A/N: Wow, has it been a long time or what?! Anyways, time to say a great big thanks to all you who have stuck with me through this and reviewed Chapter 22: .o0Aurelie0o., bumblebee115, LandUnderWave, nehimasgift, Skavnema, Silver Tears 11, dreamer1516, Lolaleddir, LaNi-GoLDfiSh, Schermionie, o0Dreamer0o, like-clockwork, dragondolphin1990, Ezeldia and Mildelra, pottersgirl91, googlebear (Your name reminds me of Monster's Inc. where that girls calls Mike Googly Bear, lol.), bigmamatree, Shadows08, Lh4ever, arushi, and last but certainly not least svelte!
Thanks so much everyone, it means a great deal to me that you keep faith in me and keep coming back no matter how sucky my updating skills are becoming. Chapter 24 shouldn't be as long of a wait, but I promise nothing because I'm not entirely sure what will pop up tomorrow and get in my way. Ya know? Anyways, without further ado... the chapter.
Chapter 23 – Arrival in Holyhead
"It's beyond me why you need so much stuff," Tom grumbled as he drug Hermione's trunk down the stairs.
They had slept restlessly the night before. He had sneaked up to her room, and they had sat all night talking about how they were to get help once they reached Holyhead.
"It's beyond me why you haven't lightened it with magic," she spoke softly. "And besides, I normally don't take that much stuff, but those two upstairs came in and started throwing things in the trunk."
By those two, she of course meant Mary and Janessa, her ladies in waiting. They had insisted that Riddle wait outside, so he went out and sat on the balcony while Hermione chased them fruitlessly around the room. She had tried to get them to leave so that she could pack, but they just kept at it.
Tom stopped on the stairs and pulled out his wand. With a swift wrist movement, the trunk lit up momentarily. He then grabbed one handle, and Hermione took the other. The pair descended the stairs with much more ease now and at a much faster pace. Once at the bottom, they were greeted by the King who was standing with the Duke at the front door of the castle.
"Anastasia... it's about time."
"Sorry, Father," Hermione excused as Rodden ushered them out the door. His mouth moving rapidly under his mustache about his home and all that they could do there.
They boarded the carriages with the foursome in one, Hermione's ladies in waiting and Johnalin in another, and much to Hermione's dismay, Porthos and the General accompanied by a few more soldiers in yet another. She stuck her head out the side door window and waved to Mima who was standing at the front door with a few servants of the castle.
Arthos raised the step on the carriage and nodded his farewell before stepping back. The coaches lurched into motion, and Hermione felt anticipation fill her completely as they passed the castle gate.
Hermione looked on in awe as they pulled up to the castle. They had traveled for two days, stopping only long enough to eat and let the horses rest. To finally be at the castle was such a relief, but awe was replacing the relief as she stared on in wonder.
The castle was quite a towering feature. At least four stories high and with spiked turrets. The walls made of white brick and white marble trimmed in a bronze tile. It looked like a pop-out from a fairytale book Hermione had read as a child.
She leaned forward more to peek out the window of the carriage, causing the seat to shift. Tom snorted and slouched in the seat before sitting upright and glancing alertly to Hermione. He had dozed off during the trip while the King and the Duke had conversed or played a complex game with chips and cards.
"We're here," she whispered.
"Just as grand as I last remember it," the King spoke as he too looked out the window.
"It was what my wife wanted... so it was her wedding present," the Duke sighed as he wiped his brow and bristled his mustache.
The carriage came to a stop, and Hermione waited as he descended the coach steps. He was followed by the King and then Tom who helped her down.
In front of the castle at the large, bronze-colored front doors stood the Duchess with a small fluffy white dog in her arms and another of brown and black barking loudly at her feet. Riddle grimaced at them and then looked to Hermione who shrugged.
"She has a rather large, ugly rat of a fluffy state in her arms," he whispered to her as they neared the Duchess who exchanged a stiff peck on the cheek with the Duke before turning to the King.
Hermione giggled silently as the black and brown dog began growling at Tom. He glared at it as the Duchess greeted Hermione with the same stiff manner she had the Duke. The Duchess then looked to Riddle who snorted with disgust as the dog barked and took a step forward, trying to intimidate him.
"I see you've made it a point to tag along, so you should know this," the Duchess addressed him. "Should the Princess happen to fall ill or anything, you won't need to stay with her. You'll have separate quarters on opposite sides of the castle."
Tom just smirked. Hermione knew that smirk by now though. She could also see the wheels turning behind his deep, dark eyes.
'If this overblown, sad excuse for royalty thinks that she can stop me from going to Granger's room by putting the distance of the castle between us,' Tom mused to himself, 'then she's terribly mistaken.' His smirk became a broad, cheeky grin as he followed the party inside. He had been ready to step up and across the door's step when the black and brown Yorkshire barked loudly and sunk its teeth into his pants' leg. Riddle glowered at he dog, shaking his leg, but to no avail. Hermione stopped and looked back as he stepped inside the door, continuing to try and shake the dog off. The Gryffindor stooped to grab it, but it growled, and the youthful Dark Lord gave one final, hard jerk of his leg. His pants came free, and the dog went sliding across the highly polished marble floor past the King and Duke, neither taking notice. The dog came to a spinning stop next to the Duchess who bent down and grabbed the dog as she coo sickeningly to it.
"Horrid little beast," Hermione muttered to Tom as she watched him fix his pant leg.
"The Duchess is by no means little," he added.
"I wasn't talking about her," the Hogwarts Head Girl laughed as they caught up with the group of Rodden, Rodmilla, and the King, all of whom were headed to a sunny room just off the main entrance hall.
It must have been a luncheon hall because it wasn't quite as large as any of the rooms in the King's castle, but it was lavishly decorated. Golden statues of angelic figures spotted the four corners of the room and every so often on the wall, there was a painting of a royal family member. Hermione spotted one that looked something like the Duchess and was surprised to see that it was in fact Rodmilla.
She was young in this picture. Her hair a long, shiny ebony sheet that cascaded over her shoulder. She wore an elegant pink gown with white lace and ruffles. On her lap sat a regal looking Yorkshire Terrier of a gray color. Her expression was stern, just the same as always, but Hermione had to admit that she was sort of pretty.
"Surprising, isn't it... that she was once skinny?" Riddle mumbled as he walked up beside Hermione.
"Tom!" she sibilated as she turned away. Her eyes flowed across the rest of the room. There were dining chairs painted gold with white cushioning, and a banquet table by some high windows. Golden dishes glimmered in the sunlight as steam rose from their sides. Upon each end of the table was a tea set, and Hermione then realized that they must be having a small lunch of appetizers.
"Please help yourselves," the Duke urged politely to the room as he gestured grandly to the banquet table.
The Duchess was the first in line, cutting Tom off as she mumbled something about ladies first. He had been ready to retort with the comment of 'guests first' when Hermione placed her hand over his mouth. The two frowned deeply as the Duchess picked up small cream covered cakes and let her dogs each eat from them.
"Remind me to skip dessert," Riddle uttered to Hermione who tried to avoid where the Duchess had been with her dogs.
"Only if you tell me what that is," she remarked as she pointed to an olive green concoction in a gold pot.
"Bubbling liquid death," Tom joked in a bored tone as a bubble rose to the surface of the putrid thickness. Both were momentarily shocked by his lax in serious mannerisms, but let it go as Hermione finally snickered at his comment while the Duke approached and answered her seriously.
"It's creamy spinach soup. A delicious and warming lunch," he beamed.
"I think I'll have something else for now," Hermione spoke politely as she passed by Rodden and headed for the end of the table to get some tea and examine a tray of orange, pink, and yellow colored pastries.
Riddle wandered down the hallways of the castle with his eyes casting over statues, paintings, vases, sculptures, and other artworks. His boots clicked across the intricate, polished marble with a demanding authority. The sound echoed and resounded throughout the corridor, making it impossible for him to sneak up on anyone. He was just about to go downstairs when he heard someone hiss to him. He turned around and spotted Hermione a few feet away. She was peeking around a door and motioning for him to join her. He shrugged, looked around, and did as he was requested of. Once inside the broom closet, she began whispering to him.
"I suggest that we leave first thing tomorrow morning before sunrise so that we can have the proper amount of time to look for any sign of wizarding activity," she plotted.
"Why so early?" he objected. "Don't you like to sleep in?"
"We haven't the time... Being back in this era is making you lazy," Hermione scolded. "We need to be able to get back before lunch which is when they will notice that we've gone missing."
"Fine then... I'll meet you in your room at four sharp," Tom commented as he grabbed the handle of the closet.
"You don't know where it is. And how are you supposed to sneak across the castle without waking someone?"
"Being back in this era has made you stupid," he stated, mocking her earlier comment of him being lazy. "Are you a witch or not?"
The comment caught her off guard. Ron had once barked that same remark to her. She frowned and nodded causing Riddle to shrug it off and open the door. As they emerged, someone cleared their throat loudly. Hermione and Tom stopped dead as their hearts leaped into their throats. The two were almost fearful of turning around and coming face to face with the person who had caught them.
"Princess. I've been looking for you," Johnalin announced. "Only the Lord above would have guessed that I would find you in a... broom closet with a young officer of duty."
"Looking for me?" Hermione repeated as she turned to face him with blush creeping about her face. "Why?"
"You might have skipped out on your lessons back home, but you won't do the same here. Now that you're relaxed and settled enough to be on a vacation, you should also be relaxed enough to study. The Duchess has most graciously lent us her music room and the use of her family's private library, so come with me."
Hermione didn't answer. She only watched with distaste as Johnalin turned on his heel and set off down the corridor. Hermione followed, Riddle pausing for a moment as he pondered what to do. Shrugging, he started after the pair with his boots resuming their loud sound off.
Johnalin stopped and whipped around. His face full of displeasure as he thrust a finger in Tom's direction and spoke rigidly.
"Off with you! You are not welcome to join!"
"And you are a rude, idiotic-"
"Off with you!" Johnalin yelled once again.
A door a short way down the corridor slammed open, and the Duchess, followed by her two dogs, came storming out.
"What's all this shouting about?" she burst. "I'm trying to take my afternoon rest, but how can I with all this racket?"
"My deepest apologies," Johnalin sniveled as he spun around into a sweeping bow. He took the hand of the Duchess and placed a kiss upon her knuckles, which gave the younger pair a sick feeling in their guts.
"You're forgiven. I'm sure it's not your fault anyways, Lord Johnalin," the Duchess replied with what Hermione could only guess was her trying to smile sweetly.
Johnalin remained bowed over and simply rose his head to look directly at the Duchess with a curt smile. The Duchess turned as her dogs skipped off behind her, back to the room she had emerged from.
"Now be off with you, you stupid boy," Johnalin growled. "Besides... the General will want to see you shortly."
"About what?" Tom hissed. He hated Johnalin just as much as the General and Porthos, so any mention of one while in the presence of another was most displeasing to Riddle.
"I don't know about what, boy," the tutor snapped. "Just leave."
"I'll speak with you later," Hermione assured her companion in a soft tone before nodding her approval for him to leave.
He grit his teeth and turned stiffly before stomping off down the corridor, sure to make extra noise.
"No! Again!" Johnalin demanded as Hermione sat at a harp looking annoyed.
"This is so stupid," she grumbled as she placed her hands on the strings and straightened her back.
"Play," he demanded as he circled where she sat on a cushioned stool.
She drug her fingers gently back across the strings, which caused a melodic sound to emanate from them. She moved her hands back to the front of the string and plucked a row once more, which made a sound of sweetness, but not the one Johnalin wanted.
"What kind of music do you call that?" he demanded. "It sounds like no sound I've ever heard, or would ever care to hear again."
Hermione clenched her jaw and fought back the urge to stand up and kick him in the shin. She slouched on the stool and crossed her arms in a fit. She wished now that she was in the library.
"Why don't we do something like history or geography or literature or anything like that?" she questioned.
"Because a well rounded young lady isn't only book smart, but polite and musically inclined."
"Not this young lady," she retorted quietly while looking away from the teacher. "We've been at this for at least two hours. Can't I move to another instrument or go to the library and continue this tomorrow instead?"
"Fine, fine," Lord Johnalin grumbled. "Move to the piano."
Hermione rose quickly with the speed of someone who was glad to be away from something very disgusting, in her case, the harp. It wasn't as easy as to play as it had looked when her mother used to do it. As she sat down on the bench before the piano, she wondered what everyone was doing. Then a thought hit her. Would time be standing still as it were when one used a Time Turner or not? And then she wondered once more if anyone even knew that she was missing if things were in fact still in motion.
"Begin," Johnalin said as he walked to the window and stood with his back to Hermione.
She pulled out her wand from her sleeve and charmed the piano to play a suitable song.
"This sounds like Antonio Salieri's Armida," Johnalin noted, sounding somewhat pleased.
Hermione smirked triumphantly as she mimicked the movement on the piano keys and making it appear that she was playing it herself. She normally hated cheating with her studies, but this wasn't truly a study to her. Should she wish to learn to play later, then she would ask her parents to pay for lessons or possibly try to teach herself. For now though, she needed to think about getting to Riddle and finding the wizarding community of or around Holyhead.
"I've taken the liberty of going into town earlier and setting up a stake out with a few men," Porthos whispered to the General as they hid beside the King's carriage.
"Did you pay them now?" asked Mardon. "I specifically said not to until the job was done."
"Of course not, Father," Porthos stated. "Do you take me for an idiot? I only paid them a quarter of the sum to assure that they would be there and waiting for us when we came through."
"Good, good," Mardon muttered. "Now, we just have to make sure that no one else jeopardizes us getting to-"
"What do you want?" Porthos barked as he walked around the carriage to face Tom.
"Johnalin said that the General wished to speak with me," he sniffed.
"That I did," Mardon growled. "Away with you, Porthos. Go see that the horses are being tended to."
Porthos nodded and did as he was told with no complaint. Once he was out of earshot, the General rounded on Riddle and began telling him off.
"I don't know what you're trying to do, boy," he grumbled, "but you had better just knock it off this instant."
"I'm certain I don't know what you mean," Tom said coyly.
"You know perfectly well what I mean!" the General half roared. "What do you mean by tagging along with the Princess every turn she makes? Are you trying to ruin me?"
"Surely my actions can't ruin you."
"They most certainly can. I want this stopped immediately. Word has it that the Princess has taken a liking to you, and I can't have you doing something to her or jeopardizing my line of men for your little love affair. Do you hear me?" Mardon snarled in the younger man's face as he jammed a finger in Riddle's chest.
"I'm just doing my duty and protecting the Princess."
"Your duty doesn't extend to staying over night with her!"
"I felt personally responsible for that," he retaliated, "and that's why I stayed with her that night."
"I've heard of other nights and other such encounters that displease my ears, boy," Mardon warned dangerously. "Stop it! I'm warn you. I command you as your ranking officer. Cease this nonsense right now and don't let me hear of it anymore."
"Oh, you won't," Riddle replied sneakily, "you won't."
He wasn't going to truly let General Mardon scare him into staying away from Hermione. Tom knew that the older man just wanted him away from Hermione so that Porthos could make it appear as though he and Hermione got along. Riddle knew that they were trying to get the King to marry her off to Porthos, and it wasn't going to work as long as Tom was around. He had plans to stick around quite a while and see to it that the son of the General didn't get anything that he wanted. In fact, Tom was still planning to meet Hermione before sunrise tomorrow morning. He also planned to tell her that he overheard Mardon and Porthos making plans of some sort. And, in fact, he was going to find her right that second to inform her of the latter.
Later that night, as the group sat at dinner, Hermione was stuck between the King and Tom while there was talk about all sorts of things. But it seemed that among the conversations, the Duchess was getting no satisfaction. She sniffed and rolled her eyes constantly as Hermione and Riddle kept quiet and listened to the talk of past battles and ones that might come in the future. All the while, Mardon bragged about his troops. Porthos in particular. Suddenly, the Duke spoke up about something totally different.
"I say, young Porthos, your General speaks highly of you. I'd like to see if you can handle a rifle as well as he says. You should accompany us on a hunt," Rodden invited as he gestured to himself and the King.
"Why yes! Aramis, too," the King chimed in. "Mardon, you'll have to follow along so that you aren't left here with the ladies."
"That sounds like a terrific idea, your majesty," the General nodded as his blond-haired son smirked evilly.
Hermione suddenly got a horrid feeling in her gut. Something was going to go wrong, and she knew it. The look on Porthos' face had just told her so.
"Father," she spoke up, "I wish to accompany you as well."
"Now, Princess," the Duke chuckled. "A hunting party is no place for a lady."
"How inappropriate," the Duchess huffed, speaking up for the first time during dinner.
"I don't care!" Hermione challenged. "It's not fair that I'm left behind to... study!"
Hermione could barely believe that she was objecting to studying, but then again, studying with Johnalin wasn't exactly the kind of learning that she had in mind. It wasn't truly important to her. If she had her way, she wouldn't be here much longer, so what use could she have of the knowledge he was trying to supply her with.
"How like your mother you are," the King sighed with a wistful smile that was full of fondness. "Very well," he consented a few moments later after seeming as though he had recalled a particularly cherished memory. "But you must promise to stay under the care of your escorts."
"Meaning myself," Tom spoke up with a grin on his face as he looked to Mardon and Porthos who both glared back with overbearing hatred in their burning eyes.
"When shall we have this hunt, then?" the King questioned as he turned to the Duke. "I have so missed the days when I used to hunt fox and fowl and other such game."
"Let us go the day after tomorrow. I think it will be a fine time," Duke Rodden informed.
"Yes, a perfect time," Mardon agreed with a manic gleam in his eye that went unnoticed by all but the Gryffindor Head Girl and her Slytherin heir friend.
Hermione and Riddle exchanged worried sideways glances as both knew that this probably had something to do with the discussion between father and son from earlier.