Hunting
Destiny
Once more.
One more attempt.
The Crusade begins anew.
Yesterday's failures are forgotten.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
I: Sunday, August 1, 2004:
Ancestral Estate of Robert Lancaster II, Wessex, England; approximately
3pm GMT
I was expecting His Grace anytime now.
It seems as if he's been away so long. He hasn't called Wessex
his home - at least his regular home - for years now.
It will be good to see him. The house is so empty without his
presence. It is merely us staff who inhabit these four-hundred
year old walls now.
I wish he had given me and the staff a bit more advanced warning - the
place could do with a more thorough dusting. But I suspect his
eyes will be watching this new lady in his life.
I have heard him talk much about her to me over the phone. She
seems to be very like Lady Dynasty in some ways, starkly different in
others.
I anticipate meeting her as much as seeing His Grace.
A knock on the door jostled my attention. Even at seventy years
old my reflexes were in pretty bloody good shape, if I may say for
myself.
A last check in the mirror before I proceeded down the grand staircase
to open the door. I had dressed the same way, everyday, for the
past five decades, despite His Grace's attempts in the last few years
to dress more casually if I so desired.
I had no intention of altering my garb.
Nor letting my guard down, of any woman's attempts to usurp the
sanctity and stability of the Duke of Wessex or the House of Lancaster.
I descended the stairs and opened the door.
I bowed slightly as I always do.
His Grace frowned, disapproving of my recognition of his status.
Tough shit, sonny boy.
His frown vanished into a smile almost instantaneously.
"Your Grace."
"Simkins...it's good to see you
again."
I nodded politely and let His Grace and the much vaunted Ms. Whitely
enter.
"Simkins, may I introduce to
you Ms. Marissah Whitely, of New York City."
I gazed into her eyes and I saw evil.
Nothing more.
I knew from that moment on I must do
everything in my power to destroy her.
I extended my hand as she shook it briefly.
She walked straight past me and began to ogle the surroundings.
"Ooo my God this place is
fucking awesome babe." She walked up to the grand stair
case to feel the mahogany bannister. She cast her eyes up at the
crystal chandelier, and to one of the side tables that displayed an
ancient Greek bust of some unknown deity.
I turned to His Grace who merely smiled. He wanted her to adore
this house. He beamed with pride.
"The antiques alone in this
place
must be worth hundreds of thousands...maybe millions..."
If I could have, I would have killed her there and then.
Etiquette, Simkins, etiquette...
"May I offer a drink to your
Grace or to the lady."
His Grace walked up to me and patted me on the shoulder.
"No Simkins, we're fine, thank
you. For now I'll show the lady to her room, don't worry about
us."
I nodded again and took my leave of them. I ascended the
stairs.
If it were done, when 'tis done, then
t'were well it were done quickly...
II: Sunday, August 1, 2004:
Ancestral Estate of Robert Lancaster II, Wessex, England; approximately
7pm GMT
I had brought Marissah Whitely here to fall in love with Wessex.
And hopefully, with me.
And clearly she had. With the former, that is. I must have
spent about four hours with her just showing her the various rooms and
pieces that line the halls. A lot of rubbish can be accumulated
in about nine hundred years...
I imagine if she could, she would have packed it all into a car and
drive off with it. She couldn't stop fawning. It got a bit
sickening, to be honest.
But all was going according to plan...I believe...
I've known Marissah Whitely for nearly a year. Nine months of
which we've dated, and traveled across the United States, and here in
the UK. Despite our ups and downs - her abuse, her affair,
although I was the innocent party - I knew I was in love with
her. I need her. And I shall have her.
I had told Marissah that I was going for a walk, but decided against
it. I entered my bedroom, where she was showering just inside its
master bathroom. Exhausted from the grand tour, I lay down on the
bed, waiting for her to re-emerge.
It was once my Father's but
now I claim it as my own. I hadn't changed a thing in there since
he left those eleven years ago, nor do I dare, lest he gaze down from
Heaven and cast a disapproving glance my way.
I closed my eyes and stretched.
It was good to be home in Wessex. I thought I'd be able to
indulge Marissah in all it had to offer - the scenery, atmosphere,
history.
And I'd be able to purge my mind and temper my soul for what was to
come.
A crusade, after all, is not an easy ordeal to withstand.
I had drawn Destiny Hunter from the IWA. A woman. It would
be a night of many firsts for certain.
I told Marissah before we came that I would face a woman in the first
round. She could not control her laughter, nor her spite or
outright condemnation for a woman she never met. I however was
not so brazen. If she is in the CAL, she is one of the best.
And I shall treat her as such. As a fellow competitor, longing to
push all that she could within her. I would not take for granted
her skills. Nor her gender.
But if I can. I shall use that against her too.
I slightly chuckled to myself. Yes. I will do what it takes to
defeat her. Pulling her hair. Breaking her nails.
Chauvinistic bastard? Perhaps. I couldn't care less really though.
Last year's efforts were not sufficient. This year would be
different. I had to do all that I could to emerge victorious,
against Destiny, and
against the likes of Kid Xtreme, Top Dollar, Loki...and
potentially
Ripper Longshanks.
I laughed again.
Funny, I remember saying the same goddamn things to myself last
year. It didn't help.
I decided one thing.
I'm not going to over analyze the shit out of this tournament - nor
will I be so lax to not prepare for it either.
I'll...hunt destiny?
"Hunt destiny? Is that all? Surely
you'll call upon me, won't you?"
My eyes opened, as I gazed at the ceiling in shock.
He had returned.
Just over a year later, and he had returned.
I sat up from the bed to see my Lord sitting there in a chair, in the
same well tailored suit, with greying hair, slight black mustache,
piercing blue eyes.
I nodded my head and furrowed my brow.
"It's been a while. Where
the hell have you been."
"Oh," he said, "here and there. Afghanistan. Iraq. I'm
very busy in Darfur right now. I'm a busy fellow you know, be
glad I've taken the time to come see you, especially before this big
competition you're entering. How have you been?"
I knew his concern was not genuine. But I answered regardless.
"Fine. Thank you."
He rolled his eyes.
"Fine? Just fine? Look at all I've
given you! I made you the top of your league. You've not seen
more success in your chosen business than at any time in your entire
career."
True.
"And, I've given you such a
beautiful woman - many men would kill for what you have Robbie my dear
boy."
"Yes," I shifted my
weight, "I know. What shall I
say? Thank you?"
"Of course. And you're
welcome. But tell me. What have you done for me lately?" He pointed at me with a look of slight
disappointment. "As far as I recall, this was supposed to
be a mutually beneficial arrangement. What evil have you
spread? Whose lives have you ruined? What sins have you
committed?"
I turned my head and frowned. I didn't know what the fuck to say.
"Robert. I'm
disappointed. Need you another stern lesson, that you do my
bidding, not just INSIDE the ring, but outside it as well? I
expect more from you Robert Edward James Lancaster. And I will," he emphasized, "have results. And just to show
you how highly I think of thee still, I will advise you do one
thing. In five minutes, situation yourself right outside that
bathroom door." He gestured towards it. I glanced at it
momentarily. "And say the
right things...and you will have what you need. And so shall I."
I returned my glance.
And he was gone.
The five minutes ticked away an eternity at a time.
Finally they were up. I did as he instructed. I perched
near the bathroom door, listening for whatever.
I heard the shower switch off. Her phone rang almost
immediately. Perhaps this is what I was waiting to hear.
"Paulus, what do you want, I'm
in fucking England, you know that."
Paulus, husband of her best friend, Aryanna...what the fuck was he
doing calling her.
"I told you, forget it, I'm
not interested."
In what?
My mind began to race through the possibilities. Terror engulfed me.
"I thought you had already
done it? I told you, no, I am not going to get involved in this, why do
you think I fucked you, so you'd shut up about it. God, forget
it, bye."
I got up. I didn't know what to do...I wanted to lash out.
My fury erupted.
No...not yet. I stood and waited for her. I breathed
heavily, every sense was on end.
I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself.
The door opened. She emerged only in her panties, with a towel in
one hand.
She gave a scream.
"Babe..."
I opened my eyes and stared directly into hers. Her smile of
surprise evaporated. A look not unlike one who commits homicide
crossed my face and lips.
"Babe...how long have you been
he..."
"WHY Marissah. WHY."
I demanded. "And don't give me
ANY bullshit."
She cursed under her breath.
"You goddamn bitch."
Marissah looked at me with disgust.
"You have no fucking clue..."
I couldn't believe her arrogance. Holy shit.
"No. Apparently not, I had no
fucking clue that you were out there fucking your best friend's
HUSBAND."
"Shit Robert. Do you
really want to know why I did that?"
Could there be any possible defense
for what she did.
"Enlighten me." I
listened intently.
"He wanted me to use you to
launder money. All right? And you know, I said no, and he wouldn't stop
harassing me about it, so we fucked. I thought it would have shut
him up, okay?"
I stood there, incredulous.
"And you expect me to believe
that? This, coming from a woman who fucked around with me while
not mentioning you had a bloody HUSBAND."
She threw the towel down.
"Fuck Robert, I apologized and
I explained a thousand times why I did that. Isn't that good enough for
you?"
"You know what's good enough
for me?" I queried. "The fucking TRUTH."
I turned to leave the room. She grabbed my arm and turned me
around.
"That WAS the truth, shit
Robert, I swear to God. What can I do to make you believe me."
I gazed into her eyes once more. She looked back, desperate,
angry. I had only two words to say to her. I knew it was
the right thing to say. I had to. Or else.
"Marry me."
She let go of my arm and took a step back, cupping her face with a
single hand.
Once more.
One more attempt.
Yesterday's failures are forgotten.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
