Forbidden
Chapter Twelve:The Deal
As sunset approached, the city lit its lanterns and the merchants locked up their wagons and kiosks. At the governor's mansion, the gardens were alive with wealthy nobles, merchants, businessmen, military officials, and other individuals of high social status. Tables were adorned with beautiful table cloths and expensive silverware. Guests delighted in hearty dishes, delicacies and each other's company. At the governor's table, the availability of wine was endless, and within one hour, the governor and his selected guests were all drunk. They started making obscene comments about their wives and singing songs that could barely be understood. Vlad and a Japanese man with long black hair and cold eyes were still not so drunk and almost sober.
"Vladimir! My boy, were you not getting married? I would like to see your future wife?" The governor suddenly turned his attention toward Vlad.
"As you wish, uncle." Vlad said uneasily, not sure of why all of a sudden the governor wanted to see his girlfriend. He was also afraid of what her behavior may be after their fight. Vlad stood up and left toward the fountains below the top garden.
Zhanna was sitting on a stone bench next to the fountain, staring at the water. She wore an elaborate red gown, golden chandelier earrings and her hair was pinned up by golden hair clips with gems.
"Zhanna? The governor requested to see you." Vlad said calmly, as if nothing happened between them.
"That's not my name." Zhanna mumbled, running her fingers through the water.
Vlad looked at her with surprise. "What are you talking about?"
Zhanna turned and looked up at him, her eyes fierce. "My name is not Zhanna." She repeated, then stood up.
"I am sick of lying all the time. You want to know what's wrong with me? I am sick of being someone I am not day and night. I am through with being scared, of having to hide all my life, of letting others control me. So before you try to treat me as a puppet, and tell me that I am a hopeless little puppy, just remember that 'Zhanna' is nothing but a mask." Nanami growled as she walked up to Vlad. She gave him a cold stare before saying "That is all you will know about me... for now."
Vlad snickered and began to walk up the stairs. Nanami rolled her eyes and glared at his back before starting to walk up the stairs as well.
The two arrived at the governor's table without saying a word and two feet apart. The drunk governor stared at Nanami with lazy eyes.
"Is that her?" He asked. Vlad nodded and glanced at Nanami. She hesitatingly took a step toward the governor.
"You requested for me, governor?" She said politely.
"Yes... you look familiar... so when will you be marrying my nephew?" The governor rubbed his bulging belly.
Nanami's jaw tightened. She turned to Vlad, stared daggers at him and turned back around.
"Unfortunately for him... not anytime soon." She said and followed with a sweet, harmless smile. Vlad sat down in his chair.
"Actually, she does not know, but I have arranged for the ceremony to take place tomorrow." He corrected her. Nanami smiled a coy smile, walked up to Vlad and placed a light kiss on his cheek before whispering "Biggest mistake of your life." Then she stormed off toward the beach. Vlad swallowed a lump in his throat and looked at the men at the table. Then he took a long gulp of his wine and looked in Nanami's direction. -This has gone far enough.-
"Will you excuse me, gentlemen? I have some unattended business to take care of." Vlad mumbled, stood up, finished his wine and slammed the goblet on the table. The men stared speechless as Vlad made his way to the wall where Nanami was, then they resumed their drinking.
Vlad caught up with Nanami and took hold of her wrist. She frowned but did not wrangle it out of his grip.
"Let's have a grown up talk, shall we?" He snarled and led her down to the beach where the cliffs towered over the ocean. Vlad stopped behind a large boulder that had at one time broken off the cliff. He let go of Nanami and faced her.
"What is happening with you?" He demanded but received no answer.
"Are you ill?" He asked again. "What is this nonsense about being nothing but a mask? And why do you hate me all of a sudden? Do you have a dual personality disorder or something?"
"Nothing is happening that you must be aware of. Leave me alone." Nanami growled and pushed Vlad away. He growled and slammed her to the ground, his palm over her mouth.
"I don't know why I even asked. You were with that demon the whole time. You betrayed me! You sold yourself to him! You wench! What does he have that I don't?!" Vlad exploded and pinned her wrists so she could not use her ring. He stared at her with miserable eyes.
"I trusted you... I loved you... I still love you... And you go and stab me in the back by involving yourself with that fiend. He stole you from me! You slept with him, didn't you? Is that why he said you don't belong to me?!"
"I've never done such a thing! Nothing of that sort happened! I didn't know who he was until the night I got on your damn boat! I didn't know! I thought he was the one that burned my village! I thought he was a killer! And he was! He killed me!" Nanami shouted.
"Bullshit! How could he have killed you if you're here now?! Are you crazed? Mentally disturbed?! Stop lying to me! Stop making a fool of me!"
"I'm not! He revived me! I'm not lying! All that went on was us trying to kill each other! Nothing happened! He's nothing but a long gone past!"
"Oh, I beg to differ! Why would he be here then, if nothing happened? Why would he be in disguise? If he wanted to kill you, don't you think he would have done it already?! And, if you ask me, he's not acting or talking like he wants to kill you! So tell me, why is he here?!"
"I don't know! I don't know why he's here! I don't know what else he wants from me! There's nothing he can do to me because there's nothing left of me!" Nanami shouted and started to cry. She was confused, heartbroken and guilt-ridden. She felt guilty for everything, responsible for all the pain she felt and the pain she caused others. That's why she didn't fight off Vlad.
"Do you love him?" Vlad asked coldly.
"No." Nanami whispered, looking away, not sure if that was true.
"Does he love you?"
"No."
"Then why are you so different now that he's here?"
"I hate him. He ruined my life. He ruined everything."
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"If I was, I would have broken free by now."
"Would you now? I doubt that."
"What does it matter? I am neither yours nor his."
"You know, to get far in this world, you have to take what you want. And if I can't have what I want, I will take it!" Vlad growled and ripped the front of her dress. Nanami tried to kick him off, but he took out a dagger from his belt and put it to her throat.
"Don't make me kill you. I'm not your little demon. I won't hold back." Then his lips crashed on hers and his right hand put the dagger's sharp blade on her wrists, so that the slightest move would slit her veins. His other hand rudely explored every curve of her body. She cried but her screams were stifled by his mouth. Every time she tried to move, he would push the dagger closer to her skin, making her stop. He kept ripping the front of her dress until there was nothing left to rip. His hands grabbed her bare chest roughly, making Nanami scream at the top of her lungs and try to kick him off, eventually cut the skin on her wrists, but not deep enough to reach her veins. She abandoned her attempts to free herself and closed her eyes, crying and begging him to stop. Nothing worked. Vlad finally removed the blade when he reached to undo his pants. At that moment Nanami bolted upright and set his clothes on fire. She punched him twice and kicked him into the water. She clutched the dress tightly around herself, and ran along the coast, crying. She tripped here and there in the twilight and quickly stood up. But she didn't know where she was going or what she was going to do. She just ran to the brink of exhaustion until she collapsed on the sand. The waves crashed over her and the wind howled. She stood up, shaking, tightening her hold on the shredded dress. Nanami stumbled across the sand for a few more minutes when she saw two figures just stand and face her direction. The feminine one ran up the coast toward the wall, the other one just seemed to stand and stare at her. Nanami made no movement or sound whatsoever. The last thing she wanted is for someone to see her half naked in a ripped dress. The whole city will know then. They despised her enough as it was, and if word gets out about her strolling on the beach looking like she did... there'd be no end to the rumors. But neither did Nanami want to go back the way she came because of Vlad.
After a short while, the feminine figure returned with another man and they headed toward her. Once they got closer, Nanami began to back up. She hugged the shredded red dress tighter around her. She decided to just quickly pass by them when the feminine figure ran forward and up to her. Nanami instinctively backed away from the girl.
"Zhanna?! What happened to you?" Maria's voice echoed. Nanami thought she would be happy to see her friend, but she knew if Maria was there, then that meant Ryuu was with her as well. And if Ryuu was there... she had a pretty good idea who the other figure was. Nanami scowled at the approaching man with the short hair and light jacket. Nanami recognized Sesshoumaru and panicked. -No. Not you.- She twisted the remains of the dress so tightly around herself that it felt like a too-tight corset that prevented her from even breathing right.
"Zhanna? Are you alright? What happened?" Maria asked nervously, but did not approach her. Neither did Ryuu. Only Sesshoumaru kept walking toward her. Nanami ignored the other two completely and just glared at Sesshoumaru with hate filled eyes.
"Stay away from me." She growled. Sesshoumaru just looked at her with his usual unemotional stare and approached her.
"Stay away." She repeated, wrapping her arms tightly around her body. Sesshoumaru neared her and took off his jacket. Nanami frowned and backed away another step. Sesshoumaru stretched out his arm with the jacket in his hand. Nanami just glared at him coldly. Sesshoumaru walked up to her and put the jacket on her shoulders. Nanami flinched away from him, but didn't say a word. He looked back at Ryuu, who took hold of Maria's arm and walked her back to the wall. Sesshoumaru glanced at Nanami one more time then stepped back and started to walk slowly along the coast. Nanami did not understand the gesture and started walking too, looking back to see if Vlad was behind her. She wrapped the long jacket around her, covering her down to about 4inches above her knee. She dropped the shredded dress into the waves so no one would find it on the shore, then looked behind her again.
"He won't hurt you. You can stop looking back." Sesshoumaru muttered. Nanami didn't say anything for a while.
"Why are you here?" She hissed.
"I don't have to explain." He said calmly.
"To me you do..." Nanami hissed. Sesshoumaru stopped and looked at Nanami.
"You know why I'm here."
"Actually, no, I don't. I don't even know who you are."
"And as if I know who you are? I am starting to think no one knows who you are. Not even yourself."
"You're one to talk." Nanami growled and walked past Sesshoumaru. He followed behind her and grit his teeth.
"I'm not here to kill you. If I wanted you dead, I would have done it months ago." He finally broke the tense silence.
"You can't kill me."
"Already have."
Nanami turned around and stared at him, upset by his comment.
"Just stay out of my life. You've done enough." Nanami whispered.
"I can't leave you here. You have to go back to Japan."
"Why? So you and your mama can torture me even further?"
"Naraku is here to make a deal with your man."
"He's not my man! And neither are you! I'm better off on my own." Nanami shouted and started to run toward the docks a mile away. She was leaving back to Japan, she knew more people there that she could trust. She had no one here. And she was not ready to go home, being in the state that she was.
Sesshoumaru was stunned for a moment by her comment, but followed her anyway. He ran up to her and stopped in front of her.
"I did not come all this way after that old witch removed all the markings passed down from my father, after she told me to act human for 5 damn months so that you could tell me to stay away-"
"Stay away..." Nanami hissed, glaring at him. "What makes you think that I will ever forgive you after you crippled my life?!"
"Because you crippled me. You are my greatest enemy. You're the only person that can stop me from doing anything, or make me do the impossible. And I hate you for it. But I can't leave you when I know you're in danger. I made a promise to my father. I'm not betraying him. " Sesshoumaru whispered harshly, standing so close to Nanami, he could smell Vlad on her. "And I can't leave you alone when that pathetic weakling dares to even breathe on you."
Nanami closed her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. She opened her eyes and looked at Sesshoumaru. He was so different. His hair was short and black, there were no traces left of his demon markings. He changed from an aristocratic, dangerous demon to a human-like construction worker. Nanami felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked deep into those amber eyes that haunted her from childhood. She turned away, then suddenly slapped him hard across his face. He stood up straight again and rubbed his jaw. Just then she slapped him again, then resumed walking toward the docks. Sesshoumaru rubbed his face again and looked after Nanami. A smirk crossed his face and he followed her.
Vlad stood in clean clothes at the dock, with a dozen soldiers behind him, knowing that this was where Zhanna was headed. He finally realized that she was not who she said she was. The Zhanna he knew could not set his clothes on fire. She was just an immortal, no powers, no secrets. Next to Vlad stood the Japanese man with long black hair and purple eyes. As he saw Zhanna approach with Sesshoumaru behind her, he let out a bone chilling chuckle.
"With her power, we will be gods on this earth. " He said coldly. Vlad glanced at Sesshoumaru.
"What about him?"
"When I'm through, you will be drinking wine out of his empty skull." Naraku smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. Vlad scoffed, then looked at the Japanese man.
"Deal." He said confidently, then looked at Zhanna. -Let's see who's behind that mask, shall we?-
Note; Ok, I finally uploaded all the chapters I have, so another chapter should be out at the beggining of every week. I hope you guys like the story and writting it wasn't a waste of time. Any suggestions or questions or comments are always welcome! Thanks for taking your time to read my story!