Chapter Eight

Hills in the Sea

Rei stood at the precipice of the of the rocky hill side that was a short ride from the manor. With tear stained eyes she stared at the bottom on the cliff, eyeing the rough and violent waves with a secret longing. She had come to this place everyday since they had returned to the house she had known since she was a child. Everyday she stood here watching the landscape with eyes of dull black cinders. As her life had slowed to the pace of the country she felt as though she was sinking back in to the oblivion that she had worked so hard to escape. She had thought that the memories of joy that she knew here would banish the pain that seemed to have grown apart of her.

She pulled the dark ruby cloak closer to her body, trying hard to ignore the roaring of the wind against her ears and chill that past through her bones as its force pushed her closer to the ledge. Part of her wanted to jump…end the pain that he had brought her. Still even after six months and she was in love with him; she was his in everyway and her curse was that she would have him. He would never belong to her again…no…some other woman would have that right. Rei gulped back a sob; hating herself for being so weak.

She wanted to rage at him, bang on his chest and demand answers, scream and yell. Anything to gain his attention…she wanted to say that she hated him for doing this to her. Hated him from bring her to a hallow shell of herself. Hated him for showing her the light, the pleasure, the earthy desire of his presence and they rip it all from her as if it was nothing.

She wanted to hate him…but most of all she wanted to stop loving him. And even standing beneath the wind and gazing at the violent crashing of the blue sea she knew that this had to change. She could not be this teary eyed person the rest of her life, a fragile bit of life that everyone walked on egg shells around. She couldn't spend the rest of her life concerned and wanting what was…when what could be was still there for her to grasp if she dared.

She was Lady Rei Silver…a peer in her realm and she would be damned to the seventh layer of hell before she would let a man that was beneath her destroy all that she was. She was strong, she was willful and she filled with passion…but most of all she was done with the sea. She was done with him. Turning on her heel, she let the red ember riding habit trail behind her leaving only the sea to morn its lose as she rode away.

She thought with some distant pleasure that she might have cried the whole way home, but she never looked back. The sea was not worth it…and neither was he.

&()(&&(&

An Angry Malachite arrived right on time. Or a least Serena thought as the front door of the manor swung open just as the sun was setting upon the silky hills of the country side. With a slight growl the man headed straight for Mina, not even sparing his best friend or her so much as a glance. The man didn't even bother to address the love of his life, just picked her up…dining chair and all and headed to the nearest room. Which happened to be her parlor; Mina's surprised shrieks echoed through the hallways with surprising volume.

She glared over the table at her husband as he smirked and mouthed, "I told you so," at her. Maybe he was right that when Malachite showed up he would be upset that Mina had taken a postal coach and traveled seven hours on her own. But she still didn't understand the need for the dramatic…there was some seriously wrong both of their families in that respect. A rather loud shriek of indignation came from the room, and Serena allowed herself to sign and tried rather hard to block out the noise. As it became quiet she gazed down the table at Darien…a new annoyance occurring to her.

One that had been irking her for the last week…their marriage bed; or perhaps better put her bed that he had yet to visit since their spat over Seiya. They had made up over that fact and while things between them were strained most of the time, she had thought that by mending that area the rest of their relationship would follow. In fact if you asked her…it would seem that the lack of martial actives was causing more of a strain that was really necessary. She knew what the problem was…she wasn't stupid. It all boiled down to trust. She was having a difficult time trusting him with her heart…concerned that even the least bit of impropriety would cause another backlash. And his problem…hell she didn't know. The man was stubborn and often times a little to bull headed for his own good.

A rather throaty moan drifted their way. Serena blushed to the roots of her hair, but that moan had given her a rather unique plan…if he would not come to her bed then she was just going to have to go to his. Dismissing the servants with a wave of her hand she smiled a Darien, who quirked a brow at her odd behavior.

"Something wrong?" he asked in a bland manner. Serena moved from her chair, wiggling her hips as she moved across the long dinning hall to him.

- - - - - -

"Put me down you over grown oaf," Mina snapped, hanging on to the sides of the chair. More than a little nervous of her precarious position. Her cousin's husband had warned her that Malachite would be upset, but she had expected a scolding, not this dramatic affair. The chair and her with it landed in a hard thump on the carpet floor of the parlor, she gulped in air as it was knocked out of her. She glared at him.

He glared right back, walked back to the double doors and locked them before turning back to face her. His eyes were a storm in turmoil and she was more than a little nervous. With all honesty she had complete faith that he would never hurt her, but she had never seen him like this. The Malachite she knew was calm, and always in control. The one in front of her looked like he would like nothing more than to throttle her. Stepping from the chair she walked to him, wanting to throw herself in his arms; instead she stood in front of him patiently waiting for him to control his temper.

Malachite stared down at her blond head and could feel a twitch being to form in his eye, "If you ever pull a stunt like this again I will beat you."

Mina gasped, a loud noise of indignation coming from her small body.

He didn't give her time to respond, "Do you know how worried I was. Do you know how I felt when a messenger handed me a letter and my ring," he stopped to pull the thick golden band off of his ring, the deep yellow gem twinkled in the sparse light. "All I could think of the whole way hear was how something might have happened to you. I never want to feel that way again." He pulled her close, settling his face in her hair. Her small body formed to his own, as she held on just as tightly.

Pulling away from him, she offered a weak smile, "It was the only thing I could think to do after what papa had said. I just had to get away and I wanted so badly to be with you."

"Why didn't you just come to me?"

"I was frightened that papa would find out and keep me from you," she confessed, thankful that his anger was gone and he was slowly messaging her back.

"You know he's not going to be far behind me?" Malachite pointed out. He would deal with her father, but he would prefer not to do so in front of Mina.

"Well there is another reason I came here."

"I should have known," he signed.

"Its not far from the border, we could go to Greta Green and elope," Mina grinned, liking the devilish smile that came to his handsome face. He leaned down and began to nibble on her neck; a throaty groan came from her. Her body tightened, the feeling of anticipation over came her and her senses began to swarm, coursing through her body.

Malachite pulled himself back with great effort, there would be time for that later, and "Mina are you sure? You father's going to be angry." He asked.

"I love you, and I'll choose love over duty anyway," chewing on her bottom lip she confessed, "Besides I think that he will forgive…after all he loved my mother more than anything."

Malachite nodded, thankful for her answer. Taking her hand the two of them slipped out in to the night…eager to be bound to one another and to spend a night filled with passion that neither would ever forget.

- - - - - -

Serena slammed the door to her bedroom, satisfied at the loud bang that echoed through the house. Leaning back on the door, she tilted her head and tried hard to calm her breathing. Perhaps she thought with a rueful smirk that the family dramatics she had complained about were not that far from what she was doing. Walking from her door she threw herself on the warm blue covers, hoping to sink in to them and allow for her anger to melt away.

He had flatly refused to make love to her.

Why?

Because their relationship was not mended, because she did not fully trust him…what a load of crap that was. Or at least as far as she was concerned. Yes she was wary of him with trust…that part was true, but only because she loved him so much that she was terrified that he would break her heart. He had thrown it away so easily before, and that scared her.

Flopping over on the bed she pulled the thick coverlet over her mid section and tried to quell the raging passion that was still coursing through her body. Damn man…throwing the thick quilt off her body she got up, and resisted the urge to stamp her feet like a small child in a fit. Moving to the ornate vanity, she sat on the delicate stool and reached up to undo the pins in her golden hair. One by one they came apart from her locks, allowing her to message her head. While such a hair style was in fashion she had to admit that it played havoc on your head, the heavy curls constantly weighing you down.

Brushing her hair she turned to glance in the mirror, her gasp of horror stifled by the cold hand about her throat.

"Shhhh," he breathed her to her hair. Serena swallowed a gulp, preparing herself to let out an ear piercing scream. She never got the chance, as a thick cloth covered her mouth and her head lulled back in to sleep.

- - - - - - -

Darien swallowed his last glass of brandy, allowing the amber liquid to burn its way into his belly. He watched from the door of his study as a suitor dropped Rei off inside the door, placing a chaste kiss on her ivory cheek. Most girls would have giggled and blushed, honored to have such a suitor fawning over them. Not his sister, no she only inclined her head slightly as if barely acknowledging the contact. Almost in a way an owner would praise a tiring pet. Her cold manner didn't seem to put the young man off any; he smiled and promised to stop by in a few days to take her to Mrs. Lorrie's dinner. Rei smiled, and shut the door behind him.

"Have a good time at the harvest festival?" he asked, taking her stiff demeanor.

"Have another fight with Serena?" Rei asked in return, gliding down the hallway to him. The both knew the answers and found little need to answer each other.

Standing in front of her brother, she kissed his cheek and offered some advice, "Have you ever thought that maybe you have the trust issue and it's not her?"

"How did you know that was what the fight was about?"

"Aren't they all?" was what she replied. Darien nodded his head.

"Just because our parents couldn't find even ground, doesn't mean you and she can't. She loves you. It's so obvious in the way that she looks at you. And the way you look at her." Rei patted his hand and wandered away.

Darien sighed, looking after his sister. Knowing that she was right. He was scared to hurt Serena, scared that he couldn't give her the trust that she needed from him. He looked up the stairs and found the bedroom door of hers still closed; maybe it was time to believe in him and in her. Time to stop living with the ghosts of his parents past and not worrying that he would turn out like his father. He wasn't his father, and she wasn't her mother. They were different people and in a different time.

He went up the stairs to tell her just that, only to find a note with one word written is bold handwriting sitting on her vanity.

Revenge…was all it said and Darien was barely able to suppress the sick feeling in his stomach that the word.