I'm finally home! Actually I've been home for 2 weeks but the writer's block kinda hates me….
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Romeo and Cinderella: Noncest Version
Chapter 6: Maid Knows Best
It was seven o'clock when we got back to the manor. The mansion was still. Luka took us quietly up the stairs into the bathroom. She ran some hot water over a couple of pieces of cloth and handed them to us to clean off a bit, and then she left the room, probably to get Miku something fresh to sleep in.
I looked over at Miku. She was totally still, the hot water seeping into her tattered skirt. "Here," I said offering my help. Feeling like a maid, I wiped off Miku's forehead then placed the warm rag on her shoulders. "He didn't cut you, did he?"
Miku shook her head no.
I sighed in relief. "That's good," I breathed. I myself was getting a little dizzy. I moved my skirt away and placed my rag over my cut. It was still oozing a bit, and blood had stained my leg red. I didn't care, though. Miku was my only concern right then and there. "A-are you okay?"
Miku shook her head no.
Luka walked back into the bathroom. "Your name is Miku, right?" she questioned. Miku nodded. "Okay, Miku. Here's something fresh to sleep in. Let me help you wash off. Are you injured anywhere?"
Luka began washing Miku down with the warm rag. "I don't know," she answered slowly and quietly. Luka stopped then examined Miku's arms. She had bruises on her wrists.
"Do you have any other bruises?" Luka sounded fearful. Miku shrugged. Luka grabbed the edges of Miku's skirt. "I'm a trained nurse," she informed so she wouldn't worry Miku any more than she could take.
I turned my eyes away, so not to intrude.
Luka was quiet for a moment. "Oh, dear," she finally said. "You have bruises all over your legs. Did he hit you or…"
"He held me down," she answered. I guess she knew that was more than enough information.
"I am so, so sorry," Luka whispered, embracing Miku. After letting go, I assumed seeing as I was still turned away, Luka handed Miku a light cotton sleeping gown. "Here, you can wear this to sleep in."
Miku changed into the sleeping gown.
"Would you like me to go ahead and show you to a room? We have an open one just down the hall," Luka offered.
"That would be lovely," Miku replied monotonous. Luka took Miku out of the bathroom and led her down to one of our many guest rooms.
When she returned I had a question for her.
"Luka," I began, "how did you know how to find us?"
She seemed ever so slightly taken aback by the question. "Well," she stated, trying to think of how to word her answer, "I was taking a nap—it was actually quiet around the manor for once—and I had the strangest dream that you were being, ah, attacked by someone out on the streets. Then, I heard you scream and I woke up. So I grabbed the first things I could find then jumped on the back of the fastest horse and rode. Joseph took me straight to you two."
"So… it was a leap of faith," I inferred.
"That's exactly what it was."
A look of horror came across my face. "Does…" I paused, looking up at Luka. "Does father know?"
"No. The master knows nothing of it. I expect you'd like to keep it that way."
"Please. I don't want my father worrying more than he needs to. That would just be one more thing he couldn't hands." My father could be a defensive swan sometimes, doing whatever it took to avenge his ugly ducklings, hoping and praying they will grow into birds lovelier than he.
My apologies. Duckling.
It would be a shame for him to know his only daughter was a black, rebellious crow.
.
I cringed a bit as I walked into my room. Luka had put something on my leg that I had never before heard of. It was in a small tube labeled "Neosporin" in English. It made my injury feel somewhat numb. Luka said it would help my cut heal faster, and I trusted her. She had never wronged me before when it came to medicine.
Preparing to dress in something fresh before visiting Len (regardless the day's "adventures" I planned to keep my promise to meet him) I stripped off my tattered dress and headed toward my wardrobe mostly bare with the exception of a petticoat. As I grabbed a clean corset something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned toward my window and took in a sharp gasp at the figure of a man. The fear that the rapist had returned for me sent a tremor through my body until I recognized the shine of golden hair. I sped over and opened the window, holding the corset up to my front.
I swung the window open. "Are you crazy!" I managed as softly as I could, which was not very soft. Luckily there was a very wide ledge outside my window so Len would less easily fall off and get himself killed. "Get in here!"
"Thanks. It was getting kind of cold," Len stated, crawling in through the wide window.
I stared at Len in disbelief. "You were crouching eleven meters off the ground and you were worrying about the temperature!"
"It's not that high," he remarked.
"Just…" I found myself lost for words. "Just stand in a corner while I get dressed."
"I could go back out if it makes you feel bet—"
"Corner," I commanded, pointing to the opposite side of my room.
I dressed myself in the corset and an uncontaminated skirt then found a cloak to cover my arms. "It's safe," I announced.
Len moved away from his corner and walked over. He grabbed my hand. "Don't let go," he instructed, heading for the window. Oh, no.
"Wait! What about the front door? Is there something so wrong with the front door?" I protested as he dragged me on.
"That's no fun," he argued. Len opened the window and we stepped outside. "This way." We went left along the edge. Though Len appeared to know what he was doing, I slowed him down because of my fear of tripping, falling, and dying. It appeared we were headed for a small tower located near my family's manor.
I stopped for a moment. "Len I don't have shoes," I informed him.
He stopped. "Do you need shoes?"
"Yes," I insisted.
Balancing on one foot at a time, Len took off his shoes and handed them to me while at the same time nearly giving me a heart attack. "Here."
Dazed, I took his shoes and replied, "I—I'll put them on when we get to solid ground." I tried to my best ability to think logically, but Len's confident stunts had me in a state of delirium.
We got to the edge of the ledge where the small tower stood. Its window was about a meter and a half away, just long enough to have to jump to get there. I felt I was going to be sick.
Before I had time to further comprehend the situation Len swept me up bridal style and leaped for the tower. By now I had had a very long day, from personal moments with my fiancé to walking across the city to being cut and nearly sexually assaulted. I had almost begun to think that the entire experience was all just a dream and somewhere through my exciting adventures I had fallen over, hit my head, and begun having strangely vivid nightmares. So I had gotten to the point where I was just rolling along with everything. Len set me on my feet and I put on the shoes he had lent me. They were much too big but there were laces so I could tighten them enough as to stay on my feet.
We went down the tower, which I assumed was once used for looking out but by now had been abandoned, then continued on to the garden. I hoped I didn't make it too obvious that I was tired. After all, I had done a lot of walking that day with very little sitting down in between. I failed at cover, falling to the grassy earth like a rock.
It took me a second to realize I had fallen. "Oh," I commented. "I fell."
Len knelt down next to me with a smirk. "I noticed," he said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I did a lot of walking around today," I explained.
Len lay down next to me. "Where to?" he asked.
I giggled a bit. "Well I ran into someone in the market place today. Literally. Then I helped her take groceries back to her house in apology. It turned out that she lives on the polar opposite side of the city. Then we got lost on our way back. And…" I trailed off.
"What happened?" he pried.
"There was a man. The girl I was with asked him for directions to get back. That was a bad idea. He attacked us." I turned over to look at Len.
He stared at me completely blankly. "Are you an idiot!" he yelled in a whispery tone that make the implications of a real yell still evident but only half the volume. It appeared that my logic had failed his comprehension. "Shouldn't you be huddled in a corner somewhere in a state of mental turmoil?"
"He never 'did' anything to me. She was the only one that was really… hurt. Besides I didn't want to break a promise." Len stayed tense for a few seconds. Then, letting out an exasperated sigh, he relaxed his body a bit and moved closer to put his hands on my shoulders.
"Don't ever let anyone do something like that to you," he asserted.
"Wha—?"
His face stayed serious. "I don't want anyone touching your body;" he pulled me in closer, "nobody but me."
"Len…" He moved his face in close to mine and kissed me. It was much better than Kaito, and this time when I opened my eyes it was a real head of golden hair that I saw and not an illusion of my mind. Len began moving his face down my neck. I felt his hot breath at my throat. He kept going down from my collarbone to my chest. He then untied the bow of the laces holding together my corset—"Len?"—and slowly started unlacing—"Len!"—the rest of it.
He slowly moved about halfway down. My mind was whirling and my heart was more or less going to beat through my chest. I flinched at the sound of rustling leaves. Out of nowhere, a voice sounded. "Well, well. What do we have here?" a woman called.
Len's expression reverted to annoyance as he cursed through clenched teeth.
"Len," she began, "you know you're not supposed to be out here with women at such a late hour."
He sighed. "You should probably leave now before this gets ugly," Len whispered. That was all I needed.
I tied the corset where it was so not to loosen it worse in my mad dash. I stood and darted out of the garden before the woman could get in another word. I did manage to get a glimpse of her. She wore a somewhat lightweight-looking armor that was crimson red and embellished with many swirling designs. She also carried a sword and had short brunette hair, swooping to one side. That was all I saw. I ran all the way home with tired legs and Len's shoes.
.
"The night when the moon's light is fragrant, the stars pour down."
"Such that the sky will not brighten, I made the time frozen."
"Such that the sky will brighten, I gently spun the time."
The voice put a light hand on my shoulder, but I did not look down at it, fearing that when I looked nothing would be there. She was louder tonight, though. Soon, I could feel it, she would have an identity.
.
Author's Note: Chapter *scrolls up to look at number* SIX IS UP!
Len is so pushy. At least he's a better kisser than Kaito is. Of course, I doubt Kaito is very hard to beat. |: \
What a dork…
Next chapter is… I think… Yup. It's the first "Believe in Your Heart Speech". Actually I like those speeches. It really makes this book what it is. Kind of a running theme here. ALSO KNOWNAS A MOTIF! Remember that for English class. XD
Makes for epic endings~
Sorry about the long procrastination here, guys. I have some writer's block after my long, long trip to Japan plus I've been working on stuff for the pirate story soon to come.
If anyone has anything to suggest for any story (this one or ones to come) please tell me now. I would love to hear what you want to see happen and see if it works into any future thing. So yeah…
Review please? Your reviews are what keep me writing and inspire me to get onto my lazy butt and stare at a word document. And they prevent these little… forever long updates from occurring. (Sorry again btw~ ^^;) AND I LOVE YOU ALL JUST SAYING!