"The Pianist"
~Chapter Four~
kaykaybaby1127 - I'm sorry for your confusion, I time jumped...I thought the flashback helped..but I guess not for everyone. I sincerely apologize for your confusions.
*If anyone has any questions, concerns, or confusion please let me know, I will try my best to set them straight(:
Even in the morning the sun is in the middle of a sapphire sky that has gray strips of clouds invading to block out the yellow, gold sphere. Normally, spending the day in the field with his friend Kristoff Baylor was what he looks forward too; but it's when his oldest daughter is missing and hasn't come home in the night or all of the morn, then he tends to drift his thoughts away from his dear friend and over worry about his daughter.
Not not that's a bad thing, right? He sighs, wiping his brow and concentrating on the field of wheat at his feet. "Oi," Kristoff says, halting his hands from the work to gaze at his friend. "You all right, mate?" Does he look all right? Gregor snorts and shakes his head.
"Kristoff, I wouldn't say 'all right'...I'd say 'slightly panicked'.." His voice trails off, staring down at the wheat that is needing to be harvested. Kristoff sighs, standing up and walking to his friend for 20 years.
"Is it about Gabriella?" Gregor looks at him, his brow crinkling in the center. "I heard she didn't come home last night-"
"Marina says I worry too much.."
"Well, you do," Kristoff says, before adding quickly. "But you have that right to." Gregor shakes his head, he will not fall and cripple to a pile of mush here. Not in front of his front.
"I'm tempted to go search for her.."
"Then why don't you?" Gregor frowns, shaking his head and looking up at the hot, blazing sun and the crystal blue sky.
"Marina would say I still worry too much, and I'd get lectured-"
"Christ!" Kristoff yells, "you're the only man I know of whose frightened of his own wife, Gregor!" Gregor bites his lip, going back to his work in the field for that afternoon. Kristoff stays quiet, going back to his duties, not pushing him to spill all his guts to him; but he has a point, Gregor doesn't stand up to his wife-he gives her the world without taking any of it back...
"Troy!" David yells, banging on the doors that lead to his son's chamber. His eyes are nearly black with angry rage, the vein in his forehead nearly about to burst as he pounds on the doors once more. "Open the damned door!" if one is to listen closely, they'd hear an inaudible groan on the inside and then the shuffle of feet- swearing when the owner of those feet would bump into something on the inside of that room. And then the door swings open, and David shoves his way in-careful so his son doesn't fall onto the floor, though the thought to give him a real good lickin' is tempting. No matter the age.
"Can I help you father?"
"Your a git." He says, his voice calm, but Troy knows better. "An arse."
"Glad you figured it out-"
"Your mother and I want to show you something...it may help with your situation." Troy rolls his, blind, eyes; crossing his arms in front of his chest, letting out an unattractive snort.
"What situation, father?" David scowls, never mind that Troy can't see him make that face. "I have the right mind to slap you right now, boy, don't make me do it-"
"I'm a grown man, you can't threaten me like that-"
"You may be grown, Troy...but I'm still your father. And if I want to give you a lickin', then I sure as hell will give you one...now, come." As if Troy has a choice, David grabs hold of the lapels of Troy's tunic and yanking him out of his chamber. Much to Troy's dismay, who rarely leaves that room ever since his sight had vanished; but he doesn't resist- unless you count him dragging his feet on the marble, stone floor.
"Father!" Troy says, yanking on his tunic, but David only holds tighter; dragging his son to his and his wife's chamber. "Let me-let me go! I'm not a child!"
"Stop acting like one! And you shall be treated like an adult!" He yells, stopping in the middle of the hallway, turning to glare at his son; again, not minding that Troy can't see it. If Troy wasn't blind, it'd be a stare down between father and son, but it's an unfair advantage when the son can't gauge his father's reaction. Unfair. All's quiet between the two of them, and then a door clicks shut and David turns to see his wife standing with her hands behind her back; eyes shining.
"She's bathing."
David nods, "That's fine. Gives us time to break fast." Troy frowns, he wishes that he wasn't blind.
"Whose bathing? Gives time ...what are you-"
"Troy," Lorana says, grabbing her son's arm gently. "Come, you must be hungry-"
"I'll eat when I'm hungry and when you've answered me!" Troy yells, yanking his arm away. "Who the blasted hell are you talking about?!" David sighs, his eyes still hard and angry as he glares at his son. "I know your glaring at me father! I can feel it! Now stop treating me like an errant child, answer me-"
"Oh!" The mother and father and turn, Troy turns only because the soft sounds startles him. "I'm-I'm sorry...I just..." the soft voice- a woman obviously -trails off, her eyes must be looking downcast. Lorana sighs, Troy hears her footsteps walking toward the voice.
"Dear, is everything all right?" Silence, awkward silence; as if the foreign woman is debating whether to speak. Troy stands there-well, he would, if his father hadn't grabbed his arm and started yanking him down to the dining hall, but that doesn't mean he wasn't paying attention to the fading conversation of his mother and the unknown woman.
Damn that woman's soft voice!
"Mummy, where's Gabi?" Asks little Sophie, her brown eyes quizzical as she looks up at her mother chopping vegetables for their morning meal. Marina looks at the eight year old, her's and Gregor's fourth child. The blessed child, Marina nearly lost her's and Sophie's life while in labour that winter. She's at war with herself because half of her wants to remember it for the miracle that is Sophie that came into the world that day, and the other half dreads to remember for the obvious fact that she almost lost a child, her children a mother and her beloved a wife. She sighs.
"Darling, Gabi is...well, I don't know.." Sophie's lips pucker and tremble.
"Doesn't she love us?" Marina looks up at her daughter in shock, "Of course she does! Don't ever question it!" She looks down at her small hands, watching her mother chop vegetables once more in silence. Sophie sighs again, "I'm sorry, Mummy..."
Marina looks at her miracle child, "It's okay, Love...just...I don't like to hear such things." Sophie nods slowly, looking at her small hands. Marina sighs, putting down her dull chopping knife and walking around the splintering table to kneel before her daughter. "Why don't you go help your father in the fields? With Mr Baylor?" Sophie smiles, she can't resist Mr Baylor; he's so good with children, for having only having a bastard nephew whose real father moved to Italy and mother died...it's a shame he has no real children of his own.
"Yes, Mama!" With a flick of her braided hair, she runs out of the small hut for a house and goes out to the fields where her father and his friend are working laughs, folding her arms around her...the baby cries. She sighs, walking into her's and Gregor's room that is shared with their infant child.
Troy sighs, his father successfully pulling him into the dining room; shutting the huge mahogany doors behind them. "Who is she?" Troy asks, his voice uncharacteristically softer than normal. David regards him with raised brows. "Now you're interested?" his son huffs out a breath, running a hand through his hair and crossing his arms over his chest.
"We don't know her name...she hasn't told us." Troy's brow creases, "and you've brought her hear?" David sighs again, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Me and your mother couldn't leave her in the woods very well could we? She fell from a tree, Troy." Troy snorts, shaking his head and waving a hand in front of his father's face.
"The worse she'd have gotten was a bump on her head-"
"Being chased by wolves."
"You and mother were chasing-"
"No we saved her...now, enough of this, she'd be down here soon; and the morning meal will be on the table by then. Why don't we sit?" Troy shakes his head and feels in front of him for the handle of the door. David looks at his son, frowning. "Troy-"
"I'll take my meal in my chamber. Like always."
David places a hand on his son's shoulder, "Son-"
"Like always..." he says sternly, yanking his shoulder out from his father's touch, at the same time yanking the door open and walking out of the dining room-feeling in front of him for the stairs. The servants nearby offer their help, but he declines with disdain and continues his search for the damned stairs. He grasps the post at the bottom of the stairs, taking the first step...however, he is so concentrated on getting to his chamber without tripping over anything that he didn't hear the two softly muted voices coming down the stairs, just the sounds of a frantic apology as he stumbles to feet-gripping the banister of the stairs.
"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry.."
"It's fine.." he mutters, he doesn't think she heard him quite that well; she's still apologizing. His mother, he knew she was there had obviously left in a dash, leaving the two alone. He makes a mental check on a list to scold her, no minding if she is mother or not...
"I'm sorry..I-I..I didn't see you.." Her words makes him smile, a small laugh escaping his throat.
"I didn't see you either." He feels the foreign woman's eyes on him, and then a hitch of her breath. "I'm blind..." might as well, put it out there in the open.
"Oh! I was-wasn't...I'm sorry, I mean...not because you're...I-I...I'm going to be quiet now." She's blushing, the atmosphere is changing; heating. It's making him smile...
"I was just heading to my chamber." He says, "Obviously I don't know my way around yet if I'm still bumping into things.." the woman says nothing, but the air is still the same, warm. Fuzzy.
"Would-would you like some help...of course, if you want...it?" Troy smirks, holding out his hand. "Perhaps just to the door...no further." The woman clears her throat, he feels her small; fragile feeling; fingers interlace with his and something warm shoots up his arm. He fights the urge to pull away, instead he grits his teeth.
"It's up the stairs, left side." One...two...three...four...five...he mentally counts their steps; something he's never done before and when they stop at the door, he hears her hum nervously. Absentmindedly, he curls his fingers around hers and brings her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "Until we meet again..." 'where the fuck did that come from?' he thinks, immediately shoving the thought aside. He feels her skin warming, she's blushing.
"Uh..y-yes...I-I...have a pleasant day
WOW! What a chapter! Don't forget to review! What did you think of how Troy and Gabriella met?! You think it's fast? I was trying to put a TAD of Troyella fluff in there...even if it is just a smidgen. :D
Hope you liked the chapter!
~Elena xx