Chapter 3 - The Unknown
Running towards the school, Undine recalled what she had allowed that stranger to do to her. Knowing her distant cousin, who ran the school, would still be working, she entered the school from the back. Scared at what she was still feeling, she didn't knock when she entered the headmistress's office. She didn't realize when she reassembled her clothing, that all the buttons were mismatched and her lips were bruised from Tristan. As the headmistress turned around at the sound of her, she gasped at the sight of her.
"My word...Undine!! What happened?" she exclaimed as she leapt out of her chair and straight to the girl.
"Th..There was a boy...he startled me...at the lake...it happened so fast..." she stuttered out
"Did he touch you?" she quietly asked, fearing the answer
"Yes...I tried to stop him, I told him I belonged to Jian, but he kept insisting that I was his. Aletta, he didn't care about my traditions!" Undine said and then burst into tears
"There, there.." Aletta said holding the girl and stroking her still wet hair.
"But, I am intact for Jian. Something distracted him when he was casting Lullaby on me and I ran away from him." she stuttered out
"Lullaby...the boy was a BARD!" she exclaimed and narrowed her eyes. "Who was he?"
"I don't know, he had black hair as long as Jian's and he has violet eyes. I don't think I have ever seen him before cousin" Undine said as she was finally able to stop crying. She was still shaking all over because of Tristan's adminstrations.
"I know who it is. Rest assured, he will be dealt with. Now, I know you don't usually sleep in a bed, but tonight, I want you with me. You can make use of the whirlpool in my bathroom, okay" Aletta said tilting up her chin at the last few words. Undine simply nodded her head, and wandered towards the stairs to her cousins' quarters.
Rage washed through Aletta as she had one of her assistants find Tristan. The thought of that very angry boy touching Undine made her sick to her stomach. He must be made to see, that Undine is unreachable to him. Forming her words as she heard him being dragged into her office, she used her skills as an abertrator and masked her feelings from him.
"Headmistress, why was I dragged in here? I have done nothing wrong." Tristan said
"Do you not consider the attempted rape of my ward nothing wrong?" she frostily replied
"Rape..Ward? Headmistress what are you talking about?" he replied. He was silent for a minute and then it dawned on him. "She's claiming rape?!"
"It is rape if it is not her chosen. Since you are not Jian, it is rape and it will be treated as such." she replied
"For Poring's sake what is the big deal about that guy! She responded TO ME. She was ENJOYING IT!" he screamed as he watched Aletta move around from her desk and walk over to him.
"By her traditions, she belongs to Jian, until HE says otherwise. It is their way, and it is one I have come to respect. You on the other hand did not. Did she not tell you she belongs to Jian?" she said
"Yes...but I didn't believe her. I've seen them together! He doesn't feel anything towards her. I can hardly believe he's capable of that feeling. I've been watching her ever since she came here." Tristan said as he ran his hand through his hair.
"That may be so, but it is NOT YOUR PLACE TO TOUCH HER!" she shouted at him, unleashing her anger in a burst. Tristan backed away from her as he had never seen her like that. He then watched her re-compose herself and become the unflappable woman they had known
"You keep mentioning traditions...as far as I am aware, there are no traditions like that in Rune-Midgar. Where is she from?" he said quietly sitting down in one of the chairs.
"I am afraid that is classified. But she is very important. Please, I am asking you, do not go near her. I will not write you up for this, however, any trouble by you, and all bets are off, and you will be turned over to the authorities. You will be stripped of your job, and will be refused at every job change arena. Is this clear to you?" she said, stating the penalties of what he had done to her.
"Yes ma'mam I understand. Now you understand. I will make her mine. But I will wait until Jian rejects her, like I know he will. He is incapable of any feelings." Tristan promised her.
"I see. Well, then I will have ask you to keep silent about our discussions." she requested, seeing that he was serious.
"I do not understand why. Its the quickest way for him to reject her. By telling him." he said
"NO!! You must not do that. If you do so, it will not release her from the joining. He must reject her or accept her, from the heart. She can not tell him, and neither can anyone else." she tried to explain it to him
"I see. Very well, then I will not say anything. Is there anything else Headmistress?" Tristan asked
"No, but please just stay away from my ward" Aletta requested
"That is the one thing I can not ever do. But you have my word, that I will not touch her, until she comes to me, willingly. Then you can never accuse me again of raping her. Which I did not do." he promised her as he smartly turned from the room and left Aletta to think on her thoughts.