AN: You might want to read the previous chapters to jog up your memory.
~A special thanks to those who have emailed me or reviewed to encourage my return, thanks so very much.~
*Dedication: My grandma, Miriam. May you find your peace.*
Part 4: Secrets of Infer Manor
She stood in the center of the room. Eyes fixated on the dynamic Celtic symbols that marred her carpet, Helena was hypnotized by both it's design and her own thoughts.
Moments earlier, she directed the driver to drop her off near the southern wing, the servant's quarters; escaping possible view by Marcus, who was sure to be waiting in the entry area for Endymion. Or her.
She let out an exhausted sigh and took a moment to appreciate her surroundings, it was not every day she came to Infer Manor.
She wasn't a fool, knowing quite well Endymion did not want her around
But just this moment her attention wavered from her tedious thoughts to the richly decorated room. The stone walls were adorned with silken covers imported from Chin-Yi, keeping most of the draft out; while the floor was covered with one think carpet that spread around the room, allowing her to roam shoeless without getting a possible chill.
But the most spectacular feature in her room was her bed. Made out of marble imported from Rome, it was lavished by a feathered under cushion, and soft sheep and wolf furs. But the element that made it unique were the 600 priceless gems sewn into the silken cover. Rubies, diamonds, jades and amethyst jewels sparkled, adding wealth to the mostly average room in Infer.
Running her hands over each gem, Helena smiled. Endymion may not want her, but he had committed to her; and he is not the type to go against such a commitment. "Yes", she thought, "I will miss this room once I move into the Lady of the Manor's adjoining suite,"
Suddenly, all the tension, anxiety and fear came crashing down on her shoulders.
Clutching the nearest jewel, a diamond, she ripped it from the careful stitching and threw across the room losing sight of it as it hit the wall.
"...and Marcus will not ruin it for me,"
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He sighed for the third time in the last half hour. His brother was late, what a surprise. Mentally shaking his head in an effort to relieve his growing displeasure, Marcus looked at the butler; with fire in his eyes.
"When is he coming?" the words smoothly escaping his lips with no hint of his inner rage, except for those now amber eyes.
Clearing his throat, the butler answered stoically, unnerved by the man in front of him. Serving his master for the past two decades endowed within him this type of immunity, "Lord Endymion will be arriving any minute, the nearest scout two miles down received notice that his party was coming over the adjacent hill of Infer,"
Not replying, Marcus turned his back to the butler and sat on one of the many plush leather couches in Endymion's library-living room. He watched as the butler bowed respectively and left before addressing his three companions.
"Byron, do you think he knows?"
A large man with sharp cheekbones and a pale complexion that made his red hair dominate his entire self, replied with a heavy British accent, "No, this plan was not meant for even us. It is highly unlikely that he knows,"
Another man, Gaeth, lean and with more boyish features in his soft green eyes and neatly trimmed blond hair, came forward to sit across from Marcus, "My friend, I worry about our coming here. Your brother is notorious for protecting what is his,"
A dark shadow past over Marcus's face as he muttered to no one in particularly, but somehow landed on his last companion, Alan, "…yes he is,"
"Oh cheer up ol' boy, what's with the glum mood," Alan said, his blue eyes lighting up with mischief. Lightly swirling his second brandy glass, he ran a his other hand though his light brown hair. "I mean, us blubbering about what ifs and other….other…"
His voice wavered as he dramatized his hand, trying to find the right word, "…other…what ifs, yes, what ifs,"
"For the love of God man! It's barely evening and your wet-tongued," Byron said incredulously. For being the oldest at 34, he had passed this phase in his youth; but Alan, still living out his youth at 25, was swimming in alcohol.
Alan snorted before sitting down next to William, "You, sir, are just jealous that we can still have fun. At your age I wonder how you ride a horse,"
"I'll let that pass, lad. I'll just blame it on the wine," Byron said in a one tone sentence.
Before Alan opened his mouth to make one of his witty comments, the butler came in and announced, "He has arrived,"
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Serenity let out another yawn as she tried to burrow her head in the warmth of Endymion's shoulders. He didn't know whether or not she knew who's arms she was in as he carried her sleeping form into the Manor.
As he entered the Manor, the door opened by Rian, his butler, he greeted him with a slight nod, "Are they here already?"
"Yes, my lord. They are awaiting your company in the library's parallel living room," Rian replied, respectfully keeping his eyes off Serenity.
"Thank you, you may retire for the evening. But first please call Moira to my room," Endymion instructed.
"Of course,"
Turing towards the stairs, Endymion followed the mazes of halls he knew by heart towards his private wing. Maneuvering his cargo to open the door, he entered his quarters; closing the door with his foot.
Walking to wards his co'tour bed, he placed Serenity on it; and watched with fascination as she now nestled deep into the covers. A knock interrupted his thoughts as he called his head personal assistant in.
"Moira, I want you to wake her and help her wash. She also requires a new nightdress, I know we have some hidden in the main guest closets. I will be back in a couple of hours,"
Smiling at him, the plump gray-haired woman nodded, "Don't worry 'bout a thing, I'll take care of her,"
"Thank you," Turing to leave the room, he took a last glance at Serenity before making his way the library; and to the one person he could not control.
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As the door opened, all occupants of the room stood up, sober and ready. Marcus never took his eyes off his bother's form as he entered the room and stood before them all.
An awkward moment of silence overcame the group as each person awaited the first move. Leave it to Alan to assert himself the honorable volunteer, "Well, finally, we all thought you were picking clovers on Mt. Eion and got lost,"
Raising a questioning eyebrow, Endymion met the cold eyes of his brother, "You said King James had official business with me,"
Not immediately answering, Marcus bore into his brother's eyes and said, "War is coming, brother. And it's coming fast,"
Byron came forward presenting himself, "There is a new force living in England, their Prince has arrived from his conquests in the Africana. He has his sights set on Ireland, and his father is obliging his greed,"
"Negotiations have failed brother, Ireland has no representation, and neither does Infer," Marcus stated.
Endymion's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What the hell are you saying, Infer is no longer Independent of the crown?"
"No,"
Marcus stared hard into the eyes of Endymion, both locked in a battle of pride and power. While both abhorred being in the presence of each other, Infer was another matter; this was their ancestry, their home.
And while neither will ever waiver from their dislike, this was common ground for a union.
"I came here," Marcus started, "intending to raise an army, one the world has never seen, to unite all of Ireland and save Infer. I came here to ask for your union,"
Before Endymion could even consider giving an answer, a piercing scream broke through the halls and into the room.
Five male bodies ran towards the exit, awkwardly tripping over furniture and themselves; through the mazes of halls they followed Endymion's lead, uncertain of what they would find.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liam (LEE-UM)- "Unwavering protector": Endymion's Middle name.
Marcus (MAR-CUS)- "God of War"
Byron (BI-RON)- "Noble Warrior"
Gaeth (GAY-TH)- "Intelligent, skillful"
Alan (AL-ON)- "Peaceful" "handsome"
Moira (MOY-RA)- "Benevolent one"
~The names above are all Irish rooted. The meanings give you an idea of the personalities of the characters, and I thought they were really beautiful.~
AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know there are some loose ends but the next chapter will reveal so much (especially about Marcus and Helena, and major interaction w/ Sere and Endy).
Since it's been a while, it all depends on if people are still interested.
~A special thanks to those who have emailed me or reviewed to encourage my return, thanks so very much.~
*Dedication: My grandma, Miriam. May you find your peace.*
Part 4: Secrets of Infer Manor
She stood in the center of the room. Eyes fixated on the dynamic Celtic symbols that marred her carpet, Helena was hypnotized by both it's design and her own thoughts.
Moments earlier, she directed the driver to drop her off near the southern wing, the servant's quarters; escaping possible view by Marcus, who was sure to be waiting in the entry area for Endymion. Or her.
She let out an exhausted sigh and took a moment to appreciate her surroundings, it was not every day she came to Infer Manor.
She wasn't a fool, knowing quite well Endymion did not want her around
But just this moment her attention wavered from her tedious thoughts to the richly decorated room. The stone walls were adorned with silken covers imported from Chin-Yi, keeping most of the draft out; while the floor was covered with one think carpet that spread around the room, allowing her to roam shoeless without getting a possible chill.
But the most spectacular feature in her room was her bed. Made out of marble imported from Rome, it was lavished by a feathered under cushion, and soft sheep and wolf furs. But the element that made it unique were the 600 priceless gems sewn into the silken cover. Rubies, diamonds, jades and amethyst jewels sparkled, adding wealth to the mostly average room in Infer.
Running her hands over each gem, Helena smiled. Endymion may not want her, but he had committed to her; and he is not the type to go against such a commitment. "Yes", she thought, "I will miss this room once I move into the Lady of the Manor's adjoining suite,"
Suddenly, all the tension, anxiety and fear came crashing down on her shoulders.
Clutching the nearest jewel, a diamond, she ripped it from the careful stitching and threw across the room losing sight of it as it hit the wall.
"...and Marcus will not ruin it for me,"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He sighed for the third time in the last half hour. His brother was late, what a surprise. Mentally shaking his head in an effort to relieve his growing displeasure, Marcus looked at the butler; with fire in his eyes.
"When is he coming?" the words smoothly escaping his lips with no hint of his inner rage, except for those now amber eyes.
Clearing his throat, the butler answered stoically, unnerved by the man in front of him. Serving his master for the past two decades endowed within him this type of immunity, "Lord Endymion will be arriving any minute, the nearest scout two miles down received notice that his party was coming over the adjacent hill of Infer,"
Not replying, Marcus turned his back to the butler and sat on one of the many plush leather couches in Endymion's library-living room. He watched as the butler bowed respectively and left before addressing his three companions.
"Byron, do you think he knows?"
A large man with sharp cheekbones and a pale complexion that made his red hair dominate his entire self, replied with a heavy British accent, "No, this plan was not meant for even us. It is highly unlikely that he knows,"
Another man, Gaeth, lean and with more boyish features in his soft green eyes and neatly trimmed blond hair, came forward to sit across from Marcus, "My friend, I worry about our coming here. Your brother is notorious for protecting what is his,"
A dark shadow past over Marcus's face as he muttered to no one in particularly, but somehow landed on his last companion, Alan, "…yes he is,"
"Oh cheer up ol' boy, what's with the glum mood," Alan said, his blue eyes lighting up with mischief. Lightly swirling his second brandy glass, he ran a his other hand though his light brown hair. "I mean, us blubbering about what ifs and other….other…"
His voice wavered as he dramatized his hand, trying to find the right word, "…other…what ifs, yes, what ifs,"
"For the love of God man! It's barely evening and your wet-tongued," Byron said incredulously. For being the oldest at 34, he had passed this phase in his youth; but Alan, still living out his youth at 25, was swimming in alcohol.
Alan snorted before sitting down next to William, "You, sir, are just jealous that we can still have fun. At your age I wonder how you ride a horse,"
"I'll let that pass, lad. I'll just blame it on the wine," Byron said in a one tone sentence.
Before Alan opened his mouth to make one of his witty comments, the butler came in and announced, "He has arrived,"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Serenity let out another yawn as she tried to burrow her head in the warmth of Endymion's shoulders. He didn't know whether or not she knew who's arms she was in as he carried her sleeping form into the Manor.
As he entered the Manor, the door opened by Rian, his butler, he greeted him with a slight nod, "Are they here already?"
"Yes, my lord. They are awaiting your company in the library's parallel living room," Rian replied, respectfully keeping his eyes off Serenity.
"Thank you, you may retire for the evening. But first please call Moira to my room," Endymion instructed.
"Of course,"
Turing towards the stairs, Endymion followed the mazes of halls he knew by heart towards his private wing. Maneuvering his cargo to open the door, he entered his quarters; closing the door with his foot.
Walking to wards his co'tour bed, he placed Serenity on it; and watched with fascination as she now nestled deep into the covers. A knock interrupted his thoughts as he called his head personal assistant in.
"Moira, I want you to wake her and help her wash. She also requires a new nightdress, I know we have some hidden in the main guest closets. I will be back in a couple of hours,"
Smiling at him, the plump gray-haired woman nodded, "Don't worry 'bout a thing, I'll take care of her,"
"Thank you," Turing to leave the room, he took a last glance at Serenity before making his way the library; and to the one person he could not control.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the door opened, all occupants of the room stood up, sober and ready. Marcus never took his eyes off his bother's form as he entered the room and stood before them all.
An awkward moment of silence overcame the group as each person awaited the first move. Leave it to Alan to assert himself the honorable volunteer, "Well, finally, we all thought you were picking clovers on Mt. Eion and got lost,"
Raising a questioning eyebrow, Endymion met the cold eyes of his brother, "You said King James had official business with me,"
Not immediately answering, Marcus bore into his brother's eyes and said, "War is coming, brother. And it's coming fast,"
Byron came forward presenting himself, "There is a new force living in England, their Prince has arrived from his conquests in the Africana. He has his sights set on Ireland, and his father is obliging his greed,"
"Negotiations have failed brother, Ireland has no representation, and neither does Infer," Marcus stated.
Endymion's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What the hell are you saying, Infer is no longer Independent of the crown?"
"No,"
Marcus stared hard into the eyes of Endymion, both locked in a battle of pride and power. While both abhorred being in the presence of each other, Infer was another matter; this was their ancestry, their home.
And while neither will ever waiver from their dislike, this was common ground for a union.
"I came here," Marcus started, "intending to raise an army, one the world has never seen, to unite all of Ireland and save Infer. I came here to ask for your union,"
Before Endymion could even consider giving an answer, a piercing scream broke through the halls and into the room.
Five male bodies ran towards the exit, awkwardly tripping over furniture and themselves; through the mazes of halls they followed Endymion's lead, uncertain of what they would find.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Liam (LEE-UM)- "Unwavering protector": Endymion's Middle name.
Marcus (MAR-CUS)- "God of War"
Byron (BI-RON)- "Noble Warrior"
Gaeth (GAY-TH)- "Intelligent, skillful"
Alan (AL-ON)- "Peaceful" "handsome"
Moira (MOY-RA)- "Benevolent one"
~The names above are all Irish rooted. The meanings give you an idea of the personalities of the characters, and I thought they were really beautiful.~
AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know there are some loose ends but the next chapter will reveal so much (especially about Marcus and Helena, and major interaction w/ Sere and Endy).
Since it's been a while, it all depends on if people are still interested.