Hey there, welcome back to chapter 3. I mighta confused some of u when I
wrote that Duzell kissed Ishtar as Ishtar. But come on, what was I supposed
to do, have him turn back or something? Actually, I considered that
possibility. Maybe I'll do that next chapter. Oh, and no matter how you
look at it, he's still a guy. Anyway, this chapter takes place a week after
Chapter 2. Enjoy!
The Words That Will Protect Us
Ishtar came to the dining hall, carrying Duzell. As they took their usual places, Sir Keld came up to them again.
"Ugh, here we go again. What is it this time, Keld?" she grumbled.
"Ahem. About your marriage plans-," Sir Keld didn't finish.
"What?! I'm still gettin' married?! To this lunkhead? I don't think so!" Ishtar shouted, nudging Darres(who was beside her) hard on the ribs.
"Your Highness, please stay calm. I told you last week. We haven't been able to find any suitors fit for you, so-."
Here, Ishtar cut in again.
"So you decided to stick me with this moron right here?" she said in a voice of forced calm. "Well, sorry if you haven't heard, but this slimeball doesn't care about me. And even if he did, I still wouldn't wanna marry him. Guys with looks and no brains don't appeal to me. Can you imagine how bad I'd look if I were walking around with someone like that? My life would be so over. C'mon, Duzie!"
Ishtar rose out of her chair and stalked back to her room.
"Ishtar! Wait up!"
She stopped at the door, while Darres caught his breath.
"What was that all about?" he asked, leaning against the pillar.
"If you don't know, then you really must be stupid," she snapped, keeping her back to him.
"Is it about last week?"
"Well, well, well. Guess who has some brains after all."
"Look, Your Highness. I completely understand if you're still mad at me. But I didn't have a choice. Jill and Krai were bugging me about the marriage and-."
"STOP IT! You are the worse liar in the world. Whether you love me or you don't, there's nothing you can say that'll make me forgive you. If you really did love me, you wouldn't have gone along with the shit those idiots were sayin' about me," she said, still facing away from him.
"But-," Darres began.
He sighed, exasperated.
"Look, Your Highness. I'm sorry. You're right, I was an idiot," he said.
Ishtar giggled. Darres was feeling relieved that she was going to forgive him, but then he noticed. It wasn't her usual laugh. It sounded...different. It sounded chilling, hearing her.
"Nothing you say will change anything. So quit tryin' to act all sad," she said, giggling.
"Hey, Captain! The old man's looking for you!"
Darres turned to see Jill and Krai running up to him.
"Now isn't a good time for that," he said through gritted teeth.
He turned back to Ishtar. This was time for a more forceful approach. He grabbed her on the shoulders and spun her around to face him. His face fell. Ishtar was looking at the ground.
"Your Highness, I'm sick of this! What is with your attitude, huh? You think I didn't mean it when I said I was sorry?! Why?" he shouted at her.
For a moment, Ishtar didn't do anything. Then suddenly... WHAP! Darres staggered backward, nearly knocking over Jill and Krai. Ishtar had slapped him hard across the face.
"Listen up, Darres. You can beg all you want, cry all you want, but I won't take you back. So just stay outta my way," she said, staring into Darres's eyes.
Duzell, who was beside her, leapt into her arms. They went inside her room and shut the door in Darres's face.
"Uh, Captain?" said Jill cautiously.
Darres was stunned. The look in Ishtar's eyes unnerved him. It looked so...cold. And at the same time, it was also burning with what looked like hatred.
"Something's wrong with her. Did you see her eyes? She's never looked at me like that before. Could she really be that mad at me?" he said.
"Think we should let the old man know about this?" asked Krai, who was just as shaken.
"No. He probably won't think anything's up with her. Better keep it quiet. Let's see what Yujinn has to say," muttered Darres.
They walked away from Ishtar's room. Inside, Duzell had transformed again and was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, a sheet thrown across his lap. Ishtar was sitting next to him, brushing out her hair. They had heard what Darres had said.
"Yes, that's it, go to Yujinn. He won't be able to help you," said Duzell, amused.
"But, Duzell, Yujinn isn't like Darres. He's a lot more clever. What if he-?"
Duzell put a finger up to her lips.
"Don't worry, Ishtar. He won't. No one will," he assured her.
"But how do you know?" asked Ishtar, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Don't worry about that. I promised to protect you, didn't I?" he said.
"Yes. Yes, you did. Then I'll promise you something, too. I'll protect us. Nothing will ever come between us. Whatever it takes, I swear nothing will interfere with us," she said.
*Note*-I'm thinking of having Duzell return to his real self and also of Ishtar turning into a vampire. Does that sound stupid? Anyway, see ya next chapter!
The Words That Will Protect Us
Ishtar came to the dining hall, carrying Duzell. As they took their usual places, Sir Keld came up to them again.
"Ugh, here we go again. What is it this time, Keld?" she grumbled.
"Ahem. About your marriage plans-," Sir Keld didn't finish.
"What?! I'm still gettin' married?! To this lunkhead? I don't think so!" Ishtar shouted, nudging Darres(who was beside her) hard on the ribs.
"Your Highness, please stay calm. I told you last week. We haven't been able to find any suitors fit for you, so-."
Here, Ishtar cut in again.
"So you decided to stick me with this moron right here?" she said in a voice of forced calm. "Well, sorry if you haven't heard, but this slimeball doesn't care about me. And even if he did, I still wouldn't wanna marry him. Guys with looks and no brains don't appeal to me. Can you imagine how bad I'd look if I were walking around with someone like that? My life would be so over. C'mon, Duzie!"
Ishtar rose out of her chair and stalked back to her room.
"Ishtar! Wait up!"
She stopped at the door, while Darres caught his breath.
"What was that all about?" he asked, leaning against the pillar.
"If you don't know, then you really must be stupid," she snapped, keeping her back to him.
"Is it about last week?"
"Well, well, well. Guess who has some brains after all."
"Look, Your Highness. I completely understand if you're still mad at me. But I didn't have a choice. Jill and Krai were bugging me about the marriage and-."
"STOP IT! You are the worse liar in the world. Whether you love me or you don't, there's nothing you can say that'll make me forgive you. If you really did love me, you wouldn't have gone along with the shit those idiots were sayin' about me," she said, still facing away from him.
"But-," Darres began.
He sighed, exasperated.
"Look, Your Highness. I'm sorry. You're right, I was an idiot," he said.
Ishtar giggled. Darres was feeling relieved that she was going to forgive him, but then he noticed. It wasn't her usual laugh. It sounded...different. It sounded chilling, hearing her.
"Nothing you say will change anything. So quit tryin' to act all sad," she said, giggling.
"Hey, Captain! The old man's looking for you!"
Darres turned to see Jill and Krai running up to him.
"Now isn't a good time for that," he said through gritted teeth.
He turned back to Ishtar. This was time for a more forceful approach. He grabbed her on the shoulders and spun her around to face him. His face fell. Ishtar was looking at the ground.
"Your Highness, I'm sick of this! What is with your attitude, huh? You think I didn't mean it when I said I was sorry?! Why?" he shouted at her.
For a moment, Ishtar didn't do anything. Then suddenly... WHAP! Darres staggered backward, nearly knocking over Jill and Krai. Ishtar had slapped him hard across the face.
"Listen up, Darres. You can beg all you want, cry all you want, but I won't take you back. So just stay outta my way," she said, staring into Darres's eyes.
Duzell, who was beside her, leapt into her arms. They went inside her room and shut the door in Darres's face.
"Uh, Captain?" said Jill cautiously.
Darres was stunned. The look in Ishtar's eyes unnerved him. It looked so...cold. And at the same time, it was also burning with what looked like hatred.
"Something's wrong with her. Did you see her eyes? She's never looked at me like that before. Could she really be that mad at me?" he said.
"Think we should let the old man know about this?" asked Krai, who was just as shaken.
"No. He probably won't think anything's up with her. Better keep it quiet. Let's see what Yujinn has to say," muttered Darres.
They walked away from Ishtar's room. Inside, Duzell had transformed again and was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, a sheet thrown across his lap. Ishtar was sitting next to him, brushing out her hair. They had heard what Darres had said.
"Yes, that's it, go to Yujinn. He won't be able to help you," said Duzell, amused.
"But, Duzell, Yujinn isn't like Darres. He's a lot more clever. What if he-?"
Duzell put a finger up to her lips.
"Don't worry, Ishtar. He won't. No one will," he assured her.
"But how do you know?" asked Ishtar, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Don't worry about that. I promised to protect you, didn't I?" he said.
"Yes. Yes, you did. Then I'll promise you something, too. I'll protect us. Nothing will ever come between us. Whatever it takes, I swear nothing will interfere with us," she said.
*Note*-I'm thinking of having Duzell return to his real self and also of Ishtar turning into a vampire. Does that sound stupid? Anyway, see ya next chapter!