Out of this whole story, there are about thirteen epic chapters. And by epic, I mean chapters that are like 'Wow Moose. You really plot twisted/kick assed/hilariously dominated/amazingly wrote/emotionally traumatized, that chapter'.
This just happens to be one of them.
Song for this Chapter: Welcome to the Black Parade → My Chemical Romance. This song is actually really significant in this chapter. The main singer of MCR, Gerard Way, is pretty much exactly how I picture D'mitri. I actually based D'mitri off of him. The song Black Parade really embraces the mood of this chapter. It's epic, it's sad, it's kick ass, it's emotional...it's a hit. :)
Chapter 34: Didn't See That Coming
Two days had passed since the romantic event in the garden between Romeli and D'mitri. Both of them decided that no harm could be done in showing their affection—much to Maryann's protests.
"Here you two love birds go at it again," grumbled Maryann as they lounged in Romeli's rooms.
Romeli and D'mitri exchanged smiling looks as they intertwined their fingers together on the sofa.
Maryann stared in disgust. "I bet that if I weren't here right now, you two would be all over each other and taking off—."
"Woah there!" exclaimed Romeli holding up her hands. "I don't think so Maryann. Get your perverted mind out of the gutter."
Maryann mumbled to herself.
Romeli let go of D'mitri's hand and brushed herself off. "So, how is smuggling the potions going?"
Maryann gave a so-so look. "Actually, I talked to your uncle yesterday. He says hi by the way. And he will try to get them as soon as possible."
Romeli nodded. "How soon is as soon as possible?"
"He thinks sometime next week actually."
Romeli's face lit up. "Really?"
Maryann nodded. "I guess we'll get your Gift back quicker than we thought."
Romeli sighed with relief. She couldn't wait to get her Gift back—it would give her a large advantage with her escape. A ripple of hope surged through her. She would be going home soon. "This is wonderful."
"Yeah…bloody magnificent," agreed Maryann dryly. "Well if you would excuse me, I've got people to see, things to do, and lives to ruin. Ta." She stood up and began to exit Romeli's rooms. She paused and turned around. "I may be leaving you two, but I do not want to hear any sexual sounds from—."
"Out, Maryann," said Romeli through gritted teeth. "I'm only fifteen."
Maryann rolled her eyes and left.
"That woman is crazy," stated D'mitri as he stared at the closed door.
"What was your first clue?"
D'mitri shrugged as he stood up and sat across from her. "So, what's our next move?"
Romeli looked around as she crossed one leg over the other and put her arm over the back of the sofa. "Nothing I guess. We just have to wait and be patient for the potions to come."
"I can't wait until you get your Gift back."
Romeli stared at him confused. "Why?"
"Well, then I won't have to heal you every time you get whipped."
Romeli shook her head as she laughed. "I haven't gotten whipped in a while," she pointed out.
"I know," said D'mitri. "But doesn't it hurt?"
"Like hell," said Romeli bluntly.
"That's wonderful, "D'mitri said. He then blew her a kiss. "All better?"
Romeli laughed. "Nope…"
D'mitri shook his head. "Well then," he said wickedly. "I guess I'll have to give you more kisses…"
"I said no sexual sounds!" cried a muffled voice through the door.
Romeli's eyes widened. "Maryann! I thought you had lives to ruin!"
"I do! Yours just happens to be one of them!"
Romeli nearly laughed at the irony. "…Thanks."
"You're welcome!"
Romeli rolled her eyes. "Don't make me hurt you!" she threatened. "Your annoyance is making me angry."
Silence.
Maryann walked in with an 'Oh No You Didn't' look. "I did not just hear what I just heard."
Romeli shrugged. "You said you heard it."
Maryann glared. "Do you really think you, a defenseless girl wearing a dress, can beat me, one of the best spies ever?"
Romeli stared. "Well yeah."
Maryann looked at her bluntly. "I am leaving," she said. And with that, she left out the door.
"Thank the Gods," whispered Romeli shaking her head slowly.
"That woman has issues to figure out."
"Damn straight."
D'mitri laughed. "Well listen, I need to go read that other book Maryann gave me. I'll see you later kay?"
Romeli smiled as she nodded. D'mitri gave her a hug and left her room.
Romeli sighed as she looked around. She had a lot of thinking to do. She stood up and walked to the window, gazing upon the sharp mountains of Scanra.
She wasn't really sure what was going on between her and D'mitri. Of course they weren't courting or anything; they were just more then friends. But D'mitri had been acting odd lately. When you're in love, aren't you supposed to feel all giddy and lightheaded? She used to feel like that, but now, she felt a pang an emptiness every time he touched her.
Romeli rubbed her temple. I'm so confused. And now, on top of getting my Gift back, I have to worry about love as well. I should have never gotten myself into this. I'm not even sure I love him anymore.
You can easily get yourself out of it, she pointed out to herself. It just involved breaking his heart.
Romeli groaned hopelessly as she leaned her head on the closed window.
OOO The Milkshake Disorder OOO
The next day, D'mitri and Romeli sat in her room eating a filling breakfast. The day was unusually cold, and Romeli savored the hot meal like it was her life.
D'mitri stared at her, amused. "You're savoring that meal like it's your life."
Romeli didn't look up at him. "Yeah…so?"
D'mitri stifled his laughter. "It's pathetic."
Romeli took a hearty sip of hot chocolate and smiled happily with her eyes closed. "There is no shame in enjoying a nice hot meal. And besides, it's freezing out!"
D'mitri stared. "It's not really that cold out," he said.
Romeli stared at him as if he'd lost it altogether. "What do you mean not cold out? You stupid Scanran, don't you know anything?"
D'mitri laughed. "If you consider this cold, then you wont even survive the winter."
Romeli glared, but paled. "Hopefully I wont have to," she muttered under her breath.
They ate in silence.
D'mitri put down his fork. "Life is boring," he said bluntly.
Romeli looked up from her meal. "Easy for you to say," she said dryly.
"No, I'm serious," he insisted.
Romeli took another sip of hot chocolate. "All right then."
They ate in more silence.
"Let's go on an adventure," D'mitri proposed, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Romeli stared. "Excuse me?"
"Let's go on an adventure!" he repeated. "We can explore the palace, screw over Maggur, go take a look around town, it'll be fun!"
Romeli looked at him doubtfully. "What if the king catches me? He'll skin me alive. And Maryann, knowing her, would probably find out. She'll kill both of us. It might ruin the mission."
D'mitri grinned as he pat her shoulder. "Come on Romeli! You need to live a little! It's always a sad story with you. It may sound odd coming from me, but you need to splash some color into your life."
Romeli smiled weakly. Funny, she thought with grim humor. Ryoku told me the same thing back at Tortall. Romeli looked up at D'mitri. "Fine," she said. "But it's all your fault if we get caught."
D'mitri grinned and took her hand as he stood up. "Good. I know just where to begin."
He pulled her out of the room and down the hall with a quick pace.
"Just where are we beginning?" asked Romeli nearly jogging to catch up as they went down a flight of stairs.
"To the kitchen," he said wickedly.
"We just ate," pointed out Romeli.
"So?"
"Well then what are we going to do?"
"We are going to make a little meal for the king."
"Oh."
He led her through another corridor and down a few flights of stairs before opening a door and admitting her into the kitchen.
"This place is gigantic," whispered Romeli. Every way she looked, there were pots and pans.
"The more people there are, the more mouths to feed. Let's get to work then, shall we?" he said rubbing his hands together.
Romeli stared at him oddly. "Why do you hate the king so much? Isn't it treason?"
D'mitri put down the pot he was holding. "Yes, this is treason," he whispered quietly so only she could hear him. "But Maggur needs to pay for what he did to you. Besides, I have nothing to lose. But enough of the emotional talk, we've got a life to ruin."
"Whose life are we ruining?" asked a curious voice.
Romeli and D'mitri exchanged wide-eyed looks as Maryann walked up to them.
D'mitri pulled at his collar uneasily. "Um…"
Maryann crossed her arms over her chest and stared at them as if she just cornered two teenage criminals. "Out with it. And no lying."
D'mitri sighed. "We were going to make lunch for Maggur," he said.
Romeli nodded. "It's all his idea," she said as if that would give her some credit.
"Oh really?" said Maryann with her know it all look that Romeli now officially hated. She stared at the both of them deeply, her eyes boring into them. "Why didn't you invite me?"
Romeli and D'mitri stared at her, confused. Romeli looked at her oddly. "Wait…what?"
"I want to help!"
Romeli and D'mitri exchanged shocked looks. Man, this woman was mental.
"Um…okay," started D'mitri. He shrugged at Romeli.
Romeli grinned. "Actually, I have a feeling that this will be a lot more fun with you helping us."
Maryann rubbed her hands together. "Excellent. So what are we concocting?"
"No idea."
Maryann thought for a moment. "His favorite food is spaghetti."
Romeli stared. "We're trying to make his life miserable, not give him a favorite food funfair."
"Oh, I know."
D'mitri looked at her as if she had gone insane. "Then what are we doing giving him spaghetti?"
"Let's give him crab cakes," said Romeli evilly, rubbing her hands together.
"Yeah, and stuff them with poison," added D'mitri.
Both of them pretended to choke and beat up an invisible Maggur violently.
"Woah there," said Maryann taking their hands to stop their violence. "Just hear me out. If we give him his favorite food, then it will be more convincing."
"Oh," D'mitri and Romeli said in unison.
"So what are we gonna kill him with?" asked D'mitri innocently.
"I say we get scissors and cut off his—."
"Would you two calm down for one second?" asked Maryann exasperated. "We can't kill him…yet. That's later. But we can screw him over real well. Maggur is allergic to raisins. They make him swell to disproportional sizes."
"Raisins in spaghetti?" Romeli repeated with a disgusted expression.
"Just go with it," Maryann replied. "Maggur is also lactose intolerant. He passes gas like a beast whenever he has dairy."
Romeli looked confused. "But he ate cheese when I had dinner with him."
"Hun, that wasn't cheese."
Romeli gagged. D'mitri pat her back sympathetically.
"So where are we going to put the raisins and the dairy?"
"We'll put raisins in the meatballs and we'll mix Maggur up a little milkshake. He loves his milkshakes."
"But if milkshakes have milk in them, why does he like them so much?" asked Romeli.
"They're not real milkshakes."
Romeli gagged again.
"How do you know all this stuff anyway?" asked D'mitri.
"Maryann knows all darling," said Maryann pointing to herself.
D'mitri stared with raised brows. "Oh really? Where did I sleep last night?" he challenged.
Maryann stared with a mischievous grin. "Things are really getting serious between you two, eh?"
Romeli's and D'mitri's eyes widened. "Maryann, how could you think of such a thing!" Romeli hissed.
"Yeah! I slept in my own bed thank you very much!"
Both teens were beet red.
Maryann smirked. Ah…how cute. Adolescent romance. "Well. Let's get cooking kidos. We got a king to screw over!"
OOO
Maryann, Romeli, and D'mitri stood behind a tapestry in the dining room where Maggur sat waiting for his meal.
"Hey Maryann," started D'mitri. "How can we see through this tapestry?" Indeed, the trio could look easily through the cloth as if it were see-through.
"Easy. It's a one-way tapestry. We can see out, but no one can see in."
"That's odd."
"Odd yes. But it can really save your ass from the enemy."
"Shut up, the server is coming with the food," said Romeli elbowing them.
"Alright. I don't want to hear any laughing from either of you. He'll find us for sure and we'll all be found out."
Romeli and D'mitri held their breath like it was their life.
"Ah thank you," said Maggur happily as the server set down the platter and exposed the meal. "Spaghetti and a milkshake. My favorite."
Maggur took his fork and moved around the spaghetti in his plate. He pushed the meatballs this way and that like a child playing with food.
That done, he stabbed one of the meatballs and brought it to eye level for examination. He rotated it to see all of its meaty angles like one wound admire a fine diamond. He set it back down on his plate gently.
Next, he decided to push his food around a little more. Such pushing involved twisting spaghetti with his fork and watching it plop back down, and rolling the meatballs around the rim of the plate.
He picked up his milkshake and swished it around, watching the contents swirl around in the glass.
Romeli sighed. How much longer was this going to take? Did he have a ritual or something before eating? The stupid little…
Maryann noticed her frustrations and gave her a look that said 'patience'.
Romeli felt like hitting something…or someone.
At last, Maggur took a hearty sip of his milkshake. In fact, it was so hearty in size that he practically drained half the cup.
He closed his eyes.
"This has to be one of the best milkshakes I have ever had in my life," he said aloud. "Next time, I want a milkshake just like this one," he said to one of the servants. "Tell the cook that for me."
The servant nodded and scurried away.
"I. Am. In. Heaven," he announced as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He sat back up and drained the rest of his milkshake.
Romeli snorted.
He licked his lips and continued to the actual meal portion of his meal. He twirled his fork with spaghetti around it and stuffed it in his mouth viciously.
So, this is how kings eat when they aren't in public.
He then popped a meatball into his mouth and chewed it dramatically.
He sighed in contentment as the flavor rushed through him. "Food is the best creation in this realm." He stuffed his face with more meatballs.
Suddenly, a gurgle echoed through the hall.
The culprit of such noise: Maggur's unsupportive digestive track.
A rather rude noise interrupted the peace of Maggur's meal. No thanks to Maggur's bottom.
Romeli had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing her head off.
Maggur itched his nose innocently, like such noise was a daily occurrence in the hall that he dined in.
Probably was…
The servants barely stifled their laughter. They tried to stay as still as possible during the laughing fit.
Another offending sound was heard.
Maggur coughed as if the sound before was just a sniffle.
He shrugged and continued his meal. When he reached for his meal, he lacked the ability to contain himself as another bodily noise erupted through the hall.
He looked around trying to stare down the culprit of such noise.
Giving the room one last look down, he picked up his fork and ate another meatball. He stared at his fingers for a moment.
Was it just him, or were his fingers bigger? He looked at them father confused. Man, he had really gained some weight.
He ate another meatball. Meatballs are healthy aren't they? And besides, they were so good. There was a distinct taste in them that gave them a splash of juicy flavor.
Suddenly he wasn't feeling too good.
Must be the weather, he thought as he leaned back in his chair. Another rude noise escaped his bottom. Gods, I am gassy today.
He let out an echoing belch.
His stomach let out a crunchy gurgle. Obviously something he ate didn't agree with him.
Perhaps I'll go to the bathroom, he said as he began to grow sweaty. He stood up and hobbled out of the room.
Romeli snorted, only to be elbowed by Maryann.
"Okay, now we have to sneak out," said Maryann as quietly as possible. "Follow me," she turned to Romeli. "You, turn into a rat."
Romeli looked at her oddly.
"Just do it," she hissed.
Romeli sighed, but transformed into an average gray rat.
Maryann motioned for Romeli to say behind the tapestry as she and D'mitri walked out into the open.
"Well jolly gee, George. The tapestry inspection is complete," announced Maryann, elbowing D'mitri.
D'mitri nodded exaggeratedly. "My Gods you're right. I don't see any dust or creepy creatures near this tapestry," he said loudly.
All of the servants and guards in the room exchanged confused looks.
"Thank goodness too," said Maryann. "It would be absolutely horrible if a rat just ran right from under the tapestry right here right now!"
Romeli sniffed. Well that was an obvious cue. She popped out from under the tapestry and started to scurry away.
"Aww man George, what horrible timing!" announced Maryann innocently.
"You're telling me," D'mitri said loudly. "Bad luck, eh?"
Maryann shrugged. "Well I guess we'll have to run after it."
"Rats!" said D'mitri snapping his fingers.
"Oh don't play humor with me George," replied Maryann pointing her finger at him. "We have a job to do!"
They looked around the room to see if the crowd bought their escape plan before running out of the room yelling threatening absurdities to their prey.
OOO End OOO
"You know Romeli, there is going to be a day when you're going to be caught doing something stupid, and you're going to get busted," pointed out Maryann as they lounged in Romeli's room.
Romeli stared. "This wasn't even my idea. And you should be the one worrying if you get caught."
"The greatest spies in the realm do not get caught my dear girl," stated Maryann, crossing her arms.
"How can you be so sure? I thought spies had to be ready for everything."
"Romeli, you have no idea how ready I am," said Maryann, ending the conversation.
D'mitri tried to stop a brewing war by changing the subject. "So, that was pretty funny stuff back there. There are only so many times in your life when you get to give the king gas."
All of them had to nod in agreement.
"If only there was more we could do," said Romeli trying to think of new ideas.
"Not today my friends. The king is a clever little devil. He'll catch on if more fishy stuff happens."
Romeli smiled weakly and nodded in agreement.
"Well what should we do now?" asked D'mitri.
Maryann shrugged. "Actually, thanks to my nasty habit of sidetracking to pull pranks on the king, I am behind in my paperwork." She stood up and walked out of the room.
D'mitri sighed as he tapped his hands on the chair. Something seemed to be bothering him. Romeli gave him and inquiring look.
D'mitri sighed again. "Listen Romeli, I need to talk to you about something."
"Talk away," she replied, eyeing him with both curiosity and apprehension.
"The thing is, that from the bottom of my heart, I really truly love you. I would do anything, and stand up against everything for you, and I want you to know that. I just want you to know that no matter what happens in the near future, I will still love you. Even if it may seem that no one is beside you, and no one can help, I will be there for you. I will be there for you even if I'm not there."
Romeli stared. What's that supposed to mean? She looked up at him. "Okay."
D'mitri took her hands in his and kissed her sweetly. "I love you."
Romeli had trouble trying to smile. Her eyes glazed over when she met his eyes. This just didn't seem right. D'mitri was one of the best friends that she could hope for. But a lover? Her heart was a puzzle and he was the last piece that just didn't fit. Tears began to gleam in her eyes. From her living a lie, or a longing for a true love, she didn't know.
"I…love you too," she whispered as if it pained her. She attempted to smile at him weakly.
OOO
Two days later, Romeli found herself once again walking to the dining room. This time, to dine with the king himself.
She walked into the room and sat down at the king's right hand of the table.
"Hello Romeli," said the king kindly. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."
Romeli shrugged. "My day has been okay. It's been kind of boring lately."
"I see," said Maggur shifting in his seat to see her better. "Well, hopefully that will change in time."
Knowing you it probably will, Romeli thought bitterly. Just then, the server came with their platter of food. Today's meal was clam chowder.
Maggur took a hearty gulp of his soup. "You really must admire my cook's fine cooking. He makes wonderful food."
Meanwhile, Romeli was trying not to laugh. You snarky bad ass, she thought. How many times does it take you to realize that I don't get affected by your spells? She looked up at Maggur. "Beautiful cooking indeed."
"You know, only so many cooks in this world can really get just the right flavor balance of clam and chowder," he pointed out.
Romeli took a sip of her soup. "Well, this cook must be one of them," she replied.
"Oh indeed," replied Maggur with a nod.
They ate in silence for a while.
Maggur set down his fork and stared at her intently. "Romeli, I was wondering…how is your stay at Scanra?"
Romeli set down her fork as well. "It's been good," she replied.
Maggur nodded. "Hopefully you don't get lost too often. This place is a maze, I know. Who knows, maybe you've found a secret passageway or room of sorts?"
Romeli stared. "Um…no?"
Maggur clenched his fists under the table. "Oh, well that's a shame. I always remember as a boy, I would go on adventures. But sometimes I would get caught and find myself in big trouble."
Romeli glanced down at her lap. Something wasn't right here. Realization hit her and she looked up at Maggur. "You knew," she accused in shock.
An evil grin peeled across Maggur's lips. "Curiosity killed the cat, Romeli."
But before Romeli could reply, everything went dark and her body crumpled to the floor.
Maggur stood up quickly. "Take her to one of the cells," he ordered. "And for the life of me, guard her with all you've got."
Fredrin nodded as he sheathed his sword. He picked up Romeli and slung her over his shoulder, exiting the great dining room through a secret doorway.
Maggur sighed as he looked around. Element of surprise is an interesting thought indeed. That girl is going to be punished for her actions. But first, to finish that meal.
OOO
The minute Maryann woke up the next day, she knew something was wrong. Only one thing could have happened that would make her feel so on-edge.
"Shit," she whispered as she got out of her bed and rummaged through the drawers. She turned the knob that enabled the anti-listening charm around her room. She then picked up the rock and spoke into it.
"Spy 15, we have a problem," she said in urgency through the rock.
"I know," said the voice of Spy 15. "We just got word of the kidnap."
"How come you didn't tell me?" she demanded.
"We figured you already knew," the spy replied with a grinning voice.
Maryann nodded. "Okay. Order the whole team to not even think of moving a muscle until I figure this whole situation out myself. Do you hear me?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Good. Out Spy 15." Maryann slammed down the rock and rubbed her temples.
This was something that she didn't want to deal with.
OOO
"What do you mean kidnapped!?" exclaimed D'mitri in a panic.
Maryann stared at him forcefully as she put her hand on his shoulder. "D'mitri, I told you to say calm. Yes, Romeli was kidnapped by Maggur. I don't know how, I don't know why, but she was."
D'mitri stared at her with pained eyes, and Maryann couldn't help her heart from sinking a little.
"Now D'mitri, I want you to do a favor for me," she said looking at him intently.
"I'll do anything to get her back," he whispered angrily.
Maryann sighed. She was afraid of that. "D'mitri, you must believe me when I say that you must do absolutely nothing."
"But—."
"D'mitri," she started sternly. "You are young, and you have no idea how much danger it would put both you and her in if you tried to get her back. If you really want to help, you will do nothing and let me take care of it."
He fought down the urge to retort and forced himself to agree that Maryann was right. He nodded stiffly.
"For the life of me, he better not hurt her in any way."
Maryann looked at him sadly. "Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he already has."
D'mitri looked up at her with saddened, helpless eyes. He was afraid this was going to happen.
OOO
When Romeli woke up, she found the whole place terrifyingly familiar.
The atmosphere was thick with the smell of blood as she lay on a cot. Confused, she weakly looked around the room. There were no windows that could make the air less sickening, nor could she see any doors, even though she sensed there was a secret one somewhere.
When Romeli turned her head to see what she was lying on, she wished she hadn't. The table she was lying on was covered in blood. Blood, she noticed that was coming from a very deep side wound. When she tried to move and find a way out, she discovered that her legs and arms were bound to the blood-saturated table.
Panic was swallowed down knowing that such a mood would keep her from thinking straight. She had to get out, and fast. Her Gift stirred inside her, but was unreachable. She began to tremble weakly.
The room was full of magic. She wasn't supposed to get out, and to her despair, she knew it.
A richly dressed and pale man came in with a whip. "Romeli, this is your last warning. Tell me your secrets."
Romeli stared at him confused. When was the first warning? "What are you talking about?" she rasped, feeling dizzy.
The man came at her with no mercy and whipped her hand. She cried out in pain as she pulled at her bindings.
She breathed in slowly and heavily as she felt more blood trickle down her body.
And then, the creator of all her misery walked into the room with Maryann trailing behind him.
"Romeli, Romeli, Romeli," he chided slowly as he walked up to her. "I was expecting better behavior from you. And to think, I thought that I actually broke you." He walked up to her as he ignored the hate in her eyes. "Well…I won't make that mistake again."
Romeli glared at him.
"Now, I've asked you before, and I'll ask again. What are your secrets?"
Romeli's brows rose. "I have no idea what the hell you're—." She cried out in pain as a whip cracked against her leg. The cuts from the bindings broke and bled as she fought against them.
"Romeli, I've told you before that your behavior is unacceptable. First, you sneak into my private office. Have you Tortallan savages ever heard of the word privacy? And then you go sleeping with my people like you're from some whorehouse. You will be punished for your actions…severely. I will make your life a living hell."
Romeli spat in his face. "Go rot in the Back Realm you bastard tyrant! Why don't you just kill me now? Then you wont be wasting your time trying to achieve something that isn't possible."
The guard rose his whip, but Maggur stopped him with his hand. He walked up to her and brushed his fingers along her jaw-line and cheek. "You are a feisty girl, aren't you? Well, we'll take care of that."
Romeli glared daggers at him as she pictured stabbing his head over and over again. Her skin crawled unpleasantly at his touch.
Maggur walked away from her. "Until later, Romeli," he said grinning. He turned to Maryann. "Watch her," he ordered, leaving the room with his guard.
Romeli sighed as Maryann walked up to her. "We have half an hour of safe talking before a Scanran guard comes to watch," she told her quickly.
Romeli moaned. "How long have I been out?"
Maryann froze confused. "What do you mean been out? You've been conscious for almost all of the two days you've been here."
This time it was Romeli's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about. I don't remember a thing."
"That's ridiculous," the spy replied. "You've been spitting insults at him every time he walks in here. I'm surprised you're not one big bruise by now."
Romeli shook her head. "I feel like one big bruise. I swear I don't remember a thing. What if he altered my memory?"
Maryann looked at her doubtfully. "I think you went through trauma memory loss. When your body and mind go through an overwhelming event, it shuts down and sort of restarts. Victims usually can't remember anything from the past couple of days."
Romeli closed her eyes. "Why is he doing this to me?"
Maryann looked at her sympathetically. "Maggur doesn't like not knowing where everyone is at every moment. When he found out you were sneaking around his office, he was not very happy. I don't know what he has against you and D'mitri though." She shrugged. "Maybe he just likes to see you suffer."
Romeli breathed in deeply and coughed as blood came out of her lungs. "Is there anyway to heal me?"
Maryann looked at her sadly. "Maggur would be suspicious if I did. I'm sorry."
"Gee thanks. What if I die of internal bleeding?"
Maryann only shrugged, hopeless.
"So, what's the plan?"
"The plan hasn't been made yet. This is a tricky one. It's going to need time and work. Obviously you can't just disappear. And we can't make a simulacrum because you don't have your Gift, and the black robe mages would find out. Basically, we're sitting ducks until something happens."
"Wonderful," said Romeli dryly. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"
Maryann didn't say anything.
OOO
D'mitri sat in his room unable to do anything. His hands shook with worry.
I can believe she won't let me help.
He glanced over at the books that Maryann gave her and shook his head. Everything seemed so blurred. Like this whole thing was just a dream.
If only it was.
He sighed heavily. He hated the feeling of helplessness. It was almost like he was watching the world explode in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it.
What if she was dying right at this moment, crying in pain? His heart tore at the thought.
The words that Maryann had told him still echoed in his mind.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he already has.
D'mitri shuttered at the thought of Maggur hurting her.
It's been two days, he thought hollowly. Two torturing days, and it's not over yet. Oh, it's far from over.
There was a knock at the door. D'mitri looked at his room before standing up and opening the door.
And then everything went black as his body crumpled to the floor.
OOO
Another day had passed before Maggur had come into the room again. This time when he came in with Maryann behind him, he looked very pleased with himself.
"Hello Romeli," he said walking up to her. "Today I'm hoping to make some progress with you."
"How's that?" Romeli demanded defiantly.
"Oh…you'll see. But first, I want to ask you a couple questions."
Romeli didn't reply as she glared.
Maggur examined his nails. "Why exactly were you in my office?"
Romeli decided to play stupid. "What office?"
"You know very well what office dear girl," he said sternly. "Now answer me or I will have to punish you."
"Go ahead and punish me you sick bastard—."
Maggur slapped her hard across the face. "Romeli, I am sick of your immature games. Your behavior is unacceptable. If you weren't so valuable, I probably would have hung you a while ago."
"I don't care what you think Maggur," Romeli spat. "Go to hell."
Maggur's lips peeled into a grin. Romeli's stomach dropped in fear.
"Oh, I think you do care about what I think," he told her, grinning wickedly.
He rose one of his hands and a guard came through the door. He was holding D'mitri by the arms and there was a gag around the his mouth. D'mitri met her eyes with shock.
Romeli paled in fear as she looked from Maggur to D'mitri.
"Ah, now I've got you," said Maggur victoriously. "You see Romeli, if you don't do exactly as I say, your little boyfriend here is in for it."
Romeli stared at D'mitri with weak eyes. D'mitri looked at her concerned. He shook his head. Romeli closed her eyes as she fought a tear that was about to escape her eyes. Now she had to worry about D'mitri's life as well.
"Fine," Romeli replied, hate pouring out of her eyes. "Just don't hurt him."
Maggur rubbed his hands together. "Excellent. So Romeli, why exactly were you in my office?"
His voice pained her. She refused to look into his eyes. "I wanted to find out what you were up to."
"Good…and did you find out?"
"Yes," she confessed through gritted teeth.
Maggur grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. Her eyes were full of loathing.
"Now tell me this," he said grinning. "How come you aren't affected by the spells I put in your food?"
"What are you talking about?"
Maggur grew angry. "Romeli, tell me right now or there will be severe consequences. I may have tolerated your attitude until now, but now my patience is growing thin. Tell me."
Romeli looked away from him. "I can not tell you."
Maggur glared at her. He unsheathed a dagger from his belt and held it to D'mitri's neck. D'mitri closed his eyes as he tried to stay calm.
"You will tell me, because I own you. You are my slave Romeli, and therefore I can do whatever I want to you. Now, tell me right now, or your friend will have a blade through his neck."
Romeli sighed weakly. She couldn't tell him, she just couldn't. And yet, her friend's life was on the line. The look in his eyes tore her heart open. D'mitri's eyes desperately screamed for her to keep her mouth shut. He shook with so much emotion that it took great strength to fight her tears back. And yet one still fell anyway.
And suddenly a shock went through her and she went limp. She couldn't move a muscle.
"Answer me Romeli," Maggur said sternly.
Romeli felt like crying, in fear, in anger, she didn't know what. "I can't move," she whispered.
"Romeli, I don't have all day. Now answer me or I will kill him."
Maryann's face grew pale. Shit…she thought. She had to do something.
"Maggur stop," Maryann said calmly lowering his blade from the boy's neck. "Can't you see she can't move? Something is happening to her."
Maggur looked from Maryann to Romeli. "What is happening, Maryann?" he asked hardly.
"I don't know exactly. I've seen it happen before in Tortall. It's not a pretty sight."
What they were saying came in one ear and out the other as Romeli stared at ceiling in dread. Of all the times that it could have happened, it happened now, she thought. It's just my luck I guess. Fear swept over her. Gods, as if I'm not in enough pain already.
"What is going on here?" demanded Maggur as he stared at the girl, confused. Maryann only looked on in fear.
And then it hit her—the overwhelming pain that made her cry out for help as the ground began its bone-shaking rumbles.
OOO
The rumbling ground shocked Jameson of Queenscove so much that he threw the book he was reading out of his hands. Suddenly, his Gift felt like it was ripping apart as it tore through his chest.
The pain was hard to push through, and it took a while to realize what was going on.
Romeli!
His eyes widened. She was having Chaos Thoughts.
He gasped out in pain and leaned on the wall of his bedroom as he fought for his breath.
Something didn't feel right.
Deep in the pit of his mind he knew that much more than her usual painful experience was going on. She was in trouble.
He closed his eyes and winced as pain swept over him in large waves. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a glittery strand of green hair. He closed it tightly, clenching his jaw.
Come on Romeli! He thought as he tried to reach her through his mind. You can do this. Come on!
He was starting to grow even more worried. The rumbles only grew worse, and the pain in his Gift grew by the second. Animals were crying out in pain, and there was a boom of thunder.
Why isn't she doing anything? Hh thought urgently, fighting to get a full breath. It felt like all the world was going into chaos.
He fell onto all fours as he grasped for breath. His Gift seemed to be eating at his soul, weakening him.
Please Romeli, he fought as darkness began to loom around him.
OOO
Something wasn't right. And this was not the time for something not to be right.
She clenched her fists so hard that they started to bleed. The cries of the People tore at her ears to the point that she couldn't think.
Something was wrong, but she was in too much pain to identify what it was.
She felt so helpless, as the world slowly began to crumble around her. And for once, she had the inspiration to let go of whatever it was she was holding on to and let it fall.
She couldn't do anything; something was stopping her. Her magic was being held back…
That's it…magic, she thought gasping out in pain.
"Gift," she rasped out with closed eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Maryann, who was holding onto the wall for dear life, looked at Maggur. "Sire, give her her Gift, she needs it."
Maggur didn't even hesitate. He undid the spell, freeing her powers.
D'mitri gasped and fell onto all fours as he gasped for breath. He clutched his chest like it was burning. He looked up at Romeli, breathing heavily.
A power filled her that not even she could imagine. Suddenly she had the impulse to fight back and do her job.
Okay, she thought, first, stop the shaking. That's not so hard, right?
Romeli was proven wrong when she found how badly shaken the ground was. The plants themselves were in so much pain that they didn't even realize she was trying to help them.
Come on! Romeli thought determined. Come on, you can do it, take my magic.
Even the greatest of oak trees shivered out in pain.
Fine, she thought biting her lip. If you won't take it, I'll force it on you.
With all the might she had, she pooled out her plant magic and covered it like a blanket over the world. She then literally forced their roots to grow.
Romeli cried out in pain as she felt like every vein in her body was splitting and breaking.
The world stopped its quivers.
Maryann gained her balance back and looked at Maggur. The king walked up to Romeli who was still struggling. He outstretched his arm.
"No! Don't touch her!" said Maryann sternly as she looked at the king.
The king looked at Maryann. "Why?"
"Sire, you don't just touch something when you don't know what's going on. She could be unstable."
Maggur backed up and nodded. "What is going on?"
Maryann's face was pale with worry. She looked like she had aged five years. "Goddess, I don't know," she lied. "But whatever it is, is not good. I mean look at the weather."
Indeed, clouds that were so dark they seemed black were moving in. Shocks of lightning rolled through them as if they were furious.
"Oh dear," whispered Maryann as she spotted D'mitri. She went to her knees and tried to steady him as he coughed up blood. He trembled violently. Sweat and tears fell down his face.
"It hurts," he rasped clutching his chest in pain. His breath was labored and shallow.
"Shomguk lehrerok D'mitri," Maryann whispered in Scanran.
He took in a big shaky breath through flared nostrils. "It can't. It hurts so bad," he whispered back, his Scanran shaky.
Maryann looked at him sternly. "D'mitri, if Romeli can hold on, so can you. She's probably feeling twice as much pain as you are, and do you see her giving up? Now hold on. It will all be over soon."
Romeli bit her lip. Next is helping the People. All right then. She breathed in deeply, pushing out the pain from her mind as much as she could. She then summoned all of the wild magic in herself and threw it out to the People as she began to feed them life. At last their cries began to die down until it was only the slightest ring in her head from its absence.
Romeli then progressed to the Gift portion of the painful moment. With her own Gift, she forced everyone else's powers out of their souls and into her own. Tears fell down, feeling like she was about to explode. It was too much to contain.
Take care of the weather now, she urged. With a sigh of relief, she forced all of the Gift out of her, using it to hold back the growing weather. She heard the crackles and booms of thunder turn to silence.
The absence of pain as the Chaos Thoughts ended gave her an odd sensation of feeling weightless. When she opened her eyes again, she was still bound to the cot. She moaned out in exhaustion.
As if she hadn't gone through enough pain already.
"Somebody get a healer," ordered Maryann sternly as she took charge. "For both of them," she added looking at Romeli and D'mitri. A nearb guard nodded and hurried away.
Maggur stared into the distance with glazed eyes. What was that?
Maryann walked over to the king and brought him to a chair. "Sit down Highness, you look like you're about to faint."
Maggur nodded grimly as if he was the one who went through the ordeal. "Actually, I think I'm going to leave for a little while. I am the one who needs to make sure everyone is okay and safe, after all."
Maryann nodded, that was exactly what she wanted him to say.
Once Maggur left, she picked up D'mitri, who was unconscious and put him in the chair. She got a kerchief and wiped the blood that he spat up off of his chin.
"Is he all right?" rasped Romeli, turning her head to the side to look at them.
Maryann looked at her. "He's unconscious, but I think he's fine. You should be more worried about yourself. Are you okay?"
Romeli sighed. "I guess so. I'm as sore as ever, but it's not like I haven't gone through this before."
Maryann nodded. "As long as you're okay. You do know Maggur will want to know what happened."
"I'm not going to tell him," she replied hardly.
"I guessed just that. But I can't hold him off much more."
Romeli sighed weakly.
Just then, a healer rushed in with a worried face. She took one long look at Romeli before shaking her head sadly.
"You," the healer started in Scanran as she pointed to Maryann. "I need hot water, cloths, and bandages."
Maryann stared.
"Well what are you waiting for? Go!"
Maryann's brows rose, but she fell under the orders and left.
OOO
It had been a week since the ordeal of her Chaos Thoughts, and Maggur still hadn't come to question her. The best news however was that she was taken back to her room under the healer's orders. Even though she was heavily guarded, she welcomed the incredibly soft bed with delight.
As for D'mitri, well she hadn't heard about him at all. Worrying about him was a constant action as she slumped around her room. One question always haunted her: was he even alive?
On the eighth day of her arrival back to her room, her question was answered. Maggur walked into her room, holding D'mitri with Maryann trailing behind them.
Romeli's heart sank when she caught D'mitri's eyes. He seemed so weak and tired. He gave her a weary smile.
"Sit down Romeli," ordered Maggur as he motioned for D'mitri to take a seat. "And no retorts today. I'm not in the mood." Maggur positioned himself in a large arm chair.
Romeli glared, but settled down in the only chair left, across from Maggur.
"So, you're probably wondering why I'm here."
"You're here because you're wondering what happened last week," she replied dully.
"Whatever the hell that was that happened last week I will figure out later. On the contrary, I've come to talk about something much more important."
He snapped his fingers and two guards grabbed her so that she couldn't move. Romeli stared at Maggur both confused and slightly amused.
"Obviously it's very important news?" Romeli asked simply.
"Oh Romeli, it's to die for," he replied as he held back a grin. "It's time that I lecture you about the rules of being my slave."
Romeli thought for a moment as she side-glared at the guards who were still holding her tightly. Obviously she did something wrong. "Am I being executed or something?"
Maggur's lips formed into a wicked grin. "On the contrary my dear, D'mitri is."
D'mitri looked just as surprised as Romeli. She glanced at her friend with a shocked look, her previously tense body fallen.
"You see Romeli, being a slave of Scanra also means that you have rules to follow. And you just broke one of the biggest ones: having a love relationship behind my back. The consequence? Hanging the boy who laid his lips on yours."
Romeli stared down at her lap in shock. There was absolutely no way…Maryann would have warned us! Despite her tries not to, a tear fell down her cheek. Oh D'mitri…
"And you Romeli…will be severely punished."
I don't care about me, she thought. He had gone through so much in the past two weeks. He probably endured just as much as I did. And it's my fault. If I hadn't of fallen for him, none of this would have happened. And now I've sent him to his death.
"The hanging ceremony will be tomorrow morning. And you, dear girl, will be watching every bit of it." Maggur said as he stood up, dragging D'mitri behind him.
"Wait," said Romeli weakly as a tear rolled down her face. "Can I at least say goodbye?"
Maggur stared. "Not this time. Too many rules have been broken."
And with that, he walked out of the room with Maryann and the guards holding D'mitri trailing behind him.
More tears fell down her face. How had her life gotten so screwed up in the first place anyway?
OOO
The morning was greeted with lifeless fog that laid birth over the palace with a dreadful and eery silence.
The weather, to Romeli, reminded her of dread, or even mourning. And a perfect day for the weather it was.
Romeli turned around when someone tapped her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed Maryann come in. You could tell on the spy's face that she was trying very hard not to cry. Even though her eyes were stony, underneath was a layer of pain and remorse.
Romeli herself was a wreck. Her eyes were bloodshot with worry and lack of sleep, and her cheeks were blotchy from crying. Maryann could tell she was just as angry as she was sad, and just as revengeful as she was remorseful. She seemed lost in her own emotions.
The two glanced at each other for just a moment before leaving Romeli's quarters.
It was time.
The execution grounds seemed to be the cause of such dreadful weather. The rope that hung form the post dangled with the wind.
Romeli stared at the mocking rope with wide eyes, nearly laughing out loud at the irony. Her memory flashed to all the times when she suddenly saw the black and white noose swaying with the wind. Shivers ran up and down her spine.
This just wasn't right.
Not many people came to the ceremony. There were palace workers who must have known him. She thought she spotted his sister sobbing, a little ways away. She also saw what looked like his brother still as stone in the distance.
She sat between King Maggur and Maryann in the closest of rows. She began to feel dizzy with disbelief. This can't be happening. No one deserves to be hung when they're young. Especially him.
There were sounds of footsteps as the executioner pulled D'mitri up the stairs. His hands were bound.
D'mitri looked through the crowds until he spotted her. Despite all of his pain, and all of his fears, he smiled. She could tell he didn't want to die, but there was a sense of peace inside of him.
And then Romeli looked deeper into his dark eyes.
He was trying to tell her something.
Romeli looked at him confused as a tear rolled down her cheek.
D'mitri just slightly shook his head as if he were amused.
Is this some type of sick joke? thought Romeli staring at him as another tear fell down.
'I love you' he mouthed to her, slightly smiling.
Romeli closed her eyes briefly and opened them to fight back tears as the executioner recited his charges. She attempted to smile.
D'mitri stared at her the whole time until the executioner finished. The man then slipped the rope loop around his head and tightened it. He gave her one last look before closing his eyes, waiting for his stomach to drop, and the rope to tighten.
Romeli looked down, unable to watch.
Maggur thrust her chin up with his hands. "I want you to see your beloved's death," he whispered in her ear. "I want you to see how it's all your fault."
Tears rolled down her cheeks. She winced and bit her lip at the clash of the trapdoor opening and the rope tightening.
All she saw were two dangling feet swaying underneath the wooden panels. She closed her eyes, her lashes soaked in tears.
A perfect day for this weather indeed.
OOO
Two days later, Romeli found herself in her room, still sulking over D'mitri's death. Scanra seemed so empty without his sense of adventure and dangerous pranks.
"Come in," called Romeli when someone knocked on her door. Maryann entered and immediately shielded the room from any spies listening in.
"I need to show you something," started Maryann grimly.
Romeli stared. "What?"
"Just…follow me," she said.
The two of them left her room and hurried down the hallway.
"Where are we going?" asked Romeli.
Maryann only walked faster as a reply. They went through so many corridors and corners that Romeli lost all sense of direction.
A last they stopped in front of a lifeless door.
"What are we doing in front on D'mitri's room?" she asked confused.
"I found something," she replied. "I think you'd like to see it."
Romeli gave the spy a puzzled look as they walked inside.
She looked around with pained eyes as she walked into the abandoned room. The emotions surfacing now made her want to leave. She would never see him again, and yet by the looks of his room, it seemed like he was just out for a short lunch.
Maryann waved her over to the corner with a grim face.
"Look here," she said pointing to his desk.
Romeli walked over, not understanding what she was leading to. All she saw on his desk was a stack of papers and the books Maryann gave him. Was this some type of joke?
"What are you talking about?" she asked a little too coldly. This room was putting her in a foul mood.
Maryann stared. She picked up one of the books that she had given him before and put it in the girl's hands.
Romeli was starting to grow frustrated. What was this woman on? It was bad enough that she was in his room in the first place, but now Maryann was practically mocking her,
"Maryann, I really don't feel comfortable being here right now. Why can't you tell me your little joke so we can get on with our lives?"
Maryann stared at her steadily. "Listen Romeli. I have lots of work to do with the spies, and I have to tutor a page. Is this really so hard to find out? I'm gonna have to leave you alone to figure out the book. And mark my words, your temper and I are going to have a little talk."
The spy left the room leaving a very unhappy Romeli. She stared at the mocking book with hatred. The History of Scanra Servants repeated through her head annoyingly as she read the title. She really wasn't in the mood for this.
She felt like leaving the room and ditching the whole book thing all together. The idea was tempting. But her curiosity was driving her insane, and Maryann would be most disappointed.
She sat down in one of his chairs. Come on, the sooner I figure this out, the sooner I can get the hell out of here.
Maryann's words rang through her head.
Romeli sighed. Something felt wrong. What Maryann said before she left was weird. And since when did spies tutor pages?
Romeli thought over what she said again.
And then she hit her head. Maryann, you never cease to amaze me, she though with a disbelieved smile. Her cloudy mood was lifted.
I have lots of work to do with the spies, and I have to tutor a page. Is this really so hard to find out? I'm gonna have to leave you alone to figure out the book. And mark my words, your temper and I are going to have a little talk.
Page Is Book Mark.
Page is book marked!
Gods I feel dumb, she thought, mentally hitting herself on the head. I could have figured that out myself.
She looked at the top of the book and indeed spotted a black book mark. D'mitri must have put it there.
She cracked open the heavy book and read where it was marked.
No slave tied under royal Scanran rule can have a love relationship without knowing of his Imperial Highness. The lover of the slave, in consequence, will be sentenced to death by hanging. And the slave will either be killed or heavily whipped as punishment.
Romeli stared at the writing with wide eyes. There was no way…and yet as she stared at his bookmark, she knew he had marked this before he died.
All of it came crashing down on her as a tear slid down. It all connected now…
"Well listen, I need to go read that other book Maryann gave me. I'll see you later kay?"
"The thing is, that from the bottom of my heart, I really truly love you. I would do anything, and stand up against everything for you, and I want you to know that. I just want you to know that no matter what happens in the near future, I will still love you. Even if it may seem that no one is beside you, and no one can help, I will be there for you. I will be there for you even if I'm not there."
He knew he was going to die when he kissed me. But he did it anyways. He would die for my love, she realized with shock.
And I never really loved him back.
She began to cry, holding her head in her hands. Her heart felt like it was torn in two and would never heal again.
She couldn't forget the look that he gave her before he fell. Nor could she escape from the sound of the trapdoor opening, and a body tumbling, jolting up from a tightened rope.
I truly loved him, she thought. I loved him like a brother. And now I'm never going to see him again. After all he's done for me, and all the fun we had, I killed him with a kiss.
The book slipped through her fingers and fell to the floor as she sat in a daze. She stared at the book's mocking spine and picked it up. A letter slipped out of it.
She picked up the paper, confused to find her name written on it. She opened it up.
It was D'mitri's hand writing.
Dear Romeli,
If you're reading this, I'm probably already gone. I wrote this before my death, because I wanted to let you know that I love you. I could tell that you may not have returned my feelings, and I respect that. Nevertheless, I will always keep you in my heart as a great friend. You're probably wondering why I kissed you if I already knew what could happen. I'm not scared of death. I find that death is only a different version of life, and should be treated just the same. I felt it was my time, and that I did something well with my life before passing on. Romeli, in no way by any means was this your fault. Please, for my sake, do not put my death as your burden. Go on with your life, with me as wonderful, celebratory memory. I will always be looking out for you.
Love,
D'mitri
Romeli bit her lip to keep from trembling. How am I supposed to celebrate your life when it was taken away from you? she asked him, staring at the letter through blurred eyes.
She stood up with a new thought arising. She wiped away her tears and tucked the letter in her pocket.
Because of Maggur, his life had been taken away. Because of him, all of this has happened. Because of him, she had to carry these physical and emotional scars.
And now, because of Maggur, I'm seeking revenge, she thought strongly. Because of the letter, she now had the determination to finish her mission and bring D'mitri's death to justice.
She turned to the door and walked out of his room.
It's crazy what people will do for love.
OOO
The next day, Romeli woke up later in the day than usual. There was a muffled silence that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
It was too quiet—like the quiet before a storm, or before some other apprehensive, unexpected moment.
She stood up and got dressed in a green shirt and black breeches. She then picked up a brush and began to comb her hair.
There was a crash as her door slammed open. She dropped her brush in shock and turned around.
Two guards grabbed her arms tightly. Despite her rebellious fights, she couldn't break free. Without any explanations as to why they were here in the first place, they hauled her out of the room.
She had one idea as to where she was going.
Her fears were confirmed when they had arrived at what looked like the same room she had been kidnapped in before. It was cleaned of all the blood, and the musty smell had evaporated.
The guards forced her down onto the cot and bound down her hands and feet. She glared daggers at them as she fought against the binds.
Five revengeful minutes later, Maggur strode in with a victorious grin on his face. Romeli glared at him.
"So Romeli, how does it feel to be all alone, carrying the burdens of your beloved's death?"
"I feel like I'm gonna kick your ass," she retorted with a glare.
"Angry I see," he said walking to the side of the table. "I like it. More fun to see your spirits break."
Romeli's heart sank, but she didn't let it show. "I didn't break the first time, and I sure as hell wont break the second."
"We'll see," he whispered. He ran a teasing finger along her collarbone and up her neck along her jaw-line. "You do know the rules don't you? That by kissing someone under your bondage to me, he is to be hung, and you to be heavily punished."
Romeli was scared. She was immensely scared. What was he going to do to her? A little fear slipped past her eyes, but she pushed it back.
"Speechless?" said Maggur teasily. "It seems the great Romeli is breakable after all." He took out a whip from behind his back.
Romeli swallowed. Come on Romy. You can get through this. If you could get through Chaos Thoughts, you can get through this.
Maggur stretched out the whip and hit her across the face.
She yelped in pain as a tear fell down and mixed with the blood. She couldn't help but sob as all of the past events bore down on her. No, this was worse than anything she had endured.
"I'm going to hurt you Romeli. I'm going to hurt you bad." He snapped his whip on her again.
OOO
Romeli sat in the corner of her room in a daze. She didn't know what to do; she didn't know what to think. She hurt so bad that she was numb. She was bleeding everywhere, but hadn't the heart to bandage herself.
She just sat in the corner like an empty shelf, lifeless, emotionless.
What Maggur had done to her, had scarred her, and she had no idea what to do about it. He had beat her, whipped her, shocked her.
There was nothing left in her. She felt like she did after she came back from being stuck in her mind. But this time, she wasn't coming back.
Why don't I just end it now?
She heard her bedroom door open, but she didn't react as she sat in her daze. Maryann walked deeper into her room. She finally spotted Romeli and hurried to her with wide eyes.
"Oh dear, Romeli, what happened?" she asked crouching down next to stare into her foggy eyes.
She didn't reply.
"Maggur hurt you, didn't he?" Maryann concluded angrily. She stared at the bruises on her neck and jaw from unwanted kisses and shook her head. She looked so empty.
This time he really had broken her.
Maryann bit her lip. "You need a healer."
Romeli closed her eyes, trying to gain some composure. "No," she whispered.
Maryann stared in disbelief. "Romeli, have you seen yourself. You've lost so much blood!"
Romeli opened her eyes again tiredly. "I just don't understand. You be nice, you do what they ask, but all they do is just use you and treat you worse. Look at these scars, look at these hands, Maryann. I'm tired. I don't want to do this anymore."
Maryann stared at her as a tear fell down the girl's cheeks. They seemed stained with blood and tear tracks.
"Sometimes I just want to do this thing the easy way, and leave right now. I would eliminate this whole thing. Maggur would lose, and no one would fight over me. I would be in peace; I wouldn't have to feel this pain." Romeli sighed weakly. "I just want to give up right now."
Maryann sat down and rose the girl's chin with her hands. "Yes Romeli, it may be true. It would just be easier to give up now. But what you don't understand, is that even in the darkest of places, there is always some good in the world. But how can you go back to that good place after going through so much? How could things have a happy ending after so much pain? But overall, this time of your life will pass and light will come through again. Romeli, you had many chances to turn back, only you didn't. You were holding onto your goal, you were holding onto your strength. So why should you give up now? You are so close! That relaxing light is only feet away from you, and you want to give it up? That's not the Romeli I know."
Romeli stared at her friend as more tears slid down. "You make it sound so easy," she said as she tried to fight down her sobs. "This is harder than it looks, Maryann."
Maryann smiled weakly and sniffed as tears welled up in her own eyes. "I know it is. But you are the most amazing person I have ever met in my life. You have accomplished more than what other people would ever think of doing in a lifetime. I know you can do it."
"How do you figure that?" Romeli asked looking at her with reddened eyes.
"I have something to show you."
Romeli sighed. She felt a lot better after what Maryann had said. And that flicker of hope that had burned out had lit itself again. But seriously, what was she going to show her this time? Would it be just as hurtful as the book she gave her?
The green haired girl stared at her. "What is it this time?"
Maryann took a letter out of her back pocket and gave it to her. "I was going to give it to you eventually," she said as Romeli peeled open the letter. "Now seemed like a good time."
Romeli read the letter.
King Jonathan of Conte and Queen Thayet of Conte, Duke Gareth of Naxen, Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, Nealan of Queenscove, Veralidaine Salmalin, Numair Salmalin, and Laloria Salmalin, Keladry of Mindelan, and Raoul of Goldenlake:
You are cordially invited to the Tortallan Scanran Peace Ball.
In the celebration of our declaration of peace and the end of our war, the King of Scanra, Maggur of Rathausak, is holding a Peace Ball for these Tortallan Representatives.
It is strongly recommended for all of come, to enjoy the great mix in cultures and to formally declare peace with our countries.
This ball will be held the first of March at the Scanran Palace, Rathausak, under treatment and protection from the finest of our land.
Until March,
Juliard
Scanran Scribe
Romeli stared at the piece of paper. Her heart started to beat quickly.
"No joke?" Romeli asked looking up at Maryann in amazement.
"No joke," confirmed Maryann, not able to help but grin herself.
Romeli was in a daze. She would get to see her family again! Yes, perhaps she wouldn't get to talk to them. But just seeing them would make her heart soar.
Gods…the last time I saw them was when Maggur captured them at the war. That seemed like years ago. She remembered their faces, so hurt and sorrowful. James' face was—
…James.
God's she hadn't thought about James in a while. But just thinking of his name made her soul ache. She suddenly felt empty, like she had been missing something this whole time without even noticing. His name wasn't on the invitation. Did that mean that she still wouldn't be able to see him? Maybe not ever, she thought suddenly bitter.
She remembered their last goodbyes. Her heart ached painfully as she remembered his face.
He was standing out of the way of everyone else as he stared at her. He smiled weakly at her when she met his eyes.
Romeli looked sadly at him and ran over to him as she hugged him tight, he hugged her back, their bodies smashed together.
"I never thought a goodbye would be like this," James said truthfully.
Romeli wiped her eyes as she stared at him. "I'm going to miss you so much James. You've always been there for me. And everyday you're not by me, I feel so empty...and lost. Now that I'm going to be so far away…far away from everybody, I don't know how I'm going to live."
James fingered her slave collar sadly. "I feel the same. There won't be a day where I won't think about you. Just…just be strong, kay?"
Romeli nodded as she hugged him again. "I don't know what will become of me now. I don't know if I'll ever see you again. Or if I'll ever leave Scanra. I see that life may…may not be any longer now for me. It will be hard, I know. But I won't ever forget you. You or the rest of our friends." She shook her head slowly with closed eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks.
A tear went down James's cheek and he looked away. The pain in his eyes was so unbearable, that her voice felt choked.
"James…James look at me." Slowly James looked back at her, his eyes as glossy as a mirror. "No matter what happens, I will always be your best friend. I'll always love you, and Gods, I'm just going to miss you."
James kissed her cheek. He got something out of his pocket. It was a tiny snow globe. Inside the snow globe was the Tortall's palace, Corus.
"Your home will be waiting for you," he said as he put the snow globe in her palm and closed her hands with his. "I got this from Ryoku. It's good luck."
Romeli gave him a watery smile. This was the nicest thing that anyone had ever given her in a long time. She grabbed one of the shiny glitter strands that was in her hair and yanked it out of her scalp. It always hurt to pull those things out, but this was for a good cause. She handed it to James.
"I'll miss you," she whispered as she hid the snow globe in her pocket. The door creaked open again as Maggur and Maryann entered.
"I'll miss you too. With all my might."
"A deal is a deal, Romeli. Time to go to your new home," said the sly voice of King Maggur. A hand wrapped around her arm and started to lead her out of the exit. Just when she was about to go through the doorway, she looked back at everyone and smiled sadly, exiting with two words:
"For Tortall."
And then she was gone, perhaps for forever.
Well, forever had come short this time, she thought. Her eyes then widened as she realized something.
She quickly stood up, wincing in pain in the process. She hobbled over to her drawer and opened in up, searching through her clothes. Maryann stared at her.
Come on, I know it's in here! She thought throwing her clothes every which way.
She smiled as she picked up what she was looking for victoriously and held it to her chest.
"Romeli what are you doing? You are way to hurt to be walking around."
Romeli sat down again and held the snow globe of Corus in her hand, watching the snow fall back to the ground. Maybe there was some luck in getting out after all.
"My God…" whispered Maryann. "You're delirious. You need a healer right now."
"I'm not delirious," said Romeli shaking the snow globe.
"Pft. Not delirious my ass, you're playing with a snow globe like it's your life!"
"This Maryann, is no snow globe. This is hope."
"Odd name for a snow globe," said Maryann. Truthfully, she was happy that Romeli wasn't down and broken anymore. But those wounds! "Fine, I'll heal you myself then," she said standing up and getting a washcloth. She began to wash her wounds.
Romeli rolled her eyes and put the snow globe down, helping Maryann with bandaging up her cuts.
OOO
She knocked on his door quickly, and then leaned on the door impatiently for him to open it up.
James put down his book and walked up to his door confused. It was indeed an odd hour for someone to be knocking.
He opened it wide, and Alanna tripped inside from the unexpected loss of support. James stared at her amused.
"Come on," said Alanna after gaining her composure. She grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him out of his room. "We're leaving."
"Leaving where?" asked James, jogging to catch up with her. Even though he was taller than her, her walking speed was quite…speedy.
Alanna didn't reply.
Five minutes later, James was not only confused, but also frustrated. He ran his hand through his hair. "Where the hell are we going?"
"Hey, no cursing, Squire," she said. "You'll sure as hell see in a second."
James rolled his eyes.
Sure enough, after one second, she wheeled into the meeting room. The table was already mostly filled, with King Jonathan sitting at the head. James sat down between his father and Alanna.
"Most of you already know why I called you here," started Jonathan. "As representatives of Tortall we have been asked to attend the Scanran Peace Ball."
James's eyes widened. Wait…what?
"Since we are going to be staying in the same palace as Romeli, I want to warn you." He looked at each and every one of them in the eye, until his eyes rested on James. "If you even say a word to her, you could not only get yourself hurt, but her hurt as well. Maggur is a dangerous person, as we should treat our stay with caution and awareness.
No one replied as he sat there.
"I know what you're thinking. Seeing her…will be painful. She will most likely be heavily wounded, both mentally and physically. Maggur…he has probably done awful things to her. For all I know…she may be…well…gone. But we must hold onto our strength and our determination. Because if she is still there, we will get her out of there."
"But how?" asked Numair folding his hands on the table. "You know the security. Maggur is probably guarding her heavily. And the slave collar?"
Jonathan nodded. "These are all good points. We have a spy team in Scanra that is in the process of working that all out. All of our plans really must wait until we access the situation in Scanra. Any more questions?"
Silence.
"Okay then. We are leaving tomorrow morning. I suggest you pack up tonight."
With that, everyone stood up and walked out of the room, deep in their own thoughts.
OOO
Later in the day, James walked wearily to his Knight Master's room and knocked. His excitement was nearly unbearable. To see her again would be…unbelievable. And yet he was quite apprehensive. What if she was hurt? He wouldn't be able to help her. It would break his heart. What if she had changed? What if she couldn't escape?
"Jameson, are you going to stand in front of my door like a hypnotized monkey, or are you going to say something of intelligence?" asked Alanna leaning on the doorframe.
James shook his head to rid his thoughts. "Sorry," he apologized as he walked in. Alanna closed the door behind him.
"Any reason you came?" asked Alanna examining her sword.
James blurted it out. "How come I'm going to Scanra?"
Alanna's brows rose.
"I mean, I'm the youngest. Isn't everyone worried that I might do something...stupid?"
Alanna sheathed her sword. "James, the only reason you're coming is because I need a squire. I'm old. I need help these days, eh?"
James nodded in a daze.
"Now you best start packing," said Alanna waving him off. "We're leaving early tomorrow morning."
James stood and walked to the door. He stopped in front of it and turned to face her again. "Alanna?"
"Hm?"
"Thanks," he said quietly. He opened the door and closed it behind him as he walked out.
OOO
Without D'mitri, she felt alone, and even bored. And yet, she felt no pain. That letter that he had given her had taught her that though life had been short for him, it was a life worth living. Her heart still bled. She wasn't quite sure what love was anymore. But in the end, she—.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
Romeli stood up with a wince and got to the door. Maryann walked in with a glowing face and sat down on the sofa. Romeli followed her with confused eyes before sitting down as well.
"What's with you?" asked Romeli setting her arm on the armrest.
Maryann stared at her for a moment, looking down at a bag she carried. "I have something for you," she said with a calm and yet slightly excited voice.
Romeli looked down at the black silk bag confused. "My birthday isn't until March."
Maryann rolled her eyes and looked at her steadily. She picked up the bag and undid the ties.
Romeli looked on with anticipation and dread. Maryann had shown her many things in the past few weeks, and some of them had been hurtful. She didn't know what to think about what she was going to reveal. It could be anything.
Anything was right. Romeli stared at the bottle confused. "What the heck is that?"
"This dear, is a potion."
Romeli stared at the bottle with unfocused eyes. The red liquid sat in the bottle motionless and dead. It looked like some type of poison. And yet, as she squinted to get a better look at the bottle, she knew it held no deadly characteristics.
Romeli sat back in the sofa with wide eyes. "I can't believe you actually got it."
Maryann grinned. "A spy never breaks her promise. It was mostly your uncle's doing anyway. That man knows how to find anything."
Romeli nodded in a daze. Her whole person seemed to be floating on the softest of clouds. So it all comes down to this.
Maryann stood up holding the bottle. "Soon that Blood Spell will be gone, Romeli."
Romeli breathed in deeply as she stood up. Blood rushed through her veins in anticipation. Maryann walked towards her and took out the stopper in the bottle. She held up the bottle for Romeli to take.
Romeli took it with shaking fingers, staring at the contents. The potion looked like no sweet lemonade, but it was worth the pain to get her Gift back.
She was going to get her Gift back.
She put the crystal bottle to her lips. The glass was cool and smooth to her touch. The contents sloshed to the movement. She closed her eyes and tipped the bottle up so that the potion slid down to her lips. She opened her mouth and drank the potion.
Romeli gagged at the vile taste that slid down her throat like slime covered seaweed. The taste was close to unbearable, her first instinct was to throw the bottle down and run for the nearest bucket of water, but she fought against it and made herself drink it to the last drop.
When she was done, she put the glass down with a quivering body and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked at Maryann with a weak smile.
Maryann nodded in approval. "Any minute now."
Romeli nodded and walked to her flask of water. She picked it up with shaking hands and drained the whole flask with deep gulps to clear her throat of the repulsive taste.
And suddenly, a melting, light, feeling overcame her. She froze as the odd sensation swept through her. She felt like peace was rushing through her veins at a remarkable speed, healing all that had been hurt over the past few weeks. She sighed,content.
A shivery feeling arrived at her throat, and she felt like something was draining away from her—a burden that she hadn't realized she carried until now. When the light feeling finally stopped, she felt like the build up of stress that had ravaged her body had melted away.
And there was another feeling. She felt amazing power rush through her—like a gate had been opened that had been locked before. All of her power had leaked out to run free. She felt stronger than she had ever felt before. She even felt invulnerable. Like she could climb any mountain, and defeat any enemy.
She looked at Maryann with a smile as she examined her hand. A fire appeared in her palm that licked at the air dangerously. The emerald fire was bright and young after being locked up for so long. Romeli sighed with relief. She let the fire go and turned to Maryann.
The spy walked up to her with a grin. "And so it begins," she said staring into her partner's chaotic eyes.
Romeli nodded. "I'm ready."
Yay, she gets her Gift back! Hoorah!
Now it's time to kick some butt.
Replies:
Emeraldi: Yeah I know! Lol. That's why I killed him. It just wouldn't work.
Aravuli: That's funny. I was planning to add in James despite your review that I hadn't gotten yet. So were happy now, eh? And James in going to Scanra! (is happy). And it's only the beginning of their adventures. Mwahaha. Yeah…her life totally sucks. I didn't on purpose, because she;s too perfect as a person. So it balances out, you know? And as a reply to your other review…I killed him. Heehee. That part was actually very sad for me to write. It was probably sad to read too though right? Lol. Those are all good possibilities, but alas. I have an eviler plan of my own that no one will guess. And damn right it's angst. Hahaha. Lol.
Captain Cheese and Dommit: well, now it's the room she dreamed about. You're good, you know that? You always seem to predict something right. I hate flies. They suck hard. And they're annoying. I hate when they follow you. You just want to kill them. Fredrin is an evil little guy, who needs to die. Bwa haha. Yeah…I guess George could tell them about Romeli, but then everyone would know, and word would get out to Scanran spies in Tortall, who would tell Maggur, and then Maggur would know that Maryann was a double agent. Not good. Ah well, Romeli and James will get plenty of nice kisses later. I'm thinking of making the sequel a 'M' fic so we can have plenty of fun.
Jamielovesmalfoy: lol. I wrote more. Perhaps a little delayed, but at least I updated. I don't really like the romance pair either, but he had to die, and had to affect Romeli at the same time, so that's how it worked out. Lol. Why yes, I do like to write!
Rockin Chick: good. I'm glad you like it and I'm appreciative that you are reading it. Please continue!
Codianah: Thanks! I like Romeli too. Well of course I like her…I made her! Lol. James is pretty awesome too. Thanks again, and keep reading!
George Bassy: lol. Right…left god. wtf? Heehee. Funny.
Faithful Haven: I know I'm evil. Well what do you want me to do? Make everything predictable? That's not how I roll. Lol.
Akira Shinaichi: I didn't reply? Oh dear…I'm so sorry! (gives you a cookie). Forgive me? Romeli is going to do many things with James. And obviously the D'mitri problem was taken care of, so no worries. Thanks!
Mystique Phoenix: wow…there. I killed him, happy? Lol. RJ is a lot better. Of course. I loved writing the Maryann spy thingy. It was awesome.
Lady Knight Devin: Thanks so much, and keep reading!
Kuyaga: oh dear…a sadistic mood. Oh god I know…Fredrin sounds like a freakin medicine. Lol. Ah well, what can you do? At least I didn't name him Anthrax or something…heehee. Orsino is an awesome name. Hmmmm.
Silver-star-0: I feel bad for James too. But now that D'mitri is gone, they can have all the fun they want. Lol. I'd hate to sleep with Maggur too. Arg! Did I just say that! Ew…ew…ew… (shudder).
QueenThayet12990: At least it's romance right? I love spies too. Maybe I should write a spy fic. That would be fun. Heehee.