Wild-Roze: Ok, well I hope u like this chapter.
Confusion.
What other word could describe what she was feeling? Confusion between gratitude, hatred, love and resentment. Gratitude for his assistance. Hatred for his arrogance, and his cruelty. Love for what she knew he could be. And resentment for helping her, despite the fact that she had needed it.
Aika sat in the Mess in Soltis, on a small table, Belle sat with her, the two women had been silent for a while, their two sons had gone off together, after a brief introduction the two little boys had gotten on surprisingly well, and Galcian had offered to show Vyse around the various parts of Soltis that he had not yet seen. She sighed.
"What am I going to do Belle?" She asked. She had told Belle the truth, after all she trusted this woman more than anyone else, and after both experiencing Vigoro's lustful wrath, she felt it was only right. She could not keep such secrets locked away within her anymore, the tension over the last nine ten years had built up within her, thought of him, and thoughts of her son growing up without a father. So, after promptly leaving Ramirez's room she had sought out Belle and poured her heart out.
Her friend was silent, staring down into the swirling marble table top, as if lost in its depths. Aika watched her for several moments, until finally Belle raised her head. The chocolate coloured eyes were filled with tears.
"Aika, how can you love the man who has reduced the Blue Rogues to this?" She breathed quietly, her voice trembling as she tugged on the collar around her neck.
Aika opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't, and, overcome with emotion, she let the hot fluids roll down her cheeks. Neither of them knew what to say, and sat there for a long time, wrapped in their own pains and torments.
"Aika," The exquisite lavender eyes met with Belle's, "I know that everything that we once had, our friends, our homes, they were all destroyed long ago. It has been hard, very hard to survive in this new world, but this new world is what we are stuck with now, whether we like it, or not. So many have nothing, so many would love to have what you could give yourself. A beautiful son, and a man who will bind himself to you, as I believe the Emperor will. Our past lives are over, and we must learn to make the best of it, and learn to settle under this new rule. It has been a long time since any major skirmishes have broken out, people are starting to live under the law of Soltis, and in time, I believe that people will come to respect and gladly obey Ramirez." She said, in a sad tone. "So, Aika, I think you should make the best of your situation, I think you should go to Ramirez, tell him about his son, he has a right to know."
Gratitude welled in Aika, and she smiled gently at the younger woman through her Ixa-Ness tattoos.
"Thank you Belle." She murmured, her voice heavy and choked.
Aika slowly stood up.
"I'm sure you will not want to be going back to your room, unless Ramirez has killed him, Vigoro will have bled to death, or he will still be alive. You and your son are welcome to share our room." She said, before turning and leaving, without waiting for a response.
Aika shifted uncomfortably in her bandages as she walked, at least Ramirez had healed the various wounds on the outside of her body, but inside…
Amongst the storm of hatred and fury, and resentment, there was one small portion of her heart that clung to that one tender softness, that feeling of love towards the man who had taken her innocence and her soul. She didn't know what to do, and allowed her feet to carry her where they would.
Still in over ten years…. She had still not forgotten her first love, Vyse, and the terrible, wonderful guilt she had felt at betraying him and her friends, letting them down, and allowing Ramirez to take her… no… not allowing him to…. Wanting him to.
She smiled softly, allowing her memories of how her life once had been to surface.
After loosing her parents when she was little, Vyse's mother and father had always looked out for her, and Vyse had been her closest friend. His cocky grin, his slightly arrogant nature, his cheerfulness, the way he never thought of himself, but always of others…. The way he never gave up.
She frowned as she saw where her idle feet had led her. The ornate double doors of Ramirez's room.
She glanced around, surprised that there seemed to be so little security in this area, she guessed it was because Ramirez could more than hold his own against anyone who might try and break into his personal quarters.
Belle's words came back to her…
"tell him about his son, he has a right to know."
… She sighed, and knocked lightly, not really wanting to be heard.
Of course, things never went as planned. Barely a moment later, the door was flung open, and she was faced with the Emperor who looked to be in a particularly foul mood.
Brief surprise passed across his hard features before he looked steadily into her eyes….. the eyes he had remembered so well.
"Ramirez…" She paused when she noticed his face sour at her use of his first name, and smirked slightly. "I mean, Master, I need to speak with you."
"Speak then." He said plainly, making no move to allow her access.
"Inside?" She asked as if she was speaking to a two year old.
The Silvite narrowed his eyes and stiffly stepped aside and led her in, nudging the door closed behind her. Then faced her silently, arms crossed.
Aika took this as a sign that she should talk.
"First of all," she murmured, lowering her gaze, "I would like to thank you for my life."
She felt a wave of unspeakable guilt wash over her, at thanking this man for anything, particularly saving her, after all, she had once begged him to take her life.
"I don't care about you!" Snarled Ramirez as if she were insane, "It was a matter of principle, you belong to me, and I do not want others touching my property! So you can save your meaningless thanks." The Emperor knew that what he said was not true, the moment he had seen her the way she had been…. Naked, and abused… something other than ownership had stirred in him. He had never experienced emotions like this, so he was unsure of what they were. He had recognised a few; fierce rage, anger beyond words, and something he knew to be concern. He watched as the words hit her, he expected her to explode and start screaming at him, he was in the mood for a verbal battle at the moment. Her eyes dimmed and she allowed them to drop to the floor, this was the only thing that gave away the amount of hurt he had just caused her, this seemed to trigger an almost painful reaction in his breast, but he stood firm, determined not to show it.
"And, secondly," She continued in a quieter tone, "I need to talk to you, about Vyse."
Ramirez smirked, remembering his victory over the pathetic air pirate. He took no huge amounts of joy in killing, he did not do it for fun. He did it for revenge, he did it to gain obedience, and he did it to make a point. But, he had taken a large amount of pleasure from taking the Blue Rogue's life. He refocused on the present, realising that she was not talking about her dead love, but her son. This made him narrow his eyes, the thought of the boy, the boy who was not his made him seethe.
"I need to tell you about his father…" She said, glancing at him.
"You need to tell me nothing!" He barked, anger the most forefront emotion in his voice… backed by perhaps jealousy. "The boy is not mine, that is all there is to it!"
Aika blinked. Was he really that blind? Could he not see the uncanny resemblance?
"Actually Ramirez," She said, watching as a strange thing happened, a glimmer of what she perceived to be hope shot into his eyes at her objection to his statement. "Vyse, is your son."
For a moment, the Lord was silent, and Aika watched as a score of unnamed feelings flashed through his emerald eyes.
In a second he had stepped forward, gripping her forearms painfully hard, glaring into her eyes.
"Do not lie to me woman!" he said, his voice almost a whisper.
She winced in his grip.
"I'm not lying!" She breathed.
There was a sudden, sharp tap on the door. Ramirez glared at Aika for a second, before he released her and turned. Rubbing her arms, she looked to see who it was, and her eyes narrowed. Marco stood at the door, and Vyse was with him. he didn't seem to notice her.
He instantly went down on one knee.
"Emperor Ramirez, this boy claims that his mother goes both by the name of Atai of Ixa-ness and also By… Aika of the Blue Rogues." He said, still bowing.
"That's right, I came back Marco, and I can tell you that I'm not impressed with the way you have grown up."
The red head of the man snapped up, and his mouth fell open when he saw Aika, arms akimbo, and glaring down at him. His persona quickly changed however, eyes narrowing, and resentment building.
"You left me here!" he snarled, standing without permission.
Vyse stood, confused at the scene that unravelled before him.
"How little faith do you have in me Marco? Did you really think I wouldn't come back?" She said, her anger, too, rising.
"For ten years? Yeah, I was beginning to wonder!" he said.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Look at what you have become Marco, don't you remember the times aboard the Delphinus?" She asked, her voice softer now.
"Enough!" Snapped Ramirez, "I will not have you trying to poison the minds of my Admiral, Marco, leave the boy here with us." He said.
"His mind is already poisoned beyond help if he cant even remember who it was who brought down the Rains of destruction upon Valua!"
"Leave!" Yelled Ramirez at Marco who seemed to be blinking hard, keeping back tears. Still, he managed to snap his heels smartly together, and turn, closing the door.
Silence deafened the three in the room. Aika scowled at Ramirez, Ramirez Glared at her, and Vyse, he scowled at both of them.
After a long pause, it was finally broken by the confused little boy.
"Hey! What is going on here? Mum! How do these people know you?"
Aika looked at her son, and sighed.
"Vyse, all your life we have lived in Ixa-Ness, but, before you were born, I was not an Ixa-Ness Demon. I once… lived… here in Soltis." She said, glancing at Ramirez, hoping that he would help her explain their situation, but, he just watched silently. "You see, there was a terrible war, and many of my friends were killed, including the man who I loved, and always have, the one who I named you after."
Ramirez's growl did not go unnoticed by the pair.
"Now, after the war, I came here, at first, I was going to be a slave, but, then… I … well…. The Emperor here, he …. Made sure that I ….." She struggled to find the words that would help the nine year old to understand.
"I took her as my personal servant." Ramirez stated bluntly, receiving a furious glare from the red haired woman.
"Vyse, what you really need to know is… that your father…he…"
The door burst open, Marco once again stood there.
"Lord, I just met Vigoro, he was slumped in the corridor outside his quarters, he's naked and… his…" Marco winced as he thought of Vigoro's state.
"I am fully aware of the Generals condition. Drag him back inside his room and make sure he stays there, but first, take this boy back to his quarters. You," He said, pointing at Aika, "come with me."
Aika watched, speechless as Marco led Vyse away, and, once they were gone she rounded on Ramirez.
"Why in Deep Sky did you send him away! He is your son! He needs to know!" She screeched.
Ramirez looked at her.
"Little One, what your telling me, is it the truth?" he said, his eyes seeming to penetrate her to the core.
"Yes Ramirez, Vyse is your son, can you not see it?" She breathed.
He smirked.
"The boy will make a fine Emperor one day." He said. "But for now, you will come with me." He said, motioning for her to follow him.
Aika stood, if anything, even more confused than she had been before, and, with a resigned sigh, she fell into step behind him.
Vyse stared up at Marco, his lavender eyes curious.
"What are you looking at Kid?" Marco asked sourly, as he led the boy back to his quarters.
"How do you know my mother?" He questioned.
Marco grunted.
"We go a long way back." Was all he could think to say.
"Hmmm." Vyse had stopped, consequently forcing Marco to stop too.
"What are you doing Kid? Come with me!" He snapped.
"I need a favour." Vyse said, ignoring Marco's request, "I need you to help me get my mum and the Emperor together."
"What?!" Marco stammered, shocked.
"Think about it, Emps seems to be the moody type who hasn't had a woman in years. My mum hasn't been with a man my entire life, and the other women in the tribe started to get desperate after only a few months." He said. "They are both obviously lonely, and they would be perfect together!" He said, his eyes triumphant.
Marco frowned…. If Aika had not had intercourse with a man the entire time she had been away from Soltis… then….. Marco looked at the boy. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. Ramirez's son!
The felt compelled to go down on one knee before the Prince, but stopped himself, the boy clearly had no idea who his father was. The man grinned, he knew the Emperor would not usually thank him for meddling in his love life, but he thought that in this case, he could probably get away with it.
"Alright Vyse, I'll do my best, but we may find that we don't need to even do anything." He said.
'So that was why Aika left.' He remembered how guilty she had felt for failing in the initial fight against Ramirez, he couldn't imagine how she felt after she fell in love, and into his bed with him. No wonder she left.
Marco glanced down at the boy again, seeing him in a new light. Now seeing him as the future Emperor.
Vigoro had never know pain like this. The pounding agonies which constantly seared through his groin and lower body were enough to make him swim in and out of consciousness, and when awake, he screamed from the unbearable torment his body was going through.
He remembered staggering into the corridor, covered in his still-flowing blood, with the intentions of getting to the infirmary, however, he had passed out, and now awoke to find himself back in his room again. However, this time he was not alone. He groaned, as his eyes wandered up the curvy body, and into the lavender pools, filled with loathing.
"H-hey, Red.." He managed to choke out.
Aika had never thought herself to be a ruthless killer before, but now, holding the elegant blade Ramirez had handed her, she felt a swell of longing to cut this man's throat. She sneered down at him, and came to stand over him.
"Look at you now Vigoro, just look at you now." She said, and delivered a stunning boot to the remnants of his crotch. Vigoro screamed, a blood vessel in his eye exploding, and turning his whites a sickly red, he then rolled over and vomited profusely.
She stood over him, and smiled.
Ramirez stood over him, and laughed in triumph, he had won and his Lord Galcian was avenged! Vyse was dead
Aika gasped and staggered away from Vigoro. For the first time she seemed to open her eyes and see the pain she had inflicted, and the vision of Ramirez standing above her dead love came to her, just as she had been standing over Vigoro, willing to take his life. The blade thumped into the carpeted floor, point first. This was not her, how could she have allowed hate to engulf her so. She looked down, she was still dressed in the bed robe that Ramirez had dressed her in, she had been ignoring the lustful glances she had been receiving all day. But, now the delicate material was splattered with small spots of blood, staining it grossly.
She sank to the floor, and sobbed, her noises mingling with the agonised groans of the former General.
When Aika finally emerged from the room, she was red eyed, and Ramirez, who had waited patiently outside quirked a brow at her.
"You told me that his life was mine to do what I like with. I want him healed, if he can be, then I want him to be stripped of him post as General, and I want him to be made into Belle's personal slave to do what she likes with, and if that includes killing him then so be it." She said, almost robotically.
Ramirez stepped forward so her body was flush against his, and he held her gaze for a time.
"You are weak Little One, you know that Vigoro's whore will never order the execution of the father of her spawn." He said.
"Be it as the Moons would like it." She murmured.
"The Moons now obey only one voice, Little One, mine, and I say that you shall never, never leave my side again." He said, his voice low.
Wild-Roze: Okies, that was that. Hope u liked, and btw, thanks again everyone, I've got all my fingers crossed that this gets into the Elites, it will be such an honour!