A/N:
Hi everyone! This chapter is finally up. Sigh…have you ever gone through the phase where you feel so sluggish and don't want to write more chapters? I'm in that phase right now, but last night, I forced myself to sit down on the comp chair and start typing. Don't worry. I'm not going to abandon any of my stories, but I just feel so…sluggish…yeah…
JellyBelly391: They better fall in love or else this story is completely pointless. =) I hope Daria and Jerrold are not a hopeless case.
blue-hello-kitty: Nope, not the same bracelet. =D
Manda: Hehe…I know! Jerrold is hot. =)
Tamaran Girl: Aw…thanks for your reviews!!! Here's the next update. =)
Crazayladay: Yay. Cherry lolly. Don't like Christian? Fine…you're entitled to your opinion. =D (I love Christian.)
Miss Piratess: Yay!! Someone who likes Christian! And lack of love? Yeah…they're moving really slowly…=)
Shima And Tempis: You don't like Christian? Ah, that's okay. Captain Hook's a cod fish. Pointless info. I don't know why I just said that.
dragonfirechick: Symbol or the seal of some royal and/or noble house? Hmm…maybe…
sealednectar: Thank you! And here's the next update! =D
Princess of the Phone Booth: Yup. A spy for the royal family. I hope I made the clear in the last chapter…I don't think I did…oh well…
awaiting impatient person: I'm known as angel-kiss1 in ficpress. 1, not 7. Yeah, I'll make Daria stronger if the opportunity comes.
cutie20: Thank you! There will be more conflict coming. You'll find out after reading this chap… =)
CrimsonEnchantress: Yup. I meant to make Jerrold blank and expressionless, hehehe. I'm not going to say why though. And yes, sooner or later Daria will have to be nicer. She better be. She's hurt Jerrold enough, dontcha think?
FalseEyelashes: Thanks! And yes, he's taken with Daria. Daria's so blind for not seeing it.
Another Reader: Yes, Daria has softened a bit. Just a bit. Don't be surprised if she's still cold and bitter in some moments. It's in her nature. Hopefully she won't be in the end. =)
Anyway, here's the next chap. I'm quite happy with it. It may seem boring in the beginning, but it won't be if you continue reading it (I hope). Read on…
Chapter Thirteen
Mysterious Stranger
Daria had been in her new home for three days now, and she was still trying to get used to the lifestyle. It was difficult to realize that she was not serving, but being served. It was quite strange to have people refer to her as "Lady Daria", "my lady", or "mistress". She had a handmaiden (her new mother insisted for her to have one), one that went by the name Charlene, and she made sure that she was nice to her. Daria didn't want to be an Antoniette.
The manor was very large and fancy. Until now, Daria was still terrified of breaking something. She had gotten lost a couple of times, but she was slowly improving. The trick was to use the paintings in the halls as guides. The picture of her mother's grandfather meant the drawing room was near, the picture of a beautiful landscape meant the dining room was near, and so on and so forth.
Lord Ormond came back the day after Daria's horseback riding lessons with Jerrold. He welcomed her joyously into the family. Daria was scared of him at first, but after spending time together, they formed a special relationship with each other. Lord Ormond, or more like her father, had such a friendly, easy-going attitude that made it easy for Daria to like him.
Fauna came by to visit yesterday, and she was awestruck at the elegance of the place. She spent a fun day with Daria. They went to River Lucarno, visited the menagerie (Jerrold wasn't there, thankfully), and pretty much toured Frell.
After waking up in the morning of her fourth day, Daria changed into a nice dress, went out of her (very large and fancy) room, and bounded down the stairs. She passed by the drawing room, and when she did, she heard her name being called. She backtracked and when she peered in the room, she saw her mother and a lady she didn't recognize. She had greying hair pulled into a sleek bun, a small classical nose, thin lips, and brown eyes that held a scrutinizing gaze, which was currently directed towards Daria.
"A fine-looking lass," she said.
Lady Gina nodded. "Yes, she is. Come closer, Daria."
Daria obeyed. She would have curtsied, but she realized in time that she didn't know how to.
"This is your new governess," Lady Gina said with a small smile.
The lady smiled and stood up. "Good morning. You may call me Madame Edith." She did a very smooth and impressive curtsy.
Daria winced inwardly. Slowly, she pulled up her skirt up a bit and did an awkward curtsy. She blushed into a crimson shade when she saw Madame Edith raise an eyebrow at this.
"Your lessons shall start in an hour," she said.
Daria slowly nodded. This was going to be one long day.
The moment Daria stepped out of her manor, she breathed a sigh of intense relief. It was five in the afternoon, and she had just been released from a whole day of tiring lessons. Now she was free to do whatever she wanted.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Madame Edith wasn't mean or bitter, but she was a scrutinizer. She was picky and very observant. The lessons also added to the exhaustion. Sewing lessons, writing lessons, music lessons, behaviour lessons, and worst of all…dancing lessons. Daria didn't mind sewing lessons and writing lessons since Afrella taught her in these two areas, but the rest were really bothersome, especially dancing lessons…
"Dance like a feather, Daria. Like a feather!"
What?! Daria frowned and tried to do whatever "dancing like a feather was."
"No, no. Now you're like a cow on its hind legs. And the man is supposed to lead! I'm the man here, Daria."
Oookay…
"And it would be nice if you don't step on my feet."
"Don't grip my hand. You don't want to hurt your partner, do you?"
"Stop staring at the floor!"
"Once again, stop stepping on my feet."
"Like a feather!"
"Light feet. Light steps. I said light steps!"
"Stop stepping on my feet!"
That was pretty much how dancing lessons went. In the end, Madame Edith let out a very weary sigh and tonelessly said, "I think we're done for the day."
Daria was gone before anyone could say "freedom." Now, here she was, standing next to her horse, Ashwin. The horse was black, with a white mark on its forehead. It was big, but not as big as the steed that Jerrold had ridden on. The stallion was just right for her.
"Is it your routine now to ride your horse everyday?" said a deep, elderly voice.
Daria turned and saw Walter, the stable master. He was a tall and bearded man in his forties. He had a nice and honest smile that reminded Daria of Phil. She grinned at him.
"Yes. I think I'm improving," she said. "And the more I improve, the more fun it gets." Her leg muscles still ached slightly from three days ago, but she learned to bear with it. She didn't want to seem like a pathetic weakling.
His eyes twinkled. "You do realize that you're riding is wrong?"
Daria frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, young ladies like you are supposed to ride side-saddle," he said with a grinning voice.
Her eyes widened. "But I'll fall off!" She shook her head. "That's ridiculous! Why do 'ladies' have to do that?"
He shrugged. "Ask the workings of society."
"Well I'm not going to do that. I'm already used to the way I'm riding."
"Suit yourself."
Daria shrugged, mounted Ashwin, and took off. She didn't have a particular destination in mind, but that was the beauty of it.
As she was riding across a small open field near River Lucarno, a tall figure caught her eye. She couldn't see his face, but she could see that he had dark curls…
Daria felt her heart skip a wild beat. Jerrold?
The person turned around, revealing his face. No. Not Jerrold. Just some random nobleman. Daria unconsciously bit her bottom lip. What was this she was feeling? Disappointment? Her eyes widened. No! It couldn't be. That was not possible, was it?
No. It was not. She shook her head. And why am I always thinking about him anyway?
Daria sighed and kicked Ashwin's sides. The stallion neighed and quickened its pace. Daria tightened her grip on the reins as they headed off towards a tame forest…Adarlin Forest was the name. It had plenty of young trees and harmless critters. Little children often came there to play.
Ashwin slowed down as they trotted on a dirt path inside the forest. The ground was rather damp and cool, caused by the thick green canopies that blocked the sunlight.
They stopped when they came upon a fork. The path on the left was very visible. It was clear that it was used a lot by many travelers. The path on the right was concealed well with dead leaves. One would have not noticed it they didn't have keen eyesight. Daria, being in leisure pace, saw it after a second glance.
Feeling adventurous for the day, she steered her horse to the right. The path was very rough and wild, so they went at a very slow pace. Daria was half-tempted to go back, but the other half got the better of her.
Finally, they reached a clearing. Daria realized that they had reached the end of the forest. The glade before her had patches of wild grass that reached a six or seven inches below her knees. She was glad that she was riding a horse.
She kept going straight. She slowed her horse down even more when she noticed that the air felt colder and the grasses were thinning. That only meant one thing: she was nearing a cliff.
She was right. After a few seconds, she reached a cliff. Near the edge of the cliff was a boulder: a perfect place to sit and think. She looked at what was beyond the cliff and grinned when she saw that the large view was of Frell. She could plainly see the palace, the tower flags flapping with the breeze. She saw rooftops and small moving specks, which were undoubtedly people or horses.
She finally found a sanctuary.
She stayed there for a long while, sitting on the boulder and enjoying the cool breeze and the peaceful silence. This time, she had a warm cloak on, finally getting it through that thick (maybe forgettable) head of hers that it was the middle of autumn.
When she finally decided that she should be getting home (it was swiftly getting dark, after all) she jumped off the boulder and mounted Ashwin. They cantered off and took the same route they had followed earlier.
When they passed the open field, the field where Daria saw the Jerrold look-alike, Daria saw a shadowy figure from afar. The person was undoubtedly male, since he had a muscular frame. He was sitting gracefully atop a white horse. She felt her heart skip a beat. Jerrold?
She narrowed her eyes to see more clearly. She saw that he had straight hair. It was not Jerrold. She angrily chastised herself: Are you going to think that every tall and muscular-framed person is Jerrold now?
She let out a soft noise of frustration. She urged her horse to trot faster, wanting to get home sooner.
What happened next happened so fast. A large bee flew in front of her face, seeming to have this annoying desire to get in her nerves. Daria, irritated at the buzzing sound, swatted at it with her hand. She missed it and only succeeded in making it angry. It buzzed loudly, flew away from her, and landed on her horse's neck.
It must have hurt really badly, because Ashwin let out the loudest neigh. It went up on its hind legs, stomped on the ground, and galloped off.
Daria let out a loud shriek and tightened her hold on the reins. She had never ridden this fast before. Never. Ashwin was going really crazy. And she was an amateur rider, for goodness's sake!
"STOP, ASHWIN! STOP! I SAID STOP!" She pulled on the reins, but Ashwin paid no heed to it. In fact, the action made him gallop faster, if that was even possible.
Daria let out another shriek as she felt herself slowly slip off. She squeezed her legs against Ashwin's body, hoping that she could maintain her position and not fall off. However, she hadn't mastered balance yet, and it seemed inevitable.
I'm going to break my bones, I just know it. I'm going to fall on my back. It's going to hurt. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on!
Because she was in this concentrated state, she did not hear hoofbeats from behind. She only snapped out of her panicked trance when she heard a voice yell, "Jump off!"
Daria looked to her left and saw a young man with straight black hair and blue eyes. He was riding a white horse, galloping alongside her. It did not take Daria long to realize that he was the one she had been staring at earlier, believing that it was Jerrold.
"I can't!" she yelled back as she bounced roughly atop her crazy horse. "I'll fall!"
"I'll catch you, don't worry!" he shouted back. "Just jump!"
Daria hesitated. To jump or not to jump; that is the ques—
"JUMP!" he screamed.
Daria jumped. She landed clumsily on the white horse. She would have fallen off, but the young man grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her firmly on the horse. She couldn't help blushing at their closeness. She could almost feel his heartbeat. Yes, they were that close.
"Whoa!" the man cried at his horse as he pulled on the reins. The horse neighed and slowed down. Soon, they had stopped, in the middle of the field. Ashwin was still galloping off somewhere, his pace still as fast as before. Maybe the sting gave him extra strength or something. Stupid horse.
It was an awkward moment. Daria nervously swallowed. Here she was, sitting side-saddle and intimately with a man she didn't know. She forced herself to look up and meet her "rescuer's"—what was it? Were his eyes blue or green? She couldn't remember.
She looked up. They were blue. Deep pools of ocean.
She cleared her throat and began to dismount his horse.
He did not stop her. He held her by the arm as he gently helped her down. When Daria had her two feet firmly planted on the ground, she looked back at him. His gaze was so intense. And he was gazing at her.
"Thank you," she said.
He smiled and nodded. "You're very much welcome, my lady." He then released a light chuckle. "I'm afraid your horse has run off."
Daria looked about her and groaned. Ashwin was nowhere in sight, and she was still far from home. "I'm afraid so," she mumbled. She let out a weary sigh. "I must be going," she told him. "Good night and thank you once again."
She began to walk away. Silence engulfed them as she walked on the soft grass. She fully believed that he was now going to ride off and leave her alone, so she was surprised when she heard him speak.
"It is not safe, my lady," she heard him say from behind. "It is already dark."
She stopped and turned to face him. Déjà vu indeed. Were all men in Frell gentlemanly? "I have no choice," she said to him.
"Of course you do," he said simply. "You could ride with me."
Daria frowned. Ride with him? He was a stranger! Sure, he may have rescued her from a mad horse, but he could still be dangerous. And she was in a vulnerable position.
As if reading her very mind, he let out a laugh. "Don't worry," he said with a grinning voice. "I'm a perfect gentleman."
She raised an eyebrow. "And now I'm supposed to feel safe just because you said that?"
He chuckled. "True," he said. He paused for a short moment. Then, he smiled and said, "I have a solution for this."
She shrugged. "I'm all ears."
"You can ride my horse, while I walk beside you. If I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you can take off and leave me."
Daria laughed. "That sounds cruel."
"Cruel, but safe, right?" he said, grinning impishly. "I don't mind walking. It's a nice night for walking."
Daria frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Quite." He then smiled mysteriously. "But I do have a price."
She did not like the sound of that. Price? That sounded wrong and scandalous. That sounded like something a vulgar man from the street would say. Except he didn't look like a man from the street. She couldn't see what he wore underneath, but his black cloak was made of very fine material. No doubt that he was a nobleman.
As if reading her thoughts once more, he laughed and said, "I already told you that I am a gentleman. I would never ask for such a thing."
She gave him a wary glance. "All right," she said slowly. "State your so-called price."
He smiled. "Your name, my lady. I would like to know your name."
To lie or not to lie; that is the question. Daria paused and observed the young man before her, to see if he looked trustable. A stupid move, looks are deceiving after all, but she still did it.
He was handsome, no doubt about that. He had straight ebony hair, bangs somewhat falling before his eyes. He had a clear complexion; he wasn't too tanned or too pale. He held himself regally and in a proud way. And it wasn't in an arrogant way, but a confident way. His eyes were his most distinguished features. They were the stunning, rare blue. They were piercing, as if they could gaze right through you, reading your very soul. It wasn't very comforting. No, not all.
He dismounted his horse and approached Daria. Daria noticed that she almost reached his chin.
"Your name, my lady?" he said, breaking through the silence.
Daria snapped out of her daze. She blushed a bit when she realized she had been staring at him earlier. There was no doubt that he noticed that. She could see him suppressing a smirk, after all.
After a few more seconds of silence, she answered him. "Daria."
His face broke into a large grin. "I see. Lady Daria, daughter of Lady Gina and Lord Ormond."
Daria smiled and shook her head. "No, just 'Daria'. I don't like having the 'Lady' before it."
He grinned. "As you wish." He gestured towards his horse. "He's all yours."
"Thank you." Daria mounted the white horse and held on the reins. She rode at a slow walking pace, so that her companion could keep up easily.
"You haven't told me your name, my lord," Daria spoke up as they crossed the field.
He flashed her a charming smile. "Perhaps I won't tell you."
"Well that's not fair."
He raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"
"Because I told you mine."
He chuckled. "It is fair, because I lent you my horse in exchange for your name."
Daria smirked. "Maybe you're just threatened by me. Are you afraid that I will hunt you down and kill you once I know who you are?" She was just trying to trick him into revealing who he was. Maybe if he got angry enough, he would unintentionally blurt his name out. However, he saw right through her act.
He returned the smirk. "That won't work, Daria."
She glared at him and shrugged. "It was worth a try."
"You know that you shouldn't probe," he said lazily. "I have my reasons for not revealing who I am."
She sighed. "I suppose so. Forgive me."
He flashed her another charming smile. "There is nothing to forgive. I would be curious as well if I came across an attractive person."
She rolled her eyes. Scratch the "carrying himself confidently and not arrogantly" part. This man had an inflated ego. "Arrogance does not become you."
He smiled amusedly. "I was jesting."
"Sure you were." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"I was!" he insisted.
Daria shook her head. "If you say so," she said, not wanting to argue any longer.
She looked at her surroundings and saw that they had barely covered any distance. It was going to take her a long time to get home at a pace like this. They were practically crawling. She sighed inwardly. She wanted to get home sooner, but in order to do that, she had to…
He wasn't dangerous, was he? He seemed like a gentleman, but then again, looks could be deceiving. But his behaviour towards her did seem honest and kind…
She made up her mind. She was going to do it. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat... "You may ride with me."
He stopped abruptly and gave her a look. "Are you certain?"
She silently nodded. "I need to return home soon."
He paused. Then he shrugged and nodded. "All right. But if you really are certain."
"I am."
His lips curved into a small smile. Then he approached his horse and mounted behind Daria. Daria tried not to tense. He was so close to her. She could practically feel the warmth radiating from him. It felt…strange. She wasn't sure if that was the right word, but it was the only word that she could come up with at the moment.
He reached over and grasped the reins, both his arms lightly grazing Daria's sides. Daria tensed even more; she couldn't help it. It was out of impulse.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered close to her ear.
She shuddered slightly, and then winced. She hoped that he didn't feel that. If he did, she could make an excuse, saying that she was cold.
He lightly kicked his horse's sides, and they trotted off.
They reached Daria's manor a couple of minutes later. The ride there was very silent. Neither started a conversation. Daria was too busy feeling uncomfortable in his arms, while the young man…well, she didn't know what was going on in that mind of his. He was just remarkably silent throughout.
Daria narrowed her eyes and saw that Ashwin was in his stall. Impressive. It seemed as if her dear horse had a nice sense of direction. She smiled.
"We're here," he announced.
Daria gave a short nod and dismounted. She then looked up and met his eyes. She smirked. "Thank you, Sir I-have-my-reasons-for-not-revealing-who-I-am."
He smirked back. "You're welcome, Lady Daria."
"Oh that's funny," she said wryly.
"Very." He laughed at her annoyed face. "I'll be seeing you soon."
She frowned at him. "And why do you think so?"
He burst out laughing. "Oh," he said lightly, "forgive me for not saying this earlier: I am invited to your ball. I'll make sure to come and see you dance." He smirked at his last comment.
Daria's eyes widened. How does he know I am horrible at dancing?!
She voiced the thought out loud. When she did, he burst out laughing once more.
"Well, I have a confession to make," he said.
"And that would be…?"
"I visited your manor earlier today. I wanted to call on you. When I was near the drawing room, I overheard your governess talking to your mother about how, and I quote, 'challenged in the art of graceful dancing' you are." He chuckled. "Anyway, your mother then came to me and said that you were out riding, so I left."
By the time he was done with his "confession," Daria's face was beet red. Challenged in the art of graceful dancing?! How…rude! And unfeeling! So she was a little slow at learning the steps. People have their own different levels!
She gave her companion a look. "Who are you?" she demanded.
He suddenly became grim. "If I tell you," he said seriously, "will you promise me to not act differently?"
She knitted her brow. Why would she? She shrugged. "All right…"
He gave her a small smile. "I am Lord Gavin, son of the Duke of Frell."
He didn't give Daria a chance to speak. He took off on his white horse in a second or two. Daria was too surprised to even notice that that was rude of him, taking off just like that.
Lord Gavin?! One of the most eligible men in all of Kyrria? Son of a very powerful and rich duke? Heir to a very large estate and powerful title?
Daria had heard so much about him. Many maidens found him very charming and irresistible. Many compared him with the prince himself. The famous two were the most sought after, with maidens bowing shamelessly at their feet. It was disgusting.
She was very startled at his identity (she was expecting him to say that he was just some ordinary nobleman), but why would she treat him differently? Did he really think that once she found out who he was, she would start flirting outrageously with him or perhaps beg him to be his wife? The nerve! Someday she was going to have to tell him that not everyone was in love with him.
And wait… Did he say that he was going to her banquet?
Yes, yes he did.
That was just fine and dandy.
Not.
A/N:
Poll time!!! Who do you want to like Daria (in a romantic way)? Gavin or Christian? Please review!