Hey guys! I bring you a new chapter for you to enjoy. I also have to say that in the near future there will be a chapter that will contain sex between Geo and Ruby. I will post a warning for those who don't really like to read such things. Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy this. Have a great read, bye!

A Shattered Life

Chapter 6: Painful Memories

The room wasn't very big to start with, and it was made even smaller still by the stacks of boxes filled with forgotten objects, piles of old rags, blankets, clothes, canvas, books, and numerous other things occupying it. The floor was almost entirely hidden, and what could be seen was a dirty mucky grayish brown with age. Sunlight penetrated the room through small rips in the curtain that hung like a dead animal in the window, the light was reflecting off the tiny bits of dust that were still floating around in the air. "It's been quite a couple of years since the last time I was here." Geo looked at his surroundings, as sweet memories with his older brother came to him. "I wonder where he placed that box." He continued with the search.

Lord Geo was searching for a special box that once belonged to his brother, Cerviel. What was inside was a mystery to him, as he never dared to come to this room after the loss of his mother and brother. But now, for some unknown reason, his heart was filled with curiosity to discover the secrets inside. "I know he stashed it here somewhere, but where?" He pondered. "That brother of mine was always so secretive with his stuff, but I never understood why. It's not like someone was going to steal them or anything."

He walked to the old and rotten closet, he placed his hand on the door's handle and pulled it down, revealing an old set of armor covered with dust and spider webs. "I remember when he got this armor from father, he felt so proud that day he even dressed it for Sunny's wedding, everyone stared at us, it really was embarrassing. Unfortunately, he wrecked the breastplate when he got drunk with his friends, making father angry beyond belief." Geo chuckled. "Haha! Those were good times."

Geo ran his hand across the armor to clean the dust and remove the webs that were all around. This set of armor has a round helm with two rounded holes leaving the eyes minimally exposed. Attached to the top is a long, wing-shaped ornament curving across the helm, towards the backside. The shoulders are oval, very long and big. They're decorated with several rows of small, sharp spikes. Each row reaches from back to front. The upper arms are protected by squared, half covering rerebraces which sit quite well under the shoulder-plates.

"After I arrive to Gwain, I'll take this armor and place it in my brother's grave where it rightfully belongs." Said the boy. Then, as he made his way towards another section of the room, he stepped upon the frame of a picture and broke it's fragile glass. Geo looked down and noticed it was a photo, he got down on his knees and grabbed it to take a closer look, but he wasn't careful enough while removing a few pieces of broken glass so his hand suffered a few cuts without him noticing. "I can't believe he kept this, I barely remember when this picture was taken. I must have been what? Eight years old?" The photo showed Geo's hair being ruffled by his older brother who was smiling, while he was trying to escape from Cerviel's grip around his neck. "...I-I miss you and mother, you have no idea how much. I really wished you two were here right now. There's a lot of things that were left unspoken between us, but I like to believe that you both knew how much you meant to me."

At that precise moment he heard footsteps behind the door and quickly placed the photograph inside his left pocket. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door, but before Geo could go there and open it. Ruby unlocked the door and came in. She saw the heir in the middle of the room with one of his hands dripping blood on the floor. "Geo, what happened to your hand? You are bleeding."

"Oh! I didn't even notice, to be honest it doesn't hurt that much." He looked at his blood-soaked hand.

Ruby shook her head sideways, then she started to search her pockets for something that could be used to wrap around Geo's injured hand. Luckily, she found a few bandages that she had received from Sunny the day she first met her at the village. "You have to be more careful." She removed three small pieces of broken glass that were stuck in the Lord's hand before wrapping it with the bandages. "What were you doing to get these cuts? And who's room is this? It seems no one has been here in years." Ruby asked intrigued.

"This place once belonged to my brother, Cerviel. And I gained these cuts because, well I found this old photo of me and my brother when we were younger on the floor with some glass over it." He showed her the picture.

Ruby took a look at the picture. "Hehe! Your brother seems to be giving you a bad time there." She giggled a little. Of course, after that she immediately remembered what Sunny had told her a while ago about what happened to Geo's family, so her smile quickly vanished.

Geo chuckled. "He was the older brother, I think it's was his job to make life difficult for me."

"I guess that's true." Said Ruby, as she too knew what was like being the younger sibling in a family. "Hey! I want to ask you a question, but I'm kind of worried you will be mad at me." Ruby felt a bit nervous. "So can you promise to not get mad?"

Why do I have a feeling she will ask about Cerviel and my mother. He thought. If there was a particular subject that Geo didn't like to talk about, that would be the tragedy that fell upon his family. "It's about what happened to my family isn't it? I bet Sunny said something she shouldn't have."

"I-If you don't want to talk about it that's fine." She replied. "But Sunny told me that you never talked to anyone, not even your dad, so I thought that maybe you would to talk to me. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, I will leave you alone now." Ruby was about to leave.

The young boy sighed. "It's fine, there's no need for you to leave." Then, he took a seat on the bed. "I...I don't like to speak about what transpired that day, and I have no clue why I'm about to tell you but perhaps it will help clear my mind." Geo closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. "The only thing I ask you is for you to not say anything to anyone, okay?"

Ruby nodded, and approached the bed, taking a seat next to the heir. "We were traveling around the region to see new settlements because my father wanted to build connections with them so he could find new ways to support our town with money and food. Everything was going well at first, I had a lot of fun playing with the other kids that were my age, and we were gaining friends like father wanted, but..." He paused for a second. "When we stayed at Lanercost that one night, everything went to hell."

"What do you mean?"

"The village was attacked by a group of people that were after my family. Me, Cerviel and mother were located at a house in the edge of the village, so it was easy for them to reach us without anyone noticing." Geo replied. "My brother tried to protect us but he was no match for them, they laughed and spit on his face, then one of them killed him by piercing his heart with a blade. I watched him die and I didn't do a thing to help. Then some of them grabbed my mother and ripped her clothes off...they rapped her again and again, forcing me to watch what they did to her."

Ruby's stared at him without knowing what to say. She never thought that Geo had gone through such a traumatic experience. "After what they did to her, they sliced her throat, making her bleed to death. Then, a man approached me and removed my shirt. He took a blade and made seven long cuts on my back while laughing like crazy, as I screamed in agony." Said Geo. "In the end they let me live because there no was fun in killing me. Their leader was a man named Tyrian, I know that because I heard them talking, they must have assumed I was unconscious or something." The boy reopened his purple eyes. "And that's what happened."

"G-Geo, I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's alright, don't worry."

"...Since you told me your story, I think it's only fair I told you mine."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Asked Geo.

"I'm sure." The red girl nodded. "Like you, I suffered too. After the death of my mom. My dad started to act weird around me, he sometimes sneaked into my room to take some of my underwear away. I caught him one time and he said he was going to take them downstairs to clean them, but I knew he was lying." She said. Then, one night when I was sleeping, he entered my room and locked the door..." Ruby paused, as gruesome images began to appear in her mind. "...He forced me to do many disgusting things. Things that make sick to my stomach when I think about them."

Ruby's entire body was trembling, Geo noticed that and placed his hand on top of her's. "He continued to abuse me for years, at one point I started thinking that maybe there was only one way out from cruel place...I...I-I thought about...killing myself, just so the pain would end." Ruby looked at her left arm and pulled the sleeve up, showing a few cuts. "I tried one time, but he found me on the bathroom with a razor. He got so angry that he beat me. After that, he used handcuffs to keep me locked in my room. But eventually, I was able to break free, and run away."

Geo squeezed her hand a little. "I...I can't believe your own father did that to you." His face showed sadness but also rage. "I promise you that I won't let anyone harm you again, you have my word as a Casterwill." Geo's eyes burned with determination to protect her.

A light blush spread across Ruby's face. "I'll hold you to that." She smiled. We both have deep scares that will take a long time to heal, but having him here right now, makes me happy.

The young Lord took Ruby's hand and kissed it, making her blush even harder. Geo, also noticed the scars on her wrist. "Please, don't look at them, they make me feel ugly." Said Ruby.

"You aren't ugly Ruby, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met." He kissed her hand again.

Ruby giggled. "Hehe! You are sweet."

Suddenly, a voice through the intercom was heard. "Attention! We are about to land in Gwain in a couple of moments. Lord Geo, your presence is requested at the bridge."

"No rest for the wicked I guess." Said Geo while getting up. "Are you coming?"

"Of course." She replied

"You have never been to Gwain have you?"

"No."

"If you want I can show around when we land."

"I would love that." Ruby smiled.