Anniya 28

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Anniya had never noticed such a colossal difference between Robert and West until that moment. Though Robert and West had similar features, they were as opposite as night and day when anger. Robert would spew furious words, and let his temper fly, adrenaline pumping. West was more collected, and dangerously calm. Much like, in fact, Count Frederick Di Fallon.

" West..........how long have you been out here," Anniya said, startled still. She and Robert simultaneously let go of each other. West returned Anniya's wide eyed look with a chilling smile.

" Long enough," he said simply, holding her gaze.

Generally Anniya could throw out icy stares like a king could throw out money, but at that moment all she could do was look away. Right then, she felt low. Lower then the lowest of pond scum. But pond scum were sort of lifeless creatures that didn't really have social interactions, so that put Anniya even lower on the ladder. She should of told West. She should of told Robert. But especially West. Even with everything else, she still wanted to be his friend. Even when he teased her, Anniya had never hated him. She had come to rely on West, and now that she had all of betrayed him.

Without saying any other words, West turned and left, the sounds of his boots echoing on the cobblestones. Anniya stared after him for several moments before rising to her feet.

" West! Wait!," she cried, but Robert grabbed her hand before Anniya could take off. Her first instinct was to slap it away, and that certainly wasn't a feeling of love, so she merely tugged.

" Anniya, you don't understand the first thing about West," he stated. She opened her mouth to retort that she knew plenty, but Robert went on anyway.

" I know you think you do, but you don't. You don't. Wait for him, and he'll come back after he's calmed down."

Anniya shook her head. " I'm still his friend....if he even wants me to be that. I'm going after him."

Surprisingly, Robert let her go. She was slightly puzzled that Robert was so understanding. If Anniya hadn't been so flustered at that moment, the answer would of come to her within seconds. But all she could think about was making sure West understood.

She had to run to catch up to him. Her short legs and his long strides didn't match up, and as a result it was nearly five minutes before she happened to catch a glimpse of him. He was walking along the riverside, his hair shining gold in the moonlight. The rocks along the river rose up sharply, their jagged points glittering dangerously, making it harder for Anniya to reach him.

" West! West, wait!," Anniya called after him, frustrated. If he had heard her, West gave no indication.

Anniya picked up her pace and fell in with his long strides, hoping he wouldn't run. There was no way she could hope of catching up to him. West scarcely glanced at her.

" Now who do I have the pleasure of walking with tonight," he said calmly. The tone of West's voice scared her slightly. But Anniya wasn't one accustomed to fleeing when she was frightened.

" West, look, I'm sorry. You were just gone for so long....."

To her surprise, West laughed. But it wasn't the teasing, merry laugh that generally happened when he was around her. It was harsh and frigid.

" Ah, I see it now. Quite ridiculous of me, isn't it? I hadn't realized what distress I was putting you in. Forgive me," West said sardonically, and picked up his pace. He changed his direction, and began walking uphill.

" West, I'm sorry! For god's sake, I scarcely thought you would be alive, and that any feelings you had for me would of died! Now I know you wish I could go lose myself in the woods right now, and I feel the same myself! But there are other people who's lives may depend on how quickly we get to Frell, so stop being so selfish, because--,"

He spun around and grabbed her hands in a rapid moment before Anniya could blink. His face was close enough to kiss her, and for a moment she was afraid he would.

" Selfish? I'm selfish, am I," West demanded, his voice low yet rough. His keen eyes stared at her with intensity, brimming with intelligence. " I'll tell you who's selfish. What's selfish is a girl meeting a man and causing him to fall in love with her. The man creates a distraction that lands himself in the dungeons so that he can save his friend and so the girl can save herself. He gives the girl something that he trusts no one else with. Now Lets say the man spends a year in utter torture and starvation, half alive and half dead. He finally escapes, and finds the girl. But not without his cousin, who she has conviently fallen in love with. But no, the deal becomes more charming. She expects the man to get on with his life and fall directly into her hands again, to play mercenary. I'll tell you who is the goddamn selfish one is, Anniya."

If it hadn't been for the slight fear and the gigantic temper that Anniya had been given to at the moment, she would of also registered that West had admitted that he loved her. But it slipped away from her mind.

" You don't have one single idea what I've done all these months, and they aren't nearly as lovely as this picture your painting. It's been bad for me, if not as bad as it was for you! I was sick with a fever, I was nearly killed countless numbers of times, and did I neglect to mention that the entire time both Robert and I were trying to find out where you were! You couldn't expect me to keep that love for a year, a love that may have never existed in the first place! If you don't come back to the inn, we'll never be able to stop the Count!," Anniya spat angrily, abruptly cut off by West.

" I don't want to hear a damn word you have to say anymore. In all honesty Anniya, I can't say I care anymore. I wish you luck with Robert. I guess a Prince is a bit more alluring then a brigand, isn't it? They tend to spend a bit more money on whores, don't they? Although in my experience, the ones I've slept with at least have a trace of loyalty in them," West drawled, a combination of boredom and a rush of coldness.

The last line was what did it for Anniya. The words weren't nearly as harsh as they could of been, but at that moment West was so alien to her, so cruel, she hated him. For in a dark corner of Anniya's heart, she still loved him. It as more then she could bear.

" West, stop it! Stop it! I fight with everyone but you, and just because I can't love you ' that way' anymore, doesn't mean that I still don't love you! I know you wish I was dead, but I can't change something I have no control over!," Anniya screamed at him, her voice cracking slightly. The silence was horrible. West spoke first.

" I have never, nor will I ever, wish you were dead," he said softly, but firmly, realizing how much he had hurt her with his words in the past moment.

" Are we still friends?"

" If you want to be."

" Of course I want to be, would I be asking if I didn't?"

Although Anniya didn't see the pain in West's smile, it was there. In truth, his anger with Anniya was nothing in comparison to his anger with Robert. Because from how Anniya acted, she obviously did not know that Robert had known that West loved her.



Which meant Robert was in deep trouble.



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***Author's note***



Even I'll admit this is worse then my usual cliff hangers. I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but it's late at night and I was sort of stuck so I had to quit it because I'm exhausted ( yes I know, excuses, excuses). I have several things I want to say.



(A) THANK YOU EVERYONE who aided me in finding some 'medieval-ish' words for teenager. I meant to mention that in my last author's note, but I didn't have enough time to read the reviews before that. Anyway, thanks guys, and the rest of you reviewers too.

(B) I'd like to say thank-you to Jane( I think it's Jane. I'm sorry if I'm wrong) of Q for telling me about the Ella Enchanted movie!!! It made my week-- no, my year! It inspired me to get off my lazy butt and go type up a chapter. Go look at my reviews to find the movie info. on it. thanks again.



(C) um, I'm a bit desperate here, but could everyone please go review hemlock's seeds of blood? I'm extremely desperate to read the next chapter and would be extremely happy if she continued it( hint hint, nudge nudge).



( D) West vs. Robert: this is a pretty dark chapter again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and a horrible cliff hanger!!!!!!!! I put it out just to satisfy everyone's angry anti-cliffhanger reviews ( Oh, and by the way, thanks for all the reviews Pandora's Boxx! I was sufficiently annoyed enough to write another chapter ( j.k)! I have to say this much about the next chapter: Anniya isn't seriously injured ( I am soooo sick of having people go into comas and fainting). Oh, and West isn't nearly as much as an jerk as he appears to be right now( or is he?).

keep on reviewing!!!! Thanks again!!!!!