"The Pianist"

~Chapter Thirteen~

He thought he had handled it well. Pretty damned well. The princess coming into his castle and just walking into his chamber as if she's the princess of this castle as well...he scoffs, leaning against the door as he hears her footsteps practically rush into the foyer- the faint sound of his parent's voices asking if she was all right. Oh, he'd give anything to see Sharpay's face right now. Ever since they were children, he loved tormenting her; making her goo-goo eyes go from doting to sad in one hour in five ways. She's tried to turn the tables on him, sure, but...he always gets the jump on her.

And she's such an easy target. So easy. He sighs, pushing himself slowly from the door and reaching his hand out in front of him so he can walk to his bed; he's tired- sure it's midday, but he hasn't slept since...since...Since you rescued Gabriella, and her father, and brought them back here...how many days has it been? One? Good Lord, it feels like a month. Oh, that's how long he should sleep. Every muscle and tendon in his body is fatigued and yet...his mind reels back to earlier..in the bath; and his groin tightens against his tights. Mm, delicious memories of pulling Gabriella into the tub of water, that tickle fight...her letting him feel what she looks like...

Him practically -no, not practically, he did- insulting her. He sighs, he should talk to her. He yawns, perhaps when he's more awake. Finding his bed with his legs, he bends slowly and slides on to his mattress; putting his face in to his pillow. More darkness to overlap the darkness that greets him when he is to wake. He sighs, letting his body relax against the tension that fatigues him; the rolling of his shoulders making his eyes close his breath slow. His pulse slow.

Suddenly, what he remembers is that Sharpay had invited him to a ball...that she's hosting in a month? Or did she say next week? He'll have to write her...or rather, have one of the servants write down his words while he spoke; he curses his ignorance for not properly learning HOW to be blind and not learning how to read or write while being blind. Curse him. Yawning again, he buries his face deep into his pillow and welcomes the slumber that comes forward and takes a hold of him...

...and a sweet dream of a woman who is small in stature and fiery as any other woman that he's...well, in a long time, that he's heard of. Together they dance, together they wear masks, and ...he still cannot see her face.

Her visit to Bolton castle was...less then successful, Troy had just basically verbally slapped her...says he's going to bring another woman with him to the ball! Ha! Impossible, there is no other woman as beautiful as she! Especially not that...that...beast of a servant ...whatever her name is- Sharpay had forgotten; not that she planned on remembering, someone that ugly is not worth remembering. Not of any importance. She expected many things when she had left the doors of the castle in her huff, but finding her brother fondling- FONDLING! -her personal servant...and then the whore daring to grab at his tunic strings! Oh, the nerve! She leaves the castle, sees them not awaiting by the carriage and hears moaning...talking...so she follows; she finds them? Ugh! It's a disgusting display. Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrows her eyes at the two. "What do you think you are doing, brother?"

Ryan clears his throat, standing in front of Adriana, his hand finding her's and gripping it tight. Sharpay nearly gags, "It's none of your concern-"

"She's a servant, Ryan!" the blond yells, "of course it's a concern! You can't go snogging any whore that you seek-"

"Never call her that!" Ryan yells, his blood near to a boil, "She isn't a whore!"

"What do you call her pulling at your tunic strings?! She's...she's...she's below your station! Think of what anyone else who isn't family would've thought! You'd be cast out of the family-" Ryan fixes his eyes in a glare and pins them on her, if looks were lethal enough to burn and kill...his would be a weapon.

"Maybe that's what I'm aiming for, sister." His words are quiet, not the yelling from earlier. He's angry if his words are quiet, Sharpay knows better than to push him...but then, her temper is flaring; her anger is high...and she doesn't quite know how to keep her mouth shut.

"You ...you...you...ugh!" Nor does she know how to make a proper insult whent the situation calls for it. Turning on her heels, she marches toward the carriage; her earlier huff seeming much calmer compared to this tirade with her brother. Ryan sighs, running a hand through his hair and looks at the scared, frightened girl behind-slash-beside him.

"I apologize." He whispers, she looks up at him, his green eyes sincere, "my sister-"

"She frightens me." Adriana whispers, her voice barely there, Ryan laughs and holds her close to him in a lover's embrace. "I hate her. I know I-I...shouldn't say that about her-"

"She's easy to hate. Hard to love. I'm sure she doesn't know what love is...given the countless of times she sneaks out and goes to the low district-" Adriana looks up at him, her lips quivering; they're swollen from their heated kisses that were shared prior to the storm...oh, but Ryan wants so badly to kiss her lips again. He stares at her, so long that she looks away but he forces her to look at him. "Don't look away from me, Sweeting-"

"Sweeting?" She tilts her head to the side, he smirks, kissing her cheek lightly. She blushes.

"It's a term that-"

"I know what it means," she giggles, looking up at him with flaming cheeks. "I just...only my papa has ever called me that." Sadness clouds her eyes, thinking of her papa...how he'd hold her when she was a small child; he was a friend of David Bolton...even though he was his servant, him and her were treated almost like family. Troy was her best friend- she hoped to think that he still is, but she hasn't seen him in years. When Evans had dragged him through the town naked, over the roughest road leading out of town...while she was forced to watch as a 8 year old girl. She cried out for her papa, hearing him cry out...and the worst thing? Evans watched as it all happened; some 'great' king. His daughter had that smug smile on her face, holding her fathers hand as she laughed at her father's misery and pain being dragged through town. Ryan? Adriana at that age wasn't paying attention the son...in fact, he was hidden from most the town- sent off to schools in other high society villages and cities that weren't Faerie. It was when he returned when Adriana was 13 that she noticed that Evans had a son. At first she thought him to be like his father and sister...
...but then something changed her opinion of him.
Completely.

"What happened to him?" She looks at him, taken aback by his question. Did he really not know? Not know the cruelty that was dealt to her father the day that he was murdered? How the king Evans just...heartlessly ordered him to be dragged, and then watched with quiet resolve as he screamed? As his own sister did the same thing as their father? "Adriana?"

"He-he...died." Half true, "when I was 8." His face falls, staring into her sadden orbs; to lose someone close to you so suddenly.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, cupping her face and placing a chaste kiss on her lips. She can't help but lean into him as her knees wobble. She sighs, running her fingers through her hair, making her eyes dry their unshed tears and look up at his.

"It was a long time ago." And she hated Sharpay and king Evans everyday for it. She couldn't hate Ryan; he hadn't been there, he had no idea what had happened.

"Come," Ryan says calmly, taking her hand gently. "My sister will be angry if we don't hurry- though she is comical when she's angry." Adriana giggles, nodding in agreement.

"Aye, she is." For once, Ryan notices her accent...strange how he never noticed it before. "Scottish?"

"Aye."

"I love accents." She giggles, squeezing his hand and stopping when they reach the carriage, seeing Sharpay glaring at them. Ryan glares back. "Sis-"

"The whore stays. She will not defile the family name, Ryan." she crosses her arms over her chest. Her twin brother breathes deeply, oh how he wishes to kill his sister right now- he certainly has the skill.

"She's not a whore-"

"She is to me. Seducing my brother-"

"She didn't seduce me!"

"Yes!" Sharpay yells, "she did! And for that she WILL stay here or be killed in the forest!"

"You don't have the jurisdiction! You're not the queen!" Sharpay gasps, as if offended by her brothers crude- and very true -exclamation. Her lips flop open and closed, and her arms squeezed so tight around her breasts that he feared they may pop from her bodice and make an entrance. That may excite the carriage driver.

"Well!" She hisses, "if..if you say that...then-then...YOU AREN'T MY BROTHER!"

He looks much better now, resting peacefully in a bed of silk and satin sheets. His wounds are bandaged, his fingers laying lazily on the flat of his bare stomach; which lifts slowly with each breath, she sighs, interlacing her fingers with his and squeezing them lightly. "Papa..." she hates to wake hime, but she needs someone to talk to and she knows she mustn't disturb Lorana or David while they are dressing-

"Gabriella," she turns her head quickly, seeing David standing at the doorframe. Fully clothed. Thank Heavens. "I was going to check on him..." she smiles a small smile of gratitude, and shakes her head.

"Thank you," David sits by her, looking from her to her father; his eyes trailing down the scars on her face. She clears her throat, getting ready for him to cast her out to.

"He should be up and about tomorrow, but not so much that he's about to walk away from here." She sighs, looking at her sleeping papa through her long lashes, and then David lifts her cheek. "Why did you run away? Had Troy something-"

"No offense to you, Sir...but he's arrogant." David chuckles to her surprise, shaking his head and running his fingers through his hair - that is the same length as his son's, but perhaps a little darker with sprinkles of gray; but the sprinkles aren't noticeable. She knows where Troy got his looks from, but looking at the man's eyes he doesn't have his father's eyes. No, he obviously inherited the blue's from his mother. Blue eyes, hmm...

"You look tired, Gabriella. Go, rest. I'll watch over him."

"But-"

"Gabriella." A paternal gesture, but Gabriella smiles and yawns as she stands up and knots her fingers together. Biting her lip. Suddenly, she leans forward and wraps her arms around David's neck in a hug, he's surprised but immediately embraces her back long enough for her to whisper in his ear- which is another surprise.

"Thank you." With that she pulls away and turns to walk out the door, shutting it quietly behind her. David sighs, looking at Gregor, "she is a wonderful girl you have there, sir." he says, "she'd be good for my son..."

Her hands are supple and warm, soft. He hears music play around them, he leads them both in a waltz and feels her lean into him; her head on his chest..he lays his cheek on her head, breathing in her soft scent...drinking it in. Letting it consume him. "Mmm..." she purrs softly in a light moan, he feels himself smile. Oh he'd give anything to see her! What does she look like right now? A princess, he can imagine it...yes, she looks like a princess. What kind of gown is she wearing? The material is loose, flowing around her, but comfortably tight around her waist and breasts. His fingers itch to cradle those lovely sacks in his hands while kissing her, but now both is on her hips as they dance to the slow music.

He spins them, slowly and then pulls her further against him as he feels his way up her body to her chin, cradling it in his hand. He wishes he could see her eyes. What colour are they? "I can't see you...but, I know you look breathtakingly beautiful," he breathes. He feels her lips, how they curl when she smiles- the left side permanently in that sneer. But still, beautiful.

"I'd look better without my scar." She whispers, her hands on his chest, they've stopped dancing; just standing in one place, holding onto each other. Not wanting this moment to end.

"Again, I may not be able to see you...but you're still beautiful. Breathtaking." She exhales a soft breath; a warm breath, that makes him feel glad he's holding her chin with his hand when the sweet breath hits his face. He breathes it in. Drinks it in. Until he's overwhelmingly drunk just on that. On her.

"Troy..."

"Mm.."

"Can I ask for one thing of you?"

"And what's that?"

"Kiss me..."

Hey! Happy Single Awareness Day (also known as Valentine's Day!) I wanted to update this chapter today, anyway I hope you all liked it! Don't forget to review! Please? xx

The faster ye reviews, the faster the next chapter will be posted.

~ Elena xxx