Thank you everyone for sticking it out with the fic for this long! I promise it will be finished (maybe this year...maybe...)
To Chou Yuuki,
Thank you so much for your review. You have no idea how flattered I am, having all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings after reading! It's such an amazing compliment for you to say it feels like a real book. Thank you very much.
Please keep writing and share your stories. Don't be embaressed, that's the great thing about : no one has to know its you! :P I would love to read your work if you ever decide to share it.
Each tick tock of the clock sang out loudly, amplified in the empty quietude of the Kamelot Manor. Party guests had long since left the gaiety for the comforts of their own beds and most likely by now lay in sweet slumber.
The events of this evening however did not grant the same peace to the inhabitants of the Manor who could not find rest. The lonely reverberations of the time keeper the only companion to their thoughts.
Alone in a cold bed lay the Lady of the house, wondering when she had allowed her life to come to this and lets the beat of time wash over her. In another corner, a sterile empty room was occupied by an old man dreaming of youth and all that had passed him by. Was that the beating of his heart in the night?
Higher up and further in, head pressed against cool glass a bitter girl bargains with her inscrutable watcher. She gives the other a note, the catlike captor nods once, and slips from the room and into the corridor matching each self-assured click of her heels to the sounds of time. Steady her feet carried her towards two more alert souls in the Manor tonight.
In the familiar study that once belonged to their father, Sheril and Tyki sat opposite each other, appraising each other. Both waiting for the other to make his move first.
The clock winds back some few hours to find Lavi exiting the hall, tired of the festivities.
The night had been a never ending nightmare, the stomach churning parade of colour was becoming a distant memory but out here in the cool dark of the hallway it continued. Rushing passed couples in search of a quieter location, some stirred and gave her baleful glares as if she were exactly the sort of nuisance they were trying to avoid, Lavi found an empty alcove, a temporary sanctuary. Lavi hugged the cool stone, relief washing over her.
"Come out little fox." Sheril whispered out into the darkness, his footsteps not too far behind. Of course, it had not taken the lech long to find her. Lavi groaned, slumping against the stone wall, cursing herself for cornering herself in the alcove. Sheril turned the corner with a flourish. "Found you!"
"Can't I have even a moment's peace from you?" Lavi spat and turned away from him and roughly wiped at her eyes.
"Oh?" He pulled her by the chin to face him, leaning down close. "But you looked so happy on the dance floor; I wonder what could have upset you so?"
"Leave me be. I beg you!" Lavi pleaded. The air was closing in around Lavi, in thick and heavy waves did Sheril's cologne envelope her. Sheril stood so close that escape was not option. One hand still held her chin hostage, the other pressed firmly against the wall. She could feel the heat of his skin on the side of her face.
Lavi breathed hard to control herself, it would be pointless to lose her temper now and pushing him aside. Shutting her eyes tight Lavi emptied herself of emotion; a drop of ink dissolving into nothing in an ocean. Even as a Sheril's hand wrapped itself about her neck, the thumb making gentle strokes. Lavi remained stock still.
"Did my brother ever tell you that he was soon to be married? Did you believe his lies that you are someone he could love?" There was a concerned note in his voice, but Lavi knew better than to fall for the trick.
"He didn't lie to me." Lavi thought of how candidly Tyki had explained the arrangements that had been decided for him. In her mind's eye she saw him sitting in a back pf the Drowned Innocence casually smoking and telling her the story of her mother. She opened her eyes though the tears still blurred her vision. "Tyki does not lie to me."
"So you are the one lying to him." His eyes twinkled mockingly; a dry smile hanging on to the corners of his mouth. Lavi immediately regretted rising to the bait. "Do you think that he will come riding in like a knight to rescue you; that he will save you from your misery? Perhaps he whispered those promises to you so lovingly all those nights you've been making a fool of me."
"More fool you to believe that one who is bought and paid for would even think of fidelity." Lavi wanted to tread carefully. Lavi wanted to walk away and leave this night behind but more than that she wanted to hurt this man where it hurt him the most. His pride.
The thumb pressed more firmly against her throat, a warning. Calling upon strength she did not know she possessed, Lavi did not break eye contact and spat in his face. "Tyki is my choice. You are just a necessity I must bear with."
The insulted lord drew back slightly to take a handkerchief from a pocket and wipe at the mess. Lavi almost winced, expecting to be struck. But Sheril only laughed, the sound chilling her blood. In a vice like grip he caught her hips and pressed even further back into the wall, "Well then, do your duty."
The strength left her as fast as it had come. Pinned against the wall, with Sheril doing as he pleased with her, Lavi felt anything save the heavy black curtain of tiredness. There was a time when she had resolved to bear with her troubles as long as Jiji was safe and well. That was before she lost the respect of the man she was trying to help. It was before she had Tyki.
Had Tyki, even if only for moment. What could she possibly hope for now? Soon he would be married, and already a game bigger than the both of them was being played. Being in love was not an adequate defence for the crime of happiness. If she had never met him then she might have accepted her situation sooner.
"Don't call her that!"
Lavi's eyes shot open as the unmistakeable voice reached her ears. If only a whole would appear in the floor and swallow her whole. To be caught now, like this would be unbearable. As if reading her thoughts, Sheril covered her mouth with a heavy palm and locked her to the wall. Lavi struggled to breathe under the weight of him.
Lavi begged him with her eyes to let her go but he dismissed her crushing squeeze of her arms and turned his attention to conversation on the other side of the wall.
"…have I not already agreed to take part in this farce with the Japanese?..." Tyki will agree. Tyki will be married. Tyki will not be hers. Lavi pressed her eyes shut against the hot prickling.
"Do you think this is love?"
No response.
"Perhaps we should find out how she feels."
"No, no, please no. Sheri please no." Lavi could only think fiercely and struggled lamely in his hold. He would not let her go. The call to come out was like a death knell in her ears and try as she might, Lavi could not win against Sheril. He pulled her out into the silver light of the night. Lavi tugged vainly at her dress, a failed feint of decent.
"What do you make of that? It's one thing knowing the reality of the situation, and quite another to see it." Lulubell was a startling pair of cat's eyes hovering over Tyki's shoulder. Her hands dug into his forearms, creating deep creases in his jacket. "Don't you think so Tyki?"
"Be quiet." Lavi heard him say, but she could not look at him. Not with the weight of his gaze on her so. She felt him rake over her body, examining every place touched by Sheril. His fists clenched into tight balls. Did he feel foolish now that he saw her for what she was?
"Sheril, I'm going to need you to let go of the girl for this." Lulubell ordered and thankfully he adhered to her words. Relieved, Lavi massaged the reddened wrist.
Tyki rushed forward, his hands out, startling Lavi. She moved behind Sheril alarmed, he couldn't see her not like this.
When she peered out from behind Sheril, Tyki had frozen. The moonlight showed her clearly the small motions that crossed his face. Slowly it darkened and crumbled. "Lavi?" He croaked in a broken voice.
Dizzy and nauseous, Lavi looked down at the gloved hand that still grasped the delicate mask between her fingers. The corridor spun and when she looked up again the occupiers of the corridor seemed to revolve on the spot. She blinked the dizziness away trying hard to focus on one thing at a time. The moonlight showed her clearly the small motions that crossed his face. Slowly it darkened and crumbled. "Lavi?" He croaked in a broken voice.
Dizzy and nauseous, Lavi looked down at the gloved hand that still grasped the delicate mask between her fingers. The corridor spun and when she looked up again the world had yet to regain its composure.
"Lavi, is that you?"
Covering her eyes, she said not a word.
He was crossing the corridor to her know.
Sheril made angry noises in his throat that made Lavi think that he would try to get stop Tyki. Her eyes strayed down the hall. It was empty. Would the party guests come out if the brothers clashed?
"Stop please." She says taking steps back, increasing the distance between herself and the Noah giants. Neither man reached her as she feared. Lulubell was there first, standing in front of her like guard.
The woman smiled at her kindly, though the gesture was betrayed by untouched coldness in her eyes. "Lavi," She said in a tender tone. "I can help you child, would you like that? Tell me, would you like to stay or go? I can make it happen right now."
"W-what?" The words did not make sense.
"Why couldn't you tell me Lovely?"
"I think I'd her to answer Lulu's question first."
"What will it be Lavi."
Everyone was speaking at once and Lavi did not know where to begin with any of the questions. The flowery scent of Lulubell was cloying now that she stood so close. Shrugging off the hand on her elbow, and tried to reason with Tyki.
"Tyki, please let me explain. Let's go somewhere just you and I. Please!"
Tyki, it appeared had forgotten they had an audience despite Lavi's attempts to take him somewhere private. Like daggers, Sheril's eyes darted from one to the other. The more he heard the smaller his eyes became until they were merely vicious slits across his face. Lulubell simply watched from the side lines.
"Honestly brother what did you expect from a woman who doesn't seem to care which brother she snares? It's not like I didn't tell you she was warming my bed." Sheril offered the palms of his hands.
"Tyki! Listen to me!" In a panic Lavi made a grab for Tyki just about catching the back of his jacket. He spun on the spot and knocked her backwards. Lavi landed heavily upon the window seat. Lulubell gasped. Sheril didn't move an inch.
"You had every chance! I even kissed him. You, I kissed you – In the tavern for gods' sake. " He completed the familiar motion of dragging his hand though his hair. "You could have told me then. Instead you made me choose and I did. You know what you meant to me. Both of you! Was everything a lie?"
The room was spinning again, a wild inferno now painted red with Lavi's own frustration. Lavi pounded the glass with every word. "I did not lie!"
Vaguely she registered the distant tinkling of breaking glass and a stinging in her left fist and then the floor rushed up to meet her.
The fire has burned to a dull orange, too weak even to throw flickering shadows about the study. Sheril balanced his elbows upon the dark wooden arm rests, his long finger meeting in the middle. The younger brother mirrored him in poise, pride and composure.
The large desk had been cleared of all the books and correspondence that decorated the surface during Tyki's last visit; the perfect condition for the period of disuse soon to commence. The last time the polished surface had ever been visible was after the death of their father, Sheril recalled.
"Do you remember Tyki, after father died there was so much to do, so many things to attend to. Bringing the books in order, and running the house and then when we had barely even had to grieve disaster followed disaster and we were hit by that tragic fire." Here his lips twisted. "What an unlucky period that was."
"What do you mean by bringing that up now?" Tyki said shrewdly.
"Oh nothing," Sheril waved his hands dismissively. "It just seemed to me that you grieved more for that woman than you ever did for father. Why did you leave us?"
Tyki chose his words carefully, "This is Kamelot Manor, and I am not a Kamelot. What reason did I have to stay? I stayed long enough to see the child Lillia left behind go home with her grandfather. And then I left and I forgot. I did my duty for the family business. Every wealthy man has a wife with an empty bed." He dragged his hand backwards through his hair. "How could you Sheril? Haven't we done enough damage to her?"
"Your duty to the family is not over yet Tyki." There was a hard edge to his voice now. "This marriage was arranged by men smarter and wiser than you who foresaw the future of the economy. If we are to keep our business and our fortunes we will need to play our parts. Even Lavi."
"You plan to use her to translate for you? A fine way to gain her trust and loyalty when you send her in to the Japanese. For gods' sake you've been terrorising her for the last few months!" Tyki was on his feet. It took every effort to keep cool.
Unbidden, scenes played out unstoppable inside his mind's eye. The first time he saw a nameless woman sitting alone in a dark corridor; a bruised stable boy sleeping on pile of hay. The many different faces that had smiled, grimaced, laughed and scowled at him these past months. Tyki focussed on rolling up his sleeves, counting each fold to calm down.
"I'm leaving tomorrow Sheril, and I'm taking Lavi with me."
"Damn it Tyki! Let go of this childish infatuation. Nothing has happened to any of that Bookman lot that they did not bring on themselves! Lavi stays here. The Earl is aware of her presence now and if we fail to utilise her effectively then you know very well what will befall her. Would you see us become as the Walkers?"
"There is no 'us' or 'we'. Find another sap to marry your foreigner and secure your own fate from here Sheril." Tyki watched his brother sink his head into his hands. Such a sign of weakness was not usual for Sheril. He made a curious choked sound, half sob half guffaw.
"What of the old man? I find it hardly likely you will be going anywhere with the night flower without him." The smugness coming off his in waves riled Tyki. "And where will you go? The Earl won't let you go easily, certainly not with cousin Lulubell prowling the halls. Speak of the devil…"
The door clicked shut softly, and Lulubell in all her golden glory not at all showing the late hour flowed into the room and into the chair Tyki had vacated. Tyki's defence tightened.
"Please, don't let me interrupt." The chair creaked as she leant back and surveyed her nails, an envelope held aloft between her index and middle finger. All eyes were on the envelope.
"Not at all. What pray tell is that?" Sheril came around the desk and perched on the edge. Despite his own curiosity, Tyki walked over to the fireplace, as far as he could be from the vile older sibling, but still within conversation range.
"The fruits of my effort to resolve the situation that you two have manhandled so badly," neither man spoke so she continued. "Correspondence from our lovely Bookman. But for which of you is it for? The devil's dealer or the wronged lover?"
Tyki straightened up when her eyes marked him out, a word from Lavi and things would be right again. He would go to her, apologise and then they could be free, leave this nightmare behind them. Lulubell held his gaze for a heartbeat, turned away and with the thinnest of smiles presented the envelope to Sheril who grinned victoriously and ripped open the packet. Inside was a single folded over scrap..
The content must have contained favourable news as Sheril's features only brightened, his grin broader and eyes wide. He laughed openly a horribly merry laugh all the while crushing the paper in his palm and lobbed it passed Tyki and into the fire. "I can live with those conditions."
"What did it say?" Tyki demanded. What could Sheril have to be so ecstatic about? "Where are you going?"
"To bed little brother. It has been quite a night and I do have a ship to board in the morning. If you can convince Lavi tonight to go, then tomorrow I'll not get in your way." Sheril gathered his jacket from the back of his chair, throwing it over an elbow. He stopped at the door smirking at Tyki and said with a wink, "I do love that even at this age we can share our toys."
It was lucky that Sheril closed the door swiftly behind him as any later and his departure would have been followed by one of the heavy mantle ornaments Tyki aimed at the doorway.
"It's not usual to see you so worked up by Sheril of all people," Lulubell purred from her seat. "And did I hear you say you would not marry? That would be quite a blow to the Earl, who has done so much for you."
"Do us all a favour and crawl back to the Noah Estate." Tyki did not have the time to wasting throwing around more words with Lulubell.
"In time. I'll give you the same condition as Sheril then. If you can get the girl to leave with you before the ship sails tomorrow then I won't stand In your way. I'll even speak in favour to the Earl."
Tyki couldn't believe his ears, surely there was a trick hidden somewhere. The clock on the wall ticked on. He checked the time, quarter to three. Lulubell had just come from her room now, if he ran, it was possible she would be awake.
"Mind," Lulubell's sharp tone dragged him back to the present. "Lavi must choose to go willingly. I will not have you or your brother enforce your wills upon her. That game of Sheril's is over, a new one has begun. There is much the Earl would like to learn from Bookman, least of all bout all that was lost in the fire. Contracts… Deeds."
Deeds…Tyki stiffened and replied grimly. "You don't need to remind me that Kamelot Manor has only been so named for less than life-span, just as I don't need to remind you that I am not Kamelot."
"A building can be rechristened Tyki," Lulubell smiled broadly, "at any time."
An ominous cloud hanging over him now, Tyki left the room. With two bets against him, his heart raced even faster than his feet. With any luck Lavi would hear his heart and leave him before it was too late.
Thanks for reading!
Next chapter new characters! Hints: Very grumpy and very Japanese ;P