How It All Began:

Chapter 4

Pain and Strangeness

A/N: I've finally decided, mostly due to my lack of time and my numerous stories, that this will not be a very long fic. Probably 5-10 chapters at most. Sorry if this disappoints anyone, but perhaps when I'm finished with my other fics, I'll do a sequel to this one. And, you could always go and read my other fics and review those! (hint, hint)

And I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out!

Nebulia: Hehe, thanks. I love it when people don't think that I'm totally weird!

FelSong: When I wrote the chapter, I had those transmitting thought things in those triangle things (can't remember what they're called right now), but they don't show up on fanfiction. I suppose I'll just have to make it italic.

Erkith: Good point. I suppose he has the magical power to make her suffer, but not have it show.

Jowa: Yeah, I've had trouble with that in this story. I guess I can't decide whether I should stay with Sherwood Smith's first person, or switch to third person. But right now, it's third person.

Remi: I might get more detailed, but it's not the most complicated magic. Basically, he's under a mind-control spell in which he has his own thoughts, but can't control his actions. Hopefully it will grow with the story!

Thanks also to Wake-Robin, LegoFiance, Diana, Aussiegirl, Saya, Elspeth Renee, Rowenhood and Sheyana.

Mel groaned, pain surrounding her body. She tried to open her eyes, tried to move, but she couldn't.

"Ssshhh," a voice said. "It'll be alright. Just don't move."

"W-who is that?" Mel forced out.

"No one," the voice replied. It was a soothing female voice.

"W-where are we?"

"Nowhere. Now be quiet. Flauvic doesn't know I am healing you."

At this, Mel struggled to sit up, opening her eyes at the same time. "But I thought – I thought that everyone in the city was frozen!"

The woman was pretty and round faced, just into middle-age. She bustled over to a table and gathered something up into her hands. Mel looked around the room. It was small, but clean and bright, a welcome relief from the small dungeon she had been in before. Remembering the dungeon, though, brought back memories of the torture.

Red hot pain.

The agonized face of Shevraeth.

Pain.

Screaming.

Oh! The pain.

Silence, then laughter. High, evil laughter.

Mel shuddered. She didn't ever want to remember that again. Flauvic understood, she realized. He knew that you didn't have to physically hurt someone to cause them pain. The reason he hurt her wasn't just to hurt her, it was to hurt Shevraeth too. Hurting the person you love, not being able to control it. How had he done it?

Flauvic was cunning.

"My lord Flauvic needed servants." The woman's voice cut through Meliara's thoughts.

"Huh?" she said stupidly. The woman looked at her strangely.

"He needed servants to run the castle. He would have preferred his own, but they are mostly not here, so he 'unfroze' some of us. I saw you being carried up here, and decided to help you when Flauvic ordered me to clean the rooms on this floor."

"Isn't there a danger that he'll find you? Doesn't he have magic to here things?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, he does. But currently his focus is on getting servants and followers back from his home in the country and on controlling the Marquis of Shevraeth."

"What?" asked Mel.

"The dear Marquis is giving my lord quite a bit of trouble. He's fighting back against that spell."

"H-how did you know that Shevraeth was under a spell?"

"My dear, I know many things that it does not seem that I know," the woman said mysteriously.

"What's your name?" asked Mel, suddenly curious.

"Now, now dear. It's not seemly for ladies of quality such as yourself to go about knowing the names of all the servants."

"Yes it is!" exclaimed Meliara hotly. "I spent the first sixteen years of my life romping about the woods with my servant. She was my best friend!"

"Well then, dear," said the woman, "I'm afraid I've underestimated you. I thought all nobles to be like Flauvic in the way they treat their servants: horrible."

Something in the way the woman said that made Meliara suspect that she didn't think that. Not at all. In fact, Meliara had a suspicion that the woman wasn't who she seemed to be. Another question popped up in her mind, however. One that couldn't be ignored.

"How come I'm in a bedroom again, and not in a cell."

The woman cackled. "Oh dear. You'll see."

"What?"

"Never mind. Now," she said, swiftly changing the subject, "let's look at that arm of yours."

Mel frowned, but looked down, then gasped. Her entire arm was in much pain, but there wasn't a single mark on it.

"Wha—?" she started, astonished. The woman grimaced.

"He doesn't want to touch your beauty," she explained, "but he wants to bring you pain."

"Yes, I can feel that," Mel said through her teeth, grimacing. The pain had suddenly become much more pronounced.

"Well, I must be going off," said the woman, gathering her things together. "Mustn't let Flauvic get suspicious." And with that, she was off.

Mel sat on the bed, wondering. The woman certainly was strange. But was she dangerous? No, she didn't think so. Perhaps just slightly eccentric. Too many years using cleaning soap to wash rooms.

Suddenly, a light tap on the door made Meliara look up.

"Who is it?" she asked.

The door opened, revealing a joyful-looking Flauvic.

"What do you want?" Mel spat, struggling to get out of the bed.

"Ah, it seems like our little Meliara is feeling better," he said. His voice sent unpleasant shivers up and down Mel's spine.

She finally got out of bed, and nearly fainted when she stood up, the pain was so great. She walked slowly, but steadily towards the window, ignoring Flauvic. Unfortunately, Flauvic wasn't off by the display of coldness. Mel felt him coming up behind her, and closed her eyes, pretending he hadn't.

A cold hand touched her neck, and she flinched, keeping her eyes closed.

"I'm all you've ever dreamed of," whispered Flauvic, his warm breath on her neck a counterpoint to the cold hands. Mel stood stock still, waiting for a chance to hurt him.

She cringed when his lips touched her neck, but she let him do it, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He was almost there…he was turning her slowly. Her knee was almost in position.

Just as she was about to strike, he pushed her back against the wall, pinning her legs, and kissed her roughly.

Mel tried to scream.

A/N: Wow, this fic is certainly getting iffy. It's still PG-13 though, and nothing will be described if anything super terrible happens. Anyway, I actually liked this chapter. It was a lot easier to write than the previous ones. Please review!

-Crystaltambaia