I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Story 11: Caged dragon: A shoemaker called Uther
"You can run."
The man continued to run away.
"As fast as lighting."
His legs were being pushed to the limit.
"To the end of the world."
His lungs were working beyond the normal human capacity.
"But know this."
The man felt the grasp of the hands that were reaching out to him.
"You can't escape forever. Your destiny has been decided."
The hands tried to drag him back into a golden cage but the man keep fighting and trying to get away.
"No, I'll be free. I choose my fate!"
His hands reached out for freedom.
Real-world.
The man awakens covered in sweat. His breathing rhythm is irregular and his eyes wander for a few seconds until they find the sight of a sleeping beauty resting next to him. Her caramel skin, black braids, and face soft sleeping face were a sight that calmed him down.
"Cataleya…." The man reached out a caresses the face of the woman. "What would I do without you?"
The woman continues to sleep in peace as the man admires her. His right hand then moves towards her belly which had grown more prominent over the months.
"Tristan or Dahlia. Which one will you be my child? I hope that you grow up to be strong and as beautiful as your mother." The man smiles for a few moments as he caresses his wife's belly before getting out of bed.
The room was simple and lack luxurious items but it feel welcoming to the couple. Small items here and there were brought by the couple as they seem fit. A small white cat clock hung from one of the walls. A painting of a field filled with flowers hung from a different wall. The room was unusually painted with many different colors as if someone couldn't settle down on one particular one.
And yet this room was a little paradise for the man. He didn't need anything else, no riches, no sophisticated luxury, no silk sheets for his bed, no mansion; nothing else except for this.
As he approached the balcony that was connected to this same room the man's eyes were drawn to the full moon that shinned on top of the small village that he now called home.
A Guarda, a small fishing village that overlooks the Atlantic ocean was located in the Pontevendra Province which sat on the border of Spain and Portugal.
He had been running for so long and never thought he'd find a place to settle but this place and Cataleya made him feel welcome. Made him want to stay and so he did, for the past 3 years. He settle and got married. He stopped running throughout Europe for the chance to live an actual life.
His blond hair was now black and his blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of black contacts.
The old sword that he had taken with him back when he was 16 was now hidden and put away. He was finally living a life that he choose to have not one that was chosen for him.
"Uther?" A voice called out to him.
The man turned around. "Yes, love?"
"Come back to bed. Is cold outside."
Uther smirks. "Is not."
"Uther you're naked. Get back in bed before someone sees you."
"Who's going to be up at 4:30 in the morning?" Uther asks as he signals the clock on their wall.
"Old man Francisco should be waking up around now to go to the port alongside the other fishermen. Aunty Clarissa starts to make her bread early. Margarite is bound to pass by in her bicycle around now."
As if by magic, the sound of a bicycle bell alerted them to the approaching girl.
Uther quickly rushed inside the run before he was seen.
"How?"
"I have been living here my whole life, Uther. I know what people do. Some people barely change their usual daily routines, especially those over the age of 40. Now come back. The bed is cold without you and you don't need to go to Rodrigo's shop until 9:30." Cataleya says.
Her calm smile was inviting him to give in.
Uther approached the bed while blushing. "You must have some kind of power." He quickly went under the bed sheets and close the distance between their bodies. His arms embrace her with utmost care.
"You dummy, there's no magic or supernatural interference when it comes to me knowing what others do. I thought that you'll catch up after three years but it seems that you need to pay more attention."
The couple smiled at each other before sharing a kiss. The couple continues to embrace each other until Cataleya then felt a slight pain in her abdomen.
"Uther, I just felt a kick."
"Oh? Is our dear child reacting to us?"
"Maybe he or she is."
"A boy or a girl which one do you want?"
"Either is fine love as long as is ours. I just want this child to be healthy and live a life filled with happiness." Cataleya's face softens as she ponders about the future. "Maybe they'll have a talent for painting like me."
"Or maybe they'll grow up to be a soccer player or even a famous medical researcher."
"Nah, painting sounds better but I hope they are good at their studies unlike me."
"Maybe…. I was decent at the classes that I received back in that cage."
Cataleya's face saddens at the mention of his past. Her hand reaches out to him. "Is alright. You're free now. They won't find you here. Is far from England and nobody would think that a boy teenager that has been missing for 10 years is hiding in such a small village."
"... I hope it is like that. I'm happy now. This is something that I need it. You, this place, this baby, are all important to me."
"I know and you're as important to me as well." Cataleya closes the distance and kisses him once more.
The couple continues to show affection for each other until they fall asleep once more.
Hours after, Garcias's & Sons, shoemakers.
"Come one, move it along boys. Hugo, Marcos, those boots need to be ready by noon." An old man said as he carefully check every corner of the pair of high heels he was repairing. His long white bear and small glasses barely kept his aging face. Although old, the man was a bit taller than most and his muscular shoulder showed that he had been caring for himself even after so many years.
The shop was filled with a diverse amount of shoes. From boots to sandals and others; the store was unusually hectic for a small fishing village with less than 5,000 inhabitants.
"Got it, boss. Marcos, can you take care of the ones on the left while I take care of those on the right?" Hugo (Uther) asks as he takes his tools and began to work on the boots.
"Hugo, why is it always around this time of the year when everyone wants their boots repaired? Wouldn't it be easier if they just bought new pairs?" Marcos was a short man in his early 20s. His skin was similar to Cataleya's own skin tone. His hair was black and styled as a small afro. He was neither good-looking nor horrendous.
"Hey, if it is broken it can be fixed. Unless they lose one while fishing I doubt that any fishermen would get a new pair. Nobody has the money to get a new pair each time one break." Hugo said while he started with one pair. Covering the holes, replacing the shoe laces and other kinds of repairs were all part of the daily life of a shoemaker besides making new shoes.
"See Marcos? He gets it and he has only been here for three years. This is why he got Cataleya to marry him. He knows what has to be done." The old man said with a chuckle.
"Dad, shut up. Cataleya married him because she totally controls him. He doesn't even go out to drink with me in most cases. What kind of man is that?" Marcos argued.
"A man that knows what is best for him. The day that you stop thinking like a child and start thinking like a man would be the day in which a lady will accept you as a husband." Rodrigo continues.
"Boss, don't be so cruel to him. Marcos is just living his life. He'll settle down one day when the time is right." Hugo argued.
Marcos's eyes turned to him and shinned with hope. "You get me!"
"Hugo I'm not getting any younger and his mother's last wish is that he finds a wife soon. He's going to inherit the store after I'm gone so he has to mature before is too late. Time waits for nobody. You came here and started as an apprentice under me. Seven months after you got married; a man should settle when he finds a good wife. I get that he wants to enjoy his youth but he should think about it more seriously."
Marcos scratches his head. "I know but just give me at least one more year. I'll either propose to Martha or Griselda."
As soon as those words left his mouth, a shoe hits his face.
"You idiot, a man shouldn't choose a wife like that. Hugo, how did you decide to ask for Cataleya's hand in marriage?" Rodrigo asks as he points one of his tools toward Hugo.
"Me?... Well, I'll have to go back to the day I meet her." Hugo said as he began to remember that day.
Three years ago.
"It should be around here," Hugo told himself as he made his way through an open field while following a map. In his hands, the small map filled with scribbles was serving as his only guide through this place.
"Hey, idiot!" A voice called out to him.
The young man put his map down and tried to find the source of the voice.
His eyes quickly found an angry lady who was looking at him.
"Ms. Cataleya Alonzo? Is that your name?" Hugo asks.
"Yes, now move out of the flowers! There's a perfect path on the left side!" Cataleya replied with anger.
Hugo looks around and notices that the field he was walking in was filled with many flowers. His face then turns to Cataleya who was painting the field. His brain takes a few seconds before connecting the dots and begins to make his way out of the field.
The shame on his face was visible and as he approach the lady his regret grew even bigger.
"I'm sorry."
"Idiot, who in the hell told you to go through the field? There's a path for a reason!"
"I was following this map."
Uther said as he offered her the map.
Cataleya quickly snatches it from his hand and analyzes it for a few moments. "This handwriting… Marcos. That stupid idiot. I'm going to break his legs when I get my hands on him." Cataleya then turns his attention to Hugo. "I'll forgive you only because I know who's responsible for this. Now give it here, I guess that you were sent as the delivery boy."
Hugo nods and gives her a basket alongside a pair of sandals. "I apologize once more."
"Forget it. You were doing the task that Marcos was supposed to do himself. I asked my mother to get my sandals sent to me after they were repaired. She likely took that chance to send me food and the sandals with Marcos but that idiot didn't even have the decency to come himself." Cataleya said as she took the sandals and the basket.
Uther notice that she wasn't any shoes. "You came all the way here without any shoes?"
"Yes? Is not that far nor is it that hard to do it. I'm not some kind of princess that has never gotten herself dirty." Cataleya finished putting her new sandals on. "Would you look at that, they are perfect. They even feel comfier than before. Did Marcos take care of them?"
Hugo shakes his head. "I did, Rodrigo thought that I could do a good job."
"Huh, so it was you. Good job pretty boy, you have talent if Rodrigo let you take care of my sandals." Cataleya focuses her sight on him for some moments before she speaks once more. "Now, would you like some of my mother's food? I imagine she sent way too much."
"Me? Why? I'm just a shoemaker."
"Because you came all the way here and did a good job. Just accept and join me. My mom's food is the best and Marcos can take care of the store on his own since he didn't have the balls to do the delivery himself. Sit down with me and tell me about yourself. What is a guy like you doing in a village like this?"
She smiled at him. She felt so welcoming that he couldn't deny her request.
He had been running for years knowing that he shouldn't make connections. No friends and no lovers meant that he didn't have regrets every time he left. Yet after 7 years he felt the need to stop even for just a few months.
In that field under the sun, Uther Pendragon who was hiding under many fake names allowed himself a moment to be human and make a friend.
His first friend in all of his life.
Back to the present.
"She is rude and a bit rough when her anger comes to the surface but she can be very welcoming. I didn't initially plan to ask her hand in marriage. I didn't even expect to stay for so long in this village but after a while, the idea of staying here with her became a desire that I want to achieve. I felt a connection with her that I never had before. I felt that we were meant to be together so I proposed to her." Hugo admitted.
"So you're saying that you stayed because of her?" Marcos asks.
"Yes."
"Because you felt a connection?"
"Yes."
"That's the most ridiculous-" As soon as those words escaped Marcos's lips another shoe reached his face.
"Idiot, don't you dare speak badly about another man's love story." Rodrigo says in anger. "A person can feel such connections when they find the right person. Hugo, I truly respect you as a man. May your marriage with Cataleya be blessed by God and your children be healthy."
"Thanks but do try to stop beating Marcos. He'll change one day." Hugo smiles before he goes back to work.
He was happy with this kind of life. With the freedom to have connections such as this and disregard any expectations from the royals of England. He was finally a person free to choose.
….. But nothing lasts forever.
1 month later.
The couple was sleeping peacefully in their room like any other night. The small apartment was in complete silence, not even a single sound besides their breathing.
Suddenly, the lock of the front door was slowly forced open. The assailants tried their best to be as silent as possible. As the door opens up a team of six members geared up with the best of the equipment makes its way into the dark apartment.
The team with weapons at hand looks around for a few seconds before they find a path to the bedroom.
The leader of the group signals the rest to move carefully toward their target.
As they approached the bedroom, they made sure to not make a single sound, and yet they had already made one big mistake.
Although he didn't follow the same training regime that had helped him to escape his "cage" anymore, Uther was still the same man that had evaded his pursuers for several years.
The young man was already hidden behind a wall and waited patiently for the assailants to enter his line of sight. His wife was still asleep on the bed and he hoped to keep it that way, especially with her current pregnancy.
He had no weapons at hand. His old sword was hidden in an unreachable place in the apartment at the moment so he only had his fists to defend himself.
Seconds went by as Uther kept his breathing under control. As soon as his eyes saw the silencer of the rifle of one of the assailants his body moved to attack. First, he goes for the neck of the first enemy, a fast and strong punch to the neck leaves the assailant without air. Uther wastes no time to steal the bowie knife on the chest of his first target before using it to cut the neck of the second one and stab the chest of the third one.
The other three members open fire against him but Uther reacts and evades the projectiles.
Those same projectiles are some kind of darts that Uther quickly recognizes.
"Danmit! Is them! Why haven't they given up?" The man thinks as he evades the enemy and drags their attention away from his wife and unborn child.
The small apartment is quickly made into a mess as Uther evades the shots and uses everything from kitchen knives to even a screwdriver as tools for his defense.
Minutes went by in this silent back and for until only two members of the assailant's team remain alive.
The two members coordinate with other to bring Uther to a stop after seeing how one man was able to kill 4 members of their team with everyday household items.
One takes the left while the other takes the right as the two advances and engage Uther in hand-to-hand combat.
Uther blocks the attacks and counters many of them while also getting a bit injured as the pair seemed to be much more capable than the other four members. "Mercenaries or Special Ops members? What did they send this time to capture me?" Uther asked himself as he continued to fight the pair.
"Uther?" A voice called out to him.
"Cataleya don't come here!" Uther told his wife as he tried to keep his attention on the pair.
The pair noticed his reaction after hearing the voice of his wife and one of them decided to go after Cataleya.
"Oh no, you don't," Uther said as he tried to stop the assailant.
This became his biggest mistake as the leader of the team took the opening and stabbed Uther in the neck with a much stronger tranquilizer.
"Shit!" Uther felt how the drugs spread out through his bloodstream. Uther punched the leader right across the face which sent the man flying into a wall before he went after the other one. As soon as he got his hand on the second enemy, Uther went for the kill. His mind entered into overdrive as he counted the second until his body stopped moving.
The second enemy was put into a headlock by Uther just a few meters away from Cataleya who was frozen in fear.
"Uther!"
"Cataleya, get out of the house. They're here for me."
"But-" Cataleya was stopped in her tracks by the leader of the team.
"She's not going nowhere, Uther." The team leader held his chin as he slowly approached Uther's back. "You have been my nastiest target yet. 10 years on the run and many dead bodies left behind. I couldn't believe it until tonight. You killed 4-"
"Five," Uther says as he finishes the member he had on a lock. Uther quickly stands up but his body starts to fall under the effects of the tranquilizer.
"Yes, five of my team members. How's that tranquilizer? It should be strong enough to put a rhino to sleep in less than 30 seconds." The leader asks.
Uther shakes his head and tries to keep a fighting pose but his body grows heavier with each second.
"You were given everything that a man could ever want and yet you chose to run away from England. Why?" The leader asks Uther as he approaches him.
"That was no life. I didn't want to be a puppet and a breeding stud. I wanted the freedom to choose my future." Uther argued. "Cataleya, you-"
"She's not getting away, Uther. I was given orders and I plan to follow them. Your head is worth 10 million EU right now. After the team members I have lost tonight I'm sure to gain even more in compensation." The man touches his ear. "Team BETA go up. We have the target and we need to clean this place."
"Cataleya…" Uther tried to move but his body started to fall to his knees.
"Uther!" Her crying face was the last thing he saw before falling unconscious.
6 hours after.
Uther's face was hit by a cold bucket of water.
"Wake up, Uther. The time to sleep is over." The team leader said as he approached him.
Uther slowly opened his eyes only to find himself chained from head to toe like some kind of wild animal.
"Cataleya!" He cried out for his wife.
"Hey, there's no need to scream. She's right here." The leader said as he pointed at the pregnant woman who was sitting on a rock.
"Uther." Cataleya was crying.
They were in the middle of an open field in some unknown location. No buildings, only rocks, and some trees were visible around. Uther couldn't decipher his location. "I'll get you out of here. I promise Cataleya."
"..." Cataleya couldn't reply anything and just smiles as she tries to come to terms with what was about to happen.
Her eyes wandered to a shovel that was resting near a rock.
Uther's eyes do the same and his face grows pale. "No!" Uther tries his best to break off from the chains.
"Hey, stop that. I won't get paid the whole amount if you're too injured." The leader says as he waits for someone to arrive.
A helicopter approaches his location and soon descends.
A small group of armored people comes out before a single lady steps out from the helicopter. The lady had reddish hair, and white skin and seemed to be in her forties.
"The British Prime minister?" Cataleya said as she saw the approaching group.
Uther's eyes grow in anger as the group reaches them.
The lady looks at them with disappointment and disgust. "Ten years of running and this is what you do? A whore?"
"She's my wife," Uther argues.
"Wife, you say? Boy, you keep forgetting that you don't choose who you get to marry. She seems late into her pregnancy. Tell me Uther, do you know what the baby is? Have you chosen a name?" The prime minister asks as she approaches him.
Uther's eyes are filled with anger and as soon as he has her hand at a reachable distance he bites her with all of his strength.
The prime minister screams in pain as Uther bites off two of her finger after the knights separate them.
"You ungrateful son of a whore. You have been given the best of the best and this is how you pay us off?" The prime minister asks.
"I'm not your puppet!" Uther screams out as he tries to break the chains once more.
"... Piece of shit. You know what to do. I'll wait back in the helicopter." The prime minister walks away with some of the knights.
"Well kid, time's up. I'll give you a chance to say your goodbyes. No hard feelings." The leader of the mercenaries says as he checks his gun.
"No, no, no." Uther keeps fighting back. "I won't let them do this. Not Cataleya, not my child."
"Uther, look at me."
Uther turns to her. Tears continue to pour down her eyes.
"Cataleya, I-"
Cataleya shakes her head. "... I know what's going to happen. I heard the call. Uther, you have been the best husband I could ever wish for. I loved every moment that I had with you. From our dates to our Christmas together; our days on the beach and our first meeting in that field, everything has been like a dream."
"No…"
"Fate is not on our side today but one-day things might change."
"Cataleya.."
"Even if this child of ours dies today as long as you are alive it might get a second chance at life. Please live on until our child gets a second chance. Do this for me, Uther." Cataleya says with a sad smile before she gets shot right in the face.
Her lifeless body falls to the floor. Blood spills from the bullet hole.
Uther is in complete shock. Words can't escape his mouth. His eyes watched in horror as the remaining knights move and start to pierce her belly to make sure that the child is dead.
Uther cries in anger.
"No hard feelings kid. You're the only one to blame for this." The masked mercenary says as he cleans his gun.
That day, Uther lost everything he ever loved and was taken back to England just to be tortured for the next two years. Tortured until he became a shell of his former self.
Story 12: Caged dragon: A Home For Us Two.
"Marie, you're far from adequate but you might be our only choice left." A voice said.
A young girl with golden locks and greenish eyes stayed silent as she sat in a chair in the middle of an auditorium. She seemed to be around 23 years old and she seemed cute but nothing that would make her win a contest of beauty. Around her, lords and ladies of England kept their eyes focused on her. Each one was analyzing her every action.
"All the other ladies that we have sent to him had been rejected and utterly traumatized by that unruly man."
"He has rejected and attacked any maids or butlers that we have tried to infiltrate in the mansion. Now he lives in the mansion completely alone. He has followed the orders not to exit the mansion but he violently rejects any other orders. We fear that he might try to take his own life so we have chosen to send a different kind of bride."
"Why me then? What can I do if others have failed?" Marie asks. "I been practically kept hidden from the world for my whole life and you take me out for this?"
"You might have a weak body and a heart condition but you have a bright mind. You might have what the others lacked to make him produce an heir or two. You have no other alternative but to succeed. You're the last bride we'll try to send and should you fail we will take drastic measures to get those heirs. Also, let it be known that if you fail it means going back to your tower."
As soon as those words were said, Marie's body shook in fear. "I…. don't want that. I want to be out of it." Marie lowers her head. "I'll do what's necessary. I'll give you the heirs you want."
The lords and ladies talk amongst each other for a few moments before they turn their faces towards the person leading the whole assembly.
A crown sat on top of her head as she sat on her throne. "Very well, Marie, The Bastard of the Tower, you'll be the 12th candidate sent as a bride for Uther Pendragon."
Marie sighs as her fate was chosen for her. "... Uther Pendragon…."
Two hours later.
She was dressed in a wedding dress. Two guards sat on each side of her as the helicopter descended upon the location.
"Uther Pendragon, age: 28. He escaped England at the age of 16. He's proficient with swords and maybe one of the strongest humans around. He was captured 2 years ago and after an extensive "re-education" process we can say that he is a decent puppet. Your goal will be to act as his wife and produce heirs. Failure will be unacceptable. Understood?" A man said. He was sitting in front of her. He had similar features to her.
"Yes… Lord Phillips." Marie said as she kept her head down.
The man nods. "Maybe keeping you alive for so long will be finally worth it."
Marie clenches her hands after hearing those words. "Is that what a father should be saying?"
The minutes went by until the mansion came into view. Snow was piling up around it which was to be expected around these times.
The place stood up for its isolation on a small island away from mainland England. Several gardens surround it but one could tell that there had been better times for the mansion just by looking at it from the outside.
"Good luck Marie. There are no servants to help you." Lord Phillips says.
"As if I had any in that tower that you kept me in since birth. I was barely taught how to take care of myself."
"Ingredients, medicine, and other necessities will be dropped at your door every two weeks. Make sure to make a list of what you'll need for the next delivery."
Marie said nothing. She had not to need to talk to him; father and daughter they were not even if they shared blood.
A few minutes went by until the helicopter descended. As soon as they were on the floor, the guards got out and moved her two suitcases inside the mansion.
Marie and Lord Phillips followed shortly behind. The temperature was low and the snow wasn't cleaned so it was a task in itself to even get to the front door.
"Shit, why is this place so cold?" Phillips asked as he set a foot in the entry hall of the residence. Spider webs and dirty curtains were just the beginning.
The place was a mess and Uther didn't seem to care about cleaning it.
"If the cold affects you this much, turn around and never come back." A voice said.
As the pair and guards looked around their eyes found a single man standing on the stairs at the end of the hall. His hair was a golden mess, his beard wasn't better either. His eyes lacked sleep and a bottle of alcohol in his right hand might be one of the reasons behind it.
He had a pair of pants and sandals but nothing was covering his chest or abdomen which were covered in scars and whip marks.
"Uther, she's-" Phillips was interrupted.
"Left-wing, 4th door. That's her room. She has a bathroom and the kitchen is downstairs. If she needs me, she can find me in the library." Uther said before he continued walking. He showed no interest in Marie or Lord Phillips.
"Rebellious idiot… Marie, the rest is up to you. Don't fail." Phillips turned around and walked out of the residence without looking back.
The guards took the suitcase and followed the directions given by Uther.
Marie was left all alone. She didn't even know where to start. Her so-called groom had practically walked on her and didn't even ask for her name.
"... I should explore this place then." Marie then began to explore the residence since her groom didn't seem to care to show her around.
Three hours later.
The sunlight was now replaced by darkness. A wax candle she had found was her only guide and after finding herself surrounded by darkness, now she understood why other candidates had been traumatized by this place.
The hallways felt haunted and unwelcoming.
The cold air, complete silence, and unwelcoming atmosphere didn't make it better.
As she walked around the halls she watched every corner. She was almost expecting a ghost to show up and dragged her into the darkest place of the mansion.
"Holy Virgin Mary, please protect me." She was scared; she couldn't deny it. So the wisest choice was to track down the only other person in the whole place.
As she walked through the halls while trying to find the damn library. After searching for a while she finally found the place.
After opening the door she found a large room with books to no end.
"It was to be expected." Marie started to walk through the room while looking for Uther. The place was dark and her candle was the only light source she had. The windows were covered by the piles of snow outside and the temperature of the room was as bad as the rest of the mansion. "I'll die if I don't do something about this."
The girl continue to make her way through the room until she found what she was looking for.
At the end of the room, in front of a large portrait that was hanging on top of a small fireplace, a single man sat on an old chair. Bottles of alcohol surrounded him and a golden sword sat close to his left side.
The man had his eyes closed.
Marie approached the man but she was stopped in her tracks by an unexpected sight.
Near his right leg, a small black humanoid figure was visible. Its small hands were holding onto the pants of Uther while its red eyes were focused on Marie.
The girl's body began to shake. "What is that?"
The small figure wasn't moving. It lacked features but those deep red eyes were more than enough to freeze anyone in their tracks.
"... Mama?" The small voice of a creepy child reached her ears. She couldn't know if it was the voice of a boy or a girl.
Before Marie had the time to think Uther awakens while screaming.
"Cataleya!" His hands reached out for something that isn't there.
"Papa?" The small figure calls out to him.
Uther's sight turns back to the child and tears start to escape his eyes. "Why? Why? Why couldn't I save you two? My child, Cataleya."
Marie is unable to say anything. She watches in silence as the small figure climbs into the lap of Uther as the man cries.
"I lack too many pieces of this puzzle. I don't think I should approach now." Marie told herself as she kept her distance from the man and the apparition that called him "Papa."
Next day.
Marie was on the phone with Lord Phillips. Her wedding dress was now being replaced by the best winter clothes she had available at the time. A long white winter coat covered her and kept her warm.
"I need answers."
"What do you mean Marie?"
"What did all of you do to Uther? This is not normal. A ghost? A broken man left to rot in a freezing mansion? What did all of you do to him?"
"You shouldn't ask questions."
"I need answers to know what I can even try to do. You want children but I can't force him to have sex with me. This is already a hard situation and if I don't get any help I doubt that I can give you what you want. What did you do to him?"
Moments went by in which nobody says anything.
"... Uther escaped the mansion when he was 16. The boy wanted freedom or so he said so he ran away after killing every single guard and service personnel that was working in the mansion to keep him under surveillance. They tried to stop him but he was far too strong. He left no survivors except for his dying mother who was bedridden."
"And?"
"... We sent teams after him for seven years. Every single one was eliminated by him. From France to Poland and other places around Europe, Uther changed his name several times and continued to run away while evading capture. The boy was too precious to be left alone so the chase continued. We lost the trail in a small village in Germany and thought that he was dead but a certain photo in a small newspaper in Spain revived the chase three years later. We sent a new team of mercenaries after him and the team found him living peacefully in a fishing village with an already pregnant wife."
"... Did you-"
"Yes, we did. The boy thought that he had the freedom to do what he wanted. For 10 years he escaped our hands and now we had him. The Pendragon genes shouldn't be wasted on some lower-class woman who he found in the middle of nowhere. He is our precious pawn and we decided who he marries or who gets to be the mother of his children. We tortured him physically but it didn't work so we took it upon ourselves to break him mentally. He won't run away anymore so just do your job. Your only job is to get pregnant; nothing more. Understood?"
"... All of you are disgusting…." Marie closes the phone in anger. She felt disgusted and completely disturbed. The royals of England only saw the Pendragons as merchandise, not as humans. She wanted to throw up but she kept it under control. "This is insane….. But we have no way out….. What should I do?"
Marie walked out of the studio and made her way back to the library. She found Uther on the same chair as yesterday with the still creepy ghost sitting on his lap.
Its eyes turned to her.
She felt scared but also sad after learning the truth. "... You're….. His child….. I'm sorry… No child deserves that kind of fate."
The ghost said nothing.
Marie turns her sight towards Uther.
"... This place is a cage for him….. And for me too….. I….. don't know where to even began." Her hand reaches out to his face and caresses his cheek. He lacked sleep and possibly even food. He lacked the will to even continue. "... Is only us two in here and the ghost of your child…This cage is suffocating so I'll try to make it into some kind of home for the two of us…. I'll try to be a good ally so you don't need to fear me. I'm as trapped as you are. We're just pawns for them to use after all."
Marie sits down next to the chair and rests her head against it.
As the fire continue to burn she ponder about what the future had in store for them. They only had each other in that place.
*Notes of the author: Maybe the most complicated chapters I ever wrote. I hoped to make them much bigger but I didn't want to stretch them out forever. I'll do at least 2 or 3 more chapters surrounding Marie, Uther, and Tristan before I finish this filler arc. The next two are going to focus on Hephaestus and Aphrodite once more. Athena will also be involved. See ya*