My soul was yelling: What the hell happened to MY AKIRA!!!!!! And it kept going in vicious circles on who was the one responsible for what just happened, why and when waiting for me to lower my guard and while I was in this thinking that, my muttering made Akira wake up.
At first she didn t recognize where she was, she looked and saw her bed and probably noticed she wasn t in it. She tried to move, but a sharp pain shot between her legs, which made her reach her crotch area and place her hands over it.
But what really hurt me most was when she looked to my side and saw me. She lowered her ears instantly and began trembling and shaking, and she cowered, small tears formed in her tiny eyes and I noticed she was trying really hard not to break down crying in front of me.
I tried to say something, anything at all! But nothing managed to leave my mouth. Akira was there hurt in a way my brain still didn t manage to acknowledge and all I was able to do was to stare at her blankly, my empty soul now had no comfort to offer her in such a time of need.
What she made right afterwards made me even sadder; she slowly tried to stand up. It was visible she was in pain; she couldn t keep her legs together at all, and was walking really weirdly. Despite of that, and what might have happened, she went to the accessories table, got the silver server, put everything there the same way she does everyday and brought it to me for my morning hygiene, as if nothing ha happened, although I noticed she was still shaking.
I got the server from her tiny hands, her shaking got stronger and the fear her face was showing was too much for me to bear, so I decided to go do my morning hygiene already. I was leaving for my bathroom, but before entering I noticed Akira was still frozen in the same spot she was when she gave me the server.
I turned around and summoned all strength to at least try to talk to her, that silence was killing me more than anything I had ever experienced, so I said while reaching out to her:
-Akira, I can -SORRY! RICHARD I AM SORRY! Akira began shouting as soon as I said that FORGIVE ME! DON T BE MAD AT ME! SORRY! I WON T DO IT AGAIN, PLEASE DON T BE MAD AT ME!
Akira then just fainted, yes just like that. It was awful, it hurt me more than one can imagine. Not needed to mention I threw the server to the air and called my doctor as soon as possible and 20 minutes later he was there.
He stayed with Akira alone on my bedroom for good 30 minutes, which seemed like centuries for me, Akira was the only thing that crossed my mind. That did not go unnoticed to Dawn, as she neared me and asked on the sweetest tone of voice I can remember in my whole life:
-Rick, I know I am no one to be directing to you like that she said but I never saw you so worried in my whole life can someone like me be of any help?
She said that and opened her arms as if showing she was there to offer me a bit of comfort, and at that stage of the game, care is all I needed, and I gladly took Dawn s offer and began crying quietly at her right shoulder. I was really hurt deep inside. Never, on Montecchio history we had a case of slave abuse and I was the first idiot to break tradition.
After I calmed down I told Dawn what happened, her face was a mix of shock and disbelief. But not even once I heard her saying a bad word about me, she hugged me again and kept telling me that if anything actually happened, it was a very unfortunate event, and that I shouldn t bear any guilty of it.
Dawn words had a really soothing effect on my soul. I managed to stay calm enough to wait the doctor come to me and tell that Akira was fine, she was just overly stressed with something and all that was needed was a bit of rest, he had given her some medicine, and that should be enough for her to sleep soundly until tomorrow.
After the doctor went away, Dawn asked me:
-Now that the doctor is gone, we need to wait Akira to wake up to really understand what happened.
-No! I replied energetically if even the fear of that something might happen to her again made her flip like that, I am not taking chances for it to happen again.
-You have a point there Dawn pondered but understanding what happened could help quite a lot to relieve your conscience Rick, don t you think?
-Yeah but unless someone saw or recorded it we won t - stopped my sentence right there.
-What is it Rick? Dawn asked.
-We actually might have it recorded I replied that and ran towards the security room.
Dawn was totally clueless as of what was going on, but while running I explained that all rooms have security cams, as in the past some enemies of our family (especially nobles that were against our slave treating conduct) tried to invade and kill my grandparents.
Since them we had a tight security, and with the advent of technology, cams were set up and even a computer system to automatically scan for faces and detect intruders, even one set up word said in audible voice by me would trigger the quiet alarm, and cops would be here in matters of minutes.
Right when I entered the central room, I was prompted for a facial, digital and retinal scan, after my identity was confirmed, I sat on the chair that was occupied by the man from the security company hired for that job and began searching the history for yesterday s events, and eventually found all of it, and from the 3 cams installed there as well.
But they were encoded in a way, that just my personal laptop and a few of the security computers could watch it, so I just saved it quickly to a DVD, took Dawn by the hand and headed my room to watch it as soon as possible.
Midway on my path Stephan called me, he seemed flustered about something, and he had the wireless phone on his hand, apparently someone was calling me, and urgently.
-Hello? I replied the phone Oh it is you Matt! What can I do for you so early?
-What?!?! I continued I had totally forgotten about it! Oh my fucking God! I will be there in 30 minutes ok? Hold them on their seat and say we had a problem.
Due to all this drinking and Akira s problem I had TOTALLY forgotten that today we had a serious and important meeting at the noble chapel, where details about the new project the Montecchio family had in store and if everything happened as planned, we would par Capuleto economical power in no time.
Not that we were on a dispute, but it was always good to be powerful as not to be eaten by the not-so-good nobles on the court. With those thoughts on my mind, Dawn and me (Dawn was the second on command when Akira wasn t available) headed to the chapel, praying people hadn t given up on waiting for this late noble.
Upon arrival, Matt greeted me and we ran upstairs, they were all waiting for a good 1 hour. Thanks God they were all eager to deal with our family, so that didn t pose as a problem and the meeting went real smoothly.
There was a small problem though, for the construction of our factories, the people living on the area would need to be relocated, and they weren t up for it, they lived their whole lives there and didn t want to move after all that time.
They wanted me, the noble himself and not some representative, to go there and negotiate with them, because they believed that my word would be much more valid than someone that isn t I. I agreed to it, just asked them for me to leave tomorrow (as they want it done today) so I could fix a little problem I had at home.
With that in mind I headed home, with the ever ready to help Dawn right beside me. Upon arrival Saori and Kikuri greeted me and updated me on Akira s condition, she had awaken, but was really afraid of me, which I figured it was perfectly normal.
I needed to talk to her, to at least beg for forgiveness from her. I was really regretting having drank that much, as it led me to hurt my poor little Akira, I was right in the middle of those thoughts when Saori had a great idea:
-Why someone that isn t you talk to her before you do?
-That way Kikuri, Saori s twin sister continued that person can try to calm Akira enough to talk you!
-That is a good idea actually I pondered but I wonder who it would be the one to do it -I am going Rick Dawn said Akira loves me and Dusk, so I am sure she will at least try to listen to me.
-Thanks Dawn, I am really glad you came to our family everyday you prove to be really priceless. I will be waiting at the living room with the news.
-Ok, count on me Rick.
Dawn went to my bedroom to talk to Akira. I was pretty sure what I did had set Akira to be completely traumatized and in horror of being with me, and that made me even more depressed by the hour, as I was cherishing Akira more than almost everything I always had in my whole life. But I had only myself to blame, so now I would have to live with that.
I was going to decide what to do after I talked to her, and after about 10 minutes Dawn left my room and beckoned me to enter, that Akira wanted to talk to me now, she was feeling better enough to have a chat with me.
I entered my room; it was bright now, as Dawn had opened the curtains. Small Akira was lying on her bed, but she jumped out of it and ran to the center of the room as soon as she saw me. I noticed she was still tense, but determined to talk to me; that really made me happy, she was showing much more maturity I had ever expected.
She was wearing her white pajamas, the one I bought especially for her, and that brought tears to my eyes, she looked adorably cute on that why she needs to be so cute and proper after what I have done! I was only making the pain in my heart more and more unbearable! But then again I stepped forward decided on to fix the barbaric error I made.
I then walked towards her; Dawn was staying on the back of the room, watching us and trying not to interfere with anything at all, I thank her for that. Akira was tensing up at each step I took. Trying to make her feel more at easy, I was going to say something, but she began:
-Sorry Rick! I know I shouldn t but I did! Sorry! Don t be mad at me!
-Akira, sorry, I don t know what happened at all but I am not mad at you at all! If we can talk, we can understand each other, I am pretty sure of it!
-You don t remember Rick? She asked.
-Nothing at all! So please, do not be afraid of me?
-But but but now if I tell you THEN you will be mad at me!
-I don t think so, but being here without knowing anything at all is really making me worried! Can t we talk things here? I promise I won t be mad at you!
-Promise?
-By Nina that is in the heavens I swear!
That made Akira relax quite a bit, she got herself a bit away and asked me to sit somewhere as she thought it was a long story. I did as she suggested and sat on the chair that belonged to my late father, I told Dawn to follow suit and she sat on a simple wooden chair that was there for late night work for the personal caretaker when needed.
Akira then made sure she had our attention and began walking back and forward. She seemed unsure of how to even begin, and that was getting me even more worried. Her little mind probably didn t know how to describe what happened, but then again she said:
-I was just afraid Richard, that you might be mad at me!
-Why would I be mad at you Akira? I doubt you could have done something to make me THAT upset at you, even though I can t remember anything at all!
-So you don t remember?
-Nope, not at all.
-Well, I will tell you then Richard! Akira has done something terrible!
That caught me totally off guard. I was expecting her to be accusing me of doing something terrible, of harming and traumatizing her, but then she said she did something terrible? What the hell happened here yesterday?
-Richard, forgive me I was a terrible girl yesterday.