A/N:
I'm back!!! Thank you for your wonderful, wonderful reviews that always make my day. Thank you for the information with the kingdoms and all that. This chapter is dedicated to you readers (Wait. They're always dedicated to you readers. Oh well…). Yeah, so, read…
Recap…
"Where are we going?" Antoniette suddenly asked in the middle of talking about how silk dresses looked better on her with pinned up hair, as opposed to flowing hair.
"To the household of Lady Gina and Lord Ormond," the prince said distractedly, missing Daria's death glare.
Antoniette's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" she said. "What for?"
"That," the prince said, "is something that you should ask Daria."
Antoniette pretended that he didn't say that. In fact, she pretended that Daria did not exist, and was not trailing them from behind, looking like a pathetic fool.
"Anyway," she said shrilly after a short pause, "as I was saying, the fabric of silk dresses…"
Prince Jerrold stopped listening. He just dully walked on with Antoniette's death grip still on his poor arm. Then he looked back, hoping to meet Daria's expressive, blue-green eyes, but the girl was trying to look anywhere but at him.
He sighed. This was going to be one long walk.
Chapter Nine
One Big Change
"We're here," Prince Jerrold announced, trying his best to cover up the thankfulness and relief in his voice. Perhaps now Antoniette would leave him (and his aching arm) alone. The past few minutes had been torturous. It was pure torture. TORTURE. The freakishly high-pitched voice of hers and the shallowness of her conversation succeeded well on convincing him that he would never in a million years look at Antoniette that way. She was just not for him.
He glanced at Daria, who had been avoiding his gaze for the past minutes. She was currently looking at the very large manor before them, and he couldn't help but notice the awe in her blue-green eyes.
The manor was, indeed, very large. It had two stories only, but it stretched across widely, with big windows all over at the front and a tall and broad front door.
They walked up the smooth, cobblestone path that led to the front door, with Daria following behind the pair. The prince, once again, looked behind him to sneak a look at her. Was it just his imagination, or did Daria look incredibly nervous?
They stopped at the front door, and a very awkward silence came. For once, Antoniette had shut her gabbing mouth and was now giving Daria this blank stare. Wait…was there coldness in her eyes as well? Prince Jerrold shook his head. No…he was seeing things.
"So…" he began uncomfortably.
Daria's eyes traveled from Antoniette to the prince. Now to get rid of both of them… "Your Highness," she said, ignoring his I-told-you-to-call-me-Jerrold look, "thank you for your assistance. Perhaps you would take Lady Antoniette out for a nice, romantic walk?"
"I WOULD LOVE TO!" Antoniette squealed like an excited child. She eagerly grabbed the prince's arm, which she had released fifteen seconds ago. A broad, happy grin crossed her face as she dreamily gazed at his royal highness.
Daria saw the prince wince. She struggled to refrain from laughing.
"I—are you sure you don't want me to accompany you in this visit?" he said with a tense voice.
Anger and impatience flashed in Daria eyes. JUST LEAVE!! "No," she said coldly. "Lady Antoniette wishes to spend quality time with you. You can't say no to her." She raised her eyebrows, daring him to resist.
He sighed wearily. "Good day," he said, bowing.
"Good day," Daria replied with a curt nod. She watched the pair walk off, the prince in a rather rigid, strained position.
They were almost out of sight when Antoniette turned around to look at Daria, shooting the servant girl the iciest, most piercing gaze ever.
A silent warning. But before Daria could reply with her cool, you-don't-scare-me-look, Antoniette turned back around and visibly gripped the prince's arm even more.
Daria sighed angrily. Was she going to receive more whippings? Most likely.
That vixen needs to learn a little lesson. Same with her witch of a mother. Someday, I'm going to prove that they are MANIACS. They HAVE to be taken care of, those rotten—
"Can I help you, miss?" came an airy voice.
Daria jumped. She was so busy with her thoughts that she didn't hear the front door open. She turned and saw a tall and gangly man with greying hair and a few wrinkles on his forehead. His long nose was stuck up in the air, and he was haughtily looking at Daria through his pale blue eyes, as if he found his social status way above hers. He was dressed in black and white uniform, which meant that he was most likely a manservant, maybe even the steward.
"May I see Lady Gina and Lord Ormond?" Daria asked with an unwavering voice. She was not going to let this…butler think that she was scared of him. He looked at her with so much contempt that made Daria had the urge to trample on his pride in some way.
He scoffed at her. "My lord and lady would not want to talk to a lowly peasant."
Daria had a look of shock on her face for a split second, and was quickly then replaced by a glare. How dare he treat her like that! Sure, she wasn't exactly clad in the best clothes, but she deserved to be treated like a person. She balled her fists and prepared to yell at him. "Why you—"
"Who is at the door, Jeffrey?" came a womanly voice from inside, stopping Daria from her angry outburst.
Jeffrey turned around to meet the eyes of Lady Gina. "Nobody, madam. Just a stupid peasant girl who isn't worth your time."
Jeffrey was blocking Daria's view, so the sixteen-year-old could not see the Lady Gina's face. She liked to imagine that the lady, perhaps, was furious with Jeffrey's remark.
She was right.
"Jeffrey!" Lady Gina cried out. "How dare you speak in that way! Everybody deserves to be treated with respect! Let her in, whoever she is. And I suggest you apologize."
"Fine, my lady," Daria heard him say with a dry voice. He turned to her, a look of disdain on his face. "I am sorry for my behaviour," he said, not sounding like he meant that at all.
Daria gave him a curt nod. "Apology accepted." Not, you arrogant jerk.
He opened the door to give her room to enter. "You may come in," he said airily.
Daria stepped into the large manor, and when Lady Gina saw who it was, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Daria!" she cried out in surprise. "I-I wasn't expecting you. P-please, come in."
Daria flashed her a hesitant smile. "I wanted to talk to you about something," she said softly.
"Of course. My husband is out of town at the moment, but we can talk. Let's go to the drawing-room."
Daria followed the lady in an awestruck state. The manor looked big from the outside, and it looked big from the inside. Not to mention, for a lack of a better word, rich-looking. Seriously. The floor was of shiny marble, the paintings had golden frames, and even the walls had elaborate designs on them. The mansion had this ability to make a visitor not want to touch anything, in fear of breaking or damaging something.
If I broke a vase, Daria thought, it would take ten years of my wages to pay for it.
After a few minutes of meandering through the wide halls, they reached the drawing room. It was a pretty big room, with green couches (not the ugly green, Daria noted, but the nice green), mahogany tables to place tea trays on, and the like.
Lady Gina motioned for Daria to sit on one of the green couches, and she obliged. She sat down, her back rigid from her nervous state. She didn't exactly plan this part well. The first stage was to get to the manor, and the second stage, she didn't really think about.
Lady Gina cleared her throat. "So…what is it that you want, Daria?" she asked kindly, but nervously.
Daria shifted in her seat. "Well…uh…I-I came here to apologize."
"Apologize?"
"Yes," Daria said, more confident this time. "I'm sorry about my outburst. I had absolutely no right to be angry with you. That was very wrong of me. I feel horrible right now, and I wish for you and Lord Ormond to know that I did not mean to cause you any pain. Please accept my apology."
Silence. Daria gulped. Was she going to be kicked out now? Oh the silence was so deafening!
Say something, Daria. This is soooooo awkward. Daria cleared her throat and opened her mouth to say more, but before she could let out a word, two slender arms suddenly engulfed her.
Lady Gina was hugging her. Hugging her.
It was an awkward situation. Daria didn't know Lady Gina at all. She was like a stranger. A stranger hugging her… How odd…
Should I hug back? Damn this awkwardness! What am I supposed to do? I should hug her back…yeah…
But before Daria could lift her arms to return the embrace, Lady Gina broke free. She flashed the confused, young girl a bright smile.
"Apology accepted, my dear," she said. "I understand completely why you were angry. Don't worry about it, all right?"
Daria nodded. "All right. Anyway, I have to go now…"
"Thank you for you visit. I appreciate it. I'll be sure to tell my husband about this."
Daria smiled as she stood up. "It was nice talking to you. Farewell." She turned and headed for the door, relief flooding her. It was finally over. She had apologized, and the past guilt in her chest had finally vanished. Finally!
She was about to leave the room when a soft voice stopped her. She didn't grasp what that voice said, so she turned to Lady Gina and said, "Pardon?"
Lady Gina took a deep breath and spoke. "I said, 'Our offer still stands'," She smiled hesitantly.
Daria froze, remembering what the "offer" was. She went three shades paler, but she was too absorbed with this…this…decision to realize that.
Should she accept it? Should she become their daughter?
Daria nervously cleared her throat. "I…I…" It seemed as if she couldn't find her voice. This is so nerve-racking! Just say no and leave, she thought furiously to herself. "I…I…" Oh great. Now I sound like a complete dimwit. "I…"
Now, she didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the beautiful sunlight pouring through the large, glass windows. Maybe it was Lady Gina's genuine smile. Maybe it was the thought of having to go back to Antoniette and Lady Linelle. But whatever it was, it made her say…
"Yes."
It was Lady Gina's turn to freeze. Maybe because she was pretty sure that Daria would decline. But that shocked state was short-lived. A split second later, she jumped off the couch, ran to Daria, and engulfed her in another hug. Except this time, it was a bone-crushing one.
"Uh…right…" Daria lifted her arms and hugged back. Strange. She thought she was going to feel mortified at herself for saying yes, but instead, the feeling was the opposite. She was actually happy. Sure, she was also confused, but it was strange the way she felt…giddy? Whatever.
Lady Gina released Daria from the hug and looked at her with so much affection. "You are going to make a wonderful daughter," she said breathlessly.
And she hugged Daria once again.
Daria opened the front door of a certain hellhole (namely, Lady Linelle and Antoniette's manor. Sir Davy, as usual, was away on business.). She braced herself for a fierce confrontation. She could actually sense the two vixens' anger radiating throughout the household. All right, she was exaggerating, but still…
Anita's large figure appeared out of nowhere the moment Daria opened the door. Anita was a mysterious woman. She had a vicious attitude, but Daria was still not sure if the woman knew about Lady Linelle's illegal ways. Anita was the aggressive type, but one who believed in rules.
"WHERE DID YOU GO OFF TO?!" she bellowed the moment her eyes rested upon Daria's expressionless face.
That was wrong for her to do, for the moment she yelled at Daria, the sixteen-year-old stepped aside, revealing the presence of Lady Gina, who currently wore a shocked face.
Anita started. "Lady! I-I-I did not see you there. I-I—"
"I'm here to see Linelle," Lady Gina said very coldly, her dark blue eyes oddly almost black because of the anger raging inside her. This startled Daria. One moment, just before the front door had opened, this woman was all bright and cheerful, and the next she was…well, like this. Daria reminded herself never to get on Lady Gina's bad side.
"Y-yes, m-my lady," Anita stuttered, bowing her head and making way by opening the door more widely. "I-I—"
"You have no right to yell at people like that," Lady Gina cut in, "no matter what social status."
"I-I understand," Anita said, her face turning redder and redder. "Please follow me to the drawing-room."
Anita led the way, her face still a beet red, while Lady Gina and Daria followed close behind. No one spoke, and all that could be heard were their footsteps. They passed a few servants on the way, and many shot Daria looks. It was clear what those looks were saying: Why are you in the company of a noblewoman?
On the way back to the manor, Daria had found out that Lady Gina and Lord Ormond were two powerful nobles. Their position on the social ranking was above Lady Linelle's and Lord Davy's. They were also famous for the magnificent parties they would have in their estate. Not only that, but they were very kind people as well. They were truly respected by the members of the peerage (and even the common people), and to be in their bad side was quite dangerous.
Which was why Lady Linelle pasted on the brightest and fakest smile the moment she entered the drawing-room, pretending that she was happy about the visit.
"Oh, Lady Gina! How wonderful of you to visit!" This was when her sapphire eyes settled upon Daria, and for a split second, they flashed with anger. "Daria," she said softly. "You've finally returned. Wherever did you go?"
"To my house," Lady Gina answered for her. "I am pleased to announce that Daria is my new adoptive daughter. And also Ormond's, of course."
She was met by stunned silence. Daria curiously looked at Lady Linelle. She fought her smile as watched the golden-haired woman go pale. Then really pale. Now it was really, really pale.
That's not good for your complexion, Daria chastised mentally to the stunned woman.
Lady Linelle's mouth opened, as if she was about to speak, and then closed, as if she had just forgotten what to say. This went on and on until Lady Gina, who was perplexed by the reaction, spoke up.
"So…err…Daria will be leaving today. Right now, to be exact. I came to tell the news and help her pack."
Not that there's anything to pack, Daria thought, though she didn't say this out loud.
Finally, Lady Linelle had the will to speak, though she spoke in stutters. "S-so sh-she's g-going t-to be a…a-a…"
Lady Gina, who was now resisting the urge to roll her eyes, cut in. "Yes," she said, trying to sound as patient as possible. "Daria is going to be a marchioness."
Not only did that hit Lady Linelle hard, but Daria as well. Oddly enough, that thought had never occurred to her. She had completely forgotten that she was going to have a title. A powerful title, more specifically. A marchioness was below a duchess and above a countess. Antoniette was a mere daughter of a baronet (Sir Davy).
Which means, Daria thought, that she would be, I think, five or six ranks below me.
She was shocked at the idea, and based on the expression on her still-pale face, Lady Linelle was as well.
I would also be way above Lady Linelle, Daria added as an afterthought. Whoa. This is too much.
"Well," Lady Gina cut through the silence, "Daria, why don't you go pack? I will meet you outside in twenty minutes. Is that enough?"
More than enough since I barely have anything to pack, Daria thought wryly. She nodded at Lady Gina, who smiled and attempted to make conversation with Lady Linelle. As she was doing this, Daria slipped out and headed for her room.
She walked slowly, her mind in a trance. Everything was happening so fast. It was odd to think that earlier today, she was a mere servant girl. Now…she was going to be one of the most powerful females in Frell. Did she find it comforting? No. In fact, she found it terrifying. Everybody would be watching her every move. She would be expected to be a perfect young lady who could dance gracefully, and who glided instead of walked. Even worse…a lady who found joy in searching for suitors.
She shuddered at the idea. She prayed that she wouldn't have to go through that. Lady Gina was a very caring and nice woman. Would she really let her daughter go through that nightmare? She certainly hoped not. Suitors were at the bottom of her list. Correction: Suitors were not in her list, period.
She packed her simple dresses in a sack with her mind still in a daze. Fifteen seconds later, she was done. Her packing only took that long. Now she had about sixteen minutes to spare. She already knew what that was for.
She went down to the kitchen to find the three people she was looking for conveniently already there. It was nothing but pure coincidence. Phil looked like he was on a break. He was munching on a piece of bread, while reading something that looked like a letter. Fauna was sitting on a wooden stool, diligently drawing something on a piece of paper, while Clarisse was fixing Fauna's hair into a nice, fat braid.
"Hello," Daria greeted as she quietly entered.
When all three looked up, big smiles appeared on their faces. Daria couldn't help grinning. Phil, Clarisse, and Fauna were the only people in the household who had been nice to her. The other servants either snapped at her only plainly ignored her, pretending that she didn't exist.
"Hi, Daria!" Fauna said happily. "Do you want to see my drawing?"
"Sure," Daria replied.
Fauna grinned and held up the piece of paper, and on it was the picture of…something. Daria couldn't tell what it was, but that was expected from such a very young child.
"That's really pretty," Daria praised.
Fauna beamed. "I know! It's a cute horse, isn't it?"
It looked nothing like a horse, but why argue with a cute little girl? Daria grinned and nodded. "It's a very cute horse." She then turned to the parents. "I came to say goodbye."
They froze, and even Fauna stopped drawing.
It was Phil who broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Erm…you're leaving?"
Daria nodded. The situation was more than slightly awkward. It was really awkward. Why? Well…she didn't quite know. It just was.
"But why?!" Clarisse demanded indignantly as she broke out of her shocked, speechless state. "You've become such a good addition to this household! You can't leave! Where are you going?"
"Yeah! Why?" Fauna echoed with a shaky voice.
Now the even more awkward part. Daria cleared her throat, unsure on how to break the news. She couldn't just say: "Oh, because, you see, these very powerful nobles decided to adopt me, so yeah…now I'm going to move into their humongous mansion, and basically, I'm going to be a marchioness."
No. That certainly would not work. Daria sighed, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm going to be adopted." Maybe she should just leave it at that…?
Clarisse raised an eyebrow. "And…? You can't just leave it at that."
Or maybe not. Daria sighed. "Lady Gina and Lord Ormond have decided to adopt me. D—do you know who they are?" she asked hesitantly.
If the previous situation was really awkward, then this present situation was really, really awkward. Clarisse and Phil froze for the second time, and even Fauna seemed to have an idea on what was going on. After all, anyone who had a "Lady" or a "Lord" in front of his or her name was always rich and powerful. That was basic knowledge.
"Everybody knows who they are," Clarisse said. Her voice sounded…stunned. "This…this is…"
She is still in shock, Daria thought.
"Great!" Phil finished. Daria's eyes turned to him, startled by his outburst. She became even more startled when she saw how bright his eyes were and how…really happy he looked. She was positively sure that his smile couldn't go any wider.
"Eh?" Daria said, at the same time mentally slapping herself for sounding so…dumb.
"This is great, Daria!" Phil repeated enthusiastically. "You deserve this! We know little about your past, but that little information is enough for us to know for sure that it wasn't a nice past at all. You deserve this, Daria. You're not meant to be a servant girl."
"Yes," Clarisse agreed, finally snapping out of her shock. "It's good that this has happened, although I'm sad that you're going to leave us."
"SHE CAN'T LEAVE!" Fauna wailed loudly, startling the others. "SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND!" Fauna turned to Daria, her eyes filled with large tears. "D-Daria, you c-can't l-leave!" she sobbed.
"Oh, Fauna," Daria said sadly, wrapping her arms around the young, crying child. "We can still play and have fun. You can visit me anytime, and I'll do the same, all right?"
"B-b-but…"
"Daria's right, sweet," Clarisse said softly, stroking her daughter's back. "Daria won't be far from here. You two can visit each other anytime." She raised her eyes to give Daria a smile, which Daria returned.
"Good luck, lass," Phil said as he gave Daria a fatherly hug. "You deserve to be happy. Just don't turn into anything like Antoniette, all right?"
Daria chuckled. "Not in a million years," she said. She turned to Clarisse and gave her a hug. Clarisse, trying hard not to release her tears (she was the type who could easily cry), hugged back. She sniffed loudly, but seemed unperturbed by it.
"I have to go now," Daria said as she and Clarisse broke off. "You three have been really nice. If you don't like it here, you could always come over. I'm sure M-Mother and F-Father wouldn't mind giving you jobs there." I still have to get used to saying that, Daria thought to herself.
Phil laughed good-naturedly. "Mother and Father?"
Daria smiled sheepishly. "Lady Gina insists that I call her Mother, and Lord Ormond, Father. Though it feels strange, I kind of like it."
Phil laughed and playfully ruffled her hair, which she didn't mind. "You're going to fit in just fine, lass," he said. "I'm sure of it."
Daria smiled. "Thanks."
When Daria was about to enter the drawing-room, she saw that the two women were engrossed in a boring, adult stuff conversation. So, instead of entering, she decided to wait for her…erm…mother outside the manor. She went out the front door and sat herself on the front steps with her large sack by her left foot.
A few minutes later, she spotted two figures heading towards her. It did not take long for her to realize that it was Antoniette…and Prince Jerrold. Daria smiled when saw that Antoniette was still clinging on to the prince's arm.
His poor, poor arm, Daria thought with fake sadness.
The pair reached her in a matter of seconds. Antoniette eyebrows went way up at the sight of her handmaiden casually sitting on the front steps. Antoniette gazed at Daria, and the question in her grey eyes was very readable: What are you doing sitting here, you wench?!
Daria responded with a small shrug. It was in this moment, when a brilliant idea entered her. Really brilliant.
Hehehehe… she laughed evilly. Hehehehe—
"What?" she suddenly asked when she realized that the two were giving her weird looks. The prince looked half-amused, half-scared to death, while Antoniette looked half-confused, half-scared to death. "What?" she repeated yet again. These two are sooo odd.
Antoniette spoke up. "Why were you laughing like that?" she demanded.
Oooohh. That's why. Daria bit her lip to keep from grinning, having realized that she had been laughing "evilly" out loud. Really strange? Of course. But she was in one of those…moods, and she just couldn't help it.
"Relax," Daria said loudly, after seeing that the pair was still giving her weird looks. "I'm not a lunatic."
"You sure about that?" Antoniette said haughtily. "I don't know, Daria. You're an odd person. Maybe you should see someone." She turned to the prince. "Forgive her, your Highness. She has always been like this. Sometimes"—she sniffed—"she even talks to herself, and it's s-so s-scary."
Daria resisted the urge to pounce on the girl and tackle her to death. Antoniette was trying to humiliate her in front of the prince. Daria didn't feel humiliated, of course, since it was just the prince (no big deal), but the fact that Antoniette had the nerve to try that was infuriating. She turned to meet the prince's eyes, and was surprised to see that they, those brown, piercing orbs, were laughing at her. He was also trying to bite back laughter that was threatening to erupt at any moment now.
She glared at him, but she was angrier with Antoniette, so she decided to deal with that wench. She smiled sweetly at the loathsome girl, and shot her a watch-out-you're-going-to-get-it look, which the prince didn't catch. Antoniette did, however. She narrowed her eyes at Daria, as if challenging her to do whatever she had in mind.
And Daria accepted. She turned to the prince and smiled genuinely at him. "Oh, Jerrold"—the prince was shocked at this, but didn't say anything—"how about a little walk somewhere? I would looove to hear about your life in court, and wouldn't it be nice to spend time alone?" Daria almost gagged at the way she was acting, but she kept up her act.
Antoniette froze, having realized what Daria was doing. The nerve of that girl! She was flirting with Prince Jerrold! Her Jerrold! She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Had the prince not been there, she would have dragged Daria to the library and ordered Lionel to give her a thousand whippings.
Daria smiled inwardly at her success. Her goal was too infuriate Antoniette, and she had succeeded.
Unfortunately, Prince Jerrold saw right through her. He knew that she was just putting up a little act. And what did he decide to do about this?
He decided to play along. He flashed her the same charming smile that made other ladies swoon. Daria, however, was unaffected by it.
"Why, you read my mind," he said smoothly. "I would love to spend time alone with you."
Daria's heart leaped. No, it was not because she was suddenly hypnotized by his charm. It was because of the way he responded. She had expected him to stutter and be uncomfortable, but here he was, agreeing to her request. This was not part of the plan! She didn't actually want to spend time with him!
"I-I…er…" Damn! How do I get myself out of this one? She desperately and wildly looked around her, as if searching for a distraction. Unfortunately, there was none. Finally, she forced herself to look into the prince's eyes…
And she saw it. The twinkle in his eyes.
He was also putting up an act! Daria would have glared at him for scaring her for just one moment there, but she stopped herself in time. She laughed inwardly. If that's the way he wants it…
"Of course!" Daria squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. "We must spend time together. I cannot wait."
"Me too," he replied huskily. He took a step forward, closing the large gap between them. Meanwhile, Antoniette was watching by the sidelines, fuming with rage. But no one paid attention to her.
Don't look at his eyes. Don't look at his eyes, Daria chanted. Because if she looked into those steady brown eyes, she knew that she would lose her control. Not in that way, of course. She would lose her control, meaning she would burst with anger and scream at the prince for being so…bold. How dare he invade her personal space!
But she was not going to let him win. Focusing on his shoulder (not the best place to stare at, but oh well), she softly said, "How about tonight?" Again, she kept herself from gagging at the remark. She was surprised that she even said that out loud.
He chuckled quietly. "Absolutely…" he whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her, and she refrained from shuddering.
Don't give in. Don't give in. Control your anger. Don't let this JERK get the better of you. JERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Daria gulped and could only manage a nod. She still concentrated on staring at his broad shoulder.
Suddenly, her hand felt something warm. Startled, she looked down.
HE'S HOLDING MY FREAKING HAND!!! Daria started to panic, though she tried her best not to show it. She tried to pull her hand away, but his grasp was firm. She was vaguely aware that he had entwined his fingers with hers. She was mad, but she couldn't help thinking that her hand fit perfectly in his. A perfect fit…
WHAT AM I THINKING?!?! A PERFECT FIT? IT'S NOT A PERFECT FIT!!!! HE'S A JERK, REMEMBER? A J-E-R-K!!
She could not help it. Before she knew what she was doing, she looked up.
Piercing, brown eyes met blue-green ones. Daria eyes widened slightly at his intense, unwavering gaze. There was something about those eyes that made her feel…
LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! her brain screamed.
But she could not. It was as if those brown orbs had locked gazes with her.
Now she felt as if he was reading all the emotions she carried within. She didn't like it one bit. She felt so exposed… so weak…
A/N:
Wow. This chapter took me a while to write. Did you notice that this is way longer than usual? Phew…tiring… By the way, the asterisks in the chapters (the ones that separate scene, you know?) don't show up. They used to, but not anymore. Does anyone know the reason why? I'm confused. Okay, I'm going to put asterisks right here and see if it shows up:
Can you see it? Yes? No? Anyway, moving on, review because I would love to hear from you! I already have the next chapter of "Impossible Love, Eternal War" done, but unfortunately, that chapter is stored in my other computer, and that computer is currently doing weird stuff. Let's hope that it wasn't erased, because if it was, I would just die… Anyway, bye for now! =D