Chapter 13: I Shall Prove It
He woke up to a pair of bright blue eyes staring down at him. He was startled for a moment, trying to think of where he was and who he was, and then he realized that those gorgeous eyes belonged to none other than Arianne. He smiled up at her, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair. His wife was so beautiful. He couldn't possibly be any luckier, he thought to himself then. She leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips, and when she began to move back he held her there, kissing her passionately.
Eventually, she pulled back, whispering that this was neither the proper time nor place. He remembered all that had transpired, and suddenly agreed. "But how did we end up here? I don't remember being brought this way," he said, frowning.
"We were brought here under a spell of sleep, love," she replied, the corners of her mouth turned down and her brows drawn together in anger and disapproval. "I've been speaking with Dharketh, and he has told me some rather amazing things, Jack."
As she told her story--all of it, spanning from many many centuries ago--he sat there in a state of dumb shock.
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She watched his expressions throughout the length of her story, worried that he might not believe her and think her insane. When he simply looked overwhelmed, she felt a small measure of relief. But she wasn't finished yet.
"Jack, I'm pregnant," she whispered.
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He simply blinked for a moment, and then hugged her close to him. "Arianne, love, that's fantastic!" he exclaimed, and then held her at arms' length, an odd expression on his face. "But why are you telling me right now?"
"Because...well...this child is going to lead them into a new life, wherever and whatever that might be." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Jack, we're going to lose our child!"
He pulled her close again, stroking her hair and obviously fighting down several emotions himself. These faeries were going to keep his child? Over his dead body! "Shh, love, it's alright. They're not going to keep our baby, alright?" When she looked up at him hopefully, his heart almost broke. "If they were to raise our child, they would undoubtedly raise it to be like them, and then where would they be? If anything, Arianne, we should at least keep our child until it has grown--and that will take a considerable amount of time--and is ready to be what these people need it to be.
"We will raise our child to be good and strong, to follow his or her own heart, and when he or she goes away, we'll have to deal with that. Whatever happens, though, our baby won't be gone forever, love. We'll all meet again after we die."
She stared up at him and smiled, her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. "Oh Jack," she whispered, laying her head against his chest, "you've always known how to make me feel better."
He squeezed her close to him, glad that she felt better even if he didn't. He deeply feared for the life of the child growing in Arianne's womb. If the elves decided that they were going to keep the babe, what could he or Arianne possibly do to stop them? Though he now knew that Arianne (or Aryana) was the goddess to these people--their creator, even-- he doubted that they would be able to escape this godforsaken cave without their leave.
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Dharketh wandered miserably back to the room he had left Arianne and Jack in, and was surprised to hear two voices coming from within. She had woken the human man? She had woken up Herself?
To hear the two of them talking together so calmly did much to cheer Dharketh's spirit. And when he heard Her announce Her pregnancy, he could have danced all the way to back to the assembly hall and cheerfully announced the wondrous news to everyone--Liayela or not. So excited was he that he missed the rest of the conversation, running from the door and shouting to any elf he met that their Goddess had come and She would bring their salvation.
In spite of their leader's announcement earlier that day to disregard anything the young elf would say, they couldn't help but feel cheered and hopeful that this woman would indeed lead them out of the hell they had endured for so long.
************************
When one of the pages danced into the room wearing a silly grin on his face, Liayela could not help but smile back and ask him what he was so happy about. The smile vanished from her face when he told her about the Goddess and her babe to be replaced by an expression of absolute ice.
When the boy noticed that she was no longer happy, he stopped midsentence and cringingly took a step back from her. "Where did you get this news?" she asked him, holding him in place by the sheer force of her stare.
"D-D-Dharketh, ma'am," he whispered, frightened.
"And what did I tell the entire population of this cave just this morning?" she asked.
"T-that n-no one was s-supposed to listen t-to him," he whimpered.
Her arm shot out, catching the boy's collar and lifting him up off the floor and towards her until they were barely an inch apart. "How many believe as you so foolishly believed?" she asked.
"I-I don't know!" cried the boy, large tears rolling down his cheeks in terror.
She dropped him, satisfied that he was telling her the truth. "I know that the woman is not the Goddess, Harran," she said, seeming calm. "Do you know how I know?"
The little boy shook his head, edging towards the door portal.
"I know because I downed her with a simple sleeping spell, you foolish idiot!" she suddenly screamed at him. He bolted, then--tried to, at least. Liayela closed the door portal so it seemed as if there was nothing but stone where it used to be. The boy collapsed onto the ground, sobbing loudly and trembling with fear.
"And I shall prove to everyone, once and for all, that that woman is not your Goddess. Go and spread the word that everyone is to gather in the Chamber of the Fount within the hour." She violently opened the door portal again, and the much-relieved boy fled.
************************
When a tall and beautiful woman with waist-length red hair appeared suddenly in the room, Jack jumped but Arianne simply sat there, knowing that Liayela was coming by the sudden roiling of the magical patterns. Arianne stared at the woman, seeing that her soul was black with faithlessness and too many horrible deeds to count.
Seeming not to notice Arianne's disapproving and slightly hostile demeanor, Liayela smiled kindly upon the both of them.
"A ceremony is going to be held in both of your honor in the Chamber of the Fount," she said. "Please come with me and I will instruct you both in your duties."
Arianne's eyes narrowed, hearing that Liayela was indeed speaking the truth...but she wasn't speaking all of it. All of this had a rather sinister feeling behind it, and she didn't like it one bit. She glanced at Jack, who had been watching her expressions and nodded to confirm that something was indeed wrong.
She squeezed his hand and got off of the bed anyway, however, and stood facing Liayela. "Liayela," she said, knocking the smug smile off of her face, "I know you're planning some terrible fate for us. You should really think this through before continuing, you know. Dharketh was right when he said that your Goddess had returned."
The elf woman snarled, completely marring any beauty she had previously possessed. "So he sucked you in with his lies, you foolish woman? It's a bit arrogant of you to think that you might be a goddess, isn't it? How very...human...of you. Now come with me."
Arianne felt the pull of Liayela's compelling magic, but resisted it and helped Jack to resist as well. Liayela was startled for a moment, but quickly covered her shock. "So you've learned a trick," she spat.
"We will come with you, but we will not be compelled by any means save our own," Arianne said calmly, almost sweetly.
Liayela simply growled and stormed out of the room, Arianne and Jack following her.
*********************************************************************** Man, when I first started writing this chapter I thought I'd lost the story, since I haven't written in a week! Yeesh! Anyway, thanks muchly for the reviews (most of which I only received 10 times, Elkengrove's, however, I've received about 60 now and still counting, lol!), and I hope you continue to like it! Also, it's really starting to wind down, so I'm thinking only a few more chapters are left.
He woke up to a pair of bright blue eyes staring down at him. He was startled for a moment, trying to think of where he was and who he was, and then he realized that those gorgeous eyes belonged to none other than Arianne. He smiled up at her, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair. His wife was so beautiful. He couldn't possibly be any luckier, he thought to himself then. She leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips, and when she began to move back he held her there, kissing her passionately.
Eventually, she pulled back, whispering that this was neither the proper time nor place. He remembered all that had transpired, and suddenly agreed. "But how did we end up here? I don't remember being brought this way," he said, frowning.
"We were brought here under a spell of sleep, love," she replied, the corners of her mouth turned down and her brows drawn together in anger and disapproval. "I've been speaking with Dharketh, and he has told me some rather amazing things, Jack."
As she told her story--all of it, spanning from many many centuries ago--he sat there in a state of dumb shock.
************************
She watched his expressions throughout the length of her story, worried that he might not believe her and think her insane. When he simply looked overwhelmed, she felt a small measure of relief. But she wasn't finished yet.
"Jack, I'm pregnant," she whispered.
************************
He simply blinked for a moment, and then hugged her close to him. "Arianne, love, that's fantastic!" he exclaimed, and then held her at arms' length, an odd expression on his face. "But why are you telling me right now?"
"Because...well...this child is going to lead them into a new life, wherever and whatever that might be." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Jack, we're going to lose our child!"
He pulled her close again, stroking her hair and obviously fighting down several emotions himself. These faeries were going to keep his child? Over his dead body! "Shh, love, it's alright. They're not going to keep our baby, alright?" When she looked up at him hopefully, his heart almost broke. "If they were to raise our child, they would undoubtedly raise it to be like them, and then where would they be? If anything, Arianne, we should at least keep our child until it has grown--and that will take a considerable amount of time--and is ready to be what these people need it to be.
"We will raise our child to be good and strong, to follow his or her own heart, and when he or she goes away, we'll have to deal with that. Whatever happens, though, our baby won't be gone forever, love. We'll all meet again after we die."
She stared up at him and smiled, her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. "Oh Jack," she whispered, laying her head against his chest, "you've always known how to make me feel better."
He squeezed her close to him, glad that she felt better even if he didn't. He deeply feared for the life of the child growing in Arianne's womb. If the elves decided that they were going to keep the babe, what could he or Arianne possibly do to stop them? Though he now knew that Arianne (or Aryana) was the goddess to these people--their creator, even-- he doubted that they would be able to escape this godforsaken cave without their leave.
************************
Dharketh wandered miserably back to the room he had left Arianne and Jack in, and was surprised to hear two voices coming from within. She had woken the human man? She had woken up Herself?
To hear the two of them talking together so calmly did much to cheer Dharketh's spirit. And when he heard Her announce Her pregnancy, he could have danced all the way to back to the assembly hall and cheerfully announced the wondrous news to everyone--Liayela or not. So excited was he that he missed the rest of the conversation, running from the door and shouting to any elf he met that their Goddess had come and She would bring their salvation.
In spite of their leader's announcement earlier that day to disregard anything the young elf would say, they couldn't help but feel cheered and hopeful that this woman would indeed lead them out of the hell they had endured for so long.
************************
When one of the pages danced into the room wearing a silly grin on his face, Liayela could not help but smile back and ask him what he was so happy about. The smile vanished from her face when he told her about the Goddess and her babe to be replaced by an expression of absolute ice.
When the boy noticed that she was no longer happy, he stopped midsentence and cringingly took a step back from her. "Where did you get this news?" she asked him, holding him in place by the sheer force of her stare.
"D-D-Dharketh, ma'am," he whispered, frightened.
"And what did I tell the entire population of this cave just this morning?" she asked.
"T-that n-no one was s-supposed to listen t-to him," he whimpered.
Her arm shot out, catching the boy's collar and lifting him up off the floor and towards her until they were barely an inch apart. "How many believe as you so foolishly believed?" she asked.
"I-I don't know!" cried the boy, large tears rolling down his cheeks in terror.
She dropped him, satisfied that he was telling her the truth. "I know that the woman is not the Goddess, Harran," she said, seeming calm. "Do you know how I know?"
The little boy shook his head, edging towards the door portal.
"I know because I downed her with a simple sleeping spell, you foolish idiot!" she suddenly screamed at him. He bolted, then--tried to, at least. Liayela closed the door portal so it seemed as if there was nothing but stone where it used to be. The boy collapsed onto the ground, sobbing loudly and trembling with fear.
"And I shall prove to everyone, once and for all, that that woman is not your Goddess. Go and spread the word that everyone is to gather in the Chamber of the Fount within the hour." She violently opened the door portal again, and the much-relieved boy fled.
************************
When a tall and beautiful woman with waist-length red hair appeared suddenly in the room, Jack jumped but Arianne simply sat there, knowing that Liayela was coming by the sudden roiling of the magical patterns. Arianne stared at the woman, seeing that her soul was black with faithlessness and too many horrible deeds to count.
Seeming not to notice Arianne's disapproving and slightly hostile demeanor, Liayela smiled kindly upon the both of them.
"A ceremony is going to be held in both of your honor in the Chamber of the Fount," she said. "Please come with me and I will instruct you both in your duties."
Arianne's eyes narrowed, hearing that Liayela was indeed speaking the truth...but she wasn't speaking all of it. All of this had a rather sinister feeling behind it, and she didn't like it one bit. She glanced at Jack, who had been watching her expressions and nodded to confirm that something was indeed wrong.
She squeezed his hand and got off of the bed anyway, however, and stood facing Liayela. "Liayela," she said, knocking the smug smile off of her face, "I know you're planning some terrible fate for us. You should really think this through before continuing, you know. Dharketh was right when he said that your Goddess had returned."
The elf woman snarled, completely marring any beauty she had previously possessed. "So he sucked you in with his lies, you foolish woman? It's a bit arrogant of you to think that you might be a goddess, isn't it? How very...human...of you. Now come with me."
Arianne felt the pull of Liayela's compelling magic, but resisted it and helped Jack to resist as well. Liayela was startled for a moment, but quickly covered her shock. "So you've learned a trick," she spat.
"We will come with you, but we will not be compelled by any means save our own," Arianne said calmly, almost sweetly.
Liayela simply growled and stormed out of the room, Arianne and Jack following her.
*********************************************************************** Man, when I first started writing this chapter I thought I'd lost the story, since I haven't written in a week! Yeesh! Anyway, thanks muchly for the reviews (most of which I only received 10 times, Elkengrove's, however, I've received about 60 now and still counting, lol!), and I hope you continue to like it! Also, it's really starting to wind down, so I'm thinking only a few more chapters are left.
