Author's Note: None really. Enjoy all the same.
CAPTIVE AND CAPTIVATED
Chapter Eleven
The Cephran night air was chillier than she would have liked. Hikaru clutched a thin shawl around her shoulders and leaned back into the warmth of the unknown soldier behind her. Twilight was thick in the perfumed air around them. Hikaru glanced at the horizon. Only the thinnest sliver of deep purple could be seen. In mere minutes, it would be full dark and the sickle moon would peek at them from behind the clouds.
Hikaru sighed and craned her neck to peer at the other horses. There were probably ten of them, all mounted by soldiers. Soldiers wearing red. They must have been Lantis' mage knights. Why in the world would three little girls require such an escort? Umi and Fuu seemed not to give much thought to the situation. In fact, they didn't seem to notice the situation at all. Fuu's eyes were downcast and slitted. Her lips were pursed. She appeared to be deep in thought. Umi, on the other hand, was leaning back against her escort looking stricken. Her pale eyes were shiny and dull.
Why haven't any of the Princes come to escort us? Hikaru wondered. Or even the old Master Mage. Was their journey into the night some new form of punishment? She clenched her fists in her lap. Lantis had been so vague. Well, what else was knew? He spoke in riddles, always. However, he'd also told her that she need never fear an awful punishment again. Oh, that's not true. He said we'd never have to suffer anything like that dinner again. That could mean anything. We could have some new horror waiting for us on the other side of that forest.
She chanced a glance at the man to whose horse she was saddled. He, like the rest of the mage knights, was draped in red. His face was dark and solemn, rather like Lantis', but he was small and slight with a round face. He didn't meet her gaze. After a moment, he pulled something from his saddlebag and raised a signal to the rest of his counterparts. A torch was lit, and from it, more came to life and cast their light on the party. Faces were illuminated, and now the shadows across her friends' faces made them seem eerily alive. Fuu's eyes caught hers for a brief moment. They were like emerald tinged with fire. Umi continued to stare blankly at her hands.
Where are we going? Hikaru wondered.
Meanwhile, Fuu's mind ran wild. She played the scenes of the past week over and over in her head, trying to make sense of their situation. Try as she might, she could neither make head nor tail of anything that had happened to her. Or to her friends. If I can call them friends, she thought. She did her best to ignore the irrational nagging at the back of her mind of her Princely master, that nagging that wanted so desperately for her to remember that, even though he often seemed cold and calculating, his hands on her hours previously and the way he looked at her through the mirror were remarkably… human.
Yes, human. She hadn't thought of anyone in this land as human, ever since she first set foot on the grass here. To think so now would derail her logical thought processes. It was good to think of them all as monsters, for she felt she could maintain some semblance of sanity if she did so, and also a sense of herself as whole and pure, untouched by all that had happened to her. And what was it that he'd said to her back in his chambers? He'd bowed to her. From bent knee, he'd given her some title. What was it again? Damn… my mind is leaving me…
On top of these disturbing thoughts was the fact that Fuu felt as if she were going mad. Every so often, she'd hear a great swooping of giant wings over her head, and she'd gasp, looking around in fright to see nothing. Once, she'd even heard the cry of a great bird; a loud, terrifying sound, but no one else in the party seemed to hear a thing. What in the world was happening to her? The back of her hand twinged painfully again and she rubbed it absently.
She glanced up at Hikaru, the redhaired girl, and saw her looking about in awe. She looked very much like a child who was being paraded through a theme park that she'd never seen before. Yes, her eyes were innocent and childish. But when the redhead met her eyes, that look vanished and Fuu thought, Why, she is a woman. A tortured woman, not unlike myself. This place has tainted her as much as it has tainted me.
Fuu sighed and turned to look at Umi. The girl looked positively deadened. She hadn't said a word since they'd set out into the night. She hadn't looked up at any of them either. Fuu could almost feel the sadness and loss emanating from her. It was a tangible, palpable thing, Umi's defeat. That surprised Fuu, since Umi seemed at first to be the strongest of them all, with her fiery temper and will of iron.
Neither of the girls could really see the depths of Umi's sorrow. She felt like a defeated husk, an empty body of a girl that had once been recognizable. Now… well, she didn't know what to think. She was a slave, an invalid, and not even the man she'd been pledged to wanted anything to do with her. At least Fuu and Hikaru's masters seemed to want them around. Clef hadn't even… hadn't even looked at her before she was taken away. What did she have here, if not him? She had nothing.
And why, she thought, why? What did I do to deserve that? It can't have been my petulance and malice towards him. If anything, he was even worse than me. Sometimes, it seems he enjoyed that kind of thing. And I suppose, if I'm honest with myself, I did too.
She stared down at her fingernails, sniffing back the tears that were threatening behind her eyelids. But what did she care if anyone saw her cry? She was beaten now. What was the point of trying to maintain that tough, fiery façade?
Do you love me? she'd asked.
And he'd answered; it wouldn't matter, if I did.
Finally, she managed to tear her eyes away from her limp hands and turned to look up at her escort. She'd never seen him before. He, like the other soldiers, was draped in red. He hadn't attempted to speak to her, for which she was grateful. What would they talk about, the weather? So, he was silent, but he seemed peaceable enough. He was small of stature with closely-shaven hair. He met her eyes and gave her a faint smile that she didn't return. Couldn't, really; his eyes were haunting steel-gray color.
It was full dark now, and quite blustery. The tall grasses around their party whispered and hissed with the wind. Umi folded her arms across her chest and shivered. The unnamed soldier behind her drew her closer to him with his free arm. She blushed, remembering the nights that she would awaken in Clef's bed to his arm slipping across her stomach.
Well…best to forget about that. I've been cast out now. He does not care. From the corner of her eye, she caught firelight glinting off the surface of a still pool. She ignored the glare of bright, golden eyes leering at her from beneath its glassy surface.
Finally, the party reached the edge of the forest. In a single-file line, each soldier led his horse into the dark, ghostly trees. Their torches gave plenty of light, but the shadows and sounds of distant rustling (and sometimes roaring) frightened the girls.
"Keep moving!" shouted someone from the back of the party. "The Forge is directly ahead!"
In the castle, the Grand Hall was cast in shadow. It was dimly lit by a solitary candle in the corner. All was silent but for the quiet sobbing of a woman. Such a woman could be seen, her hair bright despite the dim candlelight and her clawed hands clasped firmly together, shining wet with her tears. Emeraude was bent double, kneeling over her throne, whispering frantically into its soft cushions. She was deep in prayer.
"Gods above," she whispered. "What shall I do? Give me guidance, I beg of you—I must uphold this land. All could fall to ruin… Gods above, please, I implore you…"
In the far corner, concealed by shadow, stood Master Mage Clef. His narrowed eyes stared at Emeraude. His face was impassive but he, too, felt the urge to whisper frantic prayers to the gods. But what good would that do? If they were damned, then they were damned. He certainly hadn't forseen such a fate for himself. Neither had he ever forseen having a slave, a Magic Knight slave, no less, taken forcibly from him.
His eyes narrowed further into slits. If the Queen decided to send them back, it would take all of her magic and his to do so. He'd have to be there; he'd have to watch her go. With a scowl, Clef turned his eyes away from his distraught Queen and stalked from the room.
Ferio, too, wore a scowl on his face. He was standing on his balcony with a large glass of mead in his hand. The last, faint wink of the last torch of their party had finally disappeared into the forest. Now, all he could see was rolling, black hills. They were gone. She was gone. It would be up to his sister, and to the Master Mage, whether or not he was to participate in the spell to send them back. There wasn't much he could do as far as the magic was concerned… he had little of his own. But, if he could only see her one last time…
Perhaps it would give me closure. She is, after all, only a girl. It should be no concern of mine to lose a slave when one could take her place almost immediately.
Ferio grimaced and turned away from the forest. What a liar he was.
The trip through the forest seemed to stretch on for years. The sharp branches of the trees seemed to reach out at Hikaru who cringed in fear against her escort. Black shadows leapt out at her and she shut her eyes against them.
Finally, the party emerged into an open field. The pale light cast by the sickle moon overhead barely illuminated the walls and tall spires of an ancient, crumbling castle. The Forge. This was the place that Eagle had brought her that day. God, was it really only a few days ago? A lifetime seemed to have gone by since then. That field, which had been beautiful and peaceful in the sunlight, was now cold and haunted under moonlight. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu all cast their eyes about warily. Would some monster leap from the shadows at them, devouring them whole?
The soldiers steered their horses into the clearing and directed them to the walls of the castle. Again, Hikaru noted that there was no door. She frowned. What were they doing here?
She could hear them whispering behind her. They seemed confused. Many of them stared up at the castle with puzzled expressions. "But where shall we take them?" she heard one of them ask. "There is no door," said another.
"Fools," said her escort, turning to glare at his counterparts. "Have you never been to the Forge Prison? Wait a moment and—"
"Have one of them lay their hand on the wall," said a voice from the back of the party. Hikaru felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She turned and grimaced. Eagle.
Her escort turned their horse to address his commander. "Master Eagle, shall we remain here for the night?"
Eagle, whose pale face came slowly into the light of the torches, looked weary. "All of you will remain here, yes. Though, I have not been given any hint as to exactly how long that will be. Perhaps a day, perhaps a handful of days." He set his jaw and lead his horse past Hikaru's without looking at her. He stopped short of the crumbling wall and said, "Bring one of them and have her touch the wall."
She stared openly at his back. Eagle. Against her will, memories of that sunlight day in that very field came back to her. His lips and hands had been soft and warm, like the grass beneath them had been. His face was handsome and kind, but now, it seemed that it changed from his face to Lantis' face and then back again. Hikaru shivered and rubbed her arms, feeling heat rising from her skin. In her mind, Lantis and Eagle were becoming the same man. Yet they were so different, like the moon and sun; night and day. Lantis' mouth closed around her fingers, Eagle's cloak spread below her, filled with that foreign but strangely sensuous male smell… Her skin flushed red and hot, but she ignored it and turned her eyes to the sky. The moon was a waxy orange color and the wind that had been blowing roughly about them since they'd left the castle now blew hot. Some new horror was waiting for them on the other side of that wall, she just knew it. Why else would the powerful castle guard be all around her? Lantis hadn't come with them. Why? Had he taken to ignoring her again? That thought made her clutch the saddle beneath her angrily. She felt all alive now, all hot and quivering with righteous anger.
Hikaru blinked when she realized that she'd been hearing howling in the back of her mind. Now it was loud and all around her. Some huge, horrible creature was calling out to her. She raised her eyes to the topmost tower of the castle and felt her insides burn. Silhouetted against the sickly orange moon was a giant, horned, wolf-like creature. Its eyes burned into her. Suddenly, the air around her began scorching her skin and the entire field was aflame. They were all burning alive! Hikaru shrieked.
Every head in the group turned to her, watched her leap from the saddle and stagger across the grass. She screamed and raked fingernails over her arms and legs, looking as if she were trying to swat something away. "Hikaru!" Fuu and Umi cried in unison.
The soldiers all scrambled to dismount, chasing after the screaming and sobbing Hikaru. One reached her and grabbed at her arm, but shouted and yanked his hand away as if he'd been burned. Eagle stared after her with his mouth open. The horses, frightened and disoriented, began to turn in circles and tear off into the trees. Hikaru tripped over a rock hidden in the grass and fell on her face, still crying and swatting at the flames she saw licking across her flesh. To everyone else's eyes, she appeared to be perfectly normal.
Fuu began to weep along with Hikaru. The wind, which had been considerable before, now began to blow at hurricane force. The trees around them groaned and shook. Even the very ground seemed to tremble. Shouts, cries, screaming horses, curses and bright flashes of light accompanied the roaring of the wind.
Umi seemed to be the only person to keep her head in the fray. She, like Eagle, stared after Hikaru with a slack jaw. She tore her eyes away from the screaming girl and stared at the wall before her. Eagle had said that one of them need only touch it to gain entry. One of them, one of the girls. Why are we special?
Unnoticed by anyone, Umi slid out of her saddle and walked calmly up to the wall. She pressed a pale palm to the stone and closed her eyes.
Somewhere, a soldier shouted, "Look to the girl! The wall has opened!"
The rest of the soldiers descended upon Hikaru, whose screams had suddenly ceased, and hauled her away from the treeline. Fuu was still crying loudly, though no one could hear her over the harsh roar of the wind. Umi stood with her hand extended, blinking at the open doorway before her. Her hair whipped around her face, which was impassive.
"She has fainted!" Eagle shouted, pointing to Hikaru. "Get her inside. The others, too. The Kail hinted that something like this might happen, and look at yourselves, running about like women. They're nothing but little girls! Inside!"
Properly ashamed of themselves, the soldiers dragged a sweating and swooning Hikaru through the open wall. Fuu was pulled in as well, and Umi followed them dreamily, as if this were all perfectly normal and they were all on some delightful daytrip.
Eagle, after casting one last look across the dark and quiet fields (and failing to notice how the wind had suddenly died) disappeared into the dark portal. The wall materialized again, solid as ever. The night was still and calm behind him.
It was very dark inside the old castle. The air was musty and rank, and the whole place had a feel of age and disuse. How long had it been since human beings had stepped foot over its threshold? Fuu, still sobbing and hiccupping quietly, was led along by powerful hands down dark corridors. She could hear them behind her and in front of her, still whispering frantically. She sensed rather than saw Umi following behind. Ahead, she knew that Hikaru was being lead, pale and limp in the arms of her escort. What was going on?
Umi turned briefly to look into the steely-gray eyes of her own escort. He looked wild and frightened, and she suddenly realized how young he was. Surely he couldn't be much older than her. He motioned for her to continue on and she turned back around without a word.
Eventually, all three girls were shunted into an open room with high ceilings. There was a large, dusty bed in the corner and a bit of furniture. Eagle led them all in and motioned for the girls to be confined in a corner. "One of you will stay in here with them. You three," he pointed to a small group to his right, "will stay outside to guard the walls. The rest of you will come with me." He looked over at the soldier who held Hikaru and frowned. "Look to her, she is coming to."
Hikaru, who was still hanging limply in the arms of her escort, began to shake a little. Her eyes fluttered. "Where—" she gasped.
"Place her on the bed until she revives," Eagle commanded.
"Wait, please don't leave us in here," Fuu pleaded through her tears. "It's dark, what are we to do?"
Eagle ignored her and went to Hikaru's side. He bent down to look into her face. "I think she'll be all right, but keep an eye on her just to be sure." He gasped in shock and jumped back when Hikaru suddenly sat bolt upright in the bed. Her wide, ruby eyes were watery with fright.
"Where am I?" she gasped.
"Hikaru," Eagle began softly, "you've… well, you're awake, I see. How do you feel?"
She appeared not to have heard him or even seen him standing before her. She stumbled out of the bed on shaking legs and began to pace the room. "The Forge. The Forge, yes, we're in the Forge…" Finally, she looked up at Eagle. She was pale. "Where is Lantis?"
He frowned. "The Prince remains in the castle, my girl. I'm not sure if you'll be able to see him before you go."
Hikaru blanched further, if that was possible. "Go? Go where?"
"Not now, lady," he soothed, reaching out to put his hands on her shoulders. She pulled away and bared her teeth at him like an animal.
"Your girl," she spat. "Ha! I am not your girl, Eagle! I'm no one's girl! You would have had it so outside in those fields, wouldn't you, when I was wretched and frightened and knew no better… how dare you speak to me that way!"
Eagle's mouth dropped. "Hikaru."
The redhead clutched at her hair. "Stop. Just leave me alone. I don't care what you have planned for me tomorrow, just leave me alone. Leave all of us alone!" she cried.
Eagle stared at her open-mouthed for quite some time. Eventually, he turned away and motioned for the rest of the guard to follow him out of the room. Hikaru hugged herself and leaned against the wall. She did not watch them go.
The door closed, and suddenly the room seemed to be full of nothing but shadows and silence. Fuu remained huddled in the corner beside Umi, who stood watching Hikaru warily. They were all three alone together, for the first time since they'd arrived.
What now? Hikaru thought wildly. We're trapped here… prisoners. Where is Lantis? She turned and eyed the pair. Her lip quivered. "Fuu…Umi." Suddenly, she rushed forward and threw her arms around both their necks. Fuu gasped. "I'm so glad," Hikaru sobbed. "I'm so glad you're here with me… God, what's going to happen to us? What are we to do?"
Fuu's tears began to stream down her cheeks again. She clung to Hikaru and wept into her hair. "Hikaru-san, it'll be all right. Everything will be all right."
Umi said nothing, only bit back her own tears and patted Hikaru's shoulder gently. What could she say? They were doomed. While Hikaru and Fuu wept together, Umi quietly disengaged herself from their embrace and slipped away to sit on the bed. It was an enormous bed and would easily accommodate all three of them. They'd spend the night in this room, obviously. From outside the door, she could hear the slow, pacing footsteps of the soldier keeping watch over them.
She watched jealously as Hikaru and Fuu held one another in a sisterly sort of embrace. They were so open to one another, bearing one another's pain. But what could they understand of hers? They at least had someone to fret over. What did she have? She lay back against the sheets and stared through watery eyes at the ceiling overhead. She said nothing.
Very late in the night, Lantis peered into the Queen's chambers to see her laying on her bed, white as a sheet. She trembled violently. "Sister?" he said softly.
Emeraude shifted but did not look at him. "Lantis," she said. "I feel…ill. Very weak. I've felt it for some time, actually. It's as if a cold hand is slowly squeezing my heart. What could that mean?"
Lantis stood in her doorway, unsure of what to do with himself. Emeraude was quiet, but he could see sobs wracking her thin frame. "Sister—"
"No," she said quietly. "I don't understand it either, so don't bother." She reached out from beneath her blankets and took hold of her coronet. Lantis narrowed his eyes at it. "Do you see this? It has changed. It is changing. The Proof of the Pillar. Somehow, I feel it has deadened to me, and perhaps that's why I feel so ill."
Finally, Lantis rushed forward and clutched at his sister-in-law's shaking hand. "Emeraude, you are unwell, surely it means nothing. You imagine things."
She smiled at him sadly and patted his hand. "Don't worry about me."
"But your strength… you must rest if you mean to send the girls back to the Other-World."
"I shall be more than able to do that," Emeraude said with a hint of venom in her voice. She shifted again and said, "Say nothing to Zagato."
Lantis frowned. "Emeraude, please."
She waved him off. "I'm many things Lantis, but stupid is not one of them. I know when the Proof changes. I've seen it myself, eons ago. It is doing so again, and I can't help but think that it is because of one of those young girls."
"You cannot be replaced as Pillar," Lantis asserted. "Your reign has been long and great."
"And exhausting," Emeraude added, thoroughly shocking Lantis. "Think you that is it easy to uphold an entire world? I assure you that it is not. Right now, in my worn and weary state, the idea of passing on my crown does not seem so bad."
"Emeraude!"
She smiled wearily. "Enough. You're right… I'm only ill and raving. Leave me, now. I do need my rest for the transport, if the Madoshi and I manage to figure out how it's to be done. I've never performed such magic before."
Lantis sat back on his haunches. "Surely it can't be more complicated than the spell it took to bring them here? A mere reversal?"
She only twitched a shoulder lazily in reply. "Who knows? We shall see. Good night, Lantis."
The Prince bowed and took his leave. Outside her doors, he paused to think. Surely the idea that the Pillar Proof was changing was in her head. Perhaps it was part of women's problems (of which he had little knowledge). She was out of her head; sick and wretched with her monthly courses, perhaps.
It was entirely too much trouble to think otherwise.
But, as he walked silently down the corridors of the castle, he couldn't help but wonder which of them it could possibly be.
"So, what do we do now?" Hikaru asked later as she sat cross-legged in the corner, twisting her fingers together.
Fuu, who had long since regained her composure and took on, once again, that thoughtful, calculating look, shrugged her shoulders. "That man said we were to go somewhere. Any ideas on where that might be?"
Hikaru bit her lip. "Not really." She sighed and stretched out her legs. "Do you think they mean to send us home?"
Fuu shook her head. "I doubt it, somehow. After all, they've gone to a lot of trouble to get us, and to keep us here. Why would they send us away now?"
"Lantis did hint at the possibility that we would someday leave this land. Emeraude said as much, too. And everyone's been acting awfully strangely lately, almost as if they're afraid to touch us. What's going on?"
Again, Fuu shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Umi. She was huddled on the far side of the bed, curled up against the pillows with her back to them. She hadn't said a word since they'd been brought there. Fuu fingered the folds of her dress. "I believe you're right about that last bit. Ferio was acting rather strangely today."
"Ferio," Hikaru repeated. She was looking down at her feet. "That's the other Prince? The green-haired boy?"
Fuu nodded. "He is. I believe he's the younger of the two. Out of him and Lantis, I mean."
"Ah." The red-haired girl began to nervously play with ends of her braid, and Fuu could tell that she struggled with a question that she didn't really want to ask."Um—"
"Don't be afraid," Fuu said gently. "You may ask me whatever you'd like. I'm rather curious as to what your experience with your, with your master has been."
Hikaru's cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "Oh," she managed. "Well, I guess… well, what was Ferio like? Was he, was he…nice?"
Fuu blinked. That hadn't been the question she'd imagined Hikaru asking. Then again, the girl seemed to be a young innocent. No doubt she'd stray from questions involving just exactly what she did with her master. She scooted backwards on the bed, closer to Umi's still-silent form and said, "No, no he wasn't."
But that's not exactly true, she thought. It's not false, either.
She shook her head. "He could be when it suited him; when he wanted something from me. He seems… like a promiscuous sort of man. Boy." Fuu paused. How old was Ferio, anyway? She shook the thought off and continued. "It never seemed like he was sincere. He seemed very practiced, like everything he said to me was nothing that he hasn't said to fifty other women."
Hikaru blinked. "Oh. I'm… I'm sorry."
"Nothing to worry about," Fuu replied. "It simply is." But that's not entirely true either, is it? In his chambers this evening, I think I caught a glimpse of his true face. She scoffed. "He told me that he loved me frequently."
To her surprise, Hikaru seemed almost relieved. "Oh, you too? Lantis told me as much. Sort of. Maybe not with words…he's not really the loquacious type." She blushed again, and when she saw Fuu scrutinizing her face, she blushed further, wondering whether or not all that had befallen between her and Lantis was written plainly across her blazing cheeks. "He was gentlemanly with me, though. And it seemed like he didn't much care for pleasure slavery. I don't think he likes it."
Fuu suppressed an un-ladylike snort. "Ferio is quite the opposite of his brother-in-law, then."
Hikaru craned her neck at Umi's curled form. "What about you, Umi? What was the Madoshi like? He seemed pretty cold and standoffish. And the Queen told me he was ages old, even though he looks like a young boy. Was he good to you?"
Umi curled further into her pillows and did not reply. Hikaru looked wonderingly at Fuu, who only shrugged. Hikaru plowed on. "Lantis told me so himself that he didn't like the system. He even treated me as an equal, when no one else was around. He let me wear clothes." Even though I chose not to wear them most of the time… Hikaru was rather shocked at herself upon that realization. How accustomed she'd grown to being naked, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even then, as she sat with her legs splayed out over the stone floors of the Forge, covered in rich, dusty carpets, the feeling of her thin dress was almost stifling. The cloth made her skin itch and suddenly she felt hot again.
Fuu relaxed against the mountain of pillows that was piled on their lavish bed. She curled close to Umi, patting her exposed wrist. "I can't say the same for Ferio. Actually, I've only seen a little of him in this short time we've been here. During the festival, he was gone a lot. He… well, the few times he was around me, I suspect he was a little drunk." She remembered all too well the night on the balcony, the night that she herself felt drunk with the perfumed fires of the festivals. All of a sudden, a strange kind of heat rose in her body. Some words of Ferio's rang in her mind. You shall have to remind me to tell the Madoshi that the Sky Shrine is alive.
The Sky Shrine. Alive?
"What did he mean?" she said aloud.
"Hmm?" Hikaru asked.
Fuu pursed her lips, puzzled. "There was a star in the sky that night. Actually, it may still be there. Ferio said that it was a shrine. A shrine in the sky. Yes, the Sky Shrine. Things were strange after that. After that night, Ferio began acting strangely."
"The Sky Shrine?" a hoarse voice croaked. Fuu and Hikaru looked around in surprise. Umi had lifted her head from the pillows. Her cheeks were wet and her hair was rumpled. She looked as if she'd been crying into the bed since first she laid in it.
"Umi-san," Fuu whispered.
The bluette's eyes finally had some bit of light to them. "A shrine," she repeated. "Ferio said there was a Sky Shrine?"
"Why, yes," Fuu said. "Though what that is, I'm not sure—"
"There's a Sea Shrine, too," Umi interrupted. She sat up slightly, looking Fuu dead in the eye. "Clef showed it to me. He is… very powerful. He speaks with the Gods."
Hikaru's eyes were wide with unashamed awe. "Wow, with the Gods?"
"I could see the world in his pools. I was in the world. He pulled me into it."
"Pools?" Fuu asked.
"I was in the ocean, I could see the Sea Shrine. It was rumbling, and there was a really bright light issuing from it. He said it was alive. He used that very word. Alive." Umi felt her insides grow cold and she broke out into a clammy sweat. "And there was something else there… in the water with me, I mean. It grabbed me—" She lifted her arms and looked at them. No dragon marks were to be seen, but…
I see them in my dreams. I'm afraid to go to sleep tonight, she thought sadly.
Hikaru was still starry-eyed with admiration. "So, there's a shrine in the sky and one in the sea. But what kind of shrines? Did Clef say?"
Umi looked back and forth from Fuu to Hikaru. She felt she'd said too much. Once again, she didn't feel like seeing or talking to anybody and so sank back into her pillows.
"Umi?" Hikaru said. "What's the matter?"
Fuu had a little more tact. She'd sensed that Umi had been ill at ease all day, and it went beyond simply being upset at being shut up in a prison. Indeed, Fuu suspected that if she were inside the most lavish room in the castle, she'd still be just as forlorn. She lifted the blankets and scooted against Umi. The blue-haired girl stiffened slightly at the sudden intrusion of warmth against her, but she did not move away. Fuu slid an arm around Umi's waist and lay quietly beside her.
Hikaru simply blinked at them. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Fuu rested her chin on Umi's shoulder. "Is it the Madoshi?" she whispered. She took the girl's silence as the 'yes' that it was and nodded. "Was he not good to you?"
The bed shifted and Fuu turned to see Hikaru crawling in next to them. She tucked herself beneath the blankets, wrapped herself around a pillow and yawned.
Umi sighed. "He was…" Oh, how to explain? He was cold and aloof and hateful, yet seemed to worship her at times. He spoke to her as an equal, whether in angry or soft tones. He was so willing to show her his world, yet once he had, he was cold as stone towards her. He had so many faces, none of which she understood, and all of which she strangely desired. If only he would give her a kind word…
"Fuu-chan," Hikaru said, stifling another yawn. She scooted close to her as if they were all having a cheery slumber party. "Did you ever… you know—"
"What?" Fuu asked.
Hikaru blushed into her pillow. Dared she ask? She really wanted to know. Her master hadn't done anything unseemly to her. She wondered if theirs had done the same.
"Did you and Ferio…"
Fuu smiled indulgently at her. "Did we what?" She knew perfectly well what Hikaru was getting at.
"Come on, you know what I mean."
"No, I'm afraid I don't, Hikaru-san."
"Oh, come on!" Umi snapped, rising from the pillows. "Hikaru, spit it out already. And Fuu, stop playing dumb!"
Fuu giggled into Umi's shoulder while Hikaru fidgeted and blushed.
"No, we didn't," Fuu laughed. "and that surprises me, you know. We had opportunities, God knows." Her laughter ceased abruptly when she thought, and I all but begged him to once… She cleared her throat. "Strange that we didn't. Isn't that what we were brought here for?"
Umi sneered. "What are you, disappointed?"
"No, not at all. But it's puzzling all the same. To be honest, I'd accepted it after a time. And anyway, what could I have done about it if I really didn't want it? Ferio's not really a big man—er, boy, but I certainly couldn't have repelled him if he really tried me. What would I have done?"
"But we're just children," Umi said softly, collapsing again into the sheets. "How can they have expected us to just hop into bed with strange men? God, I'd never so much as been kissed before I was forced into Clef's hands."
"At least your men wanted you," Hikaru said suddenly, making the other two girls turn to look at her. "I didn't see Lantis for days at first. He didn't even want me. Ferio made him take me."
"As I recall, Lantis took to carrying you around everywhere after that," Fuu mused. "On his shoulder, if I'm not mistaken."
Hikaru sighed. "That's right, like I'm a parakeet. But that doesn't negate the fact that he took me to shut the other Prince up."
"Not true, Hikaru. I remember him choosing you. He didn't just pick any one of us. He chose you. I remember. He looked at both Fuu and I and decided, for whatever reason, that he didn't want us. I was the last one left, and they only gave me to Clef because they ran out of Princes."
"At least yours didn't always look at you like you were a slab of steak," Fuu added.
Hikaru snorted. "Ok, let's not argue over whose situation is worse."
"You've still not said a word about the Madoshi," said Fuu pointedly to Umi. The blue-haired girl sighed and closed her eyes.
"With good reason."
"Why so?"
She shrugged. "I hardly know what to say. I didn't even know him."
"Did he…" Hikaru began, looking away.
Umi rolled her eyes. "No, we didn't DO IT, Hikaru. He tried enough times, though," she said bitterly. "But you were right, Fuu. It did seem like he was afraid to touch me today. He hardly even looked at me, after he showed me the pools." She frowned. There's something there, something to do with the Gods, I think. With the shrines being alive. Something about the magic of this world unsettles them. What do we have to do with that?
Hikaru bit her lip.
"So," Fuu began, "if none of us has actually filled the roles of 'slave'… then perhaps they are angry with us and this is our punishment."
"Yes, being shut up in this old prison," Hikaru said. "Maybe we are being punished."
Umi nodded. "That's probably why none of them decided to come with us."
"Maybe, but if this is a punishment, then it's pretty light." Fuu sighed and reached down into her dress to produce a single, green feather. She twisted it between her fingers, watching it glint green and gold in the candlelight. "He made such a fuss over this."
"What's that?" asked Hikaru.
"I don't know." Fuu looked at Umi. "It appears to be a feather."
Umi reached out for it, but Fuu tucked it back into her dress. "Another time," she said with a yawn. "I know this has been a stressful day for us all, so perhaps it'd be best if we got some sleep."
"Hmm…sounds good to me," Hikaru said, curling against Fuu.
Umi looked around and pulled the blankets over her nose. "It's dark here, and spooky. What is this old place, anyway?"
"The Forge Prison," Hikaru yawned. "It used to be the Castle Cephiro."
Fuu and Umi both looked at her, astonished. "How do you know that?" Umi asked.
"Um. I heard people in the palace talking about it…the other day." The red-haired (and noticeably red-cheeked) girl grabbed a small tosspillow and fluffed it up before wrapping her arms around it. Fuu smiled. She looked like a little girl clutching her teddy bear. Soon, her breathing grew even and Fuu knew her to be asleep.
"So quickly," Umi whispered. "How can she fall sleep so easily?"
"Don't underestimate her," said Fuu. "She's made of stronger stuff than we know."
"She seems to be in love, too." Umi sniffled. "Did you hear the way she spoke of Lantis? She likes him a lot. Lucky her."
"You're right, and after only a week. Or has it been longer? Perhaps two weeks." Fuu pressed her hand to her forehead. "It gives me a headache to think about it. Time seems to run differently here. Anyway, speaking of love… you never answered any of my questions in regards to Clef."
Umi rolled over and pretended to be asleep. Fuu giggled.
"Umi-san, nothing draws attention more than evasive action." Umi merely grunted in reply. "I apologize for being invasive, but I feel your experiences are relevant to mine. We're all in the same boat here, as it were, and if you've had a hard time of it… well, I think we all have. Don't forget that."
Umi sighed. "It's not the 'hard' part of it that gets me. I'm used to things being hard. I'm the daughter of rich people, and I attend a rich-girl school. I'm expected to get top marks, you know. Daddy wouldn't have it any other way. And I'm a fencing champion. I'm used to duress, all right?"
Fuu nodded slowly. "As am I."
"I don't know so much about her background," she gestured in Hikaru's direction, "but maybe she's the same way. Somehow, I think the 'struggle' is nothing new to any of us." She closed her eyes. "Hikaru spoke of being unwanted. Well, I've felt that way since I first laid eyes on Clef. He's nasty. Mean. This punishment of mine seemed not to affect him at all. I've never been given the impression that he cares." Again, she sighed. "But there were times… just sometimes, mind you, when he did seem to care. That cold, heartless look left his eyes only rarely, but just sometimes, I felt he did want me, and badly at that. But he pretended not to care, and I don't know why. Fuu, you should hear some of the things he's told me. Not the mean things, but the… the lusty, loving ones, the ones he seemed to say against his will. It's… just bizarre, really."
"And that is what has got you so upset?" Fuu prodded.
"Sort of, but it's what happened today…" Umi felt the sting of tears again. "He just… like I said, ultimately, I think he doesn't care."
Fuu exhaled sharply through her nose. "I don't think Ferio cares much either. I have the feeling that I could be easily replaced. He's been through scores of women, as I understand it." Her eyebrows furrowed. "That annoys me. Why did I have to be given to the one who was such a… such a male whore? That thought is revolting."
"Clef said something like that, too, but he chalks it up to his great old age. I'm almost grossed out by that idea, too. Not the loads of women, I mean, but his age. I almost slept with an old guy."
Fuu took a moment to look thoughtful. "Ferio never did tell me how old he was. Of course he looked young, but like Clef-san, I wouldn't be surprised if he, too, were ages old. These Cephran folk are like that, I suppose. Nearly immortal."
"It's something to do with the will," Hikaru muttered from beneath her pillow. Fuu and Umi looked round. "I heard Emeraude say as much. The will is the greatest power in this land. Anyone can will themselves whatever they want, if they're powerful enough."
"Ah," Umi said. "Anyone?"
Hikaru simply shrugged.
Fuu gave Umi a wink. "Sleep on that, then. Maybe we really can figure a way out of this mess." She patted Umi's shoulder good-naturedly and, with a yawn, settled down into the sheets. Her eyes closed and soon she was asleep. Hikaru's slight snoring revealed that she soon followed. Only Umi lay awake now, staring at the dark ceiling. It was cracked and mossy and, every once in a while, Umi thought she saw something scamper across it. She wrinkled her nose and turned to face the wall.
The power of the will, eh?
Maybe I can will myself home.
Or maybe, if I cannot, then I can at least will Clef to care for me more. Maybe then, I'd be just a little happier in this damned place.