Chapters five and six (Iknow it's confusing... get over it)
Amethyst walked through the forest trying to get her bearings on what had just happened.
Okay… Let's start from the beginning.
As she sat being tortured by the two upper level demons, Urban had snuck in behind them. When they had let off torturing Amethyst, He untied her bonds, and set her free.
"Go quickly. If I know them at all, they aren't done with you."
Now she wandered through the woods, wondering if Anibel would allow her refuge in the nest. She stopped when she heard a sound behind her. Then she remembered what would happen if she stopped and was caught again by the demons and began limping as fast as her rapidly healing but still broken legs could go. She heard the sound again, this time in front of her and paused. If she had to, she was pretty sure she could hold her own; she simply hoped she wouldn't have to.
I'm so sick of fighting! She thought, not for the first time.
"Please! Stop! I can't move as fast as you. Those devils are really good fighters." Amethyst stopped in shock.
"Urban!" She said heading towards the bushes where she heard the sound. She moved renegade branches out of her way to find a battered Prince Urban crouching in the moss.
"What happened? Are you alright?" Amethyst asked while helping him into a more comfortable position in their little space.
"Long story short I won. Why did they take you?" Urban asked, staring into her eyes.
"Enemies of my mother's. Apparently they have something they want me to tell you... you don't want to know." Amethyst explained looking away from Urban's heart-breaking and pleading eyes. "Anyway, are you alright?"
"I'm fine if you are. You are alright, aren't you?" Urban asked.
"I'll heal. I am a demon. I'm worried about you. Can you walk?"
"Like I said, I'm fine if you are. Those morons are dead, so they shouldn't bother you anymore." That caught Amethyst's attention.
"You what! Now everyone is going to think that I killed them! I have to get to the nest. If I can get there before word does I may be able to keep it from spreading." Amethyst's mind was working at a thousand miles an hour.
"Or you can take me back to the palace. They were part of the population that wanted me dethroned. We can say that you killed them to save me."
"There is only one problem: I can't lie. I'm a demon, remember? How do we get around it?" Amethyst reminded him.
"You won't say anything. I will do all the talking."
And so Amethyst and Urban stumbled together to the prince's palace. The guard was the first to see them and sounded the alarm at Amethyst's approach. She hesitated.
"Don't worry Amy. I'll make sure that you aren't harmed," Urban whispered in her ear as the heavily armed guard walked closer to them.
"Prince Urban! What in the seven hells are you doing with that murderess?" The guard asked once he recognized his patron.
"This murderess saved my life. Escort us to my chambers," Urban commanded the guard, seeming suddenly to be the near-king that he was.
After being discreetly ushered into Urban's enormous room, Amethyst helped Urban into his large bed. At his request, she locked the door and dimmed the light. She then started towards the window.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Asked a hurt Urban from his bed.
"I have to get to the nest before anything further happens."
"Things like what? Look, I know that the nest raised you but they won't hesitate to harm you given the chance. If you go there now they won't connect you to my injuries. I say you stay here."
Of course, she was forced to walk away from the window and sit in one of the overly cushioned chairs next to his bed.
"I want to go back home. Why do you have to bring situations like this up? All of your guards saw me help you inside. That should be enough to convince people. They can't lie either," Amethyst pointed out.
"I know, but either way I would have you stay here with me. Then you will be seen as one who looked after me to be absolutely sure that you saved me."
"And the mothers with eligible daughters will despise me for trying to earn your gratitude so that I could take the throne as my own."
"And they will be told to be polite. You lose." His tone also added the phrase "end of subject" to his statement.
"Why did you save me?" Amethyst asked after a moment of silence.
"Because I am in love with you, no matter what you feel about me."
"Even though you well know how dangerous it is to love me."
"I know you like me at the very least but you are so caught up in your own suffering that you refuse to acknowledge it, causing me more pain and trouble than is necessary. I will, however, wait patiently for the day that you realize that I will protect you no matter what anyone else thinks."
"It is different with you. You aren't hated by everyone, and you can't be outright killed without your murderer being brought to justice. If I was killed, they would all say good riddance to bad trash and move on with their day. In fact, my killer would probably become the hero of the realm, no matter how you would feel about it. Did you honestly think I was suicidal? Do you honestly think that you are the only one hurt by your love? I have to struggle and fight every day for the right to breathe. I have to be careful not to hurt anyone's feelings knowing that if I step a toe out of line I could be killed and no one would give it a second thought. The worst part is that it isn't even for something I did. My mistake was existing, finding out the terrible things my parents did, and not committing suicide. My crime is wanting to live, and living despite all of the ways people hate me."
The prince flinched and settled into his pillows. She knew he had no idea how bad it really was.
"And my crime," Urban said at length, "is loving the one everyone hates. I don't know how they treat you, but I am willing to be the one that you can come to." He looked up into Amethyst's eyes. "I don't know if you realized it, but I love you no matter what and I promise that if anyone so much as threatens to lay a finger on you, I will see to it that that person is thoroughly, slowly, and painfully taken care of."
"That's the problem. It bodes ill for both of us if you continue to acknowledge me. You will be dethroned but I can't let that happen. You would be the perfect leader for this broken realm. If I have to leave it for the realm of the dead I want you to be the leader here because you would teach the rest of this realm how to not judge people by the things they can't control."
Right then there was a knock on the door.
"Urban! Urban, are you in there?" It was Mavros.
"Mavros! Come in." Urban called.
"Are you insane?" Amethyst hissed to Urban through her teeth. Urban put a hand up to silence her just as Mavros opened the door.
"I heard… well now I guess it doesn't matter. What in the seven hells happened to you? Is this witch the cause?" Mavros said, walking toward Amethyst, a look of pure hatred in his eyes.
"Mavros, my friend, please. I am very tired and Amy saved me so of course she is not the cause. Send for the serpent Anibel. I have need to speak with her."
"Wait a minute! She saved you? You lie! The only thing she's good for is causing all kinds of hell!"
"That's enough Mavros. She saved my life! You would think you could be at the very least grateful. Or are you not the friend that I thought you were?"
"Urban, you are like a brother to me. If she truly saved your life, I apologize."
"Then apologize."
Mavros looked at Amethyst. He then went to his knees and mumbled something or other about being sorry. Amethyst looked to Urban. Urban nodded and mouthed to her to say apology accepted. She repeated out loud and Mavros stood facing Urban.
"You ask a courier to get the serpent. I don't go anywhere near that inferno." At that, Amethyst snorted skeptically. The bruises that were on the insides of his arms that no one else would have seen spoke a story contradictory to the one he spoke. Mavros shot her a look that begged her not to tell Urban anything that he did because she could tell that despite what he tells others, he was addicted to the nest poison. She wondered what might lead him to the Nevermore. Then she told herself not to care and focus on the problem at hand.
"Hey Amy, I have to go to my closet. Help me up." Urban's voice brought her back to the conversation they were having. Mavros was doubtful as to the love that Urban felt. Amethyst helped him up and he walked to the closet and disappeared behind the doors.
"What do you know?" Mavros asked quietly.
"I know that if you follow the rules you will have no problems. It's called 'Nevermore' for a reason." Amethyst replied.
"I didn't know there were rules."
"Nevermore than a pinch at a time, nevermore than once a day, nevermore than two days in a row, or nevermore see the sun."
"I didn't know…" Mavros was cut off by Urban's return with a large covered canvas. After settling it on the easel, he turned to Mavros with a smirk.
"It isn't done yet but I think you will get the point when you see it." He then removed the cloth that covered the paint. It took Amethyst a while to realize that it was a painting of her. It was truly a masterpiece. She fell heavily into her chair as her knees flew from under her. It had been a long time since she had seen a mirror.
"It's beautiful." She managed above her shock.
Mavros simply stared at his friend.
The three of them spent that day talking about what they would do. Once hey had a plan, Urban drifted off to sleep.
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Chapter six (just so you know)
Mavros pulled her aside.
"Are you addicted too?" He asked in a whisper.
"Yes but it's not for non-demons like you. In fact, it's a bad idea." Amethyst replied.
"Just because something is a bad idea doesn't mean you can help doing it." His voice was guilt filled.
"Well. If that is the case I don't know what to tell you except not to get too into the drug and to always obey the rules… for your own good."
"Did you really save Urban from bandits?" Mavros asked suddenly. Amethyst was saved from having to answer by a courier knocking on the door. After giving Amethyst a glare that said "We'll talk about this later" Mavros answered the door. The courier had returned with Anibel.
"There are rumors going around already in the nest that you killed a couple of well meaning adventurers and cowered behind the prince to avoid suspicion. Are you alright?" Anibel said after greeting both Mavros and Amethyst with hugs.
"I hope you have been deflecting them." Amethyst said with horror.
"Yes of course but I have no proof and no other story to counter it."
"Here's one," Mavros said. "Urban was walking in the woods for a lost brooch and was captured by renegades who wanted him out of the way of the crown and Amethyst saved him. You have it from the prince himself. Amethyst as severely injured in the process and is resting in the palace. The better part is that it is the truth, more or less."
"I will inform them. There is a problem though. Amethyst they have already burned your house down and plan on adding your ashes to it."
"Well if you talk to them they should at least calm enough that I will be able to rebuild in peace." Amethyst was pale and looked like she had been hit with a hammer. Her stomach was hurting and she had a feeling that this would not be the last of her trouble; if fact, that it had just begun and was accelerating from bad to worse. The worst part: she could do nothing to stop it without risking her life.
"Why didn't you two wake me when she arrived?" asked a newly awake and tired Urban from is bed.
"Because you need your sleep and I need to leave. If I don't contradict the current story soon it won't matter what I say in the long run. Good-bye to you all." With that Anibel took her leave. Amethyst sank into one of the overly cushioned chairs and held her heart. She realized with a suddenness she didn't relish that she was trapped. With nowhere to go she would have to rebuild quickly…
"What's wrong?" asked Urban who could tell from her pale complexion that something was awry.
"They burned down my home and… and if… if I… I don't know what to do! I'm trapped! If I go out there someone, anyone, could kill me and make it look like an accident. I don't think anyone will appreciate my staying in the nest."
"You can stay here." Urban said softly.
"No I can't. Will your family allow it?"
"She can stay with me." Mavros offered. "There are, of course, things I want from you in return."
"Done and done. So long as your household can be discreet, I accept your terms."
"Then that is settled? Good. I want to work on my painting. I have something for you, Amy." The prince, fully rested and back to full strength, jumped out of bed and went to his closet.
"What are your conditions?" Amethyst asked.
"Nevermore. As much of it as you can get me. It's proving harder and harder to get it of late."
"Done," Amethyst replied just as the prince emerged from his closet with a dress that seemed vaguely familiar. She heard Mavros cough from behind her.
Too late she realized it was the dress she was wearing in the painting.
"I'm not wearing that."
"Yes you are. Just for about twenty minutes and then you can change out of it, I promise."
"Why a dress like this. I haven't worn anything like this in my life." Amethyst mumbled under her breath as she reluctantly took the dress from the prince's hands. It was a beautifully crafted black and red dress with black velvet accents and red ribbon in the corset.
After changing in the closet (which was more like a small bedroom) with three (reluctant) servants helping her, she went back into Urban's room for his inspection.
"Very nice." He murmured as he looked her over with an artist's eyes. Mavros made it a point not to look at her.
"I don't see the big deal." Amethyst said quietly.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Urban asked, pain in his voice.
"I guess not. I don't have a mirror. My mother thought it too much of a hand in vanity. She believed that mirrors were only to be used if absolutely necessary." As she spoke, Urban had bee prowling around her, adjusting a ribbon here, a fold there. When he was satisfied with her appearance, he led her to a chair- the same one in the painting- and arranged her so as to have a more accurate model for his admiration and paintings than his own imagination.
"I must speak to my household of our unexpected guest and be sure to lay down some ground rules. I will return for Amethyst upon sundown. Good-bye." Mavros said at length. Upon Urban's vaguely affirmative grunt, Mavros turned to leave.
When the door closed, Urban sat back from his nearly finished painting, eyeing it admiringly. Then he looked up at Amethyst. She had allowed herself the luxury of closing her eyes; he had finished her face.
"Amethyst," He said softly.
"Yes," she answered, just as quietly.
"You can change now. It has been twenty minutes and more, I think."
Amethyst looked him in the eye.
"I'll wear it if you like." She said. Urban's face lit up. "It's not so bad." She continued.
Urban sighed. "You have no idea just how much you break my heart, do you?" He held a hand up at her argument. "You don't. No matter how much you think you do. You just don't. The question in my heart now is how. How do I make you see what I see, feel what I feel? I have been looking for the answer to that question for what feels like an eternity. I feel this pain everyday and I have to show a good face anyway. As if I wasn't dying slow death. As if my pain wasn't enough to drive me insane and wish for the next world." There were tears in his eyes. "I try and try to tell you, o show you, to make you see… but it is all always for naught. I always fail."
"What do you want me to do about it?" Amethyst asked. "It isn't my fault…"
"You think I wanted this? You think I planned this all out?" Urban asked, pain in every word and every gesture as if it hurt to move. "The morning that I woke up, saw your face and realized I was insanely in love with you… I was terrified. I knew it was bad for me. I tried telling myself it would diminish. If I didn't touch you, didn't see you, tryed not to think about you, your face, they way you look when you cry, the way your hips move when you walk, ignored the fact that I knew I wanted to be the one to finally get you to smile, truly smile with happiness behind it, to give you whatever you wanted, whatever you needed and hang the fool who says you can't. If you know what that kind of pain feels like… It's what I go through every minute of every day and multiplies one hundred fold every time I see your face and again whenever I hear you say my name. And every time I have to leave you, when I realize I am behind most of the pain in your life, when you run away from me crying my heart breaks to the point where I feel like I can't stand it any longer. Until you know that kind of pain, you will never know how much I love you." Urban's tears were flowing freely now. He didn't even bother to wipe them and simply let them fall. Amethyst felt tears in her own eyes.
"I am so sorry. I didn't know. I… I'm sorry. But you know the repricussions if any of this was to be seen." Amethyst said, praying her voice was as even as it sounded, and refusing to make eye contact with him.
"All I want to know now… is if you feel anything for me." Urban reached out and turned her face towards him. Upon meeting his eyes, Amethyst dissolved into tears.
"I…" Just then there was a knock on the door. Head held high and tears gone, Urban opened the door, not to Mavros, as was expected, but to Marion.
"I am here o take her to the nest."
"No. She is going to be staying with a good friend of mine in the city. I don't want her where she could be targeted."
"In case you have forgotten, prince, Amethyst is one of ours, and so she comes with me to her rightful place at the nest."
"Since when have I had a rightful place in the nest?" Amethyst said. She wondered if her parents' records had suddenly been erased from memory.
"Since we found that you were incorrectly gossiped about in a way that could have cost you your life."
"Since when does anyone care whether I lived or died? I don't understand." Amethyst argued. She had a gut feeling that the nest- the only place she had ever been able to call home- was her biggest enemy.
"I do. They're traitors." Urban said unexpectedly.
"We're traitors? Ha!"
"You are traitors if you conspire against the royal house." Urban replied.
"Did I miss something? I do believe I am here for Amethyst, who is not part of the royal house in any way." Marion said.
Amethyst paled as she realized what the prince intended to do.
"Urban don't. If you want me alive, this is hardly the way to do it. No Marion I am not going to the nest while you all still want me dead. I'm not ready to give up on life quite yet."
"You are doomed." Marion said before turning into his serpent form and slithering away. Urban closed the door, and Amethyst went back to the chair she was in before and sat heavily in the seat.
"Why?" She asked at length.
"Because you're wrong. If I want to protect you, this is the best and easiest way to do it. I will make an official announcement tomorrow."
"Then tomorrow I will be branded as the witch who saved the prince and seduced him into my bed. That is a sure way to die."
"If you stay with me you will live."
"And remain your prisoner in the palace because if I ever step foot outside of the palace after that, or if anyone has even a narrow avenue for attack, you can rest assured that they will take it."
"You will have your own personal guard."
"I don't think you realize how hated I am. A guard can be swayed with the wrong information. Either way, people believe as they are told."