Blood of the Crown-Chapter 4
It was near midnight when the rain that had been threatening to spill all day had suddenly broke out all at once, surrounding the palace in a thick gray sheet. At the age of ten, young Pietro and Wanda Maximoff were fascinated by the drops of water that fell from the sky. It was well passed their bed-time but neither of them seemed to care as they sat at the window and watched the rain pour onto the earth. Pietro's eyes followed a stray raindrop as it hit the glass and slowly slid down its surface while Wanda watched intently as the water made puddles she later intended to splash in. Both of them were content to sit in silence because, like most twins, they shared a special connection with eachother.
"Pie?" she asked softly, using his nickname affectionately, "Where do you think rain comes from?" Pietro looked up at her with his big blue eyes and smiled widely, showing off his pearly white teeth. His blue eyes held a sort of innocence that most women would kill for to have in their eyes.
"I heard that when it rains God is sad," Pietro told her, "And it's really him crying for us." Wanda looked thoughtful a moment and then nodded. There was suddenly a loud crash from the floor below and both Wanda and Pietro turned towards the door. They heard shouting and then a blood-curdling scream. Their eyes widened in unison and they turned to eachother.
"Mother."
The pair raced down the stairs and stopped just short of the landing, peering over the hand rail. Their mother stood in the middle of the floor, holding her shoulder, blood oozing through her fingers. She had a look of pure agony on her face and tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. The sleeve on her gown was ripped, discarded on the floor at her feet, and the hem of her dress was torn. Pietro stood and his tiptoes to see the culprit as Wanda cowered below him. The man had wild fiery red hair and an equally red beard to match. A small boy stood at his side clutching his sleeve, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. He recognized them as Captain Allerdyce and his son.
"Now, now you're Highness," the man said gruffly, "We had an agreement." Their mother spat at his feet.
"Never," she hissed, "Guards! GUARDS!" The man cackled insanely, the little boy at his side laughing as well. Pietro could feel the anger bubbling within him and he looked down at his twin sister, who was also very angry.
"Oh they won't come," he said and their mother looked horrified, "You're lookin' at the Captain of the King's Guard here. I've ordered them all to stand at their posts." Their mother shook her head and took a step back but in her fear she stepped on the hem of her dress and fell to the floor. The man smirked and advanced on her but the children ran and blocked his path. They hardly looked intimidating, especially Pietro, who had tears glistening in his large blue eyes.
"Wanda! Pietro!" their mother cried, "Go now! Leave immediately!" Pietro shook his head and shut his eyes tightly, a tear managing to slip free.
"No!" Pietro shouted, "Me and Wanda are gonna protect you!" Wanda nodded in affirmative and the man laughed, pushing them aside.
"Johnny!" he called to the younger boy, "Teach these brats a lesson." The boy nodded, an evil grin springing to his lips. Pietro smiled, knowing he and his sister had an advantage over him. Their mutant abilities. Wanda and Pietro gave eachother a meaningful look and Wanda pounced on the boy in an instant, pressing her palms against his cheeks and unleashing her powers. The boy wailed and threw her to the ground in fury. The boy then turned to a torch that was lit nearby and took it from the wall, smiling maliciously.
"You're in for one helluva trip," he warned in his thick accent and reached into the fire, holding it painlessly in the palm of his hand. Pietro blinked at him just as he pulled his arm back and hurled the flaming ball at his sister. Pietro screamed and raced at Wanda, scooping her up into his arms and out of harms way. John scowled and threw numerous balls of flame at the young speed demon. Pietro, of course, managed to dodge them all, smiling smugly. That was until he felt a hard tug on the back of his head and he was drug backwards, accidentally dropping his sister in the process.
"Johnny!" the man cried, "Come hold him down!" The boy was older than Pietro and a lot stronger so it was effortless for him to hold Pietro back as the man advanced on his defenseless mother and sister. Pietro vaguely remembered screaming as the man removed his sword from within its sheath and drove it straight through his mother's heart. His blood ran cold at the horrific sight in front of him and he turned his head away feeling unbelievably sick, but the little boy wouldn't have it. He forced Pietro to watch as the man mercilessly slaughtered his mother and sister. There was so much blood, so much pain.
Pietro was dimly aware of a loud clamber and soon the King stood in the room, several guards behind him. Pietro's head was pounding and he could barely make out the words his father was screaming. The little boy soon released Pietro and he fell to the floor, tears pouring from his crystal blue eyes. That was the instant that the warmth in Pietro's eyes dulled and they lost the pure youthful innocence that they had once held. It was a long while before the guards dragged the man and his son away and his senses soon succumbed to darkness. But just before he fell unconscious he saw a familiar face peering at him with big brown eyes. . .
- - - - - - - -
Pietro bolted upright, the scream just escaping his throat. He was breathing heavily and he choked, whimpering softly before finally bursting into tears. He buried his face in the thick cotton blanket that covered his bare chest and he wept. The nightmare was so vivid, so real and he couldn't control all the wild emotions exploding inside of him. Fear, blazing anger, but most of all pain; an overwhelming emotional pain tugging at his heartstrings. He could barely breathe and his body was wracked with huge heaving sobs. It hurt so badly. He was suddenly caught off guard when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his slim waist and somehow the arms seemed familiar. He leaned back and titled his head up to gaze into the same warm brown eyes he had seen that horrible night.
"Lance," he breathed. The man smiled down at him and held him close, running fingers affectionately through his silvery hair. Pietro's heaving sobs became light hiccups and he buried his face in Lance's chest. The man was unbelievably warm and Pietro could barely keep his eyes open. Lance was whispering softly to him, stroking his hair. Pietro had never felt so safe in his life and he allowed his eyes to slide closed. The last words he heard were 'I'll always be here' before he fell into a deep slumber.
When Pietro woke up at last he found a pair of arms wrapped delicately around his waist and a single hand intertwined with his own. It took him a moment to register where he was and when he finally did his heart began thumping rapidly beneath his ribs. He was asleep in Captain Alvers arms and he had had a rather nice amount of sleep. He turned gently so he was facing the man, his hands braced against Lance's well built chest. The Captain looked so peaceful and content and Pietro couldn't bring himself to disturb him. Instead he sighed and snuggled into Lance's chest.
"Morning." Pietro froze, his eyes wide in shock. His cheeks turned and unbelievable shade of red and he slowly backed out of Lance's arms, smiling sheepishly. Lance chuckled and looked at him, the affection in his eyes making Pietro nervous. These feelings he was having, they weren't right. Captain Alvers was a man and so was he. So there shouldn't be any attraction what so ever between the two. Pietro cleared his throat and Lance smiled.
"Good morning Captain Alvers," Pietro said casually, "Did you sleep well?" Lance laughed and Pietro quickly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. How humiliating, he thought. Lance placed his hand on Pietro's shoulder but Pietro ignored it. Lance let his hand drop and he leaned forward, his lips brushing against Pietro's ear.
"Yes, in fact I did," he whispered. Pietro shivered and stood up. He realized soon enough just how cold it was and searched the room for his discarded shirt. He felt a soft pressure over his shoulders and realized Lance had covered him with the blanket. His hands still lingered on Pietro's shoulder and Pietro leaned back, letting Lance gently wrap his arms around his neck. They stood there like that for a good ten minutes before Lance released him and stepped back.
"I'll go get you some breakfast," he called quietly before leaving the room. Pietro sank to his knees and looked at his trembling hands.
"What is wrong with me?" he asked himself quietly, but even he did not know the answer.
x(X)x
SO sorry I didn't update sooner! I had the chapter made I just didn't have time to post it! But no worries, it's here now! I'd just like to say thanks to all my lovely reviewers and my best mate Lavvy! You're the best! If you like my AU fic you should check out hers: Forgive and Forget. It's wonderful! Well I didn't really like this chapter but it's a little fluffy thing and also it explained what happened in the last chapter! So it needed to be there! Hugs to all of those who review!
--Avalanche Maximoff--
It was near midnight when the rain that had been threatening to spill all day had suddenly broke out all at once, surrounding the palace in a thick gray sheet. At the age of ten, young Pietro and Wanda Maximoff were fascinated by the drops of water that fell from the sky. It was well passed their bed-time but neither of them seemed to care as they sat at the window and watched the rain pour onto the earth. Pietro's eyes followed a stray raindrop as it hit the glass and slowly slid down its surface while Wanda watched intently as the water made puddles she later intended to splash in. Both of them were content to sit in silence because, like most twins, they shared a special connection with eachother.
"Pie?" she asked softly, using his nickname affectionately, "Where do you think rain comes from?" Pietro looked up at her with his big blue eyes and smiled widely, showing off his pearly white teeth. His blue eyes held a sort of innocence that most women would kill for to have in their eyes.
"I heard that when it rains God is sad," Pietro told her, "And it's really him crying for us." Wanda looked thoughtful a moment and then nodded. There was suddenly a loud crash from the floor below and both Wanda and Pietro turned towards the door. They heard shouting and then a blood-curdling scream. Their eyes widened in unison and they turned to eachother.
"Mother."
The pair raced down the stairs and stopped just short of the landing, peering over the hand rail. Their mother stood in the middle of the floor, holding her shoulder, blood oozing through her fingers. She had a look of pure agony on her face and tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. The sleeve on her gown was ripped, discarded on the floor at her feet, and the hem of her dress was torn. Pietro stood and his tiptoes to see the culprit as Wanda cowered below him. The man had wild fiery red hair and an equally red beard to match. A small boy stood at his side clutching his sleeve, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. He recognized them as Captain Allerdyce and his son.
"Now, now you're Highness," the man said gruffly, "We had an agreement." Their mother spat at his feet.
"Never," she hissed, "Guards! GUARDS!" The man cackled insanely, the little boy at his side laughing as well. Pietro could feel the anger bubbling within him and he looked down at his twin sister, who was also very angry.
"Oh they won't come," he said and their mother looked horrified, "You're lookin' at the Captain of the King's Guard here. I've ordered them all to stand at their posts." Their mother shook her head and took a step back but in her fear she stepped on the hem of her dress and fell to the floor. The man smirked and advanced on her but the children ran and blocked his path. They hardly looked intimidating, especially Pietro, who had tears glistening in his large blue eyes.
"Wanda! Pietro!" their mother cried, "Go now! Leave immediately!" Pietro shook his head and shut his eyes tightly, a tear managing to slip free.
"No!" Pietro shouted, "Me and Wanda are gonna protect you!" Wanda nodded in affirmative and the man laughed, pushing them aside.
"Johnny!" he called to the younger boy, "Teach these brats a lesson." The boy nodded, an evil grin springing to his lips. Pietro smiled, knowing he and his sister had an advantage over him. Their mutant abilities. Wanda and Pietro gave eachother a meaningful look and Wanda pounced on the boy in an instant, pressing her palms against his cheeks and unleashing her powers. The boy wailed and threw her to the ground in fury. The boy then turned to a torch that was lit nearby and took it from the wall, smiling maliciously.
"You're in for one helluva trip," he warned in his thick accent and reached into the fire, holding it painlessly in the palm of his hand. Pietro blinked at him just as he pulled his arm back and hurled the flaming ball at his sister. Pietro screamed and raced at Wanda, scooping her up into his arms and out of harms way. John scowled and threw numerous balls of flame at the young speed demon. Pietro, of course, managed to dodge them all, smiling smugly. That was until he felt a hard tug on the back of his head and he was drug backwards, accidentally dropping his sister in the process.
"Johnny!" the man cried, "Come hold him down!" The boy was older than Pietro and a lot stronger so it was effortless for him to hold Pietro back as the man advanced on his defenseless mother and sister. Pietro vaguely remembered screaming as the man removed his sword from within its sheath and drove it straight through his mother's heart. His blood ran cold at the horrific sight in front of him and he turned his head away feeling unbelievably sick, but the little boy wouldn't have it. He forced Pietro to watch as the man mercilessly slaughtered his mother and sister. There was so much blood, so much pain.
Pietro was dimly aware of a loud clamber and soon the King stood in the room, several guards behind him. Pietro's head was pounding and he could barely make out the words his father was screaming. The little boy soon released Pietro and he fell to the floor, tears pouring from his crystal blue eyes. That was the instant that the warmth in Pietro's eyes dulled and they lost the pure youthful innocence that they had once held. It was a long while before the guards dragged the man and his son away and his senses soon succumbed to darkness. But just before he fell unconscious he saw a familiar face peering at him with big brown eyes. . .
- - - - - - - -
Pietro bolted upright, the scream just escaping his throat. He was breathing heavily and he choked, whimpering softly before finally bursting into tears. He buried his face in the thick cotton blanket that covered his bare chest and he wept. The nightmare was so vivid, so real and he couldn't control all the wild emotions exploding inside of him. Fear, blazing anger, but most of all pain; an overwhelming emotional pain tugging at his heartstrings. He could barely breathe and his body was wracked with huge heaving sobs. It hurt so badly. He was suddenly caught off guard when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his slim waist and somehow the arms seemed familiar. He leaned back and titled his head up to gaze into the same warm brown eyes he had seen that horrible night.
"Lance," he breathed. The man smiled down at him and held him close, running fingers affectionately through his silvery hair. Pietro's heaving sobs became light hiccups and he buried his face in Lance's chest. The man was unbelievably warm and Pietro could barely keep his eyes open. Lance was whispering softly to him, stroking his hair. Pietro had never felt so safe in his life and he allowed his eyes to slide closed. The last words he heard were 'I'll always be here' before he fell into a deep slumber.
When Pietro woke up at last he found a pair of arms wrapped delicately around his waist and a single hand intertwined with his own. It took him a moment to register where he was and when he finally did his heart began thumping rapidly beneath his ribs. He was asleep in Captain Alvers arms and he had had a rather nice amount of sleep. He turned gently so he was facing the man, his hands braced against Lance's well built chest. The Captain looked so peaceful and content and Pietro couldn't bring himself to disturb him. Instead he sighed and snuggled into Lance's chest.
"Morning." Pietro froze, his eyes wide in shock. His cheeks turned and unbelievable shade of red and he slowly backed out of Lance's arms, smiling sheepishly. Lance chuckled and looked at him, the affection in his eyes making Pietro nervous. These feelings he was having, they weren't right. Captain Alvers was a man and so was he. So there shouldn't be any attraction what so ever between the two. Pietro cleared his throat and Lance smiled.
"Good morning Captain Alvers," Pietro said casually, "Did you sleep well?" Lance laughed and Pietro quickly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. How humiliating, he thought. Lance placed his hand on Pietro's shoulder but Pietro ignored it. Lance let his hand drop and he leaned forward, his lips brushing against Pietro's ear.
"Yes, in fact I did," he whispered. Pietro shivered and stood up. He realized soon enough just how cold it was and searched the room for his discarded shirt. He felt a soft pressure over his shoulders and realized Lance had covered him with the blanket. His hands still lingered on Pietro's shoulder and Pietro leaned back, letting Lance gently wrap his arms around his neck. They stood there like that for a good ten minutes before Lance released him and stepped back.
"I'll go get you some breakfast," he called quietly before leaving the room. Pietro sank to his knees and looked at his trembling hands.
"What is wrong with me?" he asked himself quietly, but even he did not know the answer.
x(X)x
SO sorry I didn't update sooner! I had the chapter made I just didn't have time to post it! But no worries, it's here now! I'd just like to say thanks to all my lovely reviewers and my best mate Lavvy! You're the best! If you like my AU fic you should check out hers: Forgive and Forget. It's wonderful! Well I didn't really like this chapter but it's a little fluffy thing and also it explained what happened in the last chapter! So it needed to be there! Hugs to all of those who review!
--Avalanche Maximoff--