Chapter Five: Secrets Revealed
"Now my dear please have a set. I know your father told you to stand and not talk at all before you both entered. I could tell by the look in you eyes." Queen Arlene said.
Serena took set in a chair across form the queen, Why is she being so nice to me? Something isn't right and it has nothing to do with the fact that her son told of my situation as of late. She couldn't figure what was going on and the Queen looked at her as if she was expected to say something. "I thank you for your kindness Majesty." She nodded her head, "But I know not of what you speak of..."
"Come now, I know your father. Lord Holborne the cruelest man in Ireland before he met your mother, but I suppose after her death he became himself once again. I can tell just by the way you sat with him at dinner tonight." The Queen inquired. "What has he done that has made you so afraid of him?"
A knock was heard in the room but Serena could not figure out where it had come from since the doors that she came through had not opened. She looked around frightened, her eyes wide with surprise when Darien walk out from behind painting on the far wall.
"My dear son I think we might have to not use our secret passages for awhile, at least not until Serena is use to it. Come, come you to should sit. I had just asked the lady why she fears her father so."
Darien sat a little behind his mother and Serena. He sat as if he expected the conversation to continue as if nothing had happened.
"Um, excuse me for asking but why did you sneak in here when you could have come in through the same door as I?" Serena asked as she turned to Darien.
"Quite simple really, I didn't think your father should know that the three of us gathered for a meeting." Arlene spoke defiantly. "Now please answer my question."
Serena's heart raced for she did not know what to do. She looked down at her hands and began to breath heavily, as if she were about to cry. "Before mother's death he was almost never home, but when he was he ignored me and paid little attention to me. So in the time that I spent with my mother I learned to sword fight and battle in hand-to-hand combat. Father never knew and mother was glad. But when I was six she died of ammonia. Father still wasn't around much so I kept up my lessons. At sixteen, Mina my chambermaid, refused to please my Father in an unlady like manner. He was going to punish, and after I heard her scream for the fifth time I could take it no longer and begged him to let me take her place. I did and it hurt so much for he lashed me fifteen times plus five for my, as he put it, insolence." She paused and looked up straight into the Queen's eyes. "Two weeks before we traveled to the palace he told me that I must marry and I said that I would only marry for love. Because I spoke back in a harsh tone, he lashed me for the second time in my life. The carriage ride was hell, no stopping for a good night's sleep or a good day's meal. The harshness of the journey weakened me and I healed in the room that I was in for the past two and a half days." She finished and slowly lowered her head again.
"My Gods!! He hurt you that bad, have you any scares to prove your statement?" Darien asked.
"Why must I prove it? Look into my eyes can you not see the fear, hurt and anger that I have for the man. The first time I was lashed I had no scars because of my magic, the second time however, I was unable to make the worst of them disappear." Tears now slowly streamed down her pale face. "If it weren't for Marcus and Mina I would not have kept my strong will and defiance. I would have not been able to stay strong against him." She cried freely now unable to hold back the emotional turmoil anymore.
"I am sorry I just wasn't sure, the same story has been told to us many times and none have been able to prove it. Please I must ask, do you have the scars to prove your story?" Darien asked again.
Serena shook her head yes and removed the black scarf that covered most of her back. "I only see a few scratches at the most." Darien said.
"I'm not finished..." Serena struggled with the string keeping her bodice in place. She eventually loosened it enough to pull part of the top down, when she was able she covered her chest with the scarf she pulled the rest off.
Darien looked for a moment and then turned away. "I'm sorry..." He trailed off.
"For what, the fact that my father is cruel and cares nothing of others? Or that I have to live with my curse of kindness, maybe for my magic? None of this is your fault highness and there is nothing more you could have done for me." She finished pulling her dress up but had trouble tightening it.
"Let me." The queen said as she stood behind Serena and began to fix the bodice. "Will you for your life take the position of my new lady-in-waiting?"
"Yes, only on one condition." Serena whipped the rest of her tears away and faced the queen and her son.
"You need only ask."
"I want Mina to stay with me, I fear for her safety if I leave."
"Granted!" The queen sat back down and looked at her son and Serena.
Serena turned back to Darien and noticed that her was staring at her in an odd way. "Highness I am sorry for the way I snapped at you, but please understand that I have never told any of this to any one except my closest friends."
"Call me Darien. I stare not at you for the reasons you would expect."
"Then why?"
"I just wonder why you called kindness a curse, and you said you have magic. How powerful are you?"
"My kindness has caused harm to come to others however, it does save many people from a horrible life of pain. Yet I am punished for the money that I give freely to the people of my province. That is why I believe you never receive word of misconduct there. As for my magic I've always had it, it comes from my mother. I can heal others and myself. I also have a power that I use to defend myself, but it does not work against my father for some strange reason. As for how strong I am I do not know, the only thing I do know is that I am most powerful when there is a full moon or a new moon." Serena turned back to the queen. "Majesty please allow me to excuse myself for it is late and I am still not yet fully recovered from my illness."
"Go child get some sleep. I will send some one to escort you to the gardens in the early afternoon. I want you to meet the other women of the castle. Darien walk her to her room, be sure that she is alright." She helped Serena stand and walked to the door with Darien beside her. "Good night and do not worry you are safe here in this castle." Arlene leaned in and kissed Serena's forehead before she closed the door.
Serena and Darien began walking down the hall together, Darien leading the way. They both walked in silence, Serena was afraid that her father would see them to together kept frantically looking about.
"Is something wrong? You seem a bit um... distracted." Darien turned his head toward Serena and noticed her blush slightly. Why is it when I look at her I have this strong urge to keep her from harm? She has lived such a hard life, how she could be so strong it amazing. I bet even without her friends she still would have been strong. Just like her mother, she has strength even she doesn't know about.
"I'm just worried that my father will find that I have become an aquantice of yours persay. I mean I sense something in you that I have never sensed before in a man." Serena kept walking, as she slowly stopped her watchfulness. "You have an aura about you that I have not quite seen before in a man either. The women I know in the village and Mina always have an aura about them, only theirs is a magical aura. No man in that past two thousand years has ever had a magical aura." She stopped for a second and remembered the story that her mother told her.
"There was a prince that would one day have magic and that magic would be used to stop an evil and win a heart. In Ireland it has never happened and it is believed that it never will. However, it is said that two thousand years will pass before this great and joyous event would happened. Where one day a the prince of Ireland would become a king and a husband. And his wife to be would unite the two great kingdoms of Earth. Keep careful watch of those around you my dear daughter, for some day you will met your prince and he will save you with the magic of love."
Could it possibly happen? She pondered, Could he be the one? She looked into Darien's eyes for the first time since she met him and realized that they were of the deepest blues she had ever seen, his eyes reminded her of the sea just before a powerful storm.
Darien looked back at Serena. Her eyes are so blue, like the sky on a summer's day. He took a step closer and Serena flinched a little. Upon noticing this he stopped. Why is she so scared? I have done nothing... He then realized that she was afraid of her father so why wouldn't she be afraid of other men. "I'm sorry..."
"It's okay...I ... just... um... I have to go!" With that Serena turned around and ran down the hall to her room, leaving Darien to stare after her for a short while before he turned and went to his own room.
When Serena entered her room she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. After a few moments she stepped away and began to dress for bed. That's when she realized that she hadn't seen Mina the whole night. What happened to her? Well I'll just build a fire and wait for her to come in. With that in mind she began to build up the fire, when she finished she sat on the sofa bed and looked out the window. She soon slowly began to fall asleep.
Serena jerked awake when she heard a thud at her door. She stood slowly from the couch and noticed that it was still dark. She moved closer and heard nothing but whispered words. Afraid that Mina may have been in trouble she went to the bed and picked up her dagger. She walked over to the door silently and then threw it open.
Upon opening the door Mina fell inside with a man close behind her. Serena picked him up and had her dagger at his throat in an instant. "Who are you and what are you doing to my friend?" She sneered into his ear.
"Serena don't hurt him...please. He's just a friend." Mina said slightly blushing and laughing.
"Not until he answers my questions. Should I repeat them for you Sir?" She asked.
Putting his hands up he gave a slight grin. "No, you need not ask again. I am his Royal Highness' First General Malicate McNeil. And I have nothing but the best intentions toward your friend the Lady Mina. I was simply saying good night to the lady. Now if you would please loosen your grip I could do it properly."
Serena still unsure let him go slowly. When she completely let Malicate go she turned and closed her door. With a snap of her figures the candles in the room lit. The man she had been holding was tall with white hair. His eyes were of an ice blue that could match no others that she had seen. "Forgive me, but when the safety of my friends is concerned I am easily over protective." Serena nodded her head and then stood straight again.
"You must be the Lady Serena I presume?"
"I am."
"Your friend Marcus, warned me about your protectiveness. He said I should not anger you either. I believe him now that I have been caught of guard. You do have quite a grip." He smiled slightly as he rubbed his neck.
"Yes, Marcus was right to warn you." Mina said as she continued laughed at the situation.
"It is late and I should be going, so please excuse me." Malicate bowed to each of the girls and left the room.
Serena turned to Mina who looked as if she were the happiest woman in the world. "I see that you have caught another one in your net of beauty." She smiled and pulled down the coverlet on Mina's bed. "You must be tired. Come on I'll help you get ready for bed. You can tell me everything in the morning over breakfast."
"Serena, just one question before we retire."
"Anything my friend."
"What did the Queen wish to speak to you about?" Mina asked as she finished dressing for bed.
"She asked me to be a Lady-In-Waiting for her." Serena answered simply, but then saw the look of dismay on Mina's face. "Don't worry Mina, you are staying with me. Now get to sleep, I will tell you more in the morning. Good-night." Serena then slid into the main bed and fell back into a dreamless sleep.
Darien lay in his bed pondering about what had happened between himself and Serena in the hallway before she ran off. What did I do that scared her so much? I am sure that I was nothing but polite to her. Did I actually scare her that much? Darien couldn't help but toss and turn in his bed. Some thing just didn't seem right. Some thing in her eyes tells me that there is a lot more to her story then she will say. Eventually Darien was able to sleep if but only for an hour or two.