless and short." Hate ran his hands over the bare skin of my stomach. I screamed out, my chant interrupted by my piercing response to the pain.
"He loves me," I gasped when I could.
"Then why isn't he here?" Hate asked slyly, smirking at me.
"He loves me," I sighed.
"No, he doesn't. Nobody does." Hate pressed me to him, and I writhed in agonizing pain. I saw Hate's black eyes sparkling in the candlelight.
"He loves me," I said defiantly.
"I'm sure." Right before Hate pressed his lips to mine, I saw Cedric cautiously open the door, and I saw the hurt look on his face. Then my mind shattered in different directions as Hate kissed me violently, his tongue assaulting my mouth, his lips smothering mine.
"Sparrow," he whispered.
I screamed.
~*~
A/N:I'm procrastinating. I don't want to finish it yet...so i keep adding more stuff...heehee. That got to be a slightly (major understatement) fluffy chapter. At times.
I scare myself with what I right some times. I'm getting shivers just thinking about it. Or maybe it's the lack of a working heater...anyway...
Comments:
TallemeraRane- Some nice fluffy fluff! Heh heh...
BlackJaguar12- Well, to explain the Cedric thing...that will be explained in later chapters. (I think.) Sorry to leave unanswered questions but...it will be answered when i stop procrastinating.
cherrychica-do you like this chapter too? I hope so....:o)
Lady Sorrow-all 15 at one time? Wow...thank you for the compliments!
I updated so quickly!!! I think the next chapter will be part of the battle...maybe. I don't know yet. Just wait and see!
-{Even*Song}