Time for the next chapter, I hope you're all recuperated from the last one. I don't know, for some reason I really like writing scenes like that, does that make me an S or something?
Anyway, I am sorry for not updating so long. I am in my senior year of highschool now, and damn, I want graduate this year! It eats away my time. I have broken my hand, and typing with one hand is very annoying.
Chapter 8: Depth Of Scars
May slowly cleaned the wounds once more. She had done that for the last three weeks, but Drew had gotten a high fever even so. He hadn't awoken since he had fainted on the court.
The rat-bites had given him multiple infections, and the wounds on his back didn't heal all too well because of it. She didn't even want to know about the place they had put him for so long, and felt guilty for not looking harder for him.
May fastened the bandages carefully and laid him back on his back. The medic had said that he usually let people with rope-lashes lay down only on their stomach, but he didn't want to risk it since Drew had such a burning fever.
May wiped the pearlen sweatdrops from his face, but his sleep didn't seem to become any calmer. She sighed, Drew had been frowning and screaming a lot of times. His nightmares only intensified by the raging fever.
She had gotten his legs checked by the medic, but he had shook his head, and decided to break them again. Even though it was dangerous, his fever was dangerous already because of his infection, it had to be done. His legs had grown the wrong way. Left alone, Drew wouldn't be able to walk properly ever. Now, his legs were spalked, and it seemed to be healing well, compared to his back.
"Hey May," May suddenly heard Max' voice. Max had entered the small room and sat down on a chair next to May. "How is he?" he asked.
May shook her head, "His legs are ok, and the smallest wounds have healed or are healing. I am worried about the biggest ones that just won't seem to close, and his fever hasn't gone down either," she said.
Max stared outside through the small window, the room was small and sober, but it was good enough for the princess. "I would guess you know already?" he asked.
May looked up curiously, "What?" she asked.
Max threw her a glance, "You say you haven't heard about your marriage to Gar?" he asked.
May let her head hang, "In fact I have," she said, she had heard about it a few days earlier. It had been Misty who had told her. She had said that her marriage to Gar wasn't called off, and that the fated day would be tomorrow as it would seem.
"Gar always gets what he wants," she mumbled.
Max looked at her, he had never seen his sister so sad. "May, then why aren't you preparing. Gar wouldn't be happy at all if he knew you didn't do any effort to look at your best," he said quietly.
May smirked mockingly, "I am not preparing because of Gar," she said.
Max frowned, "But he will punish you for it, definitely," he said, shocked despite himself.
May nodded and wiped some strands of hair from Drew's face, a thoughtless action, that didn't slip beside Max.
"Then why?" Max asked.
May sighed, and leaned back in her hair, that was slightly uncomfortable. The room Drew was is, had only one window, which above his bed. 'Such a beautiful sky,' May thought as looked outside. The sun was shining in a blue sky and gave the room a nice orange glow. It had been raining a lot lately.
"Because once I'm married, I'll never be free again. You said so yourself. I definitely won't be allowed to see Drew," she said.
Max stood up, "You really care about him, huh?" he asked. May glared but then gave up and nodded. Max sighed. "I feel sorry for you sis," he said, but he shook his head, "It never will be quite a fairytale, but don't upset Gar, or you won't see just Drew anymore, but as well as any other person," he said.
"One last bit of advice, May. Don't ever show to Gar you feel something for Drew, may it be friendship or something else."
Then May stood up as well, "Max, can I ask a favor of you?" she asked.
Max stopped in his tracks, "Yeah, sure. What is it?" he asked unsure.
May smiled, "Will you take care of Drew from tomorrow on? Since I will be married and such," she said shrugging.
Max grinned, "Sure," he said and went back to his chair. "But please, go to sleep now. You look deadly tired," he said sternly
May nodded and walked to the door. She flashed her brother a grateful smile. "Thanks, Max," she said and went outside. As soon the door closed, any trace of a smile disappeared from her face, and walking up the stairs, May could feel the wetness that betrayed her tears.
'I shouldn't cry,' she thought, 'I shouldn't have to, I knew my whole life that this was bound to happen,' she thought. But it never made the tears stop. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop crying through the night.
Once morning came, May's tears had dried up. It was still terribly early and the sun hadn't even risen, but May was roughly awoken.
"May, it's time to get up," Misty said softly, desperately wanting not having to do this.
May opened her eyes, but she didn't stand up. "It wasn't a nightmare, was it?" she asked.
Misty shook her head, "I'm sorry," she said.
The princess pushed herself up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, Then she stood up, "Let's just get this over with," she said, more brave then she was feeling.
Misty nodded but seemed reluctant as she grabbed the stuff to properly clean May's hair. May smiled softly at her friend's slow movements, "Don't worry about me Misty," she said.
The redhead shook her head, "I can't stand behind this marriage May, if even you can't see anything positive. I can not be thinking of how happy you could be when I know that you have been crying all night," she argued.
May closed her eyes, "My dad complied in this marriage. There's nothing I can do. Please Misty, just help me get ready," she pleaded, her tears slowly making way to her face.
Misty nodded and continued collecting the necessary stuff.
-()-
Drew cracked open his eyes, and he swore he had never felt this bad before. Not even when they had replaced his food by rotten stuff. The whole world was spinning.
"Take it easy," he heard.
Glancing up he saw the second child of the king, Prince Max. He quickly bowed his head, but was forced to hold his head back up when a wave of nausea hit him. He heard prince Max snicker.
"I believe May once told you to skip those pleasantries, that counts for me as well. This time it will come back to bite you," he said.
Drew wanted to sit up straight, at least showing a bit of dignity but a sharp pain escalated through his back, "Ah!" he let out but then bit his tongue.
Max laughed as he inspected Drew's back, "That's why I told you to take it easy. You still have a fever and your back hasn't healed a lot," he said. "It will become ugly scars, but it looks better than it did. May certainly did take good care of you," he said.
Drew frowned, "The princess?" he asked and got a sharp glance from Max. " Err...I mean May," he corrected himself.
Max nodded.
"Why? Why would she do such a thing for scum like me?" he asked, raking his hair.
Max rolled his eyes, "First, don't you ever call yourself scum in my presence again, because you are not and I will not sit by with calling you yourself that. You didn't deserve those rope-lashes, but bore them like a man," he said sternly.
Drew nodded, the prince might be younger, but held a certain authority you wouldn't question. "Then why...?" he asked.
Max grinned, "It seems my sister has taken quite a liking in you," he said, taking obvious amusement from it.
Drew chocked, and coughed, "What!" he asked shocked.
Max grinned wider, "May likes you," he said again.
Now it was Drew's turn to roll his eyes, "I heard it the first time. I meant, that isn't possible. How could that have happened!" he asked, himself more than Max.
Max looked amused, "Maybe because you were the first one to treat her like the human she is and perhaps in your own way, nice".
Drew sighed and leaned his head in his hand, "Then why exactly isn't she here anymore, if it is like you claim," he asked.
Max turned serious, "Because before the sun has set, she will be married."
Drew narrowed his eyes, "Don't tell me..."
Max stared back hard, "But the thing is, I am telling you she is still to be married to Gar," he said.
Drew closed his eyes, "Anything but that," he murmured, and then sighed, "Well, if that's the case..." he said and pushed himself straight up. He closed his eyes in the expected but still sudden seizure of pain through his back.
Max stood up quickly and wanted to push Drew back in the bed, but Drew shook his head slowly, "I have to," and he smirked, "Can't possible ignore a maiden in distress, can I?" he asked humorously.
Max sighed, obviously not quite agreeing, "Fine, but I'm coming with you."
-()-
Tick.
Another bit of sand fell in the lower half of the hourglass.
May sighed, in only half an hour she would be Gar´s and this life she had been leading, would come to an end. It was a tearsome waiting, now she had been dressed up completely.
Misty had left her long ago, as she had been called away to help with the other preparations.
A knock on her door caught May's attention. "Enter!" she called, not turning away from her mirror.
"Ah May!" Norman said as he entered the room. May turned and bowed to pay her respects to her father. He sat down on the bed but May kept standing right in front of him.
He looked up, "You look beautiful," he said.
"Thank you,"May said coldly.
Norman sighed, "You remind me so much of you mother. And you never seem to wilt as well," he said, longing in his voice.
May nodded, "I thank you for this compliment, it means a lot to me," she said.
Norman looked outside, "She had let me make a promise concerning you in her last days, you know," he said suddenly.
May turned around, "No I don't know, you never told me,"she said surprised.
Norman smiled weakly, "It's true though. She could hardly breath, let alone speak and yet she said to me, "Raise my kids to be beautiful people that I can be proud of. Teach Max the value of honorable power and let May marry the one best for her, not best for someone else." He leaned on his knees, "Besides that, she told be not to weep over her and remember to live. I don't think I have done that," he said.
In May's eyes he suddenly looked so much like the older man he was.
"May, have I made a mistake by marrying you not to the right person?" he asked desperately.
May found herself unable to smile reassuring, "You did what you thought was best for me. And I comply in that fate." Then she walked to the door, "It's time father, there's no time for lament now anymore," she said.
Norman sighed, "You are probably right, let's go,"
The walk down the stairs of her tower felt strange to May. Her father let her outside to the courtyard, where people stood on the two sides of the path.
The first rows threw with white flowers, but their head were down. It never looked as if that day she would be getting married, but more like a funeral. It was silent.
Across the place stood the royal guard near the entrance of the abyss. Norman guided her to the place and kept her standing still for a moment.
"I am despite everything, proud to have you as my daughter. Please be a wife commander Gar can be proud of too," he said.
May nodded, "As you wish, father," she said, but her voice sounded choked up.
Then the doors were thrown open, and a choir was singing. May knew it should be a heavenly sound, but she could care less as the man she despised stood in the front of the abyss.
It was a dreadful and tearsome walk to the isle. No-one dared to look up, and if they did, the would have seen tears rolling down May's cheeks.
When they got in the front, Norman gave May's hand to Gar, who looked despise-fully pleased.
May remembered how Drew's hand had felt, also a soldier's hand. But his hand had been, though rough, quite gentle. Gar's hand as hard and his firm grip showed no mercy.
May kept her eyes at ground as a white rope was bound around their hands. She looked up at the walls and the windows of the abyss. It showed stories of ancient gods of their land. Behind the priest of the unity of the gods was the image of the lady of love and growth. Last time May had been there she had admired the neutral beauty of the female, but now the face of the lady seemed so sad. Her head downwards gave the impression of someone in defeat.
As she felt herself as well. Outside, May heard a rain fall down. Even the sky was crying with her.
She sighed and turned away from the image, as the priest kept on talking.
"It is fated by the gods that these two people will be bound in life today by marriage. In this mariage we connect the lives of princess May, the king's daughter, and our respected commander Gar. In times of war and peace, the bride will be a wife and mother and stay faithful to the man she's married.
Commander Gar, do you take May as your lawful wedded wife? Will you protect her 'till the death do you part? What is you answer to that?" the priest asked.
May realized she would never even get the chance to refuse. She wouldn't be given a choice.
Gar smirked, "I do," he said.
May sighed, 'Goodbye old life,' she thought.
The priest smiled, and May felt like she could snap his head, even though he was only doing his job. "Now if anybody has anything to oppose this marriage, speak now, or be silent forever!" he said.
May's last hope faded when no-one raised their hands or spoke up.
The priest of the gods raised his hands, "Then you are now..."
"I oppose this marriage!"a voice sounded through the abyss.
A rumour went through the crowd as everybody turned to the now opened doors.
Well, people please leave a review. As much as I am honored to see people actually read this story by story alerts or favourites, a review is well appreciated! I can't make promises for a next update because my plaster gets from my left hand and I need to catch up my 10 years of violinplay...I haven't been able to move 2 fingers for 7 weeks so this is gonna take ages.